One of BotF’s favourite bottlos is the Porters on Sydney Road at Balgowlah. The fellas there always seem to get something weird and wonderful for us to try. I’ve got to say that they came up with one of the …
Longboard Pale Ale at the Grand Hotel
BotF was in Wollongong last week and tried a new beer in a pub that has been newly added to the BotF Bar Review Map. The Longboard Beer Brewing Company is based in Thirroul. It has three founders and has …
White Shield India Pale Ale – simply great
It is a rare occasion when beer label hyperbole delivers on its promises. One beer that overcomes the expectations set by its and label and website is White Shield India Pale Ale. Beautiful honey colour, long lingering head and a …
The Trout
Surprisingly for some I spent a few hours again on the weekend chasing trout. Off into the borders of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, unfortunately no double figure fish, best fish was 7lb2oz. All fish stalked, even though a bit overcast and …
Stadtguet – tried at the source
Winterthur, Switzerland is located about 20 minutes by train from Zurich. It is a sleepy little town that has a population of approx. 100,000 and has quite an interesting banking/insurance history. The Union Bank of Switzerland was originally founded in …
Slip Inn and improvements to the BotF Bar Review Map
When BotF was under utilised by a former employer, he spent considerable time making entries on the BotF Bar Review Map. Over time, the BotF Bar Review Map has been ignored, but inspired by Charlie’s West Country adventures, recent trips …
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Cider and Tractors = country bumpkin?
This week I visited the Thatchers cider brewery at Sandford in the foothills of the Mendips, on the outskirts of Bristol. Not surprisingly, a very strong smell of fermenting apples greeted us as we descended upon the farm shop. Thatchers, …
The Widow Maker, Cyril Dickthorpe’s Sky Bar and Cascade Green
It was a packed day for BotF with a number of BotF related experiences enjoyed. Lunch was partaken with another BotF member at the Combined Services RSL. We chose the fine dining room on the first floor as opposed to …
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MV Narrabeen, Questions and packed 5.30 ferry
BotF has been wondering where all the BotF crowd has gone. We thought it may have been the pull of the Fast Ferries with their legal beer and that has certainly been a factor. What became clear from today’s voyage …
The Hellmenn & friends at the Fishos + Castello Lager
BotF took a step back in time last night and at the last minute saw late ’80s rockers, the Hellmenn, at the Fishos. The Hellmenn were the headline act of an 8 band festival delightfully entitled Octoberpus, which started at …
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back of the ferry 