About

By: Ballard’s Brewery

Ballard’s Brewery Blog is dedicated to providing beer lovers in the UK with up-to-date information on the brewing industry, craft beer, recipes, ingredients, and breweries found in Hampshire.

As we are a magazine with a dedicated passion for beer in Hampshire, our readers can expect to learn more about all the latest events and beer festivals that are happening in and around Hampshire.

We love to share our passion and dedication to declaring good beer to the public. Visit frequently for newly posted and updated articles and lists.

Ballards Brewery Magazine

Ballard’s Brewery Magazine has a passion for all things beer and the traditions that the UK has built up through the years in regard to pubs and breweries. For the most recent updates on the brewing industry with a special focus on craft brewing, visit frequently.

Events and Activities

Together with the variety of craft breweries and beers, there are many festivals and tasting events that will keep any beer lover smiling. Whether you are a local or a tourist, we provide details on where to attend the most anticipated beer events in and around Hampshire and where to find tastings.

Breweries in Hampshire

With the passion that comes with craft brewing in Hampshire, many breweries are constantly opening up and trying their hand at the industry. Find out more about the most traditional and interesting breweries to operate in Hampshire and what they are up to.

We provide details on the most iconic beers, ales, and ciders crafted in Hampshire and the ingredients that make Hampshire beer stand out in the UK.

Ballard’s Brewery Magazine is as passionate about brewing as the most talented brewmasters, and we strive to support the industry through writing and to market the industry itself to the public. Visit Ballard’s Brewery frequently or contact us for more information.

Beer Drinking Games for Casino Parties
Gambling and beer have long been successful at working together. Whether at a pub or a casino, usually both gambling and beer drinking will be taking place. Just look at almost any gambling photo or painting, and you will probably spot a beer somewhere. Now you can combine your favourite beers with your favourite casino games. This list details all the necessary information to get started. Dart Poker Dart Poker is a popular gambling game to play in the bar. Whether the prize is a beer or cash, it’s an entertaining and traditional gambling and drinking game. Darts are probably the most played game in a bar setting together with a pool. When combined with drinking beer, the player needs to hit the cards that are stuck to a dart board to get 3 a kind, royal flush, or any other hand they may choose. Shot Roulette This will demand some DIY effort as the players need to create a carton wheel and design it to work the same way as a roulette wheel. Many people will place shots of beer at different parts of the wheel. If the wheel end by pointing towards the shot or glass, the person whose turn it was should drink. Barfly Blackjack Barfly Blackjack is a popular game among regular pub crawlers. In this game, the two people play blackjack the same as normally expected when they lose a hand. They need to take a sip of their beer. For standard online blackjack games, register with Griffon Casino and experience a whole new world of gambling. Combining beer-drinking games with casino games can become quite entertaining and teach you something new about combining different games. As with gambling and drinking, all participants should always consider being responsible and enjoying their games with care.
Beer-themed Casino Games
Craft beer and beer festivals have become a powerhouse in growing the economy and providing the British pub scene with a new boom in popularity. Here we look at casino games with themes of beer festivals and beer to enjoy on your next pub crawl. Beer Party Beer Party is a slot game dedicated to German beer parties and the traditional Octoberfest that takes place throughout the country. The game was developed by Gamomat as a video slot with an RTP of 96.1%. It’s colourful and vibrant for the most eager beer drinker who wants to try their luck at a slot game. You can see it at griffon-casino.co.uk for an entertaining gaming experience. WunderFest Booming Games created this delightful video slot about Beer and Oktoberfest. With 5 reels and 20 paylines, it stands as a traditional video slot game perfect for looking for a standard and fun slot game with a theme of beer. WunderFest also has a bonus game, free spins, a scatter symbol, and a wild symbol. Heidi’s Bier Haus Heidi’s Bier Haus is another entertaining beer-themed game available on Griffon Casino. The game has all the most preferred special features looked for in slot games, including wilds, bonuses, and free spins. With an RTP of 96.13 and 6 reels, the player is likely to have a great time playing Heidi’s Bier Haus Slot. Down the Pub Down the Pub are a video slot game developed by Playson themed around Bars, beer, drinks, and pubs. The perfect game to play at the pub, this game has 5 reels and 15 paylines with a 1000 jackpot. The game has standard bonus features such as wild symbols, scatter symbols, a bonus game, free spins, and a multiplier symbol. The perfect game for embracing British pub culture. Enjoy these popular beer-themed casino slot games and take part in a growing culture of online gambling in Britain.
Essential Ingredients Used in Brewing
The world has become quite obsessed with craft beer. More so in the UK, where pub culture has always been quite well-known, Hampshire is a small town and stands out as the destination for all beer lovers looking for a different type of pub culture. With Hampshire standing out as a craft beer destination, we look at what the ingredients might have to do with it and how craft beer, in particular, gets its taste from speciality ingredients. These are the main ingredients used in brewing. Water Since beer is 95% water, the type and quality of water used play an important part in making craft beer. Water without mineral salts, sulphates, chloride, and lime is essential to creating the perfect craft beer taste. Many breweries customize their water to their own needs by removing slats and minerals depending on the profile of taste they need for the particular beer. Malted Barley The UK latitude brings many benefits to getting the best possible quality of malted barley. The latitude creates longer hours of sunlight when the grain is formed and leads to much richer starch content. Not only does malted barley give beer its colour, but it also has flavour, dextrin’s for the body, protein, and natural sugars. Hops Most craft beers are well known to have a prominent bitter taste over that of commercial lagers. This bitter taste is due to the type and number of hops used. The ingredient contributes to the formation and retention of foam in the beer. There are more than 33 commercially grown British aroma hop varieties in the UK which provides a variety of options for the craft breweries in Hampshire to choose from. Yeast Yeast has an extremely important role in brewing. Yeast gets added to water and grain, which forms a sugary liquid, the yeast then eats the sugar and creates alcohol. This process is known as carbonation and gives beer its flavour. These ingredients add a lot more than just a flavour to beer. It contributes to consistency, smell, taste, body, and more. With the UK’s weather and production benefits of some of these ingredients, it’s no surprise that the UK is so serious about beer.
Where to Buy Craft Beer Online
With the popularity of craft brewing not showing any means of slowing down in Hampshire, the craft culture is slowly reaching an online presence, with not only craft breweries selling online but also shops selling all brands of local beer. These are among the most ordered from online beer shops in Hampshire. Beer Hawk – beerhawk.co.uk Beerhawk is a dedicated online shop for all things craft beer and delivers throughout the UK. The company was established in 2012 with a mission of bringing delicious craft beers to beer lovers throughout the UK. They love sharing their love for craft and speciality beers and selling imports as well as local beer. With a selection of over 1000 brews, including German, American, Belgian, and British beers, there is something for everyone to discover. The Packie – thepackie.com The Packie is a small-scale craft beer store operating from Manchester with an online and physical store. Being independent, they are dedicated to selling craft beer, cider, mead, and wine, specifically from Manchester. Choose to buy online or even curbside pickup. Find your singles, packs, or even kegs from The Packie while supporting small, local, and independent online stores with a passion for real beer. The Wonston Arms – wonstonarmspubshop.square.site The Wonston Arms delivers within a 10-mile radius of the actual pub, which is set on a corner of Hampshire. Even staying within the surrounding local villages puts beer lovers within the radius of ordering from The Wonston Arms for delivery. They sell national award-winning cask ales, craft beer, wines, spirits and more straight from the pub. Being named pub of the year in 2019 proves just how dedicated they are. The Flower Pots – theflowerpots.co.uk The Flower Pots is not only an online shop for buying beer, but they also brew their beers. Whether looking for bitter, ale, IPA, or porter, this is the place to find some of the tastiest beer in Hampshire. Their beers are brewed in small batches at the source of the River Itchen in the historical Hampshire village of Cheriton. They provide beer lovers with the option of ordering beer boxes, bottles, and casks. With the craft brewing industry booming in Hampshire, locals and tourist alike can now enjoy their favourites or even discover new favourites by buying online.
Upcoming Beer Festivals in Hampshire
With the passion and dedication that Hampshire has for craft brewing come beer festivals that provide beer celebrations like no other. With beer festivals in Hampshire, beer lovers can expect some of the best ales and ciders, live music, street food, and a craft beer spirit like no other. These are some of the most anticipated beer festivals in Hampshire for 2022. Fleet Lions Beer Festival – This year’s Fleet Lions Beer Festival will be sponsored by the Langham Brewery, which will also be hosting the festival. The festival will be sponsored by 40 real ales, ciders, a gin bar, hog roast, and more. This will stand as the 14th anniversary of the festival, and they are focusing on raising funds for local scouts and guides together with live music performances from bands ‘The Zone’ and ‘The Kindred Spirit Band’. Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival – 24 September The Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival is one of the most anticipated beer festivals for 2022 and provides not only real ales and ciders but also hot food, live bands, and a free evening minibus to get home. The festival takes place in all weather conditions as it has indoors and outdoor. Hampshire Octoberfest – 16 to 17 September The Hampshire Octoberfest is seen as the most widely attended beer festival in Hampshire every year. This will stand as the 12th Hampshire Oktoberfest to be held at the Basingstoke Cricket & Sports Grounds. Experience locally produced real ales and ciders as well as wine drinks and an extremely tasteful street food menu to stay full. The festival has a lively music atmosphere local, and out-of-town musicians join in on the entertainment. Woolston Beer Festival – 1st and 2ND October The Woolston Beer Festival is situated a mere 10 min walk from Woolston station, making it easy for anybody to take part in this fantastic beer festival. They showcase over 25 real ales, ciders, beers, and tasty food. The festival usually brings well-known local and out-of-town musicians to provide musical entertainment. Beer festivals bring music, food, and beer lovers together for a celebration of one of Hampshire’s oldest traditions, craft brewing. With master craftsmen and breweries who are slowly innovating the whole craft beer industry by being ‘real,’ these festivals are must-visit festivals for any beer connoisseur.
Must-Visit Craft Breweries in Hampshire
Both Surrey and Hampshire are seen as the UK’s home of the most tasteful independent brewers who are passionate about crafting the best beer in the country. With guided tours, sour beer, ales, lagers, and great pub food, these craft breweries will provide you with an experience like no other. Visit any of these breweries for a local and passionate brew-tasting experience. Ringwood Brewery Ringwood Brewery is famous for its ales named Best Bitter, Boon Doggle, Forty Niner, and Old Thumper. Open from Monday to Saturday. They stand as a popular destination for locals and tourists to get their fix of some of Hampshire’s best ales. The brewery is well known for being one of the most celebrated craft breweries in Hampshire. Dancing Man Brewery The Dancing Man Brewpub provides beer lovers with a selection of their own brewed New England IPAS, sour beers, best bitters, and imperial stouts. They have situated in the beautiful Southampton’s Wool house, a historic building with a rich history. Expertise in local Hampshire brewing together with grub that you will never forget. Pilgrim Pilgrim is a legend in British craft brewing. The brewery has been brewing since 1982 and has won various awards for its efforts, including three medals in International Brewing wards. Some of the most popular beers brewed by them include Quench, Progress, Quest, and Surrey Bitter. This stands as the perfect craft brewery to visit for a guided tour as visitors can learn about one of the oldest craft breweries in Hampshire. Andwell Brewing Company The Andwell Brewing Company keeps craft beer culture alive and acts as a family business providing locals and tourists with some of the most traditional tasting recipes. The brewery was established in 2008 and saw a quick growth when it relocated in 2011 due to needing to expand the brewery to accommodate the orders and customers they were attracting. The brewery is situated in Andwell, Hook, Hampshire, and tours start from £7.50. These pubs and craft breweries create some of the greatest beers in the UK, as Hampshire is seen as the craft beer destination of the country and attracts beer lovers from all over the world.