drinking

The winds blow all of my dreams away

by

When I stepped out my front door inappropriately-wearing canvas shoes and landed in a few inches of slushy snow, I should have turned back and climbed into bed. Instead, I forged on into the dark depths of a hideous northern town called Wakefield.

The Albion Inn... a Samuel Smith pub in Wakefield

Simon and I thought it would be a fun adventure to check out the bars and pubs of Wakefield. This Yorkshire city is located roughly 8km/12 miles from Leeds and is easily reached by car or public transport. Whether people should attempt to reach it is another matter. The town centre is littered with closed stores and bankrupted businesses. Unemployment is higher than the national average and there doesn’t seem to be much of anything happening. Disillusioned with the grim first impression of the town, we decided to brace ourselves and delve a little deeper. Of course when prospects look down, I always head for vegan cider. This time I wish I hadn’t.

Read more

Simply cider

by

Forget about same-sex marriage. I’m on a one person mission to legalise unions between fat, gay vegans and Samuel Smith cider.

Old Rosie vegan scrumpy cider

As I traverse the length and skinny breadth of this land, I am doing all I can to convince people that cider is my favourite beverage. If I don’t have a pint of the golden drop in my hand, I surely must be carrying a few bottles home from the supermarket. It is a one-sided affair in which cider keeps giving and I take in abundance.

This week saw my obsession intensify with two new-for-me cider varieties arriving in my life. First up was the student classic and low-budget scrumpy called Old Rosie. Rosie is

Read more

My black cab rolls through the neon disease

by

Vegan beer, vegan cider and a view of one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in the world. It is all available in Soho’s White Horse pub.

View of Shaftesbury Avenue from the White Horse

There are a few select places in the world that can evoke a sense of excitement, mystery or wonder by name alone. Mention Sydney and it conjures scenes of huge passenger ferries chugging past the Opera House on their way under the Harbour Bridge and beyond. Silver Lake, Los Angeles is all about vegan eateries, cruisy gay bars and California Palms reaching for a brilliant blue sky muted by pollution. Madrid is late, late nights of drinking strong drinks in bustling bars before waking just in time to exploit the siesta tradition. And then there’s London’s West End.

Read more

In the corner of my bar with your high heels on

by

A gay-friendly pub with a no music policy and vegan booze? Welcome to The Old Red Lion, friends.

**UPDATE BELOW**

Queer and vegan friendly pub

Tucked away in a dim corner of the Leeds city centre is a pub with charm, grime, unique characters and cruelty-free alcohol. The Old Red Lion is a well-worn drinking hole branded by the Samuel Smith Brewery. If you are up to date with your FGV reading, you will know Sam Smith are responsible for some of the most delicious vegan cider, lager, ale and cherry beer you will ever guzzle. Add to this scenario a distinct lack of music, wallpaper torn and drooping, rough but friendly punters and truly hilarious conversations and you have the wondrous world of The Old Red Lion. I get giddy whenever the burly bartender calls me love as he pulls another pint of vegan cider for me.

Read more

A drunk, Welsh poet walks into a bar

by

If you fancy a sampling of vegan food and alcohol, with a dash of animal rights and queer history thrown in for good measure, head to the central London area known as Fitzrovia.

A map showing the approximate area of Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an unofficial neighbourhood situated just north of Soho in central London. By many accounts, Fitzrovia was well-known as a hot spot for bohemians, free-thinkers, artists and even the odd socialist from the late 1800s through to the ending of the Second World War. The pubs and cafes of this district provided gloomy spaces in which outsiders were able to socialise, politicise and drink. Art, alcoholism and social justice melded perfectly and remnants of this bygone era can be enjoyed in Fitzrovia today.

Last week, Jordan and I ventured into the heart of Fitzrovia and what better place to commence my retelling of our adventures than the Fitzroy Tavern.

Read more

Bobbing for apple cider

by

One of the best things about being vegan in the UK is the access to an abundance of clearly-labelled, cruelty-free alcohol.

Look for this on your alcohol purchases

As I have mentioned previously, alcohol is often made with the aid of animal by-products. The most common way this occurs is during the fining process of beer, cider or wine. A large vat or container of drink contains much unwanted organic matter that needs to be filtered out before it can be sold. Egg, bone, fish stomach or sometimes milk protein is used to create a film that is sprinkled over the product. As the dead animal remains sink and pass through the booze, the organic matter is dragged down leaving the final product. Sounds tasty, right?

The above description is my take on what is a rather complex process. If you are a brewery technician and can add finer detail to this explanation, please enlighten us.

The good news is a large number of booze producers are opting out of this grisly practice. Increasingly here in the UK, a recreational drinker such as myself can walk into the local supermarket and experience no trouble in finding vegan drinks.

Read more

222 Veggie Vegan ate my heart

by

Rest assured, I know about food.

During the course of my FGV existence, I have consumed food in many countries and across several continents. I consider myself quite the connoisseur when it comes to vegan cuisine. You should seriously consider these self-proclaimed credentials as you ponder my recommendation that you head to 222 Veggie Vegan at your earliest convenience.

Interior of 222 Veggie Vegan

This unassuming eatery is nestled on North End Road in West Kensington, London. It offers an all-you-can-eat buffet during the day and an a la carte menu in the evenings. The food is healthy, hot and incredibly tasty.

My visit took place on a Sunday afternoon which meant I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I

Read more

Brotherly love

by

I recently discovered something that is drastically changing my drinking habits.

Most people I know would consider me a moderate to heavy drinker. The arrival of Brothers ciders into my life is pushing me ever closer to the more extreme end of that spectrum. This range of refreshing beverages is suitable for vegan drinkers as it is made without the use of animal by-products to filter or fine. Cider? Cruelty-free? Just take my wallet.

Vegan cider by Brothers accompanied by UK winter snow

Please check out the Brothers cider website to view all of the available flavours. My empty bottles of the strawberry and pear varieties can be seen nestled in the snow on this page, but I am beyond keen to get my FGV paws around a few bottles of the Toffee Apple cider. I know, right?!?! Sounds too good to be true. I’ll report back to you on that one.