December:
SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL OUR MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS.
As it was the month for family, friends and the ubiquitous office (whatever) parties, we had nothing on our calendar. So get out there in the new year, enjoy yourselves, demand cask ales!
NOVEMBER:
Movember
As ever, we have been supporting Movember to highlight mens' health.
OCTOBER:
THE HUNT FOR CASK OCTOBER
We have a look to see what local premises are serving cask ale on a regular basis and highlight supporting local on out Twitter account.
A big THANK YOU to all those premises supporting good quality cask ales!
SEPTEMBER:
CASK ALE WEEK
We always support this week and make sure to have some events arranged.
NATIONAL HOSPITALITY DAY:
Meet for lunch at The Bridge House, 12 onwards.
A couple of ales, food and chat.
ALE BY RAIL:
Another visit to The Central Bar at Carrickfergus.
A day out on the train. A hearty lunch overlooking the Belfast Lough and sipping some pints of cask ale. A last pint in the Crown Bar, Belfast, before heading home.
THE ERRIGLE:
This takes the same format as last year
One token per half pint - two tokens per pint. Valid on the day/time
A "Thank You" day at The Errigle Inn with 50p off ale vouchers for members, but you can join on the day.
AUGUST:
BULLHOUSE MEET
Bullhouse East
Saturday, 6th August
442-446 Newtownards Rd, Belfast
A meet for lunch and some samples.
HILDEN BEERFEST
26-28th August
Hilden Brewery, the annual Beer Festival.
BALLYKILCAVAN BREWERY VISIT
28-30th August
A long but worthwhile visit to meet the owner, David, at the brewery for a visit, chat, samples.
JULY:
ALE BY RAIL
The Central Bar
Carrickfergus
Saturday, 9th July
A day out on the train. A hearty lunch overlooking the Belfast Lough and sipping some pints of cask ale. A last pint in the Crown Bar, Belfast, before heading home.
BFTWNI BBQ
A mid week event with some foreign draught (sorry - mini kegs) and Phillipine side dishes.
JUNE:
ARDS BREWERY BAR TAKEOVER
Wildfowler Inn
Greyabbey
Charles, owner of the Brewery, took over the side bar to serve his own beers and some from Bullhouse and Twisted Kettle. The bus service so we decided to get there in the morning for lunch and do an overnight at a B&B. Brilliant breakfast
BULLHOUSE EAST
Opening Day
442-446 Newtownards Rd, Belfast
20 beers, wines, local spirits, shop, beer garden, dog friendly.
BEER DAY BRITAIN
15th June
The Bridge House, Belfast
As usual, we supported this event (which always falls on the 15th) by visiting Wetherspoons for lunch and a few cask ales.
BEER FROM THE WOOD WEEK
Errigle Inn, Belfast
A welcome return to the Errigle Inn after Lockdown for a small event featuring beers from the wood. Not a tap-takeover, just an ongoing chance to sample cask from the wood. Thanks go to Paul at the Errigle, Niall (Yardsman/Hecules), Davy (Tempted Cider) and to Charles (Ards Brewing) for a special ale celebrating Master Cooper Alastair Simms for keeping the craft of the cooper alive.
MAY:
TREVOR DICKSON MEMORIAL DRINK
10th May
The Errigle: 12:30pm.
As you know, Trevor was a Strongbow Drinker who supported BFTWNI by being a member. His suicide in 2018 came as a huge shock to us and we hold a memorial drink to him, while highlighting the high suicide rate in Northern Ireland.
CROWN BAR ALE FESTIVAL
Sat 14th
Crown bar, noon.
Met around noon for lunch and some pints.
MAY - THE MONTH FOR MILD
May has always been the month when we support the style of "mild". A dying breed for many years now, hardly seen here since the loss of several of our cask ale pubs
MAY = MENTAL HEALTH
May is the month to highight mental health and suicide awareness. We hold one event to remember our past member, Trevor. We also link every BFTWNI post we make on Twitter to make people aware that help is out there.
APRIL:
BASS BIRTHDAY
April 2022 marked the 245th Anniversary of William Bass founding his brewery in Burton upon Trent and what better way to celebrate this than National Bass Day!
The company's iconic red triangle became the UK's first registered trade mark. It used to be readily obtainable here on get; then on cask in the mid 1990's.
ALE BY RAIL
Saturday 23rd.
Took the train to Carrickfergus for lunch and enjoy a couple of pints of cask ale.
Returned to Belfast to finish off with a couple more ales in the Crown.
BACK STREET BOOZERS
Thursday 28th.
A walk around several of Belfast's side streets pubs, all in close proximity.
MARCH:
SUPPORT LOCAL
As ever, we will lend our support to cask ale, local breweries and the hospitality trade during the month of March.
BIRTHDAY BASH
31st. March
For my birthday this year I visited to Castle Douglas to meet my friends from Sulwath Brewery along with some others.
This was for a few short days with a pub crawl of cask ale premises around Dumfries.
feBREWary:
"feBREWary"
Following on from our "Buyanuary" online campaign, we supported local in February with a "Kiss It Goodbye" campaign. This was to highlight the lack of cask ales on bar counters and the plight of local brewers.
BELL'S BREWERY TOUR
Saturday, 19th, 12:30.
Corner of Lower Garfield Street & Lower North Street.
An excellent day out. Two complimentary flights of different beers, a solid and tasty lunch and then the guided tour before relaxing with a couple of pints.
KA DEAN MEMORIAL PUB CRAWL
23rd. February
Daytime
Famous for being "The man with two names" over here - Tony on one side of the place, Kenny on the other - he was a cask ale hero: fully supporting cask ale, and cask ale groups. He was Chairman of the local CAMRA branch, one of the first to join BFTWNI. He had been a brewer, branch activist, beer ticker (and had a sizeable collection of note books), he backed local breweries & cask ale establishments over here as well as in Scotland. If only he had been here to do the trip with us:
We met at Sunflower Pub for some excellent Hilden Twisted Hop, then The Deer's Head for a spot of lunch and their own beers. The John Hewitt was inexplicably closed but we made it to John Bittles and a long walk past the City Hall to finish the tour at The Cown. Marvellous day out.
BULLHOUSE TAPROOM
Saturday, 26th: Starts at 2pm.
Another visit to this friendly taproom event, and with new beers on the go, and food! Sadly we could not do the weekend due to a family bereavement and a special birthday party.
BUYANUARY:
BFTWNI supported the business community (which is usually financially depressed this month, on top of which has been two years of Lockdown) with its own BUYANUARY campaign - The person who has been leading Tryanuary (for which BFTWNI is a major social media supporter) is not doing so this year, hence us moving on.
We also were gifting one of our limited edition 7-IN-1 pens to those who join us online!
