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Christmas at The Gunmakers
 As a rule, I don't usually post links to "funny" news stories. This one made me laugh, though. A mystery container that washed up on a Western Isles beach two days ago has been identified as a beer fermentation tank. It's a big one, standing 27m tall. You'd think the owner would have noticed it was missing.
Now, it's not quite Whisky Galore, but surely there's some salvage value there? If it really did belong to Molson Coors, it might have been used for Carling. Perhaps an enterprising microbrewery could put it to better use?
 Regular readers will be familiar with the image to the right. It's the winner of December's Visions of Beer contest, submitted by reader John Lewington. He called it "Two pints of bitter", and told me he'd taken it in an old pub in the coastal town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
Out of the blue, I received an email over the weekend from Chris Spooner, the landlord of the pub in question. Someone had forwarded a link to this blog to him, and he wanted to tell the story behind the picture.
The pub is The White Hart (222 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5AJ, map). It's an Adnams tied house situated a stone's throw from the beach. The gentlemen in the photo are Peter Wilson (l) and John Haig (r), business partners at the Aldeburgh Boatyard. Peter is a well respected yachtsman, who will be competing in the 2008 World Championships after celebrating his 70th birthday. Sadly, John died in October. He was one of the last skippers on the commercial sailing barges that once operated in the area, and served as a lecturer at the local naval college.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about that wonderful photo. I certainly did. Have a Happy New Year, everyone.
Back in May, I first mentioned Lew Bryson's "Session Beer Project". That's what the Philadelphia beer writer calls his campaign to foster appreciation of the gentler side of brewing. I put together "Session beers - the real art of brewing" in support.
Freelance writer Adem Tepedelen has a piece in the latest edition of US beverage magazine Imbibe, detailing Lew's efforts. I'm quoted for a UK perspective, having spoken to Adem about our beer culture when he was researching for the article. You can read it online here. Here's a short extract: "The craft beer movement in North America hasn’t grown and thrived by producing beers that are subtle. Just like anything that exists outside the mainstream, craft brewing has always attracted enthusiasts looking for an experience beyond the usual".
I think that highlights one of the main differences between British and American beer culture: ours, centred as it is on pubs and cask ale, isn't really outside of the mainstream. British independents and micros cater for a broader market that their US counterparts, the majority of their customers being people who wouldn't describe themselves as enthusiasts. Those who argue that our brewers should concentrate on ever more extreme brews should be humoured, but then politely ignored.
 Recently I asked what was more important: the beer, or the pub? Many of you seemed more concerned with what's in your glass as opposed to where you drink it. Others suggested the two were inextricably linked, in that an essential part of what makes a pub good is quality beer. I tend to agree with that, but there are exceptions.
Last night I was drinking in The Nell Gwynne (2 Bull Inn Court, WC2R 0NP, map) . It's a Covent Garden pub tucked away down a narrow alley that runs between the Strand and Maiden Lane. Unfortunately, the developers are circling. Despite - or perhaps because of - its hidden location, the place has a loyal clientele, who are currently resisting plans to close their favourite drinking den. They organised a petition, which was submitted to 10 Downing Street and received a response in November. The pub has so much that makes it great, the tiny interior filled with memories, but also with life - a celebrated juke box sees to that. Rather than describe every square foot of the place, I leave it to you to visit. However, I must warn you: the best of their ales is the lacklustre Wells Bombardier, with loathsome Courage Best another option. Sadly, not all great pubs provide the best beers. It's a shame, but don't let it put you off. After all, there are always the bottles on the top shelf - the quick route to oblivion.
 The Doctor Who Christmas special was woeful. It came close to ruining my day. Fearing the worst within minutes of kick off, I armed myself with "the strongest lager beer in the world". That claim, made on the label, is probably untrue. However, it is the strongest beer of any kind that I've encountered.
Samichlaus is a brew with history. It was originally Swiss, with pale and amber versions being produced until 1996 by Hürlimann of Zurich. In 2000, Austrian brewer Eggenberg took up the challenge. They now brew the 14% abv dark version once a year on 6th December, being the feast day of St Nicholas. It's lagered for a full ten months. The consumer is expected to allow it to age further in the bottle. My bottle was from the 2006 batch.
As soon as the aroma hits your nose, it leaves you in no doubt: this is seriously alcoholic. Make sure you're seated comfortably. The initially impressive head quickly subsides, leaving barely a trace of life behind. Unsurprisingly, syrupy sweetness dominates. There's dark fruit and a malt presence, but more than anything Samichlaus reminded me of sherry wine. Reaching the half way point, I didn't feel the need to stop but didn't regret it's diminution.
For such an iconic and mighty beer, this made little impression on me. It wasn't unpleasant, but I certainly wouldn't bother with it again. Lots of people judge beer according to "style", a practice that makes my eyelids itch. I have my own criteria, and one of them revolves around strength: if a beer is very strong, I expect it to repay me for exposing my precious liver to such potency. Samichlaus, like so many other "extreme" beers I've tried, didn't deliver.
 Most of Clerkenwell's pubs are closed, but I'm tucking into real ale nonetheless.
My glass is currently charged with a pint of Inveralmond Santa's Swallie. It's been drawn from a mini-cask delivered as a gift from a friendly editor. It's a cracking brew, a 4.3% abv bitter flavoured with cinnamon and ginger. It's full and creamy on the palate, with a beautifully dry and malty finish. The folks seem to like it too. Santa's Swallie is one the best seasonal ales I've had this year, but there'll be others to challenge it tomorrow. I'll be opening my first ever bottle of Eggenberg Samichlaus, the mighty 14% abv dark lager from Austria. At some point I want to uncork a 75cl bottle of Canaster Winterscotch. There's a case of Fullers 1845 sitting on the stairs for us. If we get through all of that, the stash is full of other beery delights. Have a great Christmas, wherever you are and whatever you're drinking!
 "Look mate, I could really use any spare change you've got".
A tip to London's beggars: if you've just emerged from a pub with a ciggie and a pint glass in your hand, you probably won't engender the sympathy required to part me with my shrapnel. Naturally, the pub in question was a Wetherspoons. Let the record show that Sunday, 23rd December 2007 was one of the most pointless and frustrating days of my life. Fittingly, it drew to a close with a (clearly microwaved) pasta meal and a so-so pint in a chain pub. We were at The Printworks (113 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3HJ, map) because nowhere else in Clerkenwell was open. As we crept down the stairs to this charmless basement boozer, we passed posters boasting of a "January Sale". If you're interested, it begins at 9am on January 2nd. The drinks will be even cheaper than usual. They'll be queuing down to the Thames. Inside the pub we witnessed what must be one of the most ill conceived dates in history. A young squire with a look of Craig David about him had lured a local lovely to a 'Spoons on the deadest evening of the year. Frankly, if he gets laid tonight there is no justice in the world. In The Printworks we drank Young's Christmas Ale (4.3% abv). It looked attractive in the glass, being dark amber with a rocky white head. They haven't spared the bittering hops, counterbalancing an underlying sweetness that didn't appeal. The merest whisper of spice offers a nod to the season, but I was hoping for something more indulgent. A wonderful beer might have lifted our spirits on this most dismal of days, but Wells & Young's didn't come up with the goods.
 Recently I reported that Belgian brewer Liefmans was in trouble. According to this story, the company was declared bankrupt on Friday. It's a sad day, but hopefully not the end of the road for the brewery. Perhaps a white knight could still emerge.
I don't normally deal with "industry" news on this site. However, my first post, on 3rd January, was about Liefmans Goudenband, the brewery's flagship beer. I wrote that "I haven't visited the Liefmans Brewery in Oudenaarde yet, but it's on the list". It seems I left it too late.
 I'm a big fan of Harvey's, their beers and the town of Lewes. Unfortunately the Christmas Ale was a massive let down.
Oddly, I've barely mentioned The Royal Oak in Borough (44 Tabard St, SE1 4JU, map) before. Time to put that right. It's Harvey's only London tied house, and one of the capitlal's finest pubs. It retains a divided interior, carefully restored so as to conjure up a Victorian public house without a hint of schtick. Last night I ate there with two cronies, Wee Rossie and Lenny. We ordered a round of the Christmas Ale, an 8.2% abv barley wine priced at £4.50 a pint. Being very dark red with a small head, it looked nice enough, and was clearly in good condition. Sadly, that was where the enjoyment ended. A couple of sips later, I reached a conclusion - it fell just short of being utterly diabolical. The cloying sweetness and oppressive alcoholic character were unbearable. Maybe there were all sorts flavours in there to pick out, but I couldn't finish even a half pint. Thankfully, the rest of the Harvey's range was on offer to sooth our battered taste buds.
When I read some other beer websites, I'm always surprised at how much focus is put on bottled beer, and how infrequently pubs are mentioned. It leads me toward dark thoughts about the average "beer geek" (to use the American term). Are there really self-proclaimed beer lovers who don't have locals, regular haunts where they're part of the furniture? Is beer a social thing for them, or is it some esoteric interest pursued behind closed doors in defiance of a cruel world outside?
Let me ask you this: what comes first for you - the beer, or the pub?
In the run up to Christmas, my favourite pubs are filled with people who clearly don't visit them at any other time of year. I call these people amateur drinkers, and I wish to summon a plague upon them. Screeching secretaries flutter around the fat, pinstriped arses of dull-witted middle management. Drunk blokes with about eight sets of pointy elbows, but no manners, snap their fingers in the direction of the bar. There's always some lanky tosser in a Santa hat. A quiet pint is out of the question, even on a Monday or Tuesday night.
Still, one mustn't grumble. By way of consolation, the seasonal ales just keep on coming. I've written a number of posts about them already. Over the last week I've encountered three winter beers that are new to me:
 1. McMullen's Festive Stout
I came across this at The White Lion in St Albans on Saturday (91 Sopwell Lane, AL1 1RN, website, pictured left). It was my first return visit since our ten man pub crawl almost a year ago. In the absence of a pump clip, the manager had scrawled on a CD and attached that. Genius. McMullen's is a traditional family brewery based in Hertfordshire. Sadly, it isn't one I rate in the slightest. Festive Stout is probably the best beer they produce. At 6% abv it's sure to put you in a good mood. There's oodles of bitter chocolate but otherwise the flavours are somewhat indistinct. Sweet stouts like this aren't really my bag.
 2. Freedom for Christmas
Bünker is Covent Garden's German-themed brewpub (41 Earlham Street, WC2 9LD, website). I don't agree with the bold claim on their sandwich board (pictured right), but as a lager lover I have a soft spot for it. The beers have been a little more consistent lately. The barman told me Freedom for Christmas is a 5.5% abv ale, but apart from that I was on my own. There's definitely cinnamon and nutmeg in there, with a hint of orange. In the glass it's a dark chestnut brown with a thick white head. The body is a little too thin to cope with the lashings of spice. Nonetheless, it's good to see a seasonal from a brewer who hasn't done anything new for ages.
 3. Fuller's Old Winter Ale
I bemoaned the annual disappearance of Fuller's London Porter in a post last week. Old Winter Ale is the replacement for December and January. It's an old recipe which was revived last year after almost a decade on the blocks. At 4.8% abv, it's considerably weaker than ESB which is available all year round. The brewery describes it as a "strong amber ale, boasting a sweet, nutty flavour". That's accurate, and spells out why it isn't to my taste. Sweet? Nutty? No thanks. I'd have preferred a glass of mulled wine to this. At the time, we were enduring possibly the worst pub quiz in all Christendom. I won't name the venue.
 Three weeks ago, I wrote about the rebirth of The Fox and Anchor, the venerable Smithfield gin palace that closed a year ago. The review from the London Drinker was positive, and I've been meaning to check it out for a while - it's very much within my stomping ground.
Last night I pitched up with Clio Jon for a few jars. Hideous grotesques still scowl from the ornate Gothic frontage. Inside, double doors lead to a narrow corridor bar, which in turn gives way to a dining area and private rooms out back. The period features that always made the place remarkable have been retained and restored, with an impressive pewter bar top lending an air of luxury. The predominant colour is dark green, from the ceiling to the leather banquettes. Malmaison, the new owners, have down a magnificent job. A six room, boutique hotel upstairs is due to open soon.
On the beer front, there are six hand pumps and three keg fonts, with a small selection of quality bottle conditioned beers. The only draught lager is Meantime Helles, a step up from the normal dross but nothing to get excited about. Regular cask ales are Fullers London Pride, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Nethergate Old Growler, a porter from a well respected Suffolk micro. Guests on our visit were Sharp's Cornish Coaster alongside two more from Nethergate: Red Santa and Umbel Ale. The ales are priced at £2.80-£3 a pint, and are served in smart pewter mugs, matching the bar. Everything we sampled was in great condition.
Overall, I'm over the moon to see what's happened to The Fox & Anchor. After former owner Nicholsons abandoned it last year, it seemed another architectural gem was lost. Instead, it's come back better than ever. The Northern Irish manager, Scott, has bags of energy and commitment and is suitably enthusiastic.
A final word - clearly The Fox and Anchor is up-market, smart and aimed at those who might want to dine. However, prices are notably restrained so there's no cause to grumble. It annoys me when people whinge about boozers that smarten up their act. A place doesn't need to be spit and sawdust to be traditional: there have always been public houses that have aimed at the higher end of the market. You only need to look at our splendid Victorian pub heritage to see evidence of that.
Information:
The Fox and Anchor is on 115 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6AA (map, website).
At long last, here they are: the winners of the beer photography competition. First, the best image depicting some element of beer culture comes from John Lewington. He calls it "Two pints of bitter". This is candid photo John took of two old boys enjoying their Sunday afternoon ale in a 17th century pub in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Perhaps they're old friends, or maybe they barely know each other. When this photo was taken, it didn't matter: they were immersed in their own worlds for a moment. It's a beautiful photo, and my favourite overall. The second winner is Paul Marks. I received lots of great pictures of beer in glasses, barrels and bottles, but this one stood out. It certainly made me thirsty. It was taken in La Mort Subite, a bar in Brussels. 
Well done, John and Paul (Ringo and George missed out this time). Both winners will be getting an extra Christmas present: a case of top quality beer courtesy of Livingbeer.com or BrewDog. Thanks to everyone who entered the competition - there were some absolute corkers. I'll be leaving them all up in the gallery. Cheers!
...to be announced later today. I'll be choosing two winners out of almost 100 entries. You can view them in the gallery.
There's still time to sneak in at the eleventh hour. I'll stop accepting new entrants at 6pm London time. The rules and details of the prizes are here, and you need to email your beer-related photos to grinerine@gmail.com.
 On Monday afternoon, I'll be announcing the winners of the Visions of Beer contest. If you want to win those prizes, pull your finger out and email your beer-related photos to grinerine@gmail.com now. If you want some inspiration, check out the competition in the gallery.
Remember, all UK entrants to the contest here will also be considered by Alan over at A Good Beer Blog. He's got a case of O'Hanlons ales for his favourite UK entry. In other words, you could win twice.
PS. One lucky entrant has already received an unexpected dividend. The marketing department at Brakspear spotted Andrew Barrow's superb picture of their beer, and sent him an early Christmas present to say thanks. PPS. This link has nothing to do with beer - but it is very funny, despite being deadly serious. A Christmas present for the man in your life, perhaps?
If you live in West London you'll probably know about Whole Foods Market already. For everyone else, the quality beers on offer make it worth the journey. Our Norski pal Knut Albert has the lowdown, along with a photo of the extensive bottle selection. Despite the fact the average street or "mall" in the USA looks like a scene from It's A Knockout, the shop is part of a group based over there. Remarkable.
Whole Foods Market is at The Barkers Building, 63–97 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SE (website).
As the end of 2007 and the first birthday of this blog rapidly approach, it's time to look back over the year's boozing. I'm not going to name my favourite beers, then ask you to do the same, because that would be boring. I'm going for a different approach - one that combines self-flagellation with negativity.
1.  Which beer have you consumed most of this year?
Forget quality, let's talk quantity. Be honest. Perhaps your local is absolutely hopeless, and as such you find yourself grimacing through pints of cooking lager. On the other hand, your regular haunt might bless you with beer fit for a king.
For my part, St Peter's Mild, consumed in cask conditioned form at The Jerusalem Tavern, comes out on top. It isn't my favourite beer by a long stretch, but I've guzzled gallons of it (mostly on school nights).
 2. What's been the most overrated beer of the year?
Some beers get raved about simply because they're big and sexy. The fact they taste like your grandad's old socks gets overlooked in the scramble to lavish praise on the emperor's new pint. Canny marketing can play a part, but sometimes the beer snobs and geeks generate their own frenzy of excitement. It seems all you need to do is push a few familiar buttons and you're guaranteed a good press.
For me, the Innis & Gunn Oak Aged beers are prime examples. I tried the Rum Cask version at the British Guild of Beer Writers' dinner last week. As with the others in the series, I found only an indistinct mess of flavours, flattened out by the dead hand of pasteurisation. Innis & Gunn isn't even a brewery, the beers being produced at Belhaven, the Scottish subsidiary of Greene King.
 3. What's been your guiltiest beery pleasure?
There are some people, like this fella, who can't help but enjoy nitrokeg Guinness. This bloke likes nothing more than to have his ale abused by a sparkler. Good luck to them - who cares what anyone else thinks?
For me, my guilty pleasure is undoubtedly Leffe Brun on tap. Standing outside De Hems in Soho with a full pint of that takes the edge off the misery of London's Glittering West End. On paper it's a dumbed-down, sickly brew from the brewing world's evil empire - but I can't help myself.
Leave a comment with your own nominations in those three categories . . .
I've written a lot about seasonal cask ales recently. I appreciate beer most when it's served in the right place, at the right time. Knowing that a beer I love will only be available for a few months or weeks, and only at a select few pubs, makes the experience of drinking it something special.
 I'm sad to say goodbye to Fullers London Porter this year. It was the London brewery's seasonal for November, and the last few casks of it are being drained in pubs across the city as I write. Old Winter Ale, a less impressive brew, is taking its place on guest handpumps. On Saturday night I saw the two side by side in Ealing's most lovely pub, The Red Lion (13 St Marys Road, London, W5 5RA, map). The decision as to what to order was very easy. The Red Lion is nothing short of perfect, sitting by the understated entrance to Ealing Studios. A small, intimate front bar gives no hint of the more spacious rooms that lie behind. The effortlessly characterful interior is what fake English pubs around the world try to imitate, but can never recreate. My friend Jon was on good form - he'd even dressed up for the night. There were three fabulous barmaids, marshalled by a landlady who explained to me exactly what squirrels do when they hibernate. We were joined by a Scots greybeard, who has adopted the pub while he nurses an ailing relative, torn away from a life of quiet self-indulgence in Poland. It turned into a long session. Since cask London Porter became available four weeks ago, I've enjoyed it as often as I can in a number of pubs. Saturday was probably the last time I'll see it for many, many months. We gave an old favourite a good send off.REMINDER: Enter the Visions of Beer contest - just email your beer-related photos to grinerine@gmail.com before Monday 17 December for a chance to win the prizes. You can view all entries so far in the gallery.
 Last night I devoted some quality time to two of my favourite locals: The Jerusalem Tavern and The Betsey Trotwood.
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 Goon and Joe were behind the bar at the JT. I would say working behind the bar, but in Joe's case that'd be a bit generous. St Peter's Spiced Ale was available from the cask. This dark, 6.5% abv seasonal isn't named after a resurgent girl band, but rather the cinnamon and apple flavourings. They're very evident on the nose, but the beer itself is more laid back. Sweet malt, spice and stewed fruit pull together to deliver Christmas pud in a glass.
After the JT called time, we moved to the Betsey for a couple of pints of Shepherd Neame Original Porter. I'd been drinking this the evening before at the British Guild of Beer Writers' bash, so it was no stranger. In January, I wrote that "it may not smack you in the face like many porters, but its slightly thinner body and subtle roast bitterness make it a beer you can actually have a session with". I'd say the same now.
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If the diabolical weather that's lashing London is getting you down, make your way to a tied house near you. Every brewery worth its salt has rolled out a winter warmer by now. There's no better time to bunker in down at the pub.
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Information:
- The Jerusalem Tavern is at 55 Britton Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 5UQ (Tel: 020 7490 4281, map). The pub is owned by St Peter's in Suffolk. You can read about our visit to the brewery here.
- The Betsey Trotwood is at 56 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3BL (Tel: 020 7253 4285, map, website). It's tied to Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer.
- Other beer bloggers are writing about winter ales today as part of the Session, a monthly event. You can find links to other posts at Barley Vine.
REMINDER: Enter the Visions of Beer contest - just email your beer-related photos to grinerine@gmail.com before Monday 17 December for a chance to win the prizes. You can view all entries so far in the gallery.
There's a piece on Adrian Tierney-Jones' website about Le Baladin, a craft brewery in Piedmont.
You can read all my previous articles about Italian artisanal brewing here. As I've said before, the scene out there is brilliant - great people making great beer.
Check out American writer Stan Hieronymus' website Appellation Beer for my choice of four guests for the ideal beer dinner.
Stan is a something of a heavyweight on the US craft beer scene, and it's great to feature on his site. The readership expect serious content, and I tried to deliver. The guests I named reflected that. However, if I'd been writing the same piece here I would have chosen differently:
- Oliver Reed - I'm sure Olly would drink anything you put in front of him. I could get rid of that dodgy Maltese lager I have knocking around.
- Falstaff - did he really exist? I think not, but this is fantasy.
- Billie Piper - she's welcome as long as she doesn't put on that stupid posh voice - we all know she's common as muck.
- Roxy Mitchell off Eastenders - fit as a butcher's dog (I have terribly crass taste in women).
UPDATE 12/12/07: I've just watched an episode of Peep Show and have decided I'd like to substitute the girl who plays Big Suze for Billie Piper. She's much nicer.
 Here's a (grainy) photo of me, Knut Albert and John (a.k.a. the Beer Nut).
As you know, I'm writing from Britain. Knut's a Norwegian. John's Irish. We're all Europeans and we all love beer. Tonight we met up at the Pig's Ear Festival in Hackney, London.
I was elated to find the international bar had Aecht Shlenkerla Rauchbier and Mahr's Helles, both from Bamberg, served straight from the barrel. Good times.
Information:
- Knut Albert's Beer Blog is here.
- John's website "The Beer Nut" is here.
- The Pig's Ear runs until Saturday (8th December). It's at Ocean, Mare Street (map, website).
 This time last year, Adnams launched a keg ale. At the time I ignored it. These days cask beer is the norm from traditional brewers. Few produce keg products for the UK market, where most of their potential outlets have proper cellars.
Sometimes, needs must. On Sunday evening I was out with this berk in Islington. After attending some god-awful gig in a fetid pub basement, we migrated to The Florence Tavern (50 Florence Street, N1 2DU, map). It's a nice pub, but no great shakes in the beer department. The cask ales were off, and the barman recommended Adnams Spindrift. A tall, shiny font towered above the handpumps, topped with a mock-slate name badge. In a moment of weakness, I acquiesced. More than £7 for two pints? Not a good start. Spindrift looks remarkably like a pale lager in the glass, with bubbles racing upwards to form a pure white head. The marketing photo to the right is a fair representation. The temperature is low, the carbonation coarse and artificial. The nose is surprising, with apple and peach aromas. Well hopped and crisp, the malt body and flavour are there, yet it doesn't manage to satisfy at all. The 5.0% abv doesn't add any weight to an insipid and forgettable beer. This won't please people who normally choose real ale, nor will it appeal to lager drinkers. Adnams have mastered the art of memorable advertising, but on the brewing front standards continue to slide. Quality brewers should leave the keg ales where they belong: the 1970s. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Information:Admans was founded in 1872 and is based in Southwold, Suffolk (website). Their regular cask beers include Bitter, Broadside and Explorer.
Not long ago I expressed my admiration for the BBC. I'm pleased to see one of the Corporation's leading lights has spoken up for something close to my heart - real ale - in the national press. For yesterday's Sunday Mirror, John Humphrys wrote a piece entitled "My campaign for real ale". I particularly like this bit:
"Make no mistake, we are a nation defined by beer. It got us through the last war (even the U-boats couldn't stop the hops getting to the breweries) and it's unique to our character. No other nation would tolerate a drink that needs such careful nurturing and if it's not treated right will be cloudy and sour with all the appeal of something the cat might spray against the wall. But treat it right and it repays you a thousand-fold." For overseas readers, John Humphrys is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio. He's a proper geezer and I bloody love him.
After being flooded with entries for the Visions of Beer contest - too many to post here - I've set up a gallery on Flickr to display all the photos received. Here it is.
There's still a fortnight to send me your beer-related photographic works of art - the competition closes on Monday 17 December. Remember, there are two prizes up for grabs: a selection of bottle conditioned ales from Livingbeer.com and a mixed case of beers from Brew Dog. Just email your entries to me (grinerine@gmail.com) with your full name and address.
I feel just like Tony Hart now.
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As a rule, I don't usually post links to "funny" news stories. This one made me laugh, though. A mystery container that washed up on a Western Isles beach two days ago has been identified as a beer fermentation tank. It's a big one, standing 27m tall. You'd think the owner would have noticed it was missing.
