h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first h2g2 Beerfest will be held at the Horse and Groom on Friday 14th December from 10pm.

The following beers will be featured, but you may bring your own choices as well:

Wychwood Hobgoblin Ale
Whitstable Oyster Stout
Theakston's Old Peculier
Shepherds Neame Bishop's Finger
Jennings Cumberland Ale
Thatcher's Gold Cider

As an official event, all beers consumed in the Horse and Crown will be rated and featured on the pub page.

Theakston's I can do, and I might even be able to make the time too

Wait... Horse and Crown?

You been at the ale already 'rich?

To confirm I will have
Wychwood Hobgoblin Ale
Theakston's Old Peculier
Shepherds Neame Bishop's Finger
Looking forward to the event

I was drifting off thinking about Withnail and I for some reason, and the Crow and Crown...

Good to hear you can make it in time, anyway!

I'll definitely have three of them. I'm hoping to have time to find a few more.

I'll be doing my best to make it but I ain't promising - depends how busy we are work and if I can get out early. Even if I can't I might be able to catch the last stragglers as they down their last beer and think about staggering off home from the pub

I don't doubt that I'll still be around at 2am, though I may be making little sense by then

With a bit of luck I can be home by 6pm here, midnight UK time.

I will be picking up a job lot from Morrisons this evening. I expect to be around from about 8pm onwards.

Do you think we should have a tasting card, with various categories of maltiness, bitterness and so on?

B

We could do - there's an online one here http://www.tastebeer.com.au/beer/141 unless you were thinking of putting a version onsite?

I was planning to just take an average score out of five from our ratings at the end; do you think that's too simplistic? I didn't really want to clutter up the pub with lots of complicated tables, though I could make a 'Previous Beerfests' page as well if we want to put up more info about each.

I like the online one, I have to say.

I can confirm that I have all five beers, plus some Bateman's Rosey Nosey, a Roaring Meg, and - bravely - a Morrison's 'The Best' Cask Conditioned Ale.

No Thatchers Gold, though, so I've taken a punt at Wychwood Green Goblin. Didn't even realise they made cider.

I don't wish to be called a philistine, but are we drinking these at room temperature. I'm afraid I do like bottled ales with a slight chill. Suppose I could turn the heating off.

Don't start without me, please.

B

I prefer mine a little chilled as well, B. It's ok; no-one will ever know we're drinking them below room temperature...

I'll stick 'em in the fridge, then.

Cider in the coldest bit, natch.

B

OK...I've a curry due to arrive at about 6:30 in order to - erm - prepare my palate.

When's the big kick-off? What's the schedule? I think I'd prefer the cider before the beers if that's meeting with general agreement.

B

Damn, I'd better get to the offie! I know they've got the Hobgoblin, Old Peculier & Bishop's Finger (actually, I already have the latter in the fridge) and, come to think of it, Green Goblin.

That will be it as my liver has taken a bit of a hammering of late.

Hmm, that could have gone better. They've got new stock in so I have:

Bishop's Finger
Old Peculier
Fiddler's Elbow
Black Sheep
Badger Stinger (which, worryingly, has a picture of Huge Furry-Whittledballs on the back label)
&
Westons Organic Cider.

Now then, how do avoid drinking any of this lot for the next three and a half hours?

Bugger!

Sorry lads, I forgot, and as I've just had a glass of wine* with my supper, maybe mixing with ale isn't such a smart move.

Besides, it's been a l-o-n-g busy week, so I can see me heading bedwards by around 9.00 at the latest. I'm absolutely knackered

Middle age doesn't have a lot to recommend it, really try and avoid that bit, and just be old disgracefully when you really really can't get away with being 30 any more!

Enjoy your supping





* I sometimes have these pretentions of being a bit poncy. Not very Brotherly behaviour I know; but it's only a hobby, honest. I can give it up any time I like......

Pncey? So long as you slurped rather than sipped you'll be fine.