Mild for the Time of Year

 Actually, it isn't really.

 Today and yesterday bright and clear...and fecking cold!  Even the frogs who have been doing a lot of practice nocturnal cavorting in the pond for a week or more seem to have taken refuge at the bottom for the time being.  Probably wise, frozen spawn doesn't have a good time of it.

After work on Friday we ambled, in the biting cold wind, towards Wolf without really discussing where we wanted to go...a pattern emerging, it seems.

We arrived maybe 20 minutes after opening time to find it pleasantly peopled.

The cask was Abyss Mild -  it's not style I drink much of these days and at 3.4% maybe not a first choice if there had been another style/strength of cask on offer.  All that said - it was absolutely gorgeous and we were both so pleased to have it.  The two pints disappeared quickly.

There's not always a vast range of things we want to try but there's always enough.  Second up decided that Lindemans Kriek (on keg) had to be tried but that we probably didn't want too much, so we shared 2/3rds of it along with a Downlands 4% pale.

Neither of us can ever remember which of the various krieks are very sweet and which have a more pronounced guezeness. Lindemans is very much the former, 3.8% (I think) but loads of body which probably comes from the sweetness.  It was like drinking very nice cherry pop, properly fruity and with a really nice acidic tang. 
 

The 4% Downlands beer, though really nice, balanced and well-made felt a tad thin when contrasting with the kriek.

To finish I had a stronger Downlands (Fire up the lasers...?) pale and himself went with Ascension Cider (Mothership) which he greatly likes.

 This place continues to bring it for us.  Friendly staff, other punters not too annoying, a little bit chilly perhaps but a solid addition to the beer scene in Eastbourne (thank goodness).  When we work closer to this part of town, we'll probably start going on other days of the week. 

 

  

So it's not just me...

 ...I was reading a preview blog post from the splendid Boak and Bailey (it'll arrive on their main blog later in the week).

It's really great to see that they, like us, are not seeing the usual January lull.

OK, maybe it will just defer, but even so - in a very seasonal place, like Eastbourne, deferring of a "locals" lull a bit, will help until visitors help pick up some slack.

This week we've had 

Beak, Track and Pomona Island at Beerarama

Beerme IPA at the Belgian Cafe with a little taste of a silly-strong chestnut ale

Something from Burnt Mill, in Wolf, which I thought was glorious but incredibly grapefruity and I think would probably divide the crowd (BBB didn't love it) - loved it enough that I had two.

Yesterday, we decided to watch the rugby in the Crown where they had three guest beers on (in addition to Harveys Best and Landlord) - certainly enough to make decisions really hard. Three Acre single hop, Burning Sky stout and Kent Prohibition.

It was incredibly busy (OK, Six Nations, Saturday...) and a really enjoyable few hours - supported by lovely gravity-served (I know, I know, but I like it on gravity) fresh cask ale: perfect! 

When I went to get our second beers, I was served by the boss, Andy - "planning for the rugby, then?" - "yeah", he said "thought there might be a fair bit drunk.  He wasn't wrong.  We have a couple of weeks ahead of weekend rugby - I wonder what he'll have next?

The Excitement of Anticipation

 I've noticed a definite uptick in pubs and bars I like (more in Bristol than Eastbourne, but still a couple of our local faves) doing Insta posts showing what beer they have on.

Not sure whether this is just a new person on their socials, whether it's around concerns that in January people might not remember to go there for beer or something else entirely.

But I love it. 

I downloaded and use the absolutely dire "Real Ale Finder" app which almost no one is on (but two of our local haunts and the local 'spoons are)  - it crashes more than it runs but, crucially did drive a last minute change of venue last Friday when The Crown had two (count 'em) guest casks on.  Still - a pseudo useful resource to ensure we're not too disappointed...

In craft places the cadence of keg changes is quite slow so if they don't have loads on we want to try, it's useful to know that.

Knowing what beers a place has on is definitely a way to make me go there, even if my plans have to change.  But does it lose the element of surprise?

Well, maybe but then there's also the hour or so before when I already know what my first drink will be when the anticipation itself is a good feeling.

After 40 years of drinking beer - it still has the ability to excite (and disappoint) but it's never "just a beer". 

The First Pint

 Yesterday was overcast but still.  Today was forecast to be horribly wet all day (a forecast proving to be accurate at the moment).

We were working from home (more bloody charitable funding bids, since you didn't ask), the same today.

It seemed sensible to get out of the house before we'd need an ark so we strolled down to the oldest bit of Old Town.

We'd been to the Crown on Friday and had excellent Bessemer Blonde (Blue Bee) and  Independence (BBF) but, according to Real Ale Finder nothing new on.  So, instead we went to The Lamb, undoubtedly the oldest pub/inn in Eastbourne - and currently the most reliable Harveys house in the town.

I've said before that, despite it's near legendary status, Harveys isn't my favourite brewery but I completely understand the appeal (much Cantillon).  Anyhow, when in The Lamb, you drink Harveys.

We tend to avoid Best these days, even though the BBB's early drinking was dominated by it so we had Armada.  We settled into a cosy seat and caught up on the day.

Within 35mins his first pint had all but disappeared and even mine had a hefty dent in it: given our usual drinking rate this it quite unusual - and especially so with Harveys.  Clearly it was VERY good.

Actually, this morning, I can't remember what it was about the Armada that was so good - maybe it was just so perfectly balanced that it slipped down - much like a really good cup of tea (Darjeeling, black, hot).

The follow up print of Old was more memorably glorious, as it happens but that first pint... 

 

January is Quiet in the Pub, isn't it?

 errr...well, no, not really.

I mean, it's clear that several Eastbourne beer places have taken the opportunity to have a holiday for the first couple of weeks of the year but since we've been back I've been to:

The Crown on a Saturday (busy enough to only have 5th choice of seating); 

Wolf on a Wednesday and Friday (each time at least 2/3rds full by the time we left around 7pm) 

Ninkaci on a Tuesday (not busy but maybe 10 people in when we left) and

The Lamb on a Wednesday which I assumed would be largely empty - but it was not.  By about 6pm, people were struggling to find somewhere to sit .  

I really do hope that this is a sign that, whilst times are hard, people genuinely do value their good drinking places and see them as an important part of their community.

 What it does look like, at least here, is that pubs/bars seem to need to offer additional entertainment quite frequently -  there are DJ nights, live music, karaoke, food pop-ups, quizzes, painting and games nights all held regularly - whilst I prefer just the quiet hum of conversation and a bit of interesting but not too loud background music I do get why people want additional stuff and if it brings people in more often, that's brilliant.

Fingers crossed for hospitality staff this year... 

 

Back with a Bump

 We arrived in Sussex on Monday afternoon - it wasn't a perfect journey because there were some shenanigans with points or signals or something so we had to change trains at Haywards Heath but, since they lined the trains up on platforms either side of an island and the Eastbourne train was waiting when we arrived, it was absolutely no hardship.  Super helpful train staff, too which was brilliant.

Keen to get home, we jumped on a bus immediately.

No question of going out: it was bitterly cold so we lit the woodburner, cracked the fridge beer and hunkered down with pasta sauce from the freezer.

Tuesday I was working from home all day and although the promised deliveries from Arbor and Lost and Grounded were delayed because of weather (I assume) we still had supplies in the fridge.

Wednesday I had to be in work all day so when clocking off time came we pondered where to go:  Belgian Bar or Beerarama would normally be first choice but they're both closed for a couple of weeks.  So Wolf on the Corner seemed to make most sense - 15mins away on foot and even though it was really REALLY cold it was a good choice.

We arrived just as the brewer from Downlands was delivering/collecting empties and we were the only punters.  It prompted a really nice chat with him and the lady behind the bar.  Sadly, we were too soon to drink the cask ale but there was plenty of keg choice from Abyss and another localish brewery so we got our drinks and nestled up to the heater to warm up.  Bit by bit other people drifted in.  With a 5pm opening time on Weds/Thurs it always feels eversoslightly late for our habits but it's definitely our sort of place:  BBB likened the atmosphere to Marthas and I think that pretty much nails it.

The clientele are a partial crossover with Beerarama but not quite as much as I expected.  It'll be interesting to see how that unfolds.

On Thursday and Friday I was out with work and I got variously soaked to the skin and blown about by artic winds so I was in no mood to hang out in the pub.

So Saturday was gardening weather (albeit still chilly) and after that we ambled down to the Crown who had Plateau in perfect condition and Project Babylon spanking fresh - that suited us.  Mind you, the customers there can be a but tiresome and I had to do the full, stern, looking over the top of my glasses warning to one bloke (Gobby the Pub Elf) before leaving.  Sigh.

Still, it's nice to be back. 

Unplanned loveliness

We had Saturday and Sunday pub visits to deal with and, after the sojourn to the far end of the harbour on Friday, we wanted to stick close to home.

We knew Martha's wasn't open on Sunday for the usual "games afternoon" so it was a matter of which day we went to the BM.

Then we got a message from a friend, also briefly in Bristol, suggesting meeting in a pub (she's knows us very well) but didn't want to come into town.  She was around Westbury on Trym so I asked her whether Redland was acceptable - it was.

We grabbed a train up to Clifton Down and then ambled around Redland/Cotham (god, I remember the hills from when I lived in that area) and finally landed at The Good Measure which we'd enjoyed the couple of times we'd been,but hadn't visited for ages.

I was worried it would be really busy -but at 4pm it wasn't. So we grabbed a pint and a seat.  

Friend and her dog arrived - accompanied by other friends so it was  like a proper reunion since, back in the day, we'd all been neighbours - then gradually moved out!

It was a grand way to spend the afternoon and after the buddies had to leave, we had around 45mins until we had to leave for a train.  Something rather nice by Sureshot went down a treat and then we strolled down the road to Redland Station in the dark and cold...and, of course, we were rather early.

We must remember to go back (perhaps when it's not quite so cold) before too long because the getting there, and getting home was easy and pleasant and the pub itself, and the staff therein all lovely and right up our street.

Monday was "travelling back to Sussex" day.  There was a little beer left in the fridge and we'd pre-warmed the house a little.

We lit a fire, defrosted some bolognaise sauce and relaxed.

I'd ordered beer in the hope it would arrive today but I think the weather has caused problems (it's frozen solid down here) because I've had notifications from both couriers saying there have been problems.  Best laid plans, eh?

 Never mind - I'm out and about for the rest of this week so there will probably be pub opportunities...