Mass online Tasting / Memorial to Simon

Anyone got a favourite moment, phrase, meeting with Simon?

Originally posted by harrisoni
Oh yeah he really liked Pearl Jam. Will dig some out

And now for the Jaipur part of the evening.

Thornbridge Jaipur I think was the thing that most brought Simon and myself together. That and the bottle of mead at Reading Beer Festival 2006.

We both adored it. It was just so drinkable, so kick ass hoppy, so beautiful and brewed by such wonderful people.

Simon without doubt drank more of it than anyone else I know. So drinkable, so hoppy, so classy.

Sat in the Sheffield Tap with him drinking Jaipur on a Sunday lunchtime was one of the best times of my life.

Originally posted by harrisoni
Anyone got a favourite moment, phrase, meeting with Simon?

I first met Simon at Reading Beer Festival 2006. Met him through Ratebeer and we agreed to share a hotel room. Never met him in person before that evening. But it was clear from his rates and his entries on the forums that he was a funny sound guy. And so he turned out to be. Liked his beer, knew his stuff. When I suggested taking a 75cl bottle of mead back to the hotel room after an afternoon and evening at the beer festival he jumped at the chance.

I think the look of pleasure on Simon’s face when he imbibed or ate something good is one of the things I’ll remember him for the most. Jaipur and a really good pork pie, or a glass of mead and a telephone conversation with Becs whilst I pratted around in the background.

Originally posted by cgarvieuk


Sadly i have had to stop drinking as got to take my Son to doctor as hes screaming about stomach pains.

But the best day with Simon has to be the day we spent at Thornbridge. I was almost comatose on the bus from Derby to Bakewell after a night of beery delights in Derby, but as soon as we met Kelly and he drove us up to the Hall everything changed.

Kelly and Matt who brewed the Thornbridge Julius that Simon and I had a hand in were absolute stars all day. Sharing knowledge, beers, and generally just being amazing people. Kelly was like Tigger. Never still for a moment. Picking different herbs and spices from the Hall garden suggesting this should go into the beer or that. Wow, stood at Thornbridge Hall and the ingredients are being picked my me and Simon as the day went on. OK so the mash was already up and going, but the hops and herb additions were done mostly on the fly.

The best was yet to come though.

After the recipe was decided, Kelly took us out to the cool room where lined up on a shelf was a load of bottles of beers not ready yet, collaborations, test brews etc.

The Italian brett collab beer that tasted like an English malt Orval was simply simply stunning.

I know that one of his wife, Becs, favourite photos is me and Simon drinking this beer. We were sat there having done (some) work enjoying a well deserved beer, in the sun, at Thornbridge Hall, a brewery we both loved, drinking something we knew would probably never see the light of day and just having the most fun we could possibly have.

And then Fin and Loz turned up completely unexpectedly and everything seemed right in the world.

And the Jaipur is outstanding. Goes with my turkey/mushroom not quite stroganoff really well.

"HOW MUCH? For half a bitter! I don’t care if this is Mos Eisley & there’s a band on, you can stuff it up yer arse!"