tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33270452841506253092024-03-13T00:27:57.980+00:00A Bitter BlokeComment, musings and general nonsense about ales and the pubs they're served in.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-82665781457793296032017-07-04T21:10:00.000+01:002017-07-05T05:53:16.312+01:00Norwich catch upI was recently on holiday with the in-laws in the pleasant seaside village of Winterton-On-Sea in Norfolk. It's a lovely area but not exactly overflowing with pubs or decent real ale. Luckily I had bought a stash of Bishop Nick beers with me but a midweek day trip to nearby Norwich was also on the cards. I last visited the pubs of Norwich a couple of years ago, and as always in the fast moving world of the Good Beer Guide a whole new batch of new pubs have made it in, so a revisit was required.<br />
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On a damp and dreary Wednesday afternoon the first pub on the agenda was the <b><a href="http://www.thecoachthorperoad.co.uk/" target="_blank">Coach and Horses</a>, </b>a Greene King house. I'm not even sure if I saw GK IPA among the decent selection of ales on offer. The welcoming pub is split into three areas, and me and The Lovely Jemma snuck into a cosy, tight curved booth. I enjoyed a <b>Tipsy Fisherman </b>by <b>Steamin' Billy </b>which was a delicately hopped and very refreshing session pale, and a good way to start the afternoon. The PA was blaring out a selection of classic rock, and although busy when we walked in it was nearly empty once the lunch rush was over. The pub is conveniently located near the market and shops and is well worth popping in if near by.<br />
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Our next stop was meant to be <b>Take 5, </b>located across the road from the cathedral. After walking back and forth several times convinced that Google Maps was lying to us, it turns out the pub had actually closed several weeks earlier, taken over by new owners and reverting back to the original name of <b>Louis Marchesi. </b>Peering through the window I could see the place was empty and the ales on offer not particularly inspiring, so we moved straight on to the <b><a href="http://www.thewigandpen.com/" target="_blank">Wig & Pen</a>. </b>This large one room pub with a timber beamed ceiling advertised a well chosen selection of ales on the small bar. The place was quiet as lunch time was well and truly over - a menu was snatched away from our table while we enjoyed our drinks. My <b>Moon Gazer Pacific Ale </b>from the <b>Norfolk Brewhouse </b>was another solid session ale, with a pleasing hoppy hit.<br />
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After a pleasant stroll down the river behind the pub, we headed inside the <b><a href="http://www.ribsofbeef.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ribs of Beef</a>,</b> one of the more unique pub names I have come across. For some reason the name conjured an image in my head of a modern, trendy bar but I was instead greeted with probably the most traditional pub interior of our Norwich visit. Split into two levels, with a small downstairs room, the pub has a lovely location on the river. Sadly the drizzle meant there wasn't much boat activity to watch. I settled for another session ale - the <b>Golden Jackal </b>from the local <b>Wolf Brewery, </b>which was very easy drinking.<br />
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We carried on up the road to the <b><a href="http://www.kingsheadnorwich.com/" target="_blank">Kings Head</a>. </b>This two room pub looks like it hasn't changed much since it opened - simply decorated, pale yellow walls in one room with the bar serving both rooms and a billiards table in one corner. The beer selection here was the best of the day, some choice real ales, nice list of Belgium beers and a couple of craft options as well. The pub was quiet but comfortable, with a few regulars propping up the bar reading the papers. I was not surprised at all to learn it was the local CAMRA branch pub of the year. My pint of <b>Nasha, </b>a boozy, malty five percenter from <b>S&P Brewery </b>was a delicious treat.<br />
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The last pub on our trip was the <b><a href="https://www.theplayhousebar.co.uk/" target="_blank">Playhouse Bar</a>. </b>With no shows on at the adjoining theatre I expected a quiet sup to finish the trip, but instead was greeted with the busiest bar of the trip, with a mainly student crowd enjoying the fine selection of ales, craft beer, cider and fizzy lagers on offer. I enjoyed two drinks in the spacious garden - <b>Woild Moild </b>from Wolf was one of the better milds I have enjoyed, and <b>Skiffle </b>from <b>Shortts Farm </b>was a straightforward bitter. Reflecting on all the pubs I would choose the Kings Head as my favourite, although it would be nice to revisit it when it's a bit livelier. To be fair all the pubs were well worth a visit, and I had barely scratched the surface of Norwich pubs in the Good Beer Guide - it certainly lives up to its claim of being the City of Ales.<br />
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The rest of my Norfolk holiday consisting of a lot of walking, a lot of board games and a lot of middling ales. I did enjoy my time at the <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NOR/607/kings-arms-martham" target="_blank">Kings Head</a> in Martham, with its pleasing location across the road from the village green, and a decent sized beer garden, although sadly those with dogs are restricted to a tiny decked area of the garden. The ale was decent and the food was good - well worth stopping by if you happen to be rambling through the area.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-18369040145042177332017-04-29T17:07:00.000+01:002017-04-29T17:07:06.062+01:00Gravesend RunaroundDespite my fondness for seaside towns no matter how dreary and a well reviewed micropub I'd never made the half hour journey from my house down to Gravesend. I rectified this a few weeks ago with a visit to the town and the pubs that feature in the Good Beer Guide 2017. After a strangely scenic journey through the industrial heart of Kent, and passing through Crayford station reminding me that I really need to visit the Penny Farthing micropub at some point, I arrived at Gravesend on a grey, drizzly day ready for a pint.<br />
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First stop was the micropub <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecompassalehouse/" target="_blank">Compass Alehouse</a>. </b>I'm still a big fan of the micropub concept, enjoying all the ones I have visited. They may follow the same basic formula but it's a good one - communal (usually bench) seating, no music, no gamblers, good selection of well kept local ales and a knowledgeable and friendly owner. The Compass didn't stray far from this formula at all, although there was a fridge of craft beers available as an alternative to the ale. I enjoyed a half of <b>Hackney Kapow! </b>and <b>Tonbridge Rustic </b>which were both in good nick, and enjoyed a chat with the owner about the trials and tribulations of opening a micropub as I'm hoping to open my own one day. At 1pm on a Friday there were only two other customers in so there wasn't much atmosphere, but I'm sure it's much more exciting on a busy evening. Overall I really enjoyed my visit and can thoroughly recommend a visit.<br />
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The next pub up was <b><a href="http://www.jollydrayman.com/" target="_blank">The Jolly Drayman</a>.</b> With its low beams and cosy corners it had the feel of a country pub but plonked into the middle of a busy town. It was livelier than the micropub with a large group of regulars hogging the bar - always annoying when you have to barge through the middle of their group to order a drink. After perusing a selection of reliable if dull brown bitters I took my <b>Black Sheep Riggwelter </b>and retreated to a quiet corner. The beer was in good condition if unexciting. I'd be happy enough to have this pub as a local as it does everything a pub should do with no fuss, but I don't think it's worth a special trip.<br />
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I made my way down to the waterfront to the <b><a href="http://www.threedaws.co.uk/" target="_blank">Three Daws</a>, </b>which has a excellent location right on the water overlooking the two historic piers. Sadly the weather wasn't nice enough to sit outdoors so I took a seat inside the slightly shabby but charming pub. Plenty of ales were on offer but unfortunately I ended up choosing a bit of a duffer with the <b>Guinea Guzzler. </b>I completed missed it was from the Millius brewery, had I known I wouldn't of ordered it as I'm not too impressed with their beers. The beer may have been underwhelming but the burger I ordered for lunch was excellent, well cooked and seasoned and served with plenty of chips. It more than made up for the below average pint. The pub was heaving with other punters enjoying the food, which hopefully indicates a consistent kitchen here. Well worth a visit for a pint and some grub.<br />
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I popped next door into the <b><a href="http://www.therumpuncheon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rum Puncheon</a>, </b>which was deserted. The staff seemed surprised to see me there, and despite the seven or so hand-pumps, only one ale was on. Sadly it wasn't a particularly inspiring ale, in fact I can't even remember what it was! I ended up having a half of <b>Lagunitas IPA, </b>an always reliable fruity IPA. It may be a mass produced macro beer and lost all its trendiness but I still enjoy the hoppy goodness that won me over when I first tried it years ago. The pub was going for a more classy feel than the others I'd visited in Gravesend, but as I was the only punter the atmosphere felt a bit cold. I'd like to revisit when things are busier - and when there is more ale on!<br />
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Inevitably a Wetherspoons had been recommended in the GBG so my last pub was the <b><a href="https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/kent/the-robert-pocock-gravesend" target="_blank">The Robert Pocock.</a> </b>A large pub spread over two levels, it's yer average Wetherspoons furnishing and punters wise. The beer festival was on and I tried a <b>Mild The Gap</b>, a rather good mild brewed by Hook Norton in collaboration with an Italian brewery. It hit the spot. Overall I enjoyed my time in Gravesend, although I was there on a Friday afternoon, I hear things can sometimes get a little unsavoury on a Friday or Saturday night! I won't be rushing back to find out.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-84777683622565363452017-03-27T17:51:00.001+01:002017-03-27T17:51:22.045+01:00Cambridge City Centre pubsI recently had the pleasure of visiting Cambridge with The Lovely Jemma and friends. We had a great day despite the throngs of tourists and the annoyingly long walk from the train station to the town centre. Sadly the wet weather meant we weren't able to enjoy a punt down the River Cam, but we did meet our tourist obligations by paying a visit to the impressive Kings College before succumbing to the lure of the many excellent pubs. I've <a href="http://bitterbloke.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/cambridge-pubs-part-1.html" target="_blank">written</a> <a href="http://bitterbloke.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/cambridge-pubs-part-2.html" target="_blank">about</a> the pubs on the outskirts of the city centre before, but on this visit we managed to visit a few boozers in the middle of all the action.<br />
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We started with <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/123/mill-cambridge" target="_blank">The Mill</a>, </b>a small two room pub in a busy location right by the majority of the punt launches. The place was packed when we popped in at lunchtime. I started things local with a pint of the Cambridge Brewing Co <b>King's Parade, </b>which is brewed at their sister pub.<b> </b>After the first few sups The Lovely Jemma noticed there was something unusual at the bottom of my glass. On closer inspection it turned out to be a nail! I've found strange things in a beer glass before but never one of those. It was a good job Jemma noticed it or I probably would have drunk and choked on it without a second thought. I went through the typically British reaction of not wanting to cause a fuss and thinking maybe the nail should be there - perhaps it was a bizarre Cambridge initiation or maybe the brewer specifies a nail must be served with the beer which wouldn't surprise me these days. When getting the beer changed the staff could offer no explanation on how the nail ended up in the glass, so it will forever remain a unsavoury mystery. The nail might have added something to the beer though, as the replacement pint didn't taste as good as the first one. The experience was a bit off putting and eventually the crammed and noisy pub got a bit much for us so we moved on.<br />
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We next popped in to <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/243/pint-shop-cambridge" target="_blank">Pint Shop</a> </b>with the intention of getting lunch in the restaurant at the back. After being told there was a ninety minute wait for a table we decided to try our luck in the smart, modern "pub" area, which serves a selection of bar food rather than the full restaurant menu. There was a long list of beers displayed on a huge blackboard, with around 10 keg and 5 cask. To the shame of my CAMRA membership I stuck with keg as the selection on offer was so strong. I started with the <b>Kiwi IPA </b>from Summer Wine which was excellent, a super hoppy and fruity treat. After enjoying a tasty sausage roll and chips with curry sauce I had a very pleasant half<b> </b>of the <b>Sleeping Lemons Export</b> Gose from the Wild Beer Co which had an excellent balance of fruity flavours and didn't make my eyes water too much with the sourness. The food and beer were excellent, but the prices were a little too high even for this jaded Londoner. A small portion of chips and curry sauce for £4 is right on the edge of "rip off" territory. But I guess as long as mugs like me keep buying it, they'll keep selling it for those prices. Overall though this was an excellent pub, with a cosy and friendly atmosphere, good food and an excellent beer list chosen with care.<br />
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We finished off the day at <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CAM/121/maypole-cambridge" target="_blank">The Maypole</a>, </b>a modern and bright pub with an appealing terrace about a ten minute walk from Kings College. I went back to cask here and enjoyed a Nene Valley <b>Australian IPA, </b>an easy drinking fruity brew. A good selection of American beers, and an excellent selection of Belgium beers were available in can and bottle. After a half of Grain Brewery <b>Slate, </b>an excellent smoked dark beer, it was time to call it a day. Feeling a bit tired and lazy we decided to get an Uber back to the station. I know they're a evil company but it's just so easy to use their app. I look forward to returning to Cambridge soon - and will hopefully get a punt ride in next time!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-71900406343694990732017-03-22T14:15:00.001+00:002017-03-22T14:18:13.135+00:00Ramblers Rest, ChislehurstChislehurst is a pretty, well to do suburb right on the border of South East London and Kent. It's a deceptively large place, with the train station a good 20 minute walk from the main high street and shops. There is plenty of money in the area and there are always rumours around that Chislehurst is home to many a villain who made good. With many of the mansions blocked off behind large gates I do wonder if there is shifty business going on that the owners would like everybody to keep away from. Of course the more likely reason for the gates is that they just don't want plebs like me oohing and aahing at their impressive properties.<br />
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I've written about several pubs in Chislehurst <a href="http://bitterbloke.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-bulls-head-and-queens-head.html" target="_blank">before,</a> and to be honest not much has changed since that write up. The <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/BRO/12568/ramblers-rest-chislehurst" target="_blank">Ramblers Rest</a>, </b>a quaint weather-boarded pub about halfway between the station and the high street, had eluded me and I managed to pay a visit a few weeks ago. The pub should be an easy 25 minute walk from my house, but unfortunately a detour is required as the direct route is blocked off by the scourge of the countryside - the golf course. I imagine before golf courses and private gated roads made themselves known in Chislehurst it was possible to have a nice ramble to the pub, but now the most direct route involves walking through a wooded area right next to a major road.</div>
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The pub is split into two rooms consisting of a large dining and drinking area on the lower level, and a smaller area geared towards drinkers on the upper level. The bar spreads over the two rooms. A couple of TV's show the sport (rugby when I visited.) A older, male regular was propping up the bar chatting to the young, female bar staff. The beer selection was fairly average, with four handpumps alongside the usual collection of lagers and fizzy ciders. The ale choice was mainly boring brown bitters, and I tried a pint of the "house ale," actually a mass produced brew by the Caledonian Brewery. It was fine, a little bit more malty than yer Doom Bars and London Pride. Service was friendly.</div>
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Overall the pub is a decent local, and with no shops or tourist attractions nearby I imagine it has to offer a consistent and reliable experience to keep the local residents dropping in. Despite being right in the middle of a wealthy area it was surprisingly down to earth, perhaps even a little shabby in some parts of the pub. This is not a place with lots to distract from conversation, and it looked like the other customers were happy with this. Although I wouldn't make a special effort to go back, this boozer is worth popping in if you happen to be walking (or rambling) in the area.</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-85781394781659004142016-09-21T06:55:00.000+01:002016-09-21T06:55:34.355+01:00Transpennine Rail Ale TrailThe Transpennine rail ale trail is a stretch of pubs on the journey from Leeds to Manchester. It was made popular by that beer program starring Oz Clarke and James May. I never actually watched the show as Oz and James make me irrationally angry, but I imagine they were perfect for a show about beers and pubs as they both look like they would do a good job at being insufferable pub bores, and I'm speaking from experience here. Details of the "official" trail can be found <a href="http://www.realaletrail.net/" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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There have been plenty of horror stories about the trail since it got popular, with tales of punters pissing into local residents gardens, vandalising trains, and performing satanic rituals in abandoned mills in chocolate box Yorkshire villages (the last one may not be true.) I was a little apprehensive as we were doing the trail on a Saturday, traditionally the day when all the Fosters lads are hitting the pubs, but was also looking forward to visit some excellent sounding pubs.</div>
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Our first stop was the <b><a href="http://thecellarbar.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Cellar <span id="goog_1570207543"></span><span id="goog_1570207544"></span>Bar</a> </b>in Batley, an entirely forgettable pub with a middling ale selection. We got in at 11:45am and already there was a bunch of lads, including one in a fetching grass skirt, at the pool table looking fairly merry, which set the tone for the rest of the day. We swiftly moved on to Dewsbury to visit the <b><a href="http://www.beerhouses.co.uk/pub/the-west-riding-refreshment-rooms/" target="_blank">West Riding Refreshment Rooms.</a> </b>Situated on the platform this was a much better bet, with a well chosen selection of cask and keg ales. As luck would have it we were there for the<b> </b>local "Westival" festival, so as well as the ten or so ales available in the pub, the pub was also a real ale concession as part of the festival, with an additional fifteen ales on often. My half of <b>Sorachi </b>from the talented Bristol Beer Factory was in good form, and <b> Treasure IPA </b>from Yorkshire lads Great Heck was a tasty, hoppy treat. The ivy covered exterior of the pub is a delight to look at, and the cosy interior with train paraphernalia scattered about is also a pleasure. A brass band came on stage as part of the festival, clearly laid on for us Londoners to cement the fact that we were in Yorkshire. It was even pouring down with rain! I had a great time here.<br />
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Back on the train and alighting at Mirfield, we skipped the recommended pub and walked in the opposite direction to <b><a href="http://www.ossett-brewery.co.uk/pubs/flowerpot-mirfield" target="_blank">The Flowerpot</a>, </b>a CAMRA Pub of the Year (POTY) winner. This turned out to be a good idea as the trail participants were growing in number and drunkenness. It also helped that The Flowerpot was probably the best pub of the day. A fine looking stone building nestled in a pretty village, this Otley brewery owned pub serves a selection of their ales and also had some good guest ales on. The interior of the pub is full of cosy corners to enjoy a sup. My pint of White Rat took its time to settle, I'm not used to this as in London pubs the beer generally comes out ready to drink. I prefer the thrill of the settle myself. The end result was a very tasty pale ale. After a surprisingly injury free turn on the darts board it was time to head on to the next stop.<br />
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Arriving in Huddersfield, we again skipped the pub on the ale trail website and walked the ten or so minutes to <b><a href="http://www.thegrove.pub/" target="_blank">The Grove</a>. </b>I'd read some reports that some people doing the trail don't bother venturing any further on the trail after hitting this pub, and walking in I could see why. This cosy two room pub has a superb selection of cask and keg beers available, with a dazzling amount of handpumps on the horseshoe shaped bar. I tried the collaboration brew <b>It's Magic</b> by Fyne Ales and Magic Rock, two of my favourite breweries as they produce consistently good beer. It was a malty treat, and my second pint Durham <b>Lightning Rod</b> was a pleasingly hoppy session pale ale. Sadly we hadto move on but I look forward to returning to this lovely temple to beer in the future.<br />
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Our last stop before Manchester was Marsden, where we were supposed to visit the <b><a href="http://theriverheadmarsden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Riverhead Brewery Tap</a>. </b>Unfortunately the place was jam packed with braying, loud mouthed assholes. Clearly the other punters on the ale trail had been hitting the beers hard and fast, and were hassling both customers and staff. It was sad to see. I necked a Riverhead Brewery <b>Fly Weight</b> and we escaped up the road to <b>The Shakespeare. </b>The <b>Dizzy Blonde</b> I ordered was pure vinegar soup, and was swiftly returned for a Tetleys Dark Mild on keg, which was about as good as can be expected. This was not a great pub by any stretch of the imagination but it was quiet and had a pool table so I couldn't complain too much.<br />
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The train from Marsden to Manchester was a bit of a nightmare, and the sober customers were looking very uncomfortable on a train packed with braying ale trailers. I say "ale" trailers, from what I'd seen in the pubs most weren't drinking the ales at all - lager was the order of the day. We arrived in Manchester in one piece and had a great dinner at Red's True Barbecue - I'd never eaten so much meat in one sitting in my life and their inhouse IPA was also pretty damn good.<br />
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I enjoyed the ale trail but if I was to do it again it would definitely be during the week. My advice if you're doing it on a weekend is start as early as possible and call it quits around 3pm - the pubs are just too busy, and the customers too boorish after then. The two stand out pubs (The Flowerpot and The Grove) weren't even on the "official" trail and it was well worth straying off the beaten path. I would definitely prioritise those two pubs if you're doing the trail.</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-70707740196008141752016-07-21T13:13:00.003+01:002016-07-21T13:13:38.656+01:00Walking in Norfolk - Never Turn Back and Jolly FarmersI was in Norfolk last week for a few days, staying in a cottage in the Scratby area with the wife's family. I enjoy it there - the beaches are quiet, the walks are flat, and the weather was on my side. The only bad thing about the area is that there isn't much beer variety in the many pubs - I was usually stuck with a choice between Adnams or Woodforde's. Even at the Wetherspoons in Great Yarmouth, the aptly named <b>Troll Cart, </b>I ended up having a pint of Woodforde's <b>Nog, </b>a straight forward old ale from the reliable if dull Norfolk brewer.<br />
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One pub highlight of the trip was the <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NOR/100/never-turn-back-caister-on-sea" target="_blank">Never Turn Back</a>, </b>nestled between two holiday home parks in Caister-On-Sea. My father-in-law and I enjoyed a pleasant hour long walk along the beach to enjoy a refreshing pint here. The fun begins outside the pub, which is built in the typical 1930's style of pubs owned by the Lacons Brewery who were (and now thanks to a recent resurrection, are) based in Great Yarmouth. The striking building looks more like the control centre for some ominous 50's British technology than a pub, although it is has a certain charm about it and there's a lovely large beer garden out the front.<br />
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The landlord was busy on the lawnmower when we arrived at 12pm, and told us he'd open up at 12:30pm, so we had a look around the caravan parks, playing on the two penny pushers inside the on site arcade, where I failed to win any additional beer tokens. We duly popped back at 12:30pm and the pub was ready for business. It's in the Good Beer Guide and the pint of Adnams (sigh) <b>Bitter </b>was in excellent form, and very much needed after the long walk along the beach in the hot sun. Still feeling a bit thirsty I had probably my sixth pint of Adnams <b>Ghost Ship </b>of the trip, which again was in very good nick. When it's well kept Ghost Ship is an refreshing, hoppy pint that I have a bit of a fondness for.<br />
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A selection of food and bar snacks was available and we settled for a hot dog and cheesy chips - it ain't fine dining but it fills a gap. The interior of the pub is very cosy, with plenty of comfortable bench seating, nick nacks scattered about the place, and a small exhibit on how the pub got its somewhat unique name. On reporting on a botched lifeboat rescue in 1906, where nine men from the Caister lifeboat team lost their lives, the phrase "Caister men never turn back" was coined. Model lifeboats scattered around the pub set the theme, and the lifeboat station is only a five minute walk away from the pub. This excellent seaside boozer is well worth seeking out if you're in the area.<br />
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Another pub to get an honorable mention is the <b><a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NOR/908/jolly-farmers-ormesby-st-margaret" target="_blank">Jolly Farmers</a>, </b>an Enterprise tied house in picturesque Ormesby St Margaret. With a traditional wood paneled interior, selection of well kept ales (including the inevitable Adnams Ghost Ship and Woodforde's <b>Wherry) </b>and decent food, this would be an excellent stop for refreshment if enjoying a walk through the area. There's even a pool table.<br />
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There may not be all that much to do in this area of England, but sometimes fresh air, a long walk and welcoming pubs is just what is required from a short break. Looking forward to returning to Norfolk next year.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-31295131379994234092016-06-03T16:13:00.000+01:002016-06-03T16:13:02.032+01:00My top five craft beersCraft beer - everybody wants some. Well everybody inside the M25, and in some pockets of the area outside the London Orbital called "The North" (south of London is just a wasteland of cider and cocktails.) Living in London I'm lucky enough to be in the epicentre of beardie brewed overly hopped beer enjoyed by folks with more money than sense. In no particular order here are my favourite craft beers of the ones I've tried.<br />
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<b>Gumphreys Belfry - Hopless. </b>I must admit I was skeptical when I first tried this. As Rupert Gumphrey, head brewer and part time uni-cyclist explains from his East London brewery "Hopless is a natural rebellion against the mega hopped beers so beloved by the craft scene. We were fed up with beers that tasted like tropical fruit juice, so we've created a well balanced beer made with absolutely no hops whatever. Just malt, water and yeast. Technically we're not allowed to call it beer but our marketing managers dad is chairman of the Advertising Standards Agency so we're getting away with it."<br />
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I must admit it took a while to get used to the flavour, it was like drinking a very bitter bread. But after a few sips and being coerced by the beer bloggers I was sharing this with at some craft ale festival I couldn't help but agree that it was pretty good, even while I was pouring it down the sink in the bogs.<br />
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<b>Greenfingers - Asparagus IPA. </b>If the fetching green colour doesn't make this beer stand out, the smell of your wee the morning after drinking it certainly will. As brewer Robert Smith explains "my son Giles kept visiting me on my allotment going on and on about the latest craft beer he'd tried. They all sounded like the brewers had found whatever they could get their hands on and shoved it into their beer. Well I had a bumper crop of asparagus this year and rather than flogging it off down the boot sale I thought I'd have a go of making it into a beer. To be honest it was a bit of a disaster but early thirties men with well trimmed beers kept showing up at my shed offering me £10 a bottle so I couldn't say no. I'm looking forward to see what they make of my Runner Bean Pale Ale."<br />
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<b>Craft Beer Toadies - This Will be Rated Number One on Ratebeer. </b>A 12% ABV Imperial Stout brewed in the USA.<br />
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<b>Brouwerij Verhaeghe/Bros - When Will I Be Flemish? - </b>Eyebrows were raised when Bros announced that they were following the example of other forgotten bands Iron Maiden and Status Quo by releasing their own beer. Nobody expected it be a Flemish Red, and a good one at that. Beloved by those who insist that Belgium beer was "the original craft beer" while being ignored by absolutely everybody.<br />
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<b>Marstons - Crafty Growler Hoppy Artisan IPA. </b>Out of all the attempts of "big brewing" to enter the craft scene this is probably the best. As head brewer Martin Moneybags explains "we just shoved every trendy craft buzzword into the name of this beer in the desperate hope that some confused hipster will order it by accident when they see it in one of our tied houses in the arse end of nowhere"<br />
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That's it! Join me next week for my "Top Five Boring Brown Bitters." Actually I may as well just tell you now - it's everything Harvey's brew.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-19987815159106551292016-05-24T20:55:00.002+01:002016-05-24T20:55:55.134+01:00Micropubs - The Door Hinge and The Broken DrumThe Micropub - a small licensed premises selling real ale and not much else, with no music or fruit machines to be seen or heard. They are basically a CAMRA members wet dream come to life. The micropub movement has been moving along quite happily now over the past few years. I've managed to visit a few of them. I have always enjoyed my time at them, even if the small rooms means they usually feel very busy, filled with men of a certain age (old.)<br />
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I recently had the pleasure of visiting two micropubs in Welling, a suburb in South East London where the most noticeable feature is that there is a Tesco's and a Morrisons directly across the road from each other, like two cowboys having a show down to see who's going to leave town first. A few minutes walk away from the superstores is <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thedoorhinge/" target="_blank">The Door Hinge</a>, </b>the first micropub of my visit. It fit the micropub template to a tee - a very small room with cosy bench furnishings and plenty of random tat plastered all over the walls, with a well chosen selection of ales on offer. The clientele was older and it turned out a fair few of them were CAMRA members. Unsurprising as micropubs may as well have signs plastered on the front saying "CAMRA members come drink in here - it's all your pub dreams come to life!"</div>
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I realise I'm sounding a bit snarky about CAMRA but I do quite like them, and I'm even a member. They still seem to be struggling a bit with this whole craft beer thing though. Some want to dismiss it, some want to embrace, personally I don't mind if bearded hipsters are making the beer as long as it is tasty. The Door Hinge certainly serves a decent pint and the friendly landlord handed me a half of <b>Iceberg </b>from the Titanic brewery, a hoppy treat that I always enjoy<b>.</b> Perching on the end of a bench I had a chat with other punters about the (rather good) Wetherspoons up the road and what local real ale festivals were coming up. Soon it was time to move on to the next micro.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.thebrokendrum.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Broken Drum</a> </b>hasn't been around as long as the Door Hinge, and it's in a rather awkward location off a main road and near to a very popular local pub (The <b>George Staples</b>.) With it also being a Tuesday afternoon it was very quiet when I walked in, with a young couple and child being the only other customer. The beer selection was tempting though and I settled on another bench with a tasty pint of Goachers <b>Best Dark Ale </b>which went down very well.<br />
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Despite the lack of customers it was nice having a drink in here, and I had a second drink, the excellent <b>Blue Top </b>from the Old Diary brewery, whose beers are well made and very enjoyable. I had a pleasant chat with the landlord about the do's and dont's of opening a micropub, as it's something I'd be interested in doing once I have the funds. He was more than happy to have a chat. I think that's what I like best about micros, it's nice just sitting down among strangers and having a chat. Beer is a social lubricant after all. It may not be for everyone, but I enjoy it.</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-90523307954112786802016-03-11T17:41:00.001+00:002016-03-11T17:41:58.337+00:00BrewDog ClerkenwellAnother day, another BrewDog opening in London, this time in trendy Clerkenwell. The area has long been a hotbed for new media and graphic design firms, packed full of young employees ready to enjoy a crafty drink. The nearby <b>Dovetail </b>has done well catering to this market with an excellent selection of Belgium ales, back when Belguim beer was considered exotic before the craft beer movement got into full swing. I'm surprised it has taken BrewDog this long to open a pub in the area as there are plenty of potential customers although I have heard they had a go at opening a place before but the plans fell through.<br />
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BrewDog venues never seem to be big enough for the amount of punters they attract and sadly the Clerkenwell venue is no different. The two storey layout somehow feels very cramped and claustrophobic. The second floor suffers from narrow gangways making it difficult to navigate while holding your drink, and downstairs tables and chairs are crammed in next to the bar, making it difficult to squeeze past the mixed customer base of hipsters and City boys and order a drink. Once you make it to the bar you'll find an excellent selection of beer on offer - all keg of course. Cask beardies will have to seek what they want elsewhere - luckily the <b>Jerusalem Tavern</b> and the <b>Craft Beer Co</b> are a short walk away.<br />
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I was there for the Brew By Numbers (BBNo) tap takeover, which meant all of the guest taps (around 15 of them) were dispensing BBNo beer. They did not disappoint with a wide selection of beers and styles on offer. I went for a four beer sampler. The <b>01/03 Saison Mosiac </b>was a good start to the evening, a well made saison with a welcome hoppy twang.The <b>09/05 Brown Ale - Chinook and Centinneal </b>was another decent sup - a boisterous American style brown ale, very rich and boozy. <b>05/13 India Pale Ale Rakau </b>was the booziest beer I had at 7.1% but it tasted much lighter than that, an easy drinking pale ale clearly made with skill. The samples were all 1/3 pints and it came to £9.60 - about the going rate for a drink round these parts.<br />
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The best of the bunch was the <b>03/05 Porter - Willamette and Cenennial. </b>Brew by Numbers usually make excellent porters and this was no exception - plenty of malty flavours and a good bit of bite to it. After trying and failing to blag a free BBNo T-Shirt I called it a evening. I enjoyed my visit to BrewDog Clerkenwell and would be happy to return. It's a decent bar with friendly staff and good beer - if only the place was a little bigger.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-2052583755578298082016-02-27T08:16:00.002+00:002016-02-27T08:17:36.593+00:00Lucky Chip Burgers and WineIf there's one thing every Londoner will tell you it's "there are a lot of burger restaurants around here." They'll then carry on telling you that London is an expensive, lonely, sometimes slightly smelly city but the main thing is that there are hundreds of places to buy a burger. You can get dirty burgers, honest burgers, scotch egg burgers and crappy burgers that make my guts hurt thirty minutes after consuming them (sold by a hip burger chain called "McDonalds.") I've been to most of these places but one that has slipped me by is <b>Lucky Chip, </b>who have taken up residency in several pubs across London. They have recently opened their own proper restaurant called <b>Burgers and Wine </b>and I paid a visit last weekend.<br />
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I was pleased to see that unlike every other trendy restaurant in the capital Burgers & Wine are happy to take reservations. It turns out the reservation I made for a Saturday afternoon wasn't really needed as we were the only customers when we walked in. Located in the deeply unglamorous Ridley Road market in hipster haven Dalston, this is more a place for people in the know - I'm not sure how many potential customers would just happen to walk by. The market is known for selling all variety of animal parts and walking past piles of pig trotters and sheep heads didn't really get me in the mood for a tasty burger.<br />
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The restaurant is fitted out in dark wood tones and plush booths and I put the thought of entrails and pigs with no legs behind me while sliding into a booth with The Lovely Jemma. A long bar and open kitchen is along the back of the room. Their website claims the place is meant to evoke a 80's American steakhouse vibe, and if you don't look out the large ceiling to floor windows at the distinctly British market outside you could almost believe you were in a steakhouse in Miami gorging on meat and snorting up coke.<br />
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The menu is small and to the point - a smattering of starters, a couple of "counter dishes" including a tempting Chicken Parmesan, and of course the main event - burgers. The Lovely Jemma and I both went for the "No. 4 El Chappo" burger which contains a meat patty, blue cheese, roasted jalapenoes and Ailoi. It sounded yummy and I'm pleased to say it tasted delicious as well - the garlic flavours of ailoi were not overpowering and complemented the meat perfectly, and the jalapenoes gave it a tasty zing. The meat and bun were top quality and overall it was an excellent burger.<br />
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Now I know what you're thinking. "This is a beer blog Dave, and you've gone to a restaurant that sells burgers and wine. What about the beer?!" The drinks list is definitely focussed on the wine, with around 100 bottles available and a few wines available by the glass. But there is a well curated beer selection as well. A couple of selections from the <b>Butternuts </b>brewery based in the U.S of A were available, and I tried their <b>Moo Thunder Milk Stout. </b> It was very good - sweet and malty, it was like having a boozy milkshake with my burger dinner.<br />
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We finished with a baked cheesecake which was very tasty indeed. With the retro music playing and a small collection of punters enjoying their lunch the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, although I imagine this place gets pretty busy and possibly cramped on a weekend evening. If you want to try out, or already enjoy Lucky Chips burgers it is well worth making a trip out here, and with the excellent <b>Three Compasses </b>and <b>Railway Tavern </b>nearby, you could enjoy some delicious ales afterwards as well.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-71155173878848810342015-12-29T20:49:00.001+00:002015-12-29T20:49:23.884+00:00Returning in 2016You may have noticed that there's been a bit of a gap sine my last blog post - and some of you may even care. It's been a pretty busy couple of months - I finally married The Lovely Jemma on the 21st November, and Christmas has been a hectic time. I've not given up on this blog though, and I will be resuming regular updates in 2016. I hope you've had a very peaceful Christmas and I wish you all a happy new year. See you in 2016!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-7707552973910691652015-11-08T19:14:00.004+00:002015-11-08T19:14:44.287+00:00Leeds: The ReturnThe Lovely Jemma and I were recently up in Leeds for a couple of days. Jemma was getting a new tattoo from an excellent tattoo artist who works up there and I came along for moral support. It would of been rude of me not to visit a few pubs as well while I was there. I first visited Leeds last year and enjoyed some good beer in excellent pubs, and I was excited to go back and try new entries in the Good Beer Guide, visit a couple of pubs I'd missed on my last visit, and return to a couple of favourites.<br />
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While waiting at Kings Cross station for our train we stopped for a couple of drinks in <b><a href="http://www.parcelyard.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Parcel Yard</a>, </b>a large Fullers pub next to the tourist ridden Harry Potter shop. This is a large, two floor pub, and it was disappointing to see the top floor closed during peak evening travel time. This meant the downstairs was much more busy and cramped than usual. My halves of Fullers <b>Front Row </b>and Windsor and Eton <b>World Cup Drop </b>were both in good nick but pricey at around £4.50 a pint. The high prices don't seem to faze most of the punters who hand over there money with dead eyed acceptance of being fleeced. Despite the wallet busting prices this is a nice enough pub to enjoy a drink.</div>
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We made a quick stop across the road at <b><a href="http://sourcedmarket.com/" target="_blank">Sourced</a> </b>market in St Pancras station, a little gem of a place that sells an extensive (and expensive) range of canned and bottled beers. I got a can of Five Points <b>Pale, </b>and it was delicious,with none of the metallic flavours that can sometimes be associated with canned beer. We hopped on the train and just over a couple of hours later we were in Leeds and checked in to the glamorous Travelodge hotel.</div>
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The next day while Jemma was getting ink stabbed onto her arm, I took the opportunity to visit a couple of the less glamorous pubs in Leeds featured in the Good Beer Guide. First up was the <b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/stick-or-twist" target="_blank">Stick or Twist,</a> </b>a larger Wetherspoons opposite the Leeds Arena. The interior is identikit Spoons - brown-red carpet, sticky wooden tables and chairs, and a long bar with plenty of cheap booze on offer. The customers were identikit as well -mainly single older men but there were a few groups of students popping in for a cheap lunch. The Wetherspoons real ale festival was on but sadly the special collaboration brews that were on weren't very exciting. I ended up with Oakham <b>Owl & The Pussycat, </b>a hoppy treat to start the day off with. To be honest the place was nothing special and I was quick to move on to the next pub.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.johnbarras.com/pub/templar-hotel-leeds/m6440/" target="_blank">The Templar Hotel</a> </b>is a handsome looking pub from the outside with gorgeous tiling, and inside was like stepping back in time. Warm oak boarded walls, old fashioned pub furniture and cosy bench seating at the back made this a pleasant retreat. Serving bells were still on the wall at the back of the pub, I wasn't brave enough to press one to see if they still worked. On a Tuesday afternoon the customers were just as old fashioned as the pub interior and I imagine some of them had probably been there since the pub first opened. There was a decent selection of ales and my half of <b>Devils Advocate </b>from Three Kings Brewery wasn't bad, although it went a bit wonky in the finish. The pub was a pleasant little time warp but again it's not somewhere where I would want to spend a lot of time, the main reason being I was skewing the average age of the punters by about forty years.</div>
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I met up with Jemma with her new and excellent tattoo, and headed for lunch at <b><a href="http://www.friendsofham.com/" target="_blank">Friends of Ham</a>. </b>I'd heard very good things about this place, and sadly it was closed for refurbishment when I tried to visit last year. Walking into the bright airy space I was pleased to see three blackboards with details about the three things I love most in life (apart from The Lovely Jemma of course) - meat, cheese and beer. We went for the Spanish Meat and Cheese platter, and I also enjoyed a pint of <b>Iti NZPA, </b>a big hoppy fruity treat from Hawkshead, with plenty of flavour considering the 3.8% ABV. It was superb and the best beer of the trip. The food was also excellent. This was a lovely little place and well worth visiting if you're in Leeds.<br />
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Last pub for the afternoon was the <b><a href="http://www.crowdoffavours.co.uk/" target="_blank">Crowd of Favours</a>, </b>a former chippy converted into a pub. Owned by the Leeds Brewery, there was plenty of their brews on offer. A pumpkin ale was the seasonal special but I wasn't feeling brave enough to try it and I stuck to the Leeds <b>Pale Ale, </b>which was very tasty. The place has a studenty vibe, with retro consoles set up in one area, and plenty of activities throughout the week such as quiz and cinema nights. Jemma and I settled down for a few matches of Mortal Kombat 2 on the SNES, and after I won ten matches in a row we retired to a comfy sofa. The place was bigger than expected (it must have been a spacious chip shop) and I would be quite happy to pop in on a busy Friday night and enjoy a couple of pints here.<br />
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We headed back to the hotel for a nap before preparing for an evening of eating and more drinking, including the trendsetting <b>North </b>bar. But I'll tell you about that next time. Hope you can join me then!</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-34894423283917941502015-10-18T17:44:00.000+01:002015-10-18T17:44:02.756+01:00Stag Do Part 2 - London's fabulous East End (and a bit of Dulwich)Following the success of visting a whole two breweries on the beer mile, we headed on over to Dulwich Hamlet FC for a"pay what you feel" charity match. Hamlet are a local team who the hipsters of Dulwich have taken a shine to, and the supporters section is filled with men with immaculate beards accusing the referee of being a lib dem and shouting "Tuscany" a lot. Normally this would annoy the hell out of me but I was pretty tipsy by this point so found the whole thing amusing. I'd also heard rumours that decent real ale is served at the ground, and it's always good to support your local football team. We headed in and I must have had a few beers in me as I handed over a rather generous £10 to the chap on the turnstiles.<br />
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The place was packed which was great for the team but it also meant that the queue for the bar was terrifying. The real ale queue was very long and not moving very quickly so I had to settle for the lager bar, and enjoyed a pint of Hamlet Lager. I was reliably informed that it's just rebadged Oranjeboom, and the atmosphere of the place made the lager taste much better than it had any right to be. The game turned out to be a bit of cracker, with seven goals in all, although the last two came in the last few minutes when we had already made our exit. The Hamlet won, the supporters were in good voice and beard form, and it was a very jolly way to spend an afternoon. I'm looking forward to going back - although I'd get there earlier to secure a proper ale before the crowds build up.</div>
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We headed down to Whitechapel for dinner at Tayaabs, a barn of an Indian restaurant that pretty much only caters to large groups these days. Following a recommendation from the Craft Beer London app we stopped into <b><a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/indo" target="_blank">Indo</a></b> for a quick pre dinner refreshment. I tried the Lagunitas <b>Mozango (Fusion XXXI)</b>, which was basically mango juice in beer form. It was pretty good if very sweet, and a half was more than enough. The bar had a run-down, student vibe which was fine on a quiet Saturday afternoon but I wouldn't fancy being crammed in here when it's busy. We left and made our way over to Tayaabs, which is BYOB, and I got a bottle of Anchor <b>Steam IPA </b>and a Goose Island <b>Honkers Ale</b> from the local off license. Both went down nicely with the well prepared curries at the restaurant.<br />
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By this point I was well fed and (very) well watered, so apologies if things get a little vague. We made our way further into the East End, stopping into <b><a href="http://www.the-white-hart.co.uk/home" target="_blank">The White Heart</a>. </b>Microbrewery One Mile End are based in the basement and there was plenty of their beer on offer. My brain was running too slowly to bother seeking out handpumps so I stuck to the keg offerings, with the <b>Salvation! Pale Ale </b>a solid beer. The place was busy so we sat outside and enjoyed the beers in the chilly breeze. The rugby was on and it was England vs Australia, a lone Aussie punter in the pub was very bravely cheering for every try as the Aussies soundly beat the Brits.<br />
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Everything was a bit of a blur by this point but I do remember finishing the night at the <b><a href="http://www.theredchurchbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Redchurch</a> </b>brewery in Bethnal Green. There is a spacious taproom upstairs, complete with dart board and a brewery cat. Strangely I was still able to operate Untappd by this point and apparently I enjoyed a pint of <b>Great Eastern India Pale Ale. </b>I also managed to fit in a game of darts, where miraculously nobody was injured or killed despite the fact I was seeing two dart boards by this point. The cat quickly clocked that our group was a soppy bunch of bastards and plonked himself firmly in the middle of us ready for a fuss, and a fuss he received. Sadly I forgot to take a picture of our furry friend! There was good music playing, the time flew by, and before I knew it I was bundling out of a cab and dancing like a idiot at <b><a href="http://www.shacklewellarms.com/" target="_blank">The Shackletwell Arms</a> </b>in Dalston, drinking sambuca before crashing at my best man's flat down the road.<br />
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I woke up the next morning in surprisingly good health - maybe it was because all the beers were good quality, maybe it was because I had eaten plenty of food to sop up the booze. Either way after a delicious breakfast at <b>Cafe Z </b>is Stoke Newington I was ready to head home, and I managed to remain somewhat functional for the rest of my Sunday. Good booze, good football, good curry - what more could a man want from a stag do?</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-16423946627060742542015-10-12T07:27:00.002+01:002015-10-12T07:27:47.754+01:00Bermondsey Beer MileAs a beer blogger you can rely on me to bring you the latest and greatest things happening in the beer world, and what better way to live up to this promise than by writing about the Bermondsey Beer Mile, something that has been going for around three years and every other beer blogger has written about already. Even better, I visited the beer mile for my stag do - I really should just hand in my beer blogging badge now.<br />
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Our group started the proceedings on a Friday evening, visiting <b><a href="http://anspachandhobday.com/" target="_blank">Anspach and Hobday</a> </b>for their Oktoberfest festivities. The brewery was decked out in bunting, the staff wearing their finest lederhosen, oom-pah music was playing over the PA and there were a number of special brews for the event. As it was my first ever visit to a brewery on the beer mile, I must admit I was a bit sceptical. The internet had led me to believe that I was in for hipster beards, murky beer and a packed out, uncomfortable bar. I did get the hipster beards and the murky beer but the place was fairly quiet and laid back, and I was surprised by the amount of children at the place. I'm not one of those who gets annoyed by kids in a pub, especially if there's stuff there to keep them entertained. But this brewery wasn't particularly child friendly with no activities for the kids and the event geared towards adults, resulting in was bored sprogs toddling around the room and being a minor annoyance while their parents slowly drank their worries away.<br />
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The beer was fairly good. The <b>Berliner Weisse </b>had the sour goodness that's expected from the style, it's an acquired taste that I enjoy although a pint may have been a bit much. The <b>Bavarian IPA </b>was pleasantly hoppy and the <b>Alt Bier </b>had a pleasing nuttiness about the flavour. All the beers tasted however they were also murky in appearence. I'd expect some haziness from the Weisse but I was unsure about the other beers. I enjoyed the beers overall but it did make me feel slightly uneasy wondering if the murkiness was by design or from below par brewing.<br />
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We left the bar in good spirits and headed on down the road to London Bridge to find some food. Along the way we passed the <b><a href="http://www.southwarkbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Southwark Brewing Company.</a> </b>I poked my head in and spotted eight handpumps on the bar, and before I knew it I was wandering in bellowing "I'm so happy to find a brewery round here with cask beer!" and blurting out it was my stag do. Rather than the staff looking at me with a mixture of disgust and pity and chucking me out, I was instead given a free pint of <b>5 Hop</b> and it was absolutely delicious - and it tasted even better as it was free! I did pay for my seond drink, the <b>Top Drop Ale, </b>and it lived up to its name, this was a tasty ale. The tap room was full of cosy sofas and bench seating, the rugby was on the television, the toilets were nice, the beer was clear and there were no kids running about. This ended up being my favourite brewery of the mile - even though technically it's a return to the slightly unfashionable, cask driven breweries that some pockets of the craft beer movement were initially rebelling against.<br />
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The next day we started at the other end of the beer mile in the middle of South Bermondsey, a place I never even knew existed in my thirty four years of living in London. In an industrial park, behind the ScrewFix and Tool Station stores is <b><a href="http://www.fourpure.com/" target="_blank">Fourpure</a> </b>brewery. I was impressed by the size of the operation, it's a big setup they've got here with an impressive cannery the centrepiece. Plenty of their beers are available on tap, and I tried the <b>Oktoberfest, </b>which was a bit too sweet but rather tasty. I also enjoyed their brown ale <b>Beartooth</b>. Both beers were clear and looked excellent. We sat outside enjoying the ambience only a trading estate in South Bermondsey can provide, the client base mainly consisting of men celebrating major life events. Nice place but I'd rather enjoy a Fourpure in a cosy pub, or at home - their canned beer is always excellent quality.<br />
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Technically <a href="http://www.partizanbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Partizan</a> brewery should have been next but as we had a football match to attend (more on that next week) we headed straight to <b><a href="http://www.brewbynumbers.com/" target="_blank">Brew By Numbers</a></b>, a 20 minute walk away. Arriving at around 1pm the place was pretty busy, with a long but quick moving queue at the bar. I tried the <b>Brown Ale </b>which tasted good but unfortunately looked like a foamy chocolate milkshake. Murky beer was here and in abundance. I've never had a murky brown ale and I'm fairly certain this beer wasn't quite ready to be served. We enjoyed our beers outside in the sunshine, and although it was nice to get beer direct from the source I think I'll stick to Brew By Numbers in a pub or at home rather than drinking it at the brewery. I believe the ambience of where you're drinking is just as important as what you're drinking, and a small room under railways arches and a couple of portaloos just isn't as appealing as a cosy pub.<br />
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We bid farewall to the beer mile and headed on down to Dulwich Hamlet FC, as recommended by the excellent Deserter blog, to watch some hipsters chant while men kick a ball and we attempted to get some beer. I'll be telling you all about that and the pubs we ended up visting in trendy East London in my next update. Hope you can join me!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-28798919607869240202015-09-13T18:45:00.003+01:002015-09-13T18:45:31.584+01:00Chelmsford - The ReturnA few weeks ago I visited good friends of mine who are living in Chelmsford in sunny Essex, just on the outskirts of Greater London. A popular commuter town, the place is also home to a surprising amount of decent real ale pubs. I'd written about some of them previously on my first visit there, and this repeat visit gave me the opportunity to visit some of the pubs I had missed - luckily my friends were more than willing to join me on this real ale jaunt!<br />
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We first stopped for a spot of lunch to help sop up the alcohol in <b><a href="https://www.theoriginalploughchelmsford.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Plough</a>, </b>a Mitchell & Butlers (M&B) pub near the train station. I believe this used to be a Nicholson's branded pub, but it now just appears to be a regular M&B's. Food wise burgers are the specialty of the house, with a varied selection of heart destroying beef (or chicken) treats available. You get a free pint with every burger but sadly the guest ales weren't included in the deal. This meant I had to settle for a Sharps <b>Doom Bar. </b>Like a million other ale drinkers around my age (34) this was one of the first real ales I drank regularly, before moving onto the more adventurous beers. It was one of the better pints of Doom Bar I've had, and sitting in the afternoon sun the drink went down a bit too quickly. I followed with one of the guest ales, the <b>Lambton's Cask Ale </b>from the Maxim Brewery. This was a refreshing pale ale. It was nothing outstanding but it did the job, much like the pub itself. If this was the only pub in town it would be a standout but in Chelmsford, which is overflowing with decent ale pubs, it's more a reliable standby, especially for food.<br />
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Next up, after a fifteen minute walk through the town centre, was <b><a href="http://queensheadchelmsford.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Queens Head</a>. </b>An unassuming backstreet local, it's worthy of attention as it's a Mighty Oak tied pub. The interior is sparsely decorated, with a small U-Shaped bar. The pub garden was a pleasant little oasis, with the highest number of dogs I'd ever seen in a boozer's backyard. The Mighty Oak <b>Citra </b>was in good form and by now the sun was beating down hard, so this refreshing pale ale went down a treat. Next up was Dark Star <b>Redhead. </b>This was a rich, satisfying red ale, and packed quite a flavorful punch considering it was only 3.7% abv. Despite the manageable alcohol percentage this beer was a bit too rich for me to make it sessionable, but it was a tasty sup nonetheless. A nice little local and also the most keenly priced of the pubs we visited.<br />
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Near the Queens Head is the <b><a href="http://www.the-ot.com/" target="_blank">The Orange Tree</a>, </b>although sadly it was closed when we visited due to unexpected structural problems with the premises. It sounded a bit worrying but hopefully they got it sorted out. We sauntered back through the town centre with the intention of visiting the <b>Ale House, </b>but we stumbled across a micropub along the way. I've enjoyed every micropub I've visited so far. I admire their principles of selling good beer in a environment designed to encourage conversation, usually achieved by using bench sitting which encourages punters to mingle with each other rather than being glued to the comforting glow of their mobile phone screen, no fruit machines and (usually) no music. Some people have reported finding them a bit "cliquely" but I've always found them welcoming. The <b><a href="http://www.thehopbeershop.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hop Beer Shop</a> </b>is another micro I can add to the "like" list. There was an excellent selection of local ales on, and it was also the first micropub I'd visited which also boasted a well curated selection of bottled beers. It's definitely more like a pub than a bottle shop though.<br />
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The manager was friendly and approachable and after mentioning that I was thinking of opening a much needed micropub in my corner of South East London we had a friendly chat about starting a micropub and the challenges involved. Following the recommendation of the barman I enjoyed a lovely half of Tring <b>Pale Four, </b>which was a superbly hoppy treat.<b> </b>To avoid appearing rude I also bought a few bottles to take home as well. The bottled beer selection ranged from local Essex ales to continental beers and they were all very tempting. The pub is small but although there were quite a few in it didn't feel cramped, the atmosphere was buzzing and overall this was an lovely place for a drink.<br />
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We eventually made it to <b><a href="http://www.the-ale-house-chelmsford.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Ale House</a>, </b>which I wrote about in my previous Chelmsford visit and again it did not disappoint. The half of <b>Salted Caramel </b>from the Almasty Brewing Co<b> </b>that I enjoyed was a highlight. We ordered a calorific but delicious pizza from the take away across the road, which you're more than welcome to bring into the pub. It was so bad for me but also so good at the same time - the perfect takeaway pizza. We finished the night at <b><a href="http://baristachelmsford.com/" target="_blank">Barista</a></b>, a trendy nightspot. I never would of thought of going in here had it not been in the Good Beer Guide, as the place is a glitzy bar along the lines of Tiger Tiger and isn't the usual CAMRA friendly place. But nestled in the back as promised were three gravity dropped ales. My pint of Skinners <b>Copper </b>was in top condition and I enjoyed my drink as the bright young girls and sleazy old men of Chelmsford enjoyed a dance to enjoyable cheesy pop hits. A bit of a surreal end to an excellent day (and night) of boozing.<br />
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Chelmsford really is lucky to be blessed with several excellent places for beer, and I wish the micropub all the best success in such a crowded marketplace! I look forward to returning again to pay The Orange Tree a visit - plus <b>The Ship </b>which has snuck into the Good Beer Guide 2016. Well I got to make sure both pubs deserved their place! See you soon.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-28237709208435933322015-08-16T19:53:00.000+01:002015-08-16T19:53:51.254+01:00Norfolk Part 3 - Great YarmouthI love a trip to the seaside. The sea air, the amusement arcades, the shops selling every kind of tat imaginable, the bad but delicious food and of course a relaxing pint once the sea and sun has become too much. As part of my Norfolk break The Lovely Jemma and I had a day out at Great Yarmouth. I'd never been before but was looking forward to it, and it didn't disappoint. The shops did not let me down on tackiness, there was plenty of trashy food available, although we chickened out and ending up eating at a Spoons, the arcades were plentiful and there was even a surprisingly thrilling wooden rollercoaster to ride at the far end of the prom.<br />
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The aforementioned Spoons was <b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-troll-cart" target="_blank">The Troll Cart</a> - </b>despite the original and amusing name the pub was sadly an identikit Spoons with the usual grubby floor, sticky tables and solid range of ales and reliable food. Once settled in the pub I ended up going for a Southern Fried Chicken strips and chips, which was a glorified chicken nuggets but despite being a meal clearly designed for children it filled a gap. To continue the American theme of my lunch I enjoyed a SixPoint <b>The Crisp </b>which went down a treat and was included with the meal - bargain. I really enjoy the SixPoint beers and am glad that Spoons are still selling them despite rumours of poor sales. The pub was packed when we arrived at noon but soon emptied out once the lunch time crowd were down and we left sitting amongst typical Spoons "characters." A less reputable blogger than I would make a comparison between the name of the pub and its weekday afternoon customers but I'm better than that. It was soon time to move on to the next pub.<br />
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There are two Great Yarmouth pubs in the Good Beer Guide and we only got the chance to visit one of them. The GBG can be a bit hit and miss - sometimes the pubs are pretty grim but because they serve a good pint the CAMRA beardies are happy to put it into the guide. Luckily <b><a href="http://whatpub.com/pubs/NOR/333/mariners-great-yarmouth" target="_blank">The Mariners</a> </b>turned out to be a bit of a gem. An impressive stone facade outside, and a cosy two room interior made this a cosy and welcoming pub. There was a good selection of ales on and my half of <b>Slap in the Face </b>from Totally Brewed was in great condition and tasted hoppy and delicious. Only one of the rooms seemed to be open. As I'm a nosy bastard I couldn't resist opening the door to the second room where I was greeted by a large dog looking at me inquisitively before deciding he didn't like me and barking his head off. I quickly shut the door, the barmaid had a good laugh and all was well in the world. Located off the beaten track this pub was a nice place to enjoy a quiet pint.<br />
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We headed on down to the Pleasure Beach, stopping at the <b>Lacon Brewery </b>along the way. They have a shop at the brewery which was supposed to be open until 2:30pm, but was firmly shut when we arrived around 2pm. Luckily the head brewer saw me looking forlorn at the shop and took pity on me. As they were very busy he'd taken the staff member who usually mans the shop on to the production line, but he got him back in. The brewer also had a chat with me about the history of Lacons and led me into the small museum that they had. Founded in 1760, the brewery had a illustrious history until it was bought out by Whitbread in 1965, and they sadly closed the brewery in 1968. InBev, who make Budweiser, subsequently bought out Whitbread and the Lacons trademark was passed over to them.<br />
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After lying dormant for nearly 50 years, in 2013 a drinks distributor tycoon bought back the Lacon brand and brewing returned to Great Yarmouth. There's clearly a bit of money behind the operation and the museum and shop are in great nick, and the branding is very smart. I bought a few bottles in the shop. I've only had the chance to drink the <b>Legacy </b>so far, and it was a decent bitter with pleasant floral notes in the finish.<br />
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Overall I had a great time Yarmouth and North Norfolk overall. The weather was on our side, the pubs and beer were excellent, and the scenery was lovely. Well played Norfolk, well played.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-23620801247664847612015-08-02T20:09:00.001+01:002015-08-02T20:09:29.215+01:00Norfolk Part 2 - NorwichI'd been looking forward to visiting Norwich ever since looking up the town on the handy Good Beer Guide mobile app, and was pleased and a little bewildered at the number of results returned. Arriving in the morning, The Lovely Jemma and started the day by having a look around the market and a stroll around the shops in this charming little city, and soon it was time to get down to the serious business of enjoying a half in as many of the Good Beer Guide pubs as possible. We both started in <b><a href="http://www.themurderers.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Murderers</a>, </b>handily located near the Primark. The interior was quite amusing with a smugglers cove look, and posters of infamous murderers dotted about. My half of Wolf Brewery <b>Edith Cavell, </b>named in tribute of the famous nurse was a floral, hoppy treat. I'm sure it's what she would have wanted her beer to taste like (maybe.)<br />
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After leaving TLJ to carry on her shopping and enjoy lunch with her mum at Zizzi, I headed on to the second pub. It nearly ruined my itinerary for the day as despite the GBG describing the pub as being on the "outskirts" of the city centre it was actually a good 20-30 minute walk before I arrived at <b><a href="http://www.fatcatpub.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Fat Cat.</a> </b>Nestled on a suburban street corner this place is a CAMRA member wet dream of a pub come to life. Classic pub furnishings, plenty of real ales on handpump and gravity, and lots of little nooks and crannies to sit in. On a damp Tuesday afternoon there were a goodly amount of people in enjoying the ale and chat friendly atmosphere. The Fat Cat has their own brewery, although it's not based in this pub, and I tried a half of their <b>Hell Cat. </b>It was a hoppy, reliable sup, and I couldn't help but invest in one of their pork pies as well, which was very tasty and great value at £2.50, compared to the £4-5 I'd have to pay for a slice of decent pork pie in London. With the soggy weather outside I could have quite easily of camped in here for the rest of the day, but I had a helluva lot of other pubs to visit so I sadly moved on. I'd be happy to come back.<br />
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Next up was the <b><a href="http://www.alexandratavern.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Alexandra Tavern</a></b>, another street corner boozer nestled in a residential area a few minutes walk from The Fat Cat. An attractive pub inside, with a large horseshoe bar and comfortable seating areas on each side, there was also a nice selection of ales. Beers from the Chalk Hill Brewery seemed to be the house favourite and I tried the <b>Tap</b>, which sadly wasn't brilliant. It was lacking punch and tasted a tiny bit sour and tired. Settling down on a bench I noticed that there was a rather happy four legged fellow a few tables down catching forty winks. Judging from the size of him I thought he'd be more home at The Fat Cat. I gave him a little bit of fuss but he was too sleepy to notice. The pub was quiet and I enjoyed my half in peace, looking at the photos of the immense amount of charity work the landlord has done for the area. I could see this being a lively little local after work hours.<br />
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I started walking back to Norwich city centre, stopping in to the <b><a href="https://theearlhamarms.co.uk/" target="_blank">Earlham Arms</a></b> as it was on the way. This large, imposing pub is tastefully decorated in greyish hues inside. Although there is a strong focus on food, I had missed the lunchtime rush and was able to enjoy a half in a quiet, relaxing pub. The half of <b>Norfolk Kiwi </b>from Jo C's Norfolk Ales was really rather good, and the food the punters on the table next to me were enjoying looked tasty as well. Service was friendly, and if this was the only pub in the nearby area it would be an excellent option, but with all the competition nearby this place was reliable if a little bit bland.<br />
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A ten minute walk later and I was back in Norfolk Town Centre, and on to a pub I was looking forward to visiting, <b><a href="http://www.theploughnorwich.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Plough</a>. </b>This boozer serves as the tap for the reliable Grain Brewery<b>, </b>and a full selection of their beers were available in this sparsely furnished, small two room pub. The serving area is awkwardly sprawled across the two serving areas, making it difficult to squeeze past even on this quiet Tuesday afternoon. I ended up having a half of the <b>Best Bitter </b>and it was an excellent example of the style, rich warm and comforting. With a pleasant beer garden and friendly service this was a more than capable pub despite the tight layout. Next up, down a side street near the market was <b><a href="http://vinethai.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Vine</a>, </b>a small pub serving a nice selection of ales and a tasty looking Thai menu, although sadly I didn't get to try it. My half of <b>Comet </b>by Newby Wyke was a tasty, easy drinking ale, and generally this seemed to be a easy going pub, although I imagine it can get rather cosy during busy periods.<br />
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The last pub on my journey around Norwich was <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/107583173371197790563/about?gl=uk&hl=en" target="_blank">The Mash Tun</a>, </b>conveniently located near where I'd parked the car. Owned by trendy Norwich brewers Redwell, the place was done up in traditional craft bar style - exposed brick work, metallic surfaces, a BBQ menu and a absence of handpumps, but plenty of keg available. A wide range of Redwell beer was available, and the <b>Pale Ale </b>I enjoyed was a lovely hoppy treat, although it was delivered freezing cold which lessened the flavour initially. There didn't appear to be a lunchtime menu and the beer prices were high so I wasn't surprised to be the only punter in the pub. Sadly this meant the atmosphere was deathly dull, and the lady behind the bar looked like she wished she could be anywhere else. I couldn't blame her. I'd like to come back at a busier time as I didn't get an accurate feel for the place on my visit.<br />
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Norwich didn't let me down with the pubs, with an excellent and varied selection of boozers available catering to just about every taste, from old fashioned ale houses to trendy craft emporiums. I had a great time.<br />
<br />David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-11019016379539007282015-07-20T06:59:00.000+01:002015-07-20T06:59:08.026+01:00Norfolk Part 1 - The North of NorfolkLast week I was up in Norfolk, in the Great Yarmouth area. The Lovely Jemma's parents had booked a cottage and we joined them for a week of relaxing, walking and maybe even some beer drinking. Norfolk has an excellent reputation for real ale and I was looking forward to trying out the goods. The cottage we stayed in was in the charming chocolate box village of Winterton-on-Sea, featuring pretty houses, a well kept village green and an impressive lighthouse. There was also a pub and it seemed rude not to visit.<br />
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The <b><a href="http://www.fishermansreturn.com/" target="_blank">Fishermans Return</a> </b>with its classic red brick façade, homely furnishings and traditional wood backed walls inside fits the part of the traditional village pub. However it has a secret, a large and modern extension to the back, which looks a bit out of place and was empty on the few visits I made, it is presumably mainly used for functions. The small serving area in the main pub had four ales on offer, including the "house ale" <b>Skippers Tipple. </b>A 4% bitter the brewery wasn't displayed on the pump clip, but according to the internet it appears to be a Greene King "house beer," a generic beer which they ship out to pubs who slap a custom clip on the handpull. It was tasty regardless. The Adnams <b>Ghost Ship </b>I tried was also in excellent nick. I didn't get to try the food but the menu looked appealing with plenty of pub classics. Sitting outside on one of the wooden benches in the sunshine and surrounded by the sweet little village was a great way to start the holiday.<br />
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About a thirty minute walk along the beach from the cottage is the seaside resort of Hemsby.<b> </b>It's like a miniature Blackpool, with a small selection of gaudy, neon lit arcades and little shops selling all kinds of seaside tat populated by sugar filled kids and tired parents. The arcades were depressing to visit, all of them packed with two penny pushers and claw machines offering the same tacky "prizes" - I miss the video games and pinball from arcades of my childhood back in the 80's and 90's. On the outskirts of the Hemsby prom is the rather grand looking <b><a href="http://www.thelaconarms.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Lacon Arms.</a> </b>A large family pub, on the few visits I made the pub garden was usually full of groups enjoying a pint and/or eating lunch. As it was billed as a "family pub" my pub snobbery kicked in and I wasn't expecting much of the beer selection but it was actually pretty good. Alongside the ubiquitous beer from the Norfolk Woodforde brewery, there was also another Greene King house ale and a beer from the recently reopened Lacon<b> </b>brewery, who are based down the road from the pub in Great Yarmouth. Their <b>Encore </b>was a fine, citrusy pale ale which was a joy to drink and possibly the best beer I had on the trip. I would have another run in with the Lacon Brewery later on in the trip.<br />
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Another half hour walk on from Hemsby is the cosy seaside resort California, which again has a small prom with a smattering of arcades and cafes, which no doubt get a lot of custom from the large holiday park nearby. There's also a pub, the <b><a href="http://www.californiatavern.co.uk/" target="_blank">California Tavern.</a> </b>Rather generic looking inside and out, this was a good spot for a drink and a meal. The Ploughmans Lunch I shared with The Lovely Jemma was very tasty, and my half of Wolf Brewery's strangely named <b>Granny Wouldn't Like It </b>was a rich ruby ale that went down a treat. Sadly my follow up pint of Woodforde <b>Wherry </b>wasn't so great. With a strong aroma of old socks and a taste that was marginally better, this was a disappointing pint of a normally reliable bitter.<br />
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On the Tuesday we took a walk in the opposite direction, across the beach and through the outskirts of the broads to the <b><a href="http://thenelsonhead.com/" target="_blank">Nelson Head</a>, </b>a picture perfect country pub nestled in the tiny village of Horsey. This small two room pub has a wide range of ales and cider, plus a tempting if pricey food menu. The cider according to TLJ was very good, and the food was very tasty. Sadly the ale was hit and miss. Tom Wood's <b>Best Bitter </b>was either in poor condition or just a poor beer - slightly sour and a otherwise flat tasting profile. There was a lot of sediment at the bottom of the glass as well. I was desperate to drink anything after the long walk but I wasn't impressed. Cheddar <b>Bitter Bully</b>, which was gravity dropped rather than hand pulled, was a million times better, a clean, refreshing and hoppy pint that was a treat to drink. I tried my luck with another gravity dropped beer, but sadly my final pint of <b>Arizona </b>from the Tombstone Brewery was a return to average form, but the very pleasant walk back to the cottage cheered up my mood.<br />
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That's enough rambling for now. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be telling you about the pubs I visited in Great Yarmouth and Norwich. Hope you can join me!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-54296467183245738532015-06-28T16:59:00.001+01:002015-06-28T16:59:52.002+01:00Old Red Cow, FarringdonI work in the Farringdon, an area in London which is bereft with decent pubs. I've visited several in the past and you can read my thoughts in the blog archive. Last Wednesday I popped into a pub in the area that I hadn't visited previously which was highly recommended by the Craft Beer London app. The <b><a href="http://theoldredcow.com/" target="_blank">Old Red Cow</a> </b>is near Smithfields market, a two floor pub with a small area downstairs and a dining area upstairs. Walking in on a Wednesday evening the place had a smattering of punters in, and the cosiness of the room made it feel busier than it was. Similar to the Euston Tap there are ten keg beers dispensed from taps on the back wall, plus four beers on handpump. I was pleased to see a strong selection of beers available, with plenty of bottles to choose from as well.<br />
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All was looking good and there was even a tempting food menu. I was ready to settle in for the evening with a friend of mine who was due to join me and I ordered a pint of <b>Blond </b>from Nene Valley brewery, a refreshing session pale ale at 3.8%. Sadly the night hit a snag when I was charged £4.50 for the pint. Now I don't mind paying a premium for a craft beer especially if it has a high ABV, but £4.50 for a 3.8% cask session ale is, in my opinion, taking the piss. Even worse was that I couldn't see this price advertised anywhere, only the keg beers appeared to have their prices listed on a blackboard to the side of the bar. They were also very highly priced, averaging around £6 a pint for beers in the 5-6% ABV range.<br />
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Maybe I'm out of touch and this pricing is normal, but these were the highest prices I'd ever seen in a pub as far as I could remember, and I've had plenty of experience getting stung in Central London pubs. My friend arrived and although we reasoned that we could just stick to halves the prices were just too unpalatable to spend a lot of time in the Cow. Additionally, and although it's not the fault of the pub, a group of braying City boys hogging the bar were getting loud and spoiling the atmosphere. One of them bleated about ordering "the most expensive beer the pub had.' I hate to think how much he paid for it.<br />
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My friend and I ended up going down to the Wetherspoons near Farringdon station (<b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-sir-john-oldcastle" target="_blank">The Sir John Oldcastle</a></b>) which was as gloomy and sticky as usual, but at least I could enjoy a can of SixPoint for £2.98. We then moved on to <b><a href="http://www.thisissmiths.com/" target="_blank">Smiths of Smithfields</a> </b>for dinner, where I enjoyed a burger along with a pint of their house beer, a refreshing pale lager that went down a treat. Even though Smiths is a restaurant for those on expense accounts it still felt more reasonable than the Red Cow. It's a real shame that the Cow was so expensive, as it could be a lovely cosy respite away from the hustle and bustle of Farringdon, but the prices were bordering on exploitative. With so many other decent pubs nearby I'm a little bit surprised they're getting away with it.</div>
David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-36137660514374178992015-06-14T18:12:00.004+01:002015-06-14T18:19:41.711+01:00BlackpoolLast weekend I was up in Blackpool or the "Vegas of the North" as it's known by absolutely nobody. My nan lives in nearby Cleveleys so I have had many visits to Blackpool over the years. Three or four years ago things were not looking good for the town - they missed out on the "Super Casino" bid, development plans had stopped and the tourist attractions were outdated and slowly crumbling away. But in the past few years it has gone through a bit of a renaissance - Merlin (who own Alton Towers and Thorpe Park) have come in and bought up the Blackpool Tower and the hilarious Louis Tussauds, whose waxworks were so bad that I once had to ask a friend why Paul Merton was on the Titanic, and they had to point out it was actually Leonardo DiCaprio. It's now an official Madame Tussauds and both it and the Tower are looking much better for themselves.<br />
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With Merlin throwing money at the resort and the council also starting to wise up and continue developing the town, the town centre is now looking much better, although the area around the Blackpool Pleasure Beach is looking a bit forlorn and forgotten. Hopefully the cash will start to make its way there. Along with Merlin another company making its way into Blackpool is Wetherspoons, who now have three blockbuster pubs in the town. In a way Spoons are a perfect fit for Blackpool, as their giant pubs serving cheap booze and food make it perfect for hungry families and the thirsty stag and hen do's.<br />
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The first Spoons of the weekend was <b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-velvet-coaster" target="_blank">The Velvet Coaster</a>, </b>a short walk away from the Pleasure Beach. This is by far the biggest Spoons I've ever visited, spread over three floors and featuring a roof terrace and a glass lift. Each floor has a bar and they were serving different ales at different bars, which got a bit confusing. The location used to be an amusement arcade, and the decor is designed to evoke memories of fun at the seaside fair. For my first beer I went for the local offering of<br />
<b>Lytham Gold </b>from the Lytham brewery which is only a 15 minute drive from the pub. It was a solid pint once it had time to settle. While ordering my second beer I noticed that New Zealand craft beer superstars Yeastie Boys had a beer on cask. I was initially excited but a little bit of research revealed that the beer was actually made at the Wadworth brewery in not so exotic Wiltshire, although the pump clip didn't indicate this. Bit disappointing but it's nice to see Spoons continuing to try and cater for the craft crowd, although I didn't see anybody order it.<br />
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My second drink was the <b>Gold </b>from the Ramsbury brewery which was a very refreshing and hoppy sup. On a Saturday afternoon the pub was in full swing with an eclectic mix of couples, parties and families and the barn like acoustics meant the downstairs was very noisy, although things were a bit quieter upstairs. Staff were friendly and serving as quickly as they could, the toilets were clean, the atmosphere was typical Spoons and quite frankly I liked the place. It's a great option for families who want a decent value lunch away from the expensive Pleasure Beach eateries.<br />
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Next up was the Spoons outlet in the centre of town, the <b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-layton-rakes" target="_blank">Layton Rakes.</a> </b>Not as big as the Velvet Coaster, but still boasting a roof terrace, this was a more traditional Spoons experience, with slightly worn carpet and somewhat sticky table and chairs. Music was being played on a Saturday night which was unusual but actually welcome in this Spoons, as otherwise the atmosphere would have been pretty dead. The place was rather quiet punters wise, and I thought more would be coming in for a cheap drink before hitting the clubs. Although to be fair Blackpool clubs tend to be quite reasonable with their drinks prices, probably because there's so much competition.<br />
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I initially ordered a <b>Bengali Tiger </b>from SixPoint, but after the confused barman bought me back a bottle of the Singapore <b>Tiger </b>beer I had to point out in the cabinet what I wanted. Turns out they were all out of Bengali anyway, so I settled for SixPoint <b>The Crisp </b>at a wallet satisfying £1.99. Curiously the "premium" lagers such as Heineken were priced at around £3.40 which I found a bit high for a Spoons - maybe that's why there weren't many punters in. I find The Crisp to be the weakest of the SixPoint offerings but it's still a well made and very tasty pilsner. After a drink me and The Lovely Jemma headed on down to <b><a href="http://funnygirlsonline.co.uk/" target="_blank">Funny Girls</a>, </b>an amusing drag cabaret and Blackpool classic that has to be experienced at least once by every visitor. I stayed away from the beer their though - I wasn't in the mood for a fizzy lager or Worthington Creamflow.<br />
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It's great to see Blackpool doing a bit better for itself and I hope the regeneration continues. The town centre is looking much smarter and they've even got a Pizza Express and a Nando's - things are truly on the up! If you find yourself there it's well worth a visit to the Coaster or the Rakes - to be honest there's precious little else you can go in town to get a decent pint of ale. On the way back home we stopped in Preston to enjoy lunch at <b><a href="http://newcontinental.net/" target="_blank">The Continental</a>, </b>a fabulous pub nestled on the banks of the River Ribble. The food was excellent and my pint of <b>Brewers Gold </b>from Pictish was a superbly refreshing session pale. An excellent pub and a very pleasant end to an entertaining weekend.David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-90552727899139635932015-05-24T21:10:00.000+01:002015-05-24T21:10:02.599+01:00Helsinki Part 3After a very entertaining evening at the Helsinki Beer Festival, I woke up on Sunday morning surprisingly refreshed. I'm not sure if it was the fresh Helsinki air or the top quality of the beers I had been drinking but my head was clear and I barely felt any regret whatsoever unlike most other mornings after I've been on the lash. I was terrifically hungry though due to the lack of decent food options at the festival, but the hotels outstanding breakfast buffet soon filled that gap. Even though I wasn't flying back until Monday, I checked out of the hotel as I moving to one nearer the town centre, the functional and slightly quirky Hotel Finn. It was a great base for the centre of town, and was surprisingly reasonably priced as well. Another bonus was that it was directly across the way from <b><a href="http://www.villiwaino.fi/" target="_blank">Villi Wäinö</a></b>, a bar I would be visiting later in the evening.<br />
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But first off I met with my friends to visit <b><a href="http://bryggeri.fi/en/" target="_blank">Bryggeri Helsinki</a> </b>for lunch<b>. </b>As well as brewing their own beer on site, they also have a very tempting BBQ menu. Sadly on arrival the place was firmly shut, presumably the staff were sleeping off their beer festival antics. We ended up eating in the fancy <b><a href="http://www.kappeli.fi/" target="_blank">Kappeli</a> </b>which is nestled in a regal park that cuts through the middle of Helsinki. Although it looks very posh from the outside, it serves very reasonably priced meals. I stayed away from the beer here to give my body a rest before the night of drinking, but the Gravlax was very good indeed. After a obligatory visit to the Moomin shop up the road it was back to the hotel for a nap and watching YouTube videos on the free wi-fi. The beer blogging life is an exciting one.<br />
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As the evening rolled on I ventured out for a nights drinking on my lonesome. First stop was a return to <b>Oluthuone Kaisla</b>, which I've already written about in Part 1 so go back there and read it if you're interested. Next was <b><a href="http://www.botta.fi/fi/st+urhos+pub/etusivu/" target="_blank">St Urhos</a>. </b>The guide I was using described this as a "Fullers style" pub but it turned out to be an actual full blown Fullers. It was an odd feeling stumbling into a traditional Fullers in Helsinki but I'm glad I did as it was excellent. ESB was available on cask and other Fullers ales were available on keg. The real stars were the bottled beers, an eclectic and well chosen selection from all over the world. I ended up with an Australian ale, <b>Single Hop IPA Galaxy </b>from Bridge Road Brewers. Sadly I paid the price for choosing something so exotic as it cost a wallet melting ten euros for a 330ml bottle. Thankfully it was very tasty.<br />
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A food menu was available and the offerings were similar to the Fullers pubs back in England. I went for the Liver and Mash, but as a concession to Finland it was served with some lingonberries. Pretty much everything in Helsinki is served with a side of lingonberries. It's a good job I love 'em. The food was good, the atmosphere was jovial, the service friendly and efficient and overall this was an excellent pub. Well worth visiting.<br />
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I returned back to the hotel for a quick lie down and digestion afrer the hefty portion of mash, before popping across the way to <b>Villi Wäinö.</b> This large bar in muted black decor has more of a clubby feel, but on a Sunday evening it was quiet and rather pleasant. Villi is one of the few places in town that serves "Sahti" beer, a traditional Finnish style. I went for the <b>Lammin Sahti </b>by Lammin Sahti Oyand and it certainly was an experience. It felt like I was drinking the contents of a herb garden, and although it's a strong beer the boozy flavours weren't too overpowering. It was surprisingly good but the half I had was enough to be honest. There was a nice mix of punters in, with a couple of large groups of students, some older gentlemen enjoying a drink, and even a few single drinkers - it was nice to not be the only weirdo sitting on a table on their own. Nice place although apparently it gets very busy on a Friday and Saturday night, with drinkers spilling on to the street outside.<br />
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The next day was my flight back to the UK. We did manage to make it back to the <b>Bryggeri Helsinki </b>but sadly they don't serve the BBQ menu at lunch time, and instead serve a rather dreary looking buffet consisting of Finnish home cooking - fish soup, meatballs etc. To avoid a wasted trip I felt obliged to have a drink there, and the <b>Citra </b>was a very good example of this tasty style. That turned out to be my last beer of a trip that involved a huge amount of very tasty beer. It was like being a student again. I flew back to London tired but happy- and looking forward to returning to Helsiinki again once I've saved up another few hundred quid so I can afford the beer there!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-89020193358922741712015-05-10T20:45:00.001+01:002015-05-11T13:04:03.594+01:00Helsinki Part 2 - Helsinki Beer Festival 2015After the slightly disappointing visit to the One Pint Pub, it was time to head on to the main event - the Helsinki Beer Festival. It was taking place in a building known as the Old Cable Factory, a massive former, erm, cable factory which has been converted into an exhibition space. But before we got there, there was one more pub on the way that I wanted to try out. <b>Amsterdam </b>is a large, airy modern pub owned by the same company as the excellent Kaisla. Despite the name of the pub it downplayed the Dutch theming, with the odd reference to a bicycle being the only concession to our Dutch cousins. The beer list was sadly nowhere near as exciting as Kaisla's, and again I didn't notice anything on cask. The pub had a mini festival on showcasing IPA's, so I felt it rude not to try one. <b>Notkea IPA </b>from Panimo & Tislaamo Teerenpeli was a rather good example of the style, with a lovely hoppy finish that was very enjoyable.<br />
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After this pre-game drink it was onwards with my pals to the festival. Although the festival started at 12pm we got there for 4pm, as the entertainment started at 10:30pm and quite frankly it looked unmissable:<br />
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We wanted to be concious for these guys so the later start was a good idea. As with anything beer related in Helsinki the entrance fee wasn't cheap - 17 euro to get in, although we could check in our coats for free because we had pre booked. The cloakroom check scam was one of the more annoying things about Helsinki - just about every bar after 11pm required you to "check in" your jacket into the cloakroom - an easy way to charge an entrance fee without charging an entrance fee as everybody wears a jacket there! After the cloakroom check in we walked into the large main hall - its factory history showing quite clearly with the high ceiling and industrial decor.<br />
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Unlike the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) in London Olympia which lets in lots of natural light to brighten the proceedings, the Cable Factory's large windows had been completely blacked out, leading to a dark and slightly foreboding atmosphere. However unlike the GBBF the crowd in Helsinki where mainly young, so maybe they appreciated the more clubby surroundings. The place was packed with breweries local and international plying their trade. Apart from a "British Ale" bar on the upper level, the majority of the beer was keg. This didn't really matter in the end as the majority of the beers I tried were very tasty.<br />
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I sampled many beers throughout the evening. A guide in English listed the award winners and other notable beers. Highlights for me were <b>Thor Bock </b>by Suomenlinnan Panimo, a supremely drinkable Bock style beer with excellent, easy drinking malty flavours. <b>Hillbino's Rye Hiffer IPA </b>by Panimoravintola Bruuveri was an excellent IPA, with big hoppy flavours in the finish - top stuff. Sadly the food offering at the festival wasn't anywhere near as good as the excellent food selection at the GBBF. I spotted around five stalls selling grub, including BBQ, Burgers and German sausages, the last of which I decided to grab some tasty, and inevitably expensive, currywurst. It was washed down with <b>Hainfelder Spezialbier Dunkel </b>by Brauerei Hainfeld, which matched the food very nicely indeed. My favourite beer of the festival ended up being one from the local Helsinki Brewery, their <b>IPA </b>being a top notch example of the style - hoppy, fruity, and not to heavy on the booze.<br />
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We managed to stay awake until the entertainment, and Martti Servo and the boys didn't disappoint with a very enthusiastic performance. The Finns absolutely loved them - singing along merrily, dancing wildly and there were even a couple of conga lines. I didn't understand any of the lyrics apart from one song where you were expected to shout "sauna" during the chorus - I was happy to oblige. This was clearly a kitschy act with a bit of cult appeal and it was a lot of fun. Look them up on YouTube for an idea of their act. An excellent end to a well run and very pleasurable beer festival.<br />
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In my next update I'll be telling you a bit about the pubs I visited on the Sunday and Monday after - yes somehow despite drinking my weight in booze at the festival I managed to cram some more in at some very good Helsinki boozers. See you soon!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-9933966426836120662015-04-26T21:24:00.001+01:002015-04-26T21:24:03.839+01:00Helsinki Part 1A few weeks ago I visited Helsinki with a friend of mine for the annual beer festival that was taking place. I'd never been to that part of the world before and a beer festival was a good excuse as any to visit, so I took the opportunity to spend a long weekend in this charming if chilly city. We were going to the festival on the Saturday, so I had Friday night to explore some of the pubs in town. After doing extensive research on ratebeer.com, I had a list of decent pubs recommended by the crazy beardies on that site. It looks like over the past few years Helsinki has really embraced the craft beer scene, and there's been an explosion of pubs serving decent beer, including an inevitable BrewDog. I intended to visit as many of these boozers as possible!<br />
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First up was <b><a href="http://www.oluthuone.fi/in-english/beerhouses/en-kaisla/" target="_blank">Oluthuone Kaisla</a></b>, a large pub centrally located by the train station. This pub looks deceptively small from the outside, but once inside it's surprisingly cavernous, and as I ventured deeper and deeper into the pub more and more rooms revealed themselves. With plenty of nooks and crannies and a buzzing atmosphere this was a comfortable place to enjoy a few beers. My friend had already staked out a table, so it was down to the tricky business of choosing what to drink. The beer list was extensive, with plenty on keg and bottle, but sadly nothing on cask. I played it safe on my first beer with <b>Kukko Pils </b>from Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas<b> </b>(get ready for more crazy brewery names throughout this post) as I needed something refreshing and sharp after being cooped up in a packed plane. The Pils certainly fit the bill, clean and refreshing and a pleasure to sup. My next beer was more adventurous, the <b>Hoppe IPA </b>from Suomenlinnan Panimo. This was a big IPA with bold, brash flavours and it was absolutely delicious.<br />
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I was prepared for Finland to be expensive beer wise, but those two beers came to a combined total of around 14 euros! Apparently the alcohol tax had just been raised again - I'm sure it was merely coincidence that it happened just before a beer festival was due to take place. Despite the initial shock of the prices I very much enjoyed my time at the Kaisla. It was like a larger than life version of a Wetherspoons but with a jolly, classy atmosphere and music being played.<br />
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I liked the Kaisla so much I returned on the Sunday evening where it turns out they do a special promotion - pints for the price of a half. I doubt the barmaid had seen a smile so wide as the one on me when she told me the news. This much welcomed promotion brought the prices down to an almost reasonable level. I enjoyed pints of <b>Pekko Pale Ale</b> by Malmgårdin Panimo and <b>Plevnan Smörre IPA </b>from Koskipanimo, both of which were very suppable and in the case of the IPA packed full of big flavours. They tasted even better as I was only paying around 5 euro a pint instead of 8 euro! The promotion did highlight an irritating habit of Helsinki pubs where they do not halve the price of a pint when ordering a half - it was always a little bit over.<br />
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Back to the Friday evening. After the Kaisla, we moved on to <b><a href="http://www.blackdoor.fi/" target="_blank">The Black Door</a>, </b>a solid interpretation of a British pub. Two handpumps were on the bar, serving Skinners ales, including Cornish Knocker. I dread to think how much it would cost, and I'm not a huge fan of Skinners anyway, so I stuck to the Finnish keg beer. <b>Diane </b>was a new beer from the local Maku Brewery. It was a bit rough and ready and needed a bit more work but it was pretty tasty. The pub was packed and lively with young and old alike, some tables with big groups and some customers happily enjoying a pint on their own. Helsinki is one of the few cities I've been to outside of the UK that captures the spirit of British pubs, people are here to drink and chat, but it's done on a bigger and dare I say better scale. The rest of the night was a bit of a blur as I ended up in a Russian bar which served only one beer (Carlsberg) and one vodka before ending up dancing like a idiot in "authentic Oirish" bar <b><a href="http://www.mollymalones.fi/" target="_blank">Molly Malones.</a></b> I think I drank a Kilkenney. It's not important. I had a lot of fun.<br />
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The next morning I wasn't feeling so much fun, but after a hearty breakfast it was time to head to the Beer Festival. By lunchtime I had perked up a bit and decided to try a couple of more pubs on the way to the festival. First up was <b><a href="http://www.onepintpub.com/" target="_blank">One Pint Pub</a>, </b>a well respected little bar at the bottom of a block of flats, it was so well hidden I had a bit of trouble finding it. With its dark glass and low lighting I thought the place was shut from the outside, but through the gloom I could make out some punters. Walking in there were only three punters in, all sitting at a table to themselves reading a paper. With no music and no fruit machines it was a bit like being in a very small Wetherspoons. My half of <b>Red Neck Ale </b>from De Proefbrouwerij was OK - a bit of a limp IPA and not as strongly hopped as the label suggested. There was a huge selection of bottled beers available, plus plenty of keg from little known breweries, but it all came at a cost - this was the most expensive of the pubs I'd visited so far. The atmosphere was dead so I left after my half, but I imagine this place can get quite jovial when there's a few people in.<br />
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That's it for now - next week I'll tell you about the festival and some more pubs I visited in Helsinki. See you on Sunday!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-21718430190046605222015-04-15T20:54:00.001+01:002015-04-15T20:54:19.540+01:00CroydonAfter a splendid afternoon in the comfy surroundings of Carshalton, it was time to head to the grittier climes of Croydon, a half hour bus ride away. Croydon has the air of a place that was built with great intentions, in this case an attempt at being a New York style city of business, but the time and money wasn't really invested into it to pull it off so it got left behind and forgotten about. It's a real shame the council can't do more with the place as there is huge potential with its decent transport links and plenty of office space available. Apparently the monstrous American shopping "mall" experience Westfield will be moving in, but judging by their soulless labyrinths in Stratford and Shepherds Bush, I'm not expecting much from them - it will likely end up being a glamorous playground for bored scummy kids to hang about in.<br />
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Despite Croydon falling far short of what it initially promised, it does have some decent pubs. I'd written about <a href="http://bitterbloke.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-george-croydon-and-nellie-deans-of.html" target="_blank">two</a> of them <a href="http://bitterbloke.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-spreadeagle-croydon-and-return-to.html" target="_blank">previously</a> and this time I tried out a few pubs mentioned in the Good Beer Guide that I hadn't been to before. First up was the <b><a href="http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-skylark" target="_blank">Skylark</a></b>, right on the outskirts of town. This is a large Wetherspoons, and probably the most generic Spoons I'd visited in a long while. No excitement here, just the usual muddy brown/red carpet, slightly sticky furniture, dim lighting, collection of bored single elderly punters and a long bar serving a big collection of ales. Their beer festival was on and I tried a <b>Bedfordshire Clanger </b>from Banks Brewery which to be honest was a bit of a mistake. It was ludicrously bitter and a chore to drink - it was if they'd messed up the quantity of ingredients during the brewing process and couldn't be bothered to fix it. I tried the new burritos Spoons are doing now and it was fine - a bit like having a Tesco ready meal but tasty enough.<br />
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After this lacklustre experience I was looking forward to the <b><a href="http://www.thegreendragoncroydon.co.uk/" target="_blank">Green Dragon</a>, </b>a popular pub that gets good press. This large centrally located pub is right next to the Tiger Tiger and Reflex nightclubs, so no doubt a good place to load up on booze before attempting to have a dance. Five ales on handpump were on offer, plus a barrel of Black Sheep was being gravity dropped. Nothing really stood out as exciting from the ale selection, and I went for a <b>Dune Raider </b>from the Sunny Republic brewery. Sadly this was another disappointing ale, with a limp watery flavour - it needed more oomph. There was a smattering of young and old customers in on this dreary Thursday afternoon, and while music was being played when I walked in it cut out shortly after, leaving a bit of an odd atmosphere. I have a feeling this place might be more fun in the evening.<br />
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The last pub on my tour is owned by the former landlady of the Green Dragon. <b><a href="http://www.theovalcroydon.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Oval Tavern</a> </b>is a surprisingly large pub in the middle of a largely residential area. The Lovely Jemma works nearby and I had no idea this pub existed until I saw it mentioned in the guide - I thought it was all houses in the area! The decor inside is a little shabby and studenty but it has charm, there's also a large beer garden accessed by a flight of stairs. I was the only customer in but it was a comfortable enough place to enjoy a quiet half. Sadly I was lumbered with another beer that wasn't too great, although it was my fault for not reading the label correctly. <b>Blue Boar </b>from Everards is a standard bitter but with honey and mead chucked in, and unfortunately I didn't realise this fact until it was too late. I was basically drinking boozy Lemsip. Luckily the amusing posters dotted around the pub and the good music being played made the drink go down easier.<br />
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With a lot of live music events on as well, The Oval is having a good stab at being a community boozer, and I wish them all the best. I look forward to returning. Next week I'll be telling you all about Helsinki which I visited over the weekend, hence why this post is a few days late. Hope you can join me!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327045284150625309.post-67002438393963540832015-03-29T21:13:00.000+01:002015-03-29T21:13:15.278+01:00CarshaltonIf there's one thing Boris Johnson should have sorted out in his tenure as London mayor, during which he appears to have done absolutely nothing except waste newspaper pages with his buffonish "antics," he should have spent millions of pounds joining up South East London (and even Croydon) with decent transport links. Carshalton is 12 miles away from my house in SE London, a 40 minute car journey. However to get there by public transport took 1 hour 30 minutes, as I had to go into London and out again which is ridiculous. After trundling through the cultural desert that is Mitcham, I arrived at Carshalton, a nice enough little town nestled on the main road between Sutton and Croydon which is blessed with three decent pubs.<br />
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First up was the <b><a href="http://www.windsorcastlepub.com/" target="_blank">Windsor Castle</a></b>, a Shepherd Neame pub although you wouldn't know it from the outside as it doesn't appear to advertise itself as a Neame. This imposing street corner pub on a busy junction has an exterior clad in wonderful green tiling, and inside the traditional feel continues. It's a surprisingly large place with a central oval bar dishing out Neame ales, plus three guest ales. As I've drunk far too much Neame in my lifetime I tried out the guests, and went for a half of <b>Legless Rambler </b>from the Beachy Head microbrewery. This award winning ale was a little rough around the edges, but there was plenty of promise and it was a pleasant enough bitter sup. Only two other customers were in and Smooth FM was being played so the atmosphere wasn't exactly electric, but the pleasant decor made this a nice enough place for a lunchtime half and possibly a nap. Food was available as well with standard pub grub options.<br />
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Next up was <b><a href="http://www.thesuncarshalton.com/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. </b>From the outside this was another imposing street corner boozer, but the inside was nearly the exact opposite of the Windsor Castle. Modern decor and furnishings gave it a boutique feel, and although the focus was mainly on good looking food, I felt comfortable just having a drink. There was a well chosen selection of ales on offer and my Off Beat Brewery <b>Kooky Gold </b>was a solid example of a British pale ale. There were slightly more customers in this one, so there was a bit of atmosphere going. The light and airy style of pub isn't usually my favourite, I prefer my boozers dark and dank so I'm not distracted from the serious business of drinking ale, but I did quite enjoy the look and atmosphere of this pub, even if the dramatic black patterned back bar wallpaper looked like it may be more at home in a hairdressers. Nice little pub and I'd like to return to try out the food.<br />
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The last pub was the main reason I made the trip out to Carshalton. <b><a href="http://hopecarshalton.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Hope</a> </b>is a CAMRA favourite, and was voted Pub of the Year 2013. This old school boozer was bought out by the locals, and a beer revolution is happening inside. Some well chosen ales were on offer and there was also a smattering of craft beer offerings on keg, such as the Pale Ale from Five Points brewery. I ended up going for the Arbor <b>Triple Hop, </b>which was a fruity, hoppy treat. A few regulars were in hogging the bar but they were friendly enough. Preparations were in place for a beer festival which, just my luck, was due to start the next day. There's no music, no fruit machines, and the decor and furnishing look like they haven't been changed in years. No wonder CAMRA love it so much. Luckily it's my kind of pub as well. A very simple food offering was available, and I was pleased to see a billiards table in the back. A classic and welcoming boozer, and the excellent beer on offer makes it even more worthy a visit.<br />
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I carried on to Croydon to meet up with The Lovely Jemma and try out a few new pubs, but I'll tell you all about those in my next blog post as I desperately need the content. Until next time!David - A Bitter Blokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13019157610485435510noreply@blogger.com0