Castle Rock Quarter Issue 1

Willowbrooktakes shape

All the latest news, views and essential information from Castle Rock Brewery

No:1 Spring 2014

More on page 4

Turn to page 2See page 3

Jake Bugg rocks the Maze!

www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk

Castle RockAll-new magazine!

Welcome to thefirst edition of ourreinvigoratedCastle Rockmagazine.

Welcome In Focus

The all new Castle Rock Quarter, as thename suggests, will be produced quarterlyand will tie in with the seasons. So whatbetter time than Spring to bring you thisfresh approach and to inform you ofeverything you need to know about being‘out and about’ in Castle Rock pubs.

It has only been six months since whatproved to be the final edition of the CastleRock Times. As the following pages willreveal, so much has already happened andit didn’t make sense to keep it ‘under abushel’ for a further six months. Wewanted to share all our exciting news andupdates with you and we were sure you’dwant to know about them: so the CastleRock Quarter was born!

The CRQ team will be working hard to fillthese pages with much more relevant andup-to-date news, ideas and informationthat will help you make the most of yourvisits to Castle Rock pubs. There will bebreaking stories, interesting insights,topical opinions and plenty of usefulinformation about what is forthcoming. Wewill also save space for some fun too!

We hope you enjoy the new format of CRQand with the lighter nights now upon usand less of a chill in the air (well hopefully!)we have plenty going on and we hope youchoose to spend your precious time withus and enjoy what we have to offer downat your Castle Rock local.

Thank you for your continued custom andloyalty. We promise we will continue towork hard to deserve it!

CheersColin Wilde

The Willowbrook

Hi, my name is Pete Hopwell and I’m theGeneral Manager for the newly purchased andsoon-to-be completely refurbishedWillowbrook in Gedling.I started in the business back in 1989working for Ansells Brewery in acommunity pub in Alvaston, Derby as awet-behind-the-ears barman who fell inlove with what I did. From there I workedmy way up through the ranks and movedaround to extend my knowledge ofrunning bars from small independents tohigh street brands, working all over thecountry for the next 23 years.

In 2013 I was given a fantastic opportunityto get back to my roots and run a communitypub using all the skills I had learnt over theyears. The fact this was with Castle Rock,who brew quality beers and have a greatreputation, made it a very special project onwhich to work - exciting times!

We took over the Willowbrook Club on the22nd November 2013, with the plan to runthe pub as usual through the Christmas

period, in order to honour bookings andevents that had been organised prior toCastle Rock taking over. As time went by werealised that the Gedling community andsurrounding areas were more than pleasedwith the transition the Willowbrook hadmade. We decided to undertake therefurbishment while staying open as much aswe could for the enjoyment of the regulartrade who could see the changes we weremaking bit-by-bit. I have inherited a greatteam of staff and since I’ve been here havegot to know all the regulars, making thetransition very smooth and all great fun.

The Willowbrook refurbishment has beencoming on in leaps and bounds, includingmaking a new ground floor cellar so we cango from the already increased seven real alesto a possible fourteen, with craft beers and agood range of lagers. This will also include afine selection of world beers, spirits, wines

Castle Rock BreweryQueensbridge Road, Nottingham NG2 1NB

Tel: 0115 985 1615General enquiries:

[email protected] enquiries:

[email protected]:

[email protected]

is produced by freerbutler limitedwww.freerbutler-gds.co.uk

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and ciders, as well as NewBrew, LocAle, andother drinks offers from Castle RockBrewery.

We are also in the process of extending thekitchen so that the menu we have introducedcan be enhanced to provide more variationfor the discerning customer. We will be ableto cater for bigger bookings and functionson a regular basis for meetings, birthdays,weddings, Christmas and private parties.

We have adjusted the main bar by takingdown a separating wall to create one bigroom, with new toilets in two areas, greatnew décor and furnishings to make it theideal place for drinking, dining andsocialising.

Keep a look out for wine, food and beertasting evenings, cocktail master classes,band nights, beer festivals and much more.

Above: Pete Hopwell, the General Manager atCastle Rock’s newly- acquired ‘The Willowbrook’in Gedling, Nottingham.

Hot NewsThe Maze gets the Bugg!

He might have already played tothousands of screaming, bopping andboogying Nottinghamians, but thecity’s music lovechild Jake Bugg isstill the humble boy who stepped ontothe BBC’s Introducing Stage aged justseventeen.

Jake played a secret gig at The Maze inNovember 2013, ending a year ofperforming to colossal crowds on bigstages, by going back to the venue wherehe started out.

The exclusive gig was attended by thoselucky enough to win a ticket through hiswebsite, where the crowd was invited tomake donations to Cancer Research UK.

Jake is pictured above with Ben (left) andGaz (right) of the Maze - they are oldfriends and the main reason Jake cameback to play the venue.

The Maze was the ideal intimate venue toshowcase songs from ‘Shangri La’, Jake’ssecond album, which debuted later thatmonth.

Midnight Owl, our black India Pale Ale,took home gold in the Old Ale/Strong Mildcategory in the East Midlands regional beercompetition held during the NationalWinter Ale Festival in Derby in February. Inthe final panel, consisting of the winnersfrom all five categories, Midnight Owl wasawarded second place. Our brewer, JonEdger is pictured right (on left) beingtoasted on the win by leading beer writerand campaigner, Roger Protz (right) andLes Baynton in his role as Derby Beer King.

Wise after the event!

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Castle Rock Brewery has been shortlisted to win ‘Best Drinks Offer’ at the PublicanAwards 2014. Attributed for innovation with the ‘Discover World Beers’ initiative, wejoin four other contenders in the finals.

We collected the “Highly Commended” award for Best Marketing and Communicationfor our Nottinghamian Celebration Ales range at SIBA Beer X.

The Maze has been listed as a ‘venue that changed music history’ by Gigwise, alongsidethe world-famous Cavern Club in Liverpool where the Beatles first performed.Visit Gigwise.com to read the full story.

Castle Rock Brewery is now accredited by the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping).Courses begin with Personal Licence training in April of this year.

The Poppy & Pint was runner-up in the Pub Of The Year awards from NottinghamCAMRA. Congratulations to James and his team.

This year Castle Rock beers will be ‘back in brown’ bottles! More to come soon…

News focus

Come FlyWith MeCastle Rock Brewery tapsinto East Midlands AirportIn February we were delighted toannounce the launch of the Castle RockTap & Kitchen in the first floor departurelounge at East Midlands Airport.

Many months were spent in the planningstages when Autogrill approached us lastyear. We insisted that key members of ourteam were fully involved, especially whenapproaching fitting out the cellar. Ourextensive experience of working real ale heldus in good stead and our skills were certainlyused to their maximum potential. By workingclosely with the Autogrill team (the siteoperators) we have the confidence that theHarvest Pale on sale at EMA will be of thehighest possible quality and this was alwaysour primary concern.

The project went remarkably smoothly witheverything running on time, which means theairport now has a brand new and exceptionalfacility in which travellers can re-fuel andrelax.

The design is a blend between modern andtraditional and provides a bright, fresh andexciting showcase for Castle Rock Breweryand its beers in a high profile location.

Autogrill is a large Italian business thatoperates bars and restaurants in airports andsimilar environments around the world.

Having won the East Midlands Airportcontract, Autogrill wanted to act locally andwork with smaller businesses. Local foodsuppliers have also been included in theoffering at EMA but Castle Rock was deemedtop of their list on the beer front; so ourreputation definitely preceded us on this one!

Both parties were surprised and delightedthat our values were so closely connected,which allowed Castle Rock and Autogrill tomake this project happen.

The Castle Rock Tap and Kitchen raises thebar well above the standard airport fayre ofyesteryear and what can be better forpassengers than being able to samplefantastic quality local beer? Access isperhaps a bit limited; you’ll need to be goingon a flight to visit the Castle Rock Tap &Kitchen, so if you haven’t been X-rayed andyour name is not on the list then you aredefinitely not coming in!

Perhaps also for those who have an earlyflight a pint of Harvest Pale at 6am with yourbreakfast may not be your usual cup of teaeither (please note however that Harvest Paleis a great food match for a full EnglishBreakfast so it is well worth a try).

All-in-all this was an opportunity we couldn’trefuse and when leaving the country we’d

encourage passengers to take some HarvestPale with them into Europe!

So enjoy your holiday and when you returnmake sure you tell us how much you enjoyedyour Harvest Pale at the airport.

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Send us a selfie!Barely had theopening signsgone up at theTap Room &Kitchen whenwe receivedour first selfiefrom thevenue.So if you’repassingthroughEMA and offsomewhereexotic,don’t forget totweet us a selfie @CRBrewery - you maywell find yourself printed in the next editionof CRQ.

Above: Early visitors appreciate the decor andambience of the Castle Rock Tap Room &

Kitchen at East Midlands Airport

Autogrill Catering UK’s John Lobley (left) and Kate Cochrane(second right) with Castle Rock Brewery managing director,

Colin Wilde, and chairman Geoff Newton (right)

Drinks in FocusDiscover World Beers

CiderThe resurgence of interest in real ciderhas been a great boon over the last fewyears and 2013’s hot weather andsunshine was perfect for both growingapples and for sitting in a pub garden andenjoying them; but only once they havebeen fermented of course!

Castle Rock has sold real cider since weopened our first pub but it is only in recentyears that we have been able to ‘press’forwards and bring you a wide choice. Theresurgence stems back to the ‘Magner’sSummer of 2006’ when cold cider on icewhet the thirsts of the masses. In responsethe whole cider industry reinvented itself,including smaller producers. Apple treeswere planted across the land in theirthousands and continue to be so today.

This is great news when compared to theprevalence of the scrubbing of orchards inthe 80s and 90s. Back then French, Spanishand Chinese apple concentrates weredeemed cost-effective substitutes to growingour own apples in the UK. The mass marketciders may be criticised by some for notbeing the Real McCoy but their existence hasprovided a bridge for more and more peopleto try real cider.

Castle Rock has supported the CAMRA Cider& Perry month of October for the last twoyears and has sold over 100 different realciders through our pub network during thatmonth alone. We are seeking to furtherdevelop this in the years to come but we willalso look to extend availability during all ofthe summer months.

Watch out for these ciders in our pubs,especially those from some of the fabulouslocal cider makers that are on our doorstep;they use only local apples and adhere strictlyto the published CAMRA cider-makingguidelines.

So here’s to another long hot summer and,on those balmy nights, why not add a glassof cider or two to your repertoire. Don’tforget to tell us which ones are yourfavourites; we’ll be adding a cider categoryto the next annual Castle Rock Beer of theYear Awards.

If you’d like to learn more about realcider the CAMRA website gives plentymore information, trywww.camra.org.uk/CIDER

Discover World Beers focuses on sourcingand offering you the best beers fromaround the globe. The most prestigiousbottles and craft keg beers are fleeting, sohop on down to your DWB local andfollow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date.

You can currently discover impressive andimaginative world beers at the Hop Loft, theLincolnshire Poacher, the Kean’s Head andthe Canalhouse. More Castle RockBrewery pubs to follow soon!

Stone Brewing Co. – SublimelySelf Righteous Ale, 8.7%This beer was at the forefront of the‘Black IPA’ trend. For those notfamiliar, a ‘Black IPA’ is essentiallyan IPA with a touch of dark malt.Yes the ‘Black IPA’ moniker is a bitof an oxymoron but let’s roll with it.S.S.R is intensely hoppy, a mix of fresh pineand tropical fruit dominate the aroma. Theblack malt adds a little roast flavour into themix; the hops and malt come together incomplete harmony to create this delicious ale.

Bear Republic – Racer 5 IPA, 7.0%Racer 5 is a fine example of an American IPA– there’s loads of big citrus fruit and floralaromas from Chinook, Cascade, Centennial

and Columbus hops. The grain billincludes crystal malt so there is a sweet,malty backbone to balance out all thosepungent American hops.STOP PRESS – Due to California’s watercrisis, production of Bear RepublicRacer 5 IPA has been suspended for sixmonths. Availability is limited!

Augustiner – Helles, 5.2%Don’t think you like lager? Augustineris the oldest brewery in Munich,tracing their history all the way backto 1328. This fresh, crisp beer has abit of a cult following in Germany,popular with students and partygoers.Nevertheless the floral aroma andsparkling carbonation will make youreconsider your preconceptions of thisclassic beer style.

Duvel – Tripel Hop, 9.5%Duvel’s annual hop-forward release isgenuinely brilliant. 2012’s Citra variantwas full of gooseberry and tropical fruitflavours whilst 2013’s Sorachi Acetasted herbal with loads of freshlemon. This year’s version has beenmade with Mosaic hops – look out forit in our bars, it promises to beexcellent!

THURSDAY 17TH APRILBeer Tasting: by Palm Brewery GroupPre-booking recommendedHop Loft, 7.30pm, £10 per personEmail [email protected]

MONDAY 12TH- SUNDAY 18TH MAYAmerican Craft Beer WeekCelebrated in many of our pubs,with the best of best US beers andall-American dishes to matchFollow/contact your favourite CastleRock pub to find out more

THURSDAY 15TH MAYBeer Tasting: Wheat Style Beerby Discover World BeersPre-booking recommendedHop Loft, 7.30pm, £10 per personEmail [email protected]

SUNDAY 1ST- SATURDAY 8TH JUNEHudd WeekCelebrating Huddersfield, the brewingCapital of Yorkshire.Hudd beers Cask and Tap takeover,paired with Yorkshire inspired dishes!Kean’s Head.

THURSDAY 19TH JUNEBeer Tasting: Pale Ale Styleby Discover World BeersPre-booking recommendedHop Loft, 7.30pm, £10 per personEmail [email protected]

Wayne Harvey, world beer buyer andcraft connoisseur, shares his favouritesfrom the ‘Discover World Beer’ range.

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Tenant landlord Brendan McConville isyour authentic British publican;knowledgeable, chatty and kind-hearted.When we last visited ‘The Tup’ on 20thFebruary, it was under an exceptionalcircumstance, one which broughtBrendan’s locals, a hoard of ChesterfieldCAMRA members, local press and beerwriter and journalist Roger Protz, toswarm the pub for the evening.

“I feel marvellous,” Brendan grins. He’s nottalking about all these people, here to honourhis achievements; he’s talking about his tanafter a week visiting his sister in South Africa.It was a well-deserved break, and one whichmade Brendan particularly photogenic for hisnight as the centre of everyone’s attention.

The Derby Tup, as of 2014, has beenincluded in The Good Beer Guide for aconsecutive thirty years. It is as Roger Protzsaid, a “remarkable achievement. The Tupjoins a decreasing number of pubs with thislong and enviable record.” The Good Beer

Guide is considered the campaign’s bestseller, one that is compiled by CAMRAmembers and charges no fee for inclusion.Roger Protz presented Brendan with acertificate along with a signed copy of theGood Beer Guide. For a landlord, this is oneof the highest achievements possible.

So what is it about the Derby Tup, thirtyyears on, that keeps CAMRA coming back?Well of course the quality of the cask ale isexceptional. And the overall drinks offering iswelcoming, with ten real ales to choose from,supported by traditional ciders and arespectable selection of whisky.

Additionally and most predominantly, the Tupis a classic ‘local’; a quiet space to shelterfrom the world outside. Roger Protzpreviously described the Tup as a ‘down-to-earth, much-loved boozer’, and on this nightplaced the Tup amongst the remaining venuesconsidered the ‘backbone of Britain’straditional pub stock’.

It’s the charming, untouched tradition of thepub, with the interior kept much the same,the ‘snug’ in which you can’t help doze offand the open fires, that make the Tup socommendable. No airs and graces, a trueBritish pub of which very few remain.

In making his presentation, Protzthanked Castle Rock and Brendan fornot attempting to unnecessarilychange or ‘update’ the pub.

Messages of congratulations onBrendan’s success are met with amodest nod. “When I first came to theTup, this was the only real ale pub inChesterfield and there are now abouttwenty-five to thirty of them.”

All the more credit to you, Brendan.

The Derby TupIn Focus

Acquired byCastle Rock in 1990,the Derby Tup inChesterfield hasrecently received arare honour fromChesterfield andDistrict CAMRA.

In the next issue we feature…the Eagle at Boston, Lincolnshire

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Above: Derby Tup landlord Brendan McConville (left) and Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer GuideBottom of page: Regulars enjoy the celebrations

Castle Rock AwardsBeer of the Year 2013/14After months of votes flowing in from ourcustomers, this year’s Beer of the Year awardswas held in the function room of theCanalhouse on the evening of 25th February.

We slipped into our smart-casual gladrags, nattered with our friends frombreweries and businesses alike, andtasted the ‘mystery beers’.

This year, Castle Rock selected Small Beer Ltdas Supplier of the Year 2013-14. Colin Wildeexplained: “We have worked with Small Beerfor as long as I can remember and their widerange has always been at the heart of whatwe do. In the past year the innovation ofsupply they have offered us from a widecategory base has been exceptional and onehighlight in particular is how they are helpingus develop our Discover World Beer concept.They are worthy winners of this award.”

LocAle Brewer of the Year was awarded toBlack Iris; winners of New Brewer of the Yearin 2012-13. Learn more about Black Iris inour LocAle feature on page 11.

MòR Brewing was awarded New Brewer ofthe Year 2013-14, a well-deserved honourfor the Scottish pair, Jim and Ross, who notonly made the six-hour drive down toNottingham but brought two barrels ofdelicious beer with them.

Third place Beer of the Year, as voted for byCastle Rock customers, went to last year’swinner - Titanic Plum Porter. Still a favouritewith many, this naturally plum-flavouredporter is a sumptuous treat, and one enjoyedby customers across the CRB estate.

Family-run Bradfield Brewery, based on afarm in the Peak District, took home Second

place Beer of the Year for their premiumbitter, Belgian Blue. Distinguished by itsremarkable purple colour, Belgian Blue wasthe subject of curiosity and debate before itsunveiling.

By quite the “landslide vote”, Newby Wyke’sOrsino was awarded First Place, Beer of theYear 2013-14. This golden ale at 4.0% is asessionable and flavourful delight, with citrusaromas and a hoppy bite to finish. ChristineMarch beamed, “It feels like we are part of abig family,” and thanked Castle Rock andeveryone who voted. Brewer Robert Marchwas unable to attend because (you guessedit) he was up brewing the next morning. Allof us at Castle Rock would like to send ourcongratulations to you, Robert.

Brewer of the Year was awarded to Fuller,Smith & Turner plc. Fullers has worked hardbringing new beers to market in the last yearand these have struck a chord with ourcustomers. Their exciting and fresh approach,whilst retaining all what was previouslyexemplary, makes them deserving winners ofour Brewer of the Year Award.

Thank you to our customers forvoting and to our friends andcolleagues for attending, andmost importantly, thank you andwell done to all the superbbrewers and suppliers thatcontinue to strengthen thiscomplex industry.

Don’t miss your chance to votenext January!

Parliamentarymotion for Mòr:Graeme Dey, a Member of the ScottishParliament, wrote a personal letter toJim and Ross of MòR Brewing,congratulating the pair on their ‘NewBrewer of the Year’ award.

A parliamentary motion was lodged tohighlight the achievement, noting thatMòR was the ‘first-ever Scottish entrantto be nominated for the prestigioustitle, hosted by Castle Rock Brewery inNottingham’.

Castle Rock’s Managing Director ColinWilde asks, “Arewe the first - andso far only -English brewerto get amentionin the Scottish Parliament?”

Castle Rock Brewery colleagues and award winnersgather at the Canalhouse for a celebratory photo-call

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The Vat & FiddleIn Focus

I'm so happy to be back in Nottingham,after being away for four and a half years(since leaving The Chestnut Treein Sherwood in August 2009). I've spentthat time working in Cheltenham andBath, for some of the ‘PubCo’ big boys,but was always looking for that ‘special’place in Nottingham to become available…and it has!

I’m really thrilled to be given thisopportunity to manage the Vat & Fiddle andendeavour to make it Nottingham’s not-so-best-kept secret.

Castle Rock has firmly established itself as thepremium independent brewer in Nottinghamand after spending a day observing how hardeveryone works at the brewery, the least wecan do at ‘The Vat’ is to make sure each pintwe serve is in top condition.

Our customers, as varied as they are here,from regulars to visitors to our four-leggedfriends, deserve to be welcomed into ourhome and given the best hospitality we haveto offer. Drinks, food and the odd bowl ofwater, should never seem to be served asa chore and if it ever does we’re not doingour job properly.

This may sound very clichéd, but I want ourpatrons to look forward to visiting the Vat, totell their friends and family what a great pubit is and to spread the word throughout thecounty and beyond.

No business can afford to stand still; we haveto keep moving forward, so in the next fewmonths there will be a few changes.

A new menu is being planned right now,which will combine value for money and afew new dishes to tempt. The brewery toursand visitor centre is an area we will improveand hopefully increase footfall. We are ofcourse not changing everything. We are stillrunning our free quiz every Tuesday eveningfrom 8pm as well as hosting as a goodselection of live music. On the first Sunday ofthe month we still have Swingologie and thesecond Sunday of the month continues as atraditional folk band jam session.

There are also monthly live music nights, withthe next one being on Friday 5th April, whenwe have ‘Devil’s Advocate’ playing. This ispart of The Vat & Fiddle’s birthdaycelebration week, so if you’re free why notcome down and say hello!”

Jane Chadwick talksabout her new role asmanager of theVat & Fiddle, CastleRock’s brewery tap…

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Up & Coming BrewsAs Nottingham’s most prolific brewer, there is always something excitingavailable alongside our core range of classics. Whether it be our monthly beer insupport of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, quarterly beer to celebrateNottingham’s great heroes and heroines, specials to commemorate the FirstWorld War, or our one-off and seasonal range.

Brewed in memory of‘Nottingham’s firstblack entrepreneur’George Africanus.

At the age of just three, he arrived in England as the slaveof a family in Wolverhampton. After being apprenticed abrass founder in Wolverhampton, George moved toNottingham a free man in the 1780s, where he became a

successful businessman. Although we do not know muchabout George’s life, his story is that of overcoming the odds

and we are very proud to brew a beer in his honour.

Can you tell us more about George Africanus?

APRIL DINGY SKIPPER • No. 107bPale beer with some malt sweetnesscounterbalanced with a fruity hop character.

MAY RATTY • No. 84bLight brown mild ale.

JUNE RED ADMIRAL • No. 1bTraditional East Midlands balanced best bitter.

“A sometimes overused term but Hemlock is theepitome of a ‘traditional bitter’ where the earthybitterness of the Fuggles and Goldings hops isenhanced by the nutty bite of crystal and black malts.”– Adrian Redgrove, Head Brewer, Castle Rock Brewery.

Also look out for our seasonalclassic, Hemlock Bitter...

APRIL MAY

JUNE

APRIL - JUNE

MAY - JULY

The full flavoured and very popular ‘Hemlock Bitter’is available from

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This year marks the centenary of thestart of the First World War. Incommemoration, we are brewing aspecial range of twelve beers over thenext five years.

The first beer will be available in June,so raise a glass in respect.With donations to Combat Stress

Screech Owl

My favouriteCastle Rock beer

Name: Mike HigginsLocal: Stratford HavenFavourite Beer: Screech Owl

“There's only one SCREECH OWL! I wasfirst introduced to this Emperor ofIndia (Pale Ale) by my daughter onmy return to Nottingham in 2010 atthe Bread and Bitter.I have tasted beers fromall over the World and thisis by far my favourite.The montage (right) isentitled “The Brief ButBeautiful Life of a Screech Owl” taken inthe summer of 2011 at The StratfordHaven.”

We love to hear your feedback about our beers,and even more so when there is a story behind it!

We’re on a quest over the next few issues to findout what our customers’ favourite Castle Rocktipples are – and why!

Thanks for all your tweets,

retweets, follows, likes, and

lovely comments.Keep them coming!

“Post work cheeky pint of@CRBrewery Red Hart atthe @canalhousebar andthey’re playing Pearl Jam’s‘Even Flow’. Good call!”(@GastroChap)

“Just been filming at

@NottmCastle and now at

@CRBrewery for a brewery

tour - a tough life for

#Nottingham’s Official

#RobinHood! #LoveNotts”

(@RobinHoodTim)

“Back for another visit fromjust up the M1... this sublimebeer from @CRBrewery.Champion Beer of Britainin 2010.pic.twitter.com/XjeCXT6t2V”(@Bullsheadblaby)

“@CRBrewery RED HART

rich chocolate oatmeal stout

going down a treat pic.

twitter.com/nJyB5tfxO0”

(@HollyBushBEER)

“Wishing Castle RockBrewery a very happy 37thbirthday! Making Ale Realsince 1977”(R Whitbread)

TOP COMMENTS

Screech Owl is our superblybalanced India Pale Ale at5.5%. Brewed with two

American hops, this citrussybeer is offset by a smooth

malt character.

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Double up at CBoN 2014Nottingham CAMRA again chose theCanalhouse to host CBoN, its annualChampion Beer of Nottinghamshirecompetition where ales from all parts ofNottingham and the countybattle it out for the covetedtitle.In all 49 beers were judged,double the number in the firstevent last year. And aftermuch supping and discussing,

the judges from regional branches andbusinesses gave top honour to LincolnGreen Brewery's Tuck, a full bodied porter.After the competition, all the beers plus an

additional seven ales,five ciders and a perry,were made available tothe public who flockedin record numbers to seeif (in their opinion) thejudges got it right.

CuisineWhat’s Cookingat Castle Rock pubs‘One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,if one has not dined well’ - Virginia WoolfWhat to choose- a Mediterranean meze toinspire conversation or a traditionalBritish roast to subdue it? The choices areplentiful in Castle Rock pubs.

Whether you’re after crisp light bites onwarm afternoons, hearty home-madegoodness on chilly evenings, easy and breezyflying visits at lunchtime, gratifying gourmetto treat your better half or, let’s be honest,some impromptu grub after a long hard dayand a few too many; you should taste it herefirst.

We’re an environmentally responsiblebrewery and this “green” ethic filters rightdown to the dish on your plate. Whereverpossible our ingredients are locally sourced,freshly prepared and our dishes home-made.That means your meal tastes better and isbetter for you.

We don’t stop there though; some of ourmost inspired chefs like to share their recipesso you can re-create the dish at home.Manager of the Kean’s Head in Nottingham’sLace Market, Sam Skinner-Watts, has sharedhis ‘Harvest Pale Ice Cream’ recipe on ourwebsite. Yes, that’s beer ice-cream…impeccable. At the Kean’s Head you can hideaway in the cobbled streets of history andenjoy antipasto, melanzane and homemadefondant in a cosy atmosphere. Food loversmay ponder which dish to pair with theirpint, but we have pairings and suggestionsready for you, so your taste buds are poisedon perfection.

The Bread and Bitter in Mapperley isrenowned for its excellent range of cask ale,always stored and poured to exceptionalstandards, and now it’s used in the cookingtoo. ‘The Bread’ has just launched a new

menu consisting of fabulous homemadedishes such as Devilled Mushrooms, Kedgereeand Eggs Royale. Those slightly peckish canopt for the smaller portions and still taste the

divine flavours of thesenew creations.

Vegetarian, gluten-freeand dairy-free diets arecatered for whereverpossible, in all CastleRock pubs. Andtraditional foodies haveno fear: the CastleRock clan will neversay goodbye to theclassics that makeBritish pubs so great.

MONDAY 12TH - SUNDAY 18TH MAYBritish Sandwich Week#stratsandwichweekSuggest the sub of your dreams in-houseor onlineStratford Haven

MONDAY 12TH JUNE - SUNDAY 13THJULYWorld Cup Burger ChallengeWill you make the leader board? Quickesttime wins a gallon of Castle Rock ale!Fox & Crown

MONDAY 23RD JUNE - SUNDAY 6THJULYWimbledon the British WayEnjoy Pimms and Cream Tea inCastle Rock Pubs

Black IrisLocAle

The CAMRA LocAle Scheme promotespubs stocking locally brewed real ale.Castle Rock is committed to supportingthe scheme, offering diversity in ourguest beer range and giving smallbreweries a route to the consumermarket.

At Beer of the Year 2011-12, these Derbybased youngsters took home our NewBrewer of the Year award just seven monthsafter setting up their brewery. Back thenBlack Iris were overwhelmed by the supportthey received from esteemed brewers andCastle Rock customers. This year theDirectors of Castle Rock awarded Black IrisLocAle Brewer of the Year2013-14, and Nick and Alexlooked like experts steppingup to collect their trophy.

Nick Folkard (left) and AlexWilson (right) began brewingas ‘Black Iris’ in 2011, using asix-barrel plant based behindthe Flowerpot pub in Derby.The boys were learning on the job, workingon perfecting basic recipes and learninghow different hop varieties affect the endproduct.

The progress made byBlack Iris is commendable:with inclusion by CAMRAinto the 2014 Good BeerGuide, their status in the brewing industry isgrowing fast. Additionally, Alex’s niftyfacial hair combined with pump clip artworkfrom a local tattoo artist, shows real alecan be cool.

Most significantly of course is the greatquality of beers produced by Black Iris.Just two days after carrying home theirCastle Rock award and still determined togain as much knowledge and experiencepossible, Black Iris headed to Murphy & Son

Ltd to spend the daylearning about yeastmanagement. It seemsthese guys will exploreevery avenue to ensurethey brew brilliantproducts.

The result of course, isthat we get to follow

what Black Iris do next, and with theircapacity to absorb information and improveat an extraordinary rate, it’s no doubt thisyear is set to be another wondrous journey.

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Editor’s PicksUpcoming EventsTUESDAY 8THMovie Night: Fast & Furious 3Golden Eagle, 8pm, Free Admission

TUESDAY 8THSalopian Brewery Night& the Golden TroubadoursBread & Bitter, Music from 9pm, FreeAdmission

TUESDAY 15THMovie Night: Fast & Furious 4Golden Eagle, 8pm, Free Admission

THURSDAY 17TH-MONDAY 21STBank Holiday Beer FestivalAll beers voted for by you!Lincolnshire Poacher, Free Admission

SUNDAY 20THEaster Garden PartyAll welcome!BBQ, bouncy castle and Easter egg huntGolden Eagle, 2pm, Free Admission

TUESDAY 22NDWine Night hosted by Big WinesEnjoy an evening of good wine & good food!Poppy & Pint, 7:30pm, £25

WEDNESDAY 23RDWitty Fools Shakespeare QuizStratford Haven, 8.30pm, Free

WEDNESDAY 23RDSt. George’s Day PartyWith Dr. Comfort & The Lurid RevelationsBread & Bitter, 5pm, Free Admission

THURSDAY 1ST TO SATURDAY 31STMild in May DisplayLearn all about Mild at the Castle RockBrewery Tap in celebration of the CAMRAMild in May TrailVat & Fiddle, all month

SATURDAY 3RD – SUNDAY 4THStar Wars Weekend‘May the 4th be with you’ (get it?)Movies, nibbles and all things Star WarsianGolden Eagle and the Poppy & Pint

SUNDAY 4THComedy ClubRob Rouse rings in the 5th anniversaryNew Barrack Tavern, 8pm, £5

THURSDAY 22ND- MONDAY 26THBank Holiday ‘Best of theBest’ Beer Fest & BBQBBQ available all festivalSatnam’s Tash go Electric on Thu 22ndBread & Bitter, Free Admission

THURSDAY 29THCheese & Wine Nighthosted by Big WinesCelebrating British Cheese WeekWillowbrook, Call for details and to book

SATURDAY 31STOpening the Garden PartyAll welcome!BBQ, bottled beer festival, bouncy castleand live musicGolden Eagle, 2pm, Free Admission

THURSDAY 5THClassic Bike ConcourseAll welcome!Contact us for more information.Golden Eagle, 6pm, Free Admission

TUESDAY 10THMovie Night: The Italian JobGolden Eagle, 8pm, Free Admission

TUESDAY 24TH‘Troupers’ from MikronTheatre CompanySet in 1914, a little-told story of theGreat WarPoppy & Pint, 7:30pm

THURSDAY 26TH - SUNDAY 29THGolden Eagle Beer FestivalWith Live Music and BBQGolden Eagle, 6pm, Free Admission

MONDAY 30THArmed Forces Charity QuizBread & Bitter, 5pm, £1

SATURDAY 5TH - SUNDAY 6THCampers Carry-out OfferThirsty ‘Le Tour Yorkshire’ campers cancarry out a polypin of delicious CastleRock beer!New Barrack Tavern, ask for pricings

TUESDAY 8THMovie Night: Drop Dead FredGolden Eagle, 8pm, Free Admission

SATURDAY 12THWaterfront FestivalThe renownedsummer benefitfest. is backfor 2014with threestages oflive music,the biggestWorld Beerselection inNottinghamand hundreds ofhappy people dancing by the canal sideCanalhouse, Like on Facebook to find outmore:The Nottingham Waterfront Festival

VISIT www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk for afull listing of forthcoming events.

Full listings onour website -updated daily

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

OPEN MIC NIGHT– Last Friday of every month atThe Hop Loft, from 8:30pm, Free Admission

ACOUSTIC SESSIONS – Every Thursday at theCanalhouse, from 6:30pm, Free Admission

12 www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk

MerchandiseThe Castle Rock lookWe offer a great range of merchandise, fromfleeces and beanie hats to shorts and t-shirts!There are three ways to buy merchandise from us:

• Order at your local Castle Rock pub

• Visit and order from our eBay shop“Castle_Rock_Brewery_Nottingham”or just Google“Castle Rock Brewery eBay shop”

• Email [email protected]

Join Robin and his merry men(and women!)

Brewery Tours

Tours of Castle Rock Brewery are fun and informative; where possible youwill be shown around the brewery by Nottingham’s very own RobinHood. Afterwards you will be taken to the brewery tap Visitors’ Centrewhere you can sample some of our beers.

Tours are available throughout the week, and onSaturdays (subject to availability).

You can book in three ways:• Email [email protected] with

preferred dates and times• Fill in our online booking form at

www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk• Ask at the bar in your Castle Rock local

Tours last 30-40 minutes and cost £12 per person. Hot andcold food options are available for before or after the tour.Please note a minimum of ten people are required(although you may be able to join another tour).Tours are for over 18’s only.

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Follow UsSocial Media

There’s always something happening in the Castle Rock estate, and youcan get even more involved, learn of upcoming events and benefit fromoffers just by following our social media feeds!Simply search for the below accounts on Facebook or Twitter and click “Like”, “Follow” or “Add Friend”

Alexandra Hotel @Alex_Pub_DerbyBread Bitter @breadandbitterCanal House @canalhousebarThe Derby Tup @TheDerbyTupThe Eagle @EagleBostonThe Maze @themazenottsThe Fox & Crown, Newark @TheFoxandCrownThe Golden Eagle Free House @GoldenEaglePubThe Hop Loft @TheHopLoftKean’s Head @keansheadLincolnshire Poacher @lincpoacherNew Barrack Tavern @NewBarrackThe Newshouse @NewshouseNottsPoppy & Pint @PoppyandPintStratford Haven @stratfordhavenSwan Rushes @swanrushesVat Fiddle @VatandFiddleThe Wetmore Whistle @wetmorewhistle1The Willowbrook @WillowbrookCRBCastle Rock Brewery @CRBrewery

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Our beers talk too!Elsie Mo @ElsiemocrbSheriff Tipple @SheriffTippleScreech Owl @ScreechOwlCRB

Join the Club!Castle Rock Club Hop Loft ClubShow your support for Castle Rock Brewery andjoin the Castle Rock Club!

Membership is free and all who join will receive aunique membership card,discounts and offers,event updates, aspecial pin badge andhalf-filled loyaltycard, as a ‘thankyou’ from us.

All members of theCastle Rock Clubreceive a discountof 25% off brewerytours and 10% off allmerchandise!

To join, simply fill in an application form at yourlocal Castle Rock pub.

Your membership items will arrive at the pub withintwo weeks of the office receiving your form.

At Castle Rock we like to experiment and ourrecently acquired five-barrel fermenting vessel hasunlocked many opportunities.

In addition to our dynamic range of monthly,quarterly and seasonal beers, we are also releasing arange of small brews designed to challenge a fewconventions!

Each recipe has been carefully considered toproduce an interesting, unique or even extremetasting beer- with the added idiosyncrasy of being unfined(cloudy).

We brewed our first one ”Stereotype” in March, which was an extra bitter, dry hopped West CoastIPA at 5.9%. It certainly got people talking and there are many other recipes and brews to come,of varying flavours and characters.

These beers are intended to push a few boundaries, and we would love to hear your feedback.Please Facebook, Tweet or email us with your thoughts.

Each Traffic Street Special brew is very limited in amount, but will be coming thick and fast thisyear, so if you spot one be sure to give it a try!

Castle Rock’s new world beer bar, the HopLoft is situated upstairs atthe Swan in the Rushes,Loughborough.

It’s at the forefront ofthe world and craft beerscene, and is instru-mental in our “DiscoverWorld Beers” initiative, offeringover 150 bottled beers and five craft keg lines.

If you love world or craft beer, join the HopLoft Club. Membership is free and all who joinwill receive a unique membership cardentitling them to 10% off all world and craftbeer at the Hop Loft!

To join, simply fill in an application form atthe Hop Loft.

Your membership items will arrive at theHop Loft within two weeks of the officereceiving your form.

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A national award-winninggolden beer. American hops

give a refreshingly crisp,citrus finish.

A well balanced, award-winning dark mild with somebitterness. Full-bodied but

not overly sweet.

A full-bodied premium bitterof typical East Midlandscharacter. Perfect bitter-

sweet balance.

3.8%3.8% 4.4%

Brewed to be a traditionalsession ale with a malty bitter

taste.

3.4%

Blonde and beautiful singlemalt golden ale refreshing on

the palate.

4.7%

A national champion. StrongIndia Pale Ale. Lots of

everything so proceed withcaution.

5.5%

Our Craft Keg beerA golden IPA, with allAmerican hops and dryhopped again at theend with Chinook

5.2%

Core Castle Rock Beers

Castle Rock PubsALEXANDRA HOTEL203 Siddals Road, Derby DE1 2QE

Tel: 01332 293993e-mail: [email protected]

DERBY TUP387 Sheffield Rd, Chesterfield S41 8LS


FOX AND CROWN4-6 Appletongate, Newark, Notts NG24 1JY


KEAN’S HEAD46 St. Mary’s Gate, Nottingham NG1 1QA

Tel: 0115 947 4052e-mail: [email protected]

NEWSHOUSE123 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7HB


STRATFORD HAVEN2 Stratford Rd, W. Bridgford, Nott’m NG2 6BA


VICTORIA HOTELDovecote Lane, Beeston, Nott’m NG9 1JG


BREAD AND BITTER153-155 Woodthorpe Dr, Mapperley, NG3 5JL


EAGLE144 West Street, Boston, Lincs PE21 8RE


GOLDEN EAGLE21 High Street, Lincoln LN5 8BD


LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER161-163 Mansfield Road, Nott’m NG1 3FR


POPPY AND PINTPierrepont Road, Lady Bay, Notts NG2 5DX


SWAN IN THE RUSHES21 The Rushes, Loughborough LE11 5BE


WETMORE WHISTLE93 Wetmore Road, Burton on Trent, DE14 1SH


CANALHOUSE48-52 Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7EH


FOREST TAVERN/MAZE257 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FT

Tel: 0115 947 5650email: [email protected] • web: www.themazerocks.com

HOP LOFT21 The Rushes, Loughborough, LE11 5BE


NEW BARRACK TAVERN601 Penistone Road, Sheffield S6 2GA


ROOK AND GASKILL12 Lawrence Street, York YO10 3WP


VAT AND FIDDLE (The Brewery Tap)

12-14 Queensbridge Rd, Nottingham NG2 1NB


WILLOWBROOK13 Main Rd, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 3HQ


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JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER JULY - SEPTEMBER AUGUST

‘The Great War - A Call to Arms’

Documents

Castle Rock Quarter Issue 1