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A Light Under A Bushel - #ISBF6 Collab at Tom's Tap & Brewhouse
Hey
I’m one of the silent ones. One of the ones that you never really get to see or hear. At least, not in the preamble to ISBF. At the event, you might know me as the dude behind the keg bar. Tweaking stuff to make your beer perfect. On point. As expected. This isn’t accidental. Mostly....
Today I went and brewed with one of ISBF’s oldest friends. I went to Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse. A space in Crewe that’s not so well known. But it should be. Jim loves soul. Jim loves folk that “get” soul. Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse has soul. In abundance. I get it. Sean, the owner and head brewer, Jacqui, Tap Room Manager (and Mrs Sean), have strived to, and been successful at, creating a space that combines pub, brewery and community space. This is the exact environment that ISBF loves and thrives within. Sean used to be Head brewer at Pig and Porter, and we’ve brewed with them before. Well, I have, and Sean is one of those people that I love. A lot.
I arrive in Crewe just after 08:30. The walk to brewery is just about half an hour. Sean and I exchange tweets. He says “knock on my door on the way past”. Tbh, I can’t remember which is his.... but I meander on. As it happens, Sean is just coming out of the front door as I get to the end of the street. A hug and a hello mate, and we're off. All the way round the 60 second journey to the brewery. Where Denis is just arriving. Perfect timing all round.
Open up the brewery. Hot liquor tank almost at temperature already. Time to get the malt down the stairs and heft into the mash tun. Yeah. Denis can do that. He’s young and enthusiastic....
….A chat with Sean, and a look at the brewsheet, shows that the idea for today’s brew has changed. We’re going for a “white stout” with coffee and vanilla. Sounds good to me. Get mashing!
Sean’s kit is 2.5 barrel, so the malt bill of 110kg, which is the most he’s had in one go, gets it creaking a bit. Denis propels the malt in, I mash. Until it gets too full, then Sean’s long levers are called into effect. It’s full. Very full. 110kg full. A record for Sean on this kit. And smelling just ace. An hour’s worth of porridge cooking. So we go and get brekko. Sean is quite famous for his breakfasts. And this one doesn’t disappoint. Especially washed down with mugs of good coffee.
Back to the brewery. Time to transfer. As we’ve literally made porridge, due to the amount of oats in the mash, the sparge and run off takes aaaaaaages. Denis and I tweak and twiddle the sparge arm and flow rates, while Sean goes upstairs and does brewery admin.
Eventually, and I do mean eventually, we’ve got the mash sparged and into the copper. The smallest ever addition of hops, and then it’s boil time. Denis digs, and I ferry bags of spent grain outside for later collection. We get time to catch up, have a bit of a laugh and a chat, whilst listening to some great tunes from Primordial Radio. It is FreeSpin Friday after all..!! (Bloody Growlfest……Ed) The time flies. We go and get a beer. There’s a bar here, it is Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse after all.
Transfer from the copper to the fv is in a similar vein to that from the mash tun. Regulating the temperature by means of opening and closing the valves is good fun. Denis and I vying for optimum flow and temperature control, within Sean’s parameters. Finally, it’s all there. My turn to empty the copper, squelchy mulched hops being a particular favourite of mine. By gum, they don’t half get stuck to the sides! Pitch the yeast, then we can go and have some beery fun.
Original Gravity checks and calculations give us an indication that this is going to be around 6%. Probably. Bang on for what we’re looking for. From here on in, Sean will look after the fermentation, and additions of coffee and vanilla pods for the final flavouring.
A few beers later, time to go and get the train home. A great day, with fun people. You’ll see Denis and I behind the keg bar at ISBF. Thanks to Sean and Jacqui for having us.
In the words of Sean “Easiest brew day ever. I didn’t have to do anything.”
Chris :-)
What’s that coming over the hill, is it a Barrel Aged Rauchwine….?*
*not this time, sorry…
I (Jim) think very highly indeed of Torrside. I talk to drinkers and brewers from all over the country and they say the same thing, “Torrside? They’re really good…..”. I may LIKE these New Mills Mavericks a lot.
But I’m not a fanboy. I don’t do “Fanboy”. But I know some people that are. Over to James (aka @BeerFinderGen)…..
“Yes, Torrside have developed quite a reputation for their Monsters series. They’ve been busily brewing some wonderful, often smoked, strong beers across a range of styles (along with some epic bottle illustrations from @elliadesigns) since their inception, and it’s something which has rightly gained them a following. However, alongside their Monsters they also seem to have a knack of producing some of the best IPA’s made in the UK – proper West Coast style hoppy, malty, bitter IPA’s that have tended (stylistically) to fall by the wayside in recent times. I’m Spartacus, Sandinista, What Do I Get? and Raw Power have all been some of my favourite beers of the last few years so clearly it’s not a fluke.
So when I got wind of a brewday at Torrside for ISBF6, and the fact the beer would be an IPA, I wasn’t really going to say no, was I? So I didn’t, instead I said ‘yes’ in an excitedly high pitched voice and marked the calendar. Having been to a few brew days and taps at Torrside with @leggywolf we’ve developed a tradition – as I get on the train to New Mills later than he does, he waves a white hanky out of the train door at the platform so I know which carriage to get on. Unfortunately, being unforgivably hanky-less, Lee had to settle for waving a white Salt Brewing tote bag instead (he’s nothing if not a craft beer merch professional) but it did the job.
Arriving at New Mills Newtown station it was a 2 minute walk round to the brewery where we were greeted by the welcoming committee of Steven (@SaddestOfFields), two members of the brewery team in Chris and new arrival Mike, and Mr Manchester himself Jim (who incidentally spent most of the day hiding in the office avoiding any hard work - Cheeky little git! Ed….er…Jim).
As ever, it wouldn’t be a Torrside brewday without appropriate snackage so a table was soon filled with pork balls (and hummus obvs), pork pies, bacon quiche etc. – seemingly anything that had a bit of pig in it – to keep us sustained through the hard graft, and help soak up any booze we may or may not be having later in the day…
We swiftly got on with the mashing in with a majority pale malt, but with an intriguing additional combination of rye, pale chocolate, crystal and roasted barley going in. As you may have guessed from the malt bill we’re expecting a bit of colour in this beer. The brew day progressed pretty smoothly from here on in, with no Monster being parti-gyled it was all relatively straight forward.
Until we had to break the hops up. Having broken up hops a number of times we weren’t fully prepared for just how successfully a pack of Apollo hops had been condensed by presumably the world’s most powerful vacuum packer. If I’d thrown the block of hops in the air and shot it with an elephant gun I’m not sure even that would have dislodged more than a small amount of the little brown/green bastards.
(Hardest HE’s worked in MONTHS! Ed….)
However, perseverance (and repeatedly stabbing the obdurate git with a large screwdriver) eventually paid off and so the aroma hop additions could finally go in (some Willamette going in with the Apollo). The mashtun had been skilfully dug out by Steve while me, Lee and Mike hop wrestled, and so most of the activity was done for the day. A few bottles were shared, assorted pork products were demolished, and a little light cleaning was done. And that was that. All for the pleasure of being able the try the fruits of our labours at ISBF6 – and also so you can look forward to a red rye IPA (6.2%ish we think) from, in my view, one of the masters of the style.
Many thanks to the guys at Torrside for having us over – an enormous pleasure, and great company, as ever 😊
NB: it wouldn’t be a blog about a brew day in New Mills without some gratuitous shots of Kami and Toshi so....”
Despite the gratuitous insults - for which I WILL get my own back - big thank you to James for this write up and to Lee and Steve for coming along (and gratuitously bottle-sharing once I departed) and last - but certainly not least - to the guys from Torrside for putting up with such shenanigans, whilst making what is going to be one lovely beer.
And you will get it first where? I mean, if you have to ask…..
Back VERY soon - once some lazy chipolatas send me their write ups!
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
Champions, Friends & Life's Pleasant Surprises. An #ISBF6 Brewday. And So Much More.
I (Jim) had an idea. Pair two of my favourite beer people, one of whom being the unofficial (for now) “Nicest Man in Beer”©. The killer reason though, being that these two humans brewed (separately), all of the beers that won the vote for “Beer of the Festival” at each ISBF.
Those who've been will know that I'm talking of Malcolm Bastow (of Five Towns) and Andy Parker (of Elusive Brewing)
This imperative was why myself, Chris (#OverlordKegFilth) and Malcolm found ourselves in one of the UKs finest pubs on Friday evening. Waiting for Andy.
The Nags Head. Reading. A simply glorious pub.
So. The brewday. I had a brainwave - something that occurs infrequently.
A love/hate thing.
Brew something that Andy loves. A Black IPA. He is, after all, the originator of the hashtag #BIPAComeBack.
But also to brew something that would take Malcolm out of his comfort zone. A Table Beer.
See where this is going?
Andy chucked an idea in. “Double Barreled Tap Room will be open…..”
Who am I…..
Now. I'm not a religious man. But, upon entering the Double Barreled Taproom, I started to think that there may indeed be a God. And it brought me here.
And I thanked that deity. Profusely.
Yes. The beer is ace. The beer we had #ISBF5 from DB was one of my highlights. They make fabulous beer. I wouldn't invite them to supply #ISBF6 if that wasn't the case.
But this is about the Taproom. The best one I've been to. Why?
It's about the details. The thought. The planning. This place was obviously considered as an integral part of the setting up of the brewery. And it shows.
Space. Seating. Comfort. Great music.
A ******* dartboard!
Everything felt……… considered. Planned. To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed. I've not been anywhere like it.
And I told Luci. I think she thought I was “blowing smoke”. And that's something I never have, nor will ever do(ne).
It's exceptional. And we'll be back. Like Arnold.
We ended up back at The Nags Head. Oh dear…..
Back to the matter at hand…. Making beer. With the masters.
Black. Hoppy. Low abv. My boxes ticked. Andy is currently “busy as a chippy”, so I was massively flattered that he fitted us in.
Hops.
Centennial - my catnip. And a sack of Simcoe so aromatic that I yearned for Smellovision.
Black as the pits of Hell. Smelling magnificent (With a mountain of those hops going in at “flameout”) this is a thing of #EvilKegFilth beauty. Because that's where this is going.
That Simcohhhhhhh tho…….
This beer. This beer sings to my soul. A Table BIPA. Not too sure about Malcolm though….
It's going to be an absolute belter. Ludicrously tasty. And a magnificent counterbalance to some of the……… rather big (abv) beers that are coming.
“Charlie Big Potatoes” is coming to #ISBF6. Are you?
I can't thank Andy enough. He's a lovely fella. An incredibly talented brewer. And that title (see above) is earned. Malcolm? Well. He's a friend. He's won Beer of the Festival FOUR times. He knows my thoughts. #OverlordKegFilth Chris? I haven't got the words…… He knows..
Next year, Reading might feature prominently for #ISBF7. You read it here first.
Back very soon.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
Bucket List Ticks and Circles Squared : Brewing With The Bad Seeds
“I can hear my mother wailing and a whole lot of scraping of chairs
I don't know what it is, but there's definitely something going on upstairs…….”
(“Dig Lazarus Dig” - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)
Bad Seed Brewery are that rare thing. A brewery that have had a beer at each ISBF.
From finding their exquisite bottles (complete with hanging tags) on my first trip to Yorkshire Ales in Snaith, to finding their beers in unlikely Wigan pubs, I've always loved their stuff.
This Malton brewery has formed a big part of my beer journey. And it seems like I'm not the only one (see below).
I was totally made up when Chris invited us over. Chris is one of the nicest fellas in this business. As a journey to Newcastle with an empty pin (supplied by Stuart Neilson - another one) to help us out testifies. And that was the day before!
Anyway. On arranging this brewday, there was only one choice of companion for me.
Over to Andy…..
“Little did ISBF maestro Jim know, when he asked if I’d like to help with the ISBF6/Bad Seed brew day, that he was creating a confluence; a coming together of two entities that have formed a huge part of my good beer journey.
You see, I credit Bad Seed with starting me out on this journey. How so? A bottle of their collab, with a then cuckoo-brewing Northern Monk, called Salted Lemon Wit in early 2014. It was a revelation. Beer didn’t have to be brown and twiggy!
(The aromatic joys of Amarillo coated hands…..)
Not long after, the Bad Seed boys did a MTB (alongside Brass Castle), at the Rook & Gaskill in York, and this cemented them as a cornerstone brewery in my good beer enlightenment.
And ISBF? I attended the 2nd one, on my own, as a way of breaking down some of my social anxieties and to push me out of my comfort zone. It worked, it was brilliant. And continues to be so welcoming and friendly, that it’s now an annual pilgrimage for many of us.
I now consider many of the people I’ve met there as friends; only the really special events can do that. Oh, and the beer is always great, but you knew that!
So a brew day with Bad Seed for ISBF6 was a no-brainer for me. And it was a lot of fun. I’ll leave Jim to go into beer details etc, but a big thank you to both him, and to Bad Seed’s James & Chris for their hospitality (and patience with a newbie like myself). A thoroughly enjoyable day.”
Andy
Cheers Andy.
One of the things I (Jim) have tried to do is to get people involved who've never been involved in the beer process - other than drinking the end product!
Andy had a blast - immersing himself totally - I could swear he was going to dive into the Amarillo at one point!
This was a most excellent day. And ticked a bucket list tick for me. I'm not sure how much longer this event will run for, but I'm so glad I got to Malton.
We even had some surprise visitors!
It's always lovely to see Stuart and Chloe. Especially as Stuart and Chris both helped me with that pin!
So. What did we brew?
I've had a thing for some time about fruit and hops complementing. So, I was made up when James and Chris at Bad Seed fancied doing this very thing
With my favourite hop. Amarillo. And Oranges. An Orange fruited Amarillo Session Pale.
Say “Hello!” to “Dig Lazarus Dig”
Coming first to #ISBF6.
Massive thanks to James and Chris for putting up with us - it was an ace day out. With good beer people. And huge gratitude to Andy for coming along, throwing himself into everything and agreeing to write this up.
Ain't they the best type?
Be kind to one another.
Back (very) soon. Jim x
#ISBF6 Brewday No 5 - Wishbone Brewery (aka “This Could Be……”)
In my mind, I had a song by The Kane Gang in my head when starting this write up. No. Not “Small Town Creed”. Not “Gun Law” (as if you've a CLUE what I'm on about!) neither….. In my mind, I had “The Closest Thing To Heaven”. As prime a slice of love lorn 80s pop (that featured an accordion) as you are likely to find.
Let me explain….
I've played my part in innumerable brewdays. I've even designed a multiplicity of beers. But there aren't many brewkits (and - by extention - breweries) that make me catch my breath and go “Yeah. This is how things should be”.
And Wishbone is one such.
This may sound intensely nerdish. But the brewkit is laid out and designed so as - to these dim eyes in any case - to maximise efficiency. To simplify process. To give the best opportunity for consistency.
Yes. You've also got to have the Brewers who can take advantage of this Bounty. Of course you have. And in Adrian & Oli, Wishbone have them. And I struggle to find many breweries that produce such consistent excellence.
And that is down - yes to that kit - but more than that. An eye for detail. A commitment and a passion to excellence. And flavour.
And no little skill.
*curses traffic* I missed the mashing in, but with the minimal manual intervention at this Keighley brewery, there was little manual assistance I could provide. So we went straight to the aromatic bliss that is “the weighing of the hops”. In this case, Enigma, Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic (Permission to stop drooling? Ed). May I never wash my hands again. They smelled utterly delicious. Edible even. But not recommended.
Brewdays are brewdays. Small details differ and - indeed - the devil is in those details. But, YOU want to know what we're making (or Oli was….)
Well….
That's a first for me. Kolsch yeast.
So. Yes. A Pale Ale/IPA style beer. Hoppy, fruity (and the aromas from the brewday shouted that), with the fruitiness from the hops added to and enhanced by that yeast.
And just to show that it wasn't ALL observation - unlike a certain lazy BeerFinder….
Yup. I did that. Not a pretty face you know. Er…..
I could have listened to Adrian & Oli all day. And learned tons. But - unfortunately - I had to duck out prior to completing my self-appointed task of cleaning out the spent hops.
So. What do we have. “Whimsy”. A Session IPA style (MY description) Pale, hoppy, fruity, balanced and oh so sessionable. This is going to be high on my must try list. And make no mistake.
And where - in the Manchester area - do you get this first?
If you have to ask that question, you haven't been to ISBF before…….
Massive thanks to Adrian, Emma, Oli & Lisa. For making me feel so at home, the coffees, the chat and for tolerating me in their lovely lovely beer home.
Whimsy. Come get some.
Back soon. Very soon.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
A Red Letter Day : The Beer Finder General Travels Thirst Class
For this Webpost, I hand you over to everyone's favourite 17th century beer torture merchant, The Beer Finder General.
“Unleash The Inner Fanboy!”
When you love something, you just love something. Cinema, theatre, gigs, food, drink, pubs, bars, people, beer festivals….
It’s a pretty magical thing when you go to a beer festival and sit next to someone you don’t know and end up leaving as friends; when you go to a beer event and meet someone who becomes a life long friend. Sometimes this isn’t easy because we all have our barriers.
But it should be natural and easy, and that’s where ISBF comes in. It’s the place to chat and talk, be open to each other and just enjoy the company both new and old. And that sense of connection brings me on to…..
As anyone who follows me on twitter will know, I have a bit (a lot!) of a soft spot for Thirst Class Ale. I’ve been drinking their beers pretty much since they started around 4 years ago, being drawn in by excellently brewed beers across an always consistent range of styles (Penny Black – a lovely rich, hoppy BIPA - being a particular favourite). So, clearly, I wasn’t going to turn down the chance to attend a brew day at their brewery in Reddish.
The added bonus was to be that it was a collaboration brew with another personal favourite Rivington Brewing Co (a brewery I’ve loved after trying their sorachi ace grisette Proper Ace at Bolton beer festival a few years ago). Indeed, Ben and Mick from the brewery are some of the nicest people you can meet, alongside being the UKs pre-eminent knitwear models (see @jamesksowerby recent tweets for incontrovertible proof).
So, I dragged myself out of bed at the unearthly hour of 8am (I’m not a morning person) to head to Reddish. I arrived at 9:30am, skilfully missing the mashing in process (a combination of rye, wheat, and pilsner malts) by being apparently so late that I deserved a good amount of twitter abuse for being lazy (a theme I lived up to during the day 😉)*.
Saying hello to Paul, Richard, Duncan, and Ben as I arrived (Mick arrived later than me but for some reason didn’t get the chiding I got for a late arrival – disgraceful favouritism!) there was a smell of bacon filling the brewery. Luckily for those who don’t like bacon flavoured beer this was due to Richard frying up some breakfast barms for everyone (the man has no end of talents!).
So, filled with a bacon barm (other bread roll descriptions are obviously nonsensical - Ed) it was time to get to work – specifically to start sorting out the first main ingredient in the beer, two packs of black and pink peppercorns respectively. Using a hand grinder and pestle and mortar we began the slow, methodical process of smashing the little blighters to bits. Finally, with sore arms and a beautiful smell of fruity pepper filling the air, we were done!
Being a true sadist Richard then produced four buckets of what looked like green marbles but instead turned out to be copious amounts of frozen gooseberries! Adding hot wort to help soften them up we got on with the job of smushing (eh? Ed!) the sharp, tangy little grimace inducers. Using, initially, a kayak paddle, we soon moved onto using a specially purchased hand held food blender (which unfortunately we had to stop using once a smell of burning started to emerge from the motor….), and then the old fashioned approach of using our hands and a spoon to create the white paste needed for the brew.
It was an intriguing start. But what style of beer could this be? We’ll come back to that. A light hopping with Hallertau Blanc was next and then additions of the pepper and gooseberries. All while this was going on Richard’s mum turned up to help label some bottles – the highlight of the day for me being her saying:
“I’d heard that Beerfinder General was going to be here?”
“He’s over there!”
“Oooh, I thought he’d be much older! He says such nice things about the brewery”
With my twitter fame established, and my writing style confirmed as that of a 75 year old, the rest of the day was spent listening to the swirling sounds coming from the pump transferring the beer into the fermenting vessel, the combination of malts and gooseberry pulp making it work for it’s living. I said my goodbyes around 6:15pm but knowing that Richard was likely to be there for another couple of hours until the transfer was complete. The dedication was admirable.
And so what to expect from the finished beer? As some of you might have guessed it’s going to be a gooseberry and peppercorn saison. Which sounds right up my street - I can’t wait to try it at ISBF6.
Many thanks to Richard (and Richard’s mum!), Paul, Duncan, Ben and Mick for a lovely day. And to Jim of course for being kind enough to allow it to happen.
See you all at the end of October at the best beer festival I’ve ever been to.
Cheers!
Once upon a time….. In a land far, far away…
In an effort to do something different, I find myself open - very open indeed - to suggestion. The most recent Webpost - read that here - being the most visible evidence of that.
But sometimes - by complete coincidence - stuff arrives in my inbox which rings my bell. One such was from a young man - based in Salford - called Rob Holder who was set up as a beer distributor. I've had a number of approaches from specialist (as in geography) Beer distributors and kind of rejected them all (if only for #ISBF6) as they didn't fit. However, what Rob mentioned did. It chimed.
The coincidence was - let me say - uncanny.
Obviously, ISBF has a core premise - so far as beer is concerned. And that is fairly simple. “Has this beer been on a bar in the Manchester area before?”
Simples eh? Well, no. It's not actually. Especially when this beer (& brewery) may be imported.
So. Ideally, the equation shifts. Has this BREWERY been in the Mcr area before?
So. This is another “thing” about beer from outside the UK.
And given the “fit” with what you already know, it made perfect sense.
Remember. #ISBF1 only had beer from Lancashire and Yorkshire?
Well. These beers are coming from slightly further afield.
New Zealand.
We have beers from the following Independent breweries appearing at our humble “little” bash
Cassels & Sons - Christchurch : Starting with a wood fired copper in 2009, this independent brewery now operates two breweries in Christchurch. The original 200L wood fired (now installed at their brewery / restaurant) and a modern 25hl kit in another facility in Christchurch.
Funk Estate - Tauranga (NE Coast - North Island)
Starting with a Black IPA in 2012 (isn't that THE way to start a brewery Andy?), these guys moved onto their own kit in 2015 and - following a curtailed lease, now share room with another brewery (Mount Brewing) since 2017.
North End Brewery - Waikanae, Tauranga
These guys have been brewing since 2013 and knock out an adventurous range of beers. They have a novel way of using their spent grain….. To bake bread in their own bakery!
We've evolved this event in ways I could never have dreamed of back in 2014. But I (Jim) can honestly say that I've never been more excited to put on an ISBF.
Exceptional beers from the UK, Europe (Yes, plural more in another post) AND the Southern Hemisphere??? What's not to love???
(And I'll try to double these up. To give everyone a chance)
Massive thanks to Rob for making this happen!
Grab tickets here. While you can.
Back (very) soon!
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
A Bonkers Idea. In More Ways…
About a month ago, I wrote about two ideas that were whispered in my ear on the Saturday of #ISBF5. Read that post here
In the post, I mentioned a “little project”. And that I wouldn't say anything further until I was sure it was “in the can”. Well…. I think we might just be there.
For those - and there are many of you - that have been on the journey since Year 1, this event has changed almost beyond recognition. But that change has been incremental.
Going from 36 to 45 casks. Of Northern beer.
To 40 casks and 14 keg (and Beer from outside the North). To 40 casks and 34 keg.
To (last year) 35 cask. And 60keg. And ONE beer from outside of the UK. In cask. And a beautiful new venue.
The applicable phrase being “Evolution not Revolution”.
However, when an opportunity arises, I've always tried to grab it. I guess I'm greedy like THAT. And for US, this one is a little revolutionary…
I need to explain the reasons for this waffle.
As I referred earlier (as discussed in the post re De Molen), last year, on the Saturday of the event, I was approached by two people with slightly “out there” ideas. One - as lauded in that post - was Mark Smith-Magee.
The other was Ben Stubbs. Of Rivington Brewing. And his idea - for a small bash like this, with a relatively low profile - was quite astonishing. Certainly to me.
I like Ben. He really is a lovely fella. And he and his brother-in-law (the equally lovely) Mick have been quietly gaining an excellent reputation for their beers. I’m not talking out of school when I mention the times I've been approached by more established breweries with glowing comments about the output from this farm on the shores of Rivington reservoir.
But his idea….
Ben & Mick run regular tap sessions at the farm. Called “Tap Beneath The Trees”. If you've been, you get it. If you haven't, you should. It's simply idyllic. With a camping site mere yards away.
Anyway. Last year, Ben, Mick and Ben's brother Adam (more about him later) destroyed me. Bottles came out late. Silly, delicious stuff from breweries I'd never heard of. Oh dear, the mere memory of it…. But some things stick with you.
So when Ben dripped honeyed words in my ear, memories of that evening beneath the trees flooded back.
This has taken since last December to put together. And there are still potential bumps in the road. To be frank, it has - at times - been quite scary. This event isn't “big” in any sense of the word, so (as someone who has birthed this event) I'm incredibly flattered that Ben & Adam have gone to the lengths that they have.
Adam works in the beer industry outside of the UK. (So yes, this whole waffle concerns imported beer - something we hadn't done AT ALL until last year) Adam has gone above and beyond to put something together from respected Micros close to his location. He's a hero. As is Ben. Our early morning What's App messages have become a daily feature and have kept me awake on many a 5:20 am bus to work. A proper cure for my sleepy eyes.
And following a recent series of messages, I think this has been pulled off. And it's audacious. For a small event like this.
So. WTF am I on about?
Importing beer. From Melbourne. And not the one in Derbyshire. This one involves airfreight.
Melbourne, Australia. Let that sink in.
Everything is subject to change, of course. But these breweries - ALL new on draught in the UK (I think) - will be sending beer to a little event in Salford
Deeds Brewing (Deeds are an indy Micro based in Melbourne. I've been incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to try some small pack. Oh my……..)
Tallboy & Moose (Brewing since late 2016, these guys brew their tasty beers in Preston, just north of Melbourne……..)
Hop Nation (Commencing brewing in 2015 and started by former winemakers, these guys now brew out of Footscray, just to the west of the centre of Melbourne ……..)
Dollar Bill (These Brewers and Blenders focus on delicious mixed fermentation, fruit and wild beers and come from Ballarat approximately 30 miles NW of Melbourne……..)
Moon Dog (One of the longer established independent Micros, Moondog are “crafting beers that are fun and a little bit different” just to the east of the centre of Melbourne ……..)
As stated above, ALL those breweries (I think - but DEFINITELY the beers) are new to the UK. It's taken some pulling together. And that is down in its entirety to Adam & Ben.
I can't thank them enough.
For commercial reasons, all of the beers from these breweries will be single keg only. So. If you want to try something you may never get to try again, you'll need to get tickets for the earlier sessions, because these will fly.
Tickets remain for Thursday evening, Friday lunch and Saturday evening. Click here.
Bloody HELL I'm excited!
Back soon.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
#ISBF6 Brewday 3 - Five Towns Brewery : Brewing With Friends
Some brewdays feel like coming home….
It has been said before. When the first tweet referencing ISBF was sent, the first brewer to respond was Malcolm Bastow (of Five Towns Brewery). With the acronym (or at least I THINK it was an acronym) BOGOF.
As a consequence, over the last five years, it has become tradition to brew in that little Wakefield “garage”. To do something a bit…. silly. And tasty. We’ve done a Peach & Mango IPA (Art Decade), a Cognac infused Raisin Coffee Stout (Secret Life of Arabica), a Rhubarb Belgian Tripel fermented with yeast from Brasserie Orval (Always Crashing In The Same Car) and a HUGE Breakfast Stout (Candidate). And if you know your music, you will spot the theme….We’re both huge fans of David Bowie.
I like getting people involved in brewdays. Getting people to see the process of turning dry grain into something so tasty. And special. Something to marvel at. Goggle eyed. “How did they do THAT?”
And I had a LOT of offers to come to Outwood. To brew in this garage. This little slice of heaven that has produced the Beer of the Festival FOUR times out of the five years we've been around.
Think about that.
So at 7am, both myself & Steve (aka the Karkli Sherpa) were in the rear garden of this Outwood residence. Drooling in anticipation.
His willingness to play and try something - at being open to suggestion - has meant that there has been a guarantee of something “impactful” at this event. And it's testament to his skills that - even with beers from many of the most revered breweries in the country - his beers have been the most popular, year after year. With one exception (more about THAT next month!)
He also likes BIG beers. Session beers aren't really his “thing”. So when I suggested the beer style for today, he was all ears….
My thinking was two fold. Bold abv (Malcolm's thing) married with my personal favourite beer style. An American Brown Ale. Big. Hoppy. Earthy and Biscuity. All the yum. In one glass.
If you've taken part in a brewday, you'll know what comes next. Mashing in. Transfer to copper. Hop additions. Transfer to fv. Etc…
Five Towns is small. 2.5bbl. Which means - ordinarily - 10 casks. Maximum. But this brew will only yield 6 (and one of those is ours). This size gives considerable flexibility. And - owing to his reputation for excellence - you can guarantee that these are pre-sold pretty much.
So. What's coming. From this little garage of delights?
“Panic In Detroit”. A 7% (or thereabouts) American Brown. Late hopped with lots of lovely Mosaic, Cascade & Citra and dry hopped in the fermenter with more Mosaic, Citra and Cashmere.
If the smells in the brewery are anything to go by, it will be a rather special earthy, biscuity hoppy thing.
Just what this particular Doctor ordered.
If you need to ask where you'll get to try this first, they you haven't been to ISBF before! 😂
Here. Of course. On Halloween.
Come and join us. Tickets here. Trust me, there are more, simply exceptional brewdays coming up!
Back soon.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
Orchard Bliss - A Day At & With Ross Cider & Perry
Some days are just….. special.
I have written (and spoken at length) of my respect for two people I met for the first time only last December - Dick Withecombe and Cath Potter. They opened my eyes to modern traditionally made cider. And more.
Some time ago, they invited me to a Mcr Cider Club event. Introducing Albert Johnson from Ross Cider. And an idea was born. For something - for ISBF - truly special.
I (Jim) an incredibly careful with words. I mean every word I say. I've been lucky enough, over the last few years, to help create some simply fabulous beers and meet some wonderful, generous people.
But I genuinely don't think that I've been more excited than when I was asked if I'd like to come down to Broome Farm. The home of Ross Cider.
Arriving early - following a surprisingly short journey - we walked from the family pub with Albert and the Canine superstar that is Norman. It didn't take long to reach a Cider lovers heaven on earth. Picturesque row after picturesque row of apples and pears.
Pic courtesy Jaz
Walking past some of the most beautiful scenery - including 2 Alpacas - and via some simply idyllic camping pitches, we arrived at the business end of the Cidery. And following the collection of a vast amount of windfall fruit, it was busy, busy, busy….
To watch the joyful “all hands to the pump” activity was a total bonus and privilege. Witnessing the making of the raw juice from collection through washing and milling to pressing the milled fruit to juice was a little piece of heaven.
We even got to taste some freshly pressed juice…
Talking with Mike (Albert's dad) and John, it was clear to see that this isn't a job. It's a passion. As was evidenced by Mike later.
Cider making was going on apace, so we made arrangements - with a very busy Albert - to scoot for a visit to Hereford and come back later for the “onerous” task of tasting. And Blending. This being serious #ISBF6 business after all!
We took two of Albert's recommendations on board. Visiting the Cider Museum and the rather special Hereford Beer House.
Pretty Green….
Vats
Bottling
Juice press…
Hereford Beer House
The Cider Museum was fascinating. And - and I almost choke saying this - credit to Heineken (owners of Bulmers) for keeping this going. But, on finishing the tour, it kind of made me think of a time long lost to industrial production.
But not totally.
Didn't take photos at Hereford Beer House, but if you are even close to Hereford, it's an essential visit. Seriously good beer (including a superb Pale made by themselves (as “After The Harvest”) and a total commitment to quality, to the extent of building their own “direct draw” cold room.
I'll be back.
Grafting trees
Returning to the farm - via a swift half at The Yew Tree - and with Albert busy with a group tour, Mike showed us around the Orchards and introduced us to grafting new trees to enable (eventual) greater supply of certain apple varieties.
The trees were heavy with fruit and it was explained that with the way Ross Cider maintain their orchards with minimum intervention (think zero pesticides and letting the trees and nature do their thing) that there are “On” years (plentiful harvest) and “Off” years (where the trees take a breather and produce less fruit)
Pic courtesy Jaz
A successful graft (check the trunk bulge about half way up)
The passion that Mike has for what Ross do was evident. I could have cheerfully listened for hours about how they work with - rather than against - nature. Remember, no chemical intervention.
However, we had tasting to do. And more fun to have. As I discovered…
THAT particular Cider may be the most delicious thing I'll taste all year. I was smitten.
As you would expect, the tasting was “hard work”. And I worked hard. Along with the rest of the team. Dedicated to getting something just right. We sampled, sampled and sampled again. It was “torture”. Pomona was smiling down at us at our heroic efforts.
But eventually, finally, after a Herculean effort, we came to a decision that all were happy with.
And a blend that we are proud to launch at Hemsley House. For which we can't thank Mike, Albert and the rest of the team at Ross Cider enough. I mean that. Both myself and Jaz were a bit overwhelmed and felt privileged to be involved in this creative process.
Retiring to The Yew Tree, after a pin sharp pint of Jarl, we set about more “research”. Delicious, tasty research.
That Raison D'etre is, quite simply, stunning. And I say that without fear or favour.
We drank. The Ciders were delicious. I had to give in to the “psychological torture”. I'm a convert. I adore Cider. It's all Dick & Cath's fault. And Albert Johnson's.
Seriously, this has been my favourite thing that I've been involved with during the whole six years of ISBF. It was simply wonderful. To watch a family company, with passion, turn untouched fruit into such lovely liquid just blew me away.
Albert, Mike, Martin, John, Bob (and all those whose name escapes this terrible memory) depthless gratitude. I simply don't know what else to say.
Dick & Cath - thank you so much for the introduction. And for making this possible.
Albert and Rebecca, thank you so much for putting up with us!
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
Jaz and I departed The Yew Tree with bounteous bottles of Ciders and Perries and one shared thought.
“Can't wait to try that Blend!”
If you haven't already got yours, tickets (Thursday evening, Friday & Saturday evening only) still available. But not for long. Click here
Back soon - Brewing tomorrow. With 4x Beer of the Festival winner Five Towns…..
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
#ISBF6 Brewday No 2 - The Arch Nemesis and Beer Nouveau
The prologue is mine (Jim) The brewday is not. That is written by a dear friend.
Read on.
It is a little known* historical fact that this event is in its 6th year.
*I witter about it constantly
But what is less known is that without one particular person, this event would never have happened. His name? Christopher Jazwinski. The man who inspired me to write about beer, without which I'd never have been approached to do a beer festival to raise money.
In short, without him, you don't have ISBF.
So it's his fault.
I've known Jaz (as everyone knows him) for almost 40 years and he knows his beer. And he has some personal favourites - mostly unsung. That's his nature. And he's a big fan of Beer Nouveau. And the culture being cultivated and nurtured at that small brewery and taproom by the owners, Steve and Lesley.
Steve has a playful streak with flavours, but has his beer sensibility rooted in historical beer styles with a dedicated and growing fanbase for his efforts. And he is a big supporter of this event. For which we are hugely grateful.
At the start of all preparations, I (Jim) invite friends of the event to choose a must have brewery. Jaz's response was no surprise.
So, over to the Arch-Nemesis himself….
The day started with a sharpish downpour. But nothing was stopping me from getting to the brewery for a 10am start.
Properly attired.
Oh. My. Days. An original ISBF1 t-shirt! A rarity!!!
Steve was already working on the recipe for today's beer and today we were being joined by the beers sponsor Paul Boardman (Twitter @paboardman).
Paul is also into homebrew so was looking forward to the day & picking up a few tips.
The day started by weighing out the malt.
Paul doing most of the labouring. (Because Jaz is a lazy git! Ed) Next as the water was up to temperature the malt was added to the mash tun
Now as the wort was getting to work a few light libations were taken. And a good chat.
(And some STRONG retro glassware game! Ed…)
Hops were weighed out and added to the boil. While this brewed a few more beers tasted. And a good laugh. Talks of Oktoberfest in Manchester were discussed.
Prior the transfer to the kettle, a taste of the sweet liquor was tried by all of us, and tasted great.
(That colour tho……. MmmmMmmmmMmmmm…… Ed)
(Hardly the most strenuous dig out there Paul - Ed 😁)
Again Paul got to do the majority of the labouring. (“Labouring”? Ed 😂😂😂)
Finally the beer was transferred to the conditioning tank and it was time to go.
Leaving the brewery at 7pm straight into another downpour. So a trip to Beatniks for a few beers before going home after a great day out.
So what did we brew? Well, the original idea was a pale mild with thyme. But this was probably rightly abandoned. it's a tradition dark mild with a possible abv of 5 to 6%.
Will be on cask at ISBF6. Tickets on sale now (and only 3 sessions still available + tickets here. Thanks to Steve for agreeing to do this brew and Paul for assisting and more importantly sponsoring this beer.
(Milds are a rarity in winter. And we haven't had one for 3 years. I couldn't be happier! Ed)
Cheers Jaz and huge thanks to Steve and to Paul for sponsoring this beer.
This marks the start of the #ISBF6 “Collab Season”. Next brewday in a little over a week - with a super special update on something even more exciting (to me at any rate) coming soon.
Think apples…..
Back soon.
Be kind to one another. Jim x
A MTB Out of Left Field
Sometimes, in beer, you meet someone who is a bit….. different.
Some years ago, whilst on one of my favourite event (The Road To Wigan Beer), I was at the first pub. And I had a pint of Mild. Not just any Mild. It was a Coffee and Pecan Mild. It was utterly delicious. It challenged me to rethink what a Mild could be. It was my favourite beer of the day.
It was brewed by a little brewery in Peterborough. Called Bexar County. And that beer stayed with me.
Then, in Year 3 (or #ISBF3), we had a keg bar. That meant that I could obtain beer from outside my self-imposed boundary. Outside the North. And I contacted Steve Saldana the owner/brewer at Bexar County. He sent a beer. It was called “The Thin Line Between Genius & Insanity”. It was a “Soured Milk Neapolitan Ale” and described by Steve as tasting like layers of Neapolitan Ice Cream, sour.
It was a work of genius. Bonkers. But genius.
I was a fan. A huge fan.
And since then, we've always had a Bexar County beer. Last year, we actually had 2. One of which was my personal Beer of the Festival
Steve is a maverick genius. He plays with flavours. He does things not many Brewers would DARE to think about, let alone try.
Last year's beer for ISBF was no different.
I went to help. And not long after mashing in, found myself in a nearby wholesalers. Shopping for Sriracha Sauce.
Pale malt. Sparged with a brew of Green Tea, with mango. And that Sriracha sauce…..It sounded ridiculous. But tasted of each of those elements. Precisely as he said it would. He’s either that maverick genius, or a hypnotist.
In short, I’m a bit of a fan.
So. We had a bit of a real chat the other evening. Like on a phone. With voices and stuff. I’m a bit old fashioned like that.
This year, Steve is going to launch 3 beers at ISBF. 2 Imperial Stouts (one of them Belgian) and one of more “regular strength”. I have absolutely no doubt that there will be further twists. Mr Saldana seems to have an allergy regarding “normal” beers.
He has also agreed to do an MTB style event. On the Friday lunch session. Steve is one of the nicest beer people I know. Passionate, bloody clever and did I say slightly bonkers with his beers?
There'll be tastings, there'll be chat. There'll be fun. To be honest, I’m not altogether certain of what to expect. But I know one thing.
It certainly won’t be boring!
You might want to grab a ticket. Here’s the link.
Back soon,
Be kind to one another. Jx
Solving a Problem
Hello again!
I didn’t think I’d be back so soon, but there’s been a little something that I forgot to address in the launch post that needed dealing with.
To give it a name, let’s call it FOMO. Something that I don’t suffer, personally.
I *may* have mentioned previously that this event is now in its 6th year. And for the first 4 of those years the beer volume walked a tight line. I made statements in the lead up to each of those events to the effect that I’d try to ensure that ALL beers would be available until the Saturday opening at least.
With a single exception (in year 4), we did that. My more experienced friends and I are fairly good judges of what may be popular. And we rationed accordingly. Successfully. Until last year.
Last year (#ISBF5) was our first at Hemsley House. There were increased numbers of guests. I uprated the volume of beer accordingly. But not by enough.
Last year, Northern Rail were in dispute. It is beyond any doubt that that hurt the night time economy. Especially at weekends. People simply stayed either in their home areas, or stayed at home full stop. For #ISBF5 though, that Northern Rail strike was a “godsend”. We’d have run out of beer by 7pm if the trains had been active.
At 2pm, I started to get text messages from my dear friend Chris (#EvilKegFilth Master). Kegs were kicking. Those messages increased in number as the afternoon went on. By 6pm, I was in panic mode.
Then, the effects of that dispute became obvious. We got by. More than half of the kegs had kicked. And those left had dribbles in. It wasn’t good judgement. It was – as with many things at this event – dumb luck! 😁
This year, I’m going to try to address that. To try to ensure that “most” beers are still available on the Saturday evening session. By increasing the volumes of some of the beers.
With some beers, that’s simply not possible. Some breweries package for home consumption. To get those on draught at all was…… interesting. And a challenge. But I like a challenge. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do this event.
With one of the beers, I’ve secured the only 30L keg in the country. (And there’s only 400L of THAT beer in existence. It’s a beauty). With another, it is simply a very rare outing on draught. And another may be a unique outing on draught full stop. With a few, I’ll simply double up. And take the consequences.
Some of the beers will be unique on draught. And one keg (or cask – in a few cases). That’s unavoidable. That’s kind of in the nature of what we do here. If FOMO is something you suffer from, grab a Thursday or Friday ticket to be “certain”. I offer no guarantees any more.
To recognise this, I’ve reduced the ticket price slightly on the Saturday evening. Let me be clear, MOST (the vast majority) of beers WILL be available on the Saturday evening. But not all.
My initials may be JC, but, unfortunately, walking on water is a little beyond me I’m afraid. 😂
Remember. ALL of the beers will be “first pour” in the Manchester area. Many will be “first pour” in the UK. Some, will be unique to the UK on draught.
Tickets here. (Limited availability Friday evening and Saturday lunch)
Be kind to one another.
The Power of Suggestion
This event (as you MAY have noticed) is now in its 6th year. In all those years, with a bit of fumbling incompetence on my part and no small helping of goodwill from a huge number of people, we’ve got through somehow. To the point where people came last year – many for the first time – and loved it. That is hugely flattering and a huge vindication of what we (myself, friends and our lovely beer heroes – aka Volunteers) do.
This is the epitome of a DIY beer festival. Me & some talented and generous friends. Albeit, one that started small and has now wormed its little way into hearts. Something that blows us away to be fair.
Since 2016 ALL of the beer at this event has been “first pour”, many for the UK as a whole, but certainly for Manchester. From myself and the rest of the team, that’s truly appreciated. The lengths breweries go to to ensure this is truly heartwarming. And in no small way contributes to the success of this event. We thank you all from the heart.
I (Jim) have met some lovely people in those 6 years. Both Brewers and drinkers. And last year – on the Saturday I think – I was approached, separately, by two such people. The second one shall remain unnamed until my little project is 100% in the can. But I can certainly name the first.
The First Collab for #ISBF6
Some of you may know Mark Smith-Magee. You may know his blog. You may have been on a UK Brewery Tour that he has hosted around Leeds. You may know him socially. You may also know that he REALLY knows his beer.
I first met Mark via his friend Michael at a (I think) Beer & Cheese thing at Great Ale in Bolton Market. It was a lovely event. And we got chatting did the three of us. We went to Barristers bar on Bradshawgate for a beer afterwards. We parted with farewells and – for my part – no idea we’d meet again.
But.
On that fateful Saturday he’d been at the cask De Ranke again. Smile on his face, he quietly mentioned something that might have been possible for Year 6. I smiled. And asked him to assess the possibility. So he did.
About 3 months ago, we started messaging via DM (how very appropriate!). That progressed to email. And then things took spark. This might just happen. The brewery concerned were definitely interested. And there was a brewery from Mark’s area going to Collab with them. And they could help bring this beer to reality!
A lot of to-ing and fro-ing went on. But the goodwill was palpable. All wanted this to happen. I needed a wooden cask. That was easy. My good friend Malcolm at Five Towns sorted that out for me. We needed to decide the beer suitable for that “Woodie”, there were a few available, some very special beers that would work with a Wooden Cask.
Between Mark & I we made a decision we were both happy with. VERY happy with.
Before I say what it is, I need to thank some people.
Primarily, Mark. He’s been absolutely brilliant, his enthusiasm, his contacts! It’s been a joy with all these emails!
Cameron from Turning Point has been a star. And I didn’t even need to remind him that he’s buddies with my nephew Fran! Cheers matey.
Malcolm, for being so accommodating with that cask. And so patient with my mithering!
Ed Read from Distant Lands for facilitating this importation. For being so helpful.
Last. And by no means least, Jaco, Marko & Kris for making this happen. HUGE THANK YOUS to all of you. It’s bloody humbling.
So. What have we got. What IS this labour of love?
You may have had it before. But I’ll wager NEVER from a wooden cask. “Bommen & Granaten”. From the lovely fellas at De Molen. A 9 gallon Wooden Cask.
I can’t thank everyone enough.
Hope you enjoy it.
Be kind to one another. Jim x
So. What's Occurring #ISBF6?
Where does the time go eh? Here we are at Year 6 of ISBF and time has flown.
Each year of ISBF has seen some change. This event has evolved year on year. This year is no different.
Year 6 sees a few changes. Many of which occur on the Thursday.
1. A shift in the events. For the first time, we’re having an event on the Thursday evening. And it’s a belter. See below*.
2. More focus on Cider. Again, see below*.
3. First “pay to play” event. See 1 & 2…
So yes. We’ve got an event this year on the Thursday and I’m genuinely excited, something that doesn’t happen often.
Last year, by complete chance, I met two lovely people who happen to be Cider enthusiasts. No, Evangelists. For modern cider. Which is traditional cider. Confused? I was. Until I chatted with Dick Withecombe and Cath Potter. Cider taken back to its roots. Carefully curated orchards. Hand made. Naturally – in some instances, wildly – fermented. Small batch, lovingly created. Quality, not volume.
The links between beer and cider, especially on the wild and mixed fermentation sides of beer became obvious. So....
Dick & Cath have curated the Cider list. And SO much more. They got in contact with celebrated drinks writer Susanna Forbes - one half of Little Pomona Orchard & Cidery, editor of Full Juice Magazine and author of the book “The Cider Insider” who both really knows her stuff and also shares a love of that shared territory between Craft Beer and Craft Cider. So.
*On the Thursday evening, Susanna has kindly agreed to lead a conversation entitled “When Cider Meets Beer – Flavour and Fun, Crossovers and Collaborations” centred around that interface of flavours and techniques with cider and beer. She’ll be discussing this with a special guest and there will be a tasting of various Ciders, beers and collaborations between the two, highlighting the shared territory of flavours and the crossovers in both flavours and techniques.
Tastings will include :
Mills Brewing / Tom Oliver – Lambinett
Burning Sky Bewery / Ascension Cider – Apple Saison
Brick Brewery / Hawkes Cider - Graff
Wild Beers / Pilton Cider collaboration
Blakstoc Hopped Cider
Tickets are super limited. And – for the first time – I’m charging for them. I’ve reserved myself a ticket. Is that recommendation enough?
On Friday evening, I’ll be introducing a conversation on the use of Social Media in the beer world. It’s an old bugbear of mine. Something I’m passionate about. And this will be fun. We’ve got one or two stars in their field. Patrick from Pilot Beer is coming, we’ve got Connor Murphy (Social Media at Cloudwater & the founder of Manchester Beer Week), Sean Clarke from Beer Central in Sheffield and others yet to be named (never say that I’m organised!)
On Saturday evening, we’ll have some absolutely angelic guitar playing from our friend and maestro George Fell. Those who’ve heard him play, know. The man is just a genius.
The food will be the usual ISBF fare. Simple, tasty and wholesome. If you’ve been, you know.
There’ll also be something to drink.
A small and select gin bar – curated by the lovely Charlie (Gin Fuelled Bluestocking)
A Cider bar featuring some of the best modern Cidermakers from the UK curated by Dick & Cath, featuring the following
Ross on Wye Cider and Perry Co
Tom Oliver / Mills Brewing - limited
Ascension / Burning Sky - limited
And beer.
Beer. That’s my baby. Both in cask (because I love cask) and #EvilKegFilth. Cask first. Here’s the brewery list. And remember, each beer should be new to the Manchester area. A “first pour if you will.....
Tigertops
De Ranke
And a mystery beer……. I can’t stop myself from teasing!
And. In the other room….
What I’ve left off is a little side project that I’ve worked on. I’ll save that for another post, when the degree of certainty reaches 100%......
The date that the event commences has assumed a somewhat greater significance since it was set, that is something that it will be increasingly difficult to overlook the closer we get. However, this event has always been a coming together of like minds in many senses. So let’s park the politics at the door, have a few beers amongst friends and let the world pass us by. For 3 days at least. Let’s have some joy eh?
That feeling of friendship and relaxation is one of the things we have been most proud of with this event. Friendships being formed, renewed, strengthened year on year.
And – to reiterate something that stuck with me from last year. Treat the volunteers (my personal Beer Heroes) with respect. They do this for fun. They love what they do and give their time freely to do it. A degree or two Kelvin too high for your beer isn’t life or death. Ask politely for a repour and you’ll get it. With a smile. Any abuse of volunteers will be addressed.
Be kind to one another eh?
Right. Sorry about that. To the business end. Tickets. Click here.
See you soon. I’m now off to a quiet room.
Jim x
Responsible Land Use
Limited and more thoughtful development.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Let's Have A Party
Hello again!
A little to relate in terms of how the beavering in the shadows is bringing this beery shambles along and giving it some kind of shape.
A number of meetings and chats with some lovely people have started to flesh out the skeletal ideas that I post up (then hope that they come off! 😂)
Firstly, there have been some quite extensive conversations looking to bring a little surprise to the cask bar. Those who came to #ISBF5 may have noticed some people camped out to the left of the cask bar. Because that was where we’d placed the XX Bitter from DeRanke. Well, that planted a seed in the mind of someone rather nice. And connected. And he asked me the question “What if.....?”
If you’ve been before, you know me. I’m greedy. And it looks like that question will bear significant liquid fruit. You’ll hear all about it on 25th August at 8pm.
Another meeting concerned tech. On a rather lovely afternoon earlier this month, I had a chat with Pete. The founder of the app/website “The Brewers Eye”. We talked of motivations, love of beer (natch), localism and our mutual experiences of the positivity in this mad world of beer.
We saw (unintentional pun alert) eye to eye on so many things. He explained the app to me. I liked it. I liked the thinking behind it. There are things that it can do which we (at ISBF) have never done before. We’ve never really thought beyond Twitter tbf. But we’ll be hooking up with “The Brewers Eye”. I wholeheartedly recommend that you download the app here (iOS) or here (Android)
Cider. It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to meet Susanna Forbes of Little Pomona Cider (with huge thanks to my Cider Spirit Guides Cath & Dick). Plans for the chat / tasting on the Thursday evening session (which will be ticket only – and limited to 25) were discussed and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve also secured something special for that tasting – I’m certainly going to be one of the 25!
Also, on the subject of Cider, I’m truly thrilled to say that we’ve been invited to travel down to Ross-on-Wye to blend a Cider specifically for #ISBF6 with Ross Cider. Again, huge thanks to my Spirit Guides Cath & Dick for this. And huge gratitude to Albert for inviting us. It takes a lot to get me excited these days. This most certainly does. I don’t think I’ve been more excited/nervous since Year 1!
So. To the main point of this post.
On 25th August, at The Brink, we’re going to have a party. We had one last year. And some people went to extraordinary lengths…….Like having a Wacky Races type race off. Car v Train…..From Bristol.
That race kept several of us enthralled last year. I was just stunned that Mark came all the way from Glastonbury and Sean & Mon from Bristol. Just for the Launch bash!
Back to that party….We have it at The Brink on Bridge Street in Manchester. Our lovely hosts have allowed for all of the lines to be occupied by beers from Breweries that have been invited to #ISBF6. We’re off to brew an exclusive beer especially for this launch with one of our favourite breweries. With my favourite hop. And some friends. The 9th August can’t come soon enough! That’s the brewday BTW....
Those at the launch will get to hear me spill ALL the beans about the plans for #ISBF6. They’ll get the chance to buy one of these pretty t-shirts ❤️❤️❤️. And these will ONLY be available to attendees to the launch.
There might even be the odd button badge or 3. We’ll have some fun.
And the people at the launch will have first chance to buy tickets before they’re released for open sale at 8pm.
Want to come? Click here for tickets. There aren’t many!
That Warm Glow
Hello again!
I wasn’t planning 2 posts this month, but I’ve been a little overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of people and small local businesses who have wanted to get involved and have contacted to sponsor beers. And take out ads in the programme.
So I just wanted to emphasise sponsorship. What it does. What it means. And what it gets you.
So. What it does. And what it means. Because they kind of go together.
Firstly, it means that I (Jim) don’t panic when something needs paying for in advance – as so many things do. Like T-shirts for the launch party which need ordering. Like beers and other drinks which sometimes need paying for in advance. The ability to do this makes a HUGE difference to m my stress levels!
Secondly, it brings a warm glow to everyone involved at the event – both in planning and art the event itself – that people want to put their money into this. It validates what we do. It means that YOU have faith in what we do and have done. And that really matters to us all.
Finally. I know that it means an awful lot to our charity Start Inspiring Minds. I saw Bernadette’s face when I told her the donation amount last year. She expected £500. Last year, the sponsorship amount ALONE was over 5 times that. And ALL of that money goes to them,
The final donation was £11000. And she rocked so far back in her seat that I really thought she was going to fall off. That money that you donate matters. It really makes a difference.
What it gets you.
Firstly, 2 tickets for each beer paid for. For the session of your choice. Reserved. And this matters. Because if the reaction of people I meet and talk to is any guide, these tickets won’t last long after 25th August. People told me in advance of last year that we’d sell out quickly. And I didn’t believe them. And I was seriously shocked when they did. (And those who know me know that I don’t lie) Honestly, I’m not intending to hype this. But the levels of anticipation and excitement genuinely surprise me.
It also gets you your glasses. And your first £10 tokens (per sponsorship).
I can’t get out of my head the number of times people got scanned in last year and immediately asked to buy tokens. And the look of surprise when they were told that their ticket price included £10!
I’ve been told that this sponsorship is undervalued. The implication being that I could charge more. And raise more. But it matters more to all of us involved that it’s affordable. That it gives lots of people – and small businesses – the chance to help us. If I’m honest (which I like to think...) the figures are all guesswork. £65 for a beer, £50 for a full page in the programme. Total guesswork. But it feels right. And this entire event is built on the way things feel.
I said earlier that we raised £2500 via sponsorship last year. And that was brilliant. So far, this year, the amount pledged in sponsorship is almost double that. And that makes my jaw drop. Seriously. And most of that has already been donated.
And now, the pitch! You KNEW it was coming, right?
There is still a chance to get involved. We have almost half of the beers still available. And there is always room for another ad or two in the programme.
To sponsor a beer costs £65. Sponsoring two for £130 gets your name on a 3rd one. And each £65 gets you the things above.
To take a page ad in the pretty programme costs £50. If added to a beer it’s £105.
Click here if you’re interested. For reasons of sanity (mine) and because I’m not holding tickets back, opportunities for sponsorship will cease on 24th August.
It would be lovely to hear from you!
Back next week (8pm 18th July precisely!) with the post peddling tickets for the ticket launch party at The Brink on 25th August.
Be kind to one another.
Jim x
#ISBF6 - Post 5
Blood and sand! Almost 2 months between webposts? I’ve been most derelict in my duties!
So. What’s new?
Firstly, I’m chuffed to bits how our little keg bar went at #RunawayIs5! The weather held, the beers flew and we had some fun. I (personally) was shattered after a weekend of serving beer (obviously not as fit as I thought!) and it was lovely to finally meet James from Wilderness Beers and get to chat – and who knows what may result for (a possible) #ISBF7!
Massive thanks to Runaway for inviting us!
Planning obviously continues and there’s always something to do each day. I was emailing and DM sending at 7 this morning sorting out something (probably) unique to the UK on cask! It’s quite heartwarming how people and breweries reach out and help us. I can’t thank people enough. And if you’re reading, you know who you are.
Of course being born a hybrid Disorganised Organiser/Blithering Idiot, I’ve gone slightly over my previously set beer/brewery limits, but YOU don’t care one whit about that eh? I promise that you’ll get something different – hell, EVERY beer should be new to Manchester – something to tickle your sweet spots. (I already know at least 3 of the beers and trust me....... ;-)
You DO trust me, don’t you?
As many of you will know, we have a party at The Brink just before the tickets for #ISBF6 are opened to the public. This little bash gives people the first chance (and one of only TWO* ways to guarantee them) to buy tickets. They also get chance to buy a one off t-shirt. All the beers for that bash are specially chosen by YT from breweries having lines at #ISBF6 too.
Well. For that bash, (on 25th August at 6:3o BTW) there’ll be a special collab beer made with a bunch of friends which I’m REALLY looking forward to making. We did this last year and the beer went faster than Stanley posing for a fanshot!
Tickets for that launch are free. They’ll be available at 8pm on 25th July. And there’s only 55. You’ve been warned. They all went within an hour last year…..
Last year’s launch bash collab…….
ISBF has steadily evolved over the last 6 years. From years 1&2 being Northern & Cask only, to last year being both nearly 70% keg AND having our first beer from outside the UK.
#ISBF6 sees further evolution. Plans have been afoot for some time about having a something a little “different” on the #EvilKegFilth bar. Part of that is assured, part logistically complex – especially for a small event like this, one with little profile. However, I’m working on it. I have my digits crossed.
Trust me. It WILL be worth it.
And. Even at this stage, Collabs have been planned and organised and already two of my very favourite Cask breweries have been paired with two of the best keg breweries. People who respect each other, the beers each other make. To say I’m looking forward to these is – to put it mildly – an understatement.
Events wise, I’m going to stick at two. Moving the one from the busiest session on the Saturday lunchtime to Thursday evening.
Thursday evening – This will feature the previously mentioned discussion (and tasting) about the flavour and techniques interface between Artisan Cider and small batch Craft Beer. Led by acclaimed Cider Maker and writer Susanna Forbes of Little Pomona Cider
Now then. This will be ticketed separately. Because – Independently – I’ve secured (I think) – something very special and limited for sampling. Tickets will be sold, but purely to recoup some of the costs (so they won’t be extortionate).
Friday Evening – We’ll have a discussion about something that I personally am very passionate about. Beer and Social Media. And people in this group will be amongst the best utilisers of Social Media in the business. From breweries, pubs and shops. I’ll be there for ALL of that!
So.
· Launch Bash? Check!
· Teasing? Check!
· Events? Check!
*Sponsorship – I never stop banging this drum do I?
Personally and as a group, I’m proud that we keep sponsors coming back. Independent businesses and individuals who care deeply about what we do and love being involved. We’ve so far received pledges totalling over £1k more than what we received last year. But – of course – that’s never enough 😁
Recently, I had an opportunity to reach out to a large, very large, company to obtain headline type sponsorship. And – to be honest – it was easy to turn down. With such things, you never know how much the feeling of the event could change. And I (and I think you too) like the relaxed feel of this event. I don’t ever want that to change. So, like I said, I didn’t follow it up.
But – to restate – Sponsorship is one of only two ways to guarantee your tickets for #ISBF6. For £65, you get
1. Two tickets to the session of your choice
2. £10 tokens per beer sponsored
3. 2 glasses
4. Our profound gratitude and that of our sponsored charity Start Inspiring Minds.
If you are interested in sponsoring a beer or taking out a full page ad (£50) in the pretty programme, click the link here. Let’s smash last year’s charity donation eh?
And remember, ALL profits from this event go to that charity. ALL.
That’s all for now. Next time you’ll hear from me on this website will be on 25th July. At 8pm. When I release 55 tickets for the #ISBF6 launch bash.
Ocean Advocacy
Protecting our most valuable resource.
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