This is the time of year when TV and newspapers look back over the year.
So here are my beer related awards for 2019.
The Dry January Award My Arse Award
Awarded to whoever came up with this idea. Its as bad as Sober October. A mate of mine fell for that October one so I celebrated "Can't Remember November".
The David Crosby Look Alike Award
Remember David Crosby, as in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young ? Well in May I was fortunate to attend the SIBA North East Judging at Gateshead Rugby Club Beer Festival. With much sampling and judging to do in the club bar, during a break two of us adjourned into the beer festival bar and discovered one of the guys serving was the double of David Crosby. He has grown his hair and his trademark handlebar moustache to look just like him
Spoke in a Geordie accent, which ruined the effect somewhat.
The Best Pub With Its Own Bus Stop Award
For a week long holiday in 2019 we stayed in an airbnb in Porthmadog, North Wales. This small town, as well as featuring the Festiniog Railway has a brewer called Purple Moose. The brewery is hidden in a back street but they have a bottle shop and a brewery tap, called The Australia, both in the main street..
The pub sells all of the breweries range of beers, including Dark Side of The Moose - an excellent dark beer. Outside the pub is a bus stop. The timetable reads " Porthmadog - Australia". Apparently some locals ( I'm not making this up), when getting on the bus say " Single to Australia please". That's a hell of a bus ride !
Best Pub Lunch Award
Usually when I have a meal in a pub, sometime after Ive forgotten what Ive had. So this accolade is awarded for a meal I will remember for a long time. Mrs Ken and I spent a few nights in Beverley in East Yorkshire. We were looking at some stalls in the Market Place with rain looking imminent ( and I was hungry) so we dived into the Dog & Duck for lunch. The pub is family run so no corporate menu to wade through. No pay up front either, I had a tab. Table number ? No chance !
There were a few simple choices so I went for Giant Yorkshire pud filled with sausages, potatoes, carrots and onion gravy. Fantastic. I forget how much but it was very good value. Nothing comes close this year.
Best Contrast in Technology Award
On a pub crawl of Weardale with some mates, we visited the Black Bull in Frosterley. Best pub of the day ( see next award). The pub had stone flag floors and loads of antique bits and pieces all over the place, including an old telephone. I was struck by the image ( see photo ) of this with the chef on his mobile in the kitchen. Great pub.
Best Stag Do Award
On the same pub crawl our last pub in Weardale was in Wolsingham - The Black Lion. Follow the link to see what happened
https://kensbeerblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-quiet-afternoon-in-country-pub-no.html
Best beer at the Great British Beer Festival ( GBBF) I hadnt tried before award
I have been going to GBBF for a number of years and there is usually a stand out beer I have not had before. So Er...struggling with this one. Was looking forward to Maxim Raspberry Porter but it had sold out !
Still, the CAMRA Winter Beer Festival in Feb 2020 has moved to Birmingham, so have got my train tickets already.
Ive been to a couple before ( both Manchester) so I know to expect plenty of strong dark beers. Should be good .
Micropubs visited
Not an award as such, just the recognition of a continuing trend in new micropubs, while some larger pubs struggle.
Station House - Durham
Firkin Alley - Barnard Castle
Sun Inn - Beamish Museum ( well it is small, no TV, no music)
ORB- Darlington
The Office- Morpeth
Dog & Rabbit - Whitley Bay
Chequers - Beverley
Fram Ferment - Framwellgate Moor
Split Chimp - Newcastle
Lighthouse - Sunderland
So here are my beer related awards for 2019.
The Dry January Award My Arse Award
Awarded to whoever came up with this idea. Its as bad as Sober October. A mate of mine fell for that October one so I celebrated "Can't Remember November".
The David Crosby Look Alike Award
Remember David Crosby, as in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young ? Well in May I was fortunate to attend the SIBA North East Judging at Gateshead Rugby Club Beer Festival. With much sampling and judging to do in the club bar, during a break two of us adjourned into the beer festival bar and discovered one of the guys serving was the double of David Crosby. He has grown his hair and his trademark handlebar moustache to look just like him Spoke in a Geordie accent, which ruined the effect somewhat.
The Best Pub With Its Own Bus Stop Award
For a week long holiday in 2019 we stayed in an airbnb in Porthmadog, North Wales. This small town, as well as featuring the Festiniog Railway has a brewer called Purple Moose. The brewery is hidden in a back street but they have a bottle shop and a brewery tap, called The Australia, both in the main street..The pub sells all of the breweries range of beers, including Dark Side of The Moose - an excellent dark beer. Outside the pub is a bus stop. The timetable reads " Porthmadog - Australia". Apparently some locals ( I'm not making this up), when getting on the bus say " Single to Australia please". That's a hell of a bus ride !
Best Pub Lunch Award
Usually when I have a meal in a pub, sometime after Ive forgotten what Ive had. So this accolade is awarded for a meal I will remember for a long time. Mrs Ken and I spent a few nights in Beverley in East Yorkshire. We were looking at some stalls in the Market Place with rain looking imminent ( and I was hungry) so we dived into the Dog & Duck for lunch. The pub is family run so no corporate menu to wade through. No pay up front either, I had a tab. Table number ? No chance ! There were a few simple choices so I went for Giant Yorkshire pud filled with sausages, potatoes, carrots and onion gravy. Fantastic. I forget how much but it was very good value. Nothing comes close this year.
Best Contrast in Technology Award
Best Stag Do Award
On the same pub crawl our last pub in Weardale was in Wolsingham - The Black Lion. Follow the link to see what happened
https://kensbeerblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-quiet-afternoon-in-country-pub-no.html
Best beer at the Great British Beer Festival ( GBBF) I hadnt tried before award
I have been going to GBBF for a number of years and there is usually a stand out beer I have not had before. So Er...struggling with this one. Was looking forward to Maxim Raspberry Porter but it had sold out !
Still, the CAMRA Winter Beer Festival in Feb 2020 has moved to Birmingham, so have got my train tickets already.
Ive been to a couple before ( both Manchester) so I know to expect plenty of strong dark beers. Should be good .
Micropubs visited
Not an award as such, just the recognition of a continuing trend in new micropubs, while some larger pubs struggle.
Station House - Durham
Firkin Alley - Barnard Castle
Sun Inn - Beamish Museum ( well it is small, no TV, no music)
ORB- Darlington
The Office- Morpeth
Dog & Rabbit - Whitley Bay
Chequers - Beverley
Fram Ferment - Framwellgate Moor
Split Chimp - Newcastle
Lighthouse - Sunderland
