Food, Drink, Entertainment

Beer: Vintage Ale

If you have a spare £500 then I wouldn’t judge you if you decided to spend it on a Fullers 1997 Vintage Ale.

This 1997 beer was the first in Fullers Vintage Ale collection and it was brewed to mature over the years. The huge price increase is due to the age and the rarity of the bottling, but also the fact that each ale is brewed with different hops each year, meaning there is a unique character for each ‘vintage’ of the ale.

Alternatively, with this year’s vintage now available, you can do what I do and stock up for a fraction of the cost (£6 a bottle). This year’s incarnation (the 26th edition) combines the UK classic hop, Bramling Cross, with a younger variety, Emperor. Bramling Cross brings dark berry notes and some hints of spice, whilst the Emperor adds a strong citrus character which overlaps well with the hints of citrus from Bramling Cross. At its heart, pale ale and Cara Gold malts combine with a double roasted crystal malt to deliver toffee and raisin sweetness. All complemented with a zesty marmalade character coming from their house yeast.

Like many others, and it’s becoming a bit of a tradition at this time of year, the idea is to buy a couple of the prized bottles, drink one during the festive season and age one. In an ideal scenario the bottle should be kept upright and stored at cellar temperature (11-13 degrees) and if you keep it in the presentation box, then this will avoid any light getting in and the beer suffering from light strike. The benefits of storing beers, if you plan to age them, were evident on a recent beer tasting night, where I had the opportunity to taste a handful of fairly strong barley wines from the 1980s. The beers had been stored on their side at some point and the bottle tops had gone rusty, imparting a very metallic taste into the beer. It wasn’t the most enjoyable experience and has made me ensure that, if I do plan to keep beer for any length of time, I look after it.

By Sean McKeown

Twitter: @belperbeerclub

Word on Wine

On a recent visit to Spain, I found a grape variety which is normally added to other wines, now being used to create a wine in its own right.

Macabeo is the most planted white wine grape in Northern Spain and is also appearing in other wine-growing regions of Spain. It has now become the 8th most planted white wine grape in France. As it can tolerate hot, dry conditions it is also planted in North Africa.

The grapes produce light, clear, floral wines with low acidity, with good resistance to oxidation. Because of these characteristics it has been used to soften red and rose wines. Along with Parellada and Xarel-lo wines it is also used to create Cava sparkling wine.

The wine that I have found is the Marques de Calado – Macabeo 2020 – Vino de la Tierra Castilla from Majestic wines. It’s an easy drinking white wine with light floral notes and a light finish, which makes it the perfect partner for light Spanish dishes or just on its own.

Technical Details:

Grape: 100% Macabeo Appearance: Clear, almost colourless. Nose /Aroma: Floral aromas with hints of aromatic herbs of anise and fennel. Taste: Smooth mouth feel with hints of citrus (lemon and lime), banana and melon. Alcohol by Volume: 11.5% Food match: Light dishes, snacks and easily drunk on its own.

Available from: Majestic Wines, Ashbourne Road, Derby. £7.99 per bottle (reduced as part of the 6 bottles offer – current price at time of writing less 42% - £4.50 per bottle.)

For more information visit the Majestic Wines store or website: www.majestic.co.uk.

If you would like to learn more about wine, visit our website www.kilburnwinecircle.weebly.com or visit our Facebook page for details of our future tastings and how to join our club.

download our brochure from morleyhayes.com call 01332 782005 or email enquiries@morleyhayes.com Main RoadMorleyDE7 6QA

Recipe

Butternut Squash Wreath

These colourful puff pastry wreaths are easier to assemble than they look and make a fabulous centrepiece for Christmas Day lunch or dinner. Roll out the pastry trimmings to make ‘stars’ to decorate the tops

Makes: 2 (serves 4-6) Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 900g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes • 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 4 unpeeled whole garlic cloves • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 x 375g packs of ready-rolled puff pastry • 100g baby spinach leaves • 85g shelled pistachios • 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced • 100g grated Cheddar cheese • 4 tsp green pesto • 4 tsp cranberry sauce • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten

Variations • Use swede or pumpkin instead of squash. • Add diced brie instead of grated hard cheese. • Sprinkle the wreaths with sesame seeds before cooking.

Recipe extracted from The Veggie Christmas Cookbook by Heather Thomas, published by HarperNonFiction, £12.99 hardback, with photography by Joff Lee.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / gas mark 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.

Place the squash and red onions on 2 other baking trays and drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup. Tuck the garlic cloves in between, season lightly with salt and pepper and roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and starting to caramelise.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry sheets, if necessary, until they are about 6mm thick and big enough to cut a large round from. Place each one on a lined baking tray. Using a 27cm flan tin or a dinner plate as a guide, place it on top of each pastry sheet and cut round it to make a large circle. Set aside the pastry trimmings. Next, use a smaller plate to lightly score out an inner circle in the centre of each round. Use a sharp knife to cut through the pastry of the inner circle, first lengthways, then widthways, and again through the quarters to create 8 sections.

Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and stir into the hot roasted squash and onion mixture.

Add the spinach and leave it to wilt slightly and soften. Place spoonfuls of the mixture in a ring around each pastry disc, avoiding the outer edge and the central star. Sprinkle with the pistachios, chilli and grated cheese. Drizzle alternately with pesto and cranberry sauce around the ring on top.

Work your way round each disc, raising the outer edge a little and pulling the point of each cut inner section over the filling towards the pastry edge. Pinch them together with your fingers to seal.

Lightly brush the pastry with beaten egg and, if using, attach some pastry stars with a little more beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed up, crisp and golden brown.

Join us for Christmas at

Enjoy the perfect Christmas this year at Horsley Lodge in our picturesque 180 acre golf course in the foothills of the Peak District. From an intimate meal for two to a well-deserved delicious Christmas meal for all your work colleagues we can cater for your every need.

Festive Dining

1ST DECEMBER – 26TH DECEMBER

If you’re planning a family get together or just getting festive with colleagues or friends, our festive menus offer a feast for every occasion - available from 1st December to Boxing Day.

Christmas Afternoon Tea

THURSDAY TO SATURDAY IN DECEMBER

Pinkies up! With views of the picturesque golf course and crisp frosty meadows beyond, get together with friends with a Christmas Vintage Afternoon Tea at Horsley Lodge.

Breakfast or Afternoon Tea with Santa

SUNDAY 18TH DECEMBER & CHRISTMAS EVE A special Breakfast (24th) or afternoon tea (18th) with a visit from Santa to say hello and a small gift for all the children on the nice list!

LAST FEW PLACES REMAINING Back to the 80s Party Nights

WEEKEND DATES FROM 2ND - 17TH DECEMBER

Rewind back to the 80s as our Amber Suite transforms into Club Tropicana this Christmas and we blast you back to the unforgettable decade of neon and shoulder pads!

VIEW OUR CHRISTMAS BROCHURE ONLINE AT HORSLEYLODGE.CO.UK