Golden Pints 2011

1. Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer - Buxton Axe Edge @ The Sheffield Tap.
2. Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer - Buxton Brewery Axe Edge - Sublime!
3. Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer - Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
4. Best Overall Beer - Buxton Brewery Axe Edge again! Perfect bottled or cask. A worthy winner
5. Best Pumpclip or Label - It's got to go to the Magic Rock Labels/Pumpclips
6. Best UK Brewery - Buxton Brewery they are local to me and have made some awesome beers this year!
7. Best Overseas Brewery - Stone Brewery or Maui Brewery (love their branding!)
8. Pub/Bar of the Year - Sheffield Tap & The Coopers Tavern Notable mention goes to the Greystones in Sheffield, It's Thornbridge's flagship pub and offers some great beers and a great view. Well worth the bus trip.
9. Beer Festival of the Year - Brewing Industry International Awards Festival. A day I will never forget!
10. Supermarket of the Year - Tough one as they are all improving but Morrisons have the best selection local to me
11. Independent Retailer of the Year - Brown & Green Derby for a regular supply of Thornbridge & Buxton.
12. Online Retailer of the Year - myBrewerytap for delivering some great beers through the 52wk clubs.
13. Best Beer Book or Magazine - The Oxford Companion to Beer, It's answered a lot of questions I had but didn't want to ask!
14. Best Beer Blog or Website - One from Pencil & Spoon, Reluctant Scooper or Pete Brown's
15. Best Beer Twitterer - Difficult one to choose but as he's my mate @simonhjohnson retains the title.
16. Best Online Brewery presence - Adnams @Adnams & @solebear
17. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year - Pork Pie with Brooklyn Local 2 served by Garett Oliver himself followed by Adnams Solebay paired with a greasy Burger at BIIA
18. In 2012 I’d Most Like To… Drink some more good beer, and blog more. But seeing as though this is my first post since February I doubt that's going to happen. I like to drink good beers and write about them, I however find the 140 characters of Twitter far more appealing than writing on here. Sorry Folks! (plus i'm crap at putting my ideas & thoughts on paper)
19. Beer Drinking Accessory of the year - The Merkin!
20. Worst Bottled Beer of the Year - Anything from Hesket Newmarket. I love the idea of a cooperative brewery with all the locals getting involved but they really have some work to do in the bottling department.

Logo designed by Robsterowski

The Golden Pints: Beer Awards 2010

1. Best UK Draught Beer - Thornbridge Jaipur or Thornstar
2. Best UK Bottled Beer - Marble Dobber
3. Best Overseas Draught Beer -
4. Best Overseas Bottled Beer - Sierra Nevada Torpedo / Founders Centennial
5. Best Overall Beer - Thornbridge Jaipur
6. Best Pumpclip or Label - Hardknott Infra Red
7. Best UK Brewery - Marble, Manchester
8. Best Overseas Brewery - Sierra Nevada
9. Pub/Bar of the Year - The Sheffield Tap & Cask Pub & Kitchen
10. Beer Festival of the Year -
11. Supermarket of the Year - Tesco/Morrissons
12. Independent Retailer of the Year - The White Dragon Shop, Burton
13. Online Retailer of the Year - myBrewerytap
14. Best Beer Book or Magazine - Zak Avery, 500 Beers
15. Best Beer Blog or Website - Pencil & Spoon
16. Best Beer Twitterer - @simonhjohnson
17. Best Brewery Online - Brewdog
18. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year - Homemade Tomato & Chilli chutney & Jaipur
19. In 2011 I’d Most Like To… - Drink more good beers & try different ones i wouldn't usually drink. Oh and blog more!

Marble Manchester Bitter

This bottle was plucked out of my recent myBrewerytap case with gusto as Richard had recommended it and I had recently visited the brewery on the Manchester Twissup.

A 4.2% abv Golden Ale, a nice floral aroma, well balanced with a hoppy, bitter aftertaste. A thin head lasted all the way down the glass. This one is best drunk lightly chilled, too cold and you lose the flavours.

It was great to finally get to visit the Marble Brewery after hearing so many good things, greeted by a fresh glass of Dobber and a tour of their brewery, snuck away under an arch. Really humble guys making some great beers! Then it was off to the aptly named 'Marble Arch' for many more Marble Beers with The Ormskirk Baron & Aletalk.

Get yourself some Marble Beers here and follow them on Twitter here