Visit the The Good Stuff site




OK, just a quick one to spread the word about the proud winners of the National Winter Ales Festival that’s just been held in Manchester this week.
Cornish brewer Driftwood took top prize with *Alfie’s Revenge – it’s refreshing to see a beer that’s travelled so far take the top accolade. Honourable mentions also go to Cairngorm, Coniston and Hammerpot. Anyway, here are the winners in full:
Old Ales and Strong Milds*category
Gold- Driftwood, Alfie’s Revenge (St Agnes, Cornwall)
Joint Silver- Nant, Mwnci Nell (Llanrwst, Conwy)
Joint Silver- Brunswick, Black Sabbath (Derby, Derbyshire)
Bronze- Beowulf, Dark Raven (Brownhills, Staffordshire)
Porters*category
Gold- Hammerpot, Bottle Wreck Porter (Poling, West Sussex)
Silver- Blythe, Johnson’s (Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire)
Bronze- Sulwath, Black Galloway (Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway)
Stouts*category
Gold- Cairngorm, Black Gold (Aviemore, Highlands)
Silver- Cambridge Moonshine, Black Hole Stout (Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire)
Bronze- Acorn, Gorlovka (Wombwell, South Yorkshire)
Barley Wines*category
Gold- Coniston, No 9 Barley Wine (Coniston, Cumbria)
Silver- Moor, Old Freddy Walker (Pitney, Somerset)
Bronze- Isle of Skye, Cuillin Beast (Uig, Isle of Skye)
OVERALL*result
Gold- Driftwood, Alfie’s Revenge (St Agnes, Cornwall)
Silver- Cairngorm, Black Gold (Aviemore, Highlands)
Bronze- Coniston, No 9 Barley Wine (Coniston, Cumbria)

I couldn’t get the time this week to attend – which is a shame as I always enjoy it – but here’s an excellent account of the day from Beersay.



More...