13th Colchester Winter Ale Festival Programme

Colchester
CAMRA
& North East Essex
Colchester
13 th WINTER
ALE
FESTIVAL
COLCHESTER
ARTS
CENTRE
church street. colchester. Co1 1NF
WEDnesday 29TH JANuary -
SATurday 1st FEBruary 2020
12 NOON-10:30PM

LOCAL BREWERS
and
CIDERS
10 Hand Pumps & 6 Ales On Gravity
Make the most
of summer in our lovely
walled secluded garden
FRED & PAULINE WISH THE COLCHESTER REAL ALE
& CIDER FESTIVAL THE BEST OF SUCCESS
82 BUTT ROAD
COLCHESTER
BT Sports | Bar Billiard Table

Welcome
All you need to know...
The Bars
Beers and ciders are from across the
country. The beer is sorted alphabetically
by brewer, split between the two real ale
bars. See the map for more info on where
to find everything.
Cider Bar
Ciders and perries are available at the bar
to the left of the stage
Belgian Bar
Belgian bottled beers are available from
the bar to the left as you come though the
main door.
CASK v. keykeg
We’ve a selection of beers available in cask
and keykeg on the Graveside bar to the
right as you come though the main door.
Compare and contrast the two different
methods of delivering and dispensing real
ale.
Food
See the board for today’s choices. Crisps,
nuts and other snacks are available from
the bars.
Additional Beer
Cards
Available from the Belgian bar,
membership bar and front door
Join CAMRA
Here
Join at the festival and we’ll give you
two free pints.
Festival Polo
and T-Shirts
Available from the Membership Bar
Beer and Cider
of the
Festival
Don't forget to vote. It helps us pick
the beer and cider for next year. Voting
forms are available on the back of your
beer cards.
Last glass and
beer card
refunds
Final refunds at 10.45pm each day.
Don't Drink &
drive
Soft drinks are free. CAMRA
promotes responsible drinking.
Importantly:
Our VolunteerS
Everyone involved in the planning,
prep and running of the festival is an
unpaid volunteer.
Martin
Beer Festival Organiser
Please note, the adverts contained in this programme
and views contained in them are the individual
advertiser's point of view and not necessarily those of
Colchester and North East Essex CAMRA or
CAMRA Nationally.

C H U R C H S T R E E T
BC
Belgian
Bar
English
Wine
Purchase Beer Cards
where you see this symbol.
CIDER &
PERRY
REAL ALE BAR
BREWERS M-Z
BELGIAN
BAR
BC
STAGE
SEATING
MEMBERSHIP
BAR
BC
REAL ALE BAR
BREWERS A-M
CASK V.
KEYKEG
BAR
FOOD
Membership
Bar
Soft Drinks
Join CAMRA
here for
FREE BEER
T-Shirts and
Polo Shirts
G R A V E Y A R D
Map
Glass and
card refunds
until
10:45pm
MAIN
ENTRANCE
FOOD
Food
Varies -
See
board for
details

T H E
35th
Colchester
Real Ale
Cider
A N D
Fesitval
WILL TAKE PLACE
27TH - 30TH MAY 2020
AT C O L C H E S T E R A R T S C E N T R E
Colchester
CAMRA
& North East Essex

What I hope to bring to the party is an
appreciation that CAMRA is a hobby, but
with a very important role in supporting
real ale and local pubs.
Like all hobbies some people have more
time than others to put into it but every
little bit really assists and even if you are
not a CAMRA member, by just visiting
our festivals really helps as a pint from a
real ale brewery is a pint sold to help the
business owner - and you just might
remember the pint of "Hop Zombie 7"
you had at the festival when you visit
some of our truly excellent pubs in
Colchester and have another!
If you would like to get more involved
your contribution can take many forms.
It can be giving up some days of your
annual leave to help at the two Colchester
beer festivals, or it could equally be just
sparing a few hours to work on the bar or
at front of house. Other volunteers have
distributed branch magazines, filled in a
pub survey, submitted a beer score,
lobbied their local councillors,
prospective Parliamentary candidates or
MPs. All of these contributions are
equally valuable and are vital to ensuring
the good work of the Campaign for Real
Ale continues.
CAMRA is about to launch a new
campaign aimed at highlighting the
important role that pubs and clubs play
Tell us your story
Has your local pub helped you
make friends in your area? Or
improve your mental health and
wellbeing in some way? Spread the
word – you can email us or share
on social using the hashtag
#mypubstory
Hello, I’m John, the new Chairman of Colchester CAMRA,
having taken over short term in the autumn and formally
elected for this year at the AGM in November.
My background is as a Civil Servant but I have been heavily
involved in Steam Railway preservation most of my adult life.
I was a Director at the North Norfolk Railway in Sheringham
for 14 years and also took on the role of Volunteer Director for
much of that time and was responsible for over 400 volunteers.
in ending loneliness and social isolation.
According to the Campaign to End
Loneliness, social isolation is as bad for
your health as smoking fifteen cigarettes
a day. I know that pubs are at the
forefront of helping fight social isolation,
and often this
hard work by
licensees isn't
recognised. At
this time of
year, when we
spend time
with our
friends and
family, it's easy
to forget that
not everyone
has someone
to go down
the pub with.
These
establishments
provide
wonderful
places to meet
new people
and renew old
acquaintances.
I would
therefore like
to ask you all
to help
CAMRA is supporting
Tryanuary, a
nationwide campaign
to support the beer
industry throughout
January. Rather than
swearing off pubs for
a month, participants
are encouraged to try
new venues in order to
help local businesses
during what can be a
challenging month for
retailers.
address the issue of loneliness by taking
someone new to your local. As well as
possibly addressing the problem of
loneliness, you will also be helping
support the Great British pub. If you are
out enjoying the delights of a pint and
you spot someone sitting alone, why not
go over and have a chat. You never know,
you might just make a new friend!
Cheers!
John Durrant
chairman

or ask for a voting form at the bar.
Your votes really are important and it's
great to celebrate a good local pub! It
really is an honour to present the
awards to hardworking staff who fully
deserve to be recognised. It also gives
the winner a chance to progress to the
Essex and East Anglian Pub of the
Year competitions, and the branch was
lucky enough to see the 2019 PotY
winner become the 2019 Essex Pub of
the Year.
Alongside your votes, try to remember
to register your beer scores on
WhatPub.com or by post - a
combination of these factors helps us
decide which pubs in our area need to
be surveyed and published in the Good
Beer Guide for the following year.
These are both ways to get your
opinions heard and to help influnce
CAMRA on a local, regional and
national basis.
As a branch, we hold various branch
and committee meetings which, as
members, you can attend to voice your
Hi all. I'm Dan, the new branch Vice Chairman. My job is to
support John in his role as Chairman, plus I have the
responsibility of overseeing our work on Pub of the Year
(PotY) awards and our Good Beer Guide entries!
You may have noticed that voting for the branch Pub of the
Year and Cider Pub of the Year is currently open. If you
haven't already done so, please vote for the best pubs (in your
opinion) within our branch; you can do so on the branch website
views and hear what the issues are
facing the branch. It's also a great
excuse to visit a pub and have a couple
of drinks!
On that note, we also have a range of
social events held throughout the year -
just popping along for a couple of
beers/ciders helps to contribute to the
branch and local pubs, and you are
most welcome to join our merry band!
If you hear of any beer, pub or
brewery news that you think we should
know about, you can let us know at a
meeting, on a social trip, via our
website (www.colchestercamra.org.uk),
on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/colcamra) or on
Twitter (@colCAMRA); we'd love to
hear from you!
All that's left for me to say is that I
hope you all enjoy the 13th Colchester
Winter Ale Festival, and here's to
another great year for ale in Colchester
and North East Essex!
Dan Young
Vice-Chairman
VICE-chairman
Beer Score at whatpub.com
Members! Vote for
your Pub of Year
colchestercamra.org.uk/vote
or pick up a voting form
from the bar

There’s lots of events going on in
and around Colchester, keep
updated on our branch website at
colchestercamra.org.uk
Pub Event: 100th Purple Dog
Film, TV & Music Quiz
Monday, February 3 @ 7:30pm
£2 per head entry, with all proceeds
going towards Invasion Colchester
2020, to be donated to St Helena
Hospice and the Colchester &
Ipswich Hospitals Charity.
Pub Event: Beer and Sausage
Festival at the Live and Let Live,
Stanway
Friday, February 7-Sunday, February 9
Beer festival with 10+ varieties of
beer and 20+ varieties of sausages!
Branch Event: Second Sunday
Seasonal Stagger:
Woodbridge/Melton
Sunday, February 9
Meet at North
Station at 11am to
arrange tickets for
the 11:20am train.
Our Sunday Staggers
take advantage of
public transport to
visit different towns
and pub in the area.
@
Branch Event: Real Ale Runabout
# 106 East Bergholt, Wenham
Magna, Langham
Thursday, February 13 @ 7:00pm
Runabouts are evening minibus pub
crawls. Places for the bus MUST be
pre-booked - please email
bus.ale@colchestercamra.org.uk to
book your place on the bus.
CAMRA Member? Are you
getting our monthly events
round-up email? If not drop
an email to
membership@colchestercamra.org.uk
Branch Event: Good Beer Guide
Selection Meeting at Ye Olde
Albion, Rowhedge
Sunday, February 16, 2020 @ 3:00pm
The annual Good Beer Guide
selection meeting to vote on the
pubs to be entered into the GBG.
Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival
Wednesday, February 19-Saturday,
February 22
More details at cbcf.info
11th Chappel Winter Beer Festival
Friday, February 28-to
Saturday February 29
More details at
chappelbeerfestival.org.uk
Branch Event: Last Friday Pub
Crawl.
Friday, February 28. 8pm - Queen
Street Brewhouse / 9pm - Castle
Inn / 10pm - Three Wise Monkeys
Our regular 'last Friday' pub crawls
around Colchester.
Branch Event:
Second Sunday
Spring Stagger:
Billericay
A pub crawl around
Billericay. Catch the
71C bus at 10:10am
from Colchester Bus
Station.
Branch Event: Real
Ale Runabout #
107 Coggeshall, Feering
Thursday, March 12, 2020 @ 7:00pm
Running, or know of an event?
Let us know about it - tweet
@colcamra, message us on
Facebook or email
events@colchestercamra.org.uk
EVENTS DIARY

THE CROSS
WIVENHOE
ADNAMS FINE ALES
and GUEST BEERS
*
Open
Monday to Saturday
10.30am to 3.00pm
5.30pm to 11.00pm
Sunday
12.00noon to 4.30pm
7.00pm to 11.00pm
*
LUNCHTIME FOOD
MONDAY TO SATURDAY
*
BEER GARDEN
TELEPHONE:
01206 824928

The sad life of Jumbo the
elephant... Jumbo was born around
Christmas 1860 in Sudan and after his
mother was killed by hunters, the male
infant calf was captured and sold. In
1865, at the age of 5, he moved from
Paris Zoo to London.
It was here that he
was given his name
and Jumbo became a
crowd favourite due
to his size and the
rides he’d give to
children on his back,
including those of
Queen Victoria.
Concern grew over
Jumbo's growing
aggression and
potential to cause a
public disaster. In
1882 despite public
outcry the
Superintendent of the
London Zoo, decided to sell Jumbo to
the American entertainer, PT. Barnum
of the Barnum & Bailey Circus for
£2,000 (£214,000 in today’s money).
The sale of Jumbo sent the citizens of
London into a panic. 100,000 school
children wrote to Queen Victoria
begging her not to allow the sale of
Jumbo. Even so he was sold and sent
across the Atlantic to America with his
keeper Matthew Scott.
Jumbo died in September 1885 at a
railway yard in Ontario, he was 25.
Descriptions of the tragedy vary but
Barnum’s version tells that Jumbo was
struck by a freight train trying to save
a young elephant called Tom Thumb.
People in Great Britain and America
were stunned at the news and greatly
mourned the passing of this favourite
giant.
Barnum had Jumbo’s skeleton
articulated and mounted with his hide
and still continued to tour ‘Jumbo’. He
had the skeleton extended and skin
stretched to make Jumbo a foot taller
than he was when alive. The skeleton
eventually ended up in the American
Museum of Natural History.
Jumbo’s skeleton was
examined for the TV
programme
'Attenborough and
the Giant Elephant'.
It was found that:
• His molar teeth
were malformed and
misaligned as a result
of a long-term soft
diet that didn't wear
his molars down
enough.
• Jumbo's nightly
rages were probably
caused by toothache,
rather than 'musth', as
his keeper, Matthew Scott thought at
the time. Scott was giving Jumbo
alcohol in the evening to calm him
down.
• A post mortem photograph shows
abrasions consistent with the freight
train hitting him on the hip. The post
mortem also showed metallic objects
in the elephant's stomach, including
–English pennies, keys, rivets, and a
police whistle.
• He was still growing at the time of
his death (as is normal for African
male elephants of his age) and might
eventually have reached the size
claimed by Barnum.
• Attenborough suggested that some
of Jumbo's behaviour could have been
caused by loneliness, since elephants
are naturally pack animals.
Cathy Fitzgerald
JUMBo 1...

2019-20
Y

Stroke changes lives in an instant,
but the brain can adapt. And so can
you. We're the Stroke Association,
here to support people to rebuild
their lives after stroke.
When stroke strikes, part of your
brain shuts down. And so does a
part of you. That's because a stroke
happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do.
It happens every five minutes in the UK and changes lives instantly. Recovery is
tough, but with the right specialist support and with courage and determination,
the brain can adapt.
Our specialist support, research and campaigning are only possible with the
courage and determination of the stroke community. With more donations and
support from you, we can rebuild even more lives.
Donate by placing any partially used beer cards in the box to donate or
find out more at stroke.org.uk
Paul's Story
“My job before was as an English
teacher. But now I can't read or write.”
Paul was 40 years old when he had a
stroke in 2016. He was an actor and
teacher at the time: "I was going to show
my wife Suzi something on my phone
but I couldn't move my right-hand side.
She looked at me and said, 'What's wrong with your face?' At first, she thought I was
joking around."
The hospital gave Paul a 10% chance he'd survive his operation. But he received the new
thrombectomy treatment and pulled through. “I remember having a conversation in my
head with myself. A list of things I'd do afterwards – lose weight, get fit, get better, do
things, change my life, change my habits. And that's pretty much what I've followed
since.
"My job before was as an English teacher. But now I can't read or write, so my job is to
help other stroke survivors. I work with stroke survivor groups and talk to people about
how to find hope in the little bits and pieces." Paul saw fantastic progress with his speech
after attending our Communication Support Service and soon became a volunteer Stroke
Association Ambassador.
our festival charity
Two years post stroke, he trekked an incredible 791 km across northern Spain and
France to fundraise for us and help other stroke survivors rebuild their lives.
Paul features in our Rebuilding Lives campaign. Find out more about the campaign and
watch the film here. www.stroke.org.uk/rebuilding-lives

The branch has had quite a few social
events recently, visiting Beccles beer
festival in Suffolk, our branch Christmas
social, and we had a pub crawl around
some of the finest pubs Norwich has to
offer earier this month! Plans are already
afoot for trips to a few brewery tap
rooms, a London pub crawl, and the
Crouch Valley Rail Ale Trail is in our
plans for the summer months.
Of course, we have our usual regular
social events; our monthly 'Real Ale
Runabouts' which take place on the
second Thursday of each month and cost
just £6 to attend and whisk you off to
various villages and rural pubs in Essex
and Suffolk. Our 100th Runabout took
place in August of last year – an indicator
of how successful they have been!! The
'Last Friday' crawls are also a monthly
event, predictably taking place on the last
Friday of every month! Complimenting
the Runabouts, these crawls take you
around pubs in Colchester town,
showcasing and supporting what is on
offer. There are approximate times for
each pub, so you can join us in whichever
ones suit you best. Schedules for both are
on our online calendar and can be found
Hi everyone - I hope you are all enjoying the 34th
Colchester Summer Ale Festival!
My name is Dan, the branch Social Secretary. A few of
you may already know me from attending various
Colchester CAMRA socials, beer festivals, or even just
from one of the many pubs in the area!
elsewhere in this programme.
Soon enough the weather will begin to
warm up (or at least that's the plan!), and
more social events start to kick in! Our
'Second Sunday Staggers' run from
February until October and make use of
public transport to visit towns in Essex
and Suffolk for an afternoon, plus the
cyclists among us (collectively known our
CycAle group) begin leading various rides
around East Anglia once the weather has
improved. There may also be a 'Sunday
Cider Stagger' planned for CAMRA's
Cider Month, so look out for that one
too!
As you can see there is something for
everyone on our social calendar, with
plenty of local beer festivals and other
events to be added. To keep informed be
sure to check our website
(www.colchestercamra.org.uk) on a
regular basis, 'like' our Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/colcamra) and
'follow us' on Twitter (@colCAMRA).
Hopefully we'll see you at one of our
events soon. Until then, keep supporting
your local pubs
Daniel Y
Social Secretary
SOCIAL SECRETARY
Photo: A. Wareham

Join here at the membership
bar - to the right of the stage

Victorian Colchester was poorly served
for clean water, most coming from
unsanitary wells and a few large
cisterns. One of these cisterns was
located inside the Balkerne Gate. The
Waterworks Company supplied water
to wealthy customers for a few hours a
day, and eventually took over these
cisterns and built a large reservoir.
Throughout the first half of the 19th
century several fires broke out in
central Colchester, and the time it took
water to arrive at a fire meant that
many businesses and private houses
were badly damaged. In 1849 an
outbreak of cholera emphasised the
need for safe drinking water. In 1875
the Public Health Act made local
Councils responsible for public health;
and in 1880 the
Council purchased the
Waterworks Company.
A new water tower, was
proposed to supply all
of Colchester. This
was the brainchild of
Charles Clegg, the
Borough Surveyor.
The prime mover,
however, was
Councillor James
Wicks, his opponents
called the plan 'Wicks'
Folly'. Plans were
approved in 1881.
Reverend John Irvine
was annoyed that the
tower would dwarf his
nearby rectory at St Mary-at-the-
Walls. He wrote a scathing letter
to the Essex Standard calling the tower
a 'Jumbo'. This struck a chord with
readers, for Jumbo the elephant had
recently been sold, causing great public
outcry.
Despite Irvine's objections, contracts
were awarded in 1882 for construction
60 feet from his rectory. Building took
around 20 months, the same as the
gestation period for an elephant calf.
The name Jumbo stuck and the council
placed a gilded elephant shaped
weathervane on top. However, the
finished tower could only supply water
for 6 rather than 24 hours a day.
A serious fire broke out in 1883 testing
Jumbo's water supply. It took much
longer for water to arrive than before
the tower was built. Worse, the tank
wasn't strong enough to be filled to
capacity. Charles Clegg, perhaps
sensing trouble, accepted a large bonus
and left for America. An earthquake
the following year caused cracking to
the structure, so in 1888 the chairman
of the Water Committee, James
Paxman, reinforced the tank. It still
couldn't be filled to capacity though. In
1895 Paxman oversaw
construction of new
pumps and pipes that
finally provided running
water to Colchester, all
day. Jumbo remained in
operation until 1984.
Private companies tried,
unsuccessfully, to get
permission to convert
the tower to luxury flats.
In 2006 a charity, the
Balkerne Tower Trust,
tried and failed to
purchase Jumbo in
order to
preserve it.
Undaunted,
the Trust has
developed
plans to make
the tower a public attraction and
exhibition space with guided tours.
The long-term future of the tower is in
doubt, but people can still marvel at
this Victorian feat of engineering. An
icon of historic Colchester, our very
own Jumbo, which should be
preserved.
Cathy Fitzgerald
FESTIVAL
JUMBo 2...

The gakkul vat, the gakkul vat!
The gakkul vat, the lamsare vat!
The gakkul vat, which puts us in a happy
mood!
The lamsare vat, which makes the heart
rejoice!
The ugurbal jar, glory of the house!
The caggub jar, filled with beer!
The amam jar, which carries the beer from the
lamsare vat!
The troughs made with bur grass and the
pails for the dough!
All the beautiful vessels are ready on their pot
stands!
May the heart of your god be well disposed
towards you!
Let the eye of the gakkul vat be our eye, and
let the heart of the gakkul vat be our heart!
What makes your heart feel wonderful in
itself also makes our hearts feel wonderful in
themselves!
We are in a happy mood, our hearts are
joyful!
You have poured a libation over the fated
brick, and you have laid the foundations in
peace and prosperity — now may Ninkasi
dwell with you!
Thelate,greatNeilInnes
enjoyingsometastingsat
theColchesterBeerFestival
in1999
RIPNeil
(StillfromBBCOut+About).
She should pour beer and wine for you!
Let the pouring of the sweet liquor resound
pleasantly for you!
In the troughs made with bur grass, there is
sweet beer.
I will have the cupbearers, the boys and the
brewers stand by.
As I spin around the lake of beer, while
feeling wonderful, feeling wonderful, while
drinking beer, in a blissful mood, while
drinking alcohol and feeling exhilarated,
with joy in the heart and a contented liver —
my heart is a heart filled with joy!
I clothe my contented liver in a garment fit
for a queen!

The Sumerians lived in the region of
Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq)
about 4,000 years ago.
They drank beer, in pubs, just like we
do, albeit with a few subtle differences.
Each tavern brewed its own beer - the
original micro-breweries - (in fact, there
were no other breweries). For brewing
you’d need 3 vessels, the gakkul vat, the
lamsare vat and an ugurbal jar.
Tavern keepers were exclusively women,
they brewed the beer too as it was seen
as ‘household’ work.
Cashless payments - this was a barter
society so you probably paid in barley,
or maybe a piglet if you ran up a serious
bar tab.
What if you didn’t get a full measure of
beer in return for your barley payment?
Punishments were slightly more
draconian - short pints were punishable
by the drowning of the landlady.
The beer itself? A wide variety of styles
were brewed - barley, wheat, brown,
dark, light, red, sweet - though you’d
probably only have that day’s brew to
There are 20 words in the list to do with a places in the
world theme. 19 are in the grid, one is not. They can read
left, right, up, down and diagonal.
G A B A M O N B E R A M Z E A D A N
N Y R E T T I B Y E L S N R A B Z B
I D L O G Y A W O L L A G S F E Q D
M A E Y O Y A L A D N A M A D R M L
A R L T G O D L B L S E G N A G Y O
E G O M R P I D A U O P O T X P E G
R N M M N O O P O L I L F A Q Z G D
D I E R N A I I N I B E R F Z K Y N
A N L X A A S T Y T J K F E L C P A
I E A Y S P U Z S A A Z M O N A T L
N L S U Y J F A K O T V I O L J I A
R O U N B R O Z E J U Q U A Z S A E
O S R T W C F L P K L R A M P A N Z
F P E S T W A I K I K I C J X X C W
I R J S F W A L T A I D N I D E R E
L R E B M A N O Z A M A P O T T E N
A W B E I J I N G B L A C K A Y A Z
C B Z L O D I P O H N A C I R E M A
choose from - adding hops to preserve
beer was centuries away.
No glasses, clay communal vessels called
amam jars were used probably one
between two and always served with
straws.
A straw? Yes, bright clear beer wasn’t a
thing - you needed a straw to dip
through the floating layer of fizzy
porridgey barley on top of the beer and
reach the delicious nectar below. You
could have filtered beer, but you’d be
paying piglets rather than ears for it.
The atmosphere? Jovial, convivial,
friendly - like a good modern pub. They
liked drinking games and they liked a
joke.
There’s excellent evidence that the
Sumerians liked a good drunken sing
song and the words of one still survive -
see left (try it to the theme tune to
Postman Pat!)
Inspired by ‘A Short History of Drunkeness’
by Mark Forsyth - available from all good
book shops.
AMERICAN HOP IDOL
AMAZON AMBER
BARNSLEY BITTER
OREGON PALE
BEIJING BLACK
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
DETROIT SOUR CITY
EGYPTIAN CREAM
GALLOWAY GOLD
GANGES
RED INDIA
JERUSALEM
SANTE FE
TEXAS JACK
LENINGRAD
USA IPA
MANDALAY
NEW ZEALAND GOLD
WAIKIKI
WEST COAST BLONDE
BY TED TED
The pub in 2000bc
WORDSEARCH

THE BEER MENU
Not every beer will be on in all
sessions. Look for the cask
cards on the casks behind the
bar to see which beers are
available.
B - Bitter
BB - Best Bitter
SB - Strong Bitter
G - Golden
M - Mild
S - Stout / P - Porter
O - Old Ale
V Vegan Friendly
IPA - India Pale Ale
BW - Barley Wine
SP - Speciality
Abbeydale Sheffield, Yorkshire
Reveller . . . . . . . IPA █. . . . 3.9%
Latest in the “Beer Heads” series with
a trio of big US hops (Cascade,
Summit and Simcoe) for a punchy
fruity bite and citrus bitterness.
Wanderer. . . . SP █ V . . 5.5%
Kaffir lime & lemongrass saison.
Acorn Barnsley, Yorkshire
Barnsley Bitter. . B █. . . . 3.8%
Brewed using the finest quality Maris
Otter malt and English hops. Chestnut
in colour, with a well rounded, rich
flavour; it retains a lasting bitter finish.
Gorlovka . . . . . . . ST █. . . . 6.0%
A deep malt and hoppy aroma with
liquorice throughout. Roast malt, fruit
and hops also carry through this full
bodied stout.
Adnams Southwold
Old Ale. . . . . . . . . . O █. . . . 4.1%
Dark red/brown in colour with an
aroma of caramel and nutty chocolate.
A traditional speciality winter warmer
Southwold . . . . . . . B █. . . . 3.7%
A copper coloured, late hopped beer
with fuggle for a distinctive lingering
hoppiness
Tally Ho . . . . . . BW █. . . . 7.2%
A dark mahogany red coloured beer,
with rich, fruity aromas and a warming
sweet raisin & biscuit palate
Ampersand Bungay, Suffolk
Bidon . . . . . . . . G . . 3.9%
█ V
Cask v. Keykeg
A session ale brewed to be light, crisp
and easy drinking with lots of late
Citra and El Dorado hops. Available
in Cask and KeyKeg.
Pulpit Pale . . . G █ V . . 5.0%
A classic pale ale which isn't
overpowered with hops.
Ayr Ayr, Ayrshire.
Jolly Beggars Best Bitter . . .
BB █. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2%
A traditional best bitter style beer with
a malty backbone and the flavours of
toffee, fruit and citrus hops. Hopped
with German Brewers Gold.

Leezie Lundie Pale Ale
G █ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8%
A pale golden session ale with the
flavours of sweet citrus and soft fruits
and a floral aroma. Hopped with
Slovenian grown Styrian Golding.
Rabbies Porter . . P █. . . . 4.3%
A robust and full bodied porter style
beer with a rich flavour of dark treacle
and fruits and a slightly smoky edge.
Hopped with UK Challenger and
Progress.
Backyard Brewhouse
Brownhills, W. Mids.
January S'Ale. . . . B █. . . . 4.2%
A light, vibrant beer. Lager malt and
subtle yet complex hops give a
balanced mild bitterness
█
Project Snowball G . . 4.9%
Lots of orange and lemon character
with a balanced candied peel, sweet yet
refreshing palette. Background notes
of green tea and melon.
█
The Hoard . . . . . . B . . . . 3.9%
Golden straw bitter. Light citrus floral
aroma. Refreshing crisp dry flavour.
SIBA National Award Winner.
Bad Seed Malton, N. Yorkshire
Beta Function G . 4.0%
█ V
South Pacific Pale. A refreshing,
hoppy pale ale with heaps of Topaz,
Motueka and Waimea delivering
flavours and aromas of peach,
passionfruit and fresh citrus.
█ V
Flare Star . . . . G . . 4.2%
This beer is light and golden in colour
and packed full of US Comet hops
which gives it a big hit of citrus and
grapefruit.
Bishop Nick Braintree, Essex
Divine. . . . . . . . . . BB █. . . . 5.1%
A festival of English flavours
featuring spice, nuttiness & caramel,
nicely balanced with a mellow
hoppiness
█
Multi award winner! English Fuggles
& Goldings balance crystal & pale ale
malts
█
A floral amber ale with grapefruit and
pine aromas with a long hoppy finish
Ridley's Rite . . . . B . . . . 3.6%
Vision. . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . 3.8%
Blue Bee Sheffield, Yorkshire
Mango & Passion SP █5.0%
Hazy pale ale brewed with equal
quantities of passion fruit & mango
along with oats, citra & Ekuanot hops.
A truly tropical tasting pale ale
Stout n About . . ST █. . . . 5.7%
Creamy with prominent cocoa and
orange with a dry finish.
Bowland Sawley, Lancs.
█
Hoppy, golden bitter filled with
grapefruit flavours & aromas
█
Citrus & peach flavours are
intertwined in this golden ale
█
Copper coloured bitter with rounded
berry flavours
Bowland Gold . . G . . . . 3.8%
Hen Harrier . . . . G . . . . 4.0%
Pheasant Plucker B . . 3.7%
Found Your Favourite?
Vote for your beer of the festival.
Pick up a form at the bar.
THE BEER MENU

Hazelnut Mild M █ V . 4.4%
A luscious 5-malt nut-brown mild with
a delicate hazelnut aroma overlaying
coffee notes.
Malton Amber B █ V . . 4.0%
Light amber ale brewed in
collaboration with Malton's Woodhams
Stone historical society
Colchester Wakes Colne, Essex
█
Light and refreshing golden ale,
Brass Monkey . . G . . . . 4.0%
brewed using Tettnanger hops
Brazilian. . . . . . . . . P █. . . . 4.6%
Cask v. Keykeg
Multi award winner! Coffee & Vanilla
porter. Not at all shy on flavour, but
beautifully balanced. Available in cask
(4.6%) or KeyKeg (6%)
Old King Coel. . . P █. . . . 5.0%
Rich dark ale brewed the original way
with brown malt
THE BEER MENUBrass Castle Malton, N. Yorkshire
Dorset Brewing Co.
Dorchester, Dorset
Dorset Knob . . . . B █. . . . 3.9%
Zesty light amber ale with a malty
character and a hoppy, floral bouquet
Jurassic. . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.2%
Crisp, golden ale with hints of apricot.
Lasting bitterness with a clean citrus
aroma
Peckish?
Crisps, Peanuts, Scratchings available
behind the bars.
Fat Cat Norwich, Norfolk
Marmalade Cat . BB █ . 5.5%
A classic English strong bitter, with
Maris Otter Pale malt, Munich-Style
malt and classic Goldings hops. Fullflavoured
and satisfying, with a burnt
citrus finish.
Tom Cat . . . . . . . . IPA █ . 4.1%
A session IPA showcasing the tropical
flavours of the mosaic hop delivering
bold and fruity flavours. A hoppy
thirst quencher
Wild Cat . . . . . . . . . . G █ . 5.0%
An extra pale ale, which balances
Norfolk barley with a blend of hops
from Britain, Europe and the
Americas. Full-bodied and eminently
drinkable
Fuzzy Duck Poulton, Lancs.
Cunning Stunt . . B █. . . . 4.3%
Amber coloured single-hop beer
brewed with American Willamette
hops. The rub of the hops gives an
estery/blackcurrant/herbal aroma
Mucky Duck. . . ST █. . . . 4.0%
Dark stout, slightly sweet with
chocolate and coffee notes from the
roasted malt
Rum Porter. . . . . . P █. . . . 4.0%
A dark porter with coffee and
chocolate notes plus a hint of rum
Grain Harleston, Norfolk
Black Spruce . IPA █. . . . 4.7%
Cask v. Keykeg
A black beer which is light on the
palate with subtle malt flavours. A
well rounded and easy drinker.
Available in cask and keykeg.

Three One Six . . B █. . . . 3.9%
Extra pale and dry with a grapefruit
hop aroma
Green Jack Lowestoft, Suffolk
Ripper. . . . . . . . . BW █. . . . 8.5%
A multi award winning brew inspired
by Belgian tripel ales. Dangerously
drinkable!
Trawler Boys . . BB █. . . . 4.6%
A full-bodied, copper coloured bitter,
brewed with English whole cone hops
Worthog. . . . . . . BW █ . . 11.5%
This barley wine is a rare find and not
for the faint hearted!
Half Moon York, Yorkshire
Dark Masquerade M █ 3.6%
A rich ruby, brown ale which is packed
with dark chocolate and liquorice
flavours. Warm, smokey and
intriguing.
Experior . . . . . . . BB █. . . . 5.7%
A premium English ale, with wellbalanced
malt flavours. Fruity from
the late addition of Cascade with a
smooth bitter finish.
Old Forge . . . . . . . B █. . . . 3.8%
An amber coloured ale with a soft
spiced lemon and honeyed flavour.
The hop character is well-balanced
with a mellow bitter finish.
Port Out . . . . . . . . . P █. . . . 4.6%
A classic English porter, dark in
colour and soft on the palate.
Holdens Dudley, W. Mids.
Black Country Mild
M █ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.7%
An easy drinking traditional black
country mild. It's a bold, chestnut-red
mild with nutty biscuit notes with a
hint of chocolate
Holdens XB. . . . . B █. . . . 4.1%
Golden in colour with a sweet and
fruity palate resulting in an
uncomplicated bittersweet finish
Hophurst Hindley, Wigan.
Debonair Stout ST █ . . . 4.9%
A robust stout with flavours of
roasted coffee and liquorice with a
pleasant bitter aftertaste
Porteresque . . . . . P █. . . . 5.5%
A sweet milkshake porter
Humpty Dumpty
Reedham, Norfolk
Christmas Crack BW █ 7.0%
A strong, dark brown ale with an
American hop profile
Red Mill . . . . . . . . . B █. . . . 4.3%
A crisp, hoppy red ale with caramel
and fruit notes
Swallowtail. . . . . . G █. . . . 4.0%
A refreshing pale amber thirst
quenching ale with a lively hop finish
Isle of Avalon Ashcott, Somerset.
Isle Ale . . . . . . . . . . B █. . . . 3.8%
Easy drinking bitter
THE BEER MENU

THE BEER MENU
Jake's Mild . . . . . M █. . . . 4.0%
Traditional mild with a roasted
chocolate and dark fruit aroma
Sunrise. . . . . . . . . BB █. . . . 4.3%
A hoppy, best bitter
Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby
Lonsdale, Lancs.
Crafty Mild . . . . . M █. . . . 3.6%
A modern incarnation of the
traditional mild, brewed with rich,
dark malts and delicately hopped for a
very moreish beer
Jubilee Stout . . . ST █. . . . 5.5%
A powerful smooth stout brewed with
chocolate and black malts, and just a
hint of roasted barley
Monumental. . . . G █. . . . 4.5%
A golden ale brewed with extra pale
malt, blended with English &
Slovenian Golding hops for a distinct
floral aroma & mouth feel
Lacons Lowestoft, Suffolk
Audit . . . . . . . . . . BW █. . . . 8.0%
A dark copper barley wine with berry
and spice flavours with a smooth and
sweet finish
Found Your Favourite?
Vote for your beer of the festival.
Pick up a form at the bar.
The Live and Let Live
Home of the
Internationally Famous
BEER & SAUSAGE
FESTIVAL
Next festival:
Friday 7th -Sunday 9th
February
Ten years in a row in the Good Beer Guide
12 Millers Lane, Stanway. CO3 0PS
01206 574071

Leigh on Sea Essex
Kursaal Gold . . . G █. . . . 3.9%
An English style golden ale much
more lightly hopped than Legra but
still with a decent dash of Cascade
hops for a citrus finish
Legra. . . . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 3.8%
Cask v. Keykeg
A light, fresh, single hopped,
sessionable golden ale. Available in
cask and keykeg.
Lymestone Stone, Staffs.
Ein Stein . . . . . . . . B █. . . . 5.0%
A blonde continental style bitter
Mersea Island Mersea, Essex
Oyster Stout . . . ST █. . . . 5.0%
Dark and delicious, with possible
aphrodisiac qualities!
Yo Boy. . . . . . . . . . . B █. . . . 3.9%
A session bitter with balanced malt
and a long lasting bitterness on the
finish.
Millstone Mossley, Lancs.
Stout. . . . . . . . . . . . ST █. . . . 4.5%
Traditional dry stout with a smooth
bitterness provided by English
Phoenix hops
Tiger Rut . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.0%
A very pale and hoppy ale, brewed
with Chinook hops. A mellow
bitterness makes way for a distinctive
citrus aroma
Milton Cambridge, Cambs
Dionysus . . . . . . . . B █. . . . 3.6%
A straw coloured bitter, powerfully
hoppy with a fine citrus finish
Minerva . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.6%
Brewed with US, NZ and British hops
for a powerful hop punch and
satisfying bitterness
Nero. . . . . . . . . ST █ V . . 5.0%
A black brew with a good balance of
malt, roast and fruit
Moonshine Fulbourn, Cambs
Regenerator . . IPA █. . . . 4.2%
Cask v. Keykeg
A light coloured hoppy beer, made
with German malts and 5 different
hops to give it a distinctive, moreish
flavour. Available in cask and keykeg.
Wheat Wine Ale BW █10.2%
Caramelandrichdarkfruitslead
toasemi-dryfinish
Moorhouses Burnley, Lancs.
█
Black Cat . . . . . . . M . . . . 3.4%
A dark ruby coloured mild with a
distinct chocolate malt taste and a hop
fruit finish
Black Witch. . . . ST █. . . . 4.2%
A smooth, dark ale with a full round
distinct chocolate malt body and a
pleasant hop aftertaste
Witchfinder General
G █ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4%
Full bodied with a strong fruit flavour
THE BEER MENU

THE BEER MENU
Neepsend Sheffield, Yorkshire
Ancillary On Sales G █ 5.2%
Simcoe and Citra RyePA brewed with
the Walkely Beer Co. It’s dry with
dominant citrus and pine with a hint
of rye spice.
Triton . . . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.5%
Dry hopped pale ale with big
additions of three of the American 'C'
hops - citra, cascade and chinook.
Expect tropical fruits, pine and citrus
Pub of the Year!
Members - have you voted?
Pick up a form at the bar.
North Riding
Scarborough, North Yorks.
Citra. . . . . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.5%
Easy drinking premium pale ale with a
grapefruit, mango and lemon taste and
aroma.
Taiheke . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.0%
Taiheke is the new name for Cascade
hops that are grown in New Zealand.
Pale, hoppy and citrussy.
Orkney Orkney
Red MacGregor B █ . . . 4.0%
Ruby red in colour. Rich hop fruits
give way to a clean dry refreshing
floral hop bitterness
Skullsplitter . . . . SB █. . . . 8.5%
Named after Thorfin Hausakliuuf, 7th
earl of Orkney. A reddish coloured
ale which is deceptively light and
dangerously drinkable
23rd-25th July 2020

Other Monkeys Colchester,
Essex
Dreaming of Evil
ST █. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2%
A light and smooth stout with strong
coffee flavours followed by hints of
vanilla
Shadow so Huge ST █ 5.2%
Roasted malt and coffee on the palate
with a lingering bitter finish
Swallow the Universe
IPA █ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7%
This smoothly strikes the balance
between malt and citrus with a great
creamy texture, finishing with a bitter
hoppy punch
Phoenix Heywood, Lancs.
Black Bee Porter P █. . 4.5%
A dark, rich traditional porter with the
addition of honey giving a pleasant
hint of sweetness in the finish
Monkeytown Mild
M █ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.9%
A traditional creamy dark mild
Wobbly Bob. . . . SB █. . . . 6.0%
A red/brown beer with a malty, fruit
aroma
Piddle Piddlehinton, Dorset.
Dorset Rogue . . . B █. . . . 3.9%
A smooth, easy drinking brew
█
A rich, ruby ale which is a little bit
sweet and a whole lot earthier thanks
to English Fuggle hops
Winter's Tail. . . BB . . . . 5.0%
Time for Wine?
Prospect Wigan, Lancs.
Nutty Slack . . . . . M █. . . . 3.9%
A multi-award winning ebony dark
mild with a smooth, smokey, malty
taste
█
A pale, straw coloured ale blended
with 4 different hop varieties
Whatever. . . . . . IPA . . . . 3.8%
Quartz Kings Bromley, Staffs.
Quartz Crystal . . B █. . . . 4.2%
A malty, lightly hopped, fruity aroma
which is full bodied in taste
█
A premium bitter with a sweet, malty
taste and a subtle hint of coffee
Quartz Heart . . . B . . . . 4.6%
Red Fox Coggeshall, Essex
Black Fox Porter P █ . . 4.8%
A Champion beer! Very malty with
smooth chocolate notes and hints of
liquorice
Coggeshall Gold G █ . . 4.0%
Another award winner! An intense,
hoppy beer with a lemon and lychee
aroma. Very easy drinking
Figgy Pudding Porter . . . . . .
P █. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7%
A velvety, rich, dark chocolate porter
infused with figs and raisins
Ruby Red Mild . M █. . . . 6.9%
A multi-award winning beer with low
hoppiness and malt supplemented by
rich caramel flavours to give a rich, red
mild.
English Wine from Mersea Island
- visit the Belgian Bar
THE BEER MENU

THE BEER MENU
Shalford Shalford, Essex
Hyde Bitter . . . . . B █. . . . 4.7%
A light amber coloured bitter brewed
with Optic malt and Target hops, full
bodied with a warm malty undertone
█
Levelly Gold . . . . G . . . . 4.2%
A refreshing golden coloured with a
pleasant finish, made with First Gold
hops. An agreeable alternative to
lager!
█
Six Nations. . . . . . B . . . . 4.0%
Amber/gold coloured with a slight
caramel and earthy aroma
Shortts Farm Thorndon, Suffolk
Blondie . . . . . . . . . G █. . . . 4.0%
A beautifully balanced blonde beer
with a refreshing fruity hop and
moreish biscuity malt flavours
Oud Bruin . . . . . . O █. . . . 5.2%
A Christmas old ale. A collaboration
with Old Chimneys brewery which is
warming, dark and malty
Two Tone . . . . . . . M █. . . . 3.8%
A satisfying dark mild with dark
chocolate and sweet biscuity malt
flavours
Shugborough
Shugborough, Staffs.
Coachman's Tipple B █4.7%
A ruby red and rich beer with
balanced hops and real depth of
character
Mi'Lady's Fancy G █ . 4.6%
Delicately hopped yet full bodied
The Chicken Sheds,
Upp Hall Farm,
Salmon’s Lane,
Coggeshall,
Essex. CO6 1RY
Phone: 01376 563123
Red Fox Brewery
Brewing Beer the Traditional Way
Founder of Red Fox Brewery, Russ Barnes, was the
brewer of Supreme Champion Beer of Great Britain
at the Great British Beer Festival two years running
as Head Brewer at his previous brewery. After
almost 6 years with them Russ left to start his own
brewery. The first beer brewed was Wily Ol' Fox,
swiftly followed by the CAMRA Gold Medal winning
Coggeshall Gold.
Regular Beers
Red Fox Mild 3.6%
Red Fox Bitter 3.8%
Black Fox Porter 4.8%
Red Fox IPA 3.7%
Hunter’s Gold 3.9%
Wily Ol’ Fox 5.2%
For further information please visit our
website or contact us at the brewery
Website: www.redfoxbrewery.co.uk
Email: info@redfoxbrewery.co.uk

Slater's Stafford, Staffs
1Hop Blonde Ale G █ . 4.0%
An award winning blonde beer with an
initial burst of bitterness followed by a
citrus finish
█
Premium. . . . . . . BB . . . . 4.4%
A rich amber coloured beer with hints
of caramel, malt and a complex fruity
hop aroma developing a bitter finish
Son of Sid Little Gransden, Cambs
Brewhouse Blues P █ . . 6.0%
A chocolate porter
Golden Shower G █ . . . 4.1%
A full bodied golden beer with a light
hop character and a defined maltiness
█
Muck Cart Mild M . . . 3.5%
Roasted malt and coffee flavours with
a chocolate aroma leading to a dry
finish
Three B's Darwen, Lancs.
Knocker Up . . . . . P █. . . . 4.8%
A beer with exotic ebony texture and
deep, rich taste of roast barley and
chocolate malt
Stokers Slake MildM █ . 3.6%
A traditional dark mild with roast malt
aromas and creamy chocolate note
If you’re wondering about the
backwards “13th” on your tankard, it’s a
nod to the 13th Summer festival logo
(in 1998) which
was back to
front on the
glasses.
Eyes peeled
though -there
are right-way -
round “13th’s”
tankards out
there.
and finally...
...3 more
Jumbos!
A JumboTron
A JumboJet
THE BEER MENU
Watson's Colchester, Essex
Feersum KittyST █ V 5.4%
Orange peel and marmalade in a
purrrfect brew.
█
Old Ale. . . . . . . . . . O . . . . 4.8%
Rich and full bodied old ale.
A Dutch Supermarket

REAL CIDER AND PERRY
Berties Braintree, Essex
Elderflower . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5%
Pearf-Hic Perry . . . . . . . . 6.5%
Big Bear Stisted, Essex
Essex Gold 24K . . . . . . . . 6.9%
Bollhayes Cullompton, Devon
Vintage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0%
Broadway Press Broardway,
Worcs.
Original Ice Cider . . . . . 6.0%
Crones Kenninghall, Norfolk
User Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2%
D. Souch Alresford, Essex
Apples & Pears Pyder . 6.5%
Dorset Sunshine
Brockhamton, Dorset
Festival Sunshine . . . . . . 6.0%
Dunkerton's Cheltenham, Glos.
Craft Organic . . . . . . . . . . . 5.0%
Hawkes SE1, London
Elephants on Ice . . . . . . 4.0%
Hunt's Stoke Gabriel, Devon
Pixie Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8%
Wobbler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0%
Kentish Pip Bekesbourne, Kent
Craftsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5%
Lawrence's
Corton Denham, Dorset
Lawrence's Sweet . . . . . . 6.0%
Lyne Down Much Marcle, Heref.
Kingston Black . . . . . . . . . 7.5%
Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5%
Mr. Whitehead's
Colemore, Hamps.
Rum Cask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0%
Oliver's Ocle Pychard, Heref.
Classic Perry. . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0%
Shazam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5%
Orwell Ipswich, Suffolk
Red Devil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0%
Scarlett O'Hara . . . . . . . . 7.0%
Sandford Orchards
Crediton, Devon
Slack Ma Girdle . . . . . . . . 5.8%
Saxby's Farndish, Northants.
Plum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,8%
Simon's Cambourne, Cambs.
Cox!!!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4%
Gibson's Perry. . . . . . . . . . 6.4%
Vice Versa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4%
South Downs
Wilmington, E.Sussex
Strawberry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0%
Touchwood Mithian, Cornwall
Touchwood Sweet . . . . . 5.0%
Ventons Clyst St. Lawrence, Devon
Thirst Responder . . . . . . 6.5%
Wilce's Ledbury, Heref.
Wilce's Sweet . . . . . . . . . . 6.0%

At this year's Winter Festival we are
sourcing cider, perry and even Pyder
from the whole country not just East
Anglia. Real Cider or Perry (not
Pear cider) or Pyder (a blend of
both) simply consists of fermented
apple and/or pear juice.
You pick the fruit, press the fruit, allow
it to naturally ferment and mature, and
then enjoy. This produces a product that
is unpasteurised, uncarbonated and full
of flavour.
Only a few years ago, the government
and the HMRC had to stipulate what
the term “cider” could be applied to
and specify the minimum juice content
Wassail
Wassail is a Traditional Anglo-Saxon
celebrative greeting by the Lord of the
Manor (or now the cider producer)
made at the beginning of the year with
the Toast of Waes Hael. Meaning “Be
– a lowly 35% if you are interested!
Then there are the myriad of flavours
and colours being added to that apple
juice, but still being labelled and sold
as “Traditional” or “Real” cider, and
where do those apples come from?
Freshly picked from apple trees grown
in the UK – or imported concentrate
from around the world. Don't assume
that if it is served through a hand
pump that it is going to be a real cider.
Wassail
Ian Hammerton
Well” or “Be in good health” to which
the assembled masses would reply
Drinc Hael, “Drink Well”. The
Wassail Cup is generally a large 2 or 3
handled mug and passed on from one
person to the next with the traditional
“Wassail” greeting said with gusto.
These celebrations still take place,
generally on or around 12th night,
which is now 5th January. Where as,
the more traditional still insist in
celebrating Wassail on 17th January,
the original 12th night before the
introduction of the Gregorian
calendar messed things up in 1752.
These celebrations generally took
place in the orchard around the apple
trees. Cider soaked cake or toast would
be placed in the fork of the tree, guns
fired through its branches and the
banging of pots and pans whilst the
rest of the people sung “wassailing
songs”. This custom is said to ward
off bad spirits from the orchard and
encourage the good spirits to provide
a bountiful crop for the following year.
REAL CIDER AND PERRY

REAL CIDER AND PERRY
Regular visitors to the
festival will have seen
Colchester Winter
Beer Festival has been
increasingly
supportive of small
scale local breweries
with both Watts & Co
and Watson's beers
having success on the
real ale bars. This year
we have the return of
our 2018 Cider of the
Festival winner. -
Boarded Cottage
Cyder is pressed less
than five miles from
this festival on the
outskirts of Alresford.
In keeping with
traditional farmhouse
Cyder producing in
East Anglia, a mix of cooking and
eating apples has been hand-picked
North East Essex and South
Suffolk. Each apple is then washed
and checked for damage – (Dave
says that if he wouldn't put it in his
mouth, then he won't put it in
cider) - before scratting and
pressing in Dave's home made cider
press.
Dave then supplies small quantities
of Cyder to selected local pubs and
this festival, (as well as
keeping an amount for
personal consumption of
course!), due to the
unpredictable nature of
small batch production
each vintage has had a
unique character – this
years Cyder is no
exception with just under
half of the juice coming
from a couple of pear
trees in an old farmhouse
garden near Maldon
explaining the change to
this vintage name; Apples
& Pears Pyder.
As usual, the fruit juice
(about 80L this year) is
fermented, matured and
packaged with no added
water, additives,
stabilisers or preservatives. Due to
this uncompromising approach the
resulting drink may be 'drier' than
you are used to but very
representative of the traditional
local style.
If you are into traditional farm-gate
style ciders then you really should
give this one a go, compare it to the
other ciders available on our cider
bar, and don't forget to vote for
your cider of the festival.
Before 1800 ‘cider’ referred to any form of apple juice - whether fermented or
not. Unfermented juice was known as ‘sweet cider’, whereas the alcoholic
version was ‘hard cider’.
“Scratting” is the process of roughly grinding the fruit before pressing to help
release the juisce.
One of the first named varieties of apple, “Costard” dates from the 12th
century. It’s where the word ‘costermonger’, meaning a seller of fruit and
vegetables, is derived from.

Including beers from brewers such as:
Dolle Brouwers Orval
Liefmans St Feuillien
Westmalle Achouffe
De Ranke Rochefort
On the Belgian Bar
English Wine
from Mersea Island
Vineyard
(just a few miles East of here)
A wide range of bottled Belgian Beers are available on
the Belgian Bar.
Enform is a Colchester charity whose aim is to
encourage public involvement in safeguarding
and improving the environment.
They act as a collection point for a range of
waste items which aren’t handled by
Colchester Council’s kerbside collections. The
collected waste is sent for processing - both
earning funds for En-Form and reducing the
amount sent to landfill or for incineration.
Visit their website en-form.org.uk for details of
the items they accept.
Help support them by using the specific
waste bins for crisp, nut and pork
scratchings packets.
Belgian WINE RECYCLING

Colchester
CAMRA
& North East Essex
TRAIL
? 20
Visit Pubs. Drink Real Ale. Win Prizes
1st April to 30th May 2020
20