News & Events
Siren 11th Anniversary Tap-Takeover
28/03/24
Last weekend Siren celebrated their 11th Anniversary
Quite the feat and a big round of applause from all at the Nags! They continue to lead the way for UK craft beer in every aspect of their business and massive kudos to them for hitting the same outstanding standards year after year
Siren have venues all over the country helping them celebrate their birthday tomorrow...you can view the venues here:
https://www.facebook.com/SirenCraftBrew/posts/pfbid02FCDvW9pjqMNtm8CsEBDnpme7wzQSh8M7msg2BxUddbTgEnSPYRnje8MgaQrDj5KWl
However, in the unique way that the Nags runs....we are celebrating it next Thursday!
We're not taking it lightly mind...added to the 4 special birthday beers will be 12 cask beers and an extra 11 keg beers making it a full tap-takeover featuring 27 Siren Craft Brew beers. If only they did a cider!
Expect this to go on for most of the Easter weekend, however, once they're gone they're gone so get here Thursday if you want to try all 27!!
The Line-Up (subject to change)
Cask:
Mesmerist
Memento
Black Mirror
Suspended In Columbus
Lumina
Liquid Mystique
Short Story Long
The Night Market
Broken Dream
Party In The Dark
Maiden 2023
Recurring Dream
Keg:
Guess The Hop: A
Guess The Hop: B
Guess The Hop: C
Black Mirror
Times 11
Oats on Oats on Oats
Snapback
Santo
Suspended in New Zealand
Lumina
Maiden 2023
Calypso (Simcoe)
Leapling
Colourful World
Dark and Perilous Nights
Shattered Dream
Sunlight Shapes
Gary & Mark's Charity Fun Quiz!
31st March 2024
If you've not experienced a G&M quiz before then you are most certainly missing out on a fantastically fun filled evening...expect General knowledge rounds, Music rounds, Runner rounds, Bullseye rounds and Who Am I? rounds ???? All in the name of charity, plus beer vouchers for the winners and the runners up
This months donations will be going to @CoppaFeelPeople, "educating and reminding women in the UK that checking their boobs isn't only fun, it could save their life."
In the Cask Cellar
WC 18/03/2024
Kent – Amarillo,
Burning Sky – Aurora,
Big Trip – Beautiful Things,
Tiny Rebel – Chocoholic,
Brew York – Diana Voss,
Mysterious – Digital Relic,
Pentrich – Drenched In Sun,
Mallinsons – Ekuanot,
Flower Pots – Flower Pots IPA,
Thornbridge – Grand Purposes,
Tiny Rebel – Hop Cross Bun,
Cloudwater - It's A Mild!
Delphic – Knee-High To A Grasshopper,
Marble - Marble Mild,
Bristol Beer Factory – Milk Stout,
Magic Dragon – Obsidian,
Gun – On the Plush,
Stonehouse – One Fine Day,
Durham – Pang Wangle,
Rooster's – Parts and Labour,
Gun – Scaramanga,
Disruption – Shadow of Darkness ‘Cherry Coconut’,
Three Acre – Spring Golden Ale,
NorthDown – Squidly Diddly,
Thornbridge – The Big Walk 2024,
Elusive – Timerun,
Vibrant Forest – Together In Static,
Salopian – Valley of the Shadow,
Electric Bear – Werrrd!,
Gun – Zamzama IPA
In the Keg Cellar
WC 18/03/2024
Brew By Numbers – 00 | Citra & Centennial,
Brew By Numbers – 20 | Gluten Free Pale,
Phantom – Bunk Bed Test Drive,
Siren – Calypso,
Bianca Road – Campino,
Elusive - Double Midnight Oregon Trail,
Elusive - Double Sunset Oregon Trail,
Vibrant Forest – Fenton,
Double-Barrelled – Finch,
Phantom – Frico,
Lervig – House Party,
Beak – Hum,
Verdant x Double- Barrelled – Hyphenate This,
Delphic – It's Just the One Hop, Actually,
Bianca Road – Long Play,
Double-Barrelled – Passionfruit Martini Sour,
Phantom – Quest,
Harbour – Resurface,
Signature – Roadie,
Bianca Road – ¡Sabroso!,
Phantom – Shadow Realm,
Siren – Sunlight Shapes,
Bianca Road – Whole Latte Love
Introducing Bianca Road Brew Co.
25th January 2024
We have 6 exciting beers from a brewery that is completely new to us this Thursday
Bianca Road Brew Co's beers include a strawberries and cream sour, a salted caramel latte stout, and a selection of various strength IPA's. And if trying 6 new beers wasn’t enough, their team will be here giving away a few goodies too!
New Years Eve 2023
31st December 2023
NYE tickets are now on sale
£15 each including hot food, DJ GS2, and champagne at midnight
Tickets available from the bar
Sorry no reservations, cold hard cash secures you a ticket/tickets
There are a limited amount of tickets available & when they're gone, they're gone. No exceptions, so please buy yours early if you intend attending.
Christmas Carols 2023
23rd December 2023
Collabageddon 2023
Friday 17th October 2023
Brew York Tap-Takeover
Thursday 16th November 2023
Run Ding
Sunday 5th October 2023
Nags Head 16th Birthday Bash
Saturday 18th February 2023
And a couple of days later will see the Nags Head (as we know it) turning 16 years old!
Helping us celebrate this monumental event will be 3 of the best craft breweries in the land:
One, very well known nationally in the craft beer scene (and winner of multiple murky beer awards)
One very well known locally in the craft beer scene (and nationally to those in the know)
One not so well known round here, until we tell you that they brew a pale ale called Joosy (along with many other lovely beers)
Cask:
Verdant – Argal
Verdant – Burnthouse
Verdant – Lamanva
Verdant – Penpol
Elusive – Brave Noise
Elusive – Gyroscope
Elusive – Juxtapose
Elusive – Sticky Toffee
UnBarred – Best Bitter
UnBarred – Joosy
UnBarred – Old Ale
UnBarred – The Long Black
Keg:
Verdant – Even Sharks Need Water
Verdant – Little Mountains We Move
Verdant – Marylou
Verdant – Nebulous Sky
Verdant – Truckie
Elusive – Element
Elusive – Janet's Brown
Elusive – Miles Per Hour
Elusive – Oregon Trail
Elusive – Sticky Toffee
Unbarred – Amazonian Zing
Unbarred – Blackberry Cobbler
Unbarred – Bueno Shake
Unbarred – Casual Pale
Unbarred – Stoutzilla
Saturday 18th February is the date, come down and help us see see in our birthday come midnight
Tiny Rebel 11th Birthday tap-takeover
16th February 2023
The Nags Head and Tiny Rebel go way back to when Gaz and Brad were still brewing in their garage, and in 2015 we were stood at the Tiny Rebel stall at Olympia bagging the first pint of the newly crowned Champion Beer of Britain, 'Cwtch'
On Thursday 16th February it will be a pleasure to be serving all 8 of their mad Birthday celebratory blending beers from our keg wall, including:
- Blue Razz Hard Candy ICE Sour - 4%.
- Caramelised Pineapple Spiced IPA - 5%.
- Peach Iced Tea IPA - 6%.
- Freakshake Froozie - 7%.
- Cookie Dough Biscuit Mix Millionaire Shortbread - 8%.
- Limoncello Double NEIPA - 8.5%.
- Blue Razz Hard Candy ICE Sour - 4%.
- Coffee & Popcorn Slow Drip Stout - 10%.
- Creamsicle TIPA. 11%. .
As well as Cwtch on cask to take us back when
For more information on the beers visit: https://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/beer/11th-birthday-box
A limited amount of blending boxes will also be for sale on the evening
Thornbridge & Double-Barrelled pump & tap takeover
2nd December 2022
Thornbridge were one of the original breweries to step up the real ale game and start experimenting with hops and styles of beer that were "a bit more interesting" using only the best ingredients, brewing kit and techniques long before, and arguably the definition of the term "craft beer"
Double-Barrelled Brewery were founded right at the other end of the craft beer revolution with a vision to making the best sour beers and imperial stouts on the market. Having realised fairly quickly that this probably wasn't a viable business on its own they branched out into the pale ale game and now make some of the best, fruitiest, piney IPAs on the market. Their sours are up there with the best and having just turned 4 years old their barrel aged stout game has just entered the scene and is fast making its mark competing with some of the best in the business
Next Friday 2nd December sees Thornbridge take over all 12 of our handpumps with a huge selection of different beer styles in the cask format, whilst their and our good friends Double-Barrelled take over the keg wall with a selection of top notch IPA's, sours, and a couple of special imperial stouts
Collabageddon 2022
18th November 2022
We are very proud to again be hosting Elusive Brewing's 6th (technically 5th cos, you know ??) iconic Collabageddon 2022 beer festival...which starts right now next week ??
For those of you that don't know how it works, Elusive's owner, Andy Parker (the nicest man in brewing) picks 11 of his bestest brewing pals (no mean feat) and then they all draw straws and team up in pairs to brew one beer at each brewery culminating in 12 unique and delicious collaborative beers from 12 of the best (or certainly nicest) breweries in the land
These are then sold at 24 of Andy's favourite craft beer bars or pubs across the land for one night only (possibly more) of craft beer collaboration shenanigans
Or something like that anyway...for more information on beers, breweries and venues read Andy's blog here:
https://www.elusivebrewing.com/blog-1/2022/7/28/collabageddon-2022
15th Birthday Party
19th February 2022
Next weekend sees the Nags (as we now know it) turn 15 years old......
FIFTEEN!!!
There are arguments amongst us as to whether it's been "a lifetime" or a "Where did the time go" situation?! But either way we're all pretty damn proud to be celebrating another anniversary at last......and we're going to have a party!!
Beers, BBQ's and Birthday Quizzes is the gist of it...read on for more info on the 3B's: No room for any live music this year unfortunately, however if beer is your thing, and we assume it probably is, then you're going to have a good time!
Our keg wall will be taken over by the New Zealand Beer Collective who are currently celebrating NZ beer month and will feature rare beers from the likes of Yeastie Boys, 8 WIRED BREWING, Deep Creek Brews and Eats, Urbanaut Brewing Co, and @Kereru.
Plus our 6 new keg taps will serving special beers that we and various brewers have saved for the occasion, including:
Sonar Biscuit: A special birthday beer brewed by the Nags Head at Elusive Brewing with help from owner Andy Parker living up to his name as The Nicest Man in Brewing! And Ruth feeding us copious amounts of croissants, chocolate brownies and pizza
A Link to the Past: An apt name for a 15 year anniversary is this Double West Coast IPA, a Collaboration between the amazing Elusive Brew and the amazing A Hoppy Place in Windsor.
Philly Cheesecake: Been saving this one for our good friend Gavin, formally of Hopcraft Brewery, cos he loves Philadelphia (the place, not the cheese) and cheesecake, and we both share a love of good sour beers. High hopes for this one as it's brewed by Orbit Brewing , who also brew the legendary Tzatziki Sour.
Caribbean White Chocolate Pancake Stack: Saved back from this year's Project Barista festival by Siren Craft. Weirdly with a name like that this beer needs no explanation, it does what it says on the tin.
Superuser: Andy Parker got to tick one off his bucket list by getting to brew at the legendary Thornbridge Brewery. Both breweries have a love of red IPA's with Thornbridge's Colorado Red being the beer that inspired Andy to win the Craft Beer Co's home brew competition before going on to use the winnings to start up one of our and our regulars favourite breweries...Elusive! It is of course, a red IPA... A Super red IPA!
Dark & Perilous Nights: Another beer from Siren's back catalogue, this Barrel Aged Imperial Dark Ale is Siren's highest ever scoring beer on Untappd, quite the achievement if you know the quality of Siren beers. You won't find this beer anywhere else anytime soon, it has been specially kegged from their barrel store for our birthday
Right, now that we've bored you all silly, what else do you need to know?
Cal's BBQ will be rolling all day serving up his amazing Wagyu Beef Burgers, Vicar's Hot Dogs, Chu's Spicey Chicken, and Ra's Smokey Baked Potatoes Talks:
Brewery talks from.........na we're just kidding! Plenty of brewing celebrities will be in attendance though who we're sure will be happy for a chat if that's your thing
Sunday: Gary & Mark's Charity Fun Quiz - A special birthday quiz featuring many Nags Head themed questions finishing off the weekend nicely
Hogwood Industrial Estate Tap-Takeover
12th November 2021
Being as Elusive’s Collabageddon and Siren’s Caribbean Chocolate Cake will be taking up 14 of our keg taps and 2 of our cask pumps we though it only right to fill up the other 10 cask with Elusive & Siren cask beers for a full Hogwood Industrial Estate tap-takeover
Here’s what to expect for our biggest joint tap-takeover ever:
Cask
Pump 01 - Siren 'Caribbean Chocolate Cake'
Pump 02 - Siren 'Suspended in Trident'
Pump 03 - Siren 'Lumina'
Pump 04 - Siren 'Picture Puzzle'
Pump 05 - Siren 'Storyboard'
Pump 06 - Siren 'Bourbon Turkish' (Project Barista 2019)
Pump 07 - Elusive 'Larellas'
Pump 08 - Elusive 'Gold in Green'
Pump 09 - Middle Child x Elusive 'News Flash'
Pump 10 - Elusive 'Oregan Trail' (UK World Beer Awards winner 2021)
Pump 11 - Ampersand x Elusive 'Arrested Developement'
Pump 12 - Elusive x Turning Point 'International Superstar'
Keg
Tap 01 - Leigh on Sea x Neptune 'Phire 'n' Lime'
Tap 02 - Almasty x Elusive 'Farmhouse Pale'
Tap 03 - Neptune x Unbarred 'Albion'
Tap 04 - Unbarred x Zapato 'Cryo Pop'
Tap 05 - Turning Point x Ampersand 'Revolution in Limbo'
Tap 06 - Fyne x Runaway 'Red Flag'
Tap 07 - Zapato x Almasty 'American Brown'
Tap 08 - Runaway x Leigh on Sea 'L’Hommage'
Tap 09 - Leviathan x Brew York 'Duality'
Tap 10 - Brew York x Fyne 'Release the Cranachan'
Tap 11 - Siren 'Caribbean Chocolate Cake'
Tap 12 - Siren 'Caribbean White Chocolate Pancake Stack'
Tap 13 - Siren 'Caribbean Chocolate Mole Cake'
Tap 14 - Siren 'Death by Caribbean Chocolate Cake'
Caribbean Chocolate Cake 2021 Launch
19th November 2021
Running simultaneously alongside Collabageddon we are also an official venue launch for Siren Craft's four 2021 Caribbean Chocolate Cake Beers which will all be pouring on draught
This year's four CCC beers are:
Caribbean Chocolate Cake
Caribbean White Chocolate Pancake Stack
Caribbean Chocolate Mole Cake
Death by Caribbean Chocolate Cake
Gift packs will also be available to take away as Christmas pressies...or just to enjoy yourelf!
Collabageddon 2021
19th November 2021
Yes after a (probably much needed) year off, Collabogeddon is back. Brought to you by the nicest man in beer and owner of local favourite brewery 'Elusive Brewing', Andy Parker is back with 12 collaboration beers brewed between 11 of their favourite breweries, to be served in 20 of his favourite craft beer venues across the UK.
The Breweries range from Scotland to Essex and Norfolk to Liverpool and include some well known to the Nags along with a few that are completely new. The beers come in all sorts of styles from Stouts to IPAs and American Brown Ales to Goses, and the venues range from Edinburgh to Plymouth and Norwich to Narbeth.
And all will be enjoyed on 19th November 2021
You can read all about it on Andy's blog here:
https://www.elusivebrewing.com/blog-1/2021/10/12/collabageddon-2021
Vibrant Forest 10th Anniversary Beers
12th November 2021
Coinciding with Cloudwater’s Together Again event thanks to 6 brand new keg lines:
Vibrant Forest turned 10 in August this year and we managed to get a keg of each beer which we have been saving for a special occasion ever since…and what better occasion than the christening of our 6 brand new keg lines?
Here's a few words from Vibrant:
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WOW! This year we turn 10!!
To celebrate 10 years of Vibrant Forest Brewery the team have been very busy brewing 6 brand new and very special beers to release at our 10 Year Gathering on August 7. We are thrilled with how all of these have turned out!
Now, onto the beers themselves:
#1 Imperial Pupa 8% ABV
It was always going to be hard to resist brewing a version of our best selling beer, Pupa, so we did it, of course! We have literally doubled the amount of hops which have gone into this and the extra body from the ABV helps balance all this citrus glory.
Supa Pupa?
#2 Talus IPA 6.4% ABV
Lashings of Talus hops take centre stage in this IPA. A huge whack of Wheat and Spelt malt form a thick base upon which citrus, tropical fruit and hints of coconut sit comfortably. Ludicrously good!
#3 West Coast IPA 6.5% ABV
Classic West Coast hops Ahtanum and Chinook dominate. Citrusy, piney and big on bitterness with Idaho 7 adding a nice twist to the glass
#4 Red IPA 6.4% ABV
This one is all about a little sweet malt from specially selected grains and big citrus hops from bundles of Simcoe and Centennial. An under-rated style which we absolutely love!
#5 Cucumber & Mint Sour 4.5% ABV
Huge summer sour refreshment loaded with cucumber and a delicate addition of fresh mint. Tangy, refreshing and of course, cool
#6 Kviek Nelson Sauvin Pale 5% ABV
Nelson is one of our favourite hops so it simply had to make it into the 6th and last of our special birthday beers. Fermented at a whopping 38C using Kveik yeast and heaps of Nelson Sauvin.
Freshly crushed Gooseberries & Grapes lead the way with with some citrus notes from the Kveik.
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Plus to fill the wall up we also have a couple of kegs of Vibrant’s Simcoe pale ale ‘Perimeters’, and a couple of kegs of Vibrant’s hazy IPA ‘Summer of Sundays’ brewed with Azacca and Sabro
Cloudwater Together Again
12th November 2021
Yep tap-takeovers are back again and this one sees the big boys of premier league craft beer, Cloudwater Brew Co take over our keg taps to showcase their Together Again series, a selection of collaboration brews between Cloudwater and some of their best friends in the business, including our favourite local brewery, Elusive:
Imperial Smoked Baltic Porter, Cloudwater x Donzoko - A rich Imperial Baltic Porter brewed with a portion of smoked malts and given some small 'pastry' additions.
Red IPA, Cloudwater x Elusive - A truly red Red IPA which combines both classic and modern hops.
Hibiscus and Raspberry Stout, Cloudwater x Rock Leopard - An export strength stout given a twist through additions of raspberry and hibiscus.
TIPA, Cloudwater x Rivington - A big juicy TIPA dry hopped with Strata and Sabro
Table Beer, Cloudwater x Runaway x Squawk - An NZ-hopped Table Beer fermented with Voss Kveik yeast.
Modern West Coast DIPA, Cloudwater x Wild Horse - an NZ-hopped DIPA in the West Coast Haze style.
.
The table beer will also be available in cask for you to see the subtle difference between cask and keg beer
Read more here:
https://cloudwaterbrew.co/together-again
or watch a video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHjxTGQoG_Q
.
We are still seeking out a chiller to get our new 6 keg lines working and are nearing a solution meaning there is a possibility that this could turn into a joint tap-takeover with favourite localish brewery Vibrant Forest Brewery...details to follow once we get the taps commissioned.
Reading Half Marathon
7th November 2021
The 35th Reading Half Marathon will take place this Sunday, and we will be opening our doors at 10am as usual for a few early beverages. Fancy dress, silly hats, and musical (or not so musical) instruments all encouraged to cheer on the runners as they pass the coveted 8K Nags Head Beer Stop, this year sponsored by Siren Craft Brew
All runners returning to the Nags will also be entitled to a well earned half pint of Siren if they show us their medal And if you're a sports fan Arsenal will also be playing Watford at 2pm and West Ham playing Liverpool at 4:30pm, plus the Mexican F1 grand prix in the evening along with the usual NFL Red Zone.
Everyone should sleep well Sunday night!
The Football Bus is back!
30th October 2021
Yes, while we are still dubious about sticking customers on a big metal tube together in these times it has come to our attention that our customers are all walking into town together and getting on a big metal tube from the station instead, which is arguably less safe than us running our own bus!
So from this Saturday the Nags Head Footy bus will be leaving Russell Street at 19:15, straight after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loses his job at Man Utd, arriving at the Mad Stad in time for a quick pint, hot dog, pee, or any other preference you may have, returning after the match from the same place you got off it, and returning to the Nags just in time for Match of the Day.
Closing hours are now back to normal (last orders 23:50) although the garden will be closed from 11pm
)
Takeaway Beer
Lockdown November 2020
El Pony Pisador + The Longest Johns LIVE
Thursday 19th March 2020
Hoist yer mainsails! Two of the best young Shanty Folk groups around will be joining together for a show in the illustrious Nags head, Reading. Come and join us for a Thursday of sailing songs, rapid paced folk and enough great beer to drown even the most haggard sailors' sorrows!
El Pony Pisador (Transalation; The Prancing Pony) is a group of five young guys from Barcelona that mix traditional music from all over the world with a lively and carefree style. They like Celtic folk music and sea shanties, but you will find sounds from many different places. They dig deep into the music they discover to please both curious first-time listeners and ardent experts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNmtZztLi6M
I doubt any of Bristol's The Longest Johns ever imagined they would be able to get so far on just four voices. In a few short years they have gone from singing sea shanties in a kitchen to International folk festivals, tours, TV appearances and gained a huge online following.
https://youtu.be/kCAUaRFxC_g
Joining them in support will be some upsettingly familiar faces you're sure to recognise from around the pub, delivering their own questionable brand of folksy entertainment to whet your appetites before the pros take the helm and show us how it's done.
FREE ENTRY (But there may well be a hat pass 'cause musicians need to eat too)
Kicking off around 19:30!
