And so the season for some excellent beery goings on is hurtling towards us at a rate of knots! The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo looms on the horizon and there is much buzz about things and many other events taking place around Merseyside and Liverpool over the same period; as such I have made an attempt at trying to ringfence everything and corral the information into one location for you lovely people... just so there is an 'at hand guide' for the following weeks. The date spread is from the first weekend in June and through until just after the Craft Beer Expo finishes, so read on and see if there are any places that you think you need to be in June! Saturday, June 3rd Brewery Open Day and Tap at Connoisseur Ales, St Helens (12pm until 10pm). Over in St. Helens, the first Saturday of most months sees family run Connoisseur Ales open their doors for impromptu brewery tours and a chance to try reasonably priced and brewery fresh cask or bottled beers from their range. Entry is free and there is usually a range of up to eight cask beers on, only a 30 second walk from St Helens Central train station. [Wolverhampton House, 121-125 Church Street, St Helens, WA10 1AJ] [email protected] / www.connoisseurales.com Monday, 12th June Founders Love Left Hand - Summer of Love Event at Dead Crafty Beer Company will be taking place, with representatives from both Founders and Left Hand breweries present from 7pm onwards, ready to chat and with many of their beers for attendees to sample (2 are included in the ticket price). [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Tuesday, 13th June Dead Crafty will be hosting another round of the Dead Good Bottle Society, Ben from Top Rope Brewing will be presenting and talking through a selection of beers stocked in the Dead Crafty fridges. The event starts at 8pm prompt and includes at least 4 beers to try. Tickets are £15 per person and the more people attend the tasting, the more beers there are to try. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Wednesday, 14th June The Wildly Different Dinner event - Oktopus will play host to Bristol’s Wild Beer Co.; there will be a paired dinner with beer from the brewery consisting of 5 plates and matched beers. The event takes place at Oktopus restaurant in Hardmans Yard from 7pm until around 10pm and costs £30 per person. Wild Beer Co’s Andy Gibson will be on hand to compere the event. The link for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-wildly-different-dinner-tickets-35015536412?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing [Hardmans Yard, Hardman Street, Liverpool. L1 9AX] https://www.oktopus-restaurant.com/ The Dead Crafty Beer Company is hosting the Liverpool leg of the Juicebox500 tour from Fourpure Brewing Company. The event will launch the brewery's excellent IPA - Juicebox and there will not only be the beer to try, but merchandise and cans available as part of the event, which will coincide with the ever fun Dead Crafty Quiz night starting around 7-8pm. There will be a fee for participation in the quiz, to be confirmed. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Also on the 14th June, Brewdog Liverpool have got a Tap Takeover and Meet the Brewer Event taking place at their bar featuring beers and representatives of Danish outfit, Dry and Bitter. The event starts at 6.30pm and runs all evening; admission is at the very agreeable price of... free! Beers likely to feature are the Christian Bale Ale, Citra Bale Ale, Body Pillow APA and many more! https://www.facebook.com/brewdogliverpool/ Thursday, 15th June - Sunday, 18th June The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo takes place at Constellations on Greenland Street in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool. Sessions include Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday day, Saturday evening and all Sunday. This event usually sells out (in fact at time of writing, the Saturday afternoon is full), so get tickets rather than chancing it on the door. The event is one of the best beer festivals around with a great atmosphere, excellent beers from around the UK, Europe and the US and a mix of indoor and outdoor areas means a chance to mix things up if the weather allows! [35-29 Greenland Street, Liverpool. L1 0BS] www.constellations-liv.com / www.liverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com Across the same range of dates as the Expo, Deva Craft Beer are hosting a four day Best of British beer festival at their Deva Taps in Chester. The festival will feature over 30 beers on keg and cask along with a range of ciders and gin. The event starts at 3pm on the 15th June. Keep an eye out for some newer Deva beers including a smooth mango IPA and also get ready for their new menu launch soon too with plenty of food at the festival! [121 Brook Street, Chester. CH1 3DU Tel: 01244 401777] www.devacraftbeer.co.uk The afterparty for the Expo will take place at Black Lodge for another Tap Takeover in Liverpool, this time by Beavertown; the event is free to attend and the Black Lodge will be open for business until 3am. Brave and thirsty? To make that time you will need to be! [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Dead Crafty Beer Company will also play host on this evening to Hawkshead Brewery for a Beers with the Brewer event. A six-tap (allegedly with some special kegs) takeover will be launched at 7pm, with the representatives from Hawkshead talking through their beers and brewery. Tickets are £5 per person and includes a beer on arrival for the event. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Friday, 16th June The Black Lodge Tap Takeover part two is hosted by Firestone Walker; as ever, loads of their beers will be on and the venue will host an afterparty and be open til 3am. No door tax either. [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Saturday, 17th June Red Star Ales host a Brewery Open Day and Tour at their site in Formby. The brewery tour will start at 1pm and runs until 4.30pm, the tour costs £20 per person and includes food and unlimited cask beer to go at, brewery fresh. [54b Stephenson Way, Formby. L37 8EG] www.redstarbrewery.co.uk Black Lodge will host its final Tap Takeover afterparty event for the Expo, with the lines being handed over to The Kernel for their beers to be poured. As ever, Black Lodge will be open late and entry to the event is free. [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Sunday, 18th June This Father's Day Brewdog Liverpool will be hosting a Stone Berlin Beer and Whisky Pairing with Zippo from Stone Berlin. The tasting will include 5 Stone Berlin beers, 5 amazing whiskys, and lots of paired German-style small plates. All that, with a branded glass to take away as a memento for each attendee. Tickets are limited and on sale at £31.85 per person. The event runs from 7pm until 10pm approximately: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beer-whisky-pairing-with-stone-berlin-tickets-34321388196 [8 Colquitt Street, L14DE.] https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/liverpool Good luck to everyone planning on attending all that – physically impossible as it may probably be, but there is something to whet your appetite for beers going on thick and fast over the coming weeks around Liverpool and the Northwest (including some things over at Manchester Beer Week – post-Expo). Hope you found this guide useful! Pedro.
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So given the digging around on various social media streams I have been doing, plus piecing together some conversations with the powers that be (or beer, as it were), there is an awful lot going on during the run-up to the Liverpool Craft Beer Expo on the 16th June 2016. This is even before we consider that an hours drive down the M62 motorway, Manchester Beer Week will be in full flow with a rather hectic and exciting line up of their own… but this stuff has seemingly sprung up out of nowhere and may leave many beer aficionados wishing for a second liver and several weeks of sobriety in the aftermath. Regardless of wants and needs, there is a glut of events on in Liverpool in the run up to the Expo weekend (stay tuned to the Liverpool Beer Collective account on Facebook and Twitter also for regular updates and happenings) and I have done my best to cobble these together into one lovely and coherent list for you all… Wednesday 8th June Ladies that Beer Social @ Dead Crafty Beer Company The Ladies that Beer will be attending Dead Crafty and holding their regular social night to meet up with the other members and encourage more ladies to involve themselves in beer and brewing, there will be a few people on hand to answer any questions about getting involved and they will be looking to score highly in the Sphinx Quiz! Friday 10th June Fourpure – Meet the Brewer @ Brewdog, Liverpool Paul from Fourpure is back in Liverpool to host an evening of Fourpure beers paired with some food prepared by the kitchen at Brewdog. Time of the event is yet to be confirmed, but it is a bargain at £20 a ticket and they are running out VERY fast. Sunday 12th June 10 Line Tap Takeover Event @ 23 Club – Featuring Omnipollo This will feature 10 excellent beers from Omnipollo (including Perikles Pils, Chocolate Brown Ice Cream Ale and Leon Belgian Blonde) which will go on the taps as a pre-Expo celebration; advance tasting cards will be available for £20 and these will be around until two days before, on the 10th June. The event will run from 3pm until 10pm. Monday 13th June BEERS WITH THE BREWER @ Dead Crafty Beer Company – Northern Monk Brewing Company Starting a 7pm, there will be a 6 line tap takeover featuring some of the beers from Northern Monk’s stable (including Neapolitan, Eternal and The Forgotten Sin). This will also feature a launch of their new 822 Double IPA and tickets are a very reasonable £5 each – which includes a glass of the Eternal session IPA as I understand it? Wednesday 15th June 8pm QUIZ NIGHT @ Dead Crafty Beer Company - Sphinx Quizzes & Four Pure Colab Quiz Rob from Four Pure is a quiz master, so he will be collaborating with Sphinx regulars Chris, Liam & Stuart to hold a quiz at Dead Crafty’s premises. There will be a Four Pure tap takeover plus Four Pure Jackpot prize, along with spot prizes of merchandise and every team member will get free cans for taking part! As a bonus… American Pizza Slice will be supplying the half time prize as usual. Tickets are £5, which will get you entry into the quiz plus your first drink. Thursday 16th June 7pm BEERS WITH THE BREWER @ Dead Crafty Beer Company – Jopen Brewery Jopen Brewery will be bringing 6 beers over from The Netherlands. It will be an informal affair where you'll be able to chat with the guys over a beer or 6! The beers slated for inclusion are: Adriaan, Gerstebier, Hoppenbier, Imperial Pils, Jacobus and North Sea IPA. Tickets will be sold at Dead Crafty for £15 each. Also, for the Liverpool Craft Beer Expo (16th – 19th June), there has been the announcement (following my last pre-Expo blog) that Hop and Barley will be hosting their own bar at the Expo, plus Northern Monk will be indulging in a spot of tap takeover action. Another point of note is that Wednesday 15th June is also the annual Beer Day Britain [http://www.beerdaybritain.co.uk/], which has been gaining momentum since its inception. As this date comes in line with the pre-Expo run up and also right in the middle of the Manchester Beer Week, there should be a lot going on and a lot of social media traffic generated to keep you abreast of something going on in your area. People are encouraged to raise a glass, take a photo of them with a beer and post the picture on social media at 7pm using the hashtag #CheerstoBeer. I don’t know about you lot, but I am exhausted just thinking about it; still thirsty though too. Pedro. There has been a slight shift in things lately, or more accurately a changing of the guard in the streets of Liverpool for those in search of positive gustation experiences, especially for those who are feeling rather exploratory about beer. The end of October saw the shutter finally roll down on the Mad Hatter Brewing Company Brew Tap, although that is not likely to be the end of the tea parties. A change of usage in the Watkinson Street building meant a move for the Brew Tap, in turn meaning no usual weekend frivolities will be taking place. There are plans for one off events at the new premises, so all those feeling rather down in the mouth would be advised to keep their ears to the ground and an eye on the website, especially since the recruitment of Paul Spraget from Weird Beard Brewery will mean something new and exciting has already begun brewing. The send-off weekend for the Brew Tap was typically boisterous, featuring small pop up food stalls and the provision of cakes from Liverpool Cake Company. A sad loss, but not one forever, thankfully. Another new bar on the scene, although with experienced hands at the bar is the Pen Factory, located on Hope Street between The Clove Hitch and the recently architecturally acclaimed Everyman Theatre. Those who were familiar with the previous incarnation of the Everyman’s below street-level bistro will know of Paddy Byrne, who has spent some time getting the new premises for the Pen Factory ready before the holiday period. Thankfully I managed to get a glimpse of the premises, due to open on Wednesday 5th December 2014 and there is a treat in store for those who enjoying the slight bohemian ambience of the previous bistro. There is much more light at the Pen Factory and Paddy stated that he had looked to divide the premises into three areas, a ‘snug’ nearest to Hope Street, followed by a ‘social’ area near the bar and finally the more table orientated dining area nearest to the kitchen. Each has it’s own charms and level of comfort. The beers on offer will be in a vein similar to that of the old theatre bistro; casks bolstered by the presence of some kegged continental beers, the former whilst benefiting from no brewery ties will include the likes of Tiny Rebel, Salopian and Liverpool Craft whilst kegs come from two styles of Krombacher amongst others. The food will very much be in the hands of the former head chef from the bistro too, Tom Gill, taking in salads and smaller dishes earlier in the day, whilst the evening may see a more formal menu being served to the clientele. The launch has been put back before, but a soft-launch is planned, to allow the venue to find its feet. So whilst it is rather exciting, let’s be gentle, eh? In another more restorative slant, the Jacaranda has re-opened its doors on Slater Street and boasts a number of world and craft beers. The space in the Jacaranda feels much more open and airy than in its previous incarnation, white walls along with the dark wood inside make for a much less oppressive but slightly colder feel. The beer selection is actually quite reasonable, whilst not pulling up any trees, the fridge holds Neck Oil, Gamma Ray and 8-Ball from Beavertown, Kona Longboard and Moritz in cans plus Paulaner Hells alongside kegged IPAs, some standard Lagers and space for two cask hand-pull pumps. Up the road from Slater Street, Brewdog has finally landed in Liverpool to much fanfare; including a toasting with Punk IPA from the manager on the opening night and a welcome appearance from Sarah Warman (who has made a few appearances in lieu of Rebecca Seal on Sunday morning brunch to talk about various styles of beers, how to match them and generally drum up interest for those who need reconciling that it isn’t as sophisticated as wine in that department). The new premises on Colquitt Street have been a while coming, with planning roadblocks from both the short-sighted City Council and the ill-informed local constabulary being thrown in the path of the Scotland based beer-juggernaut. Happily though, these obstacles were not insurmountable and the bar is now open and not full of drunken, fighting morons, as we knew it would be. The layout is spacious and pleasing inside Brewdog Liverpool; two large container units form the back-stage of the bar area (one of which is temperature controlled and used as the keg cellar) and there is a vast array of beer in a number of styles which should keep the most curious of drinkers happy. Seating really isn’t much of an issue in the establishment; with a single long breakfast bar style table near to the bar, smaller cabaret style tables near the windows and a number of booths present at the periphery, there should be no nursing of a drink whilst standing. Another rather cute addition is the area provided for old ‘vintage’ arcade games, with pin-ball, Star Wars, a 60-game console and Silent Scope all present for your entertainment should a change of pace be wanted. The addition of three further venues opening in November and December in Diablo’s (another American style dive possibly, with sports/pool/beers and dirty food) on Berry Street, Kabinett on Myrtle Street and Patterson’s on Gradwell Street (a ‘chicken shack by day and a bar by night’ no less), may give another two options for places to eat and drink, depending on how dedicated they both are in terms of their menu and beer menus. A quick visit to Patterson’s was alas only that, a fridge of average stock (Sol, Heineken and Budweiser with Beck Vier on keg were the low points and the only high point was the presence of Einstok White; the ONLY high point). The bar itself is great, very colourful graffiti murals adorn the walls, comfortable seating, reasonably priced food (chicken mostly) and reclaimed wood tables and bar all make for quite a pleasant environment. Alas, we’re not really in a shortage for the American diners sprouting up everywhere. The potential is there, plus with the Kazimier Garden already providing a reason to visit that area of the city centre, footfall from Liverpool One up through town may benefit these venues. Kabinett does provide something genuinely alternative, rumour has it that the plan is cheese and wine, something which is welcome as a change of pace and leaves the venue right in the thick of the new excitement discussed above. Near to Concert Square (hear me out…) the presence of the Grove Beer Tap and Grill at the back of Concert Square has met with a generally positive reception, although a pretty stringent closing time policy means things are wrapped up curtly at 11pm on a Saturday evening; stragglers need not apply. The bar itself is very open, with smaller seating arrangements scattered around the periphery and an impressive central swathe of wood panelled bench seating that reaches up to the high ceilings, but the impressive edge really is the outside beer garden area with large boulders, barrels and plenty of space for a warm summer evening. The food was excellent on the occasion of our visit, not only from a preparation point of view (as you can see from the photos) but from the pricing (which admittedly I don’t dwell on too much in most of my reviews) which is more than reasonable. Sadly I wasn’t prepared for a full review but as a side note, whilst writing up this article, I could happily have a helping of the smoked fish and chips again. The beer selection is very solid, mostly composed of American craft keg beer, with a respectable line up in the bottle fridge. Liverpool Craft Brewing Company and Rothaus are present on keg and in bottles along with beers from Portland, Flying Dog, Anchor Steam and Brooklyn, giving plenty of choice for some refreshing IPAs, stouts and some seasonal offerings. Exciting times, but let’s not forget the other excellent venues we possess in the ‘Cultural Quarter’ and along Dale Street which have provided good food, broad choice of, well selected and looked after beers. They deserve the continued support, even in healthier times!
Cheers! Pedro. |
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