Steel City had a brief hiatus in the spring due to Dave swanning off to all four corners of the globe, but are back in business with the latest ‘megacollab’.
Sadly unlike last year the weather conspired to prevent cricket being played so they had to get on with brewing instead, though there was still a barbecue and of course a piss-up in the brewery.
The base beer is a Chocolate Milkshake Stout, with small batch versions to include Coconut, Mint, and Raspberry, plus the fact that The Crow Inn have their own coffee blend meant that a coffee version was inevitable.
No names at the time of press, but with given milkshake element some far-right mockery is likely… A rather fine rum barrel has also been acquired so an aged version will be out later in the year.
Looking further ahead, September marks the 10th anniversary of the first ever Steel City brew – where’s that time gone?! To mark the occasion hopefully former partners Gazza and Hannah are going to come along to the brewing of Hop Manifesto Reloaded – a recreation of that first brew, but with the hop content amped up for the 2019 generation (hard to believe that despite literally setting up Steel City to make hoppier beers than everyone else, a decade later that original recipe seems almost balanced!).
The Crow Inn finally opened on Thursday 6th June after many months of renovations, refurbishment and fitting out of the premises as a craft beer pub downstairs and en-suite hotel rooms upstairs. There is also a sun trap beer patio at the rear.
There are 5 real ales on handpump, including two regular beers from Abbeydale (Daily Bread – a traditional brown, malty bitter – and Heathen, a gluten free pale ale) with the rest being regularly changing guest beers. On the opening night the guests were from Red Willow, Beatnikz Republic and Ridgeside. There is also a very interesting line up of craft beers on keg which on opening night included an 11.9% oreo imperial stout all the way from Oklahoma! For the traditional cider drinker there is also a range of 3 or 4 bag in box ciders available.
The team opening the Crow have a fine pedigree – Chris and Kate already operate the Rutland Arms on Brown Street in the City Centre, Wendy is a successful business woman who was also a previous landlady of the Harlequin and the manager employed at the Crow, Adam, has moved up there from Shakespeares.
You can find the Crow Inn on Scotland Street, just off West Bar. Bus 31 stops outside. 
You may recall the top Derbyshire pub in the Sheffield & District Pub of the Year competition, which we put forward to the North Derbyshire round of the national competition, was the Three Stags Head at Wardlow Mires. Unfortunately it didn’t win, although came a respectable 2nd.
Our friends and neighbours down in Dronfield CAMRA however have done the double!
The Miners Arms at Hundall has been named North Derbyshire Pub of the Year. This is a great community local in a rural spot with views over the valley. A choice of well priced real ales feature on the bar along with an extensive selection of cider and gin. Food is limited to a selection of simple pub snacks including sausage rolls and pasties. There are several distinctive areas to the pub – one with a pool table, one with sports on TV and a comfortable quieter lounge area along with a conservatory and beer garden.
Meanwhile closer in to Dronfield town centre, the Pioneer Club on Stonelow Road (which recently hosted Dronfield CAMRA’s beer festival), was named Derbyshire Club of the Year. The club is quite community focused hosting meetings and trips out as well as having a busy programme of events including quiz nights, bingo, pool league, sports teams and live music. The bar has 4 handpumps offering a mix of local and regional ales at reasonable prices.
The presentation at the Miners Arms is planned for Friday 28th June around 8:30pm with live music following after. The pub is a 10 minute taxi ride from Dronfield station.
The Pioneer Club will be celebrating their award on Friday 26th July and this will feature live music. This will also be a volunteers reunion for those that helped at Dronfield beer festival and a pie and pea supper will be provided!
Recent specials from Blue Bee Brewery include a Cream Soda Pale Ale brewed with raspberries, lactose and oats; Hit the Ground, a 5.5% Simcoe Cryo hopped IPA and the second in their series of 3.9% Quad hopped pale ales, this time with the Simcoe, Columbus, Belma and Ekuanot varieties.
Little Critters have brewed a coconut stout.
Toolmakers Brewery are hosting an open mic night in their tap room most Sundays. Check their Facebook page for details.
Neepsend Brewery has collaborated with Bullion Chocolate who are based in the Cutlery Works food hall to brew “Gold Standard”, a chocolate milk stout, which launched as part of a paired beer and chocolate tasting evening at the Boozehound bar in Cutlery Works.
Abbeydale have brewed a beer in collaboration with Peddlers Night Market. Huckster Cryo is a 6% New England IPA.
Heist Craft brewery in Clowne have brewed a beer for Sheffield United FC which will be available in the Blades Superstore at Bramall Lane to celebrate promotion to the Premiership.
A special beer is being brewed for Tramlines music festival, however details were yet to be announced at time of going to press. 
Local CAMRA members joined regulars at the Dog & Partridge on Tuesday 11th June to celebrate the pub winning our June Pub of the Month award. Vice Chairman Patrick is photographed presenting the certificate to Matt, Conor, Rheannon and Rebecca. We also enjoyed a selection of 4 ales all at the celebratory price of £2 a pint for the evening and some fantastic food too. Those that got down earlier had the opportunity to join in the regular weekly quiz. 
Happy July! Hopefully by the time you’re reading this it has started to feel like a bit more like summer and a bit less wet and windy! Either way, we’ve got some summertime specials that will get you excited.
We’re kicking off July with Pineapple Lodge, a satisfyingly full flavoured IPA. American and New Zealand hops offer notes of tropical fruits and are balanced with a rich and deep malt backbone from specialty Vienna Malt, giving an almost pineapple-like flavour.
Next we’ve got Cathedral Beeches, a 3.7% English bitter full of heady herbal aromas from British Phoenix hops making it surprisingly delicious and certainly more interesting than many of its counterparts.
And finally, from our popular Foraged & Found range we’ve got Respect Your Elders! This 3.9% elderflower extra-pale has been brewed with fragrant and locally foraged flower heads courtesy of our team and wonderful community.
Lastly, we’re excited to share that this month we will be launching a new line of craft kegged beers. Our whole team has been involved in this venture and we will be releasing details in the coming weeks on our social media channels. Keep your eyes peeled for details!
Now, COME ON SUNSHINE!
Jessica. 
A number of Sheffield members helped out at the inaugral Dronfield CAMRA beer & cider festival alongside Dronfield and Chesterfield folk.
The festival featured around 40 real ales and a dozen ciders on the CAMRA bars plus craft keg, food and entertainment.
The venue was the Pioneer Club, spread across the concert hall, back room, yard and gardens. It ran from 30th May to 1st June.
The CAMRA membership stand volunteers signed up around 40 new members, if you are one of them you will be most welcome to come along to a branch meeting or social! If you are a Sheffield member you will find the diary at the back of Beer Matters whilst if you are a Dronfield member look out for Peel Ale magazine or visit www.dronfield.camra.org.uk.
We are now looking forward to the longer established Sheffield Steel City beer & Cider festival which we are organising for October at Kelham Island Museum! 
