Firstly we were really pleased to win two awards back in October at Huddersfield Beer Festival. We won gold in the strong bitter category for Attack of the Geek6.0% which also just missed out at Sheffield Beer Festival coming second in the same category as well as this Ginger Beer4.5% came third in the speciality category at Huddersfield.
Ginger Beer will be available throughout the festive period. Although Attack of the Geek has sold out, the next in the series will be available in December: Revenge of the Geek4.5% is a red hoppy beer packed with Mosaic hops to give plenty of tropical fruit flavours and a combination of five different malts to give a robust malt body.
On top of this the next two single hopped IPAs will both feature southern hemisphere hop varieties the first from New Zealand: Rakau IPA5.0% the hops impart tropical fruit passion fruit and citrus characteristics. The second will feature Australian hops: Galaxy IPA5.0% these hops impart passion fruit and peach characteristics. Both beers are sure to have plenty of tropical fruit hop flavours.
A few other beers we are working include Into the Void6.0% a black IPA containing Columbus and Motueka hops. As well as Motueka Pale3.9% which will be a crisp refreshing pale beer showcasing this New Zealand hop.
Well I can’t believe it’s coming round to the festive time of the year already, we would like to wish everybody Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And what a year it has been! So much we could talk about, but firstly lets talk about our two pubs!
We were delighted that the Devonshire Cat was awarded November Pub Of The Month, and this was a fitting way for our exiting manager, Josh, to sign off with! Thank you to all that came down to celebrate with us. We are equally delighted to announce that our new manager is Elizabeth Casserly, who moves over from the Sheffield Tap. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and I’m sure she will continue to improve the pub in every department.
The Rising Sun has been undergoing a mammoth expansion project, which is hopefully finished by the time you are reading this! Now with a full kitchen, extra drinking and dining area, and new toilets, we hope that you will come in and enjoy the new environment, with a warm welcome from Ryan, Nicole and their team! The kitchen is being run by our Head Chef from the Devonshire Cat, Pete Lightfoot, and expect the same high quality, freshly prepared pub food. Serving times are TBC. Also keep an eye out for the brand new website and social media presence for the pub! (risingsunsheffield.co.uk)
As much as 2015 has been a great year for the brewery, 2016 is going to MASSIVE! We celebrate our 20th birthday, plus SunFest’s 10th birthday! There will be a range of very special 20th birthday beers released at various points throughout the year and you may even see our beer in containers that we have yet to use before now!!! However that’s all I’m allowed to say right now (“Yes – shut up now Robin!” – Dan)!
Onto beers that I can talk about, our festive offerings from Dr Morton, ‘Our Wayne In A Manger’ and ‘Turkey Surprise’ should be hitting the bar by now, but also look out for ‘Thaw’ (4.8%, pale) and ‘Snowdrift’ (4.0%, pale with orange and cloves) in December and early January. Getting ready for all those New Year promises we bring back ‘Resolution’ a 4.2% pale beer that is sure to keep you on track (unless you give up drinking for January!)
Robin
Fuggle Bunny is pleased to announce their latest beer Chapter 8 – Jammy Dodger4.5% ruby red ale won silver in the Best Bitter category at the CAMRA Steel City Beer & Cider Festival at Kelham Island Museum in October 2015. The Bunny is well hoppy… 🙂
The Drone Valley Brewery cuckoo brewed its third beer in time for the Chesterfield Market Beer Festival. This was Fanshaw Blonde at 4.8% ABV. The beer proved to be very popular both at the festival and at several local hostelries.
Progress has been made in setting up their own brewery, with a target date of December 2015 for the first brew. Volunteers are needed to help with a range of tasks, including decorating the building. Further investment is still being sought, and the series of roadshows promoting the venture continue. There is a ‘community benefit’ element of the brewery’s ethos in that a proportion of each year’s profits will be donated to local good causes.
Further details are available at: dronevalleybrewery.com
Stancill Brewery supported Movember, the charity event promoting awareness of Testicular cancer where during November gents across the UK grow a frankly ludicrous moustache, with a dark, creamy and sweet 5% ABV Stout.
To compliment our current office based sales coordinator a field sales rep joins us from November to help us maintain and grow customers in the North.
Continuing on our Club 33 monthly specials theme, Number 3 has been released. It is as always 5.0% and was hopped completely post boil with Calypso, Centennial, Chinook and Crystal. We balanced the bitterness with a darker version of Munich malt, which has given the beer a beautiful burnt orange colour.
Number 4 in the series will be a 5.0% pale ale hopped with Mosaic and Citra with continuous dry hopping in the later stages of fermentation and should be ready for late November/early December.
We gained great feedback about a trial keg beer we did for the Harlequin, which was our Sorachi Ace special with added fruit in the keg. We will be launching both a cask and keg version for Spring/Summer 2016 based on this recipe.
Mocha Milk Stout, our mocha coffee imperial stout, has now been released. And our seasonal golden Amarillo hopped ale Yellow Rose will be back from December, whilst our Centennial single hop Frontier takes a break from our line up.
This will allow for the return of Winter Pale from January to March.
There are three monthly specials released in November.
Nightingale, an English IPA brewed with Goldings and UK Cascade at 5.5% is a celebration of English hops and traditional brewing. Golden and well-rounded this is a great expression of English hops and barley malt, taking its name from one of Welbeck’s cropfields.
Porter Oak, a new brew for this year is a strong, spiced bonfire beer- brewed at 5.0%. It’s a dark libation with caramels, liquorice and a hint of smoke; perfect to warm the cockles of your heart on a cold November evening. On the estate there once stood two oak trees named the Porter Oaks; one of which still stands at over 500 years old. This beer celebrates the heritage and forestry management that has survived throughout the many years in the estate’s productive history and long may it continue.
Ernest George is a deep ruby ale brewed at 4.2% and has earned its badge as a clear favourite among pub goers throughout our delivery radius. Ernest George was an architect who laboured to rebuild and restore one of the wings of Welbeck Abbey after it was completely destroyed by fire in 1900. This beer pays homage to the great man and has been brewed in the style of the era using a carefully balanced blend of roasted malts to give distinctive coffee and chocolate notes.
Acorn’s seasonal collection for December are:
Cracker abv 4.1%: Brewed with Maris Otter Pale Ale malt for a light straw coloured beer. First Gold and Cascade hops impart a Lemon and grapefruit hop aroma.
13th Noel abv 6%: Rich ruby coloured ale, roasted malts and English Bramling Cross hops combine to release rich berry fruit flavours.
There will also be a Barrel aged version of last years 12th Noel available throughout December at the Old No7 Barnsley. This beer has been aged for 12 months in a Speyside whisky Hogshead (54 gallon).
Archer IPA abv 5%: 3rd in our next series of IPA’s showcasing English Hops. A rich golden coloured beer with a Traditional Assertive British Bitterness leading to Floral aromas with delicate hints of Lime & Peach and a Citrus twist.
Hopjacker have brewed their first beer on site at the Dronfield Arms and on the Saturday prior to it appearing at the Steel City Beer & Cider Festival there was a brewery launch at the Dronfield Arms, with local MP Natascha Engel (pictured with pub manager and brewer Edd Entwistle) declaring the brewery open and commenting that she was pleased to be hearing good news stories about pubs in her area!
Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who came down to our festival at the Devonshire Cat in early October! It was a brilliant festival atmosphere with loads of tasty Brit-hopped beers being drunk and some great local live acts which got everyone on their feet. We also raised over £200 for Blind Veterans UK. Special thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to be a Catfest kitten!
The extension and refurbishment at the Rising Sun is now almost complete – we’re all massively looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks to all for bearing with us during the work, we’re sure it will have been worth the wait. More details on this to come including news on the launch party (keep your eyes peeled on social media)… exciting times ahead!
After our array of Halloween-y themed beers, we’ve got a bit of a break before our C*****mas range comes out. First up is the next in our Brit Hop Albion series, Burning Gold– 4.1%. This will feature Archer hops, which give a good whack of traditional bitterness, balanced by a delicate peachy aroma and hints of citrus. Bring me my beer: O clouds unfold!
We’ll also have Prophecy – 4.5%, a pale ale using the imaginatively named American hop “Experimental #256”, along with some Summit, both of which promise to deliver bold citrussy notes including grapefruit and tangerine.
Invocation has been brought back from the beery archives with a bit of a twist… we’re unleashing the Super Alpha! Dr Rudi is a New Zealand hop variety with pine and lemongrass flavours to provide a crisp, bitter bite. We’ll be adding in some other Australian and New Zealand hops too along with some fresh lemongrass.
Look out for two new Doctor Morton’s beers towards the end of the month as we head towards something resembling sort of festive, with Moose Abuse Juice (3.8%) and Our Wayne (4.1%) both becoming available. Whilst we’re on a seasonal theme, the Christmas menu at the Devonshire Cat is now available for bookings and will be offered from December 1st – please call the pub directly on 0114 2796700 for more information
Progress has been made in setting up their own brewery, with a target date of December 2015 for the first brew. Volunteers are needed to help with a range of tasks, including decorating the building. Further investment is still being sought, and the series of roadshows promoting the venture continue. There is a ‘community benefit’ element of the brewery’s ethos in that a proportion of each year’s profits will be donated to local good causes.
Further details are available at: 
Mocha Milk Stout, our mocha coffee imperial stout, has now been released. And our seasonal golden Amarillo hopped ale Yellow Rose will be back from December, whilst our Centennial single hop Frontier takes a break from our line up.
This will allow for the return of Winter Pale from January to March. 
