Another Deacy Family York Day Out.

We have always done this in the Deacy family, go to York for a day in the run up to Christmas. It's always freezing but as we have gotten older and wiser we have discovered that less Christmas shopping works best! Only because it involved Dad standing outside shops for a few hours on his own (I brought along the "Whats Brewing" CAMRA newspaper to keep him occupied for the few shops we went into this year.)

Now we do less Christmas shopping and more real ale drinking as there are thousands of real ale pubs in York.So where to start??

First stop the  Blue Bell on FossGate. 9 pumps on. I had Rooster Highroad Treason Treacle Ale. Dad got a Whispa IPA from the WharfeBank Brewery which was a really deep amber with a very fruity taste. Mum got an old favourite, Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Ella our resident cider drinker got a Westerns Cider which was as clear as water but at 7% she was very happy with!

The bar itself was amazing, tiny but amazing. It has such an impressive bar it just seems to take over the whole front room. The cozier, warmer back room was clad with a dark wood and it felt really homely. The corridor between the two rooms even has it's own drinkers lay-by with a fold away seat! Worth a visit if your in the city centre.

After a bit more shopping the warmth from the beer was wearing off so we had another stop to grab some food. We passed the home of York Brewery, as mentioned before the only brewery inside the castle walls and the pub was called The Last Drop Inn. The name actually comes from the hanging of infamous highway man Dick Turpin, who it was supposed was hanged in the building. There is lots about the history on the walls of the pub. Goodness, I wouldn't like to be in there on my own on a dark night..... actually what am I thinking with all that beer? I'd love it ghost or no ghost (they did actually have York Brewery Ghost Ale on...was it a sign?).

I got a pint of YB festive ale  Humbug which had the taste of dark burnt toffee and Dad had a pint of the  guest ale Ptamigan from the Moles Brewery . There was a bit of a mix up with the food but the sausage advertised that if you bought two portions you got a pint of ale free sounded amazing, but alas they had none left so we were forced to get a couple of their delicious roasts! Also they do 10% off with your CAMRA card, it was the first chance I had had to use it. so it took our bill down quite a bit I was very excited to use it!

Again we went to get some shopping done Mark & Sparks style, and that was just a nightmare with people everywhere, we were starting to get tired and what usually happens with tiredness in York is we end up at The Maltings. I have made my mind up on that pub. I don't want to feel scrutinised when I go for my 'I'm tired' sit down drink so Dad thought of somewhere over the river in MickleGate famous for it's stags and hens infestation but well worth the wander over on a Sunday afternoon to the oasis that is Brigantines. Not far from the station and preferable to the other previously mentioned pub.

There were 8 casks ales on  and the beer we drank was very well kept. It was really roomy with lots of seating, their Sunday lunch was coming to the end so there were tit-bit's left over on the bar. I managed to bag myself a nifty little fishcake. Really Tasty! So we had some Leeds Best from the Great Heck Brewery, and dad got a Black Sheep's Wooly Jumper which both were really nice, even went down easily when we realised we were late for the train!

Anway that is my story about the 'shopping' in York and I still need to buy mum some slippers. Oh well another day, finally getting into the Christmas spirit after we have got our tree up in Leeds. I can only assume there will be a few beers over this festive period.... any suggestions just let me know!

North Bar Pop Up Bar.

So i read about this pop up bar North Bar were doing in Kirkgate Market especially for the christmas shoppers.

So I went down with my friend Francesca from work who was up for trying something new so we arrived and to be honest nearly missed it! It was set up in one of the stalls and if you know Kirkgate Market when you go in the left hand side front entrance.

They had two drinks on, either Fullers German Pilsner or a mulled cider. The Fullers actually tasted quite good despite the fact it was from a transportable pump. Fran decided there was hints of citrus and honey and for a none ale drinker it went down very quickly!

I had the mulled cider which was a godsend in the cold market, he even stuck a cinamon stick in it for me! It tasted alot like a baked apple. Which was nice but a bit too sweet for me.

Also they had some pork pies from the yorkshire pie company which is on butchers row accompanied by so local chutney from a company called Pudsey Pickles they had an array there but my favourite was the one with jalepenos in it! YUM. Along with the black pudding and pork, pork pie it was a pretty tasty hour or so.

I really want to go this week, they promised singers and entertainment this week and with a few more bodies I think it is a really good idea!

Dry Bar

So I've just read an article in the Guardian about a new bar that has just opened in Liverpool for recovering alchoholics but it has also become quite popular with the Muslim community which I think is really great. Anyway have a look at the article and see what you think.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/nov/07/liverpool-alcohol-free-bar?INTCMP=SRCH

Number Twenty 2 and the House of Commons Ale

I decided to head back to Middlesbrough for a few days. Mum and Dad suggested I go to Darlington and they meet me there and do some charity shopping (I got a new vintage blue dress for £2.99 WIN!) and naturally a beer sampling lunch. We went to a an amazing 'pub' (more on that later) called Number Twenty 2, located on Conniscliffe Road.

 It was a bit of a surprise if I'm going to be honest to find such an amazing place I wasn't really ready for! It wasn't just because we were in Darlington. I knew we would be going to a real ale pub for lunch, it's a given with my family, only it wasn't a typical tiny old pub with low hanging beams and beer mats pinned to the wall. Not that I dislike those pubs, but that whats I was expecting.

This 'pub' is at the opposite end of the scale, with high ceilings and lovely massive windows to give the bar an airy feeling to contrast against the deep purpley pink decor. With traditional features mixed in with modern detailing it could keep you curious for hours!

When I say modern I don't mean in that horrible way that some people take an old pub and stick mirrors and shiny surfaces everywhere, but they used very subtle tweaks which just give it an amazing charm. I loved it!  

Dad and I had a bit of a dispute about the way we would describe  Number Twenty 2. I started to take notes describing it as a 'Really traditional pub" but with contemporary details around and about. Dad instantly disagreed and said it wasn't really a pub, but more of a drinking establishment since it served food and was more like a bar??? I said it had the traditional elements still left from the original pub but they had made it more up-to-date with the decor yadda yadda yadda hence describing it as a pub Argh! This went on for a while after Mum telling  us we were both right and we settled down. I'll let you know what he had to say on the matter after reading this post.


There were 12 pumps on when we were in there, Dad picked out Adnams Lighthouse by Soul Bray Brewery for me which was nice but I wasn't really feeling it. Not my sort of thing a bit too hoppy and with a strong malt flavours to it, So as Dads should always do, he swapped with me. He had Icon by Salopian Brewery which was a flowery ale, for very easy drinking, bit too flowery for me, I'm fussy I know. So as Mums should always do she swapped with me, HA!

She had Moonlight Ale which was an interesting one. We had all tried it it, Dad got the taste of "hundreds and thousands" while Mum got the flavour of pineapple chunks underneath the hoppy undertones. It was lovely but it was such a complex nostalgic ale which took both Mum and Dad back to flavours of their childhoods which was really interesting. I love ales that transport you somewhere totally different and make you think.

So there is was, we all had the appropriate ale at the end. Dad with a malty, hoppy ale. Mum with a flowery light ale and me with a 'thinker' ale, He knew what he ordered was right he just gave them to the wrong people! If I had to describe all our different tastes I think those 3 beers pinpoint us perfectly.

We then had some food from there small but perfectly formed menu of simple classics with a twist. So Mum had something called the 3 little piggies, which was a hot sandwich with sausage, bacon and black pudding with a onion relish, It was really tasty! Not too big so it wasn't too much with a salad on the side ( who were they trying to kid with salad???). Dad and I shared a ploughmans and I had ham on the side,with 2 local cheeses and one delicious goats cheese with a rosemary crust from Spain, grapes, apple, a bit of bread and chutney it just hit the spot.

We then got another round in, So after reading in the Darlington Drinker 181 about Number Twenty 2's own ale White Boar and how it has been chosen  to be sold in the House of Common's Strangers Bar I had to sample this beer! If you don't already know, because I didn't, there is a bar in the House of Commons, so when somebody is shown around the HoC they get taken for a drink in there.


Anway, I decided that I had to try this politically appreciated ale and it didn't disapoint. A citrusy stand out beer with it's own individual flavours which is really refreshing. When you first 'nose' the beer you get a butterscotch bouquet with overtones of meady honey. I really enjoyed this beer and if you can get your hands on a pint I could recommend you try it!

This is has been one of my favourite beer sessions with all the casks obviously in good condition and the warm and welcoming staff, relaxed atmosphere in the perfect surroundings I would take anybody there in an instant. I'm going to put it out there and go so far as to say this is my favourite ale pub so far!

Ben's Brewery Recomendations.

So I mentioned my house mate's sister came up the other weekend with her boyfriend both Natalie and Ben are big beer lovers (take note of the article of hers I posted in an October post). Ben works at a pub called the The Duke of Wellington in London. I forget what part (rubbish memory hence the little red notebook) but he sat down and was kind enough to tell me lots about ale from the pouring to drinking and everything in-between. So we got to talking about breweries and all the different one so he wrote me a (hugeee) list of a few breweries to keep an eye out for. Admittedly they are mainly daaawwn south but there are a few from around and about but I thought I was being a bit selfish so I would share the list with you. Let me know what you think or if you have any more that should be added to the list.  

Disclaimer. I going to try to transcribe his list as he has written with stars (I think they mean favorites) and underlines (I think these mean super favourites). Also I apologise for mistakes I could go onto blame his handwriting but it's probably me being a bit of an idiot!

Ben's Brewery Recommendations.


1. Darkstar - Sussex
     Beers- Hophead(Ben's favourite), Hylder Blonde, Saison, Winter/summer solstra etc

2. Harveys - Sussex

3. Hopdaemon - Kent

4. Ascot - Surrey
     Beers - Alligator, Single Hop's (varying hops), Anastasia's Exile Stout.

5. Brodies - Leyton, London

6, Crouchvale - Essex
     Beers - Amanillo, Brewers Gold

7. Marble - Manchester

8. *Harviestoun* - Bitter & Twisted

9. *Fyne Ales* - Scotland
      Beers - Avalanche etc.

10. Itchen Valley - Hampshire
      Beers - Pure Gold, Godfathers.

11. Langham - Sussex

12. Hepworth - Sussex

13. Bristol Beer Factory - Bristol

14 Arbar Ales - Whiltshire (I think)

15. Moor Brewery - Bristol

16. Woodfordes - Norfolk
      Beers- Whenry (v. good bitter)

17. Red Squirrel - Hertfordshire
      Beers - Redwood American IPA

18. Kelham Island - Yorkshire
      Beers - Pale Rider

19. Williams Brothers, Seven Giraffes - Scotland

20. St Austell - Tribute.

21. Purple Moose Brewery -  Porthmadog, Wales

22. *Kernel* - Bermondsey London (bottled)


23. Acom - Barnsley

24. Othey - Wales

25. Redemption - London
     Beers - Trinity, Fellowship Porter

So there is the huge list!

Off off the top of his head may I add. I managed to catch him the morning after because I suspect if I had asked him in the pub the list would have been shorter and harder to transcribe. Anyway keep an eye out but if you think there are anymore to add or amendments let me know!

Trippy Beers

So I stumbled across this website called bevShots who have discovered an amazing way of photographing beverages with a microscope and a camera to create these amazing images. It's an american website so things are a bit weird and american and they are now printing them and selling them on different types on merchandise like neck ties for instance. I really liked the concept and how the images are produced.

'BevShot images are made by first crystallizing the drink of choice on a lab slide. Using a standard light microscope with a camera attached, the light source is polarized and passed through the crystal. This creates the magnificent colors we see in our favorite drinks featured on this site. "


here is just a selection of my favourites.

American Amber Ale

 Black Russian

English Oatmeal Stout

 Gin

 Irish Stout

Have a look at the others at www.bevshot.com.

Victoria Hotel

So I visited The Victoria with friends and some of their parents. I would even go so far to say this is my favourite real ale pub in Leeds. I love it, like going back in time but on this visit it was only fleeting so I'll tell you more information about The Victoria Hotel another day. So I had a swift pint of Nutty Black which I had before but in a bottle. I really liked it again but I can't decide if I like it better bottle or cask?

Then I moved onto a pint of Oakfield Brewery's India Pale Ale which was nice and refreshing after the darker smoother Nutty Black. I would recommend this as a drink if you didn't want to be too weighed down with a dark ale. Finally my friend had the other IPA they had on Japur IPA which she said

"Delicious and at the strength it should be. Desert-like and luxurious like a turkish delight"

They usually have about 8 pumps on at the Victoria but this occasion they only had 3 left on which was but a disappointing but hey what can you do?