Shall we start this then? Has anyone been to anything like this before? I've never even been to a wine tasting, so need to get my head around it a bit, but it could be as simple as agreeing a time and place, and seeing who turns up. I might not be able to fix speechmarks, but I reckon suggesting a piss-up in a pub (letting you all agree a time and date) and people turning up, is within my capacity.

It seemed like some of you thought it was a good idea when it was mooted before. Just a bunch of us sitting around drinking, and trying some beers we've not tried before. Also think it would be great for welcoming folks into the fold who like beer and ale, but don't know that much about it (like, I'm a bit clueless when it comes to Porters and would love to figure out what I like, without getting a whole pint - suggestions welcomed now if you're eager to share... seem to be stuck in a pale and golden ale rut at the moment, that I don't want to get out of out) but want to try a few things. I had a great tasting session a few months back, and have felt a lot braver about trying different things ever since. There's so much knowledge about beer on these boards that I've been taken massively aback, and can imagine it would be much more fun to discuss these ales with beers in hand.

I guess the idea is sort of like going to a gig at the Dublin Castle rather than Glastonbury, as in a small intimate pub rather than some big beer festival. It was quite fun when a few DiSsers popped along to Brewdog before the Desaparecidos gig - the ladies who run it gave us a whole heap of things to try and a quick intro to each.

I have no idea if I'm being deluded (I usually am) but I also half-think if we say enough people are going, and pick a quiet night (maybe a Monday or a Tuesday) then somewhere might give us a bunch of things to try - or do us a group discount if we have say 20-30 people putting down a tenner/twenty quid each to get a tasting menu. And maybe we could slowly work our way around a few different pubs and breweries across the course of the summer. Or even do something on a nice hot day and people bring along their homebrews - like a mixtape club, only boozier.

I was thinking mid-June for the first one. Somewhere in London (but I'm also going to be on tour with Ed Harcourt, so could maybe do a mini thing in Manchester and Leeds, where I see to remember a few of you regulars are based - dates here http://edharcourt.com). Anyone have any London pub suggestions that have a good menu to taste? I was thinking maybe The Draft House in Tower Bridge http://www.drafthouse.co.uk/ or as I know one of the bar managers http://www.brewdog.com/bars/shoreditch - I'm also a big fan of http://www.thesouthamptonarms.co.uk/ but it's always so busy.

I'll definitely bring some of this along, as it just went on pre-order today http://www.signaturebrew.co.uk/products/dark-heart-by-ed-harcourt

Anyway, just throwing this idea out there, I'm gonna be drinking and doing some tastings, and it'd be nice to meet some of you again, it's been a while. Feel free to set-up your own fringe things, I know how most of you hate anything even semi-DiS affiliated and official sounding...

p.s. what's that website that allows you to suggest a bunch of dates, and then we can easily work out the most popular choice...Theo?