July's Newsletter

"July is like the sunniest hour of the day"

Or so they say! Tell that to these surprise thunderstorms that sneak in like uninvited guests at a garden party every night!

Still though, we’re embracing these long days, cold pints, and everything summer has to offer. Check out all that July has to offer here with us at The Hawk & Griffin.

So whether you're cheering on a penalty kick, a photo finish, or a backhand ace, there's no shame in escaping the heat with a cold pint and a comfy seat. Our cask lineup’s growing, the screens are on, and the pub’s as cool as ever (in more ways than one). Or, if you're feeling a bit more curious than competitive, take a tea break in honour of Alice’s Day, because even in the dog days of summer, there’s always time for a little mischief, a little magic, and a whole lot of pub.

Highlights from a Not-So-Ordinary June

A Most Curious Night at The Pub

Well, we didn’t plan on hosting a “Power Out” Party On Thursday, June 19th...

Our Drumshanbo & Chippy Night turned into an unforgettable evening, and when life gives you a blackout, you fire up the fryer and pour the gin! (Thanks in no small part to an unexpected blackout across the Town of Vienna.)

Somehow, The Hawk & Griffin remained a beacon of light, quite literally, the only spot still shining on a darkened street. With the Chippy serving up cones, the bar with cocktails flowing, and a Drumshanbo Bentley barcar paraded at our door, it was a Thursday night like no other.

It was a night so delightfully unexpected, we’d like to think even PJ Rigney himself would’ve raised a curious eyebrow and a glass.

Thank you to Palm Bay International, and a big thank you to everyone who came out and turned an ordinary event into an extraordinary memory, we couldn’t have lit up the night without you.

D.C. Debut - The Taste of DMV

We officially hit the fryer on June 14th for our first-ever outing of The H&G Chippy at the Taste of DMV and what an absolute trip it was!

From the first sizzle to the last cone served, the day was packed with good vibes, good people, and a whole lot of crispy, golden Fish Bites.

We had an incredible time introducing our signature cones to festivalgoers, and the response? Let’s just say we were battered in compliments. Huge thanks to everyone who came out and made our debut so special, we can’t wait to keep the momentum rolling all summer long!

Next stop?

We’re rolling into Vienna’s Independence Day Celebration on Tuesday, July 2nd and The Chippy H&G is coming with us!

After the smashing debut at Taste of DMV, we’re ready to serve up our iconic Fish Bites & Chips to the hometown crowd. It’s British flavour with star-spangled spirit, all wrapped in a classic cone. Come find us, grab a bite, and celebrate the red, white, and blue (and Union Jack!) So bring your crew, your appetite, and your spirit for a midweek midsummer celebration.

But, if you are looking to cool things off with us for that evening... We'll be open for July 2nd and Trivia is on!

Trivia Night at The Hawk & Griffin is the place to be in Vienna every Wednesday at 8pm! It’s a family-friendly battle of wits featuring three lively rounds plus a picture round, and your chance to double your score and change the tide in our final twist. Prizes await first and second place, plus we reward the best team name, as picked by our lovely and humour-loving staff, so bring your cleverest mates (or your punniest). There's pints, pride, and plenty of laughs, what more could you want on a Wednesday night?

However...

We’ll be closed this 4th of July to give our team a well-earned day with family, fireworks, and whatever’s on the grill. Yes, we’re a British pub but even we know when to let the colonies have their moment.

However you celebrate, we hope it’s full of joy, laughter, and maybe a little pie (we won’t ask what kind). See you on the 5th, rested, recharged, and ready to raise a pint!

And from fireworks to fairy tales...

The Other July Holiday You Didn’t Know You Needed

While America marks Independence Day with fireworks and flag waving, over in the UK, July 4th is known as Alice in Wonderland Day, celebrating the day in 1862 when Lewis Carroll first spun the whimsical tale of a little girl, a rabbit hole, and a very mad tea party during a boating trip with the real-life Alice Liddell.

The celebration continues on July 5th with Alice’s Day, centred in the story-rich city of Oxford. After Alice tumbled down the rabbit hole, children's literature took a joyful turn- becoming less proper, more playful, and infinitely more imaginative. Oxford soon blossomed into a world capital of children’s storytelling, inspiring literary greats like Kenneth Grahame, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Philip Pullman.

The day is brought to life through a city-wide programme curated by The Story Museum, featuring storytelling sessions, costume parades, tea parties, and all things delightfully curiouser and curiouser. It’s a celebration of whimsy, wordplay, and stepping just a bit sideways from reality.

So in honour of Alice and her wonderfully nonsensical adventures, we invite you to sip a cup of tea, raise a toast to imagination, and perhaps ponder that most curious question of all: “Who in the world am I?”

This month, we’re setting our sights on something timeless. Cask Ales, the soul of the pub and a quiet rebellion against the rush of modern pints. There’s a story in every pour, a bit of history in every sip, and we thought it high time we raised a glass to the craft, care, and character behind it all. So begins our Cask Ale Series.

Most of you will have noticed a change at the bar. We have upgraded our beer engines from a two-pull tap handle to a four-pull. Yes, we have the ability to serve twice as many cask beers - But what is a beer engine?

Invented in the late 17th Century, the beer engine is simply a device to pump beer from a cask to the customers glass.

Prior to that, casks would have been stored on the bar and the beer dispensed through a tap stuck directly in the end of the cask. The beer would have been subjected to changes in temperatures which would quickly degrade the quality. The beer engine allowed for the casks to be stored in the cellar, at a constant temperature vastly improving the quality of the beer.

Original versions of the beer engine were manufactured almost completely from brass and the lines from the cask to the pump would have been in soft lead. Obviously the toxicity of lead was not known then and in fact lead was used well into the 20th Century.

Our new beer engines were purchased from Harry Mason Ltd, Birmingham, England. Harry Masons have been

producing equipment for dispensing beer since 1806. The engines are still largely made from brass but the cylinders and all the parts touching the beer (yes including the beer lines) are now made from modern food grade materials.

Stay Tuned for next month's entry into the...

All that Beer Engine talk has us hungry...

This July, we’re raising the crust and the bar. Our Pie of the Month is a proper showstopper: Beer-Braised Short Rib Pie, crafted with Denizens Brewing Co.’s Lowest Lord ESB. We’ve slow-cooked tender short rib in this rich, malt-forward ale, then simmered it with savoury mushrooms, delightful onions, and a silky gravy until everything melts together in perfect harmony. All of it’s tucked underneath Bleu cheese crumble mashed potatoes, and baked to perfection.

It’s bold, it’s hearty, and it’s the delicious result of a pint well poured, and well used.

Sunday Roast in July? Absolutely.

Each Sunday, every month, we’re serving up a classic British Beef Roast with all the trimmings. Crispy roast potatoes, rich roast gravy, and the crown jewel of the plate: a proper Yorkshire Pudding, made fresh every Sunday morning. It’s the kind of meal that slows time, so pull up a chair and settle in; your Sunday deserves a little ceremony.

Now, about that pud:

The Yorkshire Pudding dates back to the 1700s, originally served before the main meal to stretch a roast’s reach and fill bellies with golden, airy goodness. Traditionally cooked beneath the meat to catch all those glorious drippings, it became a Sunday staple across the UK. At The Hawk & Griffin, we honour that legacy each week with a pudding so good, it might just steal the spotlight from the roast itself.

Summer sport is in full swing, and there’s no shortage of action this July. From the global drama of the Club World Cup, to the high-speed spectacle of the Silverstone Grand Prix, the grace and grit of Wimbledon, the fierce competition of The Open Championship, and the timeless tradition of the Henley Royal Regatta, (with a few of our very own regulars in attendance, we might add!) there’s truly something for every sports fan. And of course, you know just where to catch it all… pint in hand, screen in view, right here at The Hawk & Griffin.

British Grand Prix - Silverstone

Main race Sunday, July 6, 10am

"Where speed meets sound"

This July 6th, we’re turning up the volume for one of the UK’s proudest sporting traditions, The British Grand Prix at Silverstone. More than just a race, Silverstone is also a full-blown festival, four days of adrenaline pumping music, food, engines, and electric energy that pulses through the heart of British summer. It's about precision, passion, theater, and thunder.

Wimbledon 2025

June 30th - July 13th

There’s nothing quite like Wimbledon. The crisp whites, the quiet tension, the strawberries & cream. From surprise upsets to center-court showdowns, the world’s oldest tennis tournament brings elegance and edge in equal measure. Whether you’re cheering for a Brit, a legend, or a rising star, we’ll have the matches live and the Pimm’s flowing. It’s tradition, with a twist of lime.

The Open Championships

Often called “The Open” or simply “The British Open,” the 153rd edition tees off July 17–20, 2025, at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, the only Open venue outside mainland Great Britain. This is a notable return, as Portrush last hosted the Open in 2019, which makes 2025 its third time hosting the tournament.

As the oldest major in golf, The Open is known for its fierce links courses, unpredictable coastal winds, and the kind of sporting drama that unfolds in hushed tones and thunderous applause. Expect tradition, pressure, and maybe a few bunkers claiming dreams. Join us for every stroke, swing, and "oh no he didn't."

Henley Royal Regatta

July 1st-6th

Button up your blazers and polish off your best boat shoes. The Henley Royal Regatta is in full stroke this July. Dating back to 1839, this quintessentially British rowing event is as much about competition as it is about pageantry, with finely tuned crews slicing through the Thames and champagne corks popping on the riverbank. We’re especially proud this year, with a few of our own regulars attending in style; cheering on rowers, mingling in marquees, and flying the Hawk & Griffin flag all the way to Henley.

As you wander around Hawk & Griffin admiring the photographs, art and artifacts adorning the walls, you will see that the pub is, quite literally, a canvas where items donated by admiring patrons are on display. One such item is a magnificent brass rubbing donated by a retired American serviceman that was done by his wife in the 1970s while they were stationed in the UK. The rubbing, done from a brass “monument”, is a beautiful example of an art that has been popular since Victorian times, enjoyed as a pastime for art, history, and folklore enthusiasts.

Monuments fashioned out of brass were set into walls and floors of European churches between the 13th and 17th centuries. Knights, ladies, and priests are portrayed in stylized form, yet costumes are depicted with extraordinary authenticity. The brasses provide a fascinating look at the changes that occurred in clothing, armor, and religious beliefs.

Brass Rubbings are exact impressions taken of these monuments. Rubbings are created by covering the brass with a thin paper of high quality and rubbing with special waxes. Originally the engravers themselves took rubbings of their brasses to keep a record of their work.

Be sure and have a look in our Hawk Snug at this treasure.

Cheers!