Categories
Beer

I know it’s not my birthday yet but can I get a Jedi Dressing grown

I know mrsunlcewilco will say Iam to old to get one of these (Yoda was 900 years old for goodness sake) , she wont let me have a storm trooper outfit, so I may have to go to the rebel side- I want a Star Wars Jedi Dressing Gown (on sale at the moment!)

# The Jedi Dressing Gown has a Jedi logo embroidered on the front
# This bathrobe is made of 100% cotton velour and is machine washable on a cool wash
# It has 2 front pockets and a cotton belt
# The dressing gown is 1 size and will fit adults. This is quite large so will fit men’s sizes medium to extra large
# The bath robe is approx 144 cm long with a 68 cm chest (when measured across the front)
# Sleeve length 62 cm
# affiliate link

Categories
Beer

Matt Smith at Glastonbury with Orbital doing the Dr Who Theme!

Iam not a MASSIVE fan of techo/dance music but the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were the pioneers of techo before it was the thing with the youngsters 🙂 so this remake of classic Ron Grainer theme is allowed

and as the curernt Dr Matt Smith is on the ivorys then great… Iam warming to him… the last two episodes were very good…

Categories
Beer Food

Want a decent pint and a very good steak in Cardiff?

Myself and the Mrs went to the Maltsters in Llandaff last week.

It’s one of the Cardiff brewery Brains, modern pubs which they have changed a lot over the last year from the no nonsense pub I remember from my youth (ok 20s) to a open plan pub that serves good food, and for the better, maybe its a middle age thing, but sometimes you do want to have a good pint of ale and a good meal, They say they try and source a lot of the ingredients locally “Changing daily, our menu offers great, honest pub food where quality rules over fanciness!”

As it was an early tea, I had a couple of pints of the excellent Brains Up and Over which is well worth getting in bottles if you can not get to a Brains Pub to have it on tap.

anyway down to the food.

The Mrs had asparagus, chicken and date terrine to start, which was very moist and served on a bit of slate as the style is nowadays.

I did not have a starter as I was keeping room for the pudding.

For main course she has Poached salmon, rocket and dill salad, which was massive and the salmon was dressed with creme fraiche, it was very tasty.

I had a welsh rip eye steak and great homemade chips (looked overcooked but were not, not fat not thin but very moorish) served with a poncy little jar of bearnaise sauce.

It’s strange that I have tend to have steak when I go out as there were some great things on the every changing menu, Iam a good cook myself but rarely cook steak at home, maybe its my chef training in my youth that I like to see how good a place is, by the quality of the steak, and I was not disappointed its was a lovely cut and a big chunk and good to perfection (Medium rare).

For pudding we shared a Basil and raspberry creme brulee, that is another dish I tend to favour , it can from range from the wonderful to the stodgy, well not quite being the latter it was the only disappointed of the meal, it was just over powered by the basil taste, and even after a Greek lager later in the evening I was still getting basil aftertaste.

anyway if you are in Llandaff or in Cardiff then pop over it’s a great pub

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Categories
Beer

Gone toy mad this week for some reason > TARDIS with flashing bits and noise

Flight Control TARDIS – not as big inside as expected.

Now you can control your very own TARDIS with this nine inch electronic toy TARDIS which is in scale with the Doctor Who action figure range. It includes eight motion activated interactive sound effects, flashing TARDIS Lantern, opening front doors and telephone door. Requires 3 x AAA batteries.

Categories
Beer

Longest Ever Tennis match ends at Wimbledon between Mahut and Isner – replay here :)

Longest tennis match ever at Wimbledon halted at 59-59 in fifth set because of bad light (don’t they have a roof now) –

the players Mahut and Isner will be back tomorrow to carry on in the meantime watch the replay of the match

Categories
Beer

Before the World Cup gets exciting : More toy fun – this time TRON

If the 2 foot Storm trooper does not float your geeky boat then how about this.

Disney has put out some high tech toys for the latest remake TRON, of course that film was one of the best when I was a kid 🙂 and these toys do look great, wish I was a kid… but I would still want a Evel Knievel or tin pan alley..

Categories
Beer

Had enough of the World Cup football – why not buy a 2 foot tall stormtrooper

Those Geeks over at ThinkGeek have a massive Limited Edition 24″ Stormtrooper Super Shogun for sale for a equally massive $299!

The Limited Edition 24″ Stormtrooper Super Shogun is a big heaping chunk of awesome. The right fist holds a stunning (removable) BlasTech E-11 laser blaster – with an unfoldable stock (it’s that accurate to the original prop)! And the left hand shoots off in spring-loaded, “Rocket Punch” glory. Words sort of fail describing the Limited Edition 24″ Stormtrooper Super Shogun, so look at the pics. Big. Beautiful. Lovable. Hurry, only 1200 Limited Edition 24″ Stormtrooper Super Shogun toys are being made – get yours or feel like a clone forever.
Giant Storm Trooper

Limited Edition 24″ Stormtrooper Super Shogun

* Awesome mashup of giant Japanese robot toys of days past and Star Wars Stormtroopers of long, long ago.
* Only 1200 made – individually numbered.
* Features:
o Free rotating wheels on bottom of feet.
o Highly detailed BlasTech blaster with unfoldable stock.
o Spring loaded “Rocket Punch” firing fist.
o Six points of articulation.
o Constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet (using the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy makers of the 70s).
* Dimensions: 24″ tall. Yup, 2 freakin’ feet tall.

I still want one of these as well


The Tauntaun Sleeping Bag - Invented at ThinkGeek!

anyway good luck to the Imperial team in this years world cup I hope those rebel scum don’t get a hatfull of goals

Categories
Beer

Next time you walk past that old pub call in, it may be gem

Camra have launched a great book about Real Heritage Pubs in Wales.

I went along to one of my favourite Cardiff City pub (after the Goat Major), The Old arcade on monday, thanks to Brains for the lovely half of dark and the snacks on the house 😉

Anyway the book is a great celebration of pubs with interiors of special historic interest that are still with us, it’s mad that Wales has over 4000 pubs but only just over 100 with original features.

The book is A5, so handy for your man bag when you are traveling around Wales looking at these great pubs.

Each entry for the pub contains a great photograph taken by Michael Slaughter, a potted history of the pub with info on the interior and facilities ie does the pub do food, its not a replacement for the Good Pub Guide but a great addition if you are on the lookout for a pictorial guide to the best old boozers in Wales.

A bargain at £6.99

Of course my mate Rob is a one man old pub photo machine with his Travels with Beer be good if he put a book out as well 😉

Categories
Beer

So it’s not just Guinness that is good for you, Beer is as well who’d have thunk it :)

Erics of Limerick
photo credit: gerryahern

From various places

The healthy properties of beer when consumed in moderation are not well understood, according to a new report.

The drink is a rich source of vitamins, fibre, minerals and antioxidants and has a relatively low calorific value compared with many other alcoholic beverages, the study says.

The report, commissioned by The Beer Academy, which aims to help people enjoy beer sensibly, found that when drunk in moderation, beer is one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks available.

A spokeswoman said: “Beer contains vitamins which can help you to maintain a well-balanced healthy diet, fibre to keep you regular, readily absorbed antioxidants and minerals such as silicon which may help to lower your risk of osteoporosis.”

A survey found that while 68% of people consider beer to be Britain’s national drink, some 10% wrongly believe that beer contains fat, and 13% incorrectly believe that beer is made from chemicals rather than malted barley and hops.

The report also explores the psychological and sociability benefits of people enjoying a pint in their local pub – yet pubs are closing at a rate of 39 a week.

It argues that the pub is at the heart of every community and a place where people go to enjoy company and find out local news and information.

Pete Brown, an award-winning author, said: “Still, we persist in the myth that somehow beer is an inferior drink to foreign imports such as wine. From Government receptions through to weddings and business occasions, wine rather than beer is served.

“It has been fashionable to look down on our own national drink in favour of overseas imports. But to do that is to turn our backs on our great British success story and our own heritage, and miss out on the myriad tastes and complexities that beer can offer.”

:: ICM interviewed a random sample of 2,004 adults aged 18 and over online between February 26 and 28 this year.

Categories
Beer

The best Beer books for Fathers day

I have a few of these books and they are all great..

Big Hint, Iam a dad and I like beer, so would expect some of these books, but my son always thinks out of the shed and gets me something odd, which is nice, but sometimes I would love a beer book, or maybe some beer when he’s 18 🙂

It’s too late for this year, but next year is good!

You can preorder the book on every beer lovers “beer table”

Good-Beer-Guide 2011

or get this years copy, which is a great guide and I know people who use it to plan their beer visits all the time 😉

Good-Beer-Guide-Roger-Protz

This is great looking book with super pictures and great food matching.

500-Beers-Zak-Avery

Read my review of 500 beers here

If you are into homebrew then this one will give you some recipes for classic brews.

Brew-Your-British-Real Ale

Saw this launched at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider festival & snapped up a copy some great pictures

Real-Heritage-Pubs-Wales

Not got this, but love my bottled beers nearly as much as cask.

Good-Bottled-Beer-Guide-Bottle

Had this a few years ago, and drank about 50 of them, so hopefully I don’t die soon.

300-Beers-Try-Before-You Die

Anyway if you are lucky to get any of these then, escape to the shed with a beer and relax with a good book.