retiredmartin

June 2023. Sheffield.

Blimey. A mini-post where I just say “Sheffield has great pubs and beer“.

I’ve had more visitors asking to catch up for a pint in two years in Sheffield than in twenty-two in Cambridge (Hitchin – zero).

Fellow ticker (pubs, World Cups, Pogues gigs etc) Ian visited on a Wednesday night for a gig with Friends & Family and I found I couldn’t claim I was washing my hair so I popped down town for a “quick half”.

Someone’s been painting our electricity boxes (?); well done @zoe.genders.

Elsewhere, I’ve finally found that ball that Tom Hanks lost in Cast Away;

We met up in the Crow , famed for staying open beyond midnight to sell 10% Imperial Stouts, where Ian had a box of vinyls to hand over, and where I finally had a pint of cask as good as the always excellent keg,

but since I didn’t take a photo I’m going to guess it was a lower ABV Deya, but you won’t care.

You will care about the next pint, a third Bass in the “new” Fagans. The barman actually spotted my pint was end of barrel, changed it, and brought the new one* over to the snug.

As you’ll know I never lie about beer quality, even I sometimes (inadvertently) misidentify ducks. This was as cool and rich and full-flavoured as any Bass this year (apart from that last one). Folk who have yet to see the light stuck to the Pale Rider and argued about how to label it on Untappd.

Continuing uphill with a second visit to Vocation & Co. since it opened in April to put Sheffield in the same league as Halifax and Hebden.

This time I resisted the banana cheesecake thingy and stuck to the To-Ol collaboration Pale (NBSS 4),

before Ian decided that the cheesecake imperial fudge cake stouts were indeed required.

Oh dear. At least I had one of their burgers to soak it up. Beer tickers never seem to eat, just read Duncan’s exploits.

And that’s all I can remember have to say about that evening in Sheffield, except if all cask was this good then evil keg would be defeated (apart from the evil fudge cake keg we like, obviously).

*and we shouldn’t assume the first pint out of a new barrel will always be great. Or should we ?