Hoppy New Beer Everyone!

Morning all,

Just thought I'd say a quick Happy New Year and I hope that 2013 is a prosperous one for all of you. 2012 has been a very interesting year and I haven't had nearly enough time to blog about it. I have, however enjoyed reading the following blogs in the last 12 months...

Boak and Bailey

Always interesting and thought provoking. Although I still hate that I don't know who they are!

Tandleman's Beer Blog

He's over a thousand posts and he's still going - it must be all in the wrist or something ;)

The Good Stuff

Creatively and knowledgeably written blog about beer & food matching. Bloody nice bloke n'all!

Booze, Beats & Bites

Nate might seem like an angry young man to many, but he's also an honest & talented blogger. We need more of that!

Called to the Bar

Don't be put off by his flowery writing style, he might wear crocs but it's never been proven!

Let Me Tell You About Beer

Last but by no means least there's Melissa. Knowledgeable about beer, knowledgeable about food and mixes the two perfectly.

There are many more but alas time is never on my side. Happy new year peeps and thanks for reading! Here's to 2013 being a mighty fine vintage!

Pete Brown's, Shakespeare's Local

Concerning Hobbits.....not really, I've just always wanted to start a blog like that!

Shakespeare's Lo-cal, the perfect diet guide this Christmas

This book is about 600 years of history of The George, currently a Greene King managed house just off Borough High Street and the area of London surrounding it. From the very first chapter Pete Brown manages to trap your interest and you know that until the final page you will be engrossed. To start with he paints the imagery of time travel with such conviction that when you get to one of the notes about blowing the budget on the CGI for that scene you almost believe him. The description on the Shard going up so quickly that it takes your eye out is wonderful, I've always considered the thing to be akin to Sauron's Tower in the Lord of the Rings. Every time I look at it I expect to see a blazing eye in right at the top!
I think what Pete does best, is capture the imagination so that you can see things happening very realistically in your mind. Describing Borough High Street through the years, the people, the buildings, the businesses, even from two or three hundred years ago, you get the sense that Pete might have been around during those days, so vivid is the description.
I read pretty much the whole book on the bus, travelling to and from work each day and so each time I stopped at Maria's Cafe in Borough Market for my artery hardening Bacon Roll on the way in, I took a moment to look around. You can tell the market has changed over the years but you still get a sense of grandeur mixed with working class chic when you look at the buildings, it's hard not to take it for granted when you're trying to elbow your way through the crowds of grazing tourists during the day. Pete managed to make me stop and take a look with every chapter in the book, I cannot help but imagine Borough High Street evolving over the years when I get off the bus now.

The point is made very early on that Pete can't prove that Shakespeare ever actually drank in The George, but then you can't prove he didn't either! Once you read that, you'll do either of two things, 1) Go and try and get a refund because what a swindle! Or, 2) Keep reading and discover some of the best described history about London I have ever had the fortune to read.
One of the things I really like about Pete's writing is that the way he describes things. It's like visiting a mate in a town or city you don't live in or know very well and having them be your guide around all the best places to drink and visit.
I can heartily recommend Shakespeare's Local as a good Crimbo prezzie this year for any of your friends or family that are interested in beer & history.

You can buy it at all the usual places, Amazon are currently doing it for £10.70 (Hardcover) and £7.47 (Kindle edition). Go! Buy!

Golden Pointless Awards!

So it's December again, which must mean it's the near enough time to hand out some well deserved recognition which will go completely unnoticed by anyone who's anyone.

So here's my grinchworthy list for 2012.....

Best UK Daft Beer

There's a beer by these two cocks in Knaresbrough, Japseye or something...? It's pretty fucking great...considering they're northern and serve it through sparklers).

Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer

Super T, it's 'super', derrr...

Best Overseas Daft Beer

If we could get it I'd probably vote for it but they're too busy selling beer to Wetherspoons now.

Best Overseas Bottled or Canned beer

Something from Stone, if Wil Wheaton think's they're great then they must be ;)

Best beer in Overalls

Beer comes in overalls? Is that a Brewdog thing?

Best/Worst Dressed Daft Beer Person.

The Krankees of Great Heck. You can decide if they're the best or the worst, I know which I'd pick.

Best Pumpclip or Label

Anything by Schlenkerla, because watching pissed idiots try to pronounce it is a hoot!

Best UK Brewery

Beavertown! What could be better than beer and BBQ, made from Beavers?

Best Overseas Brewery

Titanic....oh wait...

Pub/Bar of the Year

It's on top of a hill in Norf Laandan, it does Wings.

Supermarket of the year 

Borough, the supermarket.

Independant Retailer of the Year

Beer Spritzer...surely it should be called Beer Shandy though, Zak, do you know nothing!?

Online retailer of the year

Whichever one I used the most.

Best book or magazine

Something about Shakespeare on the lash.

Best Beer Blog or Website

Whoever spent the most money on theirs to make it all sparkly and interactive.

Best Beer Twitterer.

Some bellend that think's he's a dog. Mildly amusing that boy.

Best online Brewery Presence

You Tube....They ain't a brewery(Yet) but they were the last thing to pop up on my twitter feed....

Food & Beer Pairing of the Year

Dukes, Beef Ribs and 8 Ball Rye PA, Nuffink better than meat and beer....and pool.

In 2013 I'd most like to.

Win the lottery of course! Who needs this shit!?

Open Category

Biggest Beer Bore : Where do I start...? Form an orderly queue behind me.

So there you have it, Rabidbarfly's Golden Pointless Awards. Congrats to the winners, commiserations losers, there's always next year!

Itchy & Scratchy

Thanks to all those that have donated to my just giving page for Movember this year. Here is the reason you've all donated....

Day 30

It's itchy, it's uncomfortable and I may not do this again but it is for Charity.

If you haven't donated yet you can do so by going here : http://www.justgiving.com/Uto-Movember Whilst I don't think we'll get to 500 i'd love to get at least half way so please, please, please, if you can spare a few quid, then it would be much appreciated!

Once again, massive thanks to all those that have donated thus far, I really appreciate it and I will raise a glass to all of you this evening!

Cheers

Glyn

Mitch Steele For President!

Have you ever seen these two men in the same room at the same time? I know I haven't!

Mitch Steele?

Mit Romney?

Mitch will probably set the CIA on me for this but it's just too uncanny.

And Romney says that as a Moron, sorry Mormon, he doesn't drink....Someone's telling fibs!

In all seriousness my US friends(inc Stone Brewing's Brewmaster Mitch) here's to the right man for the job being elected! (For info I'd rather it wasn't the republican...!)

Beer Duty Escalator 'Debate'

After all the retweets, all the campaigning for signatures and some borderline bullying of my colleagues until they signed the petition, I spent 2 hours and 27 minutes watching the debate for reviewing the much hated beer duty escalator.

Andrew Griffiths speaks out against the Beer Duty Escalator

It was good to see MPs from all sides of the house coming together to speak up against it and in particular Andrew Griffiths and Greg Mulholland did a superb job of leading the argument.

The most damning fact about the beer duty escalator that I heard yesterday was the fact that Britain pays 40% of the EU's beer tax bill and only 13% of beer in the EU is drunk in the UK! There's something very wrong with that. Other interesting tidbits you might have picked up was that if the escalator was to be scrapped an estimated 5,000(not 500 that I typoed on twatter) would be saved in the first year alone and an estimated 16,000 after 3 years!

It was telling that my local MP Chuka Umunna was not in attendance having responded to me by email saying that he would not argue against the beer duty escalator. He's lost my vote with that email.

Umunna was not the only one who missed the debate though and I was not impressed by the turn out for this clearly divisive issue. So what were the majority of the house of commons doing yesterday morning instead of attending the debate, answers on a postcard?

It begs the question, is there really significant enough opposition to this tax in parliament, I mean, we all know that politicians would sell their own mothers to decrease the national debt so how much impact did this debate have? As much as I would like to say lots, I suspect, not a lot.

What also struck me was the government apparently not taking the debate too seriously at all by sending only Sajid Javid to 'make a statement' saying that the beer duty escalator would remain in place but under review. Hardly the answer any of us were after but given my cynicism for humanity and government, not exactly surprising.

That doesn't mean I stop helping campaign on this subject it just means that I will be overjoyed and frankly stunned if the escalator is scrapped any time before 2015.

Uto-Movembeer

You may have seen in your Sunday slumbers yesterday that we at Utobeer got pissed on Friday(shocker, I know) and decided to do Movember this year. We know the thought of Mike with a 'tache is just terrifying but it's for a good cause and it's only for a month!

I've set up a just giving page so if you'd like to see me, Mike, Rich and the rest of the Utobeer crew(not excluding the girls!) get our 'taches on just visit my page and please donate a few quid.

We're aiming for £500(hoping for a lot more) and will be very grateful if you are able to donate!

Thanks for your time.