Saturday 28 November 2015

AN EVENING IN A BREWERY - WELL WHY NOT ?

You know you've had a good night when you wake up the morning after the night before feeling rough but satisfied. Such is my state today,  having managed to avoid any Black Friday nonsense in the perfect way. 

Last night was a get together between Houghton Le Spring Round Table and Sunderland & South Tyneside CAMRA branch at Maxim Brewery, in Houghton.

There were a about two dozen of us there enjoying the brewery's hospitality. They have a small bar with three handpulls; last nights offerings were Maximus, American Pride IPA and Hapi Christmas. 



Maximus is a strong (6%) , dangerously easy to drink dark ale.

American Pride IPA is a delicious 5.2% India Pale Ale, also dangerously easy to drink .@@

Hapi Christmas is as the name suggests, a seasonal 4.5% brew  in time for the festivities; this also went down well.

There was also a keg version of Swedish Blonde available.

To complement the beers, a fantastic spread was provided for us by the Smiths Arms pub ( about 3 miles away). In addition there was an optional brewery tour . I declined this,  having grafted , sorry,  worked there for a day in September  (Read about it here)

Maxim are members of SIBA ( Society of Independent Brewers). I was given some really useful information for an article I am preparing for the next branch magazine. You will have to wait till next year for that though.

The 3 hours there just flew by and a great night was had by all. A good start to the festive drinking  yet to come.


@@ Emphasis on Pale. Its not a black Pale Ale or a red Pale Ale, but a pale Pale Ale. There, that's got that of my chest