I’m an enthusiastic student if the subject interests me. If you’ve caught my attention, you can be assured that I’ll do my best to make you proud – I’m the human equivalent of a golden retriever. I’m hoping this came off as endearing when I spent the morning with the team at Moorhouse’s in Burnley […]
Katie Makes Beer (Apparently)
I’ve been given the opportunity to work with a proper brewing team to use a pro kit to make any beer I want, and my initial response was to start freaking out slightly because WHAT DO I CHOOSE? (Fun side-quest: if you’re not sure what imposter syndrome is, look it up here and tell me […]
The Session #133 Hometown Glories – The John O’ Gaunt, Lancaster
The John O’Gaunt is a pub I measure all others against. Modestly squatted between high-street shops and the Sally Army on Market Street, Lancaster, its pot-bellied, stained glass window gives only a glimpse at what lies within. On most Friday, Saturday and Sundays, you’ll find a band tuning up in the bay window at the […]
Thoughts on beer accessibility
“Peroni is aspirational. Cloudwater is something beamed down from another planet.” These words by the Pub Curmudgeon stuck in my brain after reading his piece on working class drinkers, not least because I am one. It made me think about the angle at which I approached beer from, and why I’m finding myself more and […]
Moorhouse’s and “embracing the craft beer revolution”
Burnley-based Moorhouse’s Brewery has undergone some grand changes in recent months. Back in April 2017, they appointed new Managing Director Lee Williams, a distinct strike out into fresh new waters. Williams had previous success bringing rival brewery Thwaites into craft beer contention with popular hop-forward 13 Guns and the big success of Wainwright, which I […]
Pub Culture Songs: The Copper Top
Music is hugely important to me and so I thought this new series of blog posts could reflect that passion from a pub culture point of view. The thing is, most legendary songs are written in pubs. On the back of beermats, on torn up cigarette packets, noted in a phone, or just half-thought of […]
You’re answering the wrong questions about craft beer
If you follow me on Twitter, you might already know that I successfully completed my first bar shift in more than 7 years recently. No mean feat, considering my customer service and mental arithmetic skills have been made slow and lazy by desks. I’d been tentatively excited about it. Working behind a bar is something […]
Pubs of Dublin
Visiting Dublin was a revelation to me. The city breaks I normally take are in places where the sun shines and impromptu fiestas block roads and rouse plaza drinkers to take their tiny saucers of cubed snacks into the streets. To visit somewhere less than 200 miles away midwinter seems counter-productive – what for? Why […]
Fear Beers
For avid travellers, both Tom and I are massive scaredy cats. You’d think an aeroplane engineer would be fine in the sky, but he’s not a fan of aviation once it leaves the ground. I’m much worse – arriving at Manchester Airport train station fills me with dread and things don’t get much better until […]
Purity, Truth and Love – Mr. Fitzpatrick’s lasting reminder of Lancashire’s dry heritage
As far as I know, there’s no person more virtuous than the designated driver. A selfless individual who puts others’ pleasures ahead of their own, they and they alone ensure the safe homeward journey of their inebriated friends and colleagues. They take drunken conversations in their stride and never roll their eyes at the suggestion […]