Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on October 08, 2012, 06:28:14 PM
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A multimillionaire former Premier League football boss is behind Britain's bestselling super-strength cider.
Doug Ellis, the former chairman of Aston Villa who was nicknamed "deadly", controls the maker of Frosty Jack's, whose sales rocketed by 40 per cent last year helped by controversial online marketing aimed at young people.
At 7.5 per cent alcohol, Frosty Jack's, made by the Aston Manor Brewing Company, is 60 per cent stronger than Stella Artois. According to the College of Physicians and alcohol charities, super-strong ciders and beers are causing problems among alcoholics because of their cheapness and potency.
At the request of the police and NHS in Ipswich, the Co-op is removing all ciders and beers above 6.5 per cent from its 54 stores in Suffolk and the Government is considering a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol.
Concerned at their social impact, the Magners owner, C&C, said it intends to withdraw from sale three high-strength ciders, Diamond White, White Star, and K, which it inherited from its takeover of Gaymers two years ago.
Britain's biggest independent cider maker, the Aston Manor Brewery Company appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
The Birmingham -based firm makes a range of ciders including the 5.3 per cent Kingstone Press, but its biggest – and fastest-growing – brand is Frosty Jack's, which it portrays on YouTube and Facebook as a wacky alternative to mainstream drinks.
Aston Manor did not respond to The Independent's request for comment, but its website says the drink has achieved its success "through a full, integrated digital marketing campaign with a particular emphasis on social media". This includes a series of celebrity podcasts filmed in conjunction with the men's magazine, Loaded.
The Advertising Standards Authority banned three "irresponsible" online ads for Frosty Jack's in June, saying the "irreverent and juvenile" humour was likely to appeal to young people.
According to the market researcher Nielsen, Frosty Jack's had retail sales of 32 million litres in the year to September, around £40m by value, more than six times those of its next competitor, White Star.
Aston Manor's website makes no mention of the role of Mr Ellis, 88, whose 24-year stewardship of Aston Villa prior to its sale to Randy Lerner six years ago, was unpopular with fans. Accounts lodged at Companies House show Mr Ellis has the "controlling interest" in the company, of which his son, Peter, is managing director.
In an interview with the Western Morning News last September, Peter Ellis said: "People are turning to cider because it's less expensive and there's no viable alternative in terms of innovation, in wine and beer."
Aston Manor's sales rose from £79m in 2010 to £106m last year, though profits fell from £4.9m to £2m because of rising raw commodity costs and the installation of a new canning production line to cope with higher demand.
A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
Sir Ian Gilmour, a liver specialist and alcohol spokesman at the Royal College of Physicians, which backs a 50p per unit minimum price, said: "It's very difficult to square a position of social responsibility in marketing and selling white cider at a fraction of what would be a reasonable minimum price."
C&C emphasised that it saw its future in mainstream cider, rather than its high-strength variants. "The main spend and marketing pressure within C&C is within the Magners and Gaymers brands," a spokesman said.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/deadly-doug-ellis-the-former-football-club-owner-behind-superstrength-cider-targeted-at-the-young-8201334.html
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I went past the Aston Manor Brewery today, I've often wondered what brands they made.
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The Kingstone Press cider isn't too bad at all.
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At 7.5 per cent alcohol, Frosty Jack's, made by the Aston Manor Brewing Company, is 60 per cent stronger than Stella Artois. According to the College of Physicians and alcohol charities, super-strong ciders and beers are causing problems among alcoholics because of their cheapness and potency.
At the request of the police and NHS in Ipswich, the Co-op is removing all ciders and beers above 6.5 per cent from its 54 stores in Suffolk and the Government is considering a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol.
A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
Problem?
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At the request of the police and NHS in Ipswich, the Co-op is removing all ciders and beers above 6.5 per cent from its 54 stores in Suffolk and the Government is considering a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol.
A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
Problem?
Stupid twunts don't even care about the alcohol problem as long as they get their taxes from it. Just pretending to be doing something to keep face as per usual.
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The Kingstone Press cider isn't too bad at all.
Made in Devon.I worked at the brewery for 4 years.Doug and his son Peter are to say the least strange.
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Brollocks to you Ellish yer bashard !...White Lightning for me now.
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Aston Manor's sales rose from £79m in 2010 to £106m last year, though profits fell from £4.9m to £2m because of rising raw commodity costs and the installation of a new canning production line to cope with higher demand.
Ellis investing? I half expected to read profits fell due to Doug Ellis awarding himself a £2.9m salary.
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At the request of the police and NHS in Ipswich, the Co-op is removing all ciders and beers above 6.5 per cent from its 54 stores in Suffolk and the Government is considering a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol.
A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
Problem?
Stupid twunts don't even care about the alcohol problem as long as they get their taxes from it. Just pretending to be doing something to keep face as per usual.
except that 15 x 40p = £6.00
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Frosty Jacks used to be the afternoon 3 litre tipple of the Kidderminster Alki.... They've moved on to K now it comes in cans, so they lose less if they cos caught with it in the no alcohol zone and have 1 open and it's nearly 1% stronger. I once asked if it tasted better, the reply 'who the fuck cares you fucking flith '. The kids tend to have the Frosty Jacks as it is a little bit cheaper and is more easily disguised as pop when they take the label off.
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Didn't Aston Manor invent the widget?
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Didn't Aston Manor invent the widget?
I think Doug did, he came up with the idea when he was celebrating inventing the bicycle kick.
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At the request of the police and NHS in Ipswich, the Co-op is removing all ciders and beers above 6.5 per cent from its 54 stores in Suffolk and the Government is considering a 40p minimum price per unit of alcohol.
A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
Problem?
Stupid twunts don't even care about the alcohol problem as long as they get their taxes from it. Just pretending to be doing something to keep face as per usual.
except that 15 x 40p = £6.00
Haha! That'll teach me to do my own arithmatic in future. :D
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Didn't Aston Manor invent the widget?
Widget in a bottle.Stupid idea.
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I'm sticking to Stowford Press thanks.
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Three Hammers as well. Top seller .
should have called it Three Villains or lions thou.
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A two-litre bottle of Frosty Jack's with 15 units of alcohol is on sale at Tesco for £3.79, equivalent to 40p per unit.
people always moaning about the strong beers and ciders but completely forgetting about the spirits .
a tesco cheap 40% vol vodka . £7 28 shorts @ 25p a shot
ps not moaning at you Dave , just the quote in the mail
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If Doug still cared he'd buy us a few players with that money
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I remember a brew called Cripplecock from my days down in Paignton on holiday. It came in those containers that usually hold industrial cleaner and you could buy it from a nearby farm. Fuck knows what volume it was but I always remember trying to walk on sand in the early evening sun absolutely fuckin' wankered.
Great days.
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We used to bottle Man Utd lager and bitter.3% piss.
God I hated that job.
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We used to bottle Man Utd lager and bitter.3% piss.
God I hated that job.
"Can I have two bottles of Gloryhunter, a Pale Imitation and a London Export please?"
From Wikipedia:
Industrial sabotage plot
In 2001, Michael Hancocks, a major shareholder (12% of the shares) whose family owns 44% of Aston Manor, organized a conspiracy to contaminate the cider products of the company's rival, H. P. Bulmer. He recruited a former Aston Manor employee, chemist Richard Gay, to produce a yeast that he planned to introduce into Bulmer's production line, recruited his daughter's partner, Paul Harris, to transport the contaminant, and paid a Bulmer's employee, Russell Jordan, £16,000 to introduce the contaminant. Jordan did not introduce the contaminant, but reported the plot to Bulmers and to the police, and the plot was foiled. If the plot had succeeded, anyone drinking the contaminated cider would have suffered diarrhoea and nausea.
I vaguely remember this and I think Doug was called as a witness during the court proceedings?
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Yep,Hancocks owned the farm where the apples came from.Got 18 months if I remember right.
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Industrial sabotage plot
In 2001, Michael Hancocks, a major shareholder (12% of the shares) whose family owns 44% of Aston Manor, organized a conspiracy to contaminate the cider products of the company's rival, H. P. Bulmer. He recruited a former Aston Manor employee, chemist Richard Gay, to produce a yeast that he planned to introduce into Bulmer's production line, recruited his daughter's partner, Paul Harris, to transport the contaminant, and paid a Bulmer's employee, Russell Jordan, £16,000 to introduce the contaminant. Jordan did not introduce the contaminant, but reported the plot to Bulmers and to the police, and the plot was foiled. If the plot had succeeded, anyone drinking the contaminated cider would have suffered diarrhoea and nausea.
I vaguely remember this and I think Doug was called as a witness during the court proceedings?
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I am sure some anti-doug fanatic will say he was probably directly involved. Just like they will say he lit the match to set fire to the old ASDA on the Serpentine.
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Yes, and how long before some anti-Doug fanatic mentions the fire at the Holte Hotel?
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they way i see it though is you are always going to get people who will want to get twisted, will the expenditure increase not send people down the route of cheap foreign spirits? more black markey alcohol flooding the market?
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What fire was that then ;-)
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The old ASDA fire must have been 15 plus years ago now. It was certainly useful in making a lot more room in the car park.
The ownership, proposed sale etc of the serpentine land has always seemed to have a history of mystery and intrigue.
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The old ASDA fire must have been 15 plus years ago now. It was certainly useful in making a lot more room in the car park.
The ownership, proposed sale etc of the serpentine land has always seemed to have a history of mystery and intrigue.
Whoever owns it now, getting £7 million was one good deal.
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The site I believe was acquired by Advantage West Midlands, a quasi government agency who were planning to build a sports complex there including Olympic sized pool etc.
The plans seem to have mothballed
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It is a little known fact that the Tame used to run through what is now the serpentine car park, with a loop in the river going right to the edge of the grounds of the church.
When the railway was built the river was culverted and re-routed the other side of the line.
I think that rather than torch the site, Ellis' real intention was to have a Time Team special based there, scouring the old river bed for dark-age bottle tops and condoms.
Doug himself would regale Tony Robinson with a full rundown of the tactical errors made by the Royalists at the battle of Edgehill, together with how he would of laugh and joke with Bouddicca whenever he visited the hair salon she used to run in Handsworth Wood.
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Should be knighted for services to tramps, students and 14 year olds in the park.
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Frosty Jacks used to be the afternoon 3 litre tipple of the Kidderminster Alki.... They've moved on to K now it comes in cans, so they lose less if they cos caught with it in the no alcohol zone and have 1 open and it's nearly 1% stronger. I once asked if it tasted better, the reply 'who the fuck cares you fucking flith '. The kids tend to have the Frosty Jacks as it is a little bit cheaper and is more easily disguised as pop when they take the label off.
Ah,the old canal club at the back of the jobcentre with the post office just around the corner. Had many a swear word directed at me when i used to fish that part of the canal years ago. Maybe " Fuck you,ya drunken piss stained trouser wearing c..ts" didn't help my case much though .
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I had no idea Aston Manor Brewery had grown that big. I think at one point it was effectively being run by Peter Ellis.
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He won't be winning any (drinks industry) trophies for that and it appeals to knuckle draggers. Remind me why he did not buy SHA instead...?
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the
Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
That's the one. it was sold to some local community group/business which never began trading.
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
That's the one. it was sold to some local community group/business which never began trading.
Cheers Dave.
Didn't someone say in the redevelopment of Aston thread that they can't build much there due to pollution from the motorway? Oh well, at least it provides us with a nice spot to park on :)
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
That's the one. it was sold to some local community group/business which never began trading.
Cheers Dave.
Didn't someone say in the redevelopment of Aston thread that they can't build much there due to pollution from the motorway? Oh well, at least it provides us with a nice spot to park on :)
You certainly couldn't build houses on there.
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I had no idea Aston Manor Brewery had grown that big. I think at one point it was effectively being run by Peter Ellis.
Nah,button counter nothing more.
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
Can I try some? Seriously.
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I'll bring some next time I come to the Barton's.
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I'll bring some next time I come to the Barton's.
It's not as if anything could go wrong.
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I don't frequent the Barton's unfortunately. Far too busy making money out of Villa fans. Can we go to PM?
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I make my own cider as well.
It comes out when people I don't like come round.
They crawl home.
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
Can I try some? Seriously.
Why can't you make your own? What harm could it do?
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Lee, have some of mine. But don't try standing up for a couple of hours afterwards.
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
Can I try some? Seriously.
Why can't you make your own? What harm could it do?
I'd probably destroy half of Walsall. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad an idea.
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Lee, have some of mine. But don't try standing up for a couple of hours afterwards.
I'd love to.
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
Can I try some? Seriously.
Why can't you make your own? What harm could it do?
I'd probably destroy improve half of Walsall. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad an idea.
Fixed.
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
That's the one. it was sold to some local community group/business which never began trading.
Advantage West Midlands which was set up around 2007 with big plans around supporting the Olympics when villa park was a likely venue and the US team were going to base training around a birmingham base.
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Sorry just to clarify, the Serpentine site was effectively purchased with tax payers money. So we all own a piece of it now 8)
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Has this type of "Cider" ever seen a bloody apple ? Or is it just all chemicals ?
Tastes like shite.
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Is the Serpentine the big car park at the back of the Villa Leisure Aston Events Centre?
That's the one. it was sold to some local community group/business which never began trading.
Advantage West Midlands which was set up around 2007 with big plans around supporting the Olympics when villa park was a likely venue and the US team were going to base training around a birmingham base.
AWM was a regional development agency set up in 1999. The people who bought the Serpentine were Birmingham Community Sports Limited, which may have had AWM financing but never traded and were wound up a coupe of years later. There were no links with the Olympics; it was reckoned that they were set up to renovate the Leisure Centre but that plan didn't work.
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Cider is a naturally very potent drink. But because there is less tax on it than other alcoholic beverages - supposedly to encourage the planting of traditional orchards - manufacturers and retailers can make more profit out of it.
I make my own and would be amazed if it were less than 8% alcohol.
Can I try some? Seriously.
Why can't you make your own? What harm could it do?
I see no potential issues in a mild mannered schoolteacher turning his hand to producing a highly intoxicating recreational substance.
(http://www.indiewire.com/static/dims4/INDIEWIRE/2c4d5a6/4102462740/thumbnail/485x341%3E/http://d1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net/79/3bd850cca911e1a00322000a1d0930/file/Screen%20Shot%202012-07-13%20at%201.05.42%20AM.png)
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Is it an old myth that there is a water source under Villa Park that Ellis uses for Aston Manor?
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Is it an old myth that there is a water source under Villa Park that Ellis uses for Aston Manor?
No myth it's true.Ansell's used it as well.
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Where is/was the ansell's brewery?
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Is it an old myth that there is a water source under Villa Park that Ellis uses for Aston Manor?
No myth it's true.Ansell's used it as well.
I'm not sure it's directly under Villa Park but the closure of the brewery and many local factories in the early eighties led to a rise in the water table which in turn buggered the pitch up.
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Fucking Thatcher again!
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I'm sticking to Stowford Press thanks.
I'm sticking to these underpants.
Fucking cider.
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Wasn't the old Ansells brewery up by the old HP Sauce factory ? Ie. up the hill past Aston Hall and straight on a bit
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Fucking Thatcher again!
Can't help myself. And she can't say no nowadays...
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Is it easy to make your own cider? I'd love to do some.
I've tried Frosty Jack, didn't think it was too bad...
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It's easier than making crystal meth, and less illegal.
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It's easier than making crystal meth, and less illegal
Home-made scrumpy producers in the West Country call their cider Bristol Meth
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I used to work on the booze counter at Kwik Save in Shrewsbury town centre. The tramps' drink of choice was British sherry other than when Frosty Jack was on special offer for a month or so. They all switched in that month then switched back again as soon as the offer ended. So next time you see a gentleman of the road try not to judge him too harshly. Instead respect him for his innate ability to calculate the alcohol per cash ratio that will result in optimum smashedness. Geniuses the lot of them.
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What is British Sherry?
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Fortified wine. Does sherry have to come from Spain? Sherwood Cream was the brand of choice.
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Scottish Sherry = Buckfast.
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You can get Buckfast on draught in some Glasgow bars.
Buckfast, AKA - Wreck the Hoose Juice, Commotion Lotion, Trampagne
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I wonder if I could make British Sherry. Perhaps you just have to take some Spanish stuff and make it sit a Citizenship test
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Is Thunderbird still available in the UK?
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Is Thunderbird still available in the UK?
Available all countries. Not called International Rescue for nothing.
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I used to work on the booze counter at Kwik Save in Shrewsbury town centre. The tramps' drink of choice was British sherry other than when Frosty Jack was on special offer for a month or so. They all switched in that month then switched back again as soon as the offer ended. So next time you see a gentleman of the road try not to judge him too harshly. Instead respect him for his innate ability to calculate the alcohol per cash ratio that will result in optimum smashedness. Geniuses the lot of them.
A colleague of mine took a second job in a supermarket to fund a sabbatical from work. Her observations matched yours.
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What is British Sherry?
You don't remember this?
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My Mom used to keep a bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream in the pantry. Every Xmas day morning , Auntie Florrie would come round and they would have a small glass each. I think it was virtually the only alcoholic drink they had all year. That bottle would sit there next to the unused Advocaat and Babycham for years.
Piss heads !
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Shouldnt Advocaat be kept in the fridge as it contains eggs ?
I remember my Nan having snowballs - is that Advocaat & Babycham mixed.
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Shouldnt Advocaat be kept in the fridge as it contains eggs ?
I remember my Nan having snowballs - is that Advocaat & Babycham mixed.
We used to have it with lemonade. An Advocaat shandy as it were.
The addition of a five year old maraschino cherry is mandatory in these circumstances.
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Shouldnt Advocaat be kept in the fridge as it contains eggs ?
People who keep eggs in the fridge are misinformed and misguided. You are being taken in by a world wide conspiracy of lies and mythology (probably perpetrated and kept alive by greedy capitalist fridge manufacturers) if you think eggs need to be refridgerated.
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Surely once the egg is cracked out of the shell we are into the realms of refrigerated storage ?
A whole uncracked egg, yes keep that ambient.
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Advocaat is sold on normal shelves in the supermarket, not in the coolers.
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True, that's a sealed bottle though.
Perhaps the alcohol cures the egg?
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Sunny Delight does not need to be kept in the fridge. It contains so many chemicals it does not decompose
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Shouldnt Advocaat be kept in the fridge as it contains eggs ?
I remember my Nan having snowballs - is that Advocaat & Babycham mixed.
Our nan's snowballs were advocaat, lemonade and a shot of brandy. I remember her getting totally legless at one family celebration (it may have been Top Cat's 18th birthday) and having to be carried home.
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Used to be any thread about Doug would be 50 pages guaranteed, arguments getting personal and the mods having to issue warnings and threaten expulsions.
Now it turns into gentle recollections about our mothers drinking advocaat.
How times change.
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Lee, have some of mine. But don't try standing up for a couple of hours afterwards.
You said I could come to your house and try your home brewed beer.
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The offer is still open. But there is only cider at the moment. Write your address on your forehead with a marker pen before you come round. And bear in mind there is no direct bus service, you will probably get on the wrong one and end up at Paddington with shit all over you
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You can get Buckfast on draught in some Glasgow bars.
Buckfast, AKA - Wreck the Hoose Juice, Commotion Lotion, Trampagne
Gies a shwally ay shupershonic
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The offer is still open. But there is only cider at the moment. Write your address on your forehead with a marker pen before you come round. And bear in mind there is no direct bus service, you will probably get on the wrong one and end up at Paddington with shit all over you
I'm allergic to apples.
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seriously? Are you also allergic to cider, then?
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Anything with an apple in it. I get a rash around my mouth and my throat swells up.
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An old girlfriend of mine was allergic to apples.
One day she was having a fruit salad in a restaurant( after asking for no apple in her fruit salad) had a mouthfull and minutes later she couldn't swallow, breath properly and her face swelled up like a bloody balloon. Frightened the shit out of me.