Galloway Stargazer arrives.
You know me - I have these occasional flashes of inspiration.... I said occasional !!!
So when I heard the news that the Galloway Forest Park had won the Dark Skies Park award it set me thinking !!!
Forestry Commission Scotland has established part of Galloway Forest Park as the first Dark Sky Park in the UK, the result of some 15 months of work pulling together audits, controls and readings from around the forest park. Announced on Monday the 16th November 2009 in the International Year of Astronomy, it is a massive achievement for the UK and the south West of Scotland.
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/darkskygalloway
Let's create a Real Ale - and so the idea of Galloway Stargazer was born.
Having used our local brewer Sulwath on my last two creations - The Masonic Boom and The Grace, I was keen to get another Brewer involved. Now don't let me take the credit for making them - I just came up with the idea and a rough feel for what I wanted it to taste like. The brewing has been down to Allan Henderson at Sulwath and Fiona Deal at Geltsdale.
Those of you that know a thing or two about real ale will understand the importance of the local water - and for a complete change I choose Cumbria.
(There have been some that say I should have stayed in Scotland for this brew - I say to them - Give a little back to our neighbours who come and prop up our Tourism industry year in year out. The folk in Cumbria are delighted that they too have got some coverage and recognition. It's all about networking and throwing that net wider than your own back yard.)
Anyway, I'd had a pint of Geltsdale's brew when I was in the North Lakes a few weeks earlier and was impressed by the tradition of the brewing and the traditional bitter taste. Imagine my surprise when I found the brew was made by the fair hand of a female - Fiona Deal. Now that's my brewery now for the Beer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8401543.stm
http://www.geltsdalebrewery.com/
I rang Fiona - told her the tale and said would she be interested in creating a brew....
No problem - in fact the Hell Beck brew is just what your looking for, darkish, crystal clear a real traditional bitter - we'll base Stargazer on that.
And so we agreed to launch Galloway Stargazer - the BBC picked up the Story, Border News came to film a piece, The Galloway Gazette and The Galloway News have all run stories. We've had e mails from Boston USA wondering how they could get hold of the brew.... so it seems to be going down well and those who have had a pint or two say it's a real traditional bitter that goes down a treat. Hopefully we'll get some into bottles next year - in the meantime I'm delighted that it has generated an interest in The Galloway Forest Park, in real ale and of course in The Selkirk Arms Hotel.
What's next - now that would be telling !!!
