Nice one, West Berkshire Brewery!

Congratulations to David Bruce and West Berkshire Brewery for becoming members of the Worshipful Company of Brewers (website); the Brewers' Company having received their first Royal Charter from Henry VI in 1438. David said that he is "delighted to be invited with Simon Robertson-Macleod to become a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Brewers." 

An Excellent Green Hopped Ale

I wrote a piece for my Hastings blog earlier, as, yesterday, I had finished off the 2 firkins of the excellent Dark Star Green Hopped IPA (6.5%) at the Dolphin Inn, Hastings, Rock-a-Nore Road... Well, I didn't drink the full 18 gallons, but I did have a few pints from both casks, not least the final 2 pints from the second firkin.

As you will probably be aware, a green hopped ale requires fresh hops, ideally, picked on the day of the brew. Dark Star Brewing (website) use "fresh English hops", ie Simcoe, in this very seasonal ale. Yet again, this year, this was an excellent ale, with a deep amber hue and fruity aroma, the taste is fruity, but dry, not particularly sweet, leaving a dry bitter aftertaste, exceptional, indeed, cheers!    

The Hillsborough Hotel - Fit for Business, indeed!

Further to my blog of 2 weeks ago, I can confirm that Tom and Brigitte have well and truly got the show on the road again at The Hillsborough Hotel, 54-58 Langsett Road, Sheffield S6 2UB (Tel: 0114 232 2100 - Twitter link). This was a pub I worked at whilst at university in Sheffield, but under an owner many times removed now. It is an away fan 'friendly' pub, with B&B (6 bedrooms), good locally sourced freshly cooked food, and just 2 tram stops away from Sheffield Wednesday's ground, and easy enough to get to Sheffield United from here by tram or bus too.  

Having cleaned up and refurbished the cellar since taking over, Tom and Brigitte have 6 regularly changing, well conditioned, real ales served from handpump. There is an emphasis on promoting local ales, but they sell ales from further afield too. Today, they have some excellent local ales, from Sheffield and Yorkshire; ie the hoppy citrus flavoured 4.5% Exit 33 Hop Monster (website), 4.0% Wentworth WPA (website), 4.2% White Rose White Dragon, and the 4.3% Great Heck Voodoo Mild (website). From further afield, 4.0% Charnwood Vixen (website), and from Cornwall, the excellent stronger tasting hoppy bitter, the 5.7% Black Flag White Cross IPA (website). 

I look forward to my next visit to Sheffield, cheers!