Piccolo Black, is a collaboration between local Barista, Piccolo Coffee and Tyne Bank Brewery.  It is a black pale ale brewed with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee which when drank iced produces lime and vanilla flavours. The hops, US Magum, Cascade and Galaxy complement the coffee along with the malt blend to give a hoppy ale with deep flavours, it weighs in at 5.1% and if It’s half as good as the other beers I’ve had from Tyne Bank or the coffee from Piccolo it will be great!!

You can find out more on the Tyne Bank Website, Piccolo Coffee Website or follow Tyne Bank, Piccolo and The Free Trade Inn on Twitter.

I was going to copy and paste the results from both into here but you really should go check out their blog’s if you haven’t already.

Once again a big thanks to everyone that took part and to Robbie for doing the logo, hope you had fun doing it and shal we say the same time next year?

On the blog front, watch this space for some new posts and a new website soon, it’s nearly there just needs  a few tweaks!!

All the best for 2012!!

1. Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer Hawkshead NZ Pale Ale – Truly delicious and stupidly drinkable. Second place goes to Summer Wine Nettle and Ginger Saison and Third goes to Hill Island ThaIPA.
2. Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer Roosters Babyfaced Assasin, The bottle is one of the sexiest out there, it was amazing fresh and even the OOD bottle that the Fozzards (or was it me?) carted round Newcastle at Twissup was just as tasty. Closely followed by Magic Rock Human Cannonball, Summer Wine Baristam Sharp’s amazing Honey IPA and Buxton Axe Edge.
3. Best Overseas Draught Beer De Molen Hot and Spicy at GBBF, The best chilli beer I’ve ever had, closely followed by the raft of sour beers and Kriek I supped at GBBF
4. Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer Hornbeer Black Magic Woman, followed by Orval and then Cantillon St Lamvinus
5. Best Overall Beer Orval, Fresh or aged it simply is one of the best beers going, one I’ve never got sick of drinking.
6. 

   Pandazilla and Darkhorse

   Best Pumpclip or Label Pandazilla spotted at the Free Trade Inn at Twissup Newcastle.

7. Best UK Brewery This is a really tough one there are some great breweries out there at the moment but it’s between Summer Wine, Kernel, Durham, Adnams and Hawkshead.
8. Best Overseas Brewery De molen, I’ve enjoyed virtually everything I’ve drank from the little windmill.
9. Pub/Bar of the Year A Tie between The Free Trade Inn and Bacchus, I could happily spend all day in either one closely followed by Hawkshead Beer Hall
10. Beer Festival of the Year I’ve only been to one proper one this year and that was GBBF
11. Supermarket of the Year Booths – even though I don’t have one locally, every time I visit one I always end up buying loads  of beer.
12. Independent Retailer of the Year Beer Ritz, Lots has changed at Beer Ritz in 2010 but the customer service and range of beers are great, both online and in store.
13. Online Retailer of the Year Beermerchants – Great range of beers from all around the world, usually the first to get stuff in.
14. Best Beer Book or Magazine Tough one, but my favourite book of the year did feature beer (only briefly) it’s called the Hills are stuffed with Swedish girls, buy it read it and laugh out loud.
15. Best Beer Blog or Website Reluctant Scooper, never fails to make me laugh.
16. Best Beer Twitterer Simonhjohnson, by a country mile.
17. Best Online Brewery presence Breweries are starting to realise its more important to be seen online, so my pints go to Adnams, Summer Wine, Hardknott, Buxton and Magic Rock
18. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year Hardknott Vitesse Noir and Chocolate Tart at the Cumbrian Beer Appreciation Do
19. In 2012 I’d Most Like To.. Got to Nottingham Beer festival, build more brewery websites and not get too drunk at my wedding
20. Cider of the Year Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon whether it’s £2 a pint in Wetherspoons or £2 a half in Chester Brewery Tap I really do love this cider.

Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th December

Bar open 11am till midnight each day.

The following ales will be served at The Cooks 4th Winter Warmers Fest.

• Okells, Red 4.7%
• Slaters, Blitzen 4.0%
• Idle, Santa 4.2%
• Copper Dragon, Christmas Classic 4.2%
• Redscar, Scrooge 4.0%
• North Yorkshire, Jingle Bx@!cks 4.4%
• North Yorkshire, Christmas Herbert 4.4%
• Brampton, Winter Bock 6.0%
• Roosters, Advent 4.3%
• Lymestone, Cold 4.7%
• Greene King, Rocking Rudolph 4.2%
• Wells & Young, Winter Warmer 5.0%
• Wychwood, Bar Humbug 4.3%
• Wychwood, Hobgoblin Ho Ho Ho 4.5%
• Grays, Stocking Filler.

Captain Cook Inn

There will also be a selection of ciders and the following pork pies to accompany the wonderful ales on offer.

• Pork, Turkey and Stuffing.
• Pork, Turkey and Cranberry.
• Pork & Stilton.
• Traditional Pork.
• Pork & Plum.
• Pork & Walnut.
• Pork, Chicken & Port.
• Pork & Curry.
• Pork & Mustard.
• Pork & Apricot.
• Pork, Apple & Cinnamon.
• Pork, Chilli & Ginger.
• Pork & Cider.
• Ploughmans.
• Pork & Black Pudding.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at The Cook

Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer: Marble Dobber

Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer: Fullers 1845, close runner up Marble/Fullers Old Manchester

Best Overseas Draught Beer: Bitburger

Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer: Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude, equal second Brewaucracy Pumpkin Image Inc and Epic Hop Zombie

Best Overall Beer: Fullers 1845

Best Pumpclip or Label: Magic Rock

Best UK Brewery: Marble

Best Overseas Brewery: Yeastie Boys

Pub/Bar of the Year: The Grove, Huddersfield

Supermarket of the Year: Waitrose

Online Retailer of the Year: My Brewery Tap

Best Beer Blog or Website: Hopzine

Best Beer Twitterer: first equal…SimonhJohnson and Alcofrolichap

Best Online Brewery presence: Magic Rock

Feel free to do a runner-up and a winner for each category (or some honourable mentions) and link to blog posts if you’ve written about winners before. For the open category you can choose whatever you want; it could be bargain of the year, night out of the year, barman of the year, cooking lager of the year, best beer photo, worst beer, anything you want. If there are any categories that you don’t want to give a winner for then just skip it.

It’s a bit of fun to see out the end of 2010 with a few nominations of what’s been the best of beer from the previous year.

1. Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer
2. Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer
3. Best Overseas Draught Beer
4. Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer
5. Best Overall Beer
6. Best Pumpclip or Label
7. Best UK Brewery
8. Best Overseas Brewery
9. Pub/Bar of the Year
10. Beer Festival of the Year
11. Supermarket of the Year
12. Independent Retailer of the Year
13. Online Retailer of the Year
14. Best Beer Book or Magazine
15. Best Beer Blog or Website
16. Best Beer Twitterer
17. Best Online Brewery presence
18. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year
19. In 2012 I’d Most Like To…
20. Open Category: You Choose

There you have it, get thinking!!

Big thanks to Robsterowski for doing the logo again.

Bacchus filling up nicely

So I just wanted to say a huge thanks to everyone that turned up, shared a beer and chatted with me, Andy and the guys and girls at Bacchus for sourcing and putting on some excellent beers, Mark and Julia at Tyne Brewery for their hospitality at the brewery and sharing their excellent beer, Mick and everyone at the Free Trade again for sourcing and putting on some amazing beer and supplying some much needed pies, Rob and the guys at Mordue Brewery for the Pandazilla beer! ToonBeerChris and Jeff Pickthall for their help in organising the day and who ever it was bought the day saving baked goods from Greggs.

Now for a few awards…

Beers of the day for me (in no particular order) were Highland Brewery’s Old Norway, Tempest Canyanero, Tyne Bank Southern Star, Summer Wine Covenant and Roosters Baby Faced Assassin, which Ol and Tom from Roosters brought along to share.

Pumpclips of the day were Rob’s Pandazilla and The Scottish Borders Brewery’s Dark Horse beer

The award for facial hair of the day goes to Dean from Mr Foleys with his Bronson inspired movember tash.

Journey of the day goes to Steve who flew all the way from Ireland to share a beer with people he’d never met before.

View of the day – has to be the view from The Free Trade Inn as the sun was setting

Moment of the day – turning up at Newcastle Railway Station and spotting Dredge a mile off looking like a little lost boy in his huge jacket while everyone else was walking around in t-shirts.

There will also be local fruit wine, soft drinks and snacks available and commemorative pint and half pint glasses featuring the 150 logo for sale.

Friday tickets have already sold out, not surprising when the last couple of years there’s not been much beer left on the Saturday

Opening hours on the will be;
11.11am – 5pm
6pm – 10.30pm (with live entertainment)
Advance evening tickets will be available from Whistlestop Wines priced £2.50 (CAMRA Members £1.50) from 1st September.

Live Entertainment:

Friday – Carpet Baggers
Saturday – John McGough

If any local businesses or individuals would like to sponsor a cask of ale or would like further information please contact Jill Day on (01287) 622444.

It’s at Hartlepool Borough Hall, Middlegate, Hartlepool TS24 0JD and there will be approximately 50 real ales along with ciders and perries plus wine will be available.

Festival Opening Times, Bands & Admission:

Friday 14th October: 6pm – midnight (The Moobs plus special guests, £12)

Saturday 15th October: Noon – 4pm (entry is £3 with no live entertainment)

Saturday 15th October: 6pm – midnight (The Right Stuff plus special guests, £12)

More info on http://www.hartlepoolbeerfestival.co.uk/ and you can download the beer list here

ALL 30 ALES, CIDERS AND PERRY WILL BE PRICED AT £2.00 A PINT ON THE OPENING DAY

Kick off will be at 11 am on Thursday 3rd November and will run till midnight Sunday 6th.

ENTRY IS FREE and we will be scouring the country to find ales with a Halloween and Guy Fawkes theme. We will also be serving 15 different flavoured sausages and jacket spuds with 15 different toppings to accompany the wonderful ales on offer.

Many thanks to everyone who has attended previous festivals to make them such a success, we look forward to seeing you at forth coming events and we also look forward to seeing some new faces to join our ever increasing gatherings.