Blitzen (Black Sheep)

Name: Blitzen
Label: "A collaboration with Blitzen the Reindeer, this beer has Santa's official approval - Ruby Christmas Ale"
Brewery: Black Sheep
ABV: 4.0%

Tasting notes: "This cheeky festive number has been brewed using a blend of Cascade and Goldings hops and a hint of orange peel and muscovado sugar." This beer is great even though I've never heard of muscovado sugar. At first I read it as mucusvader sugar. Must have snot and Star Wars on the mind again.

Game: So while everyone is falling asleep watching shite telly after a gigantic food-fest, I'm sneaking out for a cheeky couple of rounds of Star Wars Battlefront and a go on new addition, Transformers Devastation. Merry Christmas!

Bitter (Banks's)

Name: Bitter
Label: "Award winning ales - Fide Et Fortitudine 1875"
Brewery: Bank's
ABV: 3.8%

Tasting notes: "Deep gold in colour, Bank's Bitter is the outstanding example of classic English ale. A bitter that resonates with tangy and refreshing flavours that only Fuggles and Goldings - the classic twin masterpieces of the English Hop Growers' art, can deliver."  Simple name, awesome flavour. And currently only a measly 90p from Asda!

Game: I'm out for the rest of the season with a hand injury! Played Star Wars: Battlefront pretty much nonstop during the double XP weekend and now my hand really hurts. Seriously. RSI I think it is (Really Stupid Idiot). Anyway it's only my left hand so it's not the end of the world... I can still lift a pint with my right hand.  Back to Assassin's Creed Syndicate for a bit while I convalesce.

IPA (Fourpure Brewing)

Name: IPA
Label: "Inspired by Oregon USA"
Brewery: Fourpure Brewing
ABV: 6.5%

Tasting notes: "Fourpure is a London based family brewery founded in 2013. Beer is our passion and our travels are what inspires us to brew. We believe craft beer should always be bold and flavourful - enjoy one of ours, kept fresh in this can."

Game: So prize for Most Poorly Designed Bit of Gaming 2015 goes to Batman Arkham Knight DLC, Catwoman's Revenge. There's a battle with Riddler's robots on a floor, a large proportion of which is electrified seriously restricting movement. So it basically renders useless one of the best things about the Batman Arkham series, the fight mechanics. For example you can't do a special takedown move because it usually ends up with Catwoman sat on the electrified floor being sapped of energy while the animation plays out. Ditto for some counters where Catwoman ends the animation in a different position, usually on an electrified part of the floor. Even the evade move is not an option because she jumps quite far, usually ending up on... you guessed it, the electrified floor.  Bit moany, but so what. It's spoilt an otherwise enjoyable item of DLC.

Saltaire Pride (Saltaire)

Name: Saltaire Pride
Label: " Hand crafted ales - A pale amber bitter with spicy hop flavours"
Brewery: Saltaire Brewery
ABV: 3.9%

Tasting notes: "Bordering the World Heritage site of Saltaire in Yorkshire, Saltaire Brewery uses traditional brewing methods to produce great ales, with a contemporary twist! A pale amber bitter with soft roast flavours, good spicy bitterness and a citrus finish."

Game: Wow Star Wars Battlefront has been super laggy since its release. It got worse and worse: juddery screen (technical term), rubber-banding, 'bad connection' messages popping up every other second.  Anyway the resolution was incredibly complex but I managed it. As an IT technician I've had 18 years of computery experience but this taxed me to within an inch of my capabilities. If you're getting the same laggy problems just turn your modem on and off again. Problem solved!