Before I get into this entry, I have come to the realisation that my posts are forever going to be some time apart. I read plenty of blogs where people are writing weekly and more, some even every day. As much as I would like to be able to do this, life at the minute just isn't letting me. And to be fair, I'm not sure if I have that much to say...
I do have a list of things I want to write about, so however often this blog gets added to, there is definitely some content ready and waiting! Anyway, let's get on with it!
About a month ago now, I went to visit one of my oldest friends who at the start of 2016 moved to Bristol from our childhood county of Norfolk. We spoke about me going down to visit a few times in the first couple of months of the year, although never really set a date. So when I had a couple off weeks off over Easter, I did not need much persuasion to hop (no pun intended) on a train at Waterloo and head out of the capital for a weekend in the West Country.
The weekend was fantastic, getting to catch up with my friend and see the beautiful and vibrant city of Bristol first-hand. Another friend of ours also came up from Southampton on the Saturday so we could really make a night of it! Good company, good food and pretty good weather all came together to make this weekend a highlight of the year so far.
But of course, I know what you are thinking, where is the beer? Well, that's also the question I asked my friend on the train down. Where can we get good beer? I have always known that some good beer comes into London from out West, but where exactly has never been something I've looked much into. But a few minutes on Google showed me that the city of Bristol has breweries coming out of its ears; Moor, Arbor, Wiper and True and Bristol Beer Factory to name a few. (I have to be honest, I had guessed the final one was based in the city!)
On our first evening, after a nice, hot chilli courtesy of my host (Note: Dr Burnorium's Hot Sauce Emporium is also based in Bristol) we wandered into the city to find us some beer! Our first stop was the city's Zerodegrees brew pub. I've never been to one of these before, and there is one in London. The pub itself was stunning, situated high up on top of Bristol's Christmas Steps, sitting out in the garden can give you a view across a large part of the city. We got ourselves a Pale Ale and started off our night. To be honest, the beer wasn't the main focus and was a bit forgettable. Nothing to write home about, but a nice venue!
Next, we headed back down the steps to the conveniently named Christmas Steps! A cosy little pub that was packed full, we shared a table with a few locals as we supped our pints... something on cask from Arbor I believe, and as we both agreed the next day, the best beer of the evening! As a warning, this blog is less about naming beers... memory and alcohol have let me down on that front!
We carried on our night and took in more pubs and plenty more beer... Small Bar, Brew House and The Beer Emporium all very different but all very good, a great atmosphere throughout the city centre. Beer was pouring fresh and plentiful and it was really nice to see some very dedicated craft beer outlets making themselves accessible to all... something I think a lot of London places could learn from!
And before we knew it, it was Saturday! Over breakfast, my friend raised the point that a colleague had told him about a place that does a brewery tour on a Saturday, and it was only a short walk from his house. Little did I know, the brewery in question was Moor! As we arrived at the brewery located in the middle of an industrial estate (filling a London-based beer drinker with a sense of home) for the midday tour, we also discovered that there was a food festival happening, involving some independent retailers across the city, and Moor's Brewery would be hosting some food stalls and a DJ all afternoon!
First on our list that afternoon was So'Hop, one of Moor's many pale ales. This golden one is hopped with varieties from the Southern hemisphere. To my delight, they had this on both cask and keg, so I could not resist a 1/3 pint of both. I have had versions of the same beer from different vessels in the past, but never side by side like this. The keg obviously offers the colder temperature and with it a more pronounced sense of the zest and grapefruit in the taste. The cask offered a much smoother, more balanced version, and I got a lot more of the grass and straw notes coming through with the citrus. I genuinely still can't pick a favourite!
The brewery tour was good fun and we topped it off by enjoying the sun and the wonderful Indian food from one of the vendors in the courtyard. More drinks in the afternoon, including both Nor'Hop and Union Hop, hopped-up favourites Hoppiness and Revival and the red Confidence. A great, beery afternoon in the sun left us ready for some food as we waited for our third member to arrive.
Once he did, we spent another evening in the city at various places, including The Apple, a cider barge where we sampled the 8.4% Old Bristolian Cider and a return to the Brew House for some beer from Wiper and True. Then the less said about our takeway late night pizza, the better...
On the train back to London on Sunday afternoon I contemplated my great weekend and how it was a breath of fresh air from London. It felt like Bristol, not just with its beer culture but as a city overall, has a much more relaxed attitude to how it functions, less competition and haughtiness and more of a community. Don't get me wrong, I love the London beer scene and community, but they can sometimes, accidentally or otherwise, alienate themselves a little. Plus everything is in walking distance in Bristol, which is also nice!
Signing off now, but with some good ideas for future post. The big emphasis Moor puts on its unfiltered beer has got the cogs turning about another vegan-inspired post, and I'm also trying to piece together something about subscription boxes and my mixed feelings towards them! So whatever happens, expect something else in the next couple of weeks!
For now, enjoy the sun and speak soon!
This post was written to the sound of: Dark Necessities by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
