Beer Festival: Fishpond at Matlock Bath

Yesterday I attended only my second beer festival, which is quite something given that this blog has now been running for four years. I know, I know, I am something of a late developer. We were up Matlock Bath way on Friday and as we pootled about I happened to notice a sign for a beer festival being held there and so scoped out a few local hostelries to see what was available. Not seeing much, but enough to warrant a trip out, I decided to keep my powder dry. However, come morning and Willow suggested I have a day out and I checked the transportation (buses) and decided that it could be done.

One long bus trip later I was in Matlock Bath and thence into the hosting public house, being the Fishpond just on the southern edge of the place. The sun was struggling to shine, though it was a lovely warm day, and I, apparently, was the very first person to arrive for the day. Not at all embarrassing, no sir. Well, okay, I was slightly embarrassed. However, they were open and they did have stuff on tap and so, with a notebook in one hand and my embarrassing habit of taking photos on my phone, I began my journey of the day. Would you like to join me?

Beer Review: BG Sips

I suppose it is now properly summertime and that means that I must pass from the dark ales of the spring and winter into the lighter pale ales that populate the sunlit uplands of the fair Isles in which I reside. Time to pass into the mellow and the meadow, to repose among the buzzing bees and the breeze blown trees in the sun of the garden and the... okay, you got me, it is dark, I am working and I am having an ale on a less than warm day (but not cold) after some humidity and some rain. So sue me. It is BG Sips (I see what they did there) by the Blue Monkey people that, apparently, are pretty local to me, and moreso than I would have previously thought.

Would you like to know more?

Beer Review: Infinity

I should be clear here, when I found and bought this beer in Matlock Bath I did not know that it was also brewed with Citra hops. I just liked the fact that it was pink and vaguely local to Matlock (15 miles up the road according to the lovely fellow in the General Store that sold it to me).

Anyway, tonight I shall be incurring the ire of strangers with a review of Infinity by a littler brewery by the name of Blue Monkey Brewery. I saw four ales made by them today when I bought the one I am now having and intend to one day try them all.

Now that that's out of the way would you like to know more?