Wednesday, 10 June 2009

World Trial Championship 2010

Hot on the heels of the Mountain Bike World Cup comes the news that the web site for the 2010 SPEA FIM World Trial Championship due to take place at Nevis Range in late June 2010 has now gone live.

Ok, so its a bit of a way off just yet, but given the antics of bikes without engines last weekend, I reckon its going to be worth seeing what a little petrol power can do. Try visiting the web site and signing up for the news updates.

Monday, 8 June 2009

Mountain Bike World Cup

As expected, another busy weekend in Fort William, as the Mountain Bike World Cup came to town. The weather gods smiled upon us, keeping it dry and midge free for the weekend. Great to see another huge crowd at the event, and great to see the High Street busy, busy...

The atmosphere at The Grog & Gruel was great. Live music provided by Sandra MacBeth and the Shoogle Sisters on both Friday and Sunday nights helped. As did a dazzling array of beers, with the rarely seen William Bros. Grozet (Gooseberry ale) selling faster than hot cakes (and the Venison & Grozet Pie on sale in the restaurant).


The highlight of the weekend was again the men's downhill, but mention should be made of the British Trials Championship too. Whilst that pic above of the chap about to commit cycle suicide by jumping off the log is impressive, spare a thought for the juniors tackling the slightly easier course along side. Big respect!


Great weekend!

Friday, 5 June 2009

Party in the Fort

In case you've been living under a rock recently, its World Cup Mountain Biking weekend in Fort William. We expect another busy weekend at The Grog & Gruel and were ready for it.

On the off chance that you can be drawn away from the town's favourite watering hole, there is a bit of entertainment going on this Saturday. Here's the blurb... (click on it to make it grow bigger!)I bet their burgers aren't as good as ours!

We'll be up at Nevis Range on Sunday, cheering on Downhill Champ Steve Peat. Hot on the heels of his most recent win in Andorra, here's hoping that he can turn on the magic for the home crowd in Fort William.

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Any old iron...

Ok, so they're not made from iron, but aluminium. But that doesn't really make a good subject line does it? Any old aluminium. No. Anyway, we've got lots and lots of them. And try as we might, its a bit of a struggle getting rid of them.

Speak to any brewer about their operating costs and right up there along with the cost of distribution and the upward pressure on hops and other raw materials will be the cost of kegs. And quite likely the difficulty of acquiring them. So you'd think that most brewers would want them back again pretty sharpish, would you?

Week1.
G&G: We've got 25 of your kegs in our garden and we can't get the delivery guys to uplift them. Can you arrange for an uplift? There's also 25 at Clachaig too; similar problems.

Caledonian: Right we'll request an uplift of all 50.

Carrier arrives with an uplift line for 1 keg and won't take any more.

Week 2.
G&G: We've still got 24 of your kegs in our garden and we can't get the delivery guys to uplift them. Can you arrange for an uplift? There's also still 25 at Clachaig too.

Caledonian: Right, sorry about that. We'll arrange for an uplift.

Carrier arrives with an uplift line for 1 keg. Neil sneaks round the back and stuffs as many as he can fit into the truck. But there's still a heap of them in the garden.

Week 3.
G&G: Does anyone want some beer kegs?!

And its not just Caledonian Brewery that we're struggling with. At times the stock pile of kegs reaches well over a hundred, with similar numbers at Clachaig. And each time we think we're going to get rid of them, we (Neil) has to carry them all down the steps, through the Alehouse and onto the High Street, only to be disappointed and carry them back again when it all goes t*ts up.

Carlsberg did exactly this last week. Leave them out and we'll be back at 4pm they said. Which day, we're wondering as they were still here a week later.

God, its annoying. Time spent chasing getting rid of empties when it should be spent chasing the customers. Grrrrr....!

Friday, 29 May 2009

Fort William Wheelchair Curling

And there was I thinking that the town had got its act together and not only was there a rink where you could try some Curling, but that it also had disabled facilities too...

http://wheelchaircurlingblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/fort-william-cc-renovates-will-host.html

D'oh! Wrong country.

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Three Sheets to the Wind

We're that dedicated and that passionate about our beer at The Grog & Gruel that even when we're not slaving away, striving to serve you the perfect pint, we're reading books about beer. Either that or we're really boring and haven't got any mates. Regardless, here we bring you the debut of The Grog Book Club.

Ok, so I'm not really that into writing about why I found this book interesting or otherwise. Far too traumatic as it reminds me too much of English Literature classes at school. What the hell was that Shakespeare bloke on about? And why couldn't he write in proper english like wot I do.

Anyway, a fairly interesting read and some interesting observations about beer and the world today. Particularly interesting are the comparisons of the liberal attitudes to licensing elswhere in the world and the lack of problems with more British traits such as late night post-pub trouble and binge drinking. Sobering thoughts (see what I did there!) in these times where Licensing in Scotland is going through huge changes.

Back your copy from your local book shop, check out Amazon, or get in touch and you can have mine if it hasn't been scooped up on Read It Swap It already.

Monday, 11 May 2009

On yer bike

Another busy week at The Grog & Gruel. Well it should be really, as its the week that the show comes to town. The trials show that is. The Scottish Six Day Trial takes over the West End car park for week, the hotel car parks on the golden mile are full of Mercedes Sprinters and Vitos all covered in cool graphics, and men in big boots ride motor bikes with no saddles out into the wilds of Lochaber.


Typically, the weather couldn't have been much worse. Come Monday the tropical downpours began. By Saturday things had improved little, but the winter snows had returned. But oddly enough, when the show packed up on Sunday the sun came out and the temperatures had climbed back into the high teens. However, chances are these guys don't really mind the weather. After all, they do ride those things up streams even when its not raining.

Its always a great week. Lots of really appreciative customers through the bar and the restaurant. Take a peak at some of the photos of the High Street show on the Outdoor Capital blog.

Next year Fort William plays host to the Trial World Championship over the weekend of 26th an 27th June. You can register for more information as it comes available on the dedicated web site.

Friday, 1 May 2009

Swine Flu Fever !!

As swine flu seems to be spreading across the globe and many folk are taking to avoiding Pork, Flying over seas, and Mexican food, we would like to re assure our customers that here at the Grog and Gruel we are swine flu free. None of the wild boar from Beauly we use has ever visited Mexico, If they had I'm sure they'd be 'cured'. Earlier in the day I was concerned so I phoned the emergency swine flu hot line...unfortunately all I got was 'crackling'.



A customer told me they were suffering from snuffling, coughing and sweating and that they must have swine flu however I think they are telling 'porkies'. On a serious note, with all the global recession business and now a pandemic approaching, now is the best time to go to the Grog and relax with a nice pint of cask ale...the perfect 'oinkment'.