I haven't had a beer since last Sunday.
I think I've mentioned before that I usually don't drink beer on my own and as this last week has been a lot of travelling about on my own, there's been no real opportunity.
Thinking about it, last Sunday's beer was at an odd choice of venue. The Angel's Reply which is S's nearest pub.
We usually go to this pub to watch football matches on the TV. McMullens' beer is fine, but not particularly exciting although they are starting to make more of an effort with their seasonal beers under the brand "Whole Hop Brewery".
This time, the reason we went was sheer laziness (on my part). We'd walked a couple of miles around the nature reserve, I was recovering from a virus which left me feeling knackered and unwilling to go too much further for beer (especially as it was raining).
The sports bar was closed so we went around to the family restaurant side and were surprised to see it thronging with customers.
We enjoyed the seasonal beer far more than we'd expected and chatted about how pleased we were to see the place so busy. We've been wondering for a while how it manages to keep going, but we'd only judged that on the numbers in the sports bar (where we were usually outnumbered by the staff).
Nevertheless, I'm looking forward far more to the beer promised this weekend. I'm sure The Half Moon will get a visit, and probably the Bricklayers Arms (which last week became a borderline three pint pub). But we're also off to Watford for football spectating and I'm led to believe there's a Greene King Pub there which I'll like. Now, that's something to look forward to.
Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Finally a bit of good news
A pub I've passed several times, but never been in appears to have been saved thanks to a registration as an Asset of Community Value.
I exchanged a few emails with the group who were trying to save the pub - telling them about the two registrations I helped with here in Eastbourne and encouraging them on their way.
I have to say I thought they had a job on their hands simply given the pub's proximity to three other pubs but it's brilliant to hear that they managed it.
http://www.thecomet.net/news/hitchin_pub_taken_off_market_1_3260278
Seems that what happened is that a local developer was all ready to buy it but pulled out when the pub was registered as an ACV. Looks like the combination of a well-motivated group plus the local authority's willingness to get a shift on got the job done in just the way it was supposed to.
Interestingly, the pubco/brewer that owns it decided not to force a sale on the group - but has retained the pub.
It's not a pub I've ever been interested in going to, and now that Greene King are keeping it, it's extremely unlikely I'll ever go in. But its still a win. Well done all!
I exchanged a few emails with the group who were trying to save the pub - telling them about the two registrations I helped with here in Eastbourne and encouraging them on their way.
I have to say I thought they had a job on their hands simply given the pub's proximity to three other pubs but it's brilliant to hear that they managed it.
http://www.thecomet.net/news/hitchin_pub_taken_off_market_1_3260278
Seems that what happened is that a local developer was all ready to buy it but pulled out when the pub was registered as an ACV. Looks like the combination of a well-motivated group plus the local authority's willingness to get a shift on got the job done in just the way it was supposed to.
Interestingly, the pubco/brewer that owns it decided not to force a sale on the group - but has retained the pub.
It's not a pub I've ever been interested in going to, and now that Greene King are keeping it, it's extremely unlikely I'll ever go in. But its still a win. Well done all!
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Manual Labour
The best pint is the one you think you've "deserved".
This weekend, it was after a lot of physical graft - three days of it, in fact.
But Friday's was the best. We'd spent several hours clearing rusty shelving from a Martello Tower, and being people who don't normally do physical graft, it felt like hard work. Well, it was hard work.
We knew we'd be hungry, so a Lancashire hotpot was hurriedly assembled and hurled in the oven and we strolled to The Crown - our nearest pub.
Dark Star Hophead is my beer of choice here. Served straight from the barrel in the cellar - yum.
S also tried Okells Aile (Porter) - not to my taste for a whole pint, but S nodded approvingly.
We got chatting to a couple of people we knew there and after a couple of hours relaxation we strolled home to be greeted by the smell of cooked hotpot. Perfection.
Was it the best pint of Hophead ever? Probably not. But it hit the spot to perfection. So there we go - it's all about the context again. That, and its power as a muscle relaxant.
This weekend, it was after a lot of physical graft - three days of it, in fact.
But Friday's was the best. We'd spent several hours clearing rusty shelving from a Martello Tower, and being people who don't normally do physical graft, it felt like hard work. Well, it was hard work.
We knew we'd be hungry, so a Lancashire hotpot was hurriedly assembled and hurled in the oven and we strolled to The Crown - our nearest pub.
Dark Star Hophead is my beer of choice here. Served straight from the barrel in the cellar - yum.
S also tried Okells Aile (Porter) - not to my taste for a whole pint, but S nodded approvingly.
We got chatting to a couple of people we knew there and after a couple of hours relaxation we strolled home to be greeted by the smell of cooked hotpot. Perfection.
Was it the best pint of Hophead ever? Probably not. But it hit the spot to perfection. So there we go - it's all about the context again. That, and its power as a muscle relaxant.
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Comfort of the Familiar
I really like trying new pubs and new beers from new breweries...but there is a great joy and comfort to be found in the familiar.
It's why a "local" is such a stressless place to be.
Now, yesterday was a "football" day, so I said I'd meet the guys at the usual haunt for lunch. I do this periodically and the Basketmakers in Brighton always feels like a local to me, even though it's not actually local to anywhere I might call home.
It's always busy on a Saturday lunchtime so there's a general acceptance (well, amongst most people) that you try and cram a lot of people around your table and allow strangers to join you at your table if there's space.
So it was that six of us sat around a single small table (and felt quite smug about it) and ate, drank and chatted for a cheery couple of hours.
It's odd, if you told me how much I'd love a Fullers' pub, I'd probably deny it. But the Basketmakers has it right: well kept, decent beer (yesterday I had Seafarers and Bengal Lancer, S had HSB); really nice food - and that includes nice veggie meals too; and a nice atmosphere, even when it's rammed to the gunwhales.
The benefits for the football supporter is that it's just around the corner from the bus to the Amex so it wins on that count too.
Obviously there has to be post-football beer too. It, too, is a well-practised ritual.
There is an optional stop off at one of the Amex concourse bars which serves Harveys - this is useful in allowing the crowds at Falmer station to dissipate a bit - and then, on return to Brighton, the venue of choice is the Evening Star.
This is another very, very popular pub and so gets extraordinarily busy - especially for the post-football crowd.
I didn't go to football so I arrived well before the others - it gave me the chance to get a seat at a (shared) table. So I settled down for about 30mins with a pint of American Pale Ale and a paper.
I was soon joined at my table by a couple a blokes - again, this is a pub where you share tables. Some folk chat, others don't but sharing a table here never feels like an imposition.
S came straight back after the match to keep me company and started with the traditional pint of Hophead. Not long after, the other guys joined us, as did a large number of other people.
By the time it was my round again the pub was shoulder to shoulder. Carrying three pints back to a table through an empty pub is tricky enough...through a rammed one, damned near impossible. This is where being a short, middle-aged woman plays in my favour. When faced with a woman carrying three pints at a time, most men instantly step back leaving room for me to get through. I'd like to think that this was through admiration - though it's probably more likely they expect me to spill beer on them. Whichever way it is, it makes my life easier.
So, after more beer than is probably good for me, I made my way back to the station and home.
It was a good day. Sometimes we crave the new - some days the familiar is relaxing and fulfilling.
It's why a "local" is such a stressless place to be.
Now, yesterday was a "football" day, so I said I'd meet the guys at the usual haunt for lunch. I do this periodically and the Basketmakers in Brighton always feels like a local to me, even though it's not actually local to anywhere I might call home.
It's always busy on a Saturday lunchtime so there's a general acceptance (well, amongst most people) that you try and cram a lot of people around your table and allow strangers to join you at your table if there's space.
So it was that six of us sat around a single small table (and felt quite smug about it) and ate, drank and chatted for a cheery couple of hours.
It's odd, if you told me how much I'd love a Fullers' pub, I'd probably deny it. But the Basketmakers has it right: well kept, decent beer (yesterday I had Seafarers and Bengal Lancer, S had HSB); really nice food - and that includes nice veggie meals too; and a nice atmosphere, even when it's rammed to the gunwhales.
The benefits for the football supporter is that it's just around the corner from the bus to the Amex so it wins on that count too.
Obviously there has to be post-football beer too. It, too, is a well-practised ritual.
There is an optional stop off at one of the Amex concourse bars which serves Harveys - this is useful in allowing the crowds at Falmer station to dissipate a bit - and then, on return to Brighton, the venue of choice is the Evening Star.
This is another very, very popular pub and so gets extraordinarily busy - especially for the post-football crowd.
I didn't go to football so I arrived well before the others - it gave me the chance to get a seat at a (shared) table. So I settled down for about 30mins with a pint of American Pale Ale and a paper.
I was soon joined at my table by a couple a blokes - again, this is a pub where you share tables. Some folk chat, others don't but sharing a table here never feels like an imposition.
S came straight back after the match to keep me company and started with the traditional pint of Hophead. Not long after, the other guys joined us, as did a large number of other people.
By the time it was my round again the pub was shoulder to shoulder. Carrying three pints back to a table through an empty pub is tricky enough...through a rammed one, damned near impossible. This is where being a short, middle-aged woman plays in my favour. When faced with a woman carrying three pints at a time, most men instantly step back leaving room for me to get through. I'd like to think that this was through admiration - though it's probably more likely they expect me to spill beer on them. Whichever way it is, it makes my life easier.
So, after more beer than is probably good for me, I made my way back to the station and home.
It was a good day. Sometimes we crave the new - some days the familiar is relaxing and fulfilling.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Value for Money
Being back in Bristol for a little means that I try and catch up with friends here - and, obviously, that often means beer.
On Tuesday I had to go to an organizers' meeting for the Bristol Beer Festival. I've been the set up manager for a few years and although the whole endeavour is hard work, it's fun and very satisfying to see an empty hall turned into a festival venue thronging with people enjoying their beer.
We hold our meetings in pubs, not surprisingly.
These days it's in Bristol's heavy metal real ale pub - The Gryphon. They tend to like their beer dark and 'orrible in there, and the choice of music make it not really to my taste. But it's an interesting experience for sure.
I had a couple of pints of Mordue Radgie Gadgie which was nice, if not stunning and the lightest they had. My companions mostly drank darker.
The surprise comes when you pay for your beer - £2.50 a pint (presumably that's their CAMRA member price).
It's really nice to get two pints for a fiver!
Last night I caught up with a bunch of other friends and we met in the Alma Tavern. I've been here a couple of times before and it's probably more to my taste than the Gryphon, although not quite pubby enough. Their choice of beers was a little bit less exciting than the last time I was there (Doom Bar, Bath Ales Gem and Bristol Beer Factory Sunrise) but I was content with Sunrise and Tom opted for Gem so we were both happy.
Sadly, these two pints (both locally produced) were 50% more expensive than the beers from the previous night.
I know that's not that much more than the generally prevailing price of beer - especially in "posh" places but I still felt a little bit cheated.
I think I can conclude that neither of these two pubs will ever be on my 3+pint list.
On Tuesday I had to go to an organizers' meeting for the Bristol Beer Festival. I've been the set up manager for a few years and although the whole endeavour is hard work, it's fun and very satisfying to see an empty hall turned into a festival venue thronging with people enjoying their beer.
We hold our meetings in pubs, not surprisingly.
These days it's in Bristol's heavy metal real ale pub - The Gryphon. They tend to like their beer dark and 'orrible in there, and the choice of music make it not really to my taste. But it's an interesting experience for sure.
I had a couple of pints of Mordue Radgie Gadgie which was nice, if not stunning and the lightest they had. My companions mostly drank darker.
The surprise comes when you pay for your beer - £2.50 a pint (presumably that's their CAMRA member price).
It's really nice to get two pints for a fiver!
Last night I caught up with a bunch of other friends and we met in the Alma Tavern. I've been here a couple of times before and it's probably more to my taste than the Gryphon, although not quite pubby enough. Their choice of beers was a little bit less exciting than the last time I was there (Doom Bar, Bath Ales Gem and Bristol Beer Factory Sunrise) but I was content with Sunrise and Tom opted for Gem so we were both happy.
Sadly, these two pints (both locally produced) were 50% more expensive than the beers from the previous night.
I know that's not that much more than the generally prevailing price of beer - especially in "posh" places but I still felt a little bit cheated.
I think I can conclude that neither of these two pubs will ever be on my 3+pint list.
Friday, 3 January 2014
Anticipation
So, I'm back in Bristol for a week. I need to catch up with a few things here and I do miss my flat here, and the things I love about the city.
One of those things is having a brilliant pub on my doorstep: The Barleymow.
Actually, there are at least a further four really good pubs almost as close...but we tend to think of the Barleymow as the Bristol Local.
It had a revamp during last year as the brewery changed its strategy for its business and I like that it now has a wider range of beers available. But it was also good before when it had just four Bristol Beer Factory brews.
It's now also introduced a range of keg beers - and although it makes it feel a bit trendy, it hasn't lost its feel of being a proper pub - and that makes it top notch.
Now, I've only had this flat for a year - but I can't deny that having the Barleymow nearby had a bit of influence on my choice of living accommodation.
So why do I like the place so much?
It's a subtle combination of things:
Friendly staff - who appear friendly, engaging and knowledgeable.
Excellently kept beer - I don't think I've ever had so much as a "tired" pint in this pub. In fact, when I've been there three days in a row, I think all the guest beers had changed each day.
I don't always like the beers I choose - but that's a taste thing, not a condition issue.
A good variety of beers: Even before they started having guests on tap, there was a variety of styles from the BBF family.
Good food - this isn't a pre-requisite but it's a good addition to the list. Previously they did pretty "standard" pub food, but did it really well. Now they do a mix of high class meals, bar snacks and small plates. It's not everyone's taste - but I like the approach because I don't always want a big meal.
Open fire and a nice courtyard garden - how nice it is to have a pub which is good in all seasons.
Since I stumbled on it for the first time with a work colleague, I've taken countless friends and family there and everyone has liked it.
S&I went there for a pre-train-home drink on his first trip to Bristol and it was the perfect place to chat over our beers - not so noisy that you had to shout and not so quiet that you felt people could hear your conversation. Perfection, or what?
We both like it even more now that it's not just a pre-parting destination.
So tomorrow I'm meeting my Brother and Sister-in-law for lunch and beer. We're sorely in need of a catch-up, some planning and some fun and it should be the perfect venue.
Oh - and the Barleymow is definitely a 3+pint pub.
Here's to tomorrow....
One of those things is having a brilliant pub on my doorstep: The Barleymow.
Actually, there are at least a further four really good pubs almost as close...but we tend to think of the Barleymow as the Bristol Local.
It had a revamp during last year as the brewery changed its strategy for its business and I like that it now has a wider range of beers available. But it was also good before when it had just four Bristol Beer Factory brews.
It's now also introduced a range of keg beers - and although it makes it feel a bit trendy, it hasn't lost its feel of being a proper pub - and that makes it top notch.
Now, I've only had this flat for a year - but I can't deny that having the Barleymow nearby had a bit of influence on my choice of living accommodation.
So why do I like the place so much?
It's a subtle combination of things:
Friendly staff - who appear friendly, engaging and knowledgeable.
Excellently kept beer - I don't think I've ever had so much as a "tired" pint in this pub. In fact, when I've been there three days in a row, I think all the guest beers had changed each day.
I don't always like the beers I choose - but that's a taste thing, not a condition issue.
A good variety of beers: Even before they started having guests on tap, there was a variety of styles from the BBF family.
Good food - this isn't a pre-requisite but it's a good addition to the list. Previously they did pretty "standard" pub food, but did it really well. Now they do a mix of high class meals, bar snacks and small plates. It's not everyone's taste - but I like the approach because I don't always want a big meal.
Open fire and a nice courtyard garden - how nice it is to have a pub which is good in all seasons.
Since I stumbled on it for the first time with a work colleague, I've taken countless friends and family there and everyone has liked it.
S&I went there for a pre-train-home drink on his first trip to Bristol and it was the perfect place to chat over our beers - not so noisy that you had to shout and not so quiet that you felt people could hear your conversation. Perfection, or what?
We both like it even more now that it's not just a pre-parting destination.
So tomorrow I'm meeting my Brother and Sister-in-law for lunch and beer. We're sorely in need of a catch-up, some planning and some fun and it should be the perfect venue.
Oh - and the Barleymow is definitely a 3+pint pub.
Here's to tomorrow....
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Unintended adventures
So - S had the day off work and a few days ago we'd read about the CAMRA cider pub of the year and how it was a micro-pub on a railway station in Norfolk.
We both agreed it was a place we should visit "at some point". We have lots of these places but we found ourselves looking immediately at how long it would take to get there by train. Just over an hour, came the answer.
So we found ourselves on a train to Downham Market via Cambridge yesterday. Probably the quickest ever execution of an idea we've had.
It was pouring down, so we donned full waterproofs to walk to Hitchin station but the weather didn't dampen our spirits.
There were apparently two pubs in the the town in the GBG - The Railway Arms and the White Hart. In addition, the description of the town made it sound like a charming place to visit.
It wasn't.
In fact, it was....well...shut.
Neither of the two GBG pubs were open, nor was just about anywhere else, so we stumbled into a hotel bar for some weather respite, a loo break and a pint of Elgood's Black Dog Mild, and one of Adnams Southwold bitter. Neither beers were great and the bar atmosphere wasn't conducive to extending our stay.
A quick surf to "beerintheevening" via intermittent mobile phone signal indicated a couple of other pubs but the descriptions weren't flattering. With about 45 mins to kill to the next train, we walked into the Live and Let Live for a swift pint of Doom Bar and to watch some football. A much nicer experience...though not one that in anyway made up for the rest of the town.
We hopped on a train, got back to Cambridge and were, again, disappointed to find some of the usual pubs there closed. Eventually we got to the Kingston Arms which was busy but a delight and relief to find. It was my first visit there.
They had a great range of beers on - including my erstwhile favourite ever beer: Thornbridge Jaipur. S went to the loo after requesting a Buntingford Oatmeal Stout. By the time he'd returned I'd bought the beer and found a seat. He looked at the pale beer in my glass and said "...you didn't...?"
At 5.9%, it's not a beer I can drink a lot of...leastways, not without falling over...and we hadn't eaten since breakfast.
In fact, I hadn't...I'd opted for Oakham JHB which is another favourite and much less likely to induce coma.
Second pint was Jaipur, however, and although it was delicious it doesn't have the wow factor for me that it did the first time I tried it. I sneaked in another half of it too just to finish off. By this time we'd eaten (who knew hummous and chips could be such a nice sharing combination?) and S had tried a cider and a perry, we'd also played a couple of hands of Fluxx (a great pub table game, we find).
We strolled round to the station via a shortcut we stumbled on and mused on the day. It wasn't quite what we'd planned (and part of this was our fault since we could have checked opening times on line but didn't) but we'd both had a good time together. We reminded ourselves that if you try new things, and experiment you occasionally get a dull day in Downham Market...
...on the other hand you can also get a fantastic holiday in Plockton or an unexpected beer festival in Sheringham...and I wouldn't like to not have stumbled on those.
We both agreed it was a place we should visit "at some point". We have lots of these places but we found ourselves looking immediately at how long it would take to get there by train. Just over an hour, came the answer.
So we found ourselves on a train to Downham Market via Cambridge yesterday. Probably the quickest ever execution of an idea we've had.
It was pouring down, so we donned full waterproofs to walk to Hitchin station but the weather didn't dampen our spirits.
There were apparently two pubs in the the town in the GBG - The Railway Arms and the White Hart. In addition, the description of the town made it sound like a charming place to visit.
It wasn't.
In fact, it was....well...shut.
Neither of the two GBG pubs were open, nor was just about anywhere else, so we stumbled into a hotel bar for some weather respite, a loo break and a pint of Elgood's Black Dog Mild, and one of Adnams Southwold bitter. Neither beers were great and the bar atmosphere wasn't conducive to extending our stay.
A quick surf to "beerintheevening" via intermittent mobile phone signal indicated a couple of other pubs but the descriptions weren't flattering. With about 45 mins to kill to the next train, we walked into the Live and Let Live for a swift pint of Doom Bar and to watch some football. A much nicer experience...though not one that in anyway made up for the rest of the town.
We hopped on a train, got back to Cambridge and were, again, disappointed to find some of the usual pubs there closed. Eventually we got to the Kingston Arms which was busy but a delight and relief to find. It was my first visit there.
They had a great range of beers on - including my erstwhile favourite ever beer: Thornbridge Jaipur. S went to the loo after requesting a Buntingford Oatmeal Stout. By the time he'd returned I'd bought the beer and found a seat. He looked at the pale beer in my glass and said "...you didn't...?"
At 5.9%, it's not a beer I can drink a lot of...leastways, not without falling over...and we hadn't eaten since breakfast.
In fact, I hadn't...I'd opted for Oakham JHB which is another favourite and much less likely to induce coma.
Second pint was Jaipur, however, and although it was delicious it doesn't have the wow factor for me that it did the first time I tried it. I sneaked in another half of it too just to finish off. By this time we'd eaten (who knew hummous and chips could be such a nice sharing combination?) and S had tried a cider and a perry, we'd also played a couple of hands of Fluxx (a great pub table game, we find).
We strolled round to the station via a shortcut we stumbled on and mused on the day. It wasn't quite what we'd planned (and part of this was our fault since we could have checked opening times on line but didn't) but we'd both had a good time together. We reminded ourselves that if you try new things, and experiment you occasionally get a dull day in Downham Market...
...on the other hand you can also get a fantastic holiday in Plockton or an unexpected beer festival in Sheringham...and I wouldn't like to not have stumbled on those.
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