Author: Guest

Collobracadabra back but barrel aged

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*note this is taken from their Facebook event page

They had taken a break from beer events for a little while but wanted to celebrate a special little weekend held at Shakespeare’s that got slightly overshadowed by a certain global crisis but took a ridiculous amount of work to pull off and produced some incredible beers.

Right on the cusp of everything going doolally and the whole world changing we held a beer festival of 15 beers we had collaboratively brewed ourselves. One of these was the events flagship beer, if you will, Collabracadabra, a honey, vanilla and Apricot pastry braggot brewed at Steel City with help from Abbeydale, Neepsend, Blue Bee, and Lost Industry.

It all seems 5 minutes ago since we had a BBQ and chucked a lot of apricot in this but it turns out it has actually been months – and during those months a little run off has been ageing in a white wine barrel to make CollabracadaBA.

Being Shakespeare’s, we obviously wanted to get the barrel aged braggot in cask, so we did. Along side it we have what we think is probably the last remaining keg of the original beer too so you can quaff them together to compare and contrast.

While we’re at it we’ve stuck with the honey theme and also have Steel City’s Hive Mind honey saison, and stuck with the mad theme with something extra special as a little nod of appreciation to our lovely pals up the road at the Crow Inn. We love our recently acquired pub neighbours all the time but we’re especially chuffed for them getting Zwanze day this same weekend. We’ve got a blend of Collabracadabra and Corvus Corone in Bordeaux – a red wine barrel aged sour brut IPA brewed by the Crow lot. Put them together and what do you get? We don’t know but were hedging bets it will be delicious.

So there you have it, 3 beers with the same beer that are all totally different and one with similar ingredients that is also completely different – genuinely.

This event is at Shakespeare’s on Saturday 26th September from 3pm.

Bradfield celebrates milestone

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Whilst we’ve been busy running the Covid curveball gauntlet, we didn’t forget an all important milestone! Mid September has seen our 5,000th brew take place and we hope you’ll agree, that’s something to celebrate.

Now usually we’d all be saying ‘let’s raise a drink together to celebrate!’ but let’s face it, we shouldn’t really be encouraging crowd gatherings at the moment so we’ve thought of a different way to mark the occasion.

This momentous brew will be celebrated with a 24 hour brewathon which will begin on 22 September, and we’ll be blogging along the way for all to enjoy! Brewers Sam, Bruce and Kieran will be doing five consecutive brews starting at 5pm on the 22 September and finishing at 5pm on Wednesday 23 September.

With our seasonal calendar being turned upside down, we had planned for a brand new brew in May this year, using our very own, home grown hops. Not wanting these hops to go to waste and with the milestone brew coming up, it lended us the opportunity to go forth and deliver!

So with our homegrown hops included, the 5K brew was brewed using five different hops, five different malts, courtesy of our new malt supplier, Paul’s Malt, and if you’ve not guessed it, the beer is 5% ABV.

A well hopped and nicely balanced IPA, the 5K is available in cask from the 21 September and will be available in five litre mini kegs soon.

Follow us on social media to check out the 24 hour brewathon!

Jackie

Small Brewers Relief

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CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has urged the Government to change their plans to increase the amount of tax that small brewers across the UK will have to pay.  

In a letter to Kemi Badenoch MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, the Campaign’s Chairman and Chief Executive laid out their concerns over the move to reduce the level of production at which small brewers receive the full level of tax relief – in order to allow larger brewers to pay less. 

Nik Antona, CAMRA National Chairman, said: 

“Small Brewers’ Relief has been instrumental in creating the brewing boom that we have seen over the past two decades and is vital to maintaining a thriving and diverse beer market, and choice for consumers. 

“The news of these poorly considered reforms to the Small Brewers’ Relief Scheme could not come at a worse time for our small brewers, who are already facing financial uncertainty due to the coronavirus crisis.  

“That’s why CAMRA is joining calls for the Government to rethink its plans to remove tax relief from the smallest brewers to allow larger brewers to pay less, and to publish more information about any other proposed changes to the scheme as soon as possible.” 

Petition

Meanwhile both SIBA and CAMRA are encouraging members as individuals to sign the petition from brewers Anspach & Hobday on the CAMRA website or at this Parliament link https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/334066.

More Information

You can find out more about this campaign at https://camra.org.uk/beer-and-cider/campaigns/sbr/

Kelham Island

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The latest seasonal special is “Overseer”, an IPA combining a trio of US hops in the kettle and ever greater volumes dry hopped for an even more powerful hop kick and flavour. And if that wasn’t enough, they have left the beer unfined and unfiltered to help retain the big hop flavour so whilst the beer will be hazy the flavour and hop character won’t be.

Welbeck Abbey

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As we wistfully leave summer behind, we are winding down to a slower pace with these autumnal specials.

Cathedral Beeches  is a 3.7% pale English bitter. This brew is full of heady herbal aromas from British Phoenix hops, making it surprisingly delicious and certainly more interesting than many of its counterparts. The name of this classic ale stems from an area of woodland with towering Beech trees in which young lovers at Welbeck used to come and carve their names.

Our second offering for September is 43’ South, a New Zealand hopped session pale at 4.3%. There is a little farmstead called ‘Welbeck’ on the South Island of New Zealand. Situated at 43° South, it looks like a perfect paradise. This sessionable pale ale uses Wakatu and Wai-iti hops, grown in New Zealand. The combinations of these New World hops give this pale ale the subtle flavour of peaches and apricots, lifted with a delicate floral aroma.

Finally, we have the next brew in our Found and Foraged range. Pick of the Bunch is brewed with our dedicated community’s hand-picked blackberries. This 4.8% Blackberry pale is subtly pink, slightly tart and extremely refreshing. Thank you to our local friends who have gathered a hoard of hedgerow blackberries for us to brew this September special.

Louise

The decline of independent cider farms

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2019 was one of the worst years of cider production in the UK not because sales were down but due to the amount of small producers that closed. Over the last five years the UK has lost around fifty independent farm producers, twenty four of which were in 2019. I regularly talk to producers who are not just my suppliers but over the years have become friends and I have met several characters who I have the utmost of respect for even though they still make me smile especially when I go on buying trips and am given tasters of their latest ciders in full pint glasses. 2020 for those who don’t yet know is the last year of our membership to Europe, for ciders this may actually be a good thing as the EEC currently have a new bill which will become law by 2021, this being the 92/83/EEC Duty Bill, this will bring in the ability to add 1.2% industrial alcohol to cider and perry during production. Also allow the current rule of only 5% juice being required to be called a real cider. Here in the UK the minimum juice is currently 80% and the Small Independent Cidermakers Association wants it to be 90-95%. But I digress; when I talked to the farmers that were closing there seem to be two main reasons, one a result of global warming and the other the government being greedy through taxation. In fairness the taxation and increased duty only affects farms producing more that 7000 litres of cider and perry or just over 1500 gallons per year. The revised duty rates were changed yet again on the 1st October 2019, Alcohol Duties Act 1979 section 55B(1) and Excise Notice 162, but were in use since the previous April. There are three duty bands for still ciders: (A) 1.2%-6.8% (B) 6.9%-7.4% (C) 7.5%-8.4% Ciders of 8.5% and above are classed as ‘made wine’ and taxed at the wine rate, ciders with additives like fruit flavours will be taxed as ciders up to 4.5% any fruit ciders over 4.5% being taxed as ‘made wine’. Also ciders of 7.5% may no longer be watered down to produce lower ABV ciders. Incidentally the HMRC definition of Cider & Perry is the fermentation of apples or pears with nothing added with an ABV of between 1.2-8.5%. According to CAMRA guidelines the Cider and Perry definition is very similar and states it is the fermentation of apples or pears with nothing added, no syrup or artificial carbonation or pasteurisation may be included. In Shepton Mallet the Cider Mill which has been in use since 1770 is set to close with a loss of 127 jobs, the mill is currently run by the Dublin owned C&C company which is behind the well known industrial ciders Gaymers and Blackthorn. Although we don’t mind an industrial cider company closing it does affect the apple growers, with over 70 farms, of which some 30ish are in Somerset and the remainder in Herefordshire. C&C state the mill is no longer a viable option and the business will be moved to their Clonmel operation in the Republic of Ireland, they will then export the ciders back to the UK, bit of Irish logic at work there we think or making full use of the European fake cider rules of the low juice content in their ciders is a more likely option. As to global warming, this has increased the risk of flooding; many will remember the 2014 floods in Somerset which flooded great swathes of farmland and orchards alike. Particularly across the Somerset Levels and the creation of flood defences along the A372 is now required. One particular cider farm in Aller which has produced cider since 1925 had to close its doors due to there been no access to his farm shop by the public after local road closures and no access to local market towns to sell its ciders, Somerset Council have been seen to be dragging their feet and have recently stated that these flood defences are still several years from completion. High winds are also blowing the apples from the trees before they’re fully grown. The Welsh government is to also bring in a new tax which is due to start on the 2nd of March 2020, a new alcohol unit charge of 50p is to be added for all producers in Wales wishing to retail their ciders and perrys in Wales. This is 50p per unit of alcohol sold, one unit being the ABV as a integer, multiplied by the volume in ml divided by 1000 so a pint of 7.5% cider becomes: 7.5 x 568ml / 1000 = 4.26 x 50p an increase of £2.13 per pint! Are they purposely trying to cease Welsh cider retail sales? Of course the way round this is to sell to a wholesaler who will then sell it outside Wales and not incur the new tax? Last lot of doom and gloom is down to Heineken who have announced an end to their cider apple deals. Up until now Heineken were buying a third of all the cider apples grown in the UK, mainly from Herefordshire and will soon terminate these deals with 180 farms, they were being used to produce Strongbow cider brand. Heineken have announced due to new equipment and brewing processes theses apples are no longer required to produce their ciders, yet they have increased production of these ciders. A total loss estimated to be between 6000 and 9000 tons of cider apples, farmers are now considering bulldozing their orchards, which is a real travesty. So what can be done? Well if CAMRA stick by its guidelines and only sells real cider and perry at its festivals or at least separate the fake ciders from the real one and educate their customers to know the difference and buy more real and less fake ciders, advise pubs to do the same, stop pushing Mango syrup cider then there is a possibility that the small farms will gain popularity and stay in business. Nottingham CAMRA festival is a great example of what ciders to sell, always doing very well on cider sales and not stocking the fake or fruity ones. None CAMRA student festivals are heading in the right direction with increased real cider sales although there are still fruit ciders available for those people who normally drink pop. After all you need some fruit pop to compare the real stuff against for educational purposes. If anyone would like and advice on real cider and perry please use the contact form from our website which can be found at cidermen.uk if we can’t help you ourselves we can point you in the right direction enabling you to get the information you require. Andy Parkin Ciderman UK

Loxley Brewery

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This month we are kitting out our brand new bottling plant and we are extremely excited to give the bottles a home of their own! The ‘container’ is situated right next door to the Brewery itself, behind The Wisewood Inn. The demand for our bottled beer has been better than we could ever have hoped for, so we are expanding to keep our customers happy, hoppy and hydrated. Our core range of bottle beers: Revill, Fearn, Gunson, Halliday and Lomas will be flying out of the plant and onto local shelves in and around Sheffield. If you fancy a bottle, our full range is available at both The Wisewood Inn and The Raven Inn. Our new series of beer is already underway, taking inspiration from the countryside which is on our doorstep. We kicked off our latest series with a 5.0% American Pale Ale named Windy Bank, which has proved to be a fan favourite! Work is already commencing on part 2, and hopefully it will be in pint glasses very soon. Follow us on social media for updates on the release date!

Abbeydale beer series celebration of Sheffield

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Sheffield-based Abbeydale Brewery have this week launched a new series designed to shine a spotlight on the lesser known ‘Hidden Treasures’ of their hometown, starting with a focus on their very own history, and bringing the story of their industrial heritage to the fore.
The first of the series is named ‘Family Heirlooms and Tuneful Endings’, and the artwork, created by Abbeydale Brewery’s designer, James Murphy, depicts what was once the Morton family scissor factory on West Street, and the tuning fork bollards inspired by their business which can now be seen on Bailey Lane.
Before establishing Abbeydale Brewery in 1996, Patrick Morton worked in the family cutler business alongside his father Hugh (himself a cutler since the 1950s) and brother Chris. Manufacturing scissors was the primary operation, and what the Morton’s made were considered among Sheffield’s finest. They were a long-lasting, high quality and expensive product, and so by the 1980s the shop did more scissors, knives, and sheep shears repairs than selling new products. Bric-a-brac and cutlery was sold from the Mortons shop on West Street, often bought by the hundred-weight at auction from Sheffield’s dying industries.
By the 1990s, the Morton family eventually moved out of the cutlery business (after Chris spent a brief stint as a tuning fork manufacturer) and established Abbeydale Brewery. The business has been growing continually ever since with Patrick Morton still very much at the helm, along with his wife Sue, who joined the company in the early 2000s.
The tuning fork sculptures shown on the pump clip appeared without fanfare when the now Morton Works was redeveloped into flats and a bar, when builders found and were seemingly inspired by hundreds of part-manufactured tuning forks made by Chris. They now commemorate part of Sheffield’s industrial heritage. Nobody seems to know much about why they are there, a story which Abbeydale Brewery are happy to bring back to life!
Director Dan Baxter says of the new series: “So much of the everyday is overlooked in favour of more glamorous and visible landmarks. We wanted to focus on the bits of our city that we think are truly special, and that you might not necessarily have come across before. Here’s to the humble and the timeless!”
The series will continue throughout 2020, with other quintessentially Sheffield landmarks and features such as the Dragon of Wantley and Simpkins Sweet Factory being reimagined in James Murphy’s distinctive illustrative style.
The beer itself is a classic pale ale and casks were available for trade customers to order from Monday 9 March while stocks last.

The Tram Train to Rotherham

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The Tram Train is the newest route on the Supertram network, so called as it is the national pilot of using a vehicle designed to operate on both the tramway and Network Rail lines. It runs about every half hour from the Cathedral tram stop in Sheffield City Centre along the tram route to Meadowhall then on the main line railway to Rotherham town centre and Parkgate. The Tram Train service lends itself to visiting various pubs and breweries for a different beery day out! The service runs until midnight most days (9pm Sundays) and you can buy an all day pass to hop on and off as you please. Tickets are available from the conductor on board or on the Stagecoach app.
If you have a little wait before the Tram Train is due, there are a choice of pubs near the Cathedral tram stop including the Church House, Three Tuns, Cavells, Bankers Draft and Dove & Rainbow. Once on your way, here are the stops and pubs to know about! Attercliffe tram stop If you enjoy modern craft beers, alight here for a short walk to the Brewery of St Mars of the Desert, which has a tap room that opens most weekends showcasing their beer, run by the friendly Dann and Martha who are always happy to talk beer and impromptu brewery tours are not unknown! Valley Centertainment tram stop Walk through the complex onto the main road and you will stumble across a classic pub, the Wentworth House offering a selection of real ales, they also have a dining room serving food at meal times. Next door and across the road from the Arena is the Eighteen Ten, this is a more modern food led chain pub owned by Marstons Brewery under the “Grill & Pizza” banner. Meadowhall South tram stop Enter the Meadowhall shopping centre across the road and head for the Oasis dining quarter where you will find a Wetherspoons pub, the Steel Foundry. Rotherham Central station Turn right out of the station and this will take you into the town centre for a choice of real ale outlets: Bridge Inn: The original home of Rotherham CAMRA, the pub reverted to its original name after a spell as Nellie Denes. It is an Old Mill tied house, originally built for the Mappin Brewery, opposite, in 1930 using stone from the original Bridge Inn, which dated back to the 1700s. up to five real ales are on the bar and the guest ales are usually from local breweries. There is live music most Saturday evenings and karaoke on Thursday and Friday evenings. Upstairs, two function rooms are used by local groups. The nearby Chantry Bridge has one of only three Bridge Chapels still existing. Opening hours may vary, and may extend if there is a function on. Will only open on Sunday for special occasions. Changed manager in 2018. There is a wall mural by Phil Padfield in the outside yard area that was done for the 125th anniversary of Arthur Wharton’s signing for Rotherham Town FC. Arthur was the first professional black player in the UK. Three Cranes: The oldest secular building in Rotherham town centre, originally built as a town house in 1470. With Tudor and Victorian additions it later became the Three Cranes Inn public house and operated as such until 1907, when the licence was surrended. It was used as various shops until it fell into disrepair in recent times. It was bought by Chris Hamby in 2011 and restored and reopened as Hamby’s Antiques shop in 2015. Following closure in May 2019, it was refurbished and reopened as a pub again on the 10th of August. Though called a micropub, it is on two levels. The Heritage rooms on the two upper floors have the most period features but but can only be viewed by agreement. As well as four real ales, there are also several craft keg beers and real ciders on sale. Real ales may be sourced locally and from further afield. Bluecoat: Former charity school, opened in 1776 by the Ffeofees of Rotherham. Became a pub named Ffeofees in 1981 and a Wetherspoon‘s in 2001. The selection of up to ten hand pulled beers is listed on a screen at the end of the bar and those from local microbreweries are favoured. Three real ciders or perries are served from boxes behind the bar. The pub commissions a specially brewed beer four times a year. There is a quiz on Wednesday evenings. A Good Beer Guide regular, local CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year five times and winner of several other CAMRA awards. Cutlers Arms: Originally dated 1825, the pub was rebuilt for Stones Brewery of Sheffield in 1907. Architect R. Wigfull was responsible for the impressive façade and other features. It was faced with demolition in the early 2000’s but was saved following statutory listing in 2004. Following a period of closure it was newly restored to its original Edwardian splendour by Chantry Brewery, reopening in February 2014. It retains some of the original art nouveau windows, tiling and original curved bar counter with elegant dividing screen. Local craftsmen were employed on the restoration. Offering a full range of Chantry beers, guest ales, two real ciders and quality craft beers on tap. Live music is on every Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon and most Fridays. Featured in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors New York Tavern: A pub since 1856, it was re-opened by a team from Chantry Brewery in Sept 2013 and has been fully refurbished as a real ale led pub. At least six Chantry beers are available and two real ciders or perries on hand pump, all at very competitive prices. A large selection of foreign bottled beers and, unusually, snuff is available. Pickled eggs are also available. Originally the Prince Of Wales Feathers, it was renamed after the old name for the area and a pub demolished when the nearby ring road was built. Handy for the New York football stadium and Rotherham United memorabilia is displayed. The Jukebox has an eclectic selection of music. Parkgate tram train terminus The tram will deposit you behind the huge retail park which you will need to walk through onto the main road and then turn right. Chantry Brewery: A couple of minutes walk up the main road and on the left, on a small industrial estate, you will find Chantry Brewery, which now boasts a tap room on the mezzanine level, which opens Thursday to Saturday, offering the opportunity to enjoy their beer at source! Note some Friday evenings the brewery hosts ticket only live music gigs. Little Haven: A bit further up the main road, beyond the roundabout, is this friendly little micropub offering a choice of real ales (usually from a local brewery) and bar snacks. It also hosts events such as quiz nights and live entertainment from time to time. Onward by bus If you aren’t ready to get the tram back yet, bus 22X towards Barnsley can be boarded in Parkgate, along the route there is Something Brew Inn at Rawmarsh, the award winning Wath Tap micropub in Wath on Dearne and the Anglers Rest (Geeves brewery’s tap pub) at Wombwell to visit as well as a choice of venues in Barnsley town centre. Buses (2 or X17) and trains are available from Barnsley Interchange to Sheffield or alternatively return to Rotherham for the tram. Travel tickets Tram Only Dayrider – offers unlimited travel on Supertram services including tram train. Stagecoach Dayrider Silver – offers unlimited travel on Stagecoach buses and Supertram in South Yorkshire and Chesterfield South Yorkshire Connect – offers unlimited travel on all buses and trams in South Yorkshire South Yorkshire Connect+ – offers unlimited travel on all buses, trams and local trains in South Yorkshire. For more information on the above travel tickets including prices visit stagecoachbus.com or sytravelmaster.com respectively.

Kelham Island Brewery

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Kelham’s April specials being brewed are:

Risen Rider: A robust stout blended from dark malts that give rise to a classical burnt and roasted aroma with caramel flavours coming through from the malts and a little something later on for a bold yet sweet finish.

Operation Wolf: A pale amber hue forged from a combination of pale and Vienna malts for a sweet and malty finish. Offset by a light hop bittering whilst pine, floral and fruity notes compliment the late addition of honey for an added sweetness.

Joe