The White Swan

21/08/2026

19/08/2026

Scarbados is an East Coast Pale Ale brewed by www.yorkshireheart.com with an ABV of 5.0% American-style East Coast Pale 5.0% Brewed with Mosaic and Simcoe hops from America creating a juicy, fruit-packed, and refreshing with a citrus tang with a Yorkshire twist. Scarbados is Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery tribute to the Yorkshire coast, golden, breezy, and full of character.

18/08/2026

The [White Swan's] Jovial Innkeepers Blog - The Travelling Boniface (a doer of good) on the Twelth journey in Search of the Golden Ale returned to Harrogate for a barrel of cask ale from www.coldbathbrewing.com for The White Swan Beer & Cider Festival 28th-30th August.

It was at the Great Yorkshire Show I was introduced to the fine ales brewed by COLD BATH BREWING Co. on the Cold Bath Beer Van, theirafter arranging for a barrel of "refreshingly refind beer" to be picked up with Valkyrie (the White Swan van).

The Brewery sits above and feeds beers down into the Tap Room. It's spacious and welcoming, with a tented beer garden at the front. It sits aside the Harrogate Festival Hall on the King's Road.

A pint of fresh unfiltered Peach Pilsner was had, brewed with real peaches served into a frosted glass, it was scrumptious and the Brewer whom I met, was well informed and passionate about his brews. There were TEN craft ales in line with a TV screen listing the beers which was marvellous, truly well worth a visit by itself or as part of the Harrogate Ale Trail.

I'll be going back to return the empty barrel and sampling more brews from THE COLD BATH BREWING Co. Without doubt Harrogate rocks the world with ales.

Cold Bath Brewing Co

18/08/2026

DECEPTIVE BENDS 3.6% ABV English Pale Ale Wensleydale Brewery ... brewed with Amarillo hops, with a vibrant citrus, sweet orange and subtle floral notes. On a beer engine 16/26 www.wensleydalebrewery.co.uk

16/08/2026

I'm making peace with burning-out, sometimes this old stomping ground has the same overheads sh*te, but a different day. Its not the ale, the Patrons, the weather, it's not even El Niño, because that's a late winter effect in the UK, what Wild-Winter-Tempest awaits us, we'll have to wait and see. Anyway who the hell set off the sunshine-bomb-detonator this summer if it wasn't El Niño?!

There are things I've never done, I want to point and shoot photos, I want to be an art-hunter, create thoughfully scented gardens like from centuries past and grow medieval herbs (actually already doing that in the Stable Yard Beer Garden). I want to be a Tequila sunset disco dancer, a Tequila mockingbird, Tequila it is then, we love a Tequila right - it's not quite burning the midnight Tequila, rather just a shot, it's a little ritual I have with two fine Gentleman Saturday evenings who talk of magic and moonlight.

By the way Uncle from California, "who-s-that-Mexican" who brewed the most incredible "Mezcal" you kindly sent me, it was utterly mesmerising, life can be crazy, but this (Mezcal is technically Tequila) turned me into a morning crazy and I drank it the night before, well I did share a little, alas the Mezcal worm still resides in the bottom of the bottle.

The White Swan is about everyones drink, yes ales and independent ciders is making it a destination pub and there's really good news on the horizon. But Tequila we encourage, it makes you happy Arriba...

Staff, you've been bloody marvellous, working hard to quench patrons thirst in this hot almost unbearable summer, not least supporting weekend kitchen staff with fluids, whom rocked-the-heat in the kitchen, we all cracked it rising above limits. Patrons your warmheartedness and kind remarks makes it all worthwhile, I'm honestly not quite ready to burn-out yet, its always good to see you all, and make it all worthwhile. Thank you sincerely - Lisa

16/08/2026

One of the Stable Yard Beer Garden areas we've developed this year is The White Swan Herb Garden. Its proved very popular with patrons and, they often leave with a selection of herbs, especially the medieval herbs for cooking. We use the herbs in our cooking including buffets and of course cocktails. It is about to expand with around twenty rare herbs on the way for hanging baskets. The folklore behind many of the herbs is interesting, as is their use for all manner of things. We'll catolouge all the herbs for patrons too peruse.

14/08/2026

On 2/5 beer engines www.yorkshireheart.com 14/08

09/08/2026

Good evening, It's been quite a week, plenty to catch up on, therefore are you ready-set-go ... found out there was a Black Swan in Barton once (and many other pubs sadly long since gone). Such ruination of a being unable to look out of a pub window at another pub to reflect on your life. I love to happenstance on a White Swan and a Black Swan opposite in competitiveness, yielding without contest.

It won't be long before the air will taste like Cider, Autumn Dearest isn't that far off from this long hot dry summer, we'll be back to a land of fog and wind. Saint Yoru the Crāwe* a regular White Swan roof-top visitor (Yoru meaning night in Japanese, I'm learning the lingo) eating frail bugs with an ambient gaze, reminds me I'm really an Autumnal Soul, a big fan of cider, simply because everyone needs something sweet from time to time. I read somewhere that French Psychiatry treat patients with bon-bons, trust the French to do that, we'd rather taste proper cider in England, Bearded Brian with his Rose will testify to that, he'd drink cider to the bottom of the barrel in the Pub garden of surrender, to a total derangement of his senses and, talk of wild obscurities like a weird sorcerer, bless him.

We had visit The White Swan last week a Legendary Hitchiker whom after three pints of independent cidery, Broadoak Perry Moonshine 7.5% said "Love will break your heart forever" and also said a prayer for Swifts, soon they will head for Africa. Our afternoon drinkers sensed this was a man, a seasoned wandering-sailor, whom took solice in his cider and, that fate had led him to love so deeply, remembering that once, someone had forgotten him first. We all bade farewells to the very polite inked and heartsick man as he set sail on his yearning. Such is pub-life, it's lovely to meet wanderers.

I'm with my thunder-mask, boo-hoo to cimate change, I believed David Bellamy and this year's apple and pear crop is apparantly amazing, scrumptious for cideries, but we do need serious rain.

Finally in my usual sleeplessness I'm thinking Poetic questions and an Ale Writing Poetry Festival, it's going to happen. Thank You for your patronage, it's been good to see you. Staff are hard working as always and truly appreciated and. we're all particularly chuffed with Maya passing her apprenticeship with magnificent distinction, well done and thank you all - Lisa

*Old English for Crow