153 Dec/Jan 2014
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FREE Issue 153 December/January 2014 “Cheers!” NATIONAL WINTER ALES FESTIVAL comes to Derby’s Roundhouse Gillian Hough Festival Organiser National Winter Ales Festival 19-22nd February 2014... Full details inside… Miners Arms, Brassington. Bluebell Inn, Melbourne. Nelson Arms, Middleton. 2 DerbyDRINKER December/January 2014 National Winter Ales Festival - DERBY 2014 Put the dates in your diary now …… 19-22nd February 2014 o your noted on your phone that it’s happening, booked the time off work and now SNational Winter Ales Festival (NWAF) is just around the corner (just after Valentine’s Day. N.B. best make another note to buy your best beloved something special!!). Opening at 4pm (following a Trade only invite event from 1pm) on Wednesday 19th February NWAF will be the beer and cider consumers’ equivalent of a Christmas selection box. With more selection than ever before, more brewery bars than ever before and more mead than ever before NWAF is a ‘don’t miss event’. Running 11am – 11pm Thursday showcasing what this multi award popular beers (and Ducks!). At the unit at the Derby Royal hospital so 20th until Saturday there is plenty winning very special 4th back of the music marquee please be generous with your of opportunity to attend and be generation independent family Leatherbritches Brewery will be change as you leave NWAF. brewery do so very well. Having served by one of the willing serving their unique beers which The buses to and from the Market been recently awarded East volunteers (without whom this have fun names belying their Place and the Bus Station are Midlands Champion Beer for their festival simply would not happen). depth of flavour. expected to run again. Add in live Whether you want a marmalade Batemans Salem Porter your taste Derby Mountain Rescue will again music, cider and perry, continental like golden ale or a chocolaty stout buds are in for a treat. Derby provide the cloakroom for beer and you have a something to the bar staff will be able to guide Brewing Company will join donations which generates boast about to your friends. Come you through the 350+ real ales Batemans in the Roundhouse main revenue which enables them to and support NWAF, come and sup using their knowledge and the room as Trevor and Paul Harris will help people who need their (arguably) some of the best Winter tasting notes in the programme delight and surprise with their assistance. The Rotary Daybreak Ale in the Country. (always a work of incredible detail). innovative brews. Rachel Matthews of Dancing Duck Club will also be collecting to raise Yours Four Brewery Bars have been Brewery will be in the Carriage funds to purchase a much needed Gillian Hough confirmed with Batemans Brewery Room with her delicious range of incubator for the Special care Baby Chair NWAF 3 www.derbycamra.org.uk The hunt for Britain’s best winter beer ends at the Roundhouse o say it is no easy feat being Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. While Last year at the National Winter Ales Tcrowned the very best winter beer only a select number of real ales make it to Festival in Manchester it was a small in Britain would be a bit of an the Finals to be held at National Winter Ales brewery from West Yorkshire, Elland, who understatement. At the turn of the 21st Festival – falling into the categories of Old were crowned Supreme Winter Champion century traditional winter beer styles Ales/Strong Milds, Porters, Stouts and for their “1872 Porter”, just piping the beer such as Old Ales and darker Milds were Barley Wines – in reality the competition with probably the longest name in Britain under threat, with many historic recipes itself begins at grass roots level right across “Bartram’s Comrade Bill Bartram’s being overlooked in the face of Britain soon after the 2013 Finals have Egalitarian Anti-Imperialist Soviet Stout” dwindling consumer demand. taken place. from Suffolk - to the title. In 3rd place from East Renfrewshire, in Scotland was “Kelburn Fast forward a decade and the United With its vast local branch structure, CAMRA Brewing Dark Moor”. While these three Kingdom can now boast about over 1150 relies on its members to vote for their inspirational winter beers stole the show in breweries regularly producing way in favourites using branch and tasting panel last year’s competition, the most exciting excess of 8,500 different real ales. A nominations for the beers produced in aspect of judging at these Finals is in renaissance has occurred in recent years their area. Regional or area competitions tasting the sheer depth of quality on show. and particularly in the field of outstanding are arranged for the beers to be expertly dark, malty, rich and roasted beers for judged and assessed in style classes – then With the future looking bright for those colder months of the year. British only the very best progress through to the traditional winter beer styles at National beer drinkers are faced with more variety Finals. The Finals for winter beers are held Winter Ales Festival you’ll find champions and choice than ever. You will need only to annually at CAMRA’s National Winter Ales both past and present each with their own take one look around National Winter Ales Festival with a special invited judging unique flavour profiles. Try a few and you’ll realise exactly why being a beer taster and Festival running from Weds 19th until panel usually consisting of brewers, Saturday 22nd February 2014 for proof! judge is such a difficult and thankless task. publicans, drinks writers and CAMRA Cheers!! Such huge variety means that it has never members deciding upon the overall been a more difficult time to judge the winners or Champions. Nik Antona, CAMRA National Director 4 DerbyDRINKER December/January 2014 National Winter Ales Festival 2014 Beer Cider & Perries Another great line-up of ciders & Perries is promised It may be the National Winter this year (see Cider with Suzie on page 13). Ales Festival but we will have much more than just Winter Beer styles with over 350 Real Ales, ciders, perries, continental beers and meads Buses to the Beer Fest from every beer style imaginable. The full beer list is As this service has proved popular in recent years we will still being finalised so keep again be running buses to and from the Festival at the checking the website Roundhouse. Although the details are still being finalised nwaf.org.uk. And of course we we expect to run a similar service to last year with buses will have the Champion Winter calling at the Quad and the Bus Station. Dates/times and Beer of Britain competition frequency details will appear on the website soon (see article on page 4). nwaf.org.uk Trade Entertainment & Open Mic night Session artists needed If you are in the trade then why not come This was still being finalised as we went to press but along to our trade as usual another cracking line-up is promised which session on includes Arctic Monkeys & Kings of Leon tributes. Wednesday 19th Full details will be posted on the website shortly February between nwaf.org.uk. We are also planning to hold our 1-4pm. popular open mic evening again on Wednesday 19th February. E-mail If you would like to come along and play for a pint or [email protected] two then e-mail us at [email protected] You must let us know beforehand though as we will for your free trade tickets. not be accepting additions on the night. 5 www.derbycamra.org.uk Six of the Best in Derbyshire wenty years ago, CAMRA, delightful snugs. Only a Arbor Low, we find the Duke of disappoint. An enticing menu Tmindful of the dwindling handful of licensees have kept York, Elton. A corridor with which included partridge in number of unspoilt pubs, the “Malt” since 1939, including rooms either side leads to the wine is a further attraction at created a National Inventory Betty and Tony Woodyet, a small, quarry tiled bar at the the 300 year old pub which listing those which hadn’t been popular couple who served the rear with a frieze rail laden with opens only at weekends. subject to crass, internal local community between 1950 sports’ trophies, suspended modernization. In CAMRA’s and 1985. A broad choice of from a wooden boarded In the stunning High Peak, in lavishly illustrated book, well-kept ales from the ceiling. In here, Mary happily prime walking territory, is the Britain’s Best Real Heritage Marston’s empire is dispenses hand pulled pints of stone-built Crown on the main Pubs, Derbyshire has faired complemented by good food. Marston’s Burton Bitter at just road going into Glossop. relatively well with half a dozen £2.60. It’s unusual these days to Bleaklow and Kinder Scout fine inns listed, while counties North of Derby, off the A6, near find outside loos, and it should have long been popular with such as Leicestershire, Milford, is the hamlet of be noted that the Duke opens ramblers and there could be no Lincolnshire and Norfolk each Makeney, where the centuries evenings and Sunday better place in which to slake has one only. All in all 270 pubs old Holly Bush sits at the top of lunchtimes only. A time warp one’s thirst than this lovely are featured. Derby Drinker the lane of the same name. pub if ever there was one. pub’s unchanged interior. You despatched Paul Gibson to see Owned by octogenarian, John can admire the traditional Turn off the A6 at Ashford in what beery delights await the Bilbie, for four decades, this drinking lobby, parlour/lounge, the Water, and past Monsal discerning drinker in our very wonderful, stone-built former cosy snug and games room.