Beer Compurgation

“Every time the same arguments are had. But you live and learn, so they say, except, actually, they never do.” This was written by myself, last year, in reference to the farcical events of the 2014 Manchester Beer & Cider Festvial at the National Cycling Centre. The events of that infamous Saturday, as I stood by the foreign beer bar watching insanity ensue around me, could have turned the most ardent supporter of festivals into stay-at-home drinkers. It was hilarious and infuriating all at once. They never learn, I thought - but, guess what, they did. Because this year was terrific. I’m capable of education too, since much of last year’s post raged on about a “sanctimonious trade session” that I blamed for much of the beer’s disappearance. This was, as it would seem, not entirely true and to add a little irony to the fold I was going to Wednesday’s trade session this year for redemption or possible ambush. I was always going to be there Saturday to attend with those w

To a man who has known so many difficulties in the past 24 months, know that, when I speak on “difficulties” in this post, I speak without a sense of perspective or control. I speak only on the beer drinking month of Advent. As my blog reached the end of it’s third Advent – and therefore the end of its third Beer Advent Calendar – I found myself reaching difficulties. I found myself in an exceedingly busy period at work, a more social time outside of it but, mostly, I moved house and found it much more stressful than before. Everything became about that move, so that drinking a different Christmas-themed beer was occurring amongst unpacking boxes and thoroughly cleaning the dusty, untouched tops of cupboards. Tasting notes were scribed on the Memo App of my phone as I waited for my internet to be connected. And I waited. And waited. And waited… I fell behind in the Advent posts that, certainly in 2013, I’d done very well of keeping on top of. I was disappointed because, as was