Shiny Happy People!

 Well, no, we haven't just made a beer named after an REM/B52s song - but things have been so tough for so many out there, I thought we should lead with something seemingly positive in the subject line ["I know a song that'll get stuck in yer head, stuck in yer head...!"]... I say seemingly because the ironic undertone of the song is about 4-06-89 - IYKYK - but anyway, moving on... Anyway, let's all be positive, at least interest rates are down a tad... 

Our theme is still squarely more venues each week, but overall takes per drop a bit lighter and folks keen to try more different stuff - though the glassy clear Moondance is still dominating.

You know I like data - well Satisfaction this last week sold 80% as much beer in litres as Alton's Pride - that says a lot about a beer we've only been making since February and (honesty call) final recipe only nailed down since May. Oh, and we have it in bottles now too - so if you want to try before you buy, give us a shout, and I'll get you a bottle.  

Beer Swap Coming Up as well - again with the folks at Milton Brewery - because we (and many of you) love their stuff... Minotaur 3.3%, Pegasus 4.1%, Sparta 4.3%, Minerva 4.6%, Prometheus 6%, Marcus Aurelius 7.5%. Let us know if you'd like some - certainly a) it is really good beer and b) nobody else round our neck of the woods will have any... 

We didn't go to the GBBF this year - just too much going on and frankly a bit of a shitty representation (as in very, very little of it - though good to see Steam Town in there - good guys) from breweries in our neck of the woods, but it wasn't a protest thing from us, just a bandwidth and time thing. IMO GBBF did need a few changes made - 2023 was a bit tired, but you have a look at the Beer List and tell me if you think it is really the GBBF. I don't think so and intuitively not quite sure what CAMRA are trying to achieve with it? - but sincerely wish them every success - their work is so important to all of us, and just 'cos I don't get it, definitely don't mean they are wrong! Still, have a look and form your own opinion.  https://festivaltaplist.co.uk/events/gbbf25/

A few other things - many of you might have seen Matt Todd's (of the Wonston Arms) excellent write up in the Telegraph (if not let me know and can send you it) - it made for grim reading indeed but so, so, so important for all of us to keep the pressure on our governmental representatives and reprehensibles.

It ain't a joke out there for anybody. Last Sunday I did a decent hike on the SDW with some friends and swung by a really excellent pub in South Harting - one of the Upham group - anyway bar lady was fabulous, restaurant manager was superb, beer was well-kept - not Triple fff sadly (maybe one day?!), but a good pint all the same from an Independent Brewery, food, was decent, price was OK, area is well-heeled, weather was nice... all the ingredients for a roaring trade, but it was the quiet that was deafening. It will get better, but trade wise I think folks have had a few of the toughest weeks since covid - stay strong, it will get a bit better. 

Separately - dark beer. Yep. I know. I keep banging on about it. Am I trying to convince you or me? That I don't know. What I do know is a) we were brewing Black Velvet Stout again today - still roaring along even in summer, b) folks were all over it at the LCBF, c) the UK does tend to mirror the US plus a lag of a year or so and if you look at top US craft beers per state, 21 one states have "surprise!" IPA as the top beer and 21 have a stout or porter of some description. They're all damn strong... but expect that dark beer theme to play out for quite some time yet. 

On that subject has anyone tried our Black Velvet with Nitrogen? We haven't but are super curious if you have and how it performed... 

Anyway hoping the end of your week and weekend is great and that we can make your next week even better by bringing you some beer! 

Xen

P.S. 

Fact of the week: Did you know our beer helps make soap? Yep. Not just in brewing that cleanliness is next to godliness but also in beer. The good folks at homegrownsoapsandstuff.com doing good work! 

P.P.S. 

A hard drinking Texan lands in Dublin and asks the Taxi driver to take him to the best boozer in town. He ends up at Kehoe's and walks in to find the locals enjoying the Guiness and the craic.

The Texan loudly announces to the Bar "I hear y'all in Ireland are pretty good at drinking - I'll pay $100 to any of you who can drink 10 pints faster than me and still be standing - I can do it in an hour!".

Old Michael Maloney stands up and says "Oi tink oil be havin a bit o' that but give me tir-tee minutes as oi have to pop out quick, but then I'll be back and will try yer challenge"

Half an hour later Michael Maloney pops back into Kehoe's Pub and goes head-to-head with the Texan, easily sinking 10 Pints in a tad over 35 minutes, finishing well ahead of him.

Flabbergasted the Texan pays his $100 and says "I've never seen anything like that, but tell me, where did you go for half an hour?"

"Well oi wasn't sure if oi could do yer challenge, so I popped over to Grogan's just to make sure I could before coming back to do it again with you" ...

Sorry, not sorry. Bon weekend, Xen