Well hopped, slightly US inspired red ales seem to be becoming more and more popular with UK breweries. Examples are already out there; I wrote recently about Rapture from Magic Rock, and of course BrewDog's 5am Saint has always been a great beer (although technically it's an 'iconoclastic amber ale'...

American craft beer is great. Not only has it inspired breweries like BrewDog, Thornbridge, Magic Rock, The Kernel, DarkStar, Marble and Summer Wine to push the boundaries of 'British Beer', but it's also vastly improved the bottled beer selection that's on offer over here. I mean sure we aren't drinking...

Leeds has a distinct lack of nice beer gardens in the City Centre. Headingley has The Oak, which is huge and has a friendly, frivolous atmosphere and a few standard ales on, but Leeds centre is a bit lacking. There's always Millenium Square, but on a sunny day Wetherspoons is always rammed full of idiots...

Last night was the official launch of Magic Rock Brewing at The Grove in Huddersfield, and what a night it was.Most breweries do a 'soft launch'; with their new beers slowly making it into different pubs and beer bars as they begin to spread the word, and build up a loyal following over a few months...

This is just a quick reminder to anybody living near Huddersfield that the launch night for Magic Rock Brewing happens this evening at The Grove; it's the first place you'll be able to try their brand spanking new brews before the bottles even hit the shelves. On the bar tonight there will be: Curious...

Sometimes it's nice to get back to basics. Food made using high quality ingredients, cooked simply but with care, and washed down with tasty uncomplicated beer, it's the reason we all love BBQ's and it's exactly the reason I love Cirrik in Richmond.Cirrik is a Turkish grill and meze restaurant, where...

I love risotto. There's something hugely satisfying about the creamy, soothing oozyness of it that just screams out comfort food. My favourite has got to be mushroom risotto, and thankfully it's the flavour most likely to be found on a restaurant's menu for the simple reason that it's a classic combo...

I was lured into a fall sense of security by Brooklyn Lager on Saturday night. It's balance and drinkability doing little to quell the onslaught of ABV's that were flooding my system, and which in hindsight did much to contribute to my fragility on Sunday morning. Feeling a little green in the cheeks...

I ran a poll last week about whether the glass a beer is served in really affects its flavour or aroma, or both. I purposefully didn't say what I thought as I didn't want to lead people into voting in a certain way. The results, as you can see on the left, were really interesting.Not one person voted...

I attended a 'Buxton takeover' at North Bar in Leeds recently and got the chance to try four of their beers on cask in one evening, a rare treat in itself, but the thing I enjoyed most about the event was the chance to chat with some guys from the brewery and hear the passion they've got for what they...

Jerk chicken with rice and peas is one of my favourite dishes full stop. The combination of spicy, salty, herby jerk chicken with coconutty Jamaican rice and peas is a match made in heaven, and something which is ridiculously easy to make at home.Most people have tried jerk chicken or something similar,...