Well, those of you who read my last post, now the penultimate post, will be aware of the struggle I've had getting my blogging mojo back after a bit of burn out. I'd hoped that I could find some level of moderation to my blogging, to revive it, but folks, it's just not there. In all honesty, for nearly two years now, this blog has felt like a burden, rather than a joy, and my only real thoughts about it were along the lines of feeling bad that I hadn't posted anything, or thinking "I must". That's not what this was ever meant to be about. Today, I was involved in an online journaling session and one of the contributors said they wrote a journal once a day and that it had become something along the same lines, because it felt like it was something they did by formula, rather than for the enjoyment. For me, that hit the nail on the head and made my mind up that, while I will leave this open, simply in case anyone stumbles across it and finds any of the reviews useful, I'm calling time at the bar. Thank you to everyone who has read the posts, and thank you to those breweries who supported the #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers blogathon (which ultimately drained my love of this, but that's life). Who knows, maybe one day I will find my love for this again, in one form or another, but until then, it's goodbye from me.
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![]() This is not a blog post about drinking ten pints a night, three nights a week. It’s not that take on moderation. It’s a post about drinking one beer, 80 nights running. It’s a post about killing a passion. It’s a post about how an idea can sound great in principle but becomes a bind in practice. It’s a post about having to find something interesting to say about a beer and make it coherent – including at times when you have an hour in a hotel room to shower, change, drink a beer, photograph it, write about it, post it and share it across social media. It’s a post about trying to be organised and drinking and writing about three beers on a Sunday afternoon so you can have a couple of nights off. It’s a post about fatigue. It’s a post about losing your pride in your blog. And, hopefully, this is a blog post to clear the fog and start anew. #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers was an idea inspired by the Great Exhibition of the North, an 80-day celebration of the North of England’s heritage. I thought I would celebrate its beer. And breweries very kindly engaged, some sending me beers that I might otherwise not have tried. I revelled in searching out new beers. It all seemed like a great idea. That was nearly two years ago, and it pretty much ended my blogging days. Since September 9, 2018, or “Day 80”, I’ve written two posts for this blog (prior to this one). One was because a friend asked me to try his mate’s brew. The other was related to my day job. The last was more than a year ago. But looking back at the last few posts from the blogathon, I can see just how little my heart remained in it. I was clearly copying the format each day, which is visible in the way the posts look. I was leaving typos uncorrected, lacking creativity. I was disappointing myself and I was just getting through it. I was blogsick, fed up of writing about beer. Having sampled countless different styles over the 80 days, from saisons to stouts, I resolved by the end that the ones that had brought me the most enjoyment were good old Yorkshire bitters. At the time, I put that down to them being nice, refreshing pints. On reflection, some 17 months later, I realise it’s because I didn’t have to think about them. Having worked with Black Sheep and Jennings in the past, they were familiar old friends, easy drinks. Unadventurous, they may have seemed, but I knew what I was getting. Ok, so they are also still refreshing, I’ll admit that’s also true. Millions of column inches, and online paragraphs, have been written about drinking in moderation. I’m no doctor, I won’t be giving advice on that, other than to say that if you think you have a problem, seek help and don’t struggle on alone. However, most articles will talk about heavy drinking in terms of binging multiple drinks a night, or over a weekend. In retrospect, my 80 days was no less of a binge, it was just drawn out. There was at least one weekend where I’d had a couple and written them up on the Friday, then had a few on a big day out with friends on the Saturday, then returned to the daily routine on the Sunday. I certainly went a few past the 80. I wasn’t, am not, sliding towards alcoholism. That’s not denial. I was drinking because I had to see my idea through. You know how you are more likely to stick to something if you’ve told someone – like a New Year’s Resolution? That! And because others had bought in. The result was that I simply got sick of beer. And I definitely got sick of writing about it. I started this blog because I loved beer and thought I had something to share. The name, Poet’s Day Pint was to reflect a plan of one post a week, written over, and often about, a pint, bottle, can, whatever. That seemed, and still seems, like a sensible level of moderation to me, so maybe it’s time to refresh and get back to that. I’ve had a little bit of a life “moment” recently, which is why moderation is on my mind in a different context. And that, coupled with a conversation I had earlier this week about what caused me to stop blogging, is what’s inspired me to think about this, and write this post. So, keep an eye out and, hopefully, I can get back to making this blog enjoyable again. Even if just for me. ![]() Beer: Camden Pale Ale Clone Brewery: Wolf of the Wood ABV: 5.4% This is a bit of an unusual one for me. A friend dropped a couple of bottles around, brewed by a mate of his, who seems to sit somewhere between home brewing and microbrewing. As a supporter of both entrepreneurial spirit and brewing, I decided to give them a try and last night I thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of Wolf of the Wood’s Camden Pale Ale Clone. It was also my first time with a clone beer, so it was interesting to see how this tasted. Happily, it was a very enjoyable drink. Having dabbled in some home brewing myself, there was a familiarity there, but not to say that it lacked any quality – you could enjoy a pint of this in the pub. Smooth, but with enough flavour and texture to keep it interesting, it went down a treat. With a bit of luck, things will take off for Wolf of the Wood and we might start seeing their beer around commercially. ![]() Beer: Ratty Brewery: First and Last Brewery ABV: 4.1% Sorry for the silence, folks. I’m alive and well and still enjoying my beer. I have to say, the blogathon took it out of me a bit, in terms of wanting to sit down with a beer and write. That and a very busy non-beer-related schedule, which really took over, right through until Christmas. I hope you all had a chance to try out a few new beers over the festive period. Personally, I’m feeling refreshed and ready to tackle Dry January – head on. That’s right. I’m staring right down the barrel of the much better Try January and tonight I’m having my first beer of 2019. The beer Those who know me outside of the Poets Day Pint will know that, as well as beer, I have a real love for my native North East of England, and a particular fondness for the Kielder area of Northumberland. Over the last couple of years, the area has seen the reintroduction of water voles. Having previously been a common site in the area, they have had a serious decline over the last 30 years, and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, through its Restoring Ratty project, has been at the forefront of the species’ return. All cute, cuddly, heart-warming stuff, you say. But what does this have to do with beer? Well, imagine my surprise, when perusing the fridge in the shop at Kielder Waterside, to find bottles of Ratty – a collaboration between the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the First and Last Brewery, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (yes, when you bought that Lotto ticket, you were contributing to the brewing industry – well done, you!). Of course, I brought one home, hoping very much that it would not be as furry as its namesake. And finally, tonight, I’m getting to try it. So, what’s it like? It’s got a very fresh, fruity aroma, probably very unlike what you get if you hold a real live water vole up to your nose, but I don’t intend to test that theory. And, in terms of flavour, it’s very light. Unlike many pale ales, it’s also not too sharp – personally, I prefer them this way. It’s not a beer that gives your mouth a pounding when it comes to flavour, but it’s certainly a very enjoyable beer and, because of this mildness of flavour, it’s probably one you could call “sessionable”, which is no bad thing. If you like beers like Ilkley Brewery’s Pale Ale, then you’ll love this, knowing you’re supporting a great cause, because a donation from every bottle goes towards the Restoring Ratty project. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 70 Beer: 01_18 Off Tempo DIPA The Brewer: Bad Co Ok, so it's day 80 of 80 and I'm sitting down with double IPA to wrap up #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers. Here goes... The beer Unsurprisingly, there’s a strong smell of hops that hits you as soon as you open the can. The taste is really powerful and a touch harsh, but it settles down and te aftertaste is far more pleasant than that first hit. Unfortunately it seems for a while like every mouthful is the same, so if that first hit isn’t to your taste, it’s something you’re going to have to put up with to get that delayed gratification. But then your palette adjusts and gets used to it. That "pow" moment feels less jarring and it settles down and becomes a more enjoyable, rounded beer. Overall, it’s not my favourite Bad Co beer, but if you’re sipping away on a Sunday night, you can do a lot worse. Where in the North? Ok, so this is an unusual one. The brewery is based at Dishforth Airfield, an RAF/Army station in North Yorkshire. Hard to imagine the pilots or soldiers going into battle after a few Wild Gravitys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishforth_Airfield Fun fact: Dishforth was the first base to receive the Apache helicopter and had 16 of them, divided between two squadrons. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 79 Beer: Champagne Sorachi Ace The Brewer: Caps Off / McColl’s Brewery collaboration Ok, so this is the third evolution of the Sorachi Ace from this collaboration. The beer It’s easy to see where the ‘champagne’ element comes in. It has the fizz of a bottle of bubbly, which combines with the powerful banana that I’d been expecting. It’s less cloying than the other two, but as someone who doesn’t like banana I’m still not taken with it. But millions of people love banana and I know I’m probably in the minority. Where in the North? Bishop Auckland is the town I live in, and it’s a town on the rise in many ways. Thanks to inward investment from a hedge fund company boss, Jonathan Ruffer, the town’s centrepiece Market Place and Auckland Castle are the heart of current and future tourism highlights. The castle itself is beautiful, but we now have the amazing summer Kynren events, while there is also a new art gallery dedicated to mining, and a new viewing tower and Spanish Gallery are under development. Never heard of Bishop Auckland? You’re missing out. https://www.thisisdurham.com/explore-durham/durham-towns/bishop-auckland Fun fact: Stan Laurel, one half of legendary comedy double act Laurel and Hardy, lived in Shildon as a youngster. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Facebook and Instagram. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 78 Beer: Mojo The Brewer: Robinsons Brewery Into the final three... The beer It smells like pick and mix! And it has a slightly sharp taste on the tongue. The aroma mixes with the taste and, even though you know you’re being fooled by your nose, makes you think the beer is a little sherbetty. Unusual. Not unpleasant. I’m undecided. Where in the North? Seven miles from Manchester city centre, Stockport is a large town that has a proud history of manufacturing, from hemp to hats! That history actually makes for a really visually interesting landscape, thanks to the centuries of industrial architecture. The town was birthplace to a huge array of musicians, TV presenters and actors, my favourite being Tim McInnerny of Blackadder fame (Lord Percy, Captain Darling). Pass me a pint of Robinsons, Darling... https://www.visitmanchester.com/visitor-information/stockport-tourist-information-centre-p24071 (They don't seem to have a site for tourists - shame) Fun fact: Whilst being part of Manchester, Stockport is actually where the River Mersey forms with the merger of two other rivers, the Tame and the Goyt. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 77 Beer: Ruby Revolution The Brewer: Three Brothers Brewing Company As dark a red as I’ve ever seen (if you ignore the fact Guinness is actually red). The beer. Plain and simple, this is a nice red. It has a lovely burnt flavour that holds for a nice aftertaste. There’s definitely toffee in there (and in the aroma too). I mentioned Guinness earlier and there’s almost an element of a smoky porter to this, as well. Only a touch lighter. Good stuff! Where in the North? Stockton on Tees is a borough that sits between Darlington and Middlesbrough and is actually quite an innovative place. Why? Well, its people co-funded the Stockton and Darlington Railway*, the world’s first passenger railway. *Not the “Stockton TO Darlington Railway”, as many mistakenly call it. It actually ran between Stockton and collieries near Shildon (my home town). It was named because of the towns from which the funding came. http://www.thisisstockton.co.uk/visit Fun fact: As well as the railways, the friction match was invented by a chemist from Stockton! Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 76 Beer: True Wisdom simcoe sour The Brewer: StuBrew It's a style I don't recall having encountered before, so here goes... The beer It's a very light coloured beer, with a citrusy odour - lime, maybe? The first tentative taste is extremely sour and I don't expect to enjoy the rest. However, it's elss so in a slightly more adventurous second mouthful and it becomes an easier drink as I go on. This wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s something different and I may return to it one day. It just shows that the first taste isn't always a great indicator. There's some true wisdom for you. Where in the North? Well, once again we are in Newcastle. Newcastle’s a great place for anyone who likes to explore a few different beers in a nice, easily walkable route. Here’s a quick route suggestion that my friends and I have tried a couple of time. I’ve missed out places to eat, but do remember to grab a bite (there are plenty Greggs around to grab a pastie or three on the go). Starting as you come out of the railway station, cross the road and you have three options to begin with: The Victoria Comet (also known at the ‘Get Carter pub’) is directly opposite, or you could slip up Pink Lane and start at The Forth or the Town Wall. After that, Tilley’s Bar on Westgate Road is just a short walk away and is part of the Head of Steam group. From there, you can take a slightly longer trip across to the Grey Street area and Pleased To Meet You, DAT Bar, Bacchus, and Lady Grey’s, before wandering down Grey Street, crossing the road to where it becomes Dean Street for BrewDog, then carry on down and round the corner to the Bridge Tavern. Come back up towards town from there, stopping in at the Crown Posada (if you fancy a quirky little ‘old man’s’ beer pub) and then you can come back round towards the train station and there’s another Head of Steam close to the train station. If you missed out the Victoria Comet at the start, you can always drop in there to finish if you have time before your train home. https://www.newcastlegateshead.com/ Fun fact: “The city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne was founded at the lowest place the Tyne could be easily crossed. In 1080, the Normans built a wooden fort to safeguard the crossing, they also erected a wooden bridge. “The ‘new castle’ was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century.” Source: http://www.newgenerationflooring.com/facts-about-newcastle/ Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. ![]() #AroundTheNorthIn80Beers – Day 75 Beer: Tyneside Brown The Brewer: Hadrian Border Brewery A brown ale? From Newcastle? No. Not that one... The beer A good old fashioned beer smell. This is matched by the taste, but while it does taste traditional, it is clearly quality beer. The North East is well known for its brown ales, one in particular. But while that particular beer brands itself “the one and only” it’s certainly not the only brown ale in town. Where in the North? The vibrant city of Newcastle is not only a great place to head for a drink, whether you’re looking for great beer pubs or enjoying a stag or hen do, it’s full of culture and a heart of innovation. William Armstrong, ancestor of TV’s Alexander, was responsible for many inventions, including the hydraulic crane, and his technology is used to power many things, including the Swing Bridge across the Tyne, and London’s Tower Bridge. https://www.newcastlegateshead.com/ Fun fact: Mosley Street was the first street in the world to be illuminated by electric light. Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. |
AuthorI’m 44, I don’t (always) have a beard (partly because when I try it is patchy, has gaps, with ginger and grey bits) and don’t take a clipboard to the pub. So, I’m not the stereotypical real ale fan of old, in the style that I was always told to look out for...read more Archives
February 2020
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