I occasionally take a brewery tour around All Gates but the recent death of my father and having to play catch up at work has meant that I have not for a good couple of months. These have all been hosted in recent weeks by our very capable Wigan Africaaaaner sales lady, Cheryl. That changed this week and I hosted my first for a long while.

I like to think I know a fair amount about beer. I don’t know all there is to, for sure, but do know that the majority of people know very little about beer, or for that matter care to. That a small minority know a lot and likewise there is a tiny minority who live in the fantasy world of thinking they know a bit but don’t realise this is not enough to make them an expert. (more…)

Back in June I posted, Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch and seeing a man about a hop! and As rare as Rocking Horse shit! , this after I had re-tweeted a couple of stories about Flying Dog Brewery.

The first – dated June 6th concerned Flying Dog Brewery CEO, Jim Caruso, announcing that the company was halting distribution in five states. Caruso in a letter to distributors wrote:

“As local demand for Flying Dog beers continue to soar, we are concentrating our distribution in our home markets and Flying Dog beers will not be available in your territory for some unknown period of time.

This is no doubt disappointing news, but it is a necessary decision and consistent with the new age of craft beer and the focus on local markets.”

Flying Dog wasn’t alone amongst American craft breweries having to re-evaluate its distribution network, as Dogfish Head, Great Divide and others had also reduced the number of states they supplied. And with distribution in 45 states and 20 countries prior to this contraction, the move by Flying Dog was perhaps inevitable. (more…)

Please accept my apologies, this post is four weeks out of date. Time is my enemy. Time is not my friend.

Anyway the awards just keep on coming! All Gates Brewery is delighted to announce that we had success at the recent SIBA Great Northern Beer Competition with All Black (silver in the Mild category) – thanks to all who supported us!

The whole competition was contested by 80 northern breweries entering 254 cask beers. Judging was by blind tasting.

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The 14th Manchester Food & Drink Festival takes place in Albert Square and across the region from 7th – 17th October 2011.

As part of the Food & Drink Festival for the third year running, the Greater Manchester Ale Festival returns to Albert Square  and the opening session, running from Friday 7th – Wednesday 12th October with FREE ENTRY.

There is also a programme of live entertainment and the festival includes a competition to find ‘The People’s Pint’.

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Almost everyone loves a high; whether its a cold beer after a long day in the office or that much needed cigarette after a long and tedious meeting. But its not a human invention, as experts have found that animals also seek out highs from plants, bugs and from, well, whatever they can find.

Like people, elephants are complex social animals; this means they exhibit a lot of human-like behaviour; they nurture their young, mourn their dead and, like a good many of us, enjoy a malted beverage when they can get it.

According to BBC bulletins twice in the past twelve years, elephant herds in Assam, India have stumbled upon barrels of rice beer (sake), drained them and then run amok. (The first time, they trampled four villagers to death and the second time six).  And earlier this year in Kendrapada, near Jaipur, a herd of 10 inebriated pachyderms ransacked some 15 houses after drinking the tribal liquors Mahuli and Handia. (more…)

Another mention for All Gates; this one in The Telegraph; Weekend section of 13th August 2011 in a review of  The Buffet Bar, Stalybridge Station, by Chris Arnot who, “settles on an ambrosial pale ale from All Gates”.

A very good review for our friends at the Buffet Bar also.

Read the full article here .

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Following All Gates Inns’ acquisition of this pub in late March we are in the process of refurbishing the whole building and hope to re-open; flooring contractors permitting, sometime during the week commencing 20^th June 2011.

We will have six brand new Angram hand pulls on the bar dispensing a range of All Gates and guest beers plus a draught Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider and a range of lagers and Guinness etc.

However as a first for All Gates we are going to promote a Bottled Beer Menu comprising a range of 50 or so Belgium, German, U.S.A and other foreign beers. I have been given the task of drawing up the shortlist; or really long list of beers for inclusion on this menu. (more…)

I wrote about this a few weeks ago; Mad Monk; sailing to Russia with Ale for Sail 2011, and I guess it’s fairly old news now, but having just filled out the application form and having had confirmation of a berth available for me, I’m rather excited.

Brilliant Beer’s Tim O’Rourke is the man behind this initiative to take Imperial Russian Stouts back to St. Petersburg in Russia.

The Ale4Sail Great Baltic Adventure is an ambitious attempt not only to recreate the sea journey made by beers from England to Russia in the 18^th century, but to promote British cask beers in festivals in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki.

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All Gates Brewery is delighted to announce that Mad Monk has been judged as the Champion Strong Ale of Britain.  

Judging took place on Thursday 10th February 2011 at The Canal House, Nottingham.

The winners were announced at the prestigious Society of Independent Brewers annual brewing conference on 4th March and Mad Monk was judged Gold award winner:

Strong Ales category (5.6% and above)

Mad Monk is produced in the tradition of 18th Century English Brewers who supplied the Court of Russia’s Catherine the Great and is already developing something of a cult following wherever it goes. It’s a rich intense brew with big complex flavours and a warming finish. The colour is Henry Ford ‘Black’ and it has a massive bitterness level of 75 IBU’s.

The beer pours with a frothy tan head that would make Starbucks envious. It’s loaded with chocolate and coffee aromas, some roast notes and bready yeast. It’s a rich mouthful, sweet, even luscious, but nicely balanced by the somewhat unusual, all American hops for this style, Cluster, Northern Brewer and Centennial. 

Overall a very big and complex, downright kick ass beer.

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Ale for Sail is a fabulous attempt to replicate one of the brewing world’s great adventures. From the heart of London to the centre of St. Petersburg… this has to be one of the most epic journeys a drayman has made for 200 years!

Brilliant Beer’s Tim O’Rourke is the man behind an initiative to take Imperial Russian Stouts back to St. Petersburg in Russia.

The Ale4Sail Great Baltic Adventure – www.thegreatbalticadventure.com – is an ambitious attempt not just to recreate the epic sea journey made by beers from England to Russia in the 18^th century, but to promote British cask beers at festivals in Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen.

(more…)