Newport Publican celebrates 20 years behind the bar

 Above: There is no truth in the rumour that Al Murray based his most famous character on Rob Jones of the Murenger!

Award-winning publican Rob Jones has recently celebrated 20 years of managing one of Newport's finest pubs, Ye Olde Murenger House. A regular entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, the Murenger is famous as the 'Haven in a Superpub Ghetto' - with its no chav policy and sportswear being banned - polo shirts and rugby shirts excepted as, of course, they would be - the Murenger is one of the best pubs in the City. The Murenger does not have bouncers outside on weekends as other pubs do - the main reason for this is that if Rob does not think the customer is suitable they do not get served - a policy that has served Rob and customers well for 20 years in this grand old Tudor building.

Above: Ye Olde Murenger House, High Street, Newport

Rob previously worked for Sam Smiths in the Swiss Cottage pub in Chalk Farm, North London before returning home to his a native town to take on the reigns of the Murenger. During his time running the Murenger, owners Sam Smith's have restored the building with their sensitive refurbishments and Rob has even introduced a charity bookshelf made from the timbers of the old bar into the pub. 

And a blast from the past below, from the archives of the South Wales Argus, Rob Jones with hair! 

Some history about the Murenger House is available here.

Saturday Kitchen gets Twitterjacked!

It was enjoying seeing the Saturday Kitchen hashtag (#Saturdaykitchen) Twitterjacked by beer lovers today. I must admit I gave up watching the show years ago after Anthony Worrall-Thompson stopped presenting it - I prefer to spend my Saturday mornings watching repeats of Time Team on More4 than watching some unfunny comedian and theatrical has-beans waffle on about their likes and dislikes when it comes to food.
The big problem it seems on Saturday Kitchen is that the presenters are always suggesting wines to go with the food - even today suggesting wine with curry! Now all beer lovers know that hoppy ales, IPAs, even King Cobra are far better to match with a curry than wine - but the presenters and most probably the producers of the show still promote the grape over the grain.
Today beer drinkers took over the #Saturdaykitchen and suggested their own beer matches to the food being prepared.

 Above: Some of the Tweets today

Check out this blog post from Hardnott Dave
He has also made a complaint to OfCom, the basis of which is below:

Beer is the national indigenous drink of Great Britain
Beer is deliberately omitted from Saturday Kitchen
Wine is almost completely an imported product
Beer can be matched with food very successfully
By omitting beer in favour of wine, the BBC is deliberately and unreasonably biasing its content to a foreign import
The BBC, our national broadcasting authority, which is paid for by a tax on television ownership, is deliberately and recklessly damaging the UK economy by its unreasonable and deliberate rejection of beer as a beverage to drink with food. The vast majority of beer consumed in the UK is brewed in the UK using British grown ingredients
Drinking alcohol when eating is a much more responsible activity than heavy drinking sessions when no food is consumed. The BBC, in omitting beer from one of its prime time food programs is alienating beer drinkers from the healthy activity of moderate drinking whilst eating; therefore the BBC is being reckless with the nations health
With many eating and family pubs it is disingenuous to suggest that beer does not form part of the British dining culture
Promoting brands of wine in named supermarkets without also giving air time to quality British beer brands is unacceptable bias for a public funded organisation
Beer is an inclusive beverage. Choosing wine in favour of beer is divisive and deliberately seeks to engage with a much narrower section of society than is acceptable in todays cosmopolitan and liberal Britain.

Over  1500 comments were made on Twitter this morning using the hashtag Saturday Kitchen and suggesting beers to go with the food being prepared on the show. 

 A good start to a campaign to get the BBC to put more beer on our screens.

The Brewing Shed has their take on it here.

Beer 'n Pizzas in Tintern!

As if there was not enough on beerwise this weekend, Kingstone Brewery in Monmouthshire are holding a pizza and beer day at the farm shop and brewery on Saturday 2nd July. Open 1000-2200 hrs. Homemade pizzas cooked in a woodfired oven together with beers brewed on the premises sound like a winning combination.
Situated to the north of the historic Abbey, Meadow Farm is signposted from the road, almost opposite the old Tintern station.

If you cannot make this weekend, the farm shop is well worth popping into during the rest of the week as they sell a wide-range of produce from their farm and further afield. Beers to ciders, fruit and vegetables,  cheeses and flour all make it into the shop.

 Above: The farm shop and restaurant

KINGSTONE BREWERY,
MEADOW FARM,
TINTERN,
MONMOUTHSHIRE,
NP16 7NX

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Tintern is served by the Chepstow-Monmouth bus service (about every 2 hours during the day)

Gwent Pub of the Year hosts beerex this weekend

It's the start of July so that means that it is time for the annual beer and cider festival at the Coach & Horses, Chepstow, Monmouthshire. Starting Friday and continuing on throughout the weekend, this festival gets better and better every year, so expect a range of beers on from both local and distant breweries. Earlier this year the Coach won the Gwent CAMRA Award for 'Best Town Pub', and has gone forward to the regional competition, currently being judged around Wales.

Above: The beer range is impressive even on non-festival days!

Below: Some of the beers the Coach & Horses has had on over the years 

No beer list as yet butt there is bound to be a good selection if previous festivals are anything to go by.

Coach & Horses

Welsh Street
Chepstow
Monmouthshire

NP16 5LN

T: 01291 620626

Facebook page here

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City Arms goes American!

To celebrate American Independence Day, the City Arms in the centre of Cardiff is hosting an American Beer Festival.
The following beers will be available during the festival:
Draught:
Brooklyn Lager (5.2%)

Anchor Steam (4.8%)

Bottled:

Anchor Porter (5.6%)

Dixie Beer (4.5%)

Anchor Summer (4.5%)

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (5.6%)

Black Chocolate Stout (10%)

Brooklyn Summer Ale (4.5%)

Raging Bitch (8.3%)

Snake Dog (7.1%)

312 Urban Wheat (4.2%)

Honkers Ale (4.2%)

Goose Island IPA (5.9%)

On Friday 1st the band Railroad Bill will be playing.

Well done to Brains for showing some initiative by allowing beers from other breweries into their pubs and doing what we hope is the first of many festivals at the pub. Rumours have it that planning for German, Belgium and Welsh Festivals at the City Arms is already well in hand.
The City Arms has become one of my favourite pubs in the Cardiff since the extensive refurbishment and the varied beer range in there. I still drink and eat in the Goat Major - best pub grub in the City with their award-winning pies - but the City Arms is always worth a visit.
A bit about the history of the pub can be found here.

Beers at the Blacksmiths this weekend!

Just outside of Llantwit Major, in the quiet hamlet of Llanmaes, the Blacksmith's Arms pub will be hosting a beer and cider festival this weekend.


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Beer range, subject to availability etc:
Box Steam - Tunnel Vision 4.2%
Breconshire - Red Dragon 4.7%
Buffy's - Mucky Duck 4.5%
Cairngorm - Sheepshaggers Gold 4.5%
Caythorpe - One Swallow 3.6%
Cheddar Ales - Gorge Best 4.0%
Dorset Piddle - Jimmy Riddle 3.7%
Fuzzy Duck - Pheasant Plucker 4.2%
Jarrow - Swinging Jibbet 4.1%
Potton - Village Bike 4.3%
Stonehenge - Pigswill 4.0%
Vale of Glamorgan - Highly Strung
                           - Light Headed 4.0%
                           - Grog Y Vog 4.3%
                           - Summer Daze 4.0%

Ciders available:

Broadoak Perry 7.5%
Broadoak Medium 5.0%
Broadoak Moonshine 7.5%
Westons Old Rosie 7.3%

There's a family day on the Saturday with a bouncy castle, BBQ and face painting, and the village hold their annual fete on the green. 

There's live music in the pub all weekend.

Blacksmiths Arms, Llanmaes, Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan CF61 2XR

01446 795996

 

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Llanmaes is a short distance from Llantwit Major - plenty of trains from Bridgend and Cardiff and is served by an infrequent bus service.

Llanharan has a beer festival!

The Tuberville pub in Llanharan, Mid-Glamorgan will be playing host to a charity beer festival this weekend; from the 1st to 3rd of July, with the proceeds from the festival going to Cancer Research Wales. This is the first time this Dragon Inns pub has run a beer festival and we all hope it is a success for them. Dragon Inns also run the former Gwent CAMRA Pub of the Year, the Commercial in Risca.

At least 14 real ales and 7 ciders will be available from both local producers and those from further afield. Food will be available during the festival and entertainment will be provided on Saturday  by 'Daiversion' and on Sunday  by 'Boogiemen'.


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Turberville, Chapel Road, Llanharan, Pontyclun, Mid Glamorgan CF72 9QA 01443 222143 
Llanharan railway station is opposite the pub and there is a bus stop nearby as well.
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Brecon Beer Festival This Weekend!

 It's the Brecon Beer Festival this weekend, held in the Boar's Head in the town centre.

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Opens at 5pm on Friday 1st July, and all day Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd July, until the beer runs out!

Live Music and hot and cold food will be on offer.

Acorn Columbus IPA 5.0

Brakspear Buzz 4.2

Camerons Strongarm 4.0

Celt Experience Dr Price's Super Hop 4.5

Cerddin Baby Bear 5.0

Great Orme Cambria 3.8

Heart of Wales 4.5


Hobson's Mild 3.4

Breconshire Brecon County Ale 3.7

Hop Back Crop Circle 4.2

Breconshire The Mayor's Inspiration 4.4

Kelham Island Quadrophenia 3.7

Breconshire Red Dragon 4.7

Monty's Sunshine 4.2

Breconshire Ysbrid y Ddraig 6.5

Otley O-xymoron 6.0

Otley Saison Obscura 5.5


Rotters Grounds for Divorce 4.7

Rudgate Valhalla 4.0

Salopian Golden Thread 5.0

Teme Valley This 3.7

Waen Tidy Pint 4.0

Williams Bros Scottish Joker IPA 5.0

Wye Valley HPA 4.0

Otley O4 4.0

Castle Rock Harvest Pale 4.0


Ciders
Gwynt y Ddraig:
Black Dragon 7.2
Two Trees Perry 4.5
Dog Dancer 6.5
Farmhouse Vintage 6.5
Kingstone Black 7.2
Farmhouse Sweet 5.5
Firey Fox 6.5
Pyder 6.0
Happy Daze 4.5

Journey Planner:
 

Boars Head, Watergate, Brecon, Powys LD3 9AL 01874 622856
Facebook page here

The Red Cow, Pontiscill

Red Cow, Pontsticill, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 2UN

Open all day

The Red Cow is situated a few miles north of Merthyr Tydfil, in a quiet village, close to a reservoir and the Brecon Mountain Railway. The pub is a two-story building built out of the local limestone with a slate roof. The pub was originally called the Pant-y-dwr, or Water Hollow, the house next door has now taken on this name. The Red Cow was originally two separate houses and the pub expanded into the neighbouring property, which is why there are two porches on the outside. The pub has a large outside seating area and a car park.

The entrance is on the left hand side, via a door with stained glass windows. The bar is open-plan and the counter is made of light wood, this contrasts with the dark-grey flagstone floors and black wrought iron foot rail that surrounds it. Despite being open-plan the Red Cow retains distinctive areas with comfortable wooden settles on the left-hand side and tables and chairs on the right.  The room on the right hand side features a stone fireplace with brass mining figurines on the mantelpiece.

Three real ales are served from the gleaming brass handpumps, with Wye Valley Bitter being permanently on and two guest ales. Recent guest beers have been from Wickwar Brewery in Gloucestershire and Bullmastiff Brewery in Cardiff. Pumpclips from other breweries that have featured here are displayed on the blackened ceiling beams that span the interior of the pub. Elsewhere on the ceiling hang old water jugs, one in the shape of an 'E' was made for the Worthington Brewery.

Around the walls are photographs of the local area and a map of the surrounding area, useful if you wish to walk around the glorious countryside of the Brecon Beacons National Park.  Also on the wall is a framed collection of brass shive hole rims, taken from old wooden beer barrels, each stamped with the name of an old brewery that used to own the barrel. Brass beer taps and clay pipes feature on another wall mount. There are also flat-screen televisions but these are kept turned down during the day to allow conversation to dominate in this friendly pub popular with walkers and their dogs. The Red Cow also sells fishing permits for the nearby reservoir and is popular with a local gun club as they have their names on boards on a wall.

Food is served 12-4 and features traditional pub favourites together with a daily specials board featuring home-made sausages and mash as well as steak and ale pie. There is an extensive ice cream menu from Sidoli's, the local ice cream makers. If the pub gets too busy there is a short flight of stairs to an upper dining area. The pub also offers WiFi. 

The Red Cow is on a bus route from Merthyr Tydfil.

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O Heaven

The Otley lads have put a beer festival together this weekend, featuring 20 of their best brews, from the 18th month cask-aged O Ho Ho to the new Hedgero brewed with elderflowers and gooseberries. Where to start, where to finish?
If you like hoppy beers then this is the festival for you.
Dark 8 - a blend of Dark O and O8!
O Mai brewed with fresh raspberries
Spoilt for choice at this festival

The pub on death row

Just completed a television interview for the BBC in the Vulcan in Cardiff. Programme is entitled 'Calling Time' and is going out in November.
We shot the piece in the Vulcan which is in its final year as pub. The demolition is set for June next year, with a car park to be built instead of this historic City boozer. It would be a crying shame if this pub goes, other cities preserve their heritage not build extra car parking spaces on them.
The Welsh equivalent of English Heritage, CADW, are unwilling to save the glazed tilled-frontage building and politicians in the Assembly offer their support but refuse to spot list it. In fact, speaking to politicians, a few of them are embarressed by the Vulcan as it shows just how little power they have to save part of Wales' heritage.
So its 12 months and counting before the bulldozers move in and destroy this pub, pop in to support it if you are in Cardiff, it may be your last chance!

Knackers Yard for the Black Horse

 

Knackers Yard for the Black Horse

The site of the Black Horse, 56 Somerton Road, Newport, NP19 0JE, has finally been given permission to be converted into a Tesco Extra.

The Planning Inspectorate allowed an appeal by Tesco to convert the former pub into an Express store, despite over 500 locals objecting and Newport Council originally refusing planning permission.

According to Anthony Thickett of the Planning Inspectorate under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 the change of use from a public house to a retail shop is a permitted development does not need planning permission.

The pub itself closed about 5 years ago, another success by Admiral Taverns, and has lain empty and subject to vandalism despite being boarded up since then. This will of course effect the condition of the building and it may come as no surprise that the entire building may have to be demolished as Tesco may consider it to be unsafe.

The Black Horse was first mentioned as a pub in 1872, although it was rebuilt in 1913. Owned by local brewery Lloyd & Yorath, who were later taken over by Ansells Brewery, the pub later fell into the hands of Punch Taverns and Admiral Taverns. The Black Horse is situated in a large residential area -Tesco would not put an Express store anywhere else - so it was always a bit confusing why in later years this pub failed. I understand there were 'landlord problems' with the previous tenant but I can remember this pub as a thriving Ansells local, serving Tetley, Worthington and a guest beer, together with good value meals. Of course this all changed with Admiral – the beer range altered, the food went by the wayside, takings dropped, no money was spent on the upkeep of the building etc. Similar problems can be witnessed with a lot of closed Pubco pubs around the area. The nearby King (ex-Courage) is awaiting demolition after having part of the roof removed a few years ago, no doubt after the original planning permission for demolition was refused, the owners decided to slight the roof and damage the building so that it becomes unsafe and has to be demolished. The Corporation (ex-Welsh Brewers) has been converted into flats and the Victoria is only open weekends. If the owner of the Victoria on Nash Road wishes to increase his trade then there are a few simple things to do – get rid of the grubby net curtains from the windows and clean the chalkboard outside the pub – it still says the pub does meals and accommodation despite not doing anything for years.

Things are not all bad in Lliswerry/Somerton though – the Ferns has become a pub after years as a private members club and is thriving with drinkers spreading out in the garden during the summer and a growing reputation for good food. The Man of Steel pub also appears to be successful with their cut-price menu. The Black Horse may be going to the knackers yard but things are looking up for the few pubs that are left.

 

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Jacko is back!

Legendary Newport publican Richard Jackson has returned to being the behind the bar for the first time in 12 years, having taken on the free-of-tie lease of the Pen & Wig, Stow Hill. Richard previously ran the Red Lion further up on Stow Hill where he won many awards, including Gwent CAMRA Pub of the Year. He first took over the lease of that pub under Marr Taverns and quickly established a name for the pub with the quality of the real ale. The Red Lion was later bought by Ushers Brewery of Trowbridge, Ushers would not have other brewers beers in their pubs but the ever enterprising Richard realised his customers preferred more interesting, hand-crafted beers than those high-gravity and rather bland beers produced by that brewery which has since been moved to North Korea to produce beers that go well with spaniels.

The answer was the so-called 'Ann Frank Cellar' – basically you went down the stairs to the cellar and instead of turning left into the beer or lager parts of the cellar, you turned right into what looked like a storeroom for old pub furniture and moved some of it out of the way, slid back a board to reveal a secret door, undid the padlock on the door and stepped into a small room, slightly bigger than a wardrobe and stillaged with a beery Narnia world from independent brewers beers from the likes of Bullmastiff and Freeminer. A line led from this cellar to the main beer python and up onto the main bar and the handpumps on there. Naturally no pumpclips could be used on the bar, so customers were told by the bar staff what the 'Special' was for the day. Of course this pub went onto win awards from CAMRA, much to the bemusement of Ushers brewery who could not understand why one of their pubs had won so many awardswhilst the rest of their estate was pretty piss poor to say the least, with the other exception being the Old Swan in Abercarn.

Before the Red Lion, Richard did a brief stint managing the Pen & Wig and before that ran the Tavistock in Cardiff a Brains pub at which he won the 'Manager of the Year Award'.

Richard Jackson first came to the attention of real ale drinkers in Newport by running the famous Orange Tree in Pill, a once legendary boozer, now sadly demolished and housing built in its place. In the Orange Tree, Richard sourced beers from across the UK and customers would travel miles to drink a decent and different pint there.

Above:The Pen & Wig

But let us return to the Pen & Wig, Richard has already brought in the changes since taking over a little over a week ago. Already the pub is noticeably cleaner with the beer flies that have plagued the pub for years being eradicated together with the smokers of exotic tobaccos who used to hang around the back door, stinking the place out with skunk. Since taking over only 10 days ago, already 14 people have been banned from the pub! No doubt they have crawled back to Chaverspoons who will no doubt be happy to serve them!

The Beer Range

Well the Pen & Wig has 5 handpumps but Richard is being sensible and is slowly building up the trade rather than put 5 different ones on all at once. Flowers IPA, brewed under license by SA Brian is sold at the very competitive price of £2.05/pint and alongside that is Bass, Newport used to have a good following for Bass with legendary beer holes such as Conti's, the Lord Raglan and the Tudor Bar of the Queen's Hotel all famed Bass drinking holes and all now converted into retail premises. Yes I include the Queens, now a Chaverspoons as a 'retail premises'. The guest beer at the moment is Cribyn from Breconshire Brewery and will be followed by beers from the current Champion Brewers of Wales Rhymney Brewery and past winners Otley Brewery. Expect all 5 handpumps to be in use shortly and Mein Host wants to put in a draught cider as well.

The Polish Lager Tyskie is available in bottles alongside Tsingtao and Staropramen. “A celebration of the cultural diversity of of the City of Newport”, according to Richard Jackson. The cultural diversity even applies to the music, with an umpah band booked for the 23^rd July.

Pub Food

Traditional pub grub such as faggots n' peas and doorstep sandwiches are served lunchtimes, whilst at night, in a first for Newport, a traditional Thai menu is served with specialities such as Choo Chee Goong (King Prawns in red curry paste and coconut milk) and Kai Gaeng Kus Suppoarad (Chicken Curry with Pineapple). And yes, before you ask, Otley Thai-Bo is on order as a guest beer.

Pub History

The Pen & Wig only became a pub in 1995, before that it was a restaurant called The Georgian. The building has had a number of previous uses including as the registry office and a wedding gown shop, a useful combination. There has been a building on this site since at least 1610 as one is clearly marked on the John Speed map of 1610. Situated just outside of the medieval Westgate, there has probably been a building on this site for over 600 years, whether or not it was pub or not is another story!

The pub still has a Shove Ha'penny table and a team as well! 

Pen & Wig

22-24 Stow Hill

Newport

NP20 1JD

Open all day

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Brewer faces payout over gay jibes

From the Daily Post, click image to enlarge.
I think the article says it all.
Buckley was unavailable for comment as, according to a source at Evans-Evans Brewery, "He is on holiday in the South of France". Nice for some, being able to afford that, unlike his former employees who will be lucky to get a fraction of what they were awarded as the company has since gone into liquidation.
Odd that the person who made these comments is a former public schoolboy who later ran a gay nightclub - he doth protest too much methinks! Its also not the first time the old crook has cast such mistruths - I have been a victim of his attacks as well - check out this site - the photos are used illegally as well, still copyright theft is just another of the long list of crimes that can be added to his charge sheet.

Wonder how long the Carmarthen Journal will wish to associate itself with a columnist who holds such views as this?

Update:
It appears that Buckley has ordered his 'partner' to remove the offending post, however here it is available as found on the Google cache:"
"This is Google's cache of http://walesbrew.blogspot.com/2010/02/james-daley-voice-from-closet.html. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 23 Apr 2011 21:35:13 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime.

These terms only appear in links pointing to this page: http walesbrew blogspot com 2010 02 james daley voice from closet html "

 One doth protest too much methinks Mr Buckley!

Yes I am familiar with such language as having studied both Greek and Latin and attending University I would be converse with such terms. Come on Simon, if you disappear any further into the closet you will be in Narnia. Time to step out into the real world for once?

Update 2:
It seems the Daily Mail have picked up on the story as has the Pink News - comments are worth reading on the latter.

Great Welsh - Festival Roundup

Well thank you everyone who attended the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival this year and made it the outstanding success that it was. This gives us a firm base to build on for next year and make the Festival bigger and better with more real ales and ciders in 2012.
Apologies for those who turned up on the Saturday night, despite emergency reorders of beer coming in that morning, we still sold out and finally closed at 2030hrs, although we shut to admissions a few hours earlier. This is the first time the Festival has ever run out of beer and last year a lot of beer was poured away on the Sunday morning so it is a difficult balence to get right. All the organisers can say is that next year we will make the Festival better with a bigger range on.
This year over 6000 thirsty customers drank their way through over 20,000 pints of real ale and over 5000 pints of cider and perry.
Highlights of the Festival for me were beer wise:

• The fantastic Oxymoron from Otley Brewery - a dark IPA - a contradiction in terms and on the tongue but one that actually works very well.

• Brains Strong Ale, although I found it a little too sweet for my tastes. I was very impressed by their British Summer beer though, dry hopped with Styrian Goldings imparted a good citrusy flavour to it.
• Tomos Watkin bar - we don't get to see the full range of their beers usually so it was a good chance to try them, my favourite was Chware Teg - another light-coloured ale.
• Red Kite Brewery, only tried one of their beers but it was the excellent Cwrw Haf - hope to see more of their ales around in future.
• Fullers, one of my all time favourite breweries and we had both their Chiswick and ESB here. The Chiswick was a perfect session beer on Friday night after stepping out of my busy office backstage. 
• Neath Ales Green Bullet - yes I know I rave about this beer but it is a great beer and I enjoyed it on the Saturday afternoon. 

I did not get a chance to try the Champion Beer of Wales, Rhymney Dark at the Festival, but I did review it a few weeks previously in my South Wales Echo column.

The problem with being the organiser of the event was that I did not have chance to try as many beers as I would have if I had been a customer! As for the ciders and perries - well I tried a few when I was judging but hardly had the chance to try them all - although a gallon of perry from Llanblethian Orchards did find its way into my office during setup and was shared amongst staff and press if they happened to be in there!

Press Roundup:
Media Wales and their photo gallery from Your Cardiff:


There was also a pre-festival interview with Matt Otley of Otley Brewery.
.....and a little interview with me in the Echo

BBC Wales
We were also on BBC Radio Wales on Thursday

ITV Wales - our man in the white jacket fell victim to the colour balance at the Arena!
We also made it onto the ITV Wales blog

Real Ale Guide

Simon filmed this before tasting some beers with Nick Otley:

Travels with Beer 

Visit Cardiff

Visit Wales Blog

Southern Wales Tourism

During the Festival regular updates were posted on Twitter and Facebook, with the hashtag #gwbcf proving very popular. We also have the Flickr page - well done to Jonas for taking all the photos this year!

A big thank you to our 150 staff who turned up during the Festival and also to our customers and finally to all our supporters, including the breweries and cidermakers who helped make this the biggest and best festival yet!