Hop, Clip, & Pump

Oakham Ales is a brewery based in Oakham, Rutland, in the heart of England. Founded in 1993, the brewery has become synonymous with quality ales, innovative brewing techniques, and a commitment to using the finest ingredients. Oakham Ales has won numerous awards for its beers, including the prestigious Champion Beer of Britain award , which it won in 1998 and 2001 for its flagship beer, Citra . This beer has become an icon of the brewery and is one of the most popular ales in the UK. But Oakham Ales is not just about Citra. The brewery produces a range of high-quality beers that cater to all tastes and occasions. From refreshing pale ales to rich stouts , Oakham Ales has a beer for every palate. Let's take a closer look at some of the beers produced by Oakham Ales: Citra As mentioned earlier, Citra is Oakham Ales' flagship beer. It is a golden ale that is bursting with fruity hop flavours, thanks to the generous use of Citra hops . This beer is refreshing, zesty, and perfect...

  The venue I work for furloughed us a week ahead of the rest of the country and to begin with my 80% wages seemed pretty decent for a zero hours worker. I've always put my hand up for every shift going,splits, doubles, back-to-back,you get the picture but because I had two jobs last year I took a large drop in income compared to 2019 when furlough only paid out for one. Purely by chance I was invited to apply for a hospitality grant to help me get through the crisis. It helped massively both financially and mentally to have that helping hand when I needed it most. Now I'd like to introduce you to Hospitality Action  who offer different kinds of help including mental health and financial support.  Hospitality Action was established in 1837 and has since offered vital assistance to all who work, or have worked within hospitality in the UK. We’re here for the chefs, waiters, housekeepers and managers. We’re here for the concierges, receptionists and kitchen porters. And we’...

Back in the day when pubs were pubs, full of lairy hairy men not afraid to quaff ten pints and chase them with a Belgian Tripel and a Jamesons I sold many, many bottles of Duvel. Its not a personal favourite of mine but there's no doubt in the outstanding provenance of the Moortgat brewery .  Maybe not so well known here in the UK is their penchant for design. Simply put Duvel do more than brew beer, they've created an impressive collection of unique glassware . This year Duvel collaborated with the very talented Dutch tattoo artist Morrison Schiffmacher to create one of the most stunning art glasses I've ever seen.  And speaking of provenance Morrison has a decently rich heritage herself.  Her father Hendrikus Johannes Everhardus "Henk" Schiffmacher, also known as Hanky Panky, is himself a tattoo artist. He is considered an expert within the field having curated exhibitions, written books, and presented television shows on the subject. Schiffmacher has claimed me...

Believe me a man's choice (or woman's) of beer glass is a vitally important part of the imbibing culture, it marks the transition from being 'just a customer' to being 'a regular' in their favourite pub. When they walk through the door, the bar tenders hand is already reaching for their drinking vessel of choice marking their status at the bar. Here's a handy guide to choosing your own special glass.

Somewhere in deepest, darkest Kent there lies a pub called the George and Dragon, beneath said pub lies a cave (cellar) where the magic happens and the most innovative real ales are created. I like the Common Ancestor idea so much, from each mash two brews are created one strong IPA and another lower strength session pale. this has always been a tried and tested brewing technique but Caveman Brewery openly exploits it to their advantage. Another quirky Caveman idea is the Evolution range of ales and it was number 7 that ended up on the bar this weekend. Evolution #7 is an innovative, lively, zesty brew. Tangerine meets sponge cake, honeydew melon topped with crystallised ginger with hints of banana, grape and nettle pop create a fascinating wonderland for the taste buds. Too much flavour? I hear you ask. Is there such a thing? On the back of the palate there's a little antiseptic astringency tucked up with crab apple and cucumber. A little floral foolishness, wild meadow f...

First brewed in the 18th century, the original pale ales were a lightly hopped beer with a pale appearance; hence the name - pale ale. During this time, pale ales has begun to gain popularity among traders in India. From this grew a demand for export-ready pale ales - beer which could weather and mature during the journey to eager customers oversees. Beers of this nature quickly became known as Indian Pale Ales; the ancestors of the IPAs we know and love today.  While British IPAs grew in popularity, it wasn't long before other countries cottoned onto this style of beer. America, for example, had also begun brewing a similarly high strength beer before 1900. Today, America is a key player in forging the future of brewing and craft ales, mainly thanks to the wide range of hops available which include varieties such as Chinook, Simcoe, Tomahawk and Centennial. Given the depth of taste and aroma achieved from these finely tuned hop varieties, some IPAs need only contain one hop s...