Back Again

 A shorter than usual gap between Sussex and Bristol, this time.

Mainly because we had been invited to friends' wedding.

I'm always conflicted at such events.  The absolute joy of being invited, the chance to share the celebrations of people you're very fond of but, the incipient social anxiety.  This, alone, had been preying on my mind.  Yes, I completely understand that it was going to be a relaxed affair, and that I was lucky enough to have best beer buddy with me and we took a couple of film cameras just in case it all got a bit much.

In the event, of course, it was a fun and wonderful day but I was pretty glad to have taken the decision to politely decline the evening do in a pub and, instead, head back home. (and  I've never been so grateful that a venue had bottled Tribute).

We did take a slight detour via New Bristol Brewery Taproom where we looked like a couple of people on the way home from a wedding.  All in all, though, a day well spent.

Work has been so full-on and I was so preoccupied by going to the wedding that Sunday was very much a take the brain out and just chill.  Perfect.

All we did is go as far as Marthas to play board games and drink beer.  Today has also been pretty chilled and we were going to head out for a bit of a walk, but have, instead, opted to stay closer to home.  It'll be the BM for us in a little bit.

Weirdly for me, the next 5 days have no meetings or appointments of any sort so I'm hoping to make a decent dent in my extensive to do list. oh, and drink some beer, natch.

Striking Out

 The sheer amount of weather, recently, has reduced our excursions both in Bristol and Sussex.  Frankly, I simply don't enjoy getting soaked.  Nor does BBB.

Things are brightening up (where brightening up = gone from wet and cold to stupidly hot) so yesterday we decided we'd stroll along the greenway, cross the railway bridge and make an attempt at a Totterdown venue.  I'd heard good things about the Shakespeare so we started there.  For us, there wasn't really any choice but they had a cracking pint of W&T Kaleidoscope.  It was fresh, with plenty of condition and it's soooooo much better as a cask beer than a can or keg one.

In fact, it was so good we had a second pint and decided to swerve the Oxford this time around.  Apparently not all the other punters were so keen.  The Butcombe was off and one of the other customers didn't like the W&T at all.  Never mind, eh?

Not a pub we'd hack up to every week but if we lived in the neighbourhood we would probably be regulars.

We walked back via the Greenway again.  All in all, a pleasant trip.

This evening I'll be insisting on Martha's.  It's our last evening here for a couple of weeks (back for a wedding towards the end of the month) and I wish to be in familiar and pleasant surroundings.  Martha's is most definitely that.

Best of all Possible Worlds

 Yesterday it was the first day of the May version of East Bristol Brewery Trail.

I'd planned this trip here to coincide - mostly because I really wanted to go to the Arbor Brewery Tap again (they're rarely open) - and with a chance to go to the Good Chemistry brewery, too.

James from Moor had told us on Friday that this weekend is their biggest with gigs and Sunday opening and everything else.  For the most part, though, we'll be avoiding the taps we usually go to because we supect it'll be pretty busy.

Yesterday promised sun and warmth - today, not so much - so we decided to make the trip to Arbor then. The walk from the flat to the brewery is a pleansant 30 minute or so amble along the cycle path so even that part is a nice part of the experience.  Spring is making itself known, with plenty of greenery and tweeting.

The whole way along we saw groups of people clearly travelling from one venue to another - LHG sounded very busy with people and I imagine W&T were too.

We expected Arbor to be less busy because it's a little more out of the way.  But we were wrong.  Very wrong.

The brewery yard had been decked out with makeshift pallet seating/tables some benches and there were people EVERYWHERE!  

Undeterred, we went to the bar and were served really efficiently by their lovely crew - narrowly missing a chance to get a seat at a table we wandered around a bit and then squeezed onto some pallet seating.  I've probably said before that we don't like crowds but the odd pleasant exchange with nearby punters was right up our street.

The bar was really efficient, the music good but not intrusive, it was warm and jolly - brilliant, in fact.  It has to be said we did prefer being there in December, quietly in their tapPortacabin but having their beers on draught (including a couple of casks) fresh as a daisy was grand.

As an aside, I re-read a couple of my earliest posts about keg beer.  Oh, boy, have I changed!  I mean, I still dislike shit beer and I tend to avoid larger breweries but my taste is considerably more catholic than it has ever been.  2013 me would definitely not have recognised 2024 me's drinking preferences.  Maybe you can teach an old dog new beers...?