Every year the Vibrant Forest Brewery holds a small festival showcasing it’s own beers and one or two guest beers...
I’d been before, about three years ago, with my three friends (collectively we’re call ourselves the 'Old Farts' - for reasons I will not go into here). On this occasion due to other commitments the Festival trip was being made by just two Old Farts...
...yes...they’re the ones...
The beer festival is held in Brockenhurst Village hall in the heart of the New Forest and as is usually the case was well attended by over 18s and a few craft loving dogs...
In addition to the main hall shown above, there were people outside enjoying the unusually good August weather and in a couple of other rooms. The stage housed the cask bar (and DJ) and there was a separate keg bar.
Outside a Mexican street food stall was doing good business, while at the bar the team of brewery and volunteer staff were kept busy...well most of the time....even busy staff need a telephone break...
Of course beer festivals are all about the beers, and Vibrant Forest beers are...well....vibrant...
There was a tremendous range, from the session beer Summerland, and the full of flavour but easy drinking Black Forest porter, to high powered pale ale Kaleidoscope and stout Kick-Start.
There were also a couple of experimental hop bombs, which were vibrant but murky...
...and so having started steadily and sampled the session beers, the ABV count inexorably climbed to the dizzying heights of the stronger beers.
We finished our very reasonable six (half pint) tokens for £10, with the Victorian Mild, a throwback early 1900s sort of mild at 7% ABV, brewed as a collaboration between London breweries, Kernel and Redemption.
It’s hard to think of a more pleasant way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon but all too soon the hours, like the contents of our beer glasses, slipped away....
Festival glasses in hand we wandered back to the agreed meeting point for our lift home, a little late but feeling very vibrant...
Beer Mat Moment...
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| Vibrant Forest - (A Side) |
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| Vibrant Forest - (B Side) |
"the 'Old Farts' - for reasons I will not go into here"
ReplyDeleteThanks for that! (LOL)
"and there was a separate keg bar."
In the photo below that it looks like they're pouring beer out of desktop computers!
"There was a tremendous range, from the session beer Summerland, and the full of flavour but easy drinking Black Forest porter, to high powered pale ale Kaleidoscope and stout Kick-Start."
My mouth is watering already.
"We finished our very reasonable six (half pint) tokens for £10,"
That is pretty reasonable, agreed.
"but all too soon the hours, like the contents of our beer glasses, slipped away...."
(slow golf clap)
Nice turn of phrase. :)
Cheers
PS - "showcasing it’s own beers"
As stated on Life's blog (Beer Mat), I know "it's" contrary to the regular rules but no apostrophe needed to show possession with 'it'. :)
"collectively we’re call ourselves"
I think you were thinking one thing while typing the other (done that myself).
Typing and thinking - yes very tenuously linked in my case ;)
DeleteThey might have been desk top computers - craft beer is getting increasingly virtual you know...
Just so you don't have nightmares...OLD FARTS is One Lager Drinker and Fine Ales for the Remaining Three Society...worked well initially then the lager drinker was converted to real ale...:)
As you know my apostrophes follow no known conventions....
Cheers Russ
PS - isn't it about time for another what's in your fridge...?
"They might have been desk top computers - craft beer is getting increasingly virtual you know..."
DeleteThe day beer goes virtual is the day I go into a virtual coffin!
"Just so you don't have nightmares...OLD FARTS is One Lager Drinker and Fine Ales for the Remaining Three Society...worked well initially then the lager drinker was converted to real ale...:)"
LOL, it took me a minute to get that. (blush)
"As you know my apostrophes follow no known conventions...."
It is becoming your calling card, so to speak. :)
Cheers!
"PS - isn't it about time for another what's in your fridge...?"
You have caught me at a (good?) time so, ok. (I've been busy this weekend with assisting my darling wife deliver catering for 60 at a wedding about 25 miles away yesterday and then helping her flog coffee and food to folks attending an antique car show today.
So, here goes:
- One 440ml can of Guinness (just for old time's sake mostly)
- Two 355ml cans of Bowen Island Main Sail (4.3% ISA)
- Eight 355ml cans Vancouver Island Blackberry Helles (5% - these are mainly for my wife)
- Seven 500ml cans Red Racer 4% Session Ale
- Six 500ml cans Red Racer 6% Super Solar IPA
- Nine 500ml cans Red Racer 6.4% IPA
- Three 500ml cans Red Racer 5% Northwest Pale Ale
You may have noticed a preponderance of Red Racer. The brewer is actually Central City near Vancouver. They currently have a great deal on for their beers. They are selling their beers in 500ml cans for the same price as other companies are selling their 355ml cans. It doesn't hurt that I like their beer! I went to my favourite liquor store last week and found they have a 12 500ml can sampler pack of the four Red Racer beers mentioned above, and for cheaper than the equivalent in the Government liquor store (which sells Red Racer but not that particular pack). Needless to say I picked up a case, or two! In fact, I have two cases on standby that are not in the fridge. :)
Sounds like business is quite diverse and good Russ that type of event catering must be good. Hope you got to look round the antique cars while you were there...:)
DeleteWow that fridge beer range is impressive - can hear your fridge groaning under the weight from here....!
Red Racer obviously a good find - never heard of them this side of the pond (may just be me of course) but will check them out when I have a moment...
...and good for your wife with the Blackberry Helles - I assume you'll be hoping she will let you try one...;)
Funny you should mention Guinness - I brewed some of my own last Saturday - must better than the commercial stuff IMHO (in my hermits opinion)....
So I'd better reveal the contents of my beer fridge (it's only a small counter top one by the way)...
One 330ml Brew Dog Cocoa Psycho Imperial Russian Stout 10% (thought I'd start with the most impressive:)
Two 500ml Furze Dale Brewery (FDB) Lamplighter Light Ale 4.1%
One 500ml FDB Soothing Juice Bitter 5%
One 500ml FDB Furze Abbey Pale Ale 5%
One 330ml Westmalle Tripel 9.5%
One 330ml Tripel Karmelite 8.4%
One 330ml Petrus Aged Pale 7.3% (possibly the sourest oak foeder aged beer in the world)
One 330ml Petrus Rood Bruin 5.5%
One 330ml Petrus Aged Red 8.5%
One 330ml Petrus Dubbel 7%
and finally and most bizarrely - from the back of the cupboard) one 330ml FDB 2017 Christmas Ale 6.3%
Like you I've stocked up too - on a mixed 24 bottle crate of Petrus beers from Belgium. If you haven't tried it yet, the Petrus Aged Pale is something quite different and you wife in particular will love the Aged Red which is a blend of the Aged Pale, Dubbel and added cherries. Stunning cherry flavour and sweetness balanced with the sourness of the Aged Pale. My wife won't go near any beer but she liked the Aged Red!
Cheers!
Been meaning to get down to this one year, I'm a fan of the Vibrant ones, It's always been and gone before I remember, must try harder.
ReplyDeleteHopefully see you at the next one Citra.
DeleteRed Cat Brewing, Winchester are doing an open day Sat 20th October....