BEER TASTING

A recent cruise around Scotland and the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the Danish Faroe Islands gave the writer the chance to run a beer tasting of twelve local brews purchased. The tasting team of six was equally split with three of each gender and all the ales were tasted blind, with marks out of 10 given.

Top choice, with 39 points out of 60, was Edinburgh Gold from the Stewart Brewery, a golden ale with a healthy ABV of 4.8% and a bargain price of £1.99 for a 500ml bottle in Edinburgh supermarkets. Very close behind, with 37 and 36 points respectively were two light and clean-tasting beers from the Foroya Bjor brewery at Klaksvik in the Faroes, their Organic Light at 2.8% ABV and their Pilsner Light at 2.7 ABV, both costing £3 for 500ml bottles. Continue reading

MARTY

Only two films have ever won the double of the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Picture, and one was director Billy Wilder’s 1945 The Lost Weekend about recovering alcoholic writer Ray Milland while the other was Marty, director Delbert Mann’s 1955 romance about decent, honest shy and awkward 34 year old Bronx butcher Marty (Ernest Borgnine) and decent, honest, shy and awkward 29 year old teacher Clara (Betsy Blair). Continue reading