The Drinking Man's Guide To Scotland
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Busy Busy BUSY !!!

11/27/2011

2 Comments

 
November has been crazy busy ! I've been traveling a lot with work and it's taken me to the Highlands of Scotland right down to the south of ireland, via middle England. 

I was working in Inverness at the start of the month and I managed to take in a few pubs when I was there. check out the reviews of The Castle Tavern, Johnny Foxes, Gunsmiths and Hootananny. The best pub I was in in Inverness has to be Hootananny, I was there with my cousin Eilidh and her fiance Stuart on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed, with a band playing traditional Scottish music and people dancing. I joined in with the dancing and also enjoyed a few real ales from the Black Isle Brewery. I heartily recommend this bar if you are in town. Check out the pictures below of Hootannany: 
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I arrived home from Inverness late on A Sunday night and early on the following morning I was heading to middle England, just south of Bristol to a place called "Shepton Mallet". This is where Gaymers Old English Cider is made, along with a few other ciders. I was working for a company called C & C and went to the cider mill. Shepton is a pleasant little place and we stayed at "The Thatched Cottage". It's a great little hotel and has a well stocked bar and friendly staff 
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On the 18th of November I was at the Beehive in Edinburgh for the S.I.B.A. bottled beer competition. I was judging in the Porters and golden ales category and in the speciality ales category. I loved being at this event meeting and talking to people with a love for all things beer and brewing. The event was very well run and I tasted about 18 different beers. I met brewers, bloggers, pub managers and well known faces from S.I.B.A. The event took about four hours and the effort that went into judging the beers took me by surprise, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Check out the pictures from the event:
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The Beehive Inn - Edinburgh

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Walter Dunlop, (TinPot Brewery), and me.

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Fiona, the head brewer and owner of "The Loch Lomond Brewery"

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Bob Knopps, of the Knopps Beer Company.

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Dean, a brewpub manager, and myself out having a few beers after the competition finished. 

The Sunday after the S.I.B.A. event I was heading to southern Ireland on another leg of the C & C employee road show. We went to Clonmel to the Magners Cider Mill and bottling plant. It was loud !!! they bottle 60,000 per hour !!! Check out the short video below:
Work is starting to calm down, which means I will soon have enough time to finish my book, "The tartan Pint", which I hope to have ready for Christmas. I hope that you will find this of interest and buy it and read it ! I'm also having some fun designing a few drinking T Shirts which I hope you will like. 

Until the next time................. 
2 Comments
Gareth Hardman
12/2/2011 09:08:32 am

Well Alastair, never thought you would make it up here. More fool me, as I should have told you to go to Blackfriars, the best "real" pub in Inverness with 5 Scottish real ales always on tap. Quiet during the week but great music & craic on Saturdays and the ales always on fine form and friendly locals and "incomers" like me to talk too. Thought you may have had the Good Beer Guide and found it. Never mind. Still you weren't far wrong with Gunsmiths, 4 is generous. Cheers
Gareth

Reply
Alastair
12/5/2011 03:13:16 am

Hi Gareth, thanks for the comment. I'll make sure I have a few beers in Blackfriars next time I'm in town.
Cheers,
Alastair

Reply



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