In a rare excursion into lone drinking of bottled beer I had one of these last night.
Lovely stuff.
Nuff said.
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Monday, 24 March 2014
Moon Over Water
Orwell's Moon Over Water is a fictional perfect pub.
S&I have been musing a lot over the pub we'd have if we owned one. Now, we're not actually thinking of throwing in our current lives and buying a pub. We both know the reality of the life of a publican: busy, relatively little reward, hostage to government policies on alchol control and, all too often, dependence or abuse of your product.
We've been thinking about it because of the three pubs we have been involved in try to save from being turned into something else. If the campaigns on any of them were to be successful, we'd want to be in the forefront of the people putting their money where their mouth is.
Whilst understanding that the context of the pub is important in deciding how you run it, we'd want it to be a place that we really wanted to go to.
Our Moon Over Water would, obviously, serve Real Ale. Now, one reason I would never want to be involved in a pub with a beer tie is that I'm learning how stupidly expensive and restrictive that is. When your beer supplier can not only restrict what you sell to a list of things that you have to buy from them and/or charge you over the odd for it, then the ability to give your punters something new or exciting pretty much evaporates. As a result, the consumer's price for their beer goes up. A lot. that means you're either pricing some customers out entirely or the rest of your offering has to be even better to make up for the expensive beer. What a stupid choice that is when we have a so-say free market economy.
So, I'm talking about us having a freehold pub, with no beer tie, thanks very much.
Yesterday we mused over lagers (the big brands you see on every bar) and nitro-stout. Is it essential to have Fosters, Peroni, Heineken and Kronenburg 1664? (or any similar range?). First off, we both said "no" because they all taste the same, right? And lager drinkers will actually drink any of them. Then we had to review that because we could both put those lagers in the order in which we would actually drink them so probably lager drinkers can tell them apart...so, OK, maybe a choice of a couple of lagers. But I can't help wonder if we could put in craft lagers alongside the mass produced stuff and price it more competitively just to see whether there's price sensitivity to it. Giving people the option to try something more lovingly made.
A good wine list and a mix of spirits are a must - and since they're a lot less time-restricted for sale (unlike real ale) there's not really any excuse for not buying good quality.
Ah, then soft drinks. Not important, you say? Oh they so are. If you don't drink, chances are the pub may not be your favourite venue - but since all your friends drink you'll end up in the pub sometimes. What you need is to be able to choose from some pleasant, grown up, soft drinks or beverages. So - not just manky coke served from a gun...but some decent high quality soft drinks that you don't charge the earth for. Yeah, maybe gun-dispense soda drinks are available too since it should make them very cheap, and useful from time to time.
Now food. First, it has to be available all day (even if not all the menu is). There are strange people like S and I who are about half-a-mealtime out from the rest of the world. It's no good if you stop serving lunch at 2pm and don't serve dinner until 6.30pm. We quite often need to eat at around 3 or 4pm. food doesn't have to be stupidly fancy to be attractive. A good burger (beef, lamb, chicken and veggie) with a nice salad (dressing optional) and chips makes a fine meal. Do a short menu, with style options and do it well. Oh - and not all children only eat McNuggets - so let's have proper meals for children whilst we're at it.
And in a neat segue...children in the pub.
Hmmmm
As an adult drinker - I'd generally rather not be surrounded by other people's children. It's absolutely fine when they're quiet, part of the adult group and they're not generally heard above the general chatter...sadly you can't legislate for that and so I think our pub would need a place for just adults to be.
And while we're at it - I don't hate dogs at all...but I don't want one sniffing my crotch/licking my hands/barking at another dog/eyeing my lunch whilst I'm out for a pleasant drink, thanks. Personally, I think if you can't keep your dog (or child) under control you shouldn't have one...and you certainly shouldn't have one in the pub.
So there would also need to be some four-leg/two-leg segregation.
Actually, thinking about it - rather than pushing the people we don't want out of the main bar...maybe we have a special bar (grumpy old man's room, or similar) for the rest of us, instead.
I think it's all doable...question is would anyone want to come to our pub once we've done it...
S&I have been musing a lot over the pub we'd have if we owned one. Now, we're not actually thinking of throwing in our current lives and buying a pub. We both know the reality of the life of a publican: busy, relatively little reward, hostage to government policies on alchol control and, all too often, dependence or abuse of your product.
We've been thinking about it because of the three pubs we have been involved in try to save from being turned into something else. If the campaigns on any of them were to be successful, we'd want to be in the forefront of the people putting their money where their mouth is.
Whilst understanding that the context of the pub is important in deciding how you run it, we'd want it to be a place that we really wanted to go to.
Our Moon Over Water would, obviously, serve Real Ale. Now, one reason I would never want to be involved in a pub with a beer tie is that I'm learning how stupidly expensive and restrictive that is. When your beer supplier can not only restrict what you sell to a list of things that you have to buy from them and/or charge you over the odd for it, then the ability to give your punters something new or exciting pretty much evaporates. As a result, the consumer's price for their beer goes up. A lot. that means you're either pricing some customers out entirely or the rest of your offering has to be even better to make up for the expensive beer. What a stupid choice that is when we have a so-say free market economy.
So, I'm talking about us having a freehold pub, with no beer tie, thanks very much.
Yesterday we mused over lagers (the big brands you see on every bar) and nitro-stout. Is it essential to have Fosters, Peroni, Heineken and Kronenburg 1664? (or any similar range?). First off, we both said "no" because they all taste the same, right? And lager drinkers will actually drink any of them. Then we had to review that because we could both put those lagers in the order in which we would actually drink them so probably lager drinkers can tell them apart...so, OK, maybe a choice of a couple of lagers. But I can't help wonder if we could put in craft lagers alongside the mass produced stuff and price it more competitively just to see whether there's price sensitivity to it. Giving people the option to try something more lovingly made.
A good wine list and a mix of spirits are a must - and since they're a lot less time-restricted for sale (unlike real ale) there's not really any excuse for not buying good quality.
Ah, then soft drinks. Not important, you say? Oh they so are. If you don't drink, chances are the pub may not be your favourite venue - but since all your friends drink you'll end up in the pub sometimes. What you need is to be able to choose from some pleasant, grown up, soft drinks or beverages. So - not just manky coke served from a gun...but some decent high quality soft drinks that you don't charge the earth for. Yeah, maybe gun-dispense soda drinks are available too since it should make them very cheap, and useful from time to time.
Now food. First, it has to be available all day (even if not all the menu is). There are strange people like S and I who are about half-a-mealtime out from the rest of the world. It's no good if you stop serving lunch at 2pm and don't serve dinner until 6.30pm. We quite often need to eat at around 3 or 4pm. food doesn't have to be stupidly fancy to be attractive. A good burger (beef, lamb, chicken and veggie) with a nice salad (dressing optional) and chips makes a fine meal. Do a short menu, with style options and do it well. Oh - and not all children only eat McNuggets - so let's have proper meals for children whilst we're at it.
And in a neat segue...children in the pub.
Hmmmm
As an adult drinker - I'd generally rather not be surrounded by other people's children. It's absolutely fine when they're quiet, part of the adult group and they're not generally heard above the general chatter...sadly you can't legislate for that and so I think our pub would need a place for just adults to be.
And while we're at it - I don't hate dogs at all...but I don't want one sniffing my crotch/licking my hands/barking at another dog/eyeing my lunch whilst I'm out for a pleasant drink, thanks. Personally, I think if you can't keep your dog (or child) under control you shouldn't have one...and you certainly shouldn't have one in the pub.
So there would also need to be some four-leg/two-leg segregation.
Actually, thinking about it - rather than pushing the people we don't want out of the main bar...maybe we have a special bar (grumpy old man's room, or similar) for the rest of us, instead.
I think it's all doable...question is would anyone want to come to our pub once we've done it...
Friday, 21 March 2014
Sectarianism
I had an odd experience today.
I met a pal for a lunchtime worky kinda meeting in a pub in town. The Dolphin is a lovely place - nice lunch, a decent range of beer and friendly staff.
Today I particularly appreciated the ease with which I could swap chips and slaw for a salad with no dressing to go with my burger.
We both know the landlady pretty well so it wasn't surprising that she stopped by for a chat.
We got talking about keg vs cask (in a craft beer context) and she looked apologetic for a moment and said "ah, you're a CAMRA member, aren't you..." and then shuffled a bit uncomfortably as if I might suddenly disapprove of the pub because they were thinking about maybe holding an event that would serve some keg craft beer.
Or, worse, that I'd call the CAMRA police and have them banished from the GBG.
That I don't like keg beer, as a rule, is a matter of personal choice. I generally find it too cold, too fizzy and lacking the subtlety that a really good cask beer can have. My looking disappointed when she talked about the keg beer was that it would be an event I probably wouldn't rush to attend...rather a look of disapproval.
I would hope that the CAMpaign for Real Ale was more about being for real ale, and less against all other forms of beer...isn't it?
Real Ale is served from a cask but not all Good Beer is Real Ale, surely.
I applaud anyone's effort to produce a lovingly created product in the hope that people will enjoy it.
I'm also a CAMRA member but please don't think that makes me hate everything that isn't cask beer.
I met a pal for a lunchtime worky kinda meeting in a pub in town. The Dolphin is a lovely place - nice lunch, a decent range of beer and friendly staff.
Today I particularly appreciated the ease with which I could swap chips and slaw for a salad with no dressing to go with my burger.
We both know the landlady pretty well so it wasn't surprising that she stopped by for a chat.
We got talking about keg vs cask (in a craft beer context) and she looked apologetic for a moment and said "ah, you're a CAMRA member, aren't you..." and then shuffled a bit uncomfortably as if I might suddenly disapprove of the pub because they were thinking about maybe holding an event that would serve some keg craft beer.
Or, worse, that I'd call the CAMRA police and have them banished from the GBG.
That I don't like keg beer, as a rule, is a matter of personal choice. I generally find it too cold, too fizzy and lacking the subtlety that a really good cask beer can have. My looking disappointed when she talked about the keg beer was that it would be an event I probably wouldn't rush to attend...rather a look of disapproval.
I would hope that the CAMpaign for Real Ale was more about being for real ale, and less against all other forms of beer...isn't it?
Real Ale is served from a cask but not all Good Beer is Real Ale, surely.
I applaud anyone's effort to produce a lovingly created product in the hope that people will enjoy it.
I'm also a CAMRA member but please don't think that makes me hate everything that isn't cask beer.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Know your customer
Last night, The Crown - in Old Town - increased another notch in my estimation.
We'd convened a community group meeting there - partly because it's the nearest pub for at least three of the attendees - and I turned up about 15 mins early to ensure I was there to greet people.
It's a sort of a three room pub but the divisions are more-or-less virtual.
The room I chose had the least people in it, and the benefit of a decent-sized round table which was available.
As people trickled into the pub for the meeting, the landlord popped over to the table and said "are you having a meeting here?" - I waited for the "I'm sorry, but..." excuse when I answered "yes". Instead, I got a cheery - "would you like me to turn off the speaker above your head so you can hear yourselves chat?".
Now, I call that a man who understands his pub and is paying attention to what's going on.
I've promised to spread our meetings around because the group come from all over the town...but we'll definitely be back.
Oh, and as usual, I had a couple of great pints of Hophead straight from a cask. Yum.
We'd convened a community group meeting there - partly because it's the nearest pub for at least three of the attendees - and I turned up about 15 mins early to ensure I was there to greet people.
It's a sort of a three room pub but the divisions are more-or-less virtual.
The room I chose had the least people in it, and the benefit of a decent-sized round table which was available.
As people trickled into the pub for the meeting, the landlord popped over to the table and said "are you having a meeting here?" - I waited for the "I'm sorry, but..." excuse when I answered "yes". Instead, I got a cheery - "would you like me to turn off the speaker above your head so you can hear yourselves chat?".
Now, I call that a man who understands his pub and is paying attention to what's going on.
I've promised to spread our meetings around because the group come from all over the town...but we'll definitely be back.
Oh, and as usual, I had a couple of great pints of Hophead straight from a cask. Yum.
Monday, 17 March 2014
Beer, beer, beer
So it was S & my first chilled weekend for seemingly ages so we had plans to do very little after the beer festival on Friday night.
The festival itself settled around us like a loud, but jolly friend of whom we are immensely fond but can't cope with too often. The evening always starts slowly but as we settled into the groove it zooms away amongst loud chatter, the trying of the beer (yours and other people's), eating of pasties and chocolate and increasing inebriation.
I managed to tick my list of beers I wanted to try - but I don't have it to hand here. I was a little disappointed by local new brewery "Twisted Oak", but enjoyed the Penzance "Thirty Summit" which is a new brew. A couple of the beers I was hoping to try (Rocket Science and Tiny Rebel Fubar) weren't available when I was...so they got missed but I think my star was a black IPA by Salopian, called Black Ops. At 7.4% it packed a hell of a punch but it was really nicely balanced and dangerously drinkable. I also, rather rashly, had some Sadlers "Dr Hardwicke's IPA" which, again, was strong and delicious.
Needless to say, after all those, and probably 4 more (though I really can't remember) I was largely fit for nothing. It's unusual for me to be quite so drunk, but since all S&I had to do was stroll the five minutes back to the flat, it was quite nice to be able to let go and let the beery haze wash over me.
Weirdly enough, there was next to no next-day aftermath. Both of us were a little dehydrated but coffee and cereal set us up sufficiently to go out for some fresh air, ....errr...and pub in which to watch the culmination of the Six Nations.
There don't seem to be many pubs nearby that are in "the guide" and have sports coverage...but we ambled around to the "Naval Volunteer"
The last time we came in here it had literally just opened and had a "trying a bit hard" feel which doesn't make for a relaxed atmosphere. Also, they only had a couple of cask ales on and we hadn't been moved to come back so far. Nevertheless it promised sport and good beer so we thought we'd give it a try.
We were pleasantly surprised. TV's were spread around the place but weren't so intrusive that you couldn't do anything but watch them. This time there were 10 beers on cask and no complaints about the range of styles or the quality of the offering.
I had a couple of pints of an Anarchy Blonde beer which was good and S had a stout which he enjoyed, and Cheddar Goat's Leap which was alright but not great.
The service was a bit lack-lustre - they could really take a lesson out of the Evening Star's book for vigilance over who is next in the queue or even just an acknowledgement they've seen you - but I know this is a quibble.
I have to say the prices are a bit eye watering (£4+ for a pint of cask ale) but oddly, we didn't begrudge it because the atmosphere was pleasant. It's still not going to be on my list of places I go to regularly but it has gone up in my estimation.
After we watched England beat Italy it was time for more fresh air - and a bit of culture so we wandered around the harbourside, stopping in at the Arnolfini, Architecture Centre and the MShed for a quick look.
Thence to the Orchard - a favourite backstreet haunt, mostly for the "proper pubbiness", definite feeling of "localness" and (for S, at least) a cracking range of cider.
It was rammed and loud and the cider was far better than the beer - which is a shame since I've had great beer there before - but it was mostly about watching the France v Ireland match.
We had a seat (we'd have probably left if we didn't) so it served the purpose - but the sheer volume of people somewhat wrecked the usual chilled atmosphere we like in there.
Still - once again, purpose was served and we walked home grateful for a bit of peace.
Sunday morning, S asks me "so where's the 'new pub'" this time, then?
As I've probably mentioned before, every time S stays in Bristol I try and take him to a new pub (it doesn't have to be in the guide, but I do try to get them covered).
So this time we went to the Totterdown/Bedminster part of town.
The walk part of the expedition was through Victoria Park which was very nice in the sunshine and gives excellent views from the centre part of it (it being set around a hill).
We'd had an abortive attempt to go to The Windmill a couple of Christmasses ago - but it seemed rude not to try again.
Very nice pub, but with average beer. I can't even remember what beer it was. But I'd probably be happy enough to try there again (the Sunday lunch looked really nice) assuming that they changed their beer regularly.
So after one pint we did a bit of urban exploration (even walking through city back-streets is pleasant with a companion who, like you, likes to do a bit of architectural sherlocking) and strolled in a wide curve around to St John's lane and headed for the Victoria Park.
Now, this is a place that offers so much: good-looking food; real ale; good coffee; spirits of every type and (very oddly for somewhere set in a tight-packed Victorian housing estate ) an immense garden.
Sadly, on a sunny Sunday with the place lousy with thirty-somethings and their numerous offspring they simply didn't have sufficient staff on bar duty. There were just two chaps - one of whom was making a round of coffees and the other who was doing alchemy with bloody-marys (maries?).
As we muttered darkly next to the chap calmly putting together a cappuccino, a latte and an americano he didn't miss a beat and as soon as he took them out for delivery in the garden (seriously, bar staff waiting table??? come on) he said "I'll serve you as soon as I get back" - which I liked.
He was as good as his word, and the second he returned he was there with a smile and a "what can I get you". He appreciated the joke that we said at least we were simple as we ordered a pint of Butty Bach and an Arbor Best Bitter (can't remember the name) and he poured them quickly, efficiently and with good spirit - then smiled as I awarded him brownie points for remaining composed under pressure.
The beer was excellent. They had three beers on: one gold, one brown, one stout. This is what we like to see.
We took our drinks and enjoyed them in the garden (despite it being a bit yummy-mummy-central).
We agreed that if this was our local, we wouldn't be disappointed, but it's not likely to be a frequent drop-in for us.
So we took our leave and I was horrified to see the length of the queue at the bar as we left - probably 20 people waiting in line to be served. If we'd have arrived to that length of queue, we would have walked straight out. Such a shame.
So we wended back through the park and landed at the Star and Dove. Another (like the Victoria Park) which was a hideous dive 10 years ago and has now responded to the gentrification of the area in which it sits and has been transformed.
This was much quieter since we'd clearly missed the lunchtime rush. We got a couple of pints (Goffs Jouster and something I can't remember) and some sausage-based bar snacks (sausage roll and scotch egg) and found a good seat.
The live music in the next room was a bit oppressive but it stopped after about 15 minutes.
All in all this, too, is a nice enough place - but in line with the themes of the other two places...it's not really a pub as such.
I mean, they all look like pubs but they're clearly opening their options to as many people as they possibly can - and I absolutely don't blame them - but in doing that, they lose some of the essential pubbiness of the buildings they have taken over.
They are cafes for the yummy mummy generation who don't want their social lives to stop with the arrival of children.
The walk back to the flat was full of talk about the best pub we could craft from somewhere in Eastbourne...then we packed bags, cleaned the kitchen and headed out for our pre-leaving beer. This time, we weren't parting so it felt more upbeat than our usual parting Sundays.
We headed for the Bridge, which we hadn't visited for while. This is a pub that can feel too crowded with three people in it, if those people are of a "spread my stuff around" nature.
But, it's most definitely a pub.
Now, you might be getting the idea that we're extremely hard to please when it comes to drinking establishments. OK, I'll grant you that.
We're open to a wide range of styles of places - each of which has their own charms - but within that, we're very fussy indeed as to what constitutes a place we really like.
Happily, the Bridge was just what we wanted. Half a dozen other punters, really good beer (not a huge choice, but what they had was delicious) and a place of pleasant chatter and trivia game playing (which I won, unusually) for an hour or so. And at £2.50 a pint at this time on a Sunday, a very welcome price, too.
Bristol has certainly gone from strength to strength in the range and quality of beer available in the city and for that I'm thankful. To the extent that I don't really need the annual fix of 120 beers in one place (since even with halves I can't do more than about eight of them). So my decision to leave the staff of the festival (and with it, leaving attending the festival) due to my lack of time in Bristol, seems the right one, at the right time.
The festival will go on - and, I hope, beer will continue getting better in the city.
The other thing this weekend has reinforced is that you have to go a long way to beat The Barleymow for a local.
The festival itself settled around us like a loud, but jolly friend of whom we are immensely fond but can't cope with too often. The evening always starts slowly but as we settled into the groove it zooms away amongst loud chatter, the trying of the beer (yours and other people's), eating of pasties and chocolate and increasing inebriation.
I managed to tick my list of beers I wanted to try - but I don't have it to hand here. I was a little disappointed by local new brewery "Twisted Oak", but enjoyed the Penzance "Thirty Summit" which is a new brew. A couple of the beers I was hoping to try (Rocket Science and Tiny Rebel Fubar) weren't available when I was...so they got missed but I think my star was a black IPA by Salopian, called Black Ops. At 7.4% it packed a hell of a punch but it was really nicely balanced and dangerously drinkable. I also, rather rashly, had some Sadlers "Dr Hardwicke's IPA" which, again, was strong and delicious.
Needless to say, after all those, and probably 4 more (though I really can't remember) I was largely fit for nothing. It's unusual for me to be quite so drunk, but since all S&I had to do was stroll the five minutes back to the flat, it was quite nice to be able to let go and let the beery haze wash over me.
Weirdly enough, there was next to no next-day aftermath. Both of us were a little dehydrated but coffee and cereal set us up sufficiently to go out for some fresh air, ....errr...and pub in which to watch the culmination of the Six Nations.
There don't seem to be many pubs nearby that are in "the guide" and have sports coverage...but we ambled around to the "Naval Volunteer"
The last time we came in here it had literally just opened and had a "trying a bit hard" feel which doesn't make for a relaxed atmosphere. Also, they only had a couple of cask ales on and we hadn't been moved to come back so far. Nevertheless it promised sport and good beer so we thought we'd give it a try.
We were pleasantly surprised. TV's were spread around the place but weren't so intrusive that you couldn't do anything but watch them. This time there were 10 beers on cask and no complaints about the range of styles or the quality of the offering.
I had a couple of pints of an Anarchy Blonde beer which was good and S had a stout which he enjoyed, and Cheddar Goat's Leap which was alright but not great.
The service was a bit lack-lustre - they could really take a lesson out of the Evening Star's book for vigilance over who is next in the queue or even just an acknowledgement they've seen you - but I know this is a quibble.
I have to say the prices are a bit eye watering (£4+ for a pint of cask ale) but oddly, we didn't begrudge it because the atmosphere was pleasant. It's still not going to be on my list of places I go to regularly but it has gone up in my estimation.
After we watched England beat Italy it was time for more fresh air - and a bit of culture so we wandered around the harbourside, stopping in at the Arnolfini, Architecture Centre and the MShed for a quick look.
Thence to the Orchard - a favourite backstreet haunt, mostly for the "proper pubbiness", definite feeling of "localness" and (for S, at least) a cracking range of cider.
It was rammed and loud and the cider was far better than the beer - which is a shame since I've had great beer there before - but it was mostly about watching the France v Ireland match.
We had a seat (we'd have probably left if we didn't) so it served the purpose - but the sheer volume of people somewhat wrecked the usual chilled atmosphere we like in there.
Still - once again, purpose was served and we walked home grateful for a bit of peace.
Sunday morning, S asks me "so where's the 'new pub'" this time, then?
As I've probably mentioned before, every time S stays in Bristol I try and take him to a new pub (it doesn't have to be in the guide, but I do try to get them covered).
So this time we went to the Totterdown/Bedminster part of town.
The walk part of the expedition was through Victoria Park which was very nice in the sunshine and gives excellent views from the centre part of it (it being set around a hill).
We'd had an abortive attempt to go to The Windmill a couple of Christmasses ago - but it seemed rude not to try again.
Very nice pub, but with average beer. I can't even remember what beer it was. But I'd probably be happy enough to try there again (the Sunday lunch looked really nice) assuming that they changed their beer regularly.
So after one pint we did a bit of urban exploration (even walking through city back-streets is pleasant with a companion who, like you, likes to do a bit of architectural sherlocking) and strolled in a wide curve around to St John's lane and headed for the Victoria Park.
Now, this is a place that offers so much: good-looking food; real ale; good coffee; spirits of every type and (very oddly for somewhere set in a tight-packed Victorian housing estate ) an immense garden.
Sadly, on a sunny Sunday with the place lousy with thirty-somethings and their numerous offspring they simply didn't have sufficient staff on bar duty. There were just two chaps - one of whom was making a round of coffees and the other who was doing alchemy with bloody-marys (maries?).
As we muttered darkly next to the chap calmly putting together a cappuccino, a latte and an americano he didn't miss a beat and as soon as he took them out for delivery in the garden (seriously, bar staff waiting table??? come on) he said "I'll serve you as soon as I get back" - which I liked.
He was as good as his word, and the second he returned he was there with a smile and a "what can I get you". He appreciated the joke that we said at least we were simple as we ordered a pint of Butty Bach and an Arbor Best Bitter (can't remember the name) and he poured them quickly, efficiently and with good spirit - then smiled as I awarded him brownie points for remaining composed under pressure.
The beer was excellent. They had three beers on: one gold, one brown, one stout. This is what we like to see.
We took our drinks and enjoyed them in the garden (despite it being a bit yummy-mummy-central).
We agreed that if this was our local, we wouldn't be disappointed, but it's not likely to be a frequent drop-in for us.
So we took our leave and I was horrified to see the length of the queue at the bar as we left - probably 20 people waiting in line to be served. If we'd have arrived to that length of queue, we would have walked straight out. Such a shame.
So we wended back through the park and landed at the Star and Dove. Another (like the Victoria Park) which was a hideous dive 10 years ago and has now responded to the gentrification of the area in which it sits and has been transformed.
This was much quieter since we'd clearly missed the lunchtime rush. We got a couple of pints (Goffs Jouster and something I can't remember) and some sausage-based bar snacks (sausage roll and scotch egg) and found a good seat.
The live music in the next room was a bit oppressive but it stopped after about 15 minutes.
All in all this, too, is a nice enough place - but in line with the themes of the other two places...it's not really a pub as such.
I mean, they all look like pubs but they're clearly opening their options to as many people as they possibly can - and I absolutely don't blame them - but in doing that, they lose some of the essential pubbiness of the buildings they have taken over.
They are cafes for the yummy mummy generation who don't want their social lives to stop with the arrival of children.
The walk back to the flat was full of talk about the best pub we could craft from somewhere in Eastbourne...then we packed bags, cleaned the kitchen and headed out for our pre-leaving beer. This time, we weren't parting so it felt more upbeat than our usual parting Sundays.
We headed for the Bridge, which we hadn't visited for while. This is a pub that can feel too crowded with three people in it, if those people are of a "spread my stuff around" nature.
But, it's most definitely a pub.
Now, you might be getting the idea that we're extremely hard to please when it comes to drinking establishments. OK, I'll grant you that.
We're open to a wide range of styles of places - each of which has their own charms - but within that, we're very fussy indeed as to what constitutes a place we really like.
Happily, the Bridge was just what we wanted. Half a dozen other punters, really good beer (not a huge choice, but what they had was delicious) and a place of pleasant chatter and trivia game playing (which I won, unusually) for an hour or so. And at £2.50 a pint at this time on a Sunday, a very welcome price, too.
Bristol has certainly gone from strength to strength in the range and quality of beer available in the city and for that I'm thankful. To the extent that I don't really need the annual fix of 120 beers in one place (since even with halves I can't do more than about eight of them). So my decision to leave the staff of the festival (and with it, leaving attending the festival) due to my lack of time in Bristol, seems the right one, at the right time.
The festival will go on - and, I hope, beer will continue getting better in the city.
The other thing this weekend has reinforced is that you have to go a long way to beat The Barleymow for a local.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Festival Fever
It's been a busy week for me.
For the last few years I've volunteered to help set up the Bristol Beer Festival.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to run a festival, then I can tell you - a LOT of organization, a LOT of patience, a good sense of humour and a vast number of lovely volunteers.
In Bristol we start with a lovely venue - "Brunel's Old Station" at Temple Meads in Bristol
This is particularly fortunate for those who like to associate their beer with trains...
Then you need stillage to put your casks on. But it arrives in pieces, like a Meccano set.
Of course - you also need beer. In this case more than 100 casks of the stuff. Many hands are needed to roll the casks in from the lorry to the hall...
Casks get sorted and stored whilst the length of stillage continues to be built. Everyone trying not to get in each others' way.
Meanwhile, there are less physical jobs to do: taps and other accoutrements need to be thoroughly washed to ensure the beer stays in tip-top condition.
Casks are carefully lifted onto the stillage using hoists.
They have to steadied and properly oriented (with the tap hole at the bottom) and then chocked in place
By the end of day one of set-up all the casks are neatly racked on the stillage settling nicely.
Day two is mostly about preparing the rest of the room: a secure area to sell tokens and memorabilia...
Tables to seat about 400 people (out of a capacity of nearly 1000) are positioned, covered and chairs arranged around them.
There are long ladders to be climbed so that banners can be hung - from CAMRA, from local breweries and from a charity we're supporing. All this goes to make the room feel more festive.
Some of our volunteers even help man-handle the staff loos into a tight parking space.
In addition to all this are such diverse jobs as putting programmes and tokens in glasses ready to hand to people as they arrive; putting up signage to loos, exits, for tokens and so that people can see roughly where their chosen beer might be.
Some of the jobs take a bit of experience and skill, others just take a bit of effort and it's great to be part of a big group of people all coming together for one purpose, and because they enjoy it.
So the next time you attend a beer festival, remember the volunteers who are not only working to serve behind the bar, or check your ticket as you come in - there are oodles of people who have also set the place up...and there will be volunteers after to take it all down.
Why not think about becoming a volunteer yourself? Almost all festivals would welcome more help, and even if you're a bit shy or reserved, it's a really nice way to meet people. There's a job that suits everyone and anyone...so join in!
For the last few years I've volunteered to help set up the Bristol Beer Festival.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to run a festival, then I can tell you - a LOT of organization, a LOT of patience, a good sense of humour and a vast number of lovely volunteers.
This is particularly fortunate for those who like to associate their beer with trains...
Then you need stillage to put your casks on. But it arrives in pieces, like a Meccano set.
Of course - you also need beer. In this case more than 100 casks of the stuff. Many hands are needed to roll the casks in from the lorry to the hall...
Casks get sorted and stored whilst the length of stillage continues to be built. Everyone trying not to get in each others' way.
Meanwhile, there are less physical jobs to do: taps and other accoutrements need to be thoroughly washed to ensure the beer stays in tip-top condition.
Casks are carefully lifted onto the stillage using hoists.
They have to steadied and properly oriented (with the tap hole at the bottom) and then chocked in place
By the end of day one of set-up all the casks are neatly racked on the stillage settling nicely.
Day two is mostly about preparing the rest of the room: a secure area to sell tokens and memorabilia...
Tables to seat about 400 people (out of a capacity of nearly 1000) are positioned, covered and chairs arranged around them.
There are long ladders to be climbed so that banners can be hung - from CAMRA, from local breweries and from a charity we're supporing. All this goes to make the room feel more festive.
Some of our volunteers even help man-handle the staff loos into a tight parking space.
Some of the jobs take a bit of experience and skill, others just take a bit of effort and it's great to be part of a big group of people all coming together for one purpose, and because they enjoy it.
So the next time you attend a beer festival, remember the volunteers who are not only working to serve behind the bar, or check your ticket as you come in - there are oodles of people who have also set the place up...and there will be volunteers after to take it all down.
Why not think about becoming a volunteer yourself? Almost all festivals would welcome more help, and even if you're a bit shy or reserved, it's a really nice way to meet people. There's a job that suits everyone and anyone...so join in!
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Pre-event Stress
Last night was our last Bristol Beer Festival organizers' meeting before the festival starts.
As set-up manager, I needed to be there to check the last few details.
I'd had a bit of a day of it, and I was detained so I arrived late (I hate arriving late) so I didn't have much time to mull over the beer choices at the bar. They had a couple of Moles beers (but I've never been keen) and Gloucester "Black Simcoe".
I plumped for the latter - even though it was 6.2% and very dark.
I was very glad I did, in fact. It was a really nice balanced beer whose flavour belied its ABV. It allowed me to sip it slowly whilst the stresses of 20 people who are trying to get the final details of a beer festival sorted out were vented.
In the end I only had one pint, which was just as well, and felt perfectly satisfied with my choice, and the volume drunk.
If nothing else, I need to remind myself that, whilst light beers are usually my first choice, black beers - or at least good black beers - are a lovely diversion from time to time.
As set-up manager, I needed to be there to check the last few details.
I'd had a bit of a day of it, and I was detained so I arrived late (I hate arriving late) so I didn't have much time to mull over the beer choices at the bar. They had a couple of Moles beers (but I've never been keen) and Gloucester "Black Simcoe".
I plumped for the latter - even though it was 6.2% and very dark.
I was very glad I did, in fact. It was a really nice balanced beer whose flavour belied its ABV. It allowed me to sip it slowly whilst the stresses of 20 people who are trying to get the final details of a beer festival sorted out were vented.
In the end I only had one pint, which was just as well, and felt perfectly satisfied with my choice, and the volume drunk.
If nothing else, I need to remind myself that, whilst light beers are usually my first choice, black beers - or at least good black beers - are a lovely diversion from time to time.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Normality resumed
I had the best pint I'd had for ages, today.
It was Harveys Best.
"but wait!", I hear you cry, "...you said Harveys wasn't your favourite beer"
You're right, it isn't.
But today it was perfect. We'd had quite the busy weekend: completely filled organizing and attending some events we were putting on for a community project we're running.
We'd had the performer as a house guest and he was excellent company but he left this morning and by lunchtime the two of us were ready for a bit of R&R.
So we settled in at The Lamb for lunch and a couple of pints. The sudden release of tension and responsibility that we'd had a few days was intoxicating in itself, and the beer was the icing on the cake.
As ever, simple pleasures and some down time win it every time.
It was Harveys Best.
"but wait!", I hear you cry, "...you said Harveys wasn't your favourite beer"
You're right, it isn't.
But today it was perfect. We'd had quite the busy weekend: completely filled organizing and attending some events we were putting on for a community project we're running.
We'd had the performer as a house guest and he was excellent company but he left this morning and by lunchtime the two of us were ready for a bit of R&R.
So we settled in at The Lamb for lunch and a couple of pints. The sudden release of tension and responsibility that we'd had a few days was intoxicating in itself, and the beer was the icing on the cake.
As ever, simple pleasures and some down time win it every time.
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