Author: Andy Cullen

Andy has been actively involved in CAMRA since the early 2000s after being recruited to sit on a National Younger Members Task Group. Since then he has held roles on the branch committee including Secretary, Membership Secretary, Magazine Editor, Chair and now Social Secretary. Andy has also been involved with the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival almost every year since becoming active in the branch.

Inn Brief

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A new beer venue is to open in Dronfield in early December on Callywhite Lane, behind the Post Office called the Beer Stop at Dronfield. This could be described as a micro-pub, it will basically be a bottled beer shop with a couple of cask ales available with an option to drink on the premises. The venue is on bus routes 44/44A and just around the corner from the railway station. It is also close to the Dronfield Arms and White Swan. Christy Beardshaw has left the Blake and moved to the Wisewood Inn. Real Ale is available here again. The Punchbowl at Gleadless is closed for 1 month. They have applied for a license extension to open at 7am, and open until 1am Friday/Saturday. The Olive Grove is now a shop. The Bell Jar and Delaneys are both closed and to lease. The Royal Standard now has a third handpump on the bar resulting in an increased beer choice here. The Rutland Arms on Brown Street are holding their annual Christmas Lights party on Thursday 4th December with a Magic Rock tap takeover included as one of the attractions. After 2 successful years, Dronfield Arms Landlord Daniel is moving on to pastures new. Owner Chris Sinclair is delighted to announce that Edd Entwhistle, currently Manager at The Bath Hotel in Sheffield, will take over in December! The Cross Scythes on Derbyshire Lane, Norton Lees, has lots planned for the Christmas period kicking off with family fun on Sunday 14th December, Christmas Carols on the 17th, brass band on the 20th, quiz on the 22nd and 29th and finally a New Years Eve party on the 31st with a vintage vinyl disco. SIBA have announced their annual BeerX will be back in Sheffield for 2015, this encompasses their annual conference, trade show, beer awards and a beer festival open to the public. The venue is Ice Sheffield, which is located next to the Arena/Don Valley tram stop. The beer festival is open 20th and 21st March. See www.beerx.org. Another festival confirmed as back for 2015 is the Three Valleys Festival, featuring multiple venues around Dronfield and the surrounding villages all with beer festivals and many with food and music, linked by a free bus service that also picks up at Dronfield railway station. The date for your diary is Saturday 6th June. Keep an eye on www.threevalleysfestival.org.uk. The Three Tuns on Silver Street Head (Paradise Square) are now open on Sundays serving Sunday dinners 12pm to 6pm, as from 23rd November. They celebrated their first Sunday service by offering a free pint with every meal!

Kelham Island Brewery

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Our two Christmas beers will be making their last ever appearance this December. Fairytale of New York 4.2% a festive dark ale brewed with Belgian yeast. A welcome pint for the festive season. A dark full-bodied winter warmer brewed with a specially selected Belgian yeast, a trio of roasted malts and Slovenian hops resulting in a spicy, sweet toasted aroma with hints of dark chocolate and a lavish warming flavour. The Adventures of Captain Chrimbo 5.4% strong IPA. A strong full flavoured IPA brewed with a blend of our favourite hops used throughout the year. The pungent hoppy aroma is more inviting than a kiss under the mistletoe. The fruity lychee and orange zest aroma is mixed with a full malty body and bitterness for a celebration of  flavours perfect for the festive season. As a prelude to our 25th anniversary we are producing a very special bottled beer. Anniversary 6.5% IPA will be available for Christmas by the case or in gift packs from the Kelham Brewery shop and selected independent retailers. January brings the return of Blondie 4.9% and the brand new Hi Ho Silver 3.4% Pale Ale. Blondie is a 4.9% a West Coast Pale Ale brewed with an America Ale yeast specially selected to give a crisp clean fermentation which allows the massive hop aroma to come through.  With a base of lager and wheat malt and a hint of crystal malt, this beer screams hop character.  The New American Delta hops give a complex citrus, melon, grassy flavour and the classic US cluster hops add spiciness with chinook used for bitterness and an extra secondary aroma addition for floral notes. Hi Ho Silver is a 3.4%  fresh light pale ale specially crafted to celebrate the start of our 25th Anniversary year.  The best British pale ale malt is selected for a subtle biscuit malt character complemented by the delicate aroma of German lager hops with floral hints and orange spice.  The perfect beer to start the new year! On top of all this brewing we’ve taken on a new pub. The Tap & Tankard (formerly the Sportsman), on Cambridge Street, should be open by early December. We’ve an ad in this issue so keep an eye on www.kelhambrewery.co.uk for news on the opening date.

Steel City Beer Festival – Tombola thank yous

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A thanks to the following for supporting Sheffield CAMRA by donating prizes… John Silburn, Andy & Julie Lee, Pete at The Brew Company, Blue Bee Brewery, Richard Ryan, Alan Gibbons, The Three Tuns, Peter Gardener, Susan Dolan, Sarah Mills, Rod & Hazel Sprigg and Sergey Ruzeinikov.  Also, apologies if we have forgotten anyone. We are always on the look out for more donations for future tombola’s, so please keep them coming. Also a thankyou to Wentworth Brewery for donating prizes for the festival games.

Acorn Brewery

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Another busy year coming to an end, expansion plans for 2015 are on the drawing board, watch this space!!! We welcome a  new addition to the Acorn family tree,  Paul Hicks whose role as Sales Executive will see him mainly focusing on South and West Yorkshire. Seasonal beers are; 12th Noel, originally brewed at 4.8% now weighing in at a mighty 5.9% Rich ruby coloured ale, roasted malts and English Bramling Cross hops combine to release rich berry fruit flavours. Cracker 4.1%  is brewed with Maris Otter Pale Ale malt and Vienna Malt to create a pale straw coloured seasonal ale. Lemon and grapefruit dominate the hop aromas. Winter Pale Ale 4.5% (available Jan 15) pale golden ale brewed with English Fuggle and Goldings hops for a citrus and grapefruit aroma with a lasting bitterness.

Beer House 623

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Following the granting of planning permission, work has been taking place to convert a former e-cigarette shop at 623 Ecclesall Road (near Hunters Bar roundabout) into a micropub, with a target opening date of 10th December. The bar will feature 6 real ales, a premium lager and a selection of bottled beers.

Sportsman, Cambridge Street

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December will see the reopening of the Sportsman on Cambridge Street in Sheffield City Centre following a refurbishment under the new management of Kelham Island Brewery and the new name of Tap & Tankard. It will be Sheffield themed and showcase beers from local breweries – including of course Kelham Island – on it’s 8 handpumps. There will also be a simple food offer. Those who were a fan of the Sportsman in it’s rock bar guise needn’t be too upset – this has been moved pretty much lock and stock around the corner to the premises more recently known as Lion’s Lair which is to go back to the old days of the Yorkshireman rock pub!

Steel City Brewing

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Steel City are back from yet another 3-month gap! Dave is his usual festive self, with Christmas is Cancelled being available by the time you read this. The name is inspired by the long-standing tradition of Xmas beers being not only brown and malty, but full of spices that have absolutely no place in beer. As the pumpclip states, ‘To hell with the forced cheer. Screw the once-a-year drinkers. But most of all, stuff your spiced beers up your…’ – if that’s not enough of a clue, CiC is a very pale, very bitter, very hoppy brew with 100+ IBU of Magnum followed by Centennial and Pacific Jade for flavour, topped off with Green Bullet in the fermenter. Remember, a hop is not just for Christmas… TMB10 xmas In other news, Steel City have acquired a few 5-litre minikegs for home sales, and if a trial run is successful will be making these available more readily in the new year. Some readers may remember way back in March Dave and Shazz travelled to Hebden Bridge to brew with Dan at Bridestones. Well, ever since then the beer, a 6% Oatmeal Stout, has been maturing in 18-year-old Highland Park barrels. And now it’s been unleashed! On tapping the two barrels, Dan couldn’t believe just how different from each other they tasted! One then received a tree’s-worth of cherries, while the other received vanilla pods, before maturing a further month. Both will be available side-by-side at the Shakespeare autumn festival, as well as at Craft Beer Co in That London. Hopefully bottles will also be available. Truly, these beers are So Craft It Hurts…  

Sheffield Brewery

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Launch of The Last Friday of the Month Sheffield Brewery Beer Club – Grand Opening Event– 29th November 2014

Xmas open day Morris Xmas open day

As we’ve done every year we are open again during the Kelham Island Museum Victorian Christmas Market weekend. Only this time, not only are we celebrating everything which is great about Christmas and the Kelham/Neepsend area, we’re also launching our very own membership only Sheffield Brewery Beer Club – it’s free to join. In support of Kelham Island Museum we are planning on opening our doors in the afternoon of the 29th Nov from 2pm right through until 11.00pm. Email us your details (to sales@sheffieldbrewery.com) to become one of our first members. There’ll be an eclectic mix of music, beer, BBQ food and a great atmosphere for everyone so please email us your details so we can add you to our membership list. Check out our website for further details. The Last Friday Sheffield Brewery Beer Club will be open every last Friday of the month (except December/January). The idea is to build on our great reputation for offering excellent tasting beers plus a few guest ale appearances. We are based Albyn Works a Victorian industrial polish works where you can enjoy a beer in our authentic real ale bar in the middle of an actual brewery. You’ll see the mash tun, copper and fermenters – smell the hops and soak up the essence of a fully operating real ale brewery. Bus 53 passes the brewery

Belfry, Beighton

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The Belfry is holding a Cask Ale Festival on 6th December of 3 local breweries – Abbeydale, Fuggle Bunny and Bradfield – the three of them are hosting their own stands of which the proceeds  from the sale is going to the Charity ‘Safe at Last’.  There is going to be a Live Band, etc it is going to be a great day/evening of drinking and entertainment.

Fuggle Bunny Brew House

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Fuggling Fantastic News – And the Winner Is……. russian rare bit Well, well, well….. The winner goes to Fuggle Bunny Brew House Limited for their latest creation Imperial Black Russian Stout – Chapter 7 – Russian Rare-Bit 5% – scooped First Place in the Stout category at the CAMRA Sheffield 40th Ruby Anniversary Beer & Cider Festival at the Kelham Island Museum.  We would just like to thank all the people that voted for this little cracker, we are really made up………I thank you.  We are proud as punch to have received our very first award since opening in April of this year and hope it is the first of many. Best Steak and Ale Pie at the Brewery Tour We would also like to thank CAMRA who turned up for our first brewery tour, Pie & Pea supper.  The evening was a great success and everyone enjoyed themselves, the consensus according to the feedback regarding our Handmade Steak & Ale pies, were the best they had ever tasted.  No fuggling wonder as our local Butchers Bextons who made the pies for us used our award winning Stout to macerate the steak with.  A further compliment for us is that Bextons were so impressed with the finished product that they have asked if we can supply our stout for them to use in their own produce – negotiations are in progress, now that’s what I call a result. 2015 on the Horizon More New and Exciting Chapters in the adventures of FUGGLE – keep hopping in and out of our web site for his latest antics.  Hope it is another good year for all concerned in keeping Real Ale at the forefront of the Beer Industry and remember  ‘there’s a beer for that’ – Good Luck