The Belgian Bar

This little cold snap has really bitten hard.

Our little shop where we help people get and stay safely online, and encourage kids into a bit of digital creativity (sorry for the shameless plug) only has single-glazed windows - it's tricky to heat effectively.  I was on duty all day until our young workshop attendees left the building at 5.30pm.

I thought I'd prepared for the expected chill with many layers of clothing but as I left the building after dark it almost took my breath away.  The BBB and I had already planned to go to the Belgian Bar but then I remembered I needed to pick up some groceries from the local shop around the corner.  Himself headed onto the bar to get the beers in whilst I popped in and picked up some Turkish bread and black peppercorns.

The temporary respite from the cold, only served to make me feel colder as I left the shop.  I don't think I've ever walked quite so fast to the bar.

Opening the door and coming in to the bar was like being enveloped in a heated duvet.  It was glorious.

He'd already ordered two pints and was sitting down waiting.

The beer was just what I needed to stave off the chill (I know the physiology, and how much that statement is not literally true, but you know I mean).  The ABV of the Belgian Bar beers wanders around a bit but is always upwards of 5%, it seems.  

We left at around 7.30pm and the temperature had dropped further - I cursed my lack of a hat. 

I'd have been warmer if we'd gone straight home but I wouldn't have missed that feeling of just warming up with a beer in my head for the world. 

 

 

 

Strong Cask Beers

 We popped into Beerarama on Friday, after work, to take advantage of their weekend cask beer.

We normally start with weaker/lighter cask beers and maybe progress to stronger/darker.

For example, in the Barley Mow - I'll normally start with their sub-4% light beer, BBB typically starts around 4.2%.  The BM's cask offering usually allows for a gentle ramp up. 

We were arriving at Beerarama from different directions and I got there first.  The cask offering was Kernel Brown Ale at 5.2% (or something). I toyed with the idea of something lighter first, but I find going from keg to cask a bit disconcerting so I ordered two two-thirds (a pint felt a bit weighty).

I remarked that I don't normally start at 5.2% and we shared a bit of a joke.  Then I mentioned that Ringwood 49er would once have been a favourite but always felt strong.  Jamie wasn't aware of Ringwood - but then again, he's pretty young.  The customers either side of me were more contemporary of me and we all had a bit of a sighing reminiscence of Ringwood (presumably now gobbled or disappeared by an UberBrand): both 49-er and old Thumper.

Anyway - to the Kernel: the way the beer poured, and the amount of condition in it, I could easily have been fooled (but for the temperature) that it was keg.  The head was small but tight and almost viscous.

 It punched above its weight even for over 5% and, despite it not normally being a beer I might choose, it was absolutely lovely.  The BBB approved of my choice, too.

So much so that he went back for another whilst I switched up to a Beak 6% hipster-beer.  

I was uncharacteristically squiffy by the time it came to leave.  

I think I'm seeing fewer strong cask beers on even cask-first bars - but maybe I'm just not going to the right places. 

Harvey's Old

I was working in a chilly basement all day yesterday, getting laptops ready to be donated to people on low incomes who don't have them, can't afford to buy them and are finding themselves digitally excluded without them.

By the time I came to leave, I was cold and tired and was quite prepared to come home - then the BBB suggested "Crown" or "Lamb" as a compromise between him coming all the way into town and me coming all the way home.

We hadn't been to The Lamb, a Harvey's tied house since the dawn of time, for several months - it's not really a summer pub.  So for a damp November afternoon/evening it was quite appealing.

I arrived first, settled into a seat by a radiator (sadly no wood burner running at the time), disappointed not to see Bonfire Boy on the bar (apparently more available in a day or so) but got two pints of Armada from a cask choice of "Best" (of course); Armada, Sisters and XX Mild.  BBB arrived very shortly after. 

 A couple of months' absence from Harveys beers (we only ever have them in a Harveys pub and usually only in Eastbourne - maybe with an extension to the John Harvey pub/tap in its hometown) had made the palate grow fonder.

First pint barely touched the sides: Harveys works particularly well in a 12th Century building.  Also the bar manager on duty is the absolute cream of the crop in bar staff.

The BBB and I caught up on our respective days and, unaccountably, both reminisced about narrowboat holidays we'd had in previous lives.

For a second pint I asked for Old.  I'm a fairly recent convert to this beer (maybe a couple of years ago) although I never want too much of it.  The first sip was absolutely stunning.

It punches well above its ABV.

I've tried Long Man brewery "Old Man" but it's never felt as rich or hefty. Whereas I like to drink Moor's Old Freddy Walker late in the day the Harveys Old I drank yesterday evening was a perfect 6pm beer.

 

 

 

 

Newness

 Now we're back in Eastbourne, we'd already reacquainted ourselves with the Crown to meet up with friend and colleague, W.  Oakham Green Wave (or something) wasn't in the first flush but was lovely.

Friday and Saturday we were scheduled to be in work, in town. 

So, on Friday we opted for a new place that's opened - Wolf on the Corner.  It's effectively a micropub but it's more a bar, really - with good beer.  It's a joint venture between one tiny local brewery and a local cider producer.

It'll be very close to our new place of work (always assuming that goes ahead, as planned) from early next year. 

It opens at 4pm and we arrived about 30mins later.  It was already pretty busy.

They had a cask beer on - it was by BRZN but at 3.4%, the BBB wanted something a bit stronger.  So I had the BRZN and he had Joosy by unbarred.

One of the owners was serving and he immediately asked if I wanted my beer in a straight or handled glass (always extra points for that).  It was then I noticed that one of the other bar staff was the brilliant G from the, sadly closed, Bottle Grove.  It was so lovely to see him again - one of the very best bar folk, ever!

BBB had found a table to sit at - possibly the last one at the time.  More people came in.

We recognised a few folk from the local "beer" scene - but not everyone.  The demographic seemed subtly different.

The bar had a fairly generous number of beers on offer - but it was sticking with an Oktoberfest vibe and so there were kellerbeers, wit beers and lagers very heavily represented.  I'm guessing (hoping, really) that this was just a seasonal thing - although I very nearly tried one of the stronger ones.  I don't hate any of those styles, when done well, it's just that it'll never be my first choice (I say "never" but more accurately it's probably "just now").

Anyhow, the atmosphere was good - though there's a huge expanse of shop glass which I think might make it a bit subject to temperature challenges...but that's for another time.

I enjoyed my first beer so much - I had a second.  He chose something from the Oktober range - it was nice - a little Kwak-like possibly.

We were very happy that 2/3rds are available.

Third round was Joosy for me and a med-dry cider (seemed fitting) for him.  

We've identified it as a good place to take sisters, in future, potentially and that's always a nice thing. 

We'll definitely be back but next time we'll time the walk from bar to bus stop a little better, I think.