In front of me I have a glass filled with a slightly hazy, copper orange coloured liquid, a steady stream of bubbles rising to a thin white head.The smell is of a clean crisp lager with some peppery esters, a delicate floral quality gently pushes through. A sip (well ,more of a slurp), coats the tongue with a pleasing caramel sweetness and a prolonged bitterness. A beer that belies...

Last Friday, February 25th I journeyed up to Bakewell to see my friends at Thornbridge, for what was a momentous occasion – well, in my mind at least. It was two years to the day since we had first collaborated and brewed our 7% Old Ale, ‘Coalition’. Finally, the beer was to be released. One week in Fermenter, 20 months in conditioning tank and four + months in...

Matt and Karen, landlord and lady of the Evening Star, love to do beery things on their days off. In fact I can’t remember them doing anything non-beery. Ever. Just for the hell of it, (and to coincide with 21st anniversary of The Sussex Beer Festival), Matt and Karen had managed to instigate a collaboration brew – sort of thing I love to be involved with. Not that it...

Last Tuesday I made my annual visit to Charles Farams, our hop merchants, tucked away in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside. It is always a pleasure to visit our suppliers and maintain a personal relationship. The beer ‘industry’ is totally fantastic like that – really open, warm and welcoming, more like a network of friends really and I was looking forward...

Anyone who is vaguely interested in Dark Star (which must include you, if you’re reading this), will know we do monthly specials. First beer up in 2011 is one I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. A collaborative effort between myself and my friend, the beer writing, beer swilling, drink you under the table, fountain of knowledge, Melissa Cole. This beer was...

So finally in 2011, Dark Star is getting a much needed new website. Hopefully it will be far less annoying and a lot easier to navigate. It will also look damn cool! As part of that, I will be doing this blog to keep anyone who cares abreast of what the hell we are up to in our pursuit of brewing and drinking great beers (and other random stuff no doubt). There has been a lot of...