A Good Afternoon Out

Have I tipped Wilson Potter as a brewery to watch? Dunno. I know I have praised their astonishingly clean beers on Twitter and I may have mentioned them elsewhere.  In fact, on checking I have and I was going to do so again following a visit on Saturday, but have been beaten to it by a fellow blogger,* who writes BeerManchester. So, rather than re-invent the wheel, I'll merely direct you to his report, which is here and which gives a potted history of the brewery and the rather pleasant lasses that own and run it.

One or two things to add.  While their cask beers, mostly hop forward, are really rather good, additionally they really seem to have cracked bottling beer.  Those that know me will be aware that I don't do much by way of bottled beer drinking, but the beers they produce are always worth having and last to their "use by" date rather well, maintaining condition, appearance and flavour.  Many of you will be aware that the ability to put beer in bottles by hand and produce something that isn't yeasty/spoiled/vinegary/ explosive, or just generally horrid, isn't a skill mastered by all.  This is undoubtedly helped by a Howard Hughes like obsession for cleanliness.  I am glad to confirm that they are starting to stride forward and earlier (natural) worries about progress seem to be behind them.  Concentrating on clean, hoppy, drinkable session beers seems to be working out for them and is proof (like their friends at Mallinsons) that brewing good suppable beer that people actively want to drink, is not a bad idea at all. In under six months I'd say they have come a long way.

Lastly, they are members of the Female Brewing collective known as Project Venus, though I'm pretty sure they regard themselves as "brewers" first and "brewsters" by accident of birth. That's as it should be too.

Seek their beers out and you won't go far wrong is my firm recommendation.  (Later this week, at the Oldham Beer Festival would be an ideal opportunity.)

I would tell you my blogging colleague's name, but when I met him, I was a few pints of Bon Don Doon in and either don't remember it, or am unsure that I was told it!

Local Appeal

The Oldham Beer Festival was a success. We effectively sold out, so though I won't bore you with the details, a big thanks to all that attended. The standard CAMRA three pints a head formula seemed to apply, so for those that didn't know how these things are worked out, you know now.

One observation. This year, with one long bar divided by the stairs to the stage, we split it between local beers and those from further afield. In our case local means twenty miles from the CAMRA Branch centre. No. Not my house, but still enough to give us quite a large number of beers to go at. This proved very successful (though some disagreed) with beers from local breweries standing up well to those such as Dark Star, Purple Moose, Red Willow, Stringers et al from further away. The first beer to sell out was Tandle Hill from my home town's Wilson Potter Brewery. Beers from other local breweries such as Green Mill, Greenfield, Lees and others sold very well and very quickly too.

It seems to me, people are very keen on local beers;  if the quality is right, they sell. Publicans, please note that provided you can buy them directly, they are often much cheaper too, despite discounting from bigger outfits and they do make a point of difference.

Buy (at least some beers) locally - make money - keep it in the community? Why not?  Seems potentially at least, a winning formula.

And no, the name Tandle Hill had nothing to do with me.