Getting Better All the Time

 The new bar (Beerarama) was on the list of places to visit iminently.

So we did.

It's pretty close to our work HQ (5 - 10 mins walk) so when I was working one day we arranged to meet there.

I arrived first and the owners were friendly and keen to welcome me.

It was only a couple of days after their "official" opening and they said how pleased they were that people were already finding the place.

The bar was stocked with 5 or so keg lines and the fridges packed with cans - many of which were names new to me.  The keg beers on offer were all quite stong, but I coped.

Pleased to see they have adopted the "2/3rd" option on their board that's what I had, and I settled into a comfy chair and started to enjoy it.

We had a bit of general chit-chat about beer and Eastbourne-and-beer and a joke about whether they'd be offering Harveys (that one never seems to get old when talking to craft beer folk).

Then the best-beer-buddy arrived, did another meet/greet/how's it going conversation with the owners and then settled down next to me with a beer.

We loved the comfy chairs - although we're normally more keen on sitting in corners - and there isn't really one in this bar.  No matter.

Also, there are full-width bifold doors to the front of the place which will open in summer to make the whole place feel light, airy and an indoor-outdoor combo. What's not to like?

In fact I seem to remember that there's a nascent plan to pedestrianise this bit of the road and if that comes to fruition, Beerarama will really benefit, I think.

When I went to top up the beers, one of owners told me how pleased he was to see a woman come in on her own and that they were hoping to promote an atmosphere where women felt comfortable to sit and drink.  I like that they'd actually given this some thought.  I do feel like I'm quite atypical in women beer drinkers (at least in Eastbourne) - as I told him, these days I'm pretty happy to go into almost any beer-related pub on my own because I know how pubs work, and I know my beer so I'm never likely to be intimidated by the place.

All that said, I'd certainly be happy to take any female friends and colleagues into a place like this - so bravo.

We've been back once and we'll be doing a work thing next week there.  I definitely like the place, and the guys that run it.

 It almost feels like Eastbourne is finally starting to get the beer vibe - thank goodness!