Back to Blog and how the world has changed

By becksie

Here are 10 ways Becksie’s drinking world has changed since June 2^nd 2010:

1. Grindsmith is alas no more, it remains but a very short and treacly memory.  I’m sure we’ll see them back in some shape or form; the coffee was too good for a return not to happen.

2.  There’s a new kid in town, namely, North Tea Power on Tib Street, serving loose tea, espresso tea, green tea latte, tea pigs . . .  tea in every essence you can imagine and the coffee selection is expansive too.  On my first visit I was a little shocked when I ordered Americano only to find it was Tea Americano, so do say if you want coffee.  I had to laugh with my dad, who I took there recently, as he was terribly confused by the bits floating in the percolator.  He thought his tea had been infested with flies, we have both learnt from our mistakes.

3.  The world of supermarket beer is evermore expanding with Morrisons now stocking 3 Brewdogs.  I grabbed a few 5am Saints and Trashy Blondes from the local one in Cheadle last week, £1.59 a bottle.  They also stock Punk IPA, but Tesco and Sainsburys are better for this at £1.37 each.

4.  Tesco have their own Double American style IPA brewed by Brewdog, it clocks up 9.2% and is a denser style than their own Hardcore, but it’s good and when I managed to grab them they were on 3 for £4, so excellent value.  Tesco are also doing a ginger beer that’s really good for this time of year, brewed by the William Brothers it’s got a fiery ginger kick, not like with Crabbies, its full hearted wintry and only 3.8%.  Sainsburys have also got an impeccably good ginger beer, though the front cover designs a bit naff. It’s brewed with the Freeminer’s brewery and it is lovely, bizarrely warming when chilled with a slice of lemon.

5.  My favourite beer for this time of year has to be Dark Star Espresso beer, combining my 2 adorations beer and coffee, it’s the perfect combination.  I picked up a bottle from the newly expanded microbar in the Arndale, their beer selection is really good and keeps growing.  I also picked up 312, goose islands urban take on a wheat beer, and looked longingly at Brewdogs AB04.

6.  Weatherspoons Real Ale festival is running till 14^th Nov, and they’ve done a really good job.  You can get three 1/3 glasses for £1.69 and the selection is impressive.  Last week in our local Didsbury branch, we had the Brewdog Edge, woo hoo such a plumy mild 3.2%, a biscuity White Horse Sniveller’s Corner 4.7%, and American Rye Humour beer 4.5%.  Look at the revolving selection they have on here: http://www.jdwrealale.co.uk/

7.  I’ve discovered a new coconut water, I think it’s called cocofino, £1.49 from Holland and Barrett. I’ve been getting 2 as its buy one get one half price at the moment.  It’s really nice and comes in a can: toasted coconut you are what my taste buds like.

8.  I dropped off the bus the other week in Rushholme and with a chill in the air I wondered what on earth to drink.  I bobbed into an over enthused sweet delight emporium, although the board sent me dizzy and the array of sick colouring made my hangover swell, I ended up walking out a happy bunny with a tea massala with soy milk in.  Lovely and spicy, but in a soothing way, I went on my merry way to moomin land. (I actually did. I love discovering new drinks.)

9.  Mulled wine season is upon us, and by God does this make me happy.  I stretch it out more than anyone I know, from now until February.  As I’m going to Berlin in December it will be my on call drink to warm up my hands and my cheeks.

10. Coffee Frescato – had a bad experience in Costa recently and so wrote a dedicated email of complaint, demonstrating my dismay at being given a Frescato of watery consistency with globs of powder and no friggin coffee beans.  If you’ve ever had one you’ll know the new recipe requires grinding the beans, and then you get a little nibble as well as a drink.  They are a slight nuisance when they get in your teeth, as you can’t shift them, but yummy they are.  Anyway they responded and gave me a £10 voucher for their coffee.  As I’d be crazy to go down the ice route at this time of year, though I had one last Saturday, I’m now resigned to sticking with the newish flat white, drink of the season for the time being.

Advertisement

Vote for the microbrewery in the Arndale

OK, if I were to say I was taking you out for a decadent drink you may not be overly impressed to find yourself sitting in the Arndale’s food market, with the waft of fish and hyperactive kids drinking those stupid cake in a shake drinks.

But this little bar is a diamond, and deserves all the votes it can get

It serves Boggart and Brew Dog beers all for £2.50 a bottle, you can get two pints to take home, and they have ever changing guest ales voted for by it’s drinkers.

On order for a very special treat, me and Adam have purchased two bottles of Brew Dog’s Tokyo ale, which retails in at £10 a pop and knocks up 18.2%abv.  

I think my favourite drink so far is Brew Dog’s Dogma, which has been described as speedball, it’s excellent, I also like the Boggart’s Rum Porter and I found the Dark Star Espresso beer bottled and available to take away from this nifty little bar.

Drinking in or taking away the landlady is a pleasure and she knows her stuff

Please try it and vote for them in the MFDF the link is http://www.foodanddrinkfestival.com/awards and it’s the macro brewery

Cheers drink responsibly, drink good beer

Reviewing my week

Festivals – (1) Green Man even though it’s grown in size the festival still remains with the feeling of friendly intimacy, not that I ever went to it when it was half the size.  I don’t think I can see myself booking for something like Glastonbury, after festival experiences like this, and End of the Road in 2 weeks woop.

Films – Inglorious Basterds, ten years in the making, what?!  I can’t say I didn’t laugh because the whole concept seemed to be hodgepodged together combining a mock attempt at Cohen brothers style, with a poor man’s Ocean’s 11 and Hot Shots. It made me laugh because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing hailed as a masterpiece, I thought there were some scenes that worked really well, the opening one especially, but then Brad Pitt came along.

Things I’ve bought: a lame example of an iced latte from Coffee Tempo on the motorway, I never live and learn with this one.  2 shit coffees from the cinema ,I never learn with this one and the coffee costs more than the film, Beetroot crisps, Brew Dog beers, some razor blades which  got ID for.

Bizarre occurances: seeing Amy’s mannequin dressed up as a person with a pink wig, nearly using a jar of Tikka sauce that had been opened for three months and had turned slightly grey, Wilko wees, Waking up

Tonight is DJ Jay Krause hope he doesn’t puke on the turntables

Saturday mornings sipping ginger tea

I love three gingers tea by Pukka, it is a god send with warming turmeric and takes the night before out of your mouth.

I’m not hungover this morning, but sipping my tea made me think about good old rescues if you feel hungover or just a little sick.

Top 5 cures for feeling nauseous

1. Frappucino, Frescatos, Freezers, Ice blended coffee – whatever they’re called they do the trick, so long as you are not suffering from too much caffeine, in that case stick to banana based ones for sure.

2. Coconut water –  if your flush Holland and Barratt £1.29 for the pure, if your not Tesco for coconut with pulp and sugar 42p a can, I sometimes get this from Adele’s worldwide foods too.

 3. Chicken – it helps, I convinced myself that eating chicken liver would increase my ability to process alcohol, this did not.

4. Yeasayer – my saving grace on the way back from ATP

5. A shower – no matter how much effort it seems, freshness is good.