Category Archives: beer

New Brewery for Oxford

Shotover Brewery Logo

A new craft micro brewery called the Shotover Brewing Company is due to
open soon in converted stables in Horspath just outside Oxford. The
owner and head brewer Ed Murray has been craft brewing for over twenty years
and has made the decision to turn his interest into a commercial venture.
It is anticipated that beer will be on sale by the end of November.

There are photos of stables being converted into the brewery on their facebook group and their main web site is at www.shotoverbrewing.com.

I am hoping that one of the Shotover beers will be at the Brewery Tap‘s Winter ‘Beer, Cider & Sausage’ festival on Friday 4th December – Sunday 6th December. This festival promises 30 different cask ales, 5 real ciders. The Big Boys Blues Band will be playing live on the Sunday from 4pm.

Note to any publicans reading this… I don’t intend to only mention the Brewery Tap and the Stocks. There are many other good pubs in Abingdon including Nags Head, Spread Eagle, White Horse, Cross Keys, Punchbowl, Plough, Broad Face. If you have any news, information on guest beers, festivals, etc, then please let me know and I’ll post it here.

October 9, 2009Permalink Leave a comment

Oxford Beer Festival 2009

Oxford Beer Festival 2009
It is the Camra Oxford Beer Festival next week in Oxford town hall next week. It runs from Thursday 15th October at 5pm-11pm until Saturday when it closes at 8pm.

There will be around 140 different ales and 20 real ciders and perry’s available. This is a good opportunity to try out beers that may not be available locally, try beers from local breweries and to meet other people who appreciate good beer.

You can find more information including an up to date beer list at the Oxford Camra web site.

A new industry report published this week about Cask Ale says:

…over the last few years, cask beer has seen a remarkable turnaround. It’s now outperforming every other beer style, benefitting from the increasing demand for products with local provenance, natural ingredients and interesting flavours.

October 7, 2009Permalink Leave a comment

Abingdon Brewery Tap improves beer range

The Brewery Tap on Ock Street in Abingdon, is now offering a wider choice of real ales with two hand punps being free of tie. Initially these include White Horse Brewery’s Wayland Smithy, and Slater’s Top Totty.

The Brewery Tap has always been known for its quality of ale, and was the only pub in Abingdon to appear in the Camra 2009 Good Beer Guide and has been Cask Marque accredited every year since it started. However as it is a Greene King pub it has been restricted in its choice of beers.

The improvements are due to Kane who previously managed the Stocks bar, and has now moved to the Brewery Tap. Whilst at the Stocks bar, he was responsible for dramatic improvements to the beer range and quality, turning it into one of the top pubs in the Oxford area for real ale drinkers.

There are plans to hold a beer festival at the Brewery Tap at the beginning of December, and to try to obtain Camra LocAle status by permanently stocking beers from the White Horse Brewery.

This is good news for Abingdon, which over the last few years has seen a big improvement to the quality and range of beers.

September 7, 2009Permalink Leave a comment

A New Abingdon Brewery?

Abingdon may get its very own micro brewery soon. Since the Morland brewery was bought by Greene King in 1999 and subsequently closed down and converted into flats, Abingdon has been without a commercial brewery.

Loose Cannon Brewery have applied for planning permission on the Ashville Trading Estate 6 Suffolk Way, Abingdon, OX14 5JX for Change of Use from B1/B8 to Class B2 for use as a micro brewery.
Continue reading →

July 7, 2009Permalink 1 Comment