NOT politics but an "interesting" voting experience
May 18, 2026
What's Up? I think everyone is a bit knackered - been working their tails off and burning the candle at both ends... brew team brewed on both big kit and small kit yesterday and then went out ijn the evening to a meet the brewer event with some other team members at a fine local drinking establishment, then obviously went out for a curry... so some long days. TBF one of the brews done was one by Mark Collins of Tilford who is at home with us at the moment - but a brew is a brew!
🍻 We also got back our scorecard from the Beer World Cup (Alton's Pride was given free entry for winning SIBA's Best Bottled British Ale under 6.4%). Interesting reading provided by our American cousins. Forever and a day the Beer World Cup has been a bit like the World Series Baseball or the NFL - a global phenomena but solely for Americans! Anyway, there they are judging British Made World Class Bitter - maybe even for the first time, even if the category has been around for a bit?
🍻A real goldilocks experience - but not in the way where economists use the term to mean best outcome scenario... more the three bears - in that one judge said it was too malty, one said it wasn't malty enough and the next one? Just right. The hops? One judge said it was too hoppy, one said it wasn't hoppy enough and the next one? Just right. Taste of course is deeply personal but equally hard to take a judging panel too seriously with that smorgasboard of scorecards! The experience though did have historic tangs of our collective experiences of many other world cups (men's football [not womens!] and alike) - because we were out in the early rounds! 😂 Can't win 'em all!
What's On?
Mr. Brightside will be back in about a week!
MILD May has battered our Pressed Rat Stocks... but have a tiny bit if you're super quick...
More variety below than even cabinet ministers resigning!
What's about?
Just a short one here - was filing our duty bill today and a large part of the time spent on that is the schelp of going through taproom and shop sales. Total pain... a growler refill doesn't get draft relief, but a pitcher does etc. etc. I use AI but it still takes me an hour plus to get sorted. If you read my last email you'd wonder why we bother - because seems like they can't even allocate the money we send them properly! This week's joy showed they could not find £4k we had sent them for one payment despite us doing everything right and having hard evidence. Anyway - HMRC having a good month at our expense which actually is a good thing as it means we have been very busy.
The thing that struck me was how incredibly well our lagers and pilsners are doing in the tap room - this with Mr. Brightside only being on half the month too - I think if we'd had it since start April for the whole month lagers and pilsners might even have equalled Bitters and Pales. Seems like we might actually be pretty good at making them! Come and try some [then stock it obvs!].
I've often talked before about how in our own taproom, Sundown has from time to time had a shot at the Moondance title. Not last month! I don't want to jinx it but but the 2025 edition hops we are using in it are stunning and if you read something like Untappd - it seems like it is back to its prime. It you haven't had some recently, please try some. If you have had some recently and it went really well then do you have the space/appetite to go for 6 and we'll throw in a freebie. It is a hell of a beer to have as your mainstay for a few weeks... pretty low risk if you ask me - but I would say that (obviously!).
Have a great weekend - am off home now and the debate is a pint of Lady Eleanor or a cup of tea...
What is your money on me having, the cuppa or the pint?
and what can we bring you next week?
Best
Xen
P.S.
Old but gold...
A new PM was appointed. The PM who was stepping down met with him privately and presented him with three numbered envelopes. "Open these in order if you run up against a problem you don't think you can solve," he said.
Well, things went along pretty smoothly, but six months later, the economy took a downturn and he was really catching a lot of heat. About at his wit's end, he remembered the envelopes. He went to his drawer and took out the first envelope. The message read, "Blame your predecessor."
The new PM called a press conference and tactfully laid the blame at the feet of the previous PM and government. Satisfied with his comments, the press - and MPs - responded positively, confidence was restored and the problem was soon behind him.
About a year later, unemployment started to creep up and inflation was stubbornly high meaning a lot of cost of living pain.
Having learned from his previous experience, the PM quickly opened the second envelope. The message read, "Take personal responsibility, talk of a reboot, the need to go further, faster etc. and reorganize the cabinet." This he did, and for a while everyone was patient.
After a few months the problems would not quite go away and strikes abounded. The PM went to his office, closed the door and opened the third envelope.
The message said....
"Prepare three envelopes."
