Tuesday? Brewsday? Boozeday?

How nice it is to have a week off work and to have finished my latest essay for Uni yesterday.

What better way to celebrate than a trip to the Bon Accord with my dad for a few beers while our respective better halves attend an event at the Mitchell Library?

I've not been at the Bon Accord for a long while, but it was always a post-work favourite of many of my colleagues.  It's always been a friendly pub with a great mix of people, and - perhaps most importantly - there are always a good few ales on tap (maybe 10 or more?)  Add to that a nice selection of single malts too should the mood take us, and we have the recipe for a pleasant evening.

So have a good brewsday, folks!

Is WEST best?

Having waxed lyrical about the mighty Hippo Beers last time, I thought I'd move from the West End to the East End to think about WEST Brewery.

If you've not come across it, WEST is a brewery, bar and restaurant located just off Glasgow Green in the old Templeton carpet factory - which is a properly stunning building as you'll see in the photo later in this post.  I first came across it a couple of years ago when a group of us popped in for a Sunday morning coffee on a freezing cold day just after new year, and I was immediately impressed by the look of the place; it's set out in the manner of a German beer hall, and there's a nice beer garden outside with a view over part of Glasgow Green towards the People's Palace.

I wasn't back for a while, but last year a Groupon (or similar) voucher popped up offering a tour and tasting session, and this sounded to good to miss so I went along with my dad and a friend and took in the half-hour tour, which was great.  After learning that they brew all their beers in accordance with the German Purity Law, the name of which I forget, I was definitely looking forward to giving them a try.

The former Templeton carpet factory building

I wasn't disappointed - while I'm usually not a fan of lager, their St Mungo (their flagship brew) and West 4 (a lighter option) both had more flavour than probably 99% of other lagers I've tasted and they definitely went down nicely.  We also sampled a couple of other brews before trying the pick of the bunch - their Hefeweizen wheat beer.  I've had a few wheat beers over the years and enjoyed them to a greater or lesser degree, but this one was a beauty - fruity, crisp and refreshing.

Since then I've spotted St Mungo popping up all over the place, and their other beers showing up on tap in some places too - particularly the GFT cafe which is nice.  Sadly, they only bottle St Mungo just now though I believe there are plans currently underway to expand their capacity which will hopefully result in the Hefeweizen being bottled.  This would make me happy!

So the venue and the beer both get a thumbs up, and I have to say the food does too - I've been along for a couple of meals with friends and with family and everyone I've dragged along has loved the food and the ambiance.

So, is WEST best?  Well, it's pretty damn good, that's for sure.  Put it this way - I've got a week off work coming up, and in the process of writing this post I've persuaded myself that we should go there for a bite of lunch tomorrow.  Says it all, really!

Hippo Beers - we salute you!

Been a while since my last post for various reasons, so what better way to return than with a few words about Hippo Beers, the specialist beer shop which opened on Queen Margaret Drive in Glasgow a few weeks before Christmas.

Although getting hold of decent beers has probably never been easier - what with a fine range of new breweries, a bigger selection even in supermarkets, and the joy of online shopping - there's a lot to be said for shopping in person.  When the shop has as good a range as Hippo Beers does, then any fan of good beer should be in heaven.  The trick, however, is to leave the debit card at home before you go otherwise things could get dangerous!

I've dropped by a few times to pick up a selection, and I've been impressed every time.  Their website claims a range of around 350 beers which must be about right - whatever the exact count is, there's certainly enough to make it extremely difficult to choose.  While the range of beers on display from around the world is huge, I must admit I'm particularly pleased to see them supporting nearby breweries with an excellent range of beers from all over Scotland.

Add to that a range of ciders and wines and some of the funkiest glassware you could care to look for and you simply won't be disappointed - it's a must-visit shop for any serious beer lover in the Glasgow area.

I wish the guys well - it's no doubt a difficult time for anyone starting up a new business, but I think they've come up with a great shop and I hope to see it go from strength to strength.  With tasting sessions and 'meet the brewer' events on the cards it seems that they've got good plans to widen their appeal, which is another good sign - I wonder if they'll think about moving online too to reach a wider market at some point?

Anyway, go check it out if you've not done so already.  And if anyone can find out why they chose the name Hippo Beers then I'd be extremely keen to hear the story!

Find out more at hippobeers.co.uk