into the west

What do you do on a Friday night in Sheffield? Try out some unusual beers, that’s what. And so it was, that, led by my ‘spirit guide’ Andrew Wooding, I came upon the sacred portal that is called The Devonshire Cat.

Despite being well known for its huge range of beers, it was a quiet sanctuary. Lo and behold, a holy book opened out before us, listing all the beers you could imagine. And more. Where should we start? It was a perplexing question. Then, on the ‘specials’ board, I came upon the name of one of my favourite rock bands - Moody Blues. It was a special cider, served straight from the cask. We had to commence the evening with that one. I thought it said 70 per cent on the board, but it was probably seven per cent, or maybe somewhere in between the two.

Anyway, the lady served our ciders. Sure enough, she had to walk to a cask, and pour it direct into the glass. No filter. No chiller. Just pure cider. I’ve not seen that for some years. Out trickled a bright red liquid. Interesting, I thought. Often cider is the colour of a gentleman’s draught. I took the drink carefully to our table. And we started to consume. 

Moody Blues proved to be packed with fruity flavours - but more redcurrant than apple. This was a forager’s brew. Yet it was also smooth and delectable, like a good rosé. ‘It’s like having a pint of wine,’ chirped Andrew. And sure enough, halfway through the pint, we both felt rather merry. So we were careful to sip the rest. 

You can tell a lot from the final few gulps. Moody Blues was like a gorgeous but unruly female. It arrived with cool sweetness, but left you feeling slightly burned. 

This cider is strongly recommended. It’s a babe.