Twenty questions

Not been working on the site much recently. So here's a gentle segue back into the swing of things - a twenty-questions-thingy that I picked up over on the beermerchants blog.

my perfect day would begin with…

warm sun flooding through the window, the sound of birdsong and/or breaking waves, the aroma of frying bacon and freshly brewed coffee and the contentment that comes from knowing you have a day where you can do as you please.

the most beautiful beer region I’ve visited is…

Derbyshire. Rolling fields, limestone valleys and misty moors all studded with microbreweries.

if I wasn’t into beer I’d be a…

sadder but thinner person

the last bottle of beer I drank (not just tasted) was…

Lost Abbey Judgment Day

my favourite beer hangouts is/are…

the cellar bar of the Flowerpot, Derby, on a Sunday afternoon (hot beef and mushroom cob, several pints of Headless, the papers and an occasional blast of Pearl Jam)

the garden of the Royal Oak, Ockbrook, after a bracing walk (steaming boots, good Derbyshire beer and a Stilton cob)

anywhere in the Valley of Beer, Sheffield, when I fancy a change of scenery and a bit of banter

my cellar is mostly composed of…

dusty bottles of Rogue, shelves of Thornbridge barrel-aged, assorted Brewdogs and half-empty selection boxes from beermerchants.com

if you were coming for dinner I’d cook…

beef stew in winter, crab salad in summer

and to drink with it I would serve…

Thornbridge Ashford or Westmalle Dubbel / Thornbridge Kipling or Sierra Nevada IPA

and other dinner party guests would be…

whoever wanted to share a drink and a laugh with us

my biggest blind-tasting faux pas was…

almost vomiting my first-ever gueuze over the host

the blind-tasting moment I would prefer to concentrate on was…

the unalloyed joy of Cantillon

one thing that might surprise you about me is…

I used to be a facepainter

if I was a brewer, I’d make my beer in…

small batches, with love

other than beer, I have a secret passion for…

writing on the sole of my slipper with a Biro on a Saturday night instead of going to the pub.

my favourite holiday destination is…

North Norfolk. I drop down through the mental gears on arrival and stay in a state of merry sedation for the duration. Great seafood, great beers, cheerful people.

I think beer is great because…

"the only reason is just because"

the best movie or TV show of all time is…

Quick Change.

in summer in the garden I’d drink…

Thornbridge Kipling. Or Jaipur. And, hopefully, this summer, it'll be bottle conditioned.

my favourite piece of music would have to be…

Mahler's Ninth Symphony

my best bottle of beer ever was probably…

Thornbridge Saint Petersburg Whisky Reserve Islay Cask

I am currently (craving) drinking…

even more Jaipur


And if you fancy twenty really beery questions, give this a go.

The cartoon btw is by Leslie Illingworth, © Atlantic Syndication Partners and can be found alongside more of his work at the National Library of Wales website