The Hop Pole January Supper Club
The first Supper Club of 2014 on Wednesday 29 January celebrates the “Prawn Cocktail Years”. January’s Supper Club will provide an insight into food that was popular in the 80s.
Obviously the ubiquitous Prawn Cocktail will feature on the menu as well as Beef Wellington etc. On offer are dishes that make most of all the lovely fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients available to the Chef.
The menu offers four courses and includes an Amuse Bouche, followed by a choice of three starters, three main courses and three desserts, one of which will be a cheese board offering various British cheeses.
Cost per person for this veritable feast is £25.00 per person. The evening starts at 7pm but bookings are welcome between 7pm – 9pm. Reservation is a must – these evenings sell out quick therefore it is advisable to book early to avoid disappointment. Shoulder pads and bad hair are optional.
Robinsons new real ales 2014
After a momentous 2013, Robinsons Brewery are now looking ahead to the next 12 months with the launch of 6 innovative seasonal brews, each designed to tantalize your taste buds throughout 2014. These handcrafted ales will be available for a limited time of two months… giving beer lovers the chance to sample something extra special this year.
Welcoming in the New Year is ‘Hannibal’s Nectar’. Available throughout January and February, this 3.9% ABV premium ruby red ale is a rich, full bodied, bitter beer that promises to be at the top of everyone’s ‘most wanted’ list. Exhibiting an interesting balance of biscuit malt and burnt toffee flavours, this distinctive brew has a predominately strong hop palate with distinguishing citral American hop aromas.
Brewed using only British hops and barley malts, March and April will be transformed by ‘Hoptimum Prime’. This fruity 4.1% ABV amber ale, now back for a second year, exhibits a rich array of malt and traditional hoppy flavours which are complemented by a crisp dry finish. The unique flavour of this brew changes as each individual ingredient combines to tease your taste buds and satisfy all of your hoppy needs.
Hoping to be the ‘man of the match’, ‘Brazilian’ is a refreshing blonde ale timed perfectly to kick-off the World Cup. Available throughout May and June, this crisp and clean tasting 4.2% ABV beer has a full bitter and lemon citrus palate with a lingering green hop finish. What better drink to be quaffing in the run-up to this iconic sporting event?
Inspired by our ‘crafty’ friends from across the pond, July and August welcomes an invigorating 3.8% ABV pale golden beer – ‘Citra Pale Ale’. Guaranteed to quench summer thirsts in an instant, this liberating hoppy brew has a vibrant citrus and tropical fruits character derived from the American Citra hop.
Throughout September and October the Cheshire family brewers bring you ‘South Island’. This tantalizing 4.2% ABV blonde beer uses the ‘Nelson Sauvin’ hop, harvested exclusively in native New Zealand. The taste evokes tropical flavours such as passion fruit, tangerines and grapefruit and imparts a delicate aroma which closely resembles white wine.
And finally, meet Robinsons’ brand new festive brew – ‘Indulgence’. This mahogany coloured winter warmer hits all the right notes with aromas of roasted malt and fruity hops. Using the Slovenian wild hop ‘Celeia’, this brew carries the perfect mix of bitterness and aroma and is a drink to be savoured, not rushed, on a long winter’s night.
To celebrate the launch of their new seasonal ales, Robinsons Visitors Centre in Stockport will be giving away 72 pints of each seasonal ale on the 2nd Thursday of their bi-monthly launch. For the very latest information on #ThirstyThursday follow Robinsons Brewery and Robinsons Visitors Centre on Facebook and Twitter. Alternatively, call Robinsons Brewery Visitors Centre 0161 612 4100 for full information.
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Greene King to open new craft brewery
Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, is to open a £750,000 “innovation brewhouse” at its Bury St Edmunds brewery for experimenting with different craft beer styles.
Chris Houlton, managing director of Greene King Brewing & Brands, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the business; the new brewery is a perfect opportunity for us to experiment and to showcase our brewing expertise.
Stonehouse Brewery Supplies Punch
Stonehouse Brewery, which is moving into a £200,000, purpose-built home at Weston Lane on the outskirts of Oswestry, is celebrating again after Punch Taverns placed a six-week order for Station Bitter for their 800 pubs.
The brewery recently won the Society Of Independent Brewers National Standard Bitter 2013 Award with Station Bitter, which has led to a noticeable increase in the number of orders from local outlets.
“We have already supplied Punch with 150, nine gallon casks, in the last two weeks and have to up that supply to 200 a week over the next six,” said Alison Parr, who runs the business with her husband Shane.
“It is a fantastic opportunity,” said Mrs Parr. “We hope to raise the profile of our beer and that of Oswestry in general. Hopefully Punch customers will like Station Bitter and the order will become a regular one.
“Luckily our new premises was ready for us to move into and we have been able to bring in extra staff to help us build up stocks. But this order will really stretch our resources and, although we will cope in the short term, we will need to reassess the situation if the order becomes permanent.
“We already needed the additional space because of a growing order book but now have the capacity to cope with additional orders and can bring in more tanks when we need them. If
Punch customers are impressed with Station Bitter, and we think they will be, it will mean more jobs for Oswestry.”
The order has meant staff at Stonehouse have been working late to meet demands.
The firm currently has eight staff working alongside the Parrs.
Despite falling beer sales across the country Stonehouse owners are confident there is still a market for real ales.
“While beer sales have been falling for several years the demand for real ale is still there and has not been affected as much,” said Mrs Parr.
Stonehouse Brewery was awarded £32,000 from Shropshire Council’s Market Towns Revitalisation Programme and a £4,000 Business & Enterprise grant to help fund their expansion plans.