Our
guest bloggers are coming thick and fast now! Hot on the heels of
Barend’s debut, we have everyone’s favourite Lebanese homebrewer /
temporary Broomhill neighbour of mine: Ramez.
Strap
yourselves in, as we leave London Road and walk the familiar ground
of Woodseats.
***
By
Ramez
Greetings and salutations.
Months
and months ago, the nice people from Pubquest invited a few of us to
join them on an adventure in what was yet uncharted territory for me,
a non-Sheffielder who had no idea what Pubquest was. It has been nine months
since we visited this pub according to Google Maps’ unprompted
stalking, and the reason I am writing this post so late is that I
will be leaving the UK soon, or else it would have been much later.
(I may have also promised Rob I would do it a while ago, and I did not
want Barend of pub #164 fame
to out-guest me.)
For
someone who was discovering the lovely world of British breweries and
wanting to try as many beers as possible before moving away, I jumped
at the opportunity. This led me to the Cross Scythes in
Woodseats (again, uncharted territory), and it has been a journey of
discovery: Pubquest, Andy, Woodseats, the pub, what has become one of
my favourite beers, and the game of bar billiards. Discovery is
beautiful.
As
we arrived at the Cross Scythes, a familiar logo caught my eye: it
was a Thornbridge Brewery pub.
T’was
going to be a good day.
We were greeted by a function room and a few side rooms, one of which
caught our collective eye. Tucked in a corner next to a dartboard was a seldom seem object: a bar billiards table.
Inspired by a French/Belgian game of Russian origins, it found its
fame in the UK. It is vaguely similar to regular billiards, but
played on a smaller table (and is arguably more entertaining.)
The
room is conveniently served by one side of the main bar, and what a
bar it was. Served by friendly staff who knew their beers and were
happy to talk about them, it was filled with delicious ales of many
different styles and flavours. Some examples were a Kolsch ale/lager
hybrid, a strawberry ice cream porter, a farmhouse ale, and the
beauty that is Thornbridge’s Green Mountain – a hazy Vermont-style
session beer perfect for a nice summer day.
Do
yourself a favour and try it.
I
also appreciate the fact that it had a few options of keg beer, which
is always a plus, given the tendency of Sheffield pubs to relegate
nice beer to cask, while devoting their kegs to the Carlings and Stellas of the world. So, you can enjoy some decent cask beers and,
while you’re at it, try a few kegs – despite their higher price,
they have so much more to offer... After all, life is a journey of discovery.
Overall,
good stuff inside. The Cross Scythes is a brilliant pub with fun
entertainment and excellent beer, continuously pouring new and
exciting beverages along with beloved staples.
Alas,
with a heavy heart and a few beers still untasted, it was time to
leave for the second stop in Woodseats. I will never forget you,
Green Mountain. I hope one day our paths will cross again.
P.S.
They did.
Cross Scythes bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob
Pubquest bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob
Cross Scythes bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob
Pubquest bar billiards score: Andy 0-1 Rob
***
Apparently
there was some miscommunication between the team at Pubquest HQ and
our guest blogger, Ramez (which is surprising given he lives next
door.) It seems we failed to explain that the rating, as always, is
entered jointly by Andy and Rob – even for the guest blogs. As
such, Ramez has provided his own details below. Please read and then
immediately discount them; scour them from your mind, as if they
never existed at all.
The
official information can be found further below. As you will
notice, the two are drastically different.
Ramez’s
rating and pint:
Pub:
The Cross Scythes
(145-147 Derbyshire Lane, S8 9EQ)
Rating:
8/10
Pint:
Green Mountain
Rob
and Andy’s rating and pint:
Pub:
The Cross Scythes
(145-147 Derbyshire Lane, S8 9EQ)
Rating:
8/10
Pint:
Strawberry Lucaria
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