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 International Festival of Beer

This Saturday I will be making the short journey to Burton on Trent for The International Festival of Beer. Held at the National Brewery Centre. Over 770 beers from around the world will feature in the festival which runs from 11th - 13th February.

The programme runs as follows:

Friday 6.30pm – 11pm. £10/person (£12 on the door)

• Beer sampling. Live music from Dr.Busker. Food purchasable from Brewery Tap or BBQ or Hog Roast food kiosks

Saturday 10am – 5pm. £8/person (£10 on the door)

• Beers to sample. Inclusive entrance to all museum attractions. Traditional music from the Ibstock Brass Band and sessions on site by actors. Barrel rolling and craft displays. Appearances by Shire dray horses on site and around Burton

Saturday 6.30pm – 11pm £10/person (£12 on the door)

• Beer to sample. Live traditional jazz. Food purchasable from Brewery Tap or BBQ or Hog Roast food kiosks.

Sunday 10am – 5pm £8/person (£10 on the door)

• Beers to sample. Inclusive entrance to all museum attractions. Traditional brass band. Barrel rolling and craft displays. Appearances by Shire dray horses on site and around Burton.

Additional special events only bookable in advance:-

1. Saturday - Beer appreciation lectures with Awards judges. £5/person
• 10am 'Introduction to beer' by Larry Sidor, US judge – find out why beer is the nation's favourite tipple – as experts enhance your beer appreciation skills.
• 11am 'How to taste beer'
• 1pm 'Introduction to beer' by Bill Taylor, Chairman of Judges, Australia
• 11am 'How to taste beer' by Bill Taylor, Chairman of Judges, Australia
2. Sunday - Beer and Food matching lunch with the experts. £17.95/person:-
• 'How to match your traditional Sunday lunch with a beer for each course'.

Joining me on the day will be Simon aka Reluctant Scooper, the usual 2 rules for the day apply:

Meet at The Coopers Tavern

Drink Jaipur & Bass

Then it will be on to the National Brewery Centre to enjoy the festival.

If you are in or around Burton over the weekend, you know what to do!

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!

Peter Kay & Sheffield Tap

This weekend saw my long awaited trip to see Peter Kay in Sheffield. Arriving by train I caught a glimpse of the Sheffield Tap on the opposite platform. If I could time it right we might have time for a quick pint before catching the train home.

Peter Kay was fantastic, if you like his comedy and get the chance to see him, go. New material & great production make for an enjoyable evening.

After battling our way out of the Arena, onto a tram, into a taxi we eventually arrived back at the station and on to the Tap. Thornbridge Jaipur, Thornbridge Halcyon, Brewdog Edge & There's no Santa were all consumed and enjoyed by all. I think their 2 pint takeaway service is awesome, 2 pints of Jaipur for me and 2 pints of Edge for the Mrs made for an enjoyable train ride home!

Great company, great comedy, great beers. Could you ask for any more?

Historic Beers

I was recently given these beers by a relative, they were clearing their loft and saved these from the skip for me.

I drank a bottle of the Bass 1977 & the Ansells 1977 a few weeks ago. Both had inherited a sherry like flavour during their 33 year storage. The Bass 1977 Ale was still full of life, it was hard to believe it was brewed so long ago. The Ansells was slightly 'duller' with a very strong sherry flavour, almost too much at times!

I haven't tried the Ind Coope Strong Ale, The Bass Princess Ale or the Heritage Christmas Old Ale, and I'm not sure i ever will. Unless a suitably special occasion arises!

In light of this weeks Royal Engagement I'm sure many a brewery will be planning a run of Celebration Ales, Its just a shame Bass (as it was in 1977) and Ind Coope are not around to brew alongside them!

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

Kelly Ryan

I was lucky enough to meet Kelly at the recent Twissup in Manchester. He was happy to chat about his impending move, my relatives and the up and coming Craft Beer scene in Christchurch.

Had I not tasted Thornbridge Jaipur some 18 months ago I wouldn't have drunk some of the great beers I have done since then. It opened my eyes & mouth to different tastes & flavours and shaped my drinking habits today.

Good luck with the move Kelly, I'm glad to have met you!