retiredmartin

February 2024. Sheffield.

It’s Sheffield Beer Week, in the self-proclaimed “real ale capital of the world“.

Sheffield is the real ale capital of the world according to a new report! Here’s what you need to know in four graphics. #TopoftheHops pic.twitter.com/alKA3bw2FL

— The University of Sheffield (@sheffielduni) March 1, 2024

Judging a city on the number of breweries and different beers produced is plain daft, and I’d be the first person to tell you that Sheffield does beer quality and Proper Pubs better than anyone else.

But number of beers ? I’m sure Archers used to make 1,800 different beers a year in the mid 2000s, so perhaps Swindon was the real ale capital of the world back then. Best do one beer and do it well, as anyone who’s been to Uerige will know.

On the Wednesday I found myself wandering the real ale capital of the world aimlessly,

and finally made it to one of the places that makes the city great.

ALL THE PUBS IN SHEFFIELD ON FOOT No. 367 – HOP HIDEOUT, KOMMUNE

I did have a few home deliveries from Jules at Hop Hideout during that terrible second lockdown, but I hadn’t been to the bar at Kommune, a rambling food court of a style that even Crewe copies these days.

I asked the helpful lady for something non-alcoholic as I was feeling “delicate” after Leeds (a theme for subsequent posts”; after a few seconds she came up some great suggestions and then said “there’s a radler that’s only 2.5%; that’s almost non-alcoholic”. Now THAT’S service.

Rock Leopard x Bianca Road sounds like a metal/country collaboration on the Billboard Hot 100, it was a great sour-ish shandy that tasted decent strength. I doubt my half will pay the heating bill but at least that’s shared with Korean chicken and bubble tea outlets.

Then I walked through Kelham, wondering about low/no alc, beers in the valley, but got distracted by Alder.

If anywhere attests to the strength of the real ale “scene” (ugh) in Sheffield it’s Alder, a bar-cum-live venue-cum-garden centre in what was once Sheffield Brewery. Still not in the GBG, either.

I loved it at first sight; quirky, loud and with lovely beer.

But I hadn’t been since last Summer, and I’d forgot they had keg Bass on the fonts.

Well, they did once, but the cheery and chatty barman (they always are) told me they’d stopped making the keg version in Samlesbury now, which may or may not be true but I hardly care.

You can still admire the little figurines on the keg fonts,

and enjoy a Titanic tap takeover. Which I would have done, except the Plum Porter was keg and I feel obliged to go Big Trip these days,

Paired, beer smellier style, with a packet of scratchings from (checks notes) Corby, The Bump was a coffee porter sensation.

Nice loos, too.