23rd SUSSEX CAMRA BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL - Arun & Adur ...

Bru News - continuedBru News - continuedber, to be followed by Old Alewhich, this year, is to belaunched at a function in theCarfax at Horsham. The popularChristmas Cracker Ale, a4.8% spiced version of OldAle, will again be availablethorough November to December.John KellerISFIELD BREWING COFramfield, 01825 750633 /07803 716758.enquiries@isfieldbrewing.co.ukSales of Imperial Pale Ale andStraw Blond have increasedthroughout August and September,especially of the latterbeer, which is particularlypopular at the Laughing Fish,Isfield, and the Cock Inn, Ringmeramong other outlets. Toadin the Ale, a 4.8% dark, premiumbitter was launched inearly October with the Toad inthe Hole fraternity in mind. Asham Food and Wine Festivalsaw the launch of Old, which isalso already available in bottles.The team’s bottled beerswon three gold awards at therecent annual Great Tasteawards and the brewery isagain a finalist in the SussexFood and Drinks Awards. Atlong last, Kings is availableagain in Horsham, with boththe Anchor (previously Bar Vin)and the Crown now selling it.Ian also continues to run regular‘Meet the Brewer’ evenings,including a recent one at Pubdu Vin, Brighton. Look out forOld Smokey, a new 5.1% beerfor the Bonfire Season usingmalt smoked in Arundel, andMerry Ale at Christmas.Mike HeadKISSINGATELower Beeding, 07909 975664.www.kissingate.co.ukIt was no surprise that Kissinseasonalbrew for Novemberor December will be Flapjack,a 5.3% oatmeal stout. Thewebsite given in the last issueis not yet up and running butother contact details are asabove.Peter AdamsKEMPTOWNThe Hand in Hand, Brighton,01273 699595.www.kemptownbrewery.comKemptown ales are availableexclusively at the Hand inHand brewpub where Gold(4.0%, pale ale) and Red(4.5%, amber) are currently ontap, with the new stout, Black,coming soon.Jim HawkinsWJ KING & COHorsham, 01403 272102.www.kingbeer.co.ukA well attended open day inSeptember as part of the Hor-gate’s first appearance at theGreat British Beer Festival waswith Black Cherry Mild. Fourkilderkins were quickly consumedat this year’s event.Gary explained that “it was afantastic week for us as newbies.Our presence there didmuch to promote our brewery”.Six Crows (6.6%) and Mary’sRuby Mild (6.5%) have alsomade it to the final of the BarleyWine/Strong Old Ale Categoryin the CAMRA London &South East ‘heat’ of the ChampionBeer of Britain Competition.New beers for the winterseason are Stout‘Extreme’ (6.0%) and ToffeeCog (5.0%). Sales of corebeers remain high within anever-increasing portfolio of freehouses. Kissingate also supplythe pubcos Wetherspoon,Indigo and DrinkinBrighton.The brewery itself continues toattract visitors from near andfar. Gary and Bunny haverecently invested in new fixturesand fittings and particularlyenjoy developing this sideof the business.Roy BrayKITCHEN GARDENSheffield Park, 01825 790775.www.kitchengardenbrewery.co.uk.Three new beers are availablefor this autumn: Hazel (4.5%)is an extra special bitterbrewed with Hazelnuts givingchocolaty undertones. This richale uses Brambling Cross andGoldings with some wheatadded. Vintner’s (4.7%) isbrewed with champagne yeastand New Zealand Nelson Sauvinhops - an incredible hopthat gives a cool-climate whitewinegooseberriness. Youngvine shoots are also added tothe boil. Bonfire (5.7%) is apowerful copper-coloured bitterwith a smoky, burnt aftertaste.It is brewed with a mixture ofVienna, Munich and Pilsnermalts with Tettnanger andSaaz hops, so is a sort of Octoberfest.Jason PhillipsLANGHAMLodsworth, Petworth, 01798860861.www.langhambrewery.co.ukSunday 7 October saw the sunshining on the 5th AnnualConker tournament at thebrewery. The stage was setwith five bands playing in theshadow of the fermenters,(named Fanny, Fatima, Fredaand Fiona - I kid you not!) andover sixty competitors battlingto be Senior and Junior Champion.Steam engine andsteamroller rides; hot food andbar; and a collection of ruralcraft stalls that had adultsweaving willow wands andchildren decorating cupcakes,all of which helped to raiseover £400 for Macmillan Charity!On the beers front, Autumn-aleis brewed with Horshamhops and fermented withhoney; there is the usualChristmas Cracker surprise(what will it be this year?) andXXX is the 4.4% winterwarmer. Flor-ale was awardedjoint winner of LocAle of thefestival at this year’s YaptonBeerex and the brewery islooking forward to welcomingWestern Sussex CAMRA toLodsworth in November tomake their presentation. Somefresh surprises for the springare being trialed on the newtest brew kit and a few experimentalrecipes are lined up …so watch this space.Peter LuffLONG MANLitlington, 07976 777992.www.longmanbrewery.cominfo@longmanbrewery.comA fourth fermenting vessel hasnow been installed to keep upwith demand. The beers arenow available in Cornwall andLincolnshire thanks to brewer-ies in those local areas. Twonew beers have been added tothe range: a seriously hoppedAmerican Pale Ale at 4.8%,and the old ale, Old Man, at4.3%.Scott O’RourkePIN UPUnit 2, Rocks Farm BusinessCentre, Burnt Oak Road, StoneCross, East Sussex, TN6 3SJ,01892 611411www.pinupbeers.com /info@pinupbeers.comThe following beers are beingbrewed: Pale Ale (5.1%), MilkStout (4.5%), Red Head(4.2%), Honey Brown (4.0%),The Brunette (4.0%), NaturalBlonde (3.8%). On the brewerywebsite can be viewed theaccounts where the beers areon sale. Cask versions arecurrently available at Drinkin-Brighton outlets, although notin all their pubs at all times(check out the situation atwww.drinkinbrighton.co.uk).Bottled beers are sold throughNicolas Wine Stores, London.BLO TBCRECTORYStreat, 01273 890570.Rector’s Light Relief (4.5%)brewed with Harveys’ yeastwas well received at the GreatBritish Beer Festival. Godfreysaid the second batch of theDiamond Jubilee Ale (6.0%)was brewed in readiness forhis birthday! Rector’s Revenge(5.0%) was available inSeptember and the Old Ale(5.0%) on sale in October.Bonfire Toffee Ale (5.0%) willbe making its usual appearancein November; Godfreytells me he has firm orders allready. Godfrey and Miles Jennerhosted joint tours of Harveys’brewery on 4 October inconjunction with the SnowdropInn Beer Festival.Paul FreeSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1718Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012Bru News - continuedCider and PerryROTHER VALLEYNorthiam, 01797 252922.To satisfy demand, GoldenValley, a 4.2% wheat beer, isnow available all year round. Anew brew, Ruby Wheat Beer,dark at 4.5% and made withchallenger hops, has alsoproved popular and a secondbatch will be available in October.This year’s hops lookextremely good due to a dryharvest period.Dawn LincolnTURNERSRingmer, 07710 581042 /08456 892689.www.turnersbrewery.comdavidelford@turnersbrewery.comSteady progress is being madein having the brewery fullyinstalled and operational atHighfield Farm on The Broylein Ringmer. A few minor inconvenienceswith National Powerhave caused a slight delay, butit is expected to be fully opera-tional by the time you read this.The successful Summer Ale isnow replaced by East SussexBitter, 3.9% and available inPins and Firkins. Also nowavailable for order is the newRuby Mild, 4.6% with asmooth chocolaty finish. Completingthe four beers currentlyavailable are Golden Ale,3.5%, and Best, 4.1%. Pleasecontact David Elford (details asabove) to order any of thesefantastic four from the brewery.Ruth AndersonWELTON’SHorsham, 01403 242901.www.weltonsbeer.co.uk.Welton’s continue their busyperiod with an order to brew23,000 pints for the WetherspoonAutumn Beer Festival atthe end of October, including aspecial beer called AutumnShades. Pride ‘n’ Joy is nowat the Queens Head, BarnsGreen while the Sir RogerTichborne, Alford Bars, likes tohave the darker Welton’sbeers. The new brewer mayleave the brewery if his rockband gets a recording deal butif not, look out for HeadlessHorseman in November andDreadnought to follow. Therewill be fifteen Christmas beersthis year including the followingfive: Deep & Crisp & Even; St.Stephen; a German StilleNacht wheat beer with corianderflavours; a version of theever popular Horsham Oldwith nutmeg; and also ImperialFestive at 9.0%, which will beavailable in bottles.Nigel BullenCIDER HOUSE NOTESell, here’s a fine to do! No bigapple crops this year, in fact aW very sorry state in our orchardsnationally due to the poor summer (!?)weather, which doesn’t bode well for ciderdrinkers in the next couple of years. Somecider makers release their cider as soon asit has stopped fermenting, as early asMarch-April following the harvest; butothers only release it after a couple ofyears, which is what JB of Maplehurst does– hence we won’t have much cider fromhim in about 2015. So start storing somecider for the future! Mind you - that is easierwhen it’s the bottled stuff, as otherwisethe precious juice doesn’t keep very well.And JB’s cider is now available in bottles,through the Horsham brewery of Ray Welton,and it tastes beautiful! Proper bottleconditionedstuff, too, so approved of byCAMRA.I hope you have been enjoying any beerand cider festivals around you over the lastfew months, as there was a profusion ofsmall festivals due to the Royal Wedding,Royal Jubilee, and the Olympics. I managedin August to get along to the DewDrop and Eagle Joint Cider Festival atEastbourne, which had a very reasonableselection on between the two pubs; abouttwelve ciders and perries if I remembercorrectly (hic!). And then there were theregular Beer and Cider Festivals of Ardingly(7-8 July), Amberley (30 Aug-1Sept), and Horsham (15-16 Sept), withEastbourne (4-6 Oct) and Worthing (19-20Oct) still to happen as I write.October is CAMRA’s Cider and Perrymonth, so I organised a couple of events,which will also have happened by the timeyou read this – my traditional Lewes CiderCrawl (pictured) on 14 October, and a tripto pick apples at JB’s on 28 October(though, as mentioned earlier, there won’tbe much of a crop to pick up!). Here’s hopingthat you enjoy any events that you discoveraround you.Of course,the nextevent tolook forwardto inthe cidercalendar isthe Wassail– traditionallythe evening of 5 January(Twelfth Night), which is when BroadwoodMorris men will be wassailing JB’s orchard,though nowadays it can happen atany time throughout January. Look out foryour local ones and try it out for yourself –any opportunity to savour one of our favouritenational drinks should be grabbed!WassailJackie JohnsonSurrey and Sussex RegionalCider CoordinatorSussex Drinker: Winter 2012 1920Sussex Drinker: Winter 2012