2011 was an awful year. Most of it was spent expecting redundancy but it never quite happened. I approached 2012 in a positive frame of mind determined to change things myself. The year began promisingly as one person in our company did prove he could organise a piss-up in a brewery. The Hogs Back Brewery tour was organised for late January and it was an excellent evening spent sampling their delightful ales. The tour guide kept our glasses full as we walked around this small brewery nestled at the foot of the North Downs in Surrey. Also on the site is an excellent beer shop where you can buy the Hogs Back beers alongside a great selection of bottled beers from all round the world.
In February life took a massive turn for the better. My services were required by a client in Stratford-on-Avon for three months and having previously spent many enjoyable work assignments with this company it provided me with the opportunity to revisit some favourite pubs as well as temporarily removing the threat of redundancy. It also enabled me to book my brewing experience at nearby Sadlers Ales, a 50th birthday present that I was looking forward to immensely. This was definitely my highlight of the year.
Since March I have explored Warwickshire and the surrounding counties quite extensively as my three month assignment got extended again and again. I managed several visits to my old local in Loughborough, The Swan In The Rushes, alongside the re-opening of The Old Pack Horse under a new name (The Organ Grinder) owned by Nottingham's micro Blue Monkey.
At the end of March I attended the CAMRA AGM in Torquay. This was my first AGM since 1992 (I was living in Norwich when it was last held there) and along with my friend Martin, we sampled some lovely beers from this region. My favourite was the delightful Topsail (4.0% ABV) from Bays Brewery. This beer was my first Gold Medal beer of the year. As for the pubs of Torquay, the Hole In The Wall was a gem, hidden away but very close to the bustling seafront.
In Warwickshire I discovered several wonderful breweries for the first time. The Weatheroak Brewery (Studley) and their wonderful brewery tap, The Victoria Works. The Slaughterhouse Brewery (Warwick) and their micro brewpub, The Wild Boar. Church End Brewery (Ridge Lane) and Wood Farm Brewery (Willey) and their superb brewery taps with panoramic views of their brewery from the bar. Then there are the beers from the Warwickshire Beer Co and Byatts Brewery in addition to an old favourite UBU from Purity Ales.
In Stratford-on-Avon itself The Bear at the Swan's Nest and The Golden Bee have kept me happy with their ever-changing guest ales all of which have been served in perfect condition without exception. The West End was a pub I discovered with a good range of beers too. Warwick has also given me a good selection of pubs with the Old Fourpenny Shop Hotel, The Oak Tavern and the previously mentioned Wild Boar standing out for their excellence. Between these two towns the Boars Head in Hampton Lucy has maintained its appeal from previous visits. Further afield I discovered the excellent Clarendon Arms in Kenilworth.
In addition to pubs, I always get excited when I discover a specialist beer shop and Cotteridge Wines in the suburbs of Birmingham, was a fantastic find. The choice of bottled beers that they have available is simply staggering and it has given me a lovely beer selection to be enjoyed over Christmas. In addition to that the guys running this business are brimming with enthusiasm and extremely friendly.
In May a friend suggested I begin a blog to write about my passion for beer. What an excellent idea I thought and with one eye on the future I also decided to acquaint myself with Twitter and I began to write. I never expected more than a handful of people to read my reviews and opinions but with nearly a thousand views it has certainly exceeded my expectations and I thank everyone who has read an article for their interest. Likewise, I never thought I would get more than a few Twitter followers so to exceed a hundred has been fantastic. So now I'm hooked on these new mediums for expressing my love of beer and pubs and this will surely continue.
Autumn began with my very first 'Meet The Brewer' event. The local Shakespeare CAMRA branch, in conjunction with The Golden Bee in Stratford-on-Avon, arranged for the fabulous brewers from Sadlers Ales to come and talk about the brewing process and their wonderful beers. They gave an interesting presentation and the pub put on an excellent evening. The local CAMRA members welcomed me and I hope to meet up with them for a social event in the new year if it is at all possible.
I fully expect beer to take a massive leap into my working life once redundancy hits (as I fully expect it to) so this assignment and free time in the evenings has given me the opportunity to make new contacts and make plans. Starting my own microbrewery would certainly be an adventure and next year I would love to attend a 3 day Brewlab course if I can fit it in. A specialist beer shop has been something I have thought about for a few years and the south coast certainly has room for one. Then there is the micropub revolution. Next year I aim to study a mix of businesses and continue my planning. All ideas welcome !!
So yes it has been a great year. I am determined to keep my positivity high in 2013 despite my current work assignment only taking me to the end of January. I will continue to drink as many different ales as I can find in a variety of pubs both old and new. I will continue to write about my love of beer and in particular my love of cask conditioned ale served in a pint glass in a pub. I hope to finally get more involved with CAMRA and my local branch when I leave Warwickshire and I hope to work at a CAMRA beer festival for the first time. Then there is the CAMRA AGM at Norwich which I really hope I can get to. So goodbye 2012 and a big hello to 2013.
Happy drinking.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Gold Medal Beers
The announcement of CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival is always exciting. The choice has often surprised me and I often wonder how meaningful it really is. It's obviously a very prestigious award as the winner will see their sales soar. At the end of the day though it is the opinion of a few distinguished panelists and personal taste must play a large part. In the early days I felt the award was often 'political'. How else can you explain Batemans XXXB winning in 1986 during their battle for independence. This beer is quite magnificent and deserves all accolades but amazingly it has never won since. Some of the stranger victors have been Caledonian Deuchars IPA (2002), a very ordinary beer, and Ind Coope Burton Ale (1990), a decent pint but nothing to compare with many beers available at that time.
So what is the current process for choosing a winner? I received an email last week to join in the voting process. Looking at the first category, Milds, I was presented with a list of 26 milds. I have sampled 82 different beers in pubs since September 1st and quite a few of these were milds but I have not tried any of those listed. So how do they get on this list? I am probably an anomaly in that I am presented with a list of beers for my region but I do most of my drinking elsewhere due to my work. Church End Gravediggers is a superb mild and it would get my vote but it was not one of the choices available to me. Do people vote for beers they have never tasted? I couldn't do that. It was a similar story for most of the other categories so my voice will not be heard this year.
So the Champion Beer of Britain is obviously a difficult competition to win and it must be biased towards the more commonly available beers as these will be tried by more members over the year. So can the huge number of beers now available ever be compared against one another? Local festivals often have a beer of the festival and this is an award that is probably fairer as all beers will be often sell out and therefore be tried by an equal number of paying customers. Beers with a strong local following may have an advantage but this is not guaranteed as many drinkers will steer clear of their favourites and try something new.
So how do I judge my beers? As I've said before, I always try and sample something new and some of these will turn out to be disappointing but others will turn out to be excellent. Some beers can be disappointing due to the way it has been kept but once I sample something that is exceptional it will be awarded a Gold Medal. Perhaps this is what should be adopted by the GBBF. Choosing one champion ale seems arbitrary but to award medals for all those available depending on the quality will make the award more meaningful. If there are 10 amazing beers then give 10 gold medals. Simple.
So to conclude, out of the 82 different pints of beer I have tried in the past 3 months here is my list of Gold Medal winners. To be awarded a Gold Medal the beer must be exceptional and must have been served in perfect condition. I have tried some beers in the past 3 months that have been awarded Gold Medal status previously but on the occasion I tried them this time it did not live up to previous standards.
Byatts Coventry Bitter (3.8% ABV)
Church End Gravediggers Ale (3.8% ABV)
Dorset Brewing Company Durdle Door (5.0% ABV)
Hawkshead Brewery Cumbrian Five Hop (5.0% ABV)
Hobsons Best Bitter (3.8% ABV)
Lees Moonraker (6.5% ABV)
Oakham Ales JHB (3.8% ABV)
Ossett Hop Monster (5.0% ABV)
Otter Brewery Otter Ale (4.5% ABV)
Sadlers JPA (3.8% ABV)
Sadlers Mud City Stout (6.6% ABV)
Slaughterhouse Starboard Porter (4.8% ABV)
Weatheroak Brewery Victoria Works (4.3% ABV)
This is the start of a regular feature and every three months I will be listing my latest winners. Obviously, I highly recommend you trying any of the above if you get the chance.
Happy drinking.
So what is the current process for choosing a winner? I received an email last week to join in the voting process. Looking at the first category, Milds, I was presented with a list of 26 milds. I have sampled 82 different beers in pubs since September 1st and quite a few of these were milds but I have not tried any of those listed. So how do they get on this list? I am probably an anomaly in that I am presented with a list of beers for my region but I do most of my drinking elsewhere due to my work. Church End Gravediggers is a superb mild and it would get my vote but it was not one of the choices available to me. Do people vote for beers they have never tasted? I couldn't do that. It was a similar story for most of the other categories so my voice will not be heard this year.
So the Champion Beer of Britain is obviously a difficult competition to win and it must be biased towards the more commonly available beers as these will be tried by more members over the year. So can the huge number of beers now available ever be compared against one another? Local festivals often have a beer of the festival and this is an award that is probably fairer as all beers will be often sell out and therefore be tried by an equal number of paying customers. Beers with a strong local following may have an advantage but this is not guaranteed as many drinkers will steer clear of their favourites and try something new.
So how do I judge my beers? As I've said before, I always try and sample something new and some of these will turn out to be disappointing but others will turn out to be excellent. Some beers can be disappointing due to the way it has been kept but once I sample something that is exceptional it will be awarded a Gold Medal. Perhaps this is what should be adopted by the GBBF. Choosing one champion ale seems arbitrary but to award medals for all those available depending on the quality will make the award more meaningful. If there are 10 amazing beers then give 10 gold medals. Simple.
So to conclude, out of the 82 different pints of beer I have tried in the past 3 months here is my list of Gold Medal winners. To be awarded a Gold Medal the beer must be exceptional and must have been served in perfect condition. I have tried some beers in the past 3 months that have been awarded Gold Medal status previously but on the occasion I tried them this time it did not live up to previous standards.
Byatts Coventry Bitter (3.8% ABV)
Church End Gravediggers Ale (3.8% ABV)
Dorset Brewing Company Durdle Door (5.0% ABV)
Hawkshead Brewery Cumbrian Five Hop (5.0% ABV)
Hobsons Best Bitter (3.8% ABV)
Lees Moonraker (6.5% ABV)
Oakham Ales JHB (3.8% ABV)
Ossett Hop Monster (5.0% ABV)
Otter Brewery Otter Ale (4.5% ABV)
Sadlers JPA (3.8% ABV)
Sadlers Mud City Stout (6.6% ABV)
Slaughterhouse Starboard Porter (4.8% ABV)
Weatheroak Brewery Victoria Works (4.3% ABV)
This is the start of a regular feature and every three months I will be listing my latest winners. Obviously, I highly recommend you trying any of the above if you get the chance.
Happy drinking.
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Atomic Brewery, Rugby
Tonight I decided to take a drive out to Rugby, home of the Atomic Brewery. I had a choice of two pubs. The first is the Alexandra Arms with the brewery to the rear and the second is the Victoria Inn, described as the brewery tap. I chose the latter as I wanted to choose from the full range of Atomic's beers. That plan was thwarted because the pub was holding a Champion Beers of Britain Festival and the fantastic range of handpumps, well in excess of ten, only had one Atomic beer. It was certainly a mouth-watering selection but I was here to try something from Atomic so I chose the Atomic Strike (3.7% ABV). The beer is reasonably well balanced with a nice light brown colour and it has an immediate bitter taste before giving way to a subtle malty aftertaste.
The pub itself is a traditional backstreet Victorian local on the outskirts of town. It was awarded the local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011 and it is easy to see why it has won this award. The traditional bar is spartan with a pool table and is entered from the street by a separate door. The other entrance led into a comfortable lounge. This room has high ceilings with a traditional decor. There is an excellent display of CAMRA Good Beer Guides to browse and there are two large TV screens to watch a wide variety of sport no doubt.
In summary, the Victoria Inn is a fine traditional pub bustling with locals enjoying the tremendous range of cask ales. It has a couple of bars to suit all types of customer along with a snug containing a real fire and dartboard.
With a couple of excellent pubs being supplied with their own beers to complement the superb range of guest ales, the Atomic Brewery is worth checking out.
Happy drinking.
The pub itself is a traditional backstreet Victorian local on the outskirts of town. It was awarded the local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011 and it is easy to see why it has won this award. The traditional bar is spartan with a pool table and is entered from the street by a separate door. The other entrance led into a comfortable lounge. This room has high ceilings with a traditional decor. There is an excellent display of CAMRA Good Beer Guides to browse and there are two large TV screens to watch a wide variety of sport no doubt.
In summary, the Victoria Inn is a fine traditional pub bustling with locals enjoying the tremendous range of cask ales. It has a couple of bars to suit all types of customer along with a snug containing a real fire and dartboard.
With a couple of excellent pubs being supplied with their own beers to complement the superb range of guest ales, the Atomic Brewery is worth checking out.
Happy drinking.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Minimum pricing
I don't often get political but minimum pricing is now officially on the government's agenda and a price of 45p per unit has been suggested. I'm not sure of the exact figures but this will probably mean a can of standard strength lager priced at £1 will probably be unchanged or go up very slightly. A bottle of wine will cost no less than about £4.00. I have absolutely no idea what it will do to the price of spirits but it will probably put the cost of some cheap makes up quite a bit . However, what I am sure about is that the price of alcohol in pubs will be unaffected. A friend of mine told me he was against minimum pricing because he did not want to pay more when he went to the pub. I put him right of course but this is where the government needs to go on the offensive. All I have heard today is how the sensible moderate drinker will be paying more for their alcohol. Really? I buy wine, I buy bottled beers. The prices I pay on everything I buy in supermarkets or off-licenses costs me more than 50p per unit. If something costs less it is not worth drinking or it will simply get you pissed very quickly at a lower price. Is this what we want to encourage?
A large proportion of 18-34 year olds now pre-load before going out for the evening. This is something I never did when I was younger so I fail to understand this mentality. I have always liked avoiding hangovers so I always try to stick within my limits. My parents helped by allowing me to drink at Christmas from the age of 14 and by the time I was 16 I was drinking in pubs. This actually helped me to learn about the danger of over drinking and I learned to respect it. Nowadays we are obsessed with stopping under 18s drinking in pubs and they therefore drink at home and the low cost of doing this means this is what they grow accustomed to. I also do not remember alcohol being substantially cheaper in supermarkets than it was in pubs. That is no longer the case. How can supermarkets justify selling alcohol at cost price? It is grossly irresponsible. It should also be illegal because they are distorting the market. Pubs cannot do the same and so an uneven playing field has been created. Also, if they are making a loss on the alcohol they sell then they are making up for it by selling food at higher prices to make up for it. Pubs cannot compete on alcohol price when these tactics are employed.
I am against government telling us how to behave and it is said that minimum pricing is doing just that. Again I have to disagee. Minimum pricing is a direct result of the irresponsibility of supermarkets. I am a moderate drinker and I am deeply saddened when I see pubs either closing down or struggling to survive. Pubs are massive contributors to the economy. The price disparity between alcohol in pubs and supermarkets has to be addressed and this is the first small step and it is something I will raise a glass to.
Happy drinking.
A large proportion of 18-34 year olds now pre-load before going out for the evening. This is something I never did when I was younger so I fail to understand this mentality. I have always liked avoiding hangovers so I always try to stick within my limits. My parents helped by allowing me to drink at Christmas from the age of 14 and by the time I was 16 I was drinking in pubs. This actually helped me to learn about the danger of over drinking and I learned to respect it. Nowadays we are obsessed with stopping under 18s drinking in pubs and they therefore drink at home and the low cost of doing this means this is what they grow accustomed to. I also do not remember alcohol being substantially cheaper in supermarkets than it was in pubs. That is no longer the case. How can supermarkets justify selling alcohol at cost price? It is grossly irresponsible. It should also be illegal because they are distorting the market. Pubs cannot do the same and so an uneven playing field has been created. Also, if they are making a loss on the alcohol they sell then they are making up for it by selling food at higher prices to make up for it. Pubs cannot compete on alcohol price when these tactics are employed.
I am against government telling us how to behave and it is said that minimum pricing is doing just that. Again I have to disagee. Minimum pricing is a direct result of the irresponsibility of supermarkets. I am a moderate drinker and I am deeply saddened when I see pubs either closing down or struggling to survive. Pubs are massive contributors to the economy. The price disparity between alcohol in pubs and supermarkets has to be addressed and this is the first small step and it is something I will raise a glass to.
Happy drinking.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Organ Grinder, Loughborough
Last night I was back in my home town of Loughborough and I checked out a recently re-opened pub. It is over twenty years since I visited The Old Pack Horse, a small street-corner town centre pub tied to local Nottingham brewer Hardy & Hansons. Since then, Hardy & Hansons has been swallowed up by Greene King (2006) and The Old Pack Horse was sold and it re-opened eleven weeks ago by new Nottingham brewer Blue Monkey. The new name, the Organ Grinder, is the same as their brewery tap, their one other pub, in Nottingham.
Finding a genuine town centre pub dedicated to having a fine selection of real ale is getting harder. It is therefore always a delight to find one that has recently opened up, albeit one that is replacing an existing pub. Loughborough still has a good selection of excellent pubs and the Organ Grinder certainly adds to this list.
Entering the pub you immediately notice the bare floorboards, sparse decor and the sound of many locals chattering away. No other noises and distractions here. Off to the left there was a small seating area with bookshelves offering excellent reading material for the solo drinker. To the right was a similar seating area with the bar at the back serving the entire pub. It is not a large pub at all although it does have an upstairs function room. The array of handpumps is certainly impressive. The full range of Blue Monkey beers are here including the imaginatively named BG Sips, 99 Red Baboons, Ape Ale and Guerilla. The guest beer was Batemans Vintage, a 7.5% ABV seasonal beer I would love to have tried. However, as I was driving, I had to sample something that wasn't going to render me unconscious and I did want to sample my first Blue Monkey beer so I chose the 99 Red Baboons (4.2% ABV). Described as being either a porter or a mild I found it to be definitely leaning on the porter side of the beer spectrum. Dark, malty, slightly sweet but with a subtle bitterness I found it to be a delightful beer.
Blue Monkey have opened up an excellent pub and it is one I will be coming back to when visiting my home town. My sister's boyfriend did point out that the animal adorning the logo and the large central picture in the bar is a chimpanzee but the name actually comes from a nickname for the blue flames that used to rise from the chimneys of the nearby Stanton Ironworks. The chimp is probably more photogenic than the monkey so I can forgive them this. Hopefully, others will too and the pub will become a great success. It will certainly educate the local students as to what a real pub is all about.
Happy drinking.
Finding a genuine town centre pub dedicated to having a fine selection of real ale is getting harder. It is therefore always a delight to find one that has recently opened up, albeit one that is replacing an existing pub. Loughborough still has a good selection of excellent pubs and the Organ Grinder certainly adds to this list.
Entering the pub you immediately notice the bare floorboards, sparse decor and the sound of many locals chattering away. No other noises and distractions here. Off to the left there was a small seating area with bookshelves offering excellent reading material for the solo drinker. To the right was a similar seating area with the bar at the back serving the entire pub. It is not a large pub at all although it does have an upstairs function room. The array of handpumps is certainly impressive. The full range of Blue Monkey beers are here including the imaginatively named BG Sips, 99 Red Baboons, Ape Ale and Guerilla. The guest beer was Batemans Vintage, a 7.5% ABV seasonal beer I would love to have tried. However, as I was driving, I had to sample something that wasn't going to render me unconscious and I did want to sample my first Blue Monkey beer so I chose the 99 Red Baboons (4.2% ABV). Described as being either a porter or a mild I found it to be definitely leaning on the porter side of the beer spectrum. Dark, malty, slightly sweet but with a subtle bitterness I found it to be a delightful beer.
Blue Monkey have opened up an excellent pub and it is one I will be coming back to when visiting my home town. My sister's boyfriend did point out that the animal adorning the logo and the large central picture in the bar is a chimpanzee but the name actually comes from a nickname for the blue flames that used to rise from the chimneys of the nearby Stanton Ironworks. The chimp is probably more photogenic than the monkey so I can forgive them this. Hopefully, others will too and the pub will become a great success. It will certainly educate the local students as to what a real pub is all about.
Happy drinking.
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
VIPs
I have been lucky to have travelled far and wide with my job. Everywhere I go I try and check out as many pubs as possible and I have compiled my own list of VIPs (Very Important Pubs). These are pubs I will always return to when I am in the area. They do not have one common factor that makes them special except that they are all very special to me. It may be well over a decade since I have visited some of them but quality lasts and I believe that the majority of them continue unchanged.
1) The Royal Oak, Great Glen
This pub is special for the simple reason it is where my dad grew up. His father, Alfred, ran the pub during the second world war when it was tied to NBC (Northampton Brewing Company). I imagine that running a pub during the second world war was neither easy nor healthy and my dad lost his parents when he was in his early teens. Many times when I was growing up me and my brothers and sister would sit outside this pub in the car while our parents went for a drink meeting old friends. I last visited the pub about a year ago and I was delighted to see that the pub had been lovingly refurbished. It is situated in the heart of the old village of Great Glen just off the A6 south of Leicester. It is a tiny pub with comfortable red leather sofas at the front (with resident dog stretched out on one of them) and a roaring fire at the back. The beer selection was Fullers London Pride, Greene King IPA and the local Steamin' Billy. I chose the latter and it was served in lovely condition. I would love to see this pub in the Good Beer Guide.
2) Fat Cat, Norwich
I've worked in Norwich for a number of years and my last stint there was in 1998. Norwich was once renowned as the city with a pub for every day of the year. The number had fallen to about 240 when I first worked there but I managed to visit more than half of them. It isn't just quantity here either. There are many quality pubs in the city and this is my favourite. Located outside the inner ring road it is a traditional street corner local that has an amazing array of beers available. Every evening I would have about 20 ales to choose from and the selection was constantly changing. The pub has won CAMRA's National Pub of the Year competition twice and it is easy to see why. This is a pub you must visit if you ever visit Norwich.
3) The Guildford Arms, Edinburgh
This pub would be worthy of inclusion for the original Victorian architecture complete with revolving door entrance. It has a large standing area around the bar but there is plenty of seating too where you can spend hours supping one or two of the ten real ales including many from small Scottish microbreweries whilst admiring the spectacular high ceiling, ornate cornices and wooden screens. It's now ten years since I visited Edinburgh but this pub is timeless.
4) The Glue Pot, Swindon
Swindon gets a lot of bad press and most of my colleagues thought they had lucked out when they were sent to Swindon. Staying at the central Holiday Inn Express for 3 months I discovered this gem a short walk from the hotel. Located in the centre of Brunel's Railway Village, built in the 1840s, this street corner local, like the surrounding area, is a step back into the past. The full range of Hop Back Brewery beers are available along with local guest beers. It may be a small pub but it packs a big punch. Very friendly, fairly quiet during the week when I was there and always an excellent pint. If you are ever in Swindon and feeling exasperated by the awful 1960s architecture take a short walk to The Glue Pot.
5) The Bow Bar, Edinburgh
I make no excuse for including a second Edinburgh bar in my top ten. The city is awash with fine pubs but I spent many evenings walking between this pub and the Guildford Arms. The Bow Bar is situated near the Scottish Parliament building and it is a tiny one-roomed bar with a fine selection of beers to choose from. If you like whiskey (I don't) then you can choose from around 200 malts here too. It often got busy but by choosing the right times I usually found a seat to relax in. I could then sit and watch as the place filled up with a lively crowd of enthusiastic drinkers.
6) Porterhouse, Dublin
I spent 18 months in Dublin and within the first month one of my colleagues had taken me to 17 different pubs for lunch within a mile of the office alongside the canal. The lunchtime food was always excellent and after a while I opted for Murphys ahead of Guiness to accompany the meal. That was it though. Every pub had the same choice and however delightful most of them were it was not exactly overflowing with choice. Then I discovered the Porterhouse on the outskirts of Temple Bar. It was a good two mile walk for me but for the best part of a year I made the four mile round trip to this excellent brewpub three or four times a week. The beers may have been targeted towards the locals with a stout and a porter and a tradtional Irish Red but they did also produce a couple of fine cask-conditioned bitters.
7) Swan in the Rushes, Loughborough
This pub is situated in the town of my birth and the town where I spent the first 18 years of my life and where I began going into pubs. In the late 1970s Loughborough had plenty of town centre pubs where you could get served if you were under 18. This pub was not one of my locals though. It was a rather depressing pub called The Charnwood and I had left home for the big wide world when it was rescued and reopened under a new name and a new ethos. It immediately became my pub of choice when going home and it serves the full range of Castle Rock beers alongside a large selection of guest ales. It has a traditional bar to the right and a slightly more comfortable lounge to the left with a third room to the rear. It is always busy and it is always a pleasure to visit.
8) Wild Boar,Warwick
This is a recent addition to my top ten. It really is a fantastic pub and towards the end of my stint at Stratford-upon-Avon I began to make the train journey to Warwick in preference to visiting one of the few decent pubs in Statford. The close proximity to the station certainly helped and it was the pub I chose to have some leaving drinks at when my time in Stratford came to an end. It is a friendly locals pub showcasing the excellent beers from the Slaughterhouse Brewery. It also has its own microbrewery which is used to produce house specials. The pub consists of a main front bar with a small wood-panelled snug behind. Further back there is a function room that has regular music nights. The microbrewery can be seen from the snug. In addition to the Slaughterhouse beers they have four or five ever changing guest beers which are always served in perfect condition.
9) Tom Browns, Dorchester
My best friend lives in Dorchester and it was he who educated me into drinking real ale as much as anyone. We met in the final year of university and since then we have met up regularly for the GBBF and Saints games as well as numerous other occasions. When I visit him in his home town, Tom Browns is always a regular stop. It opened up as a brewpub in the late 1980s if my memory serves me right and although it has gone through a change of ownership in recent years following the sad death of the founder, it is now once again my friends local and a pub well worth visiting with an excellent selection of beers and it is largely unchanged from when I first visited twenty or so years ago. It has a strong local following but it is very welcoming too. It is now managed by Dorset Brewing Co and the beers are brewed off-site just outside Dorchester.
10) Maypole, Yapton
I moved to Yapton in 1997 and this quickly became my local. It is also the current venue for the Western Sussex CAMRA meetings every two months so I am now regularly going back to this excellent pub and it is therefore a recent entry to my top ten. It is hard to find down a road that leads to nowhere but it is well worth searching for. Their range of beers is constantly changing so you will always find something new to try. There is a basic public bar with darts and pool and a smaller lounge which has a cosier feel to it. There is a traditional skittle alley that can be hired out and which is also used for our CAMRA meetings. In the Summer months you can enjoy the recently constructed large decked garden area too. It is a totally unpretentious pub and I love it. Read my review of this pub here.
Bubbling under the top ten are the following pubs. Some of these I have visited more recently and could become long-term VIPs once I get to know them more and could even replace some of the current top ten in time. Some of them are favourites from the past that could not quite match the current incumbents. They are all worth visiting though if you find yourselves near one of them.
11) The Windsor Castle, Lye
The Sadlers Ales brewery tap is a tremendous pub with the full range of Sadlers Ales fantastic beers. Even without the brewery it makes a perfect pub with welcoming staff, excellent food and comfortable modern decor.
12) The Victoria Works, Studley
Another excellent brewery tap. Brewery taps are always worth visiting and the Weatheroak Brewery tap is one I am constantly raving about.
After a short spell working in Bristol last year this pub moves straight into my top twenty. This pub is perfect and you can click here to read my review of it.
Stratford-on-Avon is sparse when it comes to good pubs so I was delighted to discover this excellent pub within the Swan's Nest Hotel. Enter through the revolving door and the door to your immediate left takes you into the pub. The bar has fine array of 8 handpumps, 4 of which showcase local microbreweries.
A rural brewery tap and I never tire of walking in and seeing the complete range of Woodforde's magnificent beers. Situated in the tiny village of Woodbastwick in the Norfolk Broads this beautiful thatched pub is well worth seeking out.
16) The Sole Bay Inn, Southwold
More upmarket than when I first visited this fine Adnams pub, it is still worth locating and it is probably the most photographed pub in the UK as it is dwarfed by the towering lighthouse across the road.
17) The Rockstone, Southampton
For many years The Alexandra was my chosen destination for a pint or two before a Saints game. This has now been replaced by the Rockstone and so this is a new entry in my top twenty. A city pub with the feel of a village local serving an excellent range of beers from local microbreweries as well as a house beer brewed by Sadlers Ales. A superb pub reviewed here.
Micropubs are opening up all over the place and this is my favourite one of those I have visited so far. It is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet pint of one of their constantly changing beers. Every town should have a micropub. Read my review of it here.
A home from home when I worked there in 1989. Over 300 bottled beers from all around the world as well as many beers from American micros on tap. My name still appears on the board listing the members of their '101 Club'.
20) The Griffin, Loughborough
My first local when I was 'under 18'. It was an excellent town centre Marstons pub and it probably still is although it has been smartened up.
I have been to many more wonderful pubs but the ones listed are special and always will be. If you ever visit one of them I hope you have a good time and enjoy an excellent pint.
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Pubs of Stratford-on-Avon
I constantly praise three pubs in Stratford-on-Avon but there are quite a few I have not even visited yet. I thought I would right those wrongs tonight and see what they have to offer. My first stop was to be the Lamplighter Inn. I have visited this pub a couple of times many years ago and at the time they sold Jennings Cumberland Ale and Banks's Mild. So what could they offer me tonight? Nothing. That was a quick visit then.
My second port of call was the recently refurbished White Swan Hotel. This Fullers pub is somewhere I have never visited so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like. It was lovely. Both to the left and right were comfortable drinking areas with leather sofas and chairs with plenty of privacy for many of the tables. The dining areas were hidden away and one of these to the far right was within a room with gorgeous wood panels. As a pub to visit for a quiet relaxing pint it was perfect. Could the beer match the surroundings? The choice was the usual Fullers selection. ESB, Gales Seafarers and London Pride were all available and Bengal Lancer was 'coming soon'. I chose the ESB, one of my favourite beers over the past 30 years. I was delighted to see it served in the ESB glass but the quality was not brilliant. It wasn't off but it was not what I would expect either. At £3.75 a pint it was reasonably expensive too. Despite this, I will probably give the pub another chance at some point to see if the beer quality improves.
The next stop was going to be No.7 Windsor Street. However, the sign outside said the pub was 'To Let' and the signs inside told me why. The place was empty. Onwards we go.
Next stop was The One Elm. This pub was always popular with my work colleagues when I originally worked in Stratford-on-Avon many years ago. It is quite a trendy bar which isn't normally my kind of establishment but I was pleasantly surprised by it. To the right was a colourful lounge and on the bar there was a choice of Doom Bar, Greene King Abbot, Purity Pure Gold and Purity UBU. I chose the Pure Gold (3.8% ABV) as I had never tried it before and it was served in the correct glass and in perfect condition. It was a delightfully refreshing hoppy session bitter. No complaints then about the beer or the pub.
Three pints was going to be my limit tonight so my next stop, The Pen and Parchment, would be my final port of call. This former GBG pub had a reasonable beer selection in the past but now it is limited to Greene King. I am assuming that the beer labelled Poet's Ink was from this brewery. They are becoming pretty good at hiding the origin of some of their beers and my past experience kept me away from it. The pub itself is nothing special anyway. The food has always been good when I've eaten there but it is not a pub for relaxing in. I did not wish to try anything on offer so I left.
I crossed the road to go in The Encore. The large corner pub (a former Beefeater if my memory is correct) had Purity UBU and Pure Gold available. I was looking for something a little different as I could find a decent pint of this back at the hotel so I moved on. The pub itself though had much more appeal than the Pen and Parchment and it is Cask Marque accredited so I will go back there at some point.
My final stop was The Garrick Inn. Reputedly the oldest pub in Stratford-on-Avon it is owned by the same pub company as The Pen and Parchment and the beers avalable were also from the Greene King stable. The pub was small, cosy and welcoming but, once again, I am on a downer where Greene King are concerned so I did not stay for a drink.
Will any of these pubs become regular haunts for me? The Bear remains my top choice as it has everything. Comfortable surroundings, friendly staff and a fantastic rotating beer selection from local micro breweries. For me this is the perfect ingredient for a regular pub. However, The One Elm turned out to be an excellent bar with well-kept beer including two from the local Purity Brewing Company. What I did find disappointing though is in a county full of thriving micro breweries I did not find any other local ales available, and in the case of one pub, no ales at all.
Happy drinking.
My second port of call was the recently refurbished White Swan Hotel. This Fullers pub is somewhere I have never visited so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like. It was lovely. Both to the left and right were comfortable drinking areas with leather sofas and chairs with plenty of privacy for many of the tables. The dining areas were hidden away and one of these to the far right was within a room with gorgeous wood panels. As a pub to visit for a quiet relaxing pint it was perfect. Could the beer match the surroundings? The choice was the usual Fullers selection. ESB, Gales Seafarers and London Pride were all available and Bengal Lancer was 'coming soon'. I chose the ESB, one of my favourite beers over the past 30 years. I was delighted to see it served in the ESB glass but the quality was not brilliant. It wasn't off but it was not what I would expect either. At £3.75 a pint it was reasonably expensive too. Despite this, I will probably give the pub another chance at some point to see if the beer quality improves.
The next stop was going to be No.7 Windsor Street. However, the sign outside said the pub was 'To Let' and the signs inside told me why. The place was empty. Onwards we go.
Next stop was The One Elm. This pub was always popular with my work colleagues when I originally worked in Stratford-on-Avon many years ago. It is quite a trendy bar which isn't normally my kind of establishment but I was pleasantly surprised by it. To the right was a colourful lounge and on the bar there was a choice of Doom Bar, Greene King Abbot, Purity Pure Gold and Purity UBU. I chose the Pure Gold (3.8% ABV) as I had never tried it before and it was served in the correct glass and in perfect condition. It was a delightfully refreshing hoppy session bitter. No complaints then about the beer or the pub.
Three pints was going to be my limit tonight so my next stop, The Pen and Parchment, would be my final port of call. This former GBG pub had a reasonable beer selection in the past but now it is limited to Greene King. I am assuming that the beer labelled Poet's Ink was from this brewery. They are becoming pretty good at hiding the origin of some of their beers and my past experience kept me away from it. The pub itself is nothing special anyway. The food has always been good when I've eaten there but it is not a pub for relaxing in. I did not wish to try anything on offer so I left.
I crossed the road to go in The Encore. The large corner pub (a former Beefeater if my memory is correct) had Purity UBU and Pure Gold available. I was looking for something a little different as I could find a decent pint of this back at the hotel so I moved on. The pub itself though had much more appeal than the Pen and Parchment and it is Cask Marque accredited so I will go back there at some point.
My final stop was The Garrick Inn. Reputedly the oldest pub in Stratford-on-Avon it is owned by the same pub company as The Pen and Parchment and the beers avalable were also from the Greene King stable. The pub was small, cosy and welcoming but, once again, I am on a downer where Greene King are concerned so I did not stay for a drink.
Will any of these pubs become regular haunts for me? The Bear remains my top choice as it has everything. Comfortable surroundings, friendly staff and a fantastic rotating beer selection from local micro breweries. For me this is the perfect ingredient for a regular pub. However, The One Elm turned out to be an excellent bar with well-kept beer including two from the local Purity Brewing Company. What I did find disappointing though is in a county full of thriving micro breweries I did not find any other local ales available, and in the case of one pub, no ales at all.
Happy drinking.
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