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ImpAle 1LincolnCamra.org.uk

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Crisps as they should taste.www.piperscrisps.com @Piperscrisps Piperscrisps

All of our crisps have won great taste awards

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Lincoln Beer Festival 2013 Pull Out

CONTENTSISSUE 2 2013

For more details see:-www.lincolncamra.org.ukwww.lincolndrillhall.com

at the Lincoln Drill HallFree School Lane, Lincoln LN2 1EY

Lincoln BeerFestival

Over 100 Real AlesCiders, Perries & International Bottled Beers

Also food & live music in the Drill Hall Café

23rd May - 25th May 2013

4

5

3rd

Li

ncoln Beer Festival 2013

Campaign For Real Ale

15Lincoln BeerFestival 2013

The Regulars7Lincoln NewsA round up of Local Pub and Brewery News

11Lincoln Members Page & Branch DiaryFind out what’s going on in the Lincoln CAMRAbranch.

24/25RecimpesWhat’s cooking in the CAMRA kitchen?

24/25Bottled Beer ReviewA selection of beers from Hobsons Brewery

31MembershipSign up to CAMRA

The Guests17Meet the Brewer - Tom Woods Brewery

20Dambusters History

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17

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4 ImpAle LincolnCamra.org.uk

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May is ImpAle’s 2nd birthday and I amexceptionally grateful to the small team ofcontributors who work hard to put thismagazine together. This dedicated teamspend their spare time meeting brewers(it’s a hard life), drinking beer (again it’s ahard life), testing recipes (do I need to say itagain?). A small network of people go out

in all weathers to ensure that 3 times a year over 3000 (that’sover 9000 a year) copies of this magazine are distributed toLincolnshire pubs.

So let’s hear it for some of our regular contributors.Please enjoy this issue of ImpAle and as usual if you have anycomments please send them to [email protected] Or tweet me @ImpAleEditor. Orbe my friend on Facebook – Lincoln CAMRA ImpAle

Wendy

PS – In January’s issue we printed an article about micro pubs.The article incorrectly states that Health was a licensing objective.This is incorrect and we apologise for the error.


Welcome.

ImpAle

EditorWendy Margetts

DesignMatt RichardsArt of Matelot, Matelot Marketing Limited

PublisherNeil Richards MBE, Matelot Marketing LimitedTel:01536 358670 Mob:07710 [email protected]

Front CoverPicture by Sean Taylor landlord at TheBluebell, Tattershall Thorpe

With kind help fromSteve Renshaw, Wendy Renshaw, SteveRichardson, Phil Kempton, Aaron Joyce,Ashley Sewell, Jerry Gale, Greg Richards,Richard Banks, Peter Warner, Tony Howkins,copies/images of Lincoln Library withpermission of Lincolnshire County Council:Lincoln Central Library: Local StudiesCollection, Sara Basquill, Lincolnshire Echo.

ImpAle is the magazine of Lincoln CAMRA and Louth CAMRAbranches. CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumerrights. It is an independent, voluntary organisation with more than140,000 members nationally. ImpAle magazine is published threetimes a year and is available free through pubs in Lincoln and Louthbranch areas. To join CAMRA, help preserve Britain’s brewing andpub industry, get the campaign’s quarterly newsletter and its monthlynewspaper What’s Brewing and a host of other membership benefits –visit www.camra.org.uk

CAMRA is a limited company, run at national level by an elected unpaidboard of directors and at regional level by volunteer regional directors,both backed by full time professional staff.

Consumer RightsFor complaints about issues such as short measures contactLincolnshire Trading Standards on 01522 782341 or Consumer Directon 0845 404 0506.

DisclaimerThe views contained within ImpAle do not necessarily represent theviews of CAMRA, the editor, or the Lincoln and Louth branches.

Campaign for Real Ale230 Hatfield RoadSt Albans, Herts.

AL1 4LWTel: 01727 867201

Email: [email protected]

Our Twitter account @Lincoln_CAMRA now has over 1480 followers! Our friends on our Facebook account are also increasing at asteady rate! To help keep the success going we need your help! Please email Aaron at [email protected] withyour local pub’s events, be it a regular weekly quiz/food night and one off events, it's an easy way to become active within the branchwith minimal effort. We are also on Instagram too @Lincoln_CAMRA

Hello Again

Aaron Joyce Ashley Sewell Greg Richards

Jerry Gale Steve Renshaw Steve Richardson

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Family fun at PheasantryThe Pheasantry Brewery, nearEast Markham, is holding abeer festival and family weekendfrom Thursday, 20th June toSunday 23rd June. Six of theirown beers, including PheasantryPilsner and the summer special,Dancing Dragonfly, will beavailable, plus numerous guestales and ciders. The Pilsnerhas recently been launched inthe Pheasantry bar and isproving to be a great success. Itis a smooth but well-hoppedpilsner-style lager brewed andconditioned over a 3 monthperiod. The weekend will havesomething for everyone, with abarbecue and live music onFriday and Saturday nights, anda bouncy castle and children’sgames in the beer garden. Fulldetails can be found on thebrewery’s website.

www.pheasantrybrewery.co.uk


IN BRIEF

NEWS

Pic - Landlady Emma Chapman celebrates the Brewer’s success.

The Jolly Brewer on Broadgate hasbeen selected as the Lincoln CAMRABranch Pub of the Year for 2013. Thisis the second time in three years thatlandlady, Emma Chapman, has won theaward.

Reacting to the news, Emma said ‘It’s thebest thing that could have happened for us!It’s a real honour anyway, but for it to comeat the end of a very difficult year trade-wise,is such a boost for morale. The award isvery good for trade as well - it raises the

profile of the pub and we've had a lot ofnew custom because of it. So, all in all,we're delighted!’

The selection process started with a voteby local CAMRA members. Then fivejudges visited the pubs that topped thepoll to assess the quality of the beer, theatmosphere, service, community focusand value for money. The other finalistswere Lincoln’s Strugglers Inn, the Butcherand Beast at Heighington, and theDambusters Inn at Scampton.

Lincoln CAMRA chairman, Bob Foulger,said, ‘The branch pub of the year shouldtick all the boxes. It should offer a range ofquality real ales, real cider and perry, provideevents and services for the local community,and have a strong identity that will oftenreflect the tastes of the licensee. Any ofthe four finalists would have been a worthywinner, but the Brewer just edged it thisyear.’

Jolly Brewer isPub of the Year

The Jolly Brewer - Lincoln

The Royal Oak - Snitterby

The Yarborough Hotel - Grimsby

The Gas Lamp Lounge - Louth

The Five Bells - Claypole

The Half Moon - Willingham by Stow

Lincolnshire’s Best PubsHere are the finalists in the Lincolnshire round of CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2013.

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Pic - Kathy Britton receives her SIBA certificate from Neil Morrissey.

Pic - Bill and Sonia Gemmell of the Village Limits, Woodhall Spa, celebrate their award.

News

Oldershaw’s Great Expectationstook silver in the Best Bitterssection in the Society ofIndependent Brewers (SIBA)National Beer Competition2013, which was held as partof SIBA’s first ever BeerXevent in Sheffield. The 4.2%ABV golden ale, featuringthe Galaxy hop, was firstbrewed as a special for lastyear’s Leicester Beer Festival.Kathy Britton, who owns theGrantham brewery with herhusband Tim, was delighted,

as it is the first of her ownbeer recipes to pick up anaward.

Great Expectations was beatento the gold by QuantockBrewery’s Will Neck (4.3%ABV), which went on to benamed Supreme ChampionCask Beer. Quantock Brewery,a small, family-run businessbased in Wellington, Somerset,was set up in December2007.

Oldershaw’s lives up toGreat Expectations

Lincolnshire Pub Food Awards

Finalists, sponsors and guestsgathered at the DoubleTreeby Hilton in Lincoln for theannouncement of the winnersof this year’s County CuisineAwards. The Select Lincolnshireproject came together withLincolnshire Life magazine topresent the Lincolnshire Foodand Drink Awards 2013.

The Village Limits at WoodhallSpa won the Pub of theYear category of the SelectLincolnshire awards. This isthe seventh consecutive yearthat landlords, Billy andSonia Gemmell, have won anaward from Select Lincolnshire(formerly Tastes of Lincolnshire).Billy said, ‘We owe our successto our ethos of supporting greatlocal suppliers, coupled withour fantastic team of staff.’ The

Sebastopol Inn at Minting washighly commended.

In the Taste of Excellenceawards, Lincolnshire Life readersvote for their favourite café, tearoom, pub, bistro or restaurantin Lincolnshire. The top threenominated establishments ineach category are visitedanonymously by a judgingpanel between to decide theoverall winners.

The winner of the Best PubFood category was the Hareand Hounds in Fulbeck. Thisfamily business impressed thejudges with every dish andcourse served. The runners-up were the Sebastopol Inn atMinting and the Carpenter’sArms at Fiskerton.

Following last year’s success, the Great BritishBeer Festival will again take place at LondonOlympia. 55,000 people are expected toattend CAMRA’s premier festival from 13th to17th August.

With over 800 real ales, ciders, perries andforeign beers to choose from, there will beplenty of choice to suit everybody’s taste

buds. It is not all about the beer though.There is also plenty of food, live music andpub games to enjoy.

Tickets can be bought by calling 0844 4124640 or visiting www.gbbf.org.uk/tickets. If you are feeling lucky, visit:www.gbbf.org.uk/competitions where thereare plenty of great prizes to win.

Great British Beer Festival

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News

Pop-up cinema at the Brewer

Having previously branched outinto theatrical productions, theJolly Brewer on Broadgate isdiversifying further by convertingthe back room into a pop-upcinema. The church pews arebeing replaced with original,art-deco cinema seats, freshlyremoved from an old cinemanear Bristol. They will be set inbanks of twos and threes andarranged so that they serve asnormal pub seating, but can bere-positioned in rows when theroom is used as a cinema. Otherenhancements are planned anda number of the pub’s regularsare keen to be involved in puttingit all together.

Community Pubs Campaign

CAMRA’s community pubscampaign aims to raise the profileof pub-going and increase thenumber of people using pubsregularly. Following on fromApril’s Community Pubs Month,we will be focusing on pubs andcharity in July. Pubs raise millionsof pounds for local and nationalcharities and CAMRA will workwith the media to raise awarenessof this fantastic achievement.Pubs will be encouraged toorganise events during July toraise money for charity.

Summer beer festival at Dog & Bone

The Dog and Bone on JohnStreet is holding a four-daysummer beer festival, starting onThursday, 1st August. Landlords,Chris and Sarah Sorrell, hope toserve 20 real ales plus ciders intheir sheltered garden. They’realso planning a barbecue, livemusic and garden games.Check their website www.dogandbonelincoln.co.ukfor details of all their events.

IN BRIEF

Louth News

If you love your local pub andthink it adds lots of value toyour community, you nowhave the opportunity to giveit extra protection fromdevelopers by listing it withthe local council as anAsset of Community Value.Under the Localism Act 2011,people living in Englandcan nominate a pub tobe listed as an Asset ofCommunity Value. This provides

communities with the powerto stop the clock when facedwith the pub going up forsale, earning valuable time toexplore options for saving thepub.

CAMRA has set the challengeof getting 300 pubs listedby the end of the year.Increasing numbers of localcouncils are taking intoaccount Assets of CommunityValue when considering newplanning applications againsta pub. Listing your localmeans property developerswho are keen for a hassle-free purchase are less likelyto show interest.If a listed pub goes up forsale, its ACV status can meanthat the sale is postponedfor up to six months. That’s

just enough time for pubcampaigners to gathertogether a suitable bid tobuy the pub and run ascommunity-owned.

Since the Asset of CommunityValue scheme started in 2012,pub activists have used theirnew powers to halt the saleof their beloved locals. TheIvy House in London was thefirst pub to be listed as anACV and the first which hasled to a successful buy-outfrom the community.

For more information andto download the CAMRAGuide to Nominating Pubs asAssets of Community Value,visit www.camra.org.uk/listyourlocal

List Your Local

Mark Brae, Pubs Officer for Louth and DistrictCAMRA talks about an important campaignissue for CAMRA – fighting pub closure.March was a month of success this year forthe Campaign for Real Ale. Nationally we havefinally beaten the hated Beer Duty escalatorand locally after nearly 5 years of waiting andfighting, a pub which was threatened withpermanent closure reopened its doors to thepublic. The Three Horseshoes in Goulceby,Lincolnshire reopened on the 1st of March. Its

future looked bleak ever since the owner ofthe pub and tenants at the time applied forplanning permission to change it in to ahouse in late 2008. Thankfully due to localsupport and input from the Louth and Districtbranch the planning application was rejectedby the Council leaving this pub as a businessproposition for the right tenant.My task as Pubs Officer for Louth and Districtbranch was to produce a viability report.These documents although long winded arean effective tool to help save a local pub frompermanent closure. If you can provide enoughevidence that a pub is still viable no councilwill accept the conversion. The format isreadily available on the CAMRA website(http://www.camra.org.uk/viabilitytest) andis not solely for the use of members. I wouldlike to thank Ian and Denise for undertakingthe task of reopening this fine communitypub and I urge you all who know of a pub indanger to use this tool as any viable pub, is apub worth saving.

Keep campaigning, we CAN make a difference!

Pics – The Three Horseshoes on the re-opening night.

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Louth News

Expansion at Sleaford Brewery

Sleaford Brewery has installed a new200 litre plant, with four temperature-controlled fermenters and an extra-large hot liquor tun. Owner, ChrisSmith is running ‘brew days with notes’for people interested in beer or thinkingof starting brewing. He hopes toprovide a great introduction that givesa foundation for further training.

Welbeck Abbey brewery tapThe Grey Horses, at Carlton in Lindricknear Worksop, is now the WelbeckAbbey brewery tap. To celebrate thisand the third anniversary of taking overthe pub, landlords Chris and Sal areholding a beer and music festivalbetween 7th and 9th June. There will be12 handpulls, a real cider, and localfood on the barbecue and, of course,plenty of live music.

Beer at the Southwell Folk Festival

The Gate to Southwell Folk Festival, theMidlands' premier folk and dancefestival, takes place from 6th to 9th June.The festival’s beer tent will have at least55 different beers, sourced from micro-breweries both local and further afield,plus 16 ciders and perries. Grantham’sOldershaw Brewery is producing thefestival beer - Light and Hoppy Pioneer- a 4% ABV pale beer, single-hoppedwith the Pioneer hop. Southwell willalso be showcasing beers from severalmembers of the Project Venus group.

Cider makers welcome cold weather

While most of us bemoaned the coldestMarch in half a century, the nation’scider makers have been quietlycelebrating the prospect of a bumperapple harvest. Orchards bloomed earlylast year, after March temperaturessoared above 20oC. However, sharpfrosts and rain in April prevented fruitforming on the trees, resulting in theworst apple crop in decades. Growerswere delighted to welcome the bitingeasterly winds that have delayed thisyear’s blossoms and protected thebuds until later in the year.

IN BRIEF

Back in the early 1980s, I started brewingusing tinned beer kits and, after a lot ofeffort, I produced plenty of unsatisfactory,poor-tasting beers. I soon progressed todry-style kits, which produced better results,but I was still not happy.

I then started to experiment with varioushops and adjuncts, to create a better beerfrom the kits. My brewing days came to anend in the early 1990s when I went to workabroad. In 2008, my stepson, Jack, hosteda garden party and said he was going tobrew cider from a kit; this restored myinterest in brewing.

I gathered together all my old brewingequipment from the loft and resurrected myhobby. I then spent a whole year learninghow to brew from malt extracts, having lotsof success with various beers. Friendswere invited round for garden parties,where they sampled a variety of mybeers. This was where I found a greathop combination and my flagship beer,Pleasant Blonde (4.2% ABV), was born.

In June 2012, I entered Pleasant Blondeinto the Brown Cow Beer Festival andwas awarded joint first place. I wasdelighted to receive the news whilst onholiday. Eventually, I purchased a number

of used, stainless steel barrels, which Iadapted to my design and my all-grainbrew house was established.

Whilst I started to achieve reasonableresults, I was keen to improve further, so Iapproached Phil Ellis of Fulstow Breweryand asked whether I could help out athis brewery. He kindly offered me a coupleof days a week, where I gained moreexperience. That helped me with the twothings required to move forward with mybrewery - recipes and brewing techniques- and the Black Horse Brewing Companywas born.

The Black Horse free house is the only pubin the small village of Grainthorpe andis owned by my cousin, Charlie Jordan. Iapproached him during July 2012, withthoughts of reopening the pub with amicrobrewery on site. Whilst the buildinghad operated as a brewery in the past,re-establishment proved to be challenging.A half-barrel plant was built to ourspecification and installed by us, givinga production capability of four barrels perday.

The two beers currently being producedare Pleasant Blonde (4.2% ABV) andBlack Horse IPA (4.6% ABV). The latterwas brewed at the request of the localcustomers, who seem to favour a darkerbeer. The pub always has three cask aleson offer, along with a selection of otherbeers, wines and spirits. The kitchen willsoon be open, serving a selection of hotmeals and desserts.

[email protected] Black Horse - 01472 388989

The Black Horse Brewing

CompanyTony Howkins from The Black Horse Brewing Company inGrainthorpe, Louth tells us a bit about how he got started withhis brewery.

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November> Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has announced a clamp-down onunfair practices by pubcos. He plans to introduce a statutory code,enforceable by a new adjudicator, governing the relationship betweenthe companies and publicans> The BBC has investigated the closure of pubs in our region bysupermarket chains. The East Midlands Politics Show followed upthe CAMRA campaign by interviewing members about the conversionof the Galaxy pub in Hinkley into a Co-op supermarket.> A survey by the Independent Family Brewers of Britain found that itsmembers grew cask sales from 45.5% to 47.7% of their production. IFBBmembers include some of the country’s oldest breweries.

March> The Baum in Rochdale has been crowned CAMRA’s National Pubof the Year. Tucked away on a cobbled street, the family-run pub wasconverted from a hardware store in the 1980s.> The British Hop Association has produced a logo which brewerscan add to pump clips, bottle labels and marketing material to letcustomers know beers contain British hops. The initiative aims toreverse the decline in the British hop industry.> According to the British Beer and Pub Association, beer sales in pubsare continuing to fall. In the last three months of 2012, sales were down4.8% compared to 2011. Off-trade sales were down 7.5% in the sameperiod.

April> CAMRA members were thanked for the part they played in persuadingChancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, to scrap the beer dutyescalator in his budget. The escalator would have automatically added3p to the duty on a pint of beer. Osborne went a step further by reducingbeer duty by 1p.> CAMRA’s annual prices survey revealed that the average price of a pintof real ale across the UK has topped £3 for the first time. The averageprice in February was £3.03, a 3.9% increase on 2012. The average priceof a pint of standard lager was £3.21.> Marston’s has identified over 400 pubs it wants to sell over the nextfew years, with the majority likely to go for alternative use. CAMRAmaintains that there are many pubs which were written off by bigpub companies and breweries but which have been turned round toprofitability once set free of tie.

If you’re not a CAMRA member, you won’t be getting all the latestreal ale, pub and brewing news delivered to your door every month.Join, using the application form on page 31 and get What’sBrewing and Beer delivered free, plus a host of other membershipbenefits.

WHAT’SBREWINGNATIONALLY

ImpAle rounds up CAMRA’s news from the last three months

ImpAle Editor - Well it looks lovely and sunny outthere. Dreaming of summer and beer gardens!What is your favourite beer garden and why?

@Mr William replied@ImpAleEditor We need more proper children friendly beergardens in Lincoln.

@BozzerHogshead replied@mrwilliam @ImpAleEditor @lincoln_camra Brown cow nottoo bad, Lincolnshire poacher quite good. Both fenced in playareas

@loftyimp replied@ImpAleEditor @Lincoln_CAMRA dogs welcome, covered BBQarea, marque, children welcome. I know of nothing as good as@GoldenEaglePub garden

@hh93 replied@ImpAleEditor @Lincoln_CAMRA strugglers - It's quaint!

@aaronjoyce repliedAs well as the @GoldenEaglePub beer garden I find the@DogBoneLincoln is a great sun trap in the summer, bothgreat venues!

@colinbrown1968 replied@ImpAleEditor Lincoln Green, N Hykeham. Huge with access toGlebe Park directly behind. At least 3 ales on as well. get thereby 27 bus.

Find Lincoln CAMRA ImpAle on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @ImpAleEditor alternatively, you can email [email protected] or write to ImpAle, 4 Squires Place, Nettleham, Lincoln, LN2 2WH

We asked our Facebook friends and Twitterfollowers to tell us about their favourite pub.

Here’s a selection of the replies.

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WhatPub needs YOUCAMRA’s new pub website WhatPub now lists around 32,000 pubsserving real ale. The website aims to become the best, mostcomprehensive online pub listing which all pub-lovers can use andenjoy. While 86% of all the pubs in the UK serving real ale arelisted, we need your help to ensure these listings are as completeand accurate as possible.

You can log in to whatpub.com with same details you use to visit theMembers Area of CAMRA’s national website. If you have not visitedthe Members Area of CAMRA’s national website before, then try yourCAMRA membership number (which will be 6 digits – if it is less, useleading zeros, e.g. 001234) and the postcode when you joined theCampaign (upper case, no spaces e.g. AL44LW). If neither of theseseem to work, email [email protected] with an email titled‘Membership Password for WhatPub’, your name and membershipnumber (152986) and HQ will get back to you as soon as we can.

You can search for pubs by name, town, station, post code etc, e.g. Mermaid St Albans.If there is some information missing, or you feel needs updating then click on the red button ‘Add/Edit Details’ at the top right of thepage. You will be taken to a Pub Feedback form that will allow you to submit additional information and recommend changes. Thisinformation will be sent to the appropriate CAMRA branch and updated. Please be patient as these branch officials are volunteersand will try their best to update the site with your suggestions as soon as they can. If you cannot find a particular pub, this is becauseit has not yet been entered on to the system by the local branch.

We hope you will enjoy using WhatPub and we look forward to your help in developing the site. Once we are happy we have thebest pub website in Britain, we will launch to the public but, for the time being, this is for members only.

CAMRA discount at Pheasantry BreweryThe Pheasantry Brewery bar, off the A57 at East Markham, now gives 20p off the price of a pint of real ale, on production of yourCAMRA membership card. At their website (www.pheasantrybrewery.co.uk), you can also find a voucher for a free pint of beerwhen you have an evening meal.

And a trip to the breweryOur young members are hoping to arrange a brewery tour at Pheasantry in June. Look out for details on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep your personal details up to dateIf you move house, or change your phone number or e-mail address, please let CAMRA headquarters know. The HQ membershipdatabase is our only means of staying in contact with you. You can update your personal details via the CAMRA website(www.camra.org.uk) or by calling membership enquiries on 01727 798440.

Branch DiaryMayThursday 9th Branch Meeting - Magna Carta, Lincoln - 8pm.23rd - 25th Lincoln Beer Festival.

JuneSaturday 1st East Midlands Regional Meeting - Derby.Sunday 2nd Committee Meeting - Red Lion, Dunston - 8pm.Tuesday 4th Branch Meeting - Chase, Market Rasen - 8pm. Sunday 30th Committee Meeting - Bottle & Glass, Normanby by Spital - 8pm.

JulyTuesday 2nd Branch Meeting - Coach & Horses, Hemingby - 8pm.

Check out the branch website for up-to-date details of trips and socials.


Lincoln CAMRA Members’ News

Members enjoying the sunshine on a recent trip to Peterborough

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Meet the BTo

Wendy Margetts visits Tom Wood at hisbrewery in Melton Ross.

Many Lincolnshire (and beyond) ale drinkers and publandlords will think they know about Tom Wood, HighwoodBrewery and Tom Wood’s Brewery. Highwood Brewery wasfounded in 1995 by Tom, the brewery was situated in somebuildings on the farm that Tom grew up on and has beenin his family for generations. Highwood Brewery went intoadministration in February 2011 in what Tom calls a ‘PerfectStorm’, Tom Wood’s brewery rose from the ashes in April 2011and has been going from strength to strength.

Tom comes from an agricultural background and has workedas a grain merchant prior to returning to the area he grew upin. In 1995 he decided he wanted to do something for himselfand as his passions lay with food and drink the obviousanswer appeared to be brewing. So after a word with his

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brothers to use the derelict buildingson the family farm Highwood Brewerywas born. Originally it was just Tom, heundertook the Brew Lab course in thesame year and using a brand new brewkit, off he went! Tom admits brewing was(and is) a difficult business to be in.

There are many barriers to getting beerinto pubs, especially those that are notfreehouses and have their beer listdictated by large Pubcos. He chased theguest beer market, which encouraged himto brew as many different beers as hecould, always trying to ensure that when apub ended with one guest beer he hadanother different beer to replace it.

In 2002, Tom took on a wholesale drinkscompany and had 8 pubs that covered anarea from Derbyshire up to Leeds andacross to Hull. He had increased brewingto a 30 barrel plant and become heavilyinvolved with SIBA. In hindsight it was atthis time he can see the drinks industryhad started to change, consumption ofdrinks in pubs and clubs that he deliveredto through the drinks company had startedto decline. Whilst small brewers werefairly well cocooned, national brewers hadstarted to see a decline in sales. The

smoking ban came into effect and fuelprices started to rise. As Tom states‘the drinks pie was getting smaller’ andmargins were squeezed. By February2011 Highwood Brewery went intoadministration.

Tom tells me he didn’t see it coming untilit did. He was made bankrupt; he has afamily, a wife and children and people whoinvested time and money into HighwoodBrewery. I tell him that I have heard manypubs were left without beer that had beenpromised to them and that this had cre-ated a bad feeling. He acknowledges thisand tells me he did all he could to try andsort out alternative products for customerswho did not receive orders. He rang otherbrewers in the local area and asked themto deliver at competitive prices to ensurea continuation in supply to pubs.

By April 2011, a new company Tom WoodBeers Ltd had been founded. This is thebrewery Tom now runs. It is owned by agroup of 6-7 people who purchased thebrew plant from the liquidator and askedTom to come and work for them. Tomadmits this was a blessing but alsodifficult. He was used to running his owncompany and now he had people tellinghim what to do including what beers they

wanted him to brew. ‘The first few monthswere difficult, it was hard to be told whatbeers I should or shouldn’t brew’. He tellsme that it was also difficult to get back outto pubs and call old customers but themajority of people have been really goodto him.

Tom is a brewer who is proud to beEnglish, all of his beers are brewed solelywith English ingredients, and he believesin the perfect English pint. ‘I want to brewsessionable beers, a beer that that youcan drink more than 1 pint of. My beer isn’tmassively flavoured but it is my belief thatmost people like to find a good beer andstick to it’ he tells me. Tom Wood Brewerynow brews three main beers – Best,Lincoln Gold and Bomber County. LincolnGold and Bomber County are alsoavailable bottled. There are occasionalguests and one of them Bouncing Bomb(6%ABV) will be available at Lincoln BeerFestival.

The BeersBomber County (4.8% ABV)Ruby in colour. A deep redpremium bitter with earthy hopsand fruity malt notes. Some

citrus notes emerge in the mouth, with ateasing roasted bitterness playing on thetongue.

Lincoln Gold (4% ABV) Golden huedhoppy beer with gentle maltiness and arefreshingly dry aftertaste. A mellow beer,pale amber in colour with a subtle hint ofLincolnshire honey.

Best (3.5% ABV) An easydrinking bitter with a fresh dryhoppy flavour combined with afruity aftertaste and heady aroma.

e BrewerTom Woods

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LincolnCamra.org.uk14 ImpAle

Fowwww

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Thwaites Lancaster Bomber (4.4% ABV)This is a well-balanced, copper-coloured best bitterwith firm malt flavours, a fruity background and a long,dry finish.

Established in Blackburn in 1807, Thwaites is still controlled bythe Yerburgh family, descendants of the founder, Daniel Thwaites.They produce a wide range of cask ales, including the core rangeand limited edition Signature Ale range, which was launchedin 2011. Lancaster Bomber was brewed initially by Mitchell’s ofLancaster - hence the name. In 1999, the Mitchell brewery closeddown, and was bought in part by Thwaites, who have turnedLancaster Bomber into a major brand.

Tom Wood’s Bomber County (4.8% ABV)This beer has an earthy, malt aroma but with a complex,underlying mix of coffee, hops, caramel and apple fruit.It starts bitter and intensifies to the end.

Tom Wood’s Bouncing Bomb (6.0% ABV)A rich, ruby-coloured beer that drinks very smoothly asa result of the inclusion of Lincolnshire honey in thebrew. It retains fruity hop characteristics - not too sweet

and very moreish.

Lincolnshire drinkers will be very familiar with Bomber County.The name celebrates the county’s wartime heritage. BouncingBomb is a special for the anniversary. There’s a lot more aboutTom Wood’s Brewery elsewhere in this edition of ImpAle.

Amber Ales Barnes Wallis Bitter (4.1% ABV)Amber Ales’ best-selling session ale. An easy-drinkingIPA-style bitter, it is copper-coloured with a full maltflavour and hopped with Northern Brewer and spicy

Syrian Goldings hops.

Amber Ales Dambuster (5.2% ABV) To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raidon the Ruhr dams, using the Barnes Wallis bouncingbomb, Amber Ales have produced a golden IPA with

Cascade and Warrior hops.

Amber Ales is a small micro-brewery, located in the historic villageof Pentrich, near Ripley, Derbyshire. The brewery was establishedseven years ago by Peter Hounsell to create ‘classic-style realales with a modern twist’. All are made using whole hops,floor-malted grain and sometimes more culinary ingredients.Their most celebrated beer, Chocolate Orange Stout (4.0% ABV),is created from a unique blend of five chocolate malts, imbuedwith vanilla and orange and aged in the cask for three months.

Dambusters BeersIn the 1990s, two television advertisements were made for Carling Black Label which played on the theme of the Dambusters. Thefirst showed a German guard on top of a dam catching a bouncing bomb as if he were a goalkeeper. The second showed a Britishtourist skimming a red, white and blue towel across a swimming pool to reserve a sun-lounger before German tourists could getthere. Although we may have chuckled, the commercials were criticised by the Independent Television Commission for beinganti-German and, more significantly, for trivialising the heavy loss of life during the famous bombing raid.

However, given the importance of pubs to the war effort, the naming of a beer, particularly traditional British ale, is a fitting tribute tothe brave efforts of Bomber Command aircrew. With the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raids in the news, you can expect tosee beers with names connected to World War II bombers featuring on a bar near you.

Here are a few to look out for.

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For more details see:-www.lincolncamra.org.ukwww.lincolndrillhall.com

at the Lincoln Drill HallFree School Lane, Lincoln LN2 1EY

Lincoln BeerFestival

Over 100 Real AlesCiders, Perries & International Bottled Beers

Also food & live music in the Drill Hall Café

23rd May - 25th May 2013

4

5

3rd

Li

ncoln Beer Festival 2013

Campaign For Real Ale

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With over 1,000 brewers across the UKproducing thousands of distinctive ales,how do you choose your pint when youwalk into an unfamiliar pub and look at thehandpumps? Well, you could play it safeand go for a name you recognise, perhapsfrom national advertising. Or you could beadventurous and try something new.

But how do you know if you’re likely toenjoy it? One answer is to come along toLincoln Beer Festival and educate yourpalate. The festival has two main aims.For those who are regular drinkers of realale, we try to provide a wide range ofbeers, many of which would not normallybe found in this part of the country. Wealso showcase ales from many localbreweries. And for those who are not yetdevotees, we want to demonstrate thehuge variety of styles and flavours to bediscovered in our traditional British tipple.

To give you the best chance of trying agood selection of the beers, all our glassesare marked with a third of a pint line. Ourfriendly bar staff will even offer you a smalltaster, if they’re not too busy.

Beer StylesIt does help to know a bit about the stylesof beer that you’ll come across. Here arethe main ones.

BitterBitters developed towards the end of the19th century as brewers began to producebeers that could be served in pubs afteronly a few days’ storage in cellars. Bittersgrew out of pale ale but were usually deepbronze to copper in colour, due to the useof slightly darker crystal malts. Expect aspicy, peppery and grassy hop character,a powerful bitterness, tangy fruit, andjuicy and nutty malt. Definitions varyfrom brewery to brewery but best bittersand premium bitters tend to have ahigher alcohol content, with malt and fruitcharacter tending to dominate.

Golden AleThis style of pale,well-hopped andthirst-quenching beer was developedin the 1980s as independent brewerstried to tempt younger drinkers awayfrom heavily-promoted lager brands. Thehallmark will be the biscuity characterderived from pale malts, underscoredby tart, citrus fruit and peppery hops,sometimes with additional of hints ofvanilla. Golden ales are pale amber, gold,yellow or straw coloured, and should beserved cool (but not cold).

MildOnce again, CAMRA is devoting a monthof campaigning to celebrate milds in May,and there will be plenty to try at the festival.Milds are mostly black to dark brown incolour but, occasionally, you’ll find onesthat are lighter. They range from warming,roasty ales to light, refreshing, lunchtimethirst-quenchers. Malty and possiblysweet tones dominate the flavour profilebut there may be a light hop flavour oraroma. Dark milds may have a roastedmalt or caramel character in aroma andtaste, while pale milds tend to have a

lighter, more fruity aroma with gentlehoppiness. Alcohol levels are typically low,although some strong milds are produced.

IPAIndia Pale Ale changed the face ofbrewing early in the 19th century. The newtechnologies of the Industrial Revolutionenabled brewers to use pale malts tofashion beers that were genuinely goldenor pale bronze in colour. First brewedin London and Burton-on-Trent for thecolonial market, IPAs were strong inalcohol and high in hops. So-called IPAswith strengths of around 3.5% ABV arenot true to style. Look for juicy malt,citrus fruit and a big spicy, peppery bitterhop character, with strengths of 4% ABVupwards.

PorterA dark, slightly sweet but hoppy alemade with roasted barley, porter wasthe predecessor of stout. It originated inLondon around 1730 and, by the end ofthe 18th century, was the most popularbeer in England. The fashion for the paleales of Burton-upon-Trent ended thepopularity of porter in the mid-19th century.In recent years, a number of brewers haverevived porter. Strengths range from 4% to6.5% ABV.

StoutStout is one of the classic types of ale, asuccessor in fashion to porter. It is usuallya very dark, heavy, well-hopped ale with athick creamy head and good grainy taste,produced by a proportion of dark-roastedbarley in the mash. Stouts can be dry orsweet and range from 4% to 8% ABV.

And now it’s time to go to the bar andget a drink!

Which beerto choose?

Have you ever looked at a row of handpumps andwondered where to start? Beer Festival organiser,Steve Renshaw, provides advice on selecting theright real ale for you.

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SamplingTasting beer is just like tasting wine, butforget about spitting it out. The first step isto make sure the beer you are tasting isserved at the right temperature. Too coldand real ale loses many of its complexflavours. Served too warm, it can developsome you don’t want and quickly losescondition in the glass.

Use your eyes. Beer should look good.It should be colourful and bright and, ifit is meant to have a significant head offroth, this should be thick and creamy.Remember that many beers, particularlyfrom the south of England, are notbrewed to be served with creamy heads.Remember too that some beers, such aswheat beers, may be cloudy, but theseshould still look attractive and not dull orflat in appearance.

Use your nose. The best way to sniff yourbeer is with a glass which is half-empty.This enables you to give it a quick swirl,place your hand over the glass to hold inthe lovely aromas fighting to escape andthen dive in and take a nice deep breath.You’ll soon learn to recognise key featuressuch as hoppiness from a classic pale ale,the burnt chocolate flavours of a stout orthe banana aroma of a wheat beer.

Now the taste. As you take your firstmouthful, you’ll notice the sweetness fromthe malts at the front of your mouth. Drybitter flavours from the hops dominate theback of your mouth as you swallow thebeer and learn to appreciate the ‘finish’.Depending on the style, you’ll find furthermalt character, ranging from light andjuicy to chocolate or coffee, along with hopbitterness and citrus fruit.

Above all - enjoy!

InternationalBottled

Beer Bar

This year sees the return of the popularInternational Beer bar at Lincoln BeerFestival. The beers are selected to covera range of styles and tastes fromcountries around the world. This year wehave a selection of beers from America,Belgium, Italy and Germany. Below is asmall taster of what you can expect to try.

Rogue Mocha Porter (5.3% ABV) andRogue Yellow Snow (6.2% ABV)

New for Lincoln Beer Festival are beersfrom American Craft Brewers Rogue. TheMocha Porter as you would expect isdark in colour with a cream finish. Tastesof coffee and chocolate. Yellow Snow is agolden beer, slightly hazy with a hoppy drytaste.

Fruit BeersFruit and flavoured beers are very popularat Lincoln Beer Festival and this yearwe have a few new flavours and somereturning favourites. Mongozo Coconut(3.5% ABV) is a popular beer tasting ofcoconut, with a smell reminiscent ofsummer holidys. New this year is FlorisChocolate (4.2% ABV), which is a wheatbeer blended with a creamy chocolatetaste. We also have the more traditionalFrank Boon Kriek (4% ABV) for those whowant to taste an authentic lambic fruitbeer.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself to Lincoln Beer Festivalbetween the 23rd and 25th May to trythese beers and many more.

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Most of today's keg cider is made fromapple concentrate rather than real apples,some of which can be imported fromalmost anywhere. Keg cider is usuallyfiltered and may also contain any of along list of additives and colourings. It isartificially carbonated, pasteurised, andserved under gas pressure. Real cider,on the other hand, is a long-established,traditional drink which is producednaturally from apples and is neithercarbonated nor pasteurised.

Which apples are best for making cider?

The apples that we eat as dessert fruitare very different from the specialist fruitthat is usually used to make cider. Thereare over 600 types of apples grown inthe British Isles and each one has aunique balance of sweetness, acidity andtannins. Of these, it is estimated that threequarters are cider apples. In the majorityof cider-making areas, specialist ciderapples are used. However, in Kent and theeastern counties a blend of culinary anddessert apples tends to be used.

What's special about a cider apple?

Cider apples are usually more closelyrelated to the wild crab apple than toeating or cooking apples, as they are

smaller, harder and lack the unblemishedattractiveness of eaters or cookers. If youtried to eat a cider apple you woulddiscover its main difference from eatersor cookers is its tannin level. Tannin isresponsible for the fruits astringency,making the fruit taste bitter and dryingthe mouth, making it difficult to swallow.

How is cider made?To make cider, the apples are milled,i.e. reduced to small pieces, and thenpressed to release the juice. Using thenatural yeast, which covers the apple skin(or introduced yeast) and the sugarscontained within the juice, fermentationtakes place. Once fermentation iscompleted, the sweet sugars have beenconverted into alcohol leaving a dryproduct. Cider can then be sweetenedby using unfermented apple juice orartificial sweeteners.

How do you know which apples to use?

Cider apples are classified by theirbalance of acid and tannin according tofour categories:-

Bittersweets - low acidity, high tannin.Sweets - low acidity, low tannin.Sharps - high acidity, low tannin.Bittersharps - high acidity, high tannin.

Cider-makers use a closely guarded mixof apples to create their own blend ofcider, which is why, if you try one that is nottotally to your taste, another cider maysuit you better. Today, the consumer tendsto prefer sweeter, smoother, less acidicciders so cider-makers tend not to favourbittersharp apples with their intenseastringency and high acid content.Planning how the cider will taste startswith the planting of orchards, where anumber of different varieties of tree areplanted together. This means that all theapples can be harvested and processedat the same time to make an outstandingproduct.

What is Perry?As cider is made from apples, perry ismade from pears - but not just any pear.These are perry pears, which tend to besmaller and harder than dessert pears.Perry tends to be produced sweet ormedium sweet, although there areexamples of dry perry. Perry also containsnatural levels of sorbitol, a sugar alcoholthat the human body metabolizes slowly.Perry pear trees, while bearing fruit afterseveral years, will continue to produce fruitfor 200 or 300 years. This is much longerthan apple trees, and has led to thephrase, “plant pears for your heirs”.

When is cider and perry made?As the majority of fruit ripens in September,the ideal time to mill and press is October.The autumn evenings, being warmer anddryer than the winter months, allow thecider and perry to get off to a good start.Fermentation can be very vigorous at theinitial stage.

Is there a good cider pub near you?

CAMRA has launched a new scheme topromote pubs serving real cider. A "RealCider Sold Here" window sticker isawarded to those pubs which regularly sellreal cider. The pub is checked out by oneof CAMRA's cider coordinators to confirmthat real cider is being served. To date,over 1,400 pubs have been accredited.

We would like to encourage all pubs tostock at least one real cider or perry,preferably from a local producer. There arenow cider producers across the countryand not just the traditional cider countiesof Devon, Somerset, Gloucerstershire andHerefordshire.

Real Cider and PerryCAMRA has now been campaigning for 25 years to promote realcider and perry, alongside British real ale. Here’s everything youneed to know about these traditional drinks.

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Chocolate Orange was awarded the prestigious CAMRA‘Champion Speciality Beer of Britain 2010’. Barnes Wallis, theinventor of the bouncing bomb was born in Ripley, so it’s nosurprise that a couple of their beers have Dambusters-relatednames.

Oldershaws Bouncing Bomber (4.0% ABV)A triple-hopped, contemporary rendition of a classicEnglish bitter, with a full, rounded flavour and chestnut

appearance.

Oldershaws Beers was established in 1996 by Gary and DianeOldershaw. Kathy and Tim Britton took over the business in thesummer of 2010. The Grantham-based brewery moved to a newhome in January 2013. The move only takes them two miles fromtheir previous setting (same water source and same kit, so youwon’t have noticed their beers changing) and means they haveplenty of room to expand. The site is a former mushroom farmand so has plenty of space and even had a cold store in placealready. A new fermenter has been added to the existing brewingplant which means they can increase the number of brews.Oldershaws will be making Bouncing Bomber available to thelocal RAF bases taking part in Dambuster Anniversary events.

Grafters Chastiser (6.17% ABV)Pale brown. Brewed with Challenger hops, with Goldings foraroma. Excellent bitter/sweet balance.

Grafters’ real ales are brewed on site at the Half Moon pub inWillingham-by-Stow, near Gainsborough. The brewery hasrecently undergone a major expansion. Chastise was theoperation name for the raid on the Ruhr dams, and the ABV ofthe beer reflects the Dambuster squadron designation. Only 19firkins of Chastiser are being produced, corresponding to thenumber of aircraft that took part in the raid.

Poachers Dambusters 70th Anniversary Ale (3.8% ABV)A traditional, brown session bitter brewed with English malt andhops.

Opened in 2001, Poachers was originally situated on the formersite of RAF Swinderby, a war-time Bomber Command station.The brewery is owned and operated by George Batterbee, aformer RAF man for 25 years, who spent his first tour at RAFSwinderby. Today, the brewery operates from a converted barnat the rear of the brewer's house in North Hykeham. AnniversaryAle is exclusive to the Dambusters Inn at Scampton.

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617 Squadron - The Dambusters

Number 617 Squadron was formed at RAF Scampton on 21st

March 1943 specifically to undertake Operation Chastise, thebreaching of dams vital to the German war effort. The squadron'scommanding officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, was givenfree rein to comb other Lancaster squadrons for the crewshe thought could best undertake the mission. For weeks, noteven Gibson was told of the unit's task - the only clue wasthat low-level training was undertaken around the dams andreservoirs of Derbyshire.

Chastise called for the breaching of dams in the Ruhr, theheart of German industrial production, by dropping a speciallydesigned mine at exactly 60 feet and a speed of 220mph.Nineteen specially modified Lancaster aircraft carried out theattack during the night of 16/17 May 1943, successfully breachingthe Mohne and Eder dams, but failing with attacks on two others,the Sorpe and Schwelme. Wing Commander Gibson repeatedlyflew over the Mohne and Eder dams to draw fire away from theattacking aircraft and was subsequently awarded the VictoriaCross for his gallantry. Thirty-two other members of the squadronwere also decorated but a total of eight aircraft and their crewswere lost during the night.

Following Operation Chastise, the unit was retained to carryout highly specialised attacks, although it took some weeksto build the squadron back up to its full operating strength. InAugust 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Coningsby to allowthe old grass runways at Scampton to be replaced by concrete.In September 1943, the squadron lost over 60% of its aircraft andcrews in a raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal.

In the following January, Number 617 Squadron, then under thecommand of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire, moved to RAFWoodhall Spa. The unit carried out highly specialised attacks,many of which employed the 12,000lb 'Tallboy' and 22,000lb'Grand Slam' bombs. This included the sinking of the Germanbattleship, Tirpitz, in November 1944. The squadron’s final raid ofthe war was on Berchtesgaden, the holiday home of Adolf Hitler.

During the twenty-four months of the war that the squadronoperated, they took part in over 100 bombing operations andlost 204 aircrew.

After the end of World War II, the 617’s Lancasters were replacedby Avro Lincolns. In 1952, the squadron received Canberra jetbombers, before disbanding in December 1955. On 1st May 1958,Number 617 Squadron reformed at RAF Scampton equipped withVulcans, a type that remained on strength until 31st December1981, when the unit disbanded. The following year, the squadronreformed with Tornado GR1s at Marham, initially in the strike role,but latterly in the maritime strike mission based at Lossiemouth.

Number 617 Squadron currently operates Tornado GR4 aircraftand is based at RAF Lossiemouth.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the famous raids, SteveRenshaw and Steve Richardson visit some of the placeswhere the 617 Squadron crews enjoyed a pint betweenmissions.

The photograph shows Guy Gibson (centre) on the terrace at the Petwood Hotel.

The First World War was the first to involve the mobilisation of thewhole of society and its military, civilian and industrial resources.And when the armaments factories could not produce weaponsin sufficient quantities, the British government was quick to blamethe “lure of drink”. To be fair, with pubs open nineteen hours a dayand beer around 7% ABV, there was much drunkenness andabsenteeism. By 1919, measures to address these problems hadresulted in pub opening being reduced to five and a half hours aday, beer strength falling to around 3% ABV, and taxes on beerincreasing by over 400%.

In contrast, by the start of World War II, drunkenness was nolonger an issue of national concern. In fact, beer and pubsbecame symbols of resistance, and were considered essentialfor morale. This time round, the government quickly recognisedthe importance of the pubs in keeping up the country’s spirits,and beer was not rationed at any time during the war. A Britishpint was just as important for the fighting men overseas, andthere are stories of Spitfires flying into France with barrels of beerstrapped under their wings, and even plans to convert a RoyalNavy ship into a floating brewery.

For RAF aircrew, a beer was the perfect way to wind down aftera hazardous mission. According to Air Vice-Marshal Sir CecilBouchier, who was Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Number 11(Fighter) Group from 1943 to 1945:

“This was their one great relaxation, the beer they had dreamt aboutall day. No-one drank anything but draught beer, and mighty good

617 SquadronThe Dambusters

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617 Squadron - The Dambustersstuff it was. Food and drink to the tired and thirsty.”

The Dambusters crews were no different. Just before setting offon the historic raid, Guy Gibson is reported to have asked theSquadron Adjutant to make sure there was plenty of beer in themess when they returned.

So where did the members of 617 Squadron go for a pint? Lotsof Lincolnshire hostelries make claims, but we’ve concentratedon the three with the strongest links.

The Saracen’s Head, Lincoln

The Saracen’s Head Hotel (on the right) in the 1920s.(Photograph courtesy of Lincoln Library)

During the time that the squadron was at Scampton, the airmenwould have made regular forays into Lincoln. A favourite wateringhole for RAF personnel was the Saracen’s Head Hotel, situatedby the Stonebow.

According to Flight Sergeant Leonard Sumpter, a bomb aimer on617 Squadron:“There was a hotel called the Saracen’s Head, and the joke, whichproved to be true once or twice, was that if you went in there for adrink at lunchtime, the barmaid would tell you what target you wereon that night.”

Until the arrival of the railways, the Saracen’s Head was a mainstop for coaches to and from London, Peterborough and Hull.By 1820, it was also part of the coaching network linking toManchester, Leeds and York. round 1850, the American writerNathaniel Hawthorne stayed at the hotel and recorded hisimpressions. “It received us hospitably, and looked comfortableenough, though like the hotels of most old English towns, it has amusty fragrance of antiquity .”

In December 1924, the Lincolnshire Echo reported on thetransformation of the old coaching inn to a “Hotel de Luxe” bynew owner Mr H. H. Leven. The improvements were said to havecost the huge sum for the day of £15,000 to £20,000 (equivalentto spending several million pounds nowadays). His intention wasto give Lincoln, “a hotel worthy of the city”.

In 1946, the Saracen’s Head Hotel is listed as being owned byLincoln Hotels Ltd. Perhaps it had not been the pre-war successMr Leven intended. The financial depression of the early 1930’s,and then the disruption of the war years certainly would have

been very difficult. The Saracen’s Head closed in 1959, and thebuilding now houses a Waterstones bookshop. However, it isremarkable how little has changed on the upper exterior of thebuilding, and even the old balcony railing seems to have survivedpretty much intact.

The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa

The Squadron Bar at the Petwood Hotel

The Petwood Hotel is so called because it was originally built atthe turn of the 20th century as a house for wealthy heiress, LadyGrace Weigall, who had it constructed in her favourite or “pet”wood. In 1934, Lady Weigall and her husband turned their formerhome into a hotel.

The Petwood was requisitioned by the RAF in 1942 as the officers’mess for units based at nearby RAF Woodhall Spa. From January1944, the hotel was the home of officers from the 617 ‘DambustersSquadron’.

As you drive through the grounds towards the splendid building,you can understand why wartime officers considered thePetwood to be a “splendid place” remote from battle. Openingthe heavy front door, you get a real sense of history. The elaborateoak panelling was boarded over when the airmen were inresidence, a wise precaution to avoid damage from boisterousyoung men sliding down the stairs on trays.

The terrace, which overlooks the extensive grounds, has hardlychanged since Guy Gibson was photographed there just acouple of weeks before he was killed in action. However, thestar attraction is the Squadron Bar. This small, panelled roomis packed with signed photos and articles of great historicsignificance, including an original copy of the Dambusters’ oporder. My favourite artefact was a sturdy branch from a fir treewhich hangs above the bar. This was removed from the nose ofa Lancaster on its return to Woodhall Spa, following the attackon the Tirpitz.

The Squadron Bar is now used for private parties, but is opento the public when not in use. The main hotel bar is open tonon-residents, and serves three real ales: Bateman’s XB, Sharp’sDoom Bar and, of course, Tom Wood’s Bomber County.

From Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th May, the hotel plans to usethe Squadron Bar as the Officers’ Mess bar again, serving themedales to those who want to drink where the 617 crews did 70 yearsago.

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The Blue Bell Inn, Tattershall Thorpe

The Blue Bell

The Blue Bell Inn dates back to 1257 and is steeped in history.The front of this Grade II listed building is of mud and studconstruction, and it even has its own priest hole. The pub isclose to RAF Woodhall Spa, which the RAF continues to hold forcomponent servicing and storage, and the Thorpe Camp visitorcentre.

Since World War II, the Blue Bell has had very strong connectionswith the RAF. The walls of the bar are festooned with photographsof wartime airmen at work and play. The pub has a tradition thataircrew, past and present, sign the ceiling in the public bar.Look carefully and you’ll find the names of Victoria Cross andDistinguished Flying Cross winners, Colin and Ewan McGregor(from when they were filming “Bomber Boys”) and Prince William(from when he was training at RAF Coningsby).

The most poignant artefacts are the old coins jammed into theancient beams above the bar. It is said that wartime aircrewplaced them there to buy their beer on their next visit, in the hopethat it would give them good luck on their next sortie. The coinsthat remain are those from crews that did not return.

Landlords Sean Taylor and Shirley Green have recently takencharge, having moved from the White Hart at Nettleham. Seanhas a passion for historic aviation which stems from his family'sinvolvement in the RAF during World War II. In his spare time,he acts as the personnel officer and guide at the LincolnshireAviation Heritage Centre. This involves conducting tours ofLancaster NX611 “Just Jane” and organising the living historyaspects of events at East Kirkby.

Having moved from a tied to a free house, Sean is enjoying thefreedom to buy his beers directly from brewers. Tom Wood’sBomber County is a regular and, when we visited, he also hadJohn Dixon’s Life Saver and Bateman’s XB, with Everard’s Tigermaturing in the cellar.

Shirley and Sean will be organising a week of 1940s-themedcommemorations and events for the 70th anniversary of theDambusters raid. These will take place from Saturday 11th toSunday 19th May.

And one pub they didn’t visitWhen you walk into the DambustersInn at Scampton, you can imaginewartime bomber crews driving downfrom the nearby base to relaxbetween sorties. Prepare for a surprise- although the building is over 200years old, it turns out that it’s only beena pub since 1999. Previously, it’s beenthe village shop, a post office and aprivate house.

The conversion is impressive, with theinterior having all the trappings of atraditional village pub, including a bar billiards table. But the moststriking feature is the fascinating collection of memorabilia andinformation about 617 Squadron and the famous bombing raid.

Landlord, Greg Algar, has been in charge since 2009. During thattime, he has increased the number of handpumps from two tofive, dispensing a changing selection of ales from breweries inthe local area and further afield. He’s now got plans for a brewhouse in the back garden.

Greg will be holding his regular Dambusters anniversary beerfestival, with 20 real ales, from 16th to 19th May. There will be1940s-themed entertainment through the weekend and, on theThursday, drinkers should get views of the aircraft displaying aspart of the commemorations taking place on RAF Scampton.

Producing heritage craft ales in

eight-sailed windmill

Heckington Windmill, Hale Road, Heckington, Lincolnshire Tel: 01529 469308 www.8SailBrewery.co.uk

BEER FESTIVALS AT THE BREWERY

617 Squadron - The Dambusters

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In the wake of the horse meat scandal, everyone has beenthinking more about the provenance of produce. The best wayof knowing where your food and drink comes from is to seek outlocal producers.

In Lincolnshire, there’s been an emphasis on buying localproduce for some years. Tastes of Lincolnshire is a LincolnshireCounty Council funded project encouraging people to chooselocal food and drinks. And the Lincolnshire Echo runs a LoveLocal campaign in a bid to celebrate all that is great andgood about our county. Its aim is to boost county businessesby encouraging local spending, and grow confidence byhighlighting the hard work and successes which take placeacross Lincolnshire.

Building on the growing consumer demand for quality localproduce and an increased awareness of 'green' issues, CAMRA’sLocAle scheme promotes pubs stocking locally-brewed real ale.LocAle was created in 2007 by CAMRA's Nottingham branchwhich wanted to help support the tradition of brewing withinNottinghamshire, following the demise of local brewer Hardysand Hansons. There are currently 125 CAMRA branchesparticipating in the LocAle scheme and they have accreditedhundreds of pubs which regularly sell at least one locally-brewedreal ale.

Everyone benefits from local pubs stocking locally-brewed realale:

Public houses, as stocking local real ales can increase pub•visits.Consumers, who enjoy greater beer choice and diversity.•Local brewers, who gain from increased sales.•The local economy because more money is spent and•retained locally.The environment due to fewer ‘beer miles' resulting in less•road congestion and pollution.Tourism due to an increased sense of local identity and•pride - let's celebrate what makes our locality different.

Each CAMRA branch decides on an appropriate definition oflocal for their area. Given the size of our branch area and thedistribution of breweries, the Lincoln branch decided to define alocal brewery as one that is within 25 miles of the pub. Thisdecision still generates controversy among local beer drinkers,as Lincolnshire’s biggest brewer, Batemans, does not qualify asa local brewery for most pubs in the branch area. As branchchairman, Bob Foulger, explains, “Batemans is a long-established,family brewery and they generate great loyalty amongstLincolnshire drinkers. However, this is a very large county, andif we extended our LocAle range to include Batemans, then we’llalso have to include brewers beyond Nottingham and Sheffield.The 25-mile limit still means that Batemans qualifies as a localbrewer for pubs in the east of our branch area.”

Although many licensees are prevented from stocking a localbeer by their lease or tenancy agreement, a number of pubshave joined the Lincoln scheme. A list of the pubs involved ismaintained on our website www.lincolncamra.org.uk.

Wherever you are, look out for the distinctive LocAle posters andpump clip crowners, and enjoy a locally-brewed beer.

Love

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The important thing to remember about mussels is to make sure you don’teat any that are dead before cooking! When fresh any open mussels shouldclose when lightly tapped, any that don’t close or have damaged shells shouldbe discarded. Once cooked any that remain closed should also be discarded! This will feed 2 people or 4 as a starterYou will need;

Olive oil•1 onion finely diced•1 garlic clove, finely sliced•1 kg mussels, rinsed, scrubbed of any barnacles & de-bearded. Any that•don’t close or have damaged shells discard.6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, sliced into 1cm pieces•150ml real cider•2 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt•1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked & chopped. Plus extra for•garnishing1 bunch of tarragon, leaves picked & chopped•Crusty bread to serve •

Put a large saucepan on a high heat with a good splash of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, stirring to avoid it sticking.Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon leaving the fat in the pan. Reduce the heat slightly & cook the onions for 3-4 minutes untilsoftened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the cider and a little more olive oil and increase the heat. Add the mussels,cover with a lid and steam for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels are open, shaking part way through. Remove the mussels from a paninto a warm serving bowl, discarding any that remain closed.To finish the sauce, add the yoghurt to the pan & bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add theparsley & tarragon & half the reserved bacon. Season to taste. Pour the sauce over the mussels, scatter over the remaining baconand garnish with the parsley. Serve with the crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Alternatively slice the bread 2cm thick. Heat a griddle pan so it’s screaming hot,toast on both sides. Cut open a garlic clove and rub over the toast.

Hobsons brewery was establishedin the Shropshire market town ofCleobury Mortimer by the Davisfamily in 1993. The brewery is nowone of the leading producers inShropshire and possibly the mostsustainable brewery in the UK.They are dedicated to an ethosof using the finest locally sourced

ingredients where possible teamedwith sustainable technologies andhave produced a range of CAMRAaward winning cask ale and bottledbeers.

Twisted Spire, the weakest in therange of bottled beers, is a 3.6%Blonde Ale. This beer has picked up

Bottled Beer

ReviewRichard Banks from The Real Ale Store, Newarkreviews bottled of beer from Hobsons Brewery.

RecimMussels in a creamy Cider sauce with Bacon

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This straightforward supper dish is easy to prepare and very tasty. Welike it served with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.And, of course, accompanied by a glass of real cider.

ENGLISH ORCHARD PORK CASSEROLE

Serves 4•700g diced pork•1 large onion, chopped•25g butter or oil•50g flour•275ml vegetable or chicken stock•275ml good quality English cider•A teaspoon or two of your favourite herbs, to taste. I sometimes•use mixed herbs, and it also works well with dried sage.250g chopped apple•

In a large, heavy-based pan, gently soften the chopped onion in thebutter for 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat up and add the pork to brown

it on all sides. Take the pan off the heat briefly to stir in the flour, then add the cider, stock and herbs. Return the pan to a mediumheat, stirring until thickened slightly.

Put the mixture in an ovenproof dish with a lid and bake in the centre of a preheated oven for an hour at gas mark 5, 190oC, fan170oC. Add the chopped apple and cook for a further 30 minutes.

many well deserved awards including most recently a bronzemedal at the International Beer Challenge and a silver medal inthe SIBA National Beer Championship. The beer gets its namefrom the twisted spire of St Marys in Cleobury Mortimer notthe more famous Twisted Spire of Chesterfield. The beer is astraw coloured, has a frothy white head and a mildly zestyaroma of fruit and honey. The taste is quite crisp with zestygrapefruit and grainy malt with a moderately dry finish. This is awell-executed beer and delivers a decent flavour for a low ABVbeer, perfect for a sunny afternoon.

My only complaint with this beer is that it comes in a clearbottle which unlike brown bottles offers no protection from UVlight and can result in the beer being ‘light struck’. Beer containshops (it also contains sulphur). Hops contain alpha acids. Whenhops are boiled the alpha acids get isomerized and becomeisohumulone. When light hits the isohumulone compounds itbreaks them down and causes a reaction with the sulphur inthe beer and produces some of the same stinky chemicalsthat skunks spray. Hence the term ‘skunked’ beer or ‘lightstruck’. Brown bottles offer the best protection from thosebeer-harming UV rays, green bottles don’t help much and clearbottles offer no protection against light. Beer can be light-struckalmost immediately in direct sunlight, it takes longer in non-directdaylight.

Another of Hobsons bottled ales is Town Crier, 4.5% crisp goldenale. This beer has also picked up its share of awards, mostrecently a bronze medal in the CAMRA National Golden Ales2012. This beer is a light golden colour with a pure white head. It

has a fresh grassy, herbal aroma with a subtle fruitiness. Flavoursare of crisp grassy hops with a mild malt background and a drybitter finish. Overall a very tasty, refreshing Golden Ale well worthseeking out.

Both of the beers described are bottle conditioned with a nicelevel of carbonation and just light sediment in the bottle. I wouldalso recommend seeking out the other bottled beers fromHobsons which are – Manor Ale 4.2% bitter amber ale, PostmansKnock 4.8% ruby porter and Old Henry 5.2% rich amber ale.

impes English Orchard Pork Casserole

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TravAlAs the better weather is, theoretically, approaching our pub reporterpubs he could find on the way. The Sustrans Water Railway heads oformer Lincoln to Boston Railway Line. It’s mostly tarmacked and isbus runs from the city centre to Washingborough and Heighton. Ba

The Carpenters Arms, FiskertonThe route actually begins at the Watersthe many public footpaths that join it. Foof the river. The path into the village wascan see the pub to your right. I’d not behappy. There is a large area for dining appealing. But I just had a quick, satisfy

The Nags Head, BardneyLeaving Fiskerton I crossed a bridge to walk down the tarmac surface othe route, Bardney. The Water Railway actually continues on as far as Woget there it’s fairly straightforward to follow the road into the centre and fi

Hunters Leap, WashingboroughIt was a long, and I’ll be honest fairly dbetter taken by bike, although obviously(it is still an offence to be drunk in charmore than ready for a drink. The Royal Oso I made my way to Hunters Leap. Theof checking it was right before handing atmosphere with lots of families in.

The Turks Head, HeighingtonFor those willing to go that extra mile, literally, the footpath to HeighingtonThe Turks Head. A sure sign that spring really is on the way is a landlordServing Abbott Ale, Landlord and Black Sheep Bitter the focus isn’t necesis very friendly, split into two rooms and serving food for anyone wanting

The Butcher and Beast, HeighingtonJust down the road from The Turks Head is The Butcher and Beast. Frois still a large variety of ales on offer; on the 6 hand pumps they keep 3 selection of gins that the landlord seemed particularly proud of. The staff watmosphere I’d found in other pubs.

Dog and Bone, LincolnSo after a long day walking I finished back at Witham Park. Being a bit toto finish by heading to one final pub. Continuing along the river would brinand The Green Dragon but I decided to head north and call in at The new landlords it’s kept its reputation for having a selection of well-kept couple of pints make it a very hard place to leave.

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Alepub reporter Greg Richards decided to set out on a walk and see which

lway heads out of the city centre and follows the River Witham along theacked and is part of the National Cycle Network Route 1. The number 2Heighton. Bardney can be reached via the Horncastle bus route.

s, Fiskertonat the Waterside South Bridge, although I made my way to the river by one of that join it. For that reason I was approaching Fiskerton on the northern sidehe village was obvious and as soon as you come out onto the main road yought. I’d not been walking long but the sight of four ales on the bar made meea for dining and the sandwiches in my backpack suddenly didn’t seem so quick, satisfying half and was on my way.

mac surface on the south side of the river. It’s a long way to the next village onn as far as Woodhall Spa but this was as far as I was going. When you finally

e centre and find The Nags Head pub.

ngboroughhonest fairly dull, walk back towards Lincoln. This is definitely a route that isugh obviously that would restrict the amount of beers you could stop and trydrunk in charge of a bicycle). So by the time I got to Washingborough I wask. The Royal Oak is now closed and the Ferry Boat Inn didn’t have any ale oners Leap. There they did have Abbott Ale on, which the barmaid made of pointfore handing it over. I’m not sure they get many walkers in but it was a friendlymilies in.

o Heighington is nearby and well signposted. The first pub I came across wasy is a landlord putting out freshly painted picnic benches in the beer garden.us isn’t necessarily on the ale but they are kept and served well. The pub itselfyone wanting to stop for a bite.

nd Beast. From the outside it’s very clear that it’s a Bateman’s pub. But theres they keep 3 Batemans and 3 ever changing guests. They also have a wideof. The staff were very helpful and friendly although there wasn’t the welcoming

Being a bit too old to visit the Toy Library I decidedver would bring you out near both The Jolly Brewer

call in at The Dog & Bone. Recently taken over byn of well-kept ales. Which after a long walk and a

On a cold night in early February, a brand new ventureopened up in Grantham town centre. The Apple Tap CiderBar, a former art shop on Westgate, now offers up to 10 realciders and perries, with good quality hot drinks, and tastysnacks. This new bar offers a mixed feeling of a traditionalcider house with a modern day coffee shop. There issomething in here for every customer either a Biddendendry cider or a simple hot chocolate!

Manager Ruby Scott had made this bar a long termbusiness plan, and within a couple of months of trading hasmade the final of the Grantham Innovative BusinessAwards. There are future plans for rustic foods, and evenhost dancing in the function room at the rear. (Watch outfor Strictly Come Wassailing!)Four regular real ciders and perry’s are displayed on thehand pumps on the bar front, with guest ciders and perry’sracked behind the bar in boxes and tubs.

The Apple Tap Cider and Coffee Bar83 Westgate, Grantham, NG31 6LE, 01476 978938

The Applehas fallen into

Grantham

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Hook Norton is a proudly independent and passionate family business that takes the very best of its brewing heritage and combines it with a thoroughly modern

approach to create a range of fine beers for today’s drinkers to enjoy.

Contact Hugh King for further information and POS.

The Brewery, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, OX15 5NY 01608 730384 e: [email protected]

www.hooky.co.uk

Three great tasting beers from Hook Norton Brewery available from Small Beer of Lincoln. For more information or to order any of these beers call Small Beer on 01522 540431

Handcrafted beers from the Cotswold Hills since 1849

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.co.uk.hooky

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BREWERY · RESTAURANT CAFÉ BAR

Bar · Restaurant · Tea, coffee & ice creamsGardens & space to play · Brewery Tours

Restaurant available for private hire in the evenings

High Brecks Farm, Lincoln Rd, East Markham, Newark NG22 0SN

Tel 01777 870572 · www.pheasantrybrewery.co.ukFood: Wed - Sat 10am - 6pm; Sun 10am - 4pm; Evening meals: Fri, Sat

BREWERY · RE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR NT CAFÉ BAR

PheasantryB R E W E R Y

3.8% ABV

PheasantryB R E W E R Y

4% ABV

Brewed in Nottinghamshire by The Pheasantry Brewery

R


Cryptic clues to Lincoln InnsMany readers will already be familiar with Peter Warner’s cryptic puzzles. Previous quiz sheets have been sold in local pubs to raisesfund for the Lincoln branch of Parkinson’s UK. He’s producing another sheet to be sold at the Lincoln Beer Festival. In the meantime,here’s a taster.

1. If you drink in this city establishment, you ought to be able to keep out of trouble.

2. An early political party member wearing liturgical headgear.

3. Basil requires dentistry to create this pub.

4. If God created man, woman and this city pub, he did well.

5. Dusty residence for beaverish activity.

6. Does this city centre pub have sporting leanings as the name suggests.

7. Dancing in the bathroom? To plug this city hostelry.

8. Did cricketing legend Plum (nickname) cross the lines of fair play to win tests.

9. If this bar is as caring, generous, gentle and benevolent as its name suggests, it’s the “sort” of place I would use.

10. Filly from Derby to marry Lincoln man to create city pub.

For a chance to win a beery-themed T-shirt, send your answers by email to [email protected] or by post to ImpAle QuizIssue 2 2013, 4 Squires Place, Nettleham, Lincoln, LN2 2WH. The closing date is 1st July 2013 and the editor’s decision is final.

The Winner to the Issue 2 2013 quiz was Andrew Berry of Welton.

The answers to Januarys quiz were as follows.

Quiz

Barbican Hotel Roebuck

Turks HeadThe Wildlife

The LarkGrand Hotel

ManversHop Pole

Monks AbbeyCornhill Vaults

Hare and HoundsCrown and Anchor

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Pale bitter combining lager and traditional ale malts with English grown Cascade and Pilgrim, to produce a fruity aroma, slightly zesty flavour but retaining some

malt characteristics very moreish.

LINCOLN GOLDABV.4.0

An earthy malt aroma, but with a complex underlaying mix of coffee, hops, caramel and apple fruit. The beer starts bitter and intensifies, but all

its mahogany flavours stay on until the end.

ABV.4.8

This is an easy to drink bitter and has a fresh, dry, hoppy flavour combined with

a fruity aftertaste and heady aroma.

ABV.3.5

BREWED USING ALL ENGLISH INGREDIENTSTom Woods Beers Ltd. Tel: 01652 680001 Fax: 01652 680379 Email: [email protected]

Look out for these beers locallyTom Wood Beers Ltd.

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lincolncamra.org.uk impale 1 · lincoln central library: local studies collection, sara basquill,...

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