Total Loss to East Sussex of Dark Star Beers...

By Steve the Beermeister:

Hmmm... Yes, the brewing of the Dark Star range of ales is moving yet again! It began when Asahi bought up Fuller's (blog), which had previously taken over Dark Star, and then started brewing Dark Star Hophead at the Griffin Brewery at Chiswick to 'maximise' production. On realising that Hophead just wasn't up to scratch whilst brewed in West London, brewing Hophead was returned to the Dark Star brewery at Partridge Green. Then! Asahi decided to close down the Dark Star Brewery at Partridge Green and move brewing of Dark Star ales to the Meantime Brewery in South East London (blog).

Meantime had trouble getting the formula right and Hophead again began tasting nothing like Hophead, but recently it seemed like they'd sorted it out and the quality of Hophead improved again, thankfully. But now Asahi have decided to 'maximise' again, indeed, have decided to close down the Meantime Brewery in South East London (The Drinks Business) and move all brewing to the old (Fuller's) Griffin Brewery in West London... 😣 It doesn't bode well for the future of the quality of ales with Asahi I'm afraid, although, apparently, there's some sort of plan to have a smaller brewery and brewing experience in Greenwich (The Drinks Business). 

We'll wait and see what happens, but a sad loss to East Sussex...

Sussex Brewery Dark Star to leave the county...

 By Steve the Beermeister

Sad loss of Sussex brewery...

Since Fullers took over Sussex brewery Dark Star, we saw early problems when Fullers tried to brew Hophead at their West London Griffin Brewery to maximise production. Subsequently, brewing of Dark Star's full range of ales was returned to Partridge Green in West Sussex (website). Then Japanese giant Asahi took over Fullers (blog), and a little under 4 years later, the sad news is that the brewery at Partridge Green is to be closed down, maybe we should have seen that coming, it shouldn't be a revelation...

Because the brewery at Partridge Green is operating "significantly below capacity" it is to be closed down (not increase output there) and the brewing of Dark Star's range of beers is be moved to another Asahi acquisition Meantime Brewery in South East London. A spokesperson for Asahi suggests that the Dark Star beers will remain 'exactly as they are today' being brewed to the same recipe, but we all know what happens when beers are brewed away from their origins and water supply, 'tis not promising. A good short history of Dark Star Brewing and details of this sad news was written by Jessica Mason at the drinks business, worth reading.

Not great news, but it's what happens when accountants take charge... 😢

Another 'Crisis' Real Ale and Cider Provider in Hastings

By Steve the Beermeister:

The Tower

Further to recent blogs that I hope you found useful, particularly if you drink real ales and ciders, eg the April blog that gave a fair amount of details about drinks being brought to your door, and the blog from a week ago that added the opening times for collecting ale from The Jolly Fisherman, now we have another source to share... 

The Tower (see, for example, an older blog), up on the corner of London Road and Tower Road in Bohemia TN37 6NB, is holding a launch opening tomorrow (Monday 1st June 2020) and will then be opening 3 evenings a week from Wednesday 3rd June to provide off sales, with 'social distancing' facilitated, and hand sanitizer provided too:

Monday 1st June 2020 4-8pm; THEN

Wednesdays 4-8pm

Fridays 4-8pm

Saturdays 4-8pm

There will be 2 cask-conditioned ales on sale at £3.99 for 2 pints, changing as each cask runs out, kicking off with 2 Sussex ales this Monday, from Dark Star Brewing Co (website), their superb 3.8% pale refreshing session ale Hophead, brewed with Cascade hops providing plenty of citrus flavour and bitterness for you to relish. 

The second is a darker ale from Franklins Brewing Co (website), and a very interesting Porter style too, their 5.0% Sriracha Ace, brewed with Sorachi Ace hops to add a citrus note to dark chocolate and coffee flavours, apparently subtly spiced with Guajillo Peppers... I so need to try this one!

They are also selling 6 different real ciders (2 pints for £3.99); keg beers, beginning with Guinness, Fosters Lager and Stella Artois; cans, including ale and lager (2 cans for £3.80 or 4 for £7.49), from another local brewer, Gun Brewery (website); bigger cans (!) as in Mini Kegs from Gun Brewery too; and 3 bottles of wine for £20. 

2 pint reusable plastic bottles available, but please bring your own bags.

Great to see another local business helping us through the Coronavirus Crisis, and good luck to Louisa and her colleagues, who I may just see very shortly, cheers! 😉

Look after yourselves folk, be careful out there.