Tuesday 27 September 2011

Fox hunting in Barnes !!

My favourite seasonal ale is currently available here at the moment in the form of "Red Fox" it is 4.8% abv & stunning in both appearance & taste with it's tawny red colour, & delicious malty flavours. It is brewed with toasted oats to give a deliciously distinctive biscuity note and rich mellow aftertaste. I would like to think that it's solely down to my moaning that Fuller's have decided to make it available for a touch longer than previous years, so I won't disappoint and I promise to keep it on as long as I can get hold of it because the poor beast is being pursued & hunted down by the current "teachers pet" of the brewery, in the shape of "Bengal Lancer" at 5% abv it is pale amber in colour & full-bodied with a distinctive hoppiness that marks it out as a true India Pale Ale. It is brewed using the finest English malt and Goldings hops to evoke memories of the first versions of this beer. It has a superb refreshing style & if you haven't tried it yet it will be here towards late October so make a mental note & don't miss out. There are also  some brand  new Ales on their way from the brewery very soon, watch this space to find out what they are & when you can sink a few pints !

Monday 12 September 2011

"Battle of the Sexes".. A Beer & Food match with a difference.


Finally the time is here to unveil an event we have been planning for some time.


We are calling it "Battle of the Sexes" it is a beer and food matching event with a difference. It is an evening in the company of two great minds of the beer world and a fantastic chance to glean some valuable knowledge about the flavours of different beers and how they compliment a whole array of foods. It is an evening that will involve a carefully written 4 course menu all matched with different beers.
 The twist in this evening is that the beers will be chosen by two completely different representatives of the universe, yes, you've guessed it, one is a man and the other is..shock horror, (wait for it) ...a real life woman !


Your job is to decide who is right, if at all either.


The experts in question are old foes and sparring partners in the shape of, John Keeling, Fuller’s master brewer with over 40 years experience, and well respected the length and breadth of the country for his expert beer making skills, and Melissa Cole, the leading beer writer and journalist, author of girlsguidetobeer.blogspot.com and her up and coming book “Let Me Tell You About Beer: A Beginner's Guide to All Things Brewed”, Melissa also regularly writes for the Guardian, and is an expert on food and matching the hidden flavours that lurk beneath the surface.


Both John & Melissa will choose a beer to match each course of the dinner, both will have had time to consider flavours they are matching it with, but they will not know what each other has chosen right up until literally the last minute.
As you can, hopefully, tell it is going to be a tongue in cheek, good humoured night, plenty of banter and a few chances available to score a few points against the weaker sex, which one is the weaker ? well that’s for you to decide, but you better be sure, if you know what’s good for you.

The cost is £25 per head, tickets are now on sale and there really are limited spaces. Call in, call up or drop us an email now.