Reserving the best for Christmas

We've got some lovely ales lined-up over the festive and New Year period.

In the run-up to Christmas we've got Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolph
+ Greene King IPA RESERVE.

Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolph (4.2% ABV) is a full bodied, malty and fruity Christmas ale, with a refreshing bitter finish.

Greene King IPA RESERVE (5.4% ABV) is a warming, full-bodied ale with a reassuringly rich appearance. Grapefruit and Orange citrus tones combine with the floral and herbal Styrian Goldings hop variety delivering a beer of exceptional quality with dry bitter finish.

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES:

Thursday 20th December

FROM 8PM for our weekly BEER NIGHT.

Friday 21st December

FROM 6.30PM for our WrenSocial Family Christmas Party.

Bring a plate of Party Food or make a donation for your meal.

Monday 24th December

FROM 7PM to 10PM (prompt!!)

Come & join us for a special Christmas Eve drink.

PLUS: At the end of the night and while stock lasts,

we will be selling 4 pint carry outs for £1.50 per pint

(for consumption off the premises).

Perfect for the Christmas dinner table!

Thursday 27th December

FROM 8PM for our weekly BEER NIGHT.

A special ale for the week between Christmas and New Year,

as we will be supping Greene King's premium offering: Abbot Reserve!

Friday 28th December

FROM 8PM.

Come and get warmed-up for your New Year's Eve Celebrations!

Abbot Reserve (6.5% ABV) is an irresistible ale has masses of fruity characters, a malty richness and superb hop balance. Brewed longer for a distinctive full flavour.

All at WrenSocial wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you over the festive period.

Rudolf's Rocking!

This week we've got our first festive Christmas ale: Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolf, which is a full bodied, malty and fruity premium Christmas Ale with a refreshing bitter finish.

See you on Thursday & Friday from 8pm. Until then, you might enjoy watching this Rudolf rock - enjoy!

This week it's Old Speckled Hen

‘Old Speckled Hen’ (4.5% ABV) has a full, smooth flavour and is very easy to drink. Its rich amber colour and superb fruity aromas are complemented by a delicious blend of malty tastes. Toffee and malt combine with bitterness on the back of the tongue to give a balanced sweetness. This, all followed by a refreshingly dry finish.

This is 'The Fox' with 'The Palette' Trevor (on the right), last time we had it:

 

...honest!

See you on Thursday or Friday from 8pm.

Remember that our Family Fun Night this month is on FRIDAY 21st December, for our WrenSocial Christmas Party and Prize Draw.

London Glory - Wreningham Happiness!

This week we've got the rather lovely London Glory (4%).

A celebratory ale created by the master brewers of Greene King for the nation's capital city. Centuries of expertise and craftsmanship have come together to produce this rich and fruity brew that combines crystal malt with challenger and goldings hops. 

We also have a little of the gorgeous 'Old Golden Hen' left if you get there early on Thursday for our Beer Night. 

We're open from 8pm on Thursday & Friday.

I'll have the blonde please!

This week we've got Old Golden Hen (4.1% ABV).

This light golden beer delivers both flavour and refreshment, brewed using the finest pale malts and the rare Galaxy hop to give a light golden colour, subtle tropical fruit notes and a deliciously smooth finish. But don't take our word for it, listen to what Fox thinks!:

See you on Thursday and Friday from 8pm.

Get warm by the fireside

As the Autumn leaves continue to fall and the nights get foggy and cold, what better way to warm your bones than with a cracking seasonal pint from Greene King: 

FIRESIDE is a 4.5% ABV mature dark and malty ale and has been late hopped for a mellow fruity linger.

We're open on THURSDAY & FRIDAY night from 8pm and if there's any left after that, those of us who are going to the village Safari Supper on Saturday night can enjoy a pint with our desserts too!

Howell at the Moon

No it's not an invitation to get your bottom's out and scream loudly,

it's the name of this weeks GUEST ALE.

It's a 4.0% ABV MILD ale with "Dark mysterious flavours that will leave you 'howelling' for more".

But if not, we've got our trusty Adnams Lighthouse too!

See on Thursday and Friday from 8pm. 

Fancy a FAB Fireworks Night

We won't shout about it but we think that we've created the perfect recipe for a 

FAB WrenSocial Fireworks Night:

F: Fireworks   A: Abbot Ale   B: BBQ

Don't miss out on this weeks fun:

THURSDAY: Beer Night from 8pm 

Greene King Abbot (5% ABV) & Adnams Lighthouse (3.4% ABV)

FRIDAY: NOTE There is NO family fun night this month

but the bar will be open from 7pm if you fancy a Friday pint!

SATURDAY: WrenSocial Family Fireworks Night from 6pm

We look forward to seeing you all.

There's no TRICK only TREAT

Forget all that Trick or Treat rubbish - just saddle-up your broomstick and get down here this Thursday and Friday from 8pm for a real seasonal treat: Gangly Ghoul - a 4.2% ABV rich, hoppy and spookily dark ale from the Greene King owned Westgate Brewery.

We've got Adnams Lighthouse on too for anyone who likes their ale a little lighter and less 'gangly'.

We look forward to your company.

It's gonna be a 'champion' week at WrenSocial

This week we've got a 'Champion Beer of Britain' to enjoy.

Shropshire Gold was first brewed in July 1998 by a WrenSocial BeerNight favorite brewer, Salopian Brewery in Shropshire.

They decided to make a beer that would have a rich gold colour to please the eye, a full rich flavour to make it appeal to those who preferred a stronger beer, and a pronounced hop character to please everyone! 

This concept obviously worked as sales have increased markedly year on year and in 2011 it won the Champion Beer of Britain.

We think that it will sup very well, both at our Thursday BeerNight (from 8pm)...

and on Friday when we have our special MEXICAN NIGHT

(from 8pm). 

We will have lots of lovely home-made Mexican food to enjoy. Just bring a plate of Mexican food to share or make a donation for your meal. 

It's gonna be a fun night - we hope to see you there!

Join the Crusade

This week we have got an 'olde' favorite back:

Greene King's Olde Trip (4.3% ABV).

 A rich toffee flavoured beer bursting with fruity character, this premium ale is perfectly balanced with a clean bitter finish. It takes its name is from the world famous 'Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem Inn' which lays claim to being England's oldest Inn. Carved into the sandstone rock at the foot of Nottingham Castle, the Inn was reputed to be a favoured resting place and 'watering hole' for the brave knights who rallied to the call of King Richard The Lionheart to join The Third Crusade to the Holy Land.

If you like something a little lighter, we've got Adnams Lighthouse too.

So that's two great reasons to join the crusade at WrenSocial from 8pm this Thursday & Friday.

The Green Man spotted in Wreningham

The Green Man is usually spotted earlier in the year during traditional English May Day parades and celebrations - usually wearing a large, foliage-covered, garland-like framework, which covers his body from head to foot (or is that Donald?).

Amongst modern “folkies” and neo-pagans 'the Jack in the Green' has become identified with the mysterious Green Man depicted in mediaeval church carvings and is widely felt to be an embodiment of natural fertility, a spirit of the primeval greenwood and a trickster; by extension he is linked to such mythological characters as Puck, Robin Goodfellow, Robin Hood, the wild man, and the Green Knight, among others such as the folklore behind the legend of Robin Hood.

Golden Best from The Green Jack Brewery is a golden pale ale with a very hoppy aroma with a abv of 3.8% it makes Green Jacks Golden best to be a superb session ale.

We're open from 8pm this THURSDAY and from 6.30PM on FRIDAY for our monthly FAMILY FUN NIGHT. See you then.

There's nothin' crazy about me - Bonkers!

This week we have got Greene King’s new seasonal brew 'Bonkers Conkers', which was launched at the Great British Beer Festival, where it apparently sold-out in just 3 hours! 

The new 4.1% ABV September seasonal ale is said to be reminiscent of fresh conkers with spicy flavours and a biscuit malt character that leads into masses of tropical fruit, grapefruit and orange citrus notes with a crisp bitter finish.
- Who writes this stuff?

If you fancy something a little lighter, we've got some of Greene King's IPA too, which is always popular when we put it on.

See you on Thursday and Friday from 8pm.

Crag Rats & Hamster Races

No it's not named after Donald's trouser monster - it's the nickname given to a particularly enthusiastic climber in the Lake District - but Crag Rat is also this weeks GUEST ALE, a refreshing golden coloured 4.3% beer, brewed using pale ale malt and two classic varieties of English whole cone hops. 

The perfect beer for the enthusiastic ale drinker and Hamster Racer!

See you tonight from 8pm, but also don't forget:

Friday 21st September: 

The return of our popular RACE NIGHT from 8pm

Hamster & Elephant Races (not real ones!)

£2 p/p for Programme & Start Fund

+ Play Your Cards Right & Blind Auction (fun prizes)

It's always a great laugh - come and play!

The festival is just starting!

As a fabulous sporting summer draws to a close, the rain starts to fall again and my wife starts making noises about putting on the central heating (good grief), come and warm yourself with a pint (or four) of HEROK & HOWELL'S FESTIVAL ALE 3.8%. Brewed by Belhaven (Greene King) Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

I couldn't find out much about this pint on the web, but I did find a review on this blog site, which is definitely worth following:

http://www.aleguider.com/2011/09/herock-howell-festival-ale.html

All Ale has and must be reviewed whilst drinking it, ale and memory just do not mix. We feel that the five questions we ask are everything you need, to give the reader all they need to know when making that vital decision; choosing their Brown! Enjoy and feel free to submit your own reviews/comments.

Taste: Whet stone love affair! This is more like it! Tastes like a grand ol' lick of the Blarney. Ale with interest.

Appearance: Amber glory!

Would you buy 2? Yes please!

Would you buy 4? I really could. Scotland pleasure juice.

Rating (out of 7): 5*****

I look forward to hearing what our very own 'Trevor the palette' thinks!

We're open as usual from 8pm this THURSDAY & FRIDAY.

Hope to see you.

Back to School

The holidays are over and it's time to concentrate on learning something again.

This weeks class will focus on HARDY'S & HANSON'S BITTER. 3.9% ABV 

A brew with an excellent balance of sweetness and bitterness that combines with a subtle hop character. A distinctive beer with a full and satisfying finish.

Class begins on Thursday night at 8pm and will continue on Friday from 6.30pm for our monthly FAMILY NIGHT.

Mystery Beer?

Mark's away and I've got absolutely no idea if you drank all of the Nelson's Revenge last week?

But we'll be open from 8pm tonight with something lovely to sup I have no doubt!

See you later.

Revenge is sweet!

I'm very frustrated that on the one week that I am away,

we have one of my favorite beers on the bar!

I will give you a clue:

Adge and Trevor will get this - as they are our WrenSocial Quiz Champions,

so it you are struggling:

1. Ask them

2. Get some new glasses!

Open as usual on Thursday & Friday from 8pm, but don't drink it all!!!

This week we're supping for The Norfolk Wildlife Trust

This weeks beer is Woodforde's Once Bittern, and sales of this relatively new Norfolk ale have already raised over £3000 for The Norfolk Wildlife Trust to invest in the protection of wildlife habitats across the county.

Woodforde’s brewery, based in Woodbastwick, teamed up with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust in 2011 to produce ‘Once Bittern’, a quintessentially Norfolk ale made from Maris Otter malted barley grown within the county. The beer went on sale in February 2011 and for every pint sold Woodforde’s pledged to make a donation to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Over a quarter of a million pints later, Woodforde’s have been able to make a donation of £2,700 to the Trust to help support species such as the beer’s namesake, the endangered Bittern.

Brendan Joyce, Chief Executive of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: “Both Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Woodforde’s champion the abundant natural wealth of Norfolk and we are thrilled to see the success of Once Bittern. This money will go towards projects to help the Bittern and the county’s other wildlife at habitats in Norfolk, in particular at the Wissey Valley Living Landscape”.

Dennis Nudd, Director of Woodforde’s said: “We’re delighted that the partnership has proved so fruitful for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and also the protection of the unique Norfolk environment. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has enjoyed the beer over the past 11 months - it’s down to them that we’ve been able to make this donation to the Trust.

“Since Once Bittern has been so warmly received we’ve made it one of our permanent beers. It will therefore continue to be widely available in pubs throughout East Anglia and for each pint sold a donation will continue to be made to this worthy Norfolk cause”.

As well as becoming a permanent brew for Woodforde’s, Once Bittern was awarded GOLD for Best Bitter at the SIBA East of England beer competition in 2011.

Once Bittern (4%) is a copper-coloured ale is made from a special blend of high quality Norfolk ingredients and has a distinctive aroma of sweet malt, rich spice and citrus fruit with a dry finish. Once Bittern is also now available in bottles.

Once Bittern can be ordered online in 18/ 36 pint Beerboxes and cases of 12 bottles by clicking here > 
and it's also available from Woodforde's Brewery Shop & at WrenSocial this Thursday & Friday from 8pm.

So come and have a few pints and do your bit for charity!

The Beach Volleyball gave me a sign

It's all getting very exciting with all these TEAM GB gold medals, but please remember that this week is your last chance to Special Olympics ale:

GREENE KING - TOLLY COBBALD PERSONAL BEST.

It's a really lovely refreshing golden beer has a subtle fruit aroma and a slight citrus taste.

We're open from 8pm on Thursday for our weekly BEER NIGHT

and again from 8pm on Friday night.

We hope to see you.

Golden days!

So the first Golds are in the hat - with many more to come we hope. 

Congratulations to Great Britain's gold medal-winning rowers Heather Stanning and Helen Glover & to the utterly amazing cyclist Bradley Wiggins - he's even faster than Baz!

It would be completely appropriate to celebrate these and other achievements by our Olympians (any excuse) with a few pints of something rather special.

We were so impressed with the GREENE KING - TOLLY COBBALD PERSONAL BEST that we had last week, that we have ordered another barrel!! It was brewed to celebrate the Olympics and is a refreshing golden beer has a subtle fruit aroma and a slight citrus taste. It's really lovely.

We're open from 8pm on Thursday for our weekly BEER NIGHT

and from 6.30pm on Friday night for our monthly FAMILY FUN NIGHT.

We hope to see you.

EXCLUSIVE: Wreningham caravaners exposed

In the week that many of the WrenSocial regulars took to the roads, hand-in-hand with their tin boxes trailing behind them, a little internet research has revealed exactly why some Wreningham men like caravans so much:

Dirty old men!

We are open on Thursday and Friday nights from 8pm as usual and this week we have a beer brand from the past: Tolly 'Personal Best' - just hope it's not one that Mark found when he cleared out the beer cellar.

Even Wreningham caravaners welcome!

Do you remember any of these classic Tolly Cobbold adverts?:

Shout it loud - ABBOT ALE this week!

It is widely considered amongst many of our yellow & green supporting regulars, that not much of any worth comes out of Suffolk, however there are a few exceptions to this rule. 

Perhaps close to the top of the acceptable Suffolk export list is the utterly awesome GREENE KING ABBOT ALE (my mouth is already watering as I type this!) 

The famous Domesday Book chronicles "cerevisiarii" or 'ale brewers' as servants of the Abbot in Bury St Edmunds Great Abbey. The Greene King brewery sits alongside the historic ruins of the Abbey and to this day their brewers still draw water from the same chalk wells used by brewing predecessors all those years ago.

At 5% ABV there may be a few who choose to "warm-up" with a couple of pints of something slightly lighter and with our new cellar cooling system up an running, our other regular Suffolk export, Adnams Lighthouse has never tasted better.

See you all on Thursday & Friday from 8pm. 

Friday the 13th - what could go wrong!

We're not superstitious and we refuse to be beaten by this rain, so this week we've got two lovely summer ales to enjoy:


GREENE KING IPA GOLD (4.1% ABV)
This light golden ale brings the best out of the Savinsjki Goldings hop variety. The timing for introducing these hops is all-important because this creates the balance between the hoppy aroma and the bitterness of the aftertaste. For Greene King IPA Gold, our brewers add the hops at a later stage of the boil than with the Greene King IPA – this brings out tropical fruit aromas and spicy notes, which are followed by the clean, bitter flavour and crisp, dry finish. 




ADNAMS LIGHTHOUSE (3.4% ABV)
A classic amber beer delivering a crisp, refreshing taste. With its light fragrance, lovely malt flavours and long hoppy after palate, Adnams Lighthouse shines through as another champion Beer From The Coast.


Were open on Thursday 12th from 8pm for our weekly BEER NIGHT and then again on Friday 13th from 8pm, when barring a plague of locusts or an absolute soaking, we will have our new BBQ out again!


1st BURGER FREE TO WRENSOCIAL MEMBERS

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Flaming good fun

To celebrate the historic arrival of the Olympic torch on our doorstep, we thought that it would be appropriate to fire up the BBQ for our July Family Night and enjoy a few flames 'Wreningham style' - with burgers on them!

We will be open from 6.30pm on Friday 6th July for some flame-grilled fun and lots of beer.

Open on Thursday 5th too for our weekly BEER NIGHT. This week the beer has got an Olympic feel too, as we've got GREENE KING IPA GOLD, 4.1% ABV.


This light golden ale brings the best out of the Savinsjki Goldings hop variety. The timing for introducing these hops is all-important because this creates the balance between the hoppy aroma and the bitterness of the aftertaste. For Greene King IPA Gold, our brewers add the hops at a later stage of the boil than with the Greene King IPA – this brings out tropical fruit aromas and spicy notes, which are followed by the clean, bitter flavour and crisp, dry finish.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

We're open for England 'v' Italy

England 'v' Italy

Sunday 24th June. k.o: 7.45pm

As last Friday night was such good fun, we are going to open on Sunday night from 7pm for England's Euro 2012 Quarter Final against Italy.

We've ordered extra beer, so we hope to see you there.

Toast the start of Summer

It's the longest day of the year and the official start of summer this week (honest)!

So to get us in a relaxed and happy summer mood, we've got in another cask of the VERY LOVELY SALOPIAN TREASURE TROVE, which was our reserve beer at last weeks beer festival and made us all stay a little longer on Sunday.

Described by the Shropshire brewer as

"A fruity golden ale with flavours of tropical resinous fruits abundant in the mouth, and a sensuous 4.0% citrus finish".

Described by Chris Peachment as

"That's bl**dy lovely that is!"

Both descriptions are spot-on.

We've got our trusty Adnams Lighthouse too, so come and join us on Thursday night from 8pm for Beer Night

or 

on Friday night from 8pm for a very special event:

An Auction of Promises’ raising funds for the Village playground

Some Promises confirmed so far: 

> Center Parcs day pass for 4 people 

> ‘Love Film’ gift card (up to £30)
> A chocolate cake every month for a year

> A flower arrangement for a special occasion
> Family pass to Pensthorpe Wildlife & Gardens 

> A meal for Six cooked by chef from Bird In Hand
> A caravan for a weekend at Pinewoods Holiday Park (Wells-Next-The-Sea) 

>  Box of 70 real French Croissants
> Delta Force paintballing experience - 10 prizes each for 10 people (paint balls not included)

England 'v' Italy

Sunday 24th June 7.45pm

As last Friday night was such good fun, we are considering opening on Sunday night for England's Euro 2012 Quarter Final against Italy?

If you agree that this is a good idea and would like to come, please tweat @WrenSocial asap or let Mark know. If there is enough interest, we will order in a little more beer and confirm here on the blog later in the week.

WrenSocial Euro 2012 Beer Festival

London Glory is the toast of Norfolk

The best news of the day is that Norwich City F.C. have landed Chris Hughton as their next manager. Sorry Ian, your baggies will have to find someone else!

Chris is a London boy through and through - a product of Tottenham Hotspur's youth system, the left back first played for the first team aged 18, and amassed in all competitions, more than 300 appearances. In November 1990 West Ham United signed Hughton, initially on loan, then on a permanent basis. Locally-born Hughton said: "In a sense it was like going home. I was born about 10 minutes away from the ground. My mum and dad still live there." He played two seasons at West Ham, making 43 appearances in all competitions without scoring. In 1992 he signed for Brentford. He played one season for Brentford, before retiring aged 34. 

So what better way to celebrate Chris's appointment than with a few pints on Greene King's London Glory!

London Glory is a celebratory ale created by the master brewers of Greene King for the nation's capital city. Centuries of expertise and craftsmanship have come together to produce this rich and fruity brew that combines crystal malt with challenger and goldings hops.

See you tonight (Thursday) and tomorrow from 8pm.

On her be pleased to pour ...

So the Diamond Jubilee is here at last and as instructed in the 2nd line of the the 3rd verse of our national anthem, we are only too pleased to pour a couple of special Jubilee ales and salute this very special occasion.

We've got Woodforde's lovely Jubilee beer 'Norfolk Gem', described as 

"a careful blend of pale, cara and crystal malts coupled with English Challenger and Pacific Gem hops from New Zealand, deliver a well balanced amber ale with intriging hints of malt, blackcurrant and citrus fruits, and a satisfying bitter finish".

and also another Jubilee ale from Liverpoool brewer, Cains called 'Jubilee Mild'

We'll be open as normal on Thursday night from 8pm 

AND ALSO FROM 6.30pm on Friday night

for a special Jubilee Family Night.

Just bring a plate of party food!

Stick two fingers up at the bar!

This Thursday & Friday we've got Shepherd Neame's Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale.

Originally brewed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, its characteristically Kentish, hoppy flavor and risque advertising campaign has made it a firm favourite with beer lovers.

Winner of a gold medal and Best Strong Cask-Conditioned Beer of the World at the Brewing Industry International Awards, Spitfire Ale is now Shepherd Neame's biggest-selling cask conditioned ale. Spitfire Ale has Protected Geographical Indication, the same regional produce protection afforded to Champagne and Parma Ham.

See you from 8pm this Thursday & Friday.