My top five craft beers

Craft 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.

Gumphreys Belfry - Hopless. 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."

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.

Greenfingers - Asparagus IPA. 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."

Craft Beer Toadies - This Will be Rated Number One on Ratebeer. A 12% ABV Imperial Stout brewed in the USA.

Brouwerij Verhaeghe/Bros - When Will I Be Flemish? - 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.

Marstons - Crafty Growler Hoppy Artisan IPA. 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"

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.

BrewDog Clerkenwell

Another 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 Dovetail 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.

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 Jerusalem Tavern and the Craft Beer Co are a short walk away.

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 01/03 Saison Mosiac was a good start to the evening, a well made saison with a welcome hoppy twang.The 09/05 Brown Ale - Chinook and Centinneal was another decent sup - a boisterous American style brown ale, very rich and boozy. 05/13 India Pale Ale Rakau 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.

The best of the bunch was the 03/05 Porter - Willamette and Cenennial. 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.

Lucky Chip Burgers and Wine

If 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 Lucky Chip, who have taken up residency in several pubs across London. They have recently opened their own proper restaurant called Burgers and Wine and I paid a visit last weekend.

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.

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.

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.

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 Butternuts brewery based in the U.S of A were available, and I tried their Moo Thunder Milk Stout.  It was very good - sweet and malty, it was like having a boozy milkshake with my burger dinner.

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 Three Compasses and Railway Tavern nearby, you could enjoy some delicious ales afterwards as well.

Stag 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.

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.

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 Indo for a quick pre dinner refreshment. I tried the Lagunitas Mozango (Fusion XXXI), 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 Steam IPA and a Goose Island Honkers Ale from the local off license. Both went down nicely with the well prepared curries at the restaurant.

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 The White Heart. 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 Salvation! Pale Ale 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.

Everything was a bit of a blur by this point but I do remember finishing the night at the Redchurch 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 Great Eastern India Pale Ale. 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 The Shackletwell Arms in Dalston, drinking sambuca before crashing at my best man's flat down the road.

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 Cafe Z 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?

Bermondsey Beer Mile

As 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.

Our group started the proceedings on a Friday evening, visiting Anspach and Hobday 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.

The beer was fairly good. The Berliner Weisse 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 Bavarian IPA was pleasantly hoppy  and the Alt Bier 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.

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 Southwark Brewing Company. 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 5 Hop and it was absolutely delicious - and it tasted even better as it was free! I did pay for my seond drink, the Top Drop Ale, 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.

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 Fourpure 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 Oktoberfest, which was a bit too sweet but rather tasty. I also enjoyed their brown ale Beartooth. 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.

Technically Partizan brewery should have been next but as we had a football match to attend (more on that next week) we headed straight to Brew By Numbers, 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 Brown Ale 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.

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!

Norfolk Part 2 - Norwich

I'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 The Murderers, 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 Edith Cavell, 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.)

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 The Fat Cat. 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 Hell Cat. 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.

Next up was the The Alexandra Tavern, 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 Tap, 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.

I started walking back to Norwich city centre, stopping in to the Earlham Arms 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 Norfolk Kiwi 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.

A ten minute walk later and I was back in Norfolk Town Centre, and on to a pub I was looking forward to visiting, The Plough. This boozer serves as the tap for the reliable Grain Brewery, 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 Best Bitter 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 The Vine, 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 Comet 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.

The last pub on my journey around Norwich was The Mash Tun, 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 Pale Ale 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.

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.

Old Red Cow, Farringdon

I 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 Old Red Cow 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.

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 Blond 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.

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.

My friend and I ended up going down to the Wetherspoons near Farringdon station (The Sir John Oldcastle) 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 Smiths of Smithfields 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.

Carshalton

If 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.

First up was the Windsor Castle, 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 Legless Rambler 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.

Next up was The Sun. 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 Kooky Gold 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.

The last pub was the main reason I made the trip out to Carshalton. The Hope 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 Triple Hop, 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.

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!

Chelmsford

With London house prices continuing to skyrocket with no end in sight, it really is outrageous what a sorry mess the housing situation in the capital is at the moment. In South London houses in former no-go areas such as Peckham and Hackney now cost a fortune where well off professionals find themselves living in enclaves with upmarket coffee shops and trendy craft bars uncomfortably close to poverty and crime stricken estates where the residents will never see the benefits of "gentrification." West London is now a joke where rows of grand houses stand empty as foreigners use them as a safe investment, rather than them being used as family homes. North London has long stopped being a place where anybody could hope to own a house - unless you bought it forty years ago and are now living off the profits off an "investment" that went up in value by dumb luck.

But you haven't come to this blog to read my simplistic ramblings about London's dysfunctional market, you've hopefully come here to read my ramblings about beers and pubs. Because there is now nowhere affordable in London for people on normal wages, more and more people are moving out of town, including good friends of mine who have recently moved to Chelmsford, around half an hour away on the train from Liverpool Street. Me and The Lovely Jemma visited their charming house for a weekend of catching up and maybe visiting a few pubs. Chelmsford has eleven(!) pubs listed in the Good Beer Guide, and I cherry picked four of them that sounded interesting.

First up was the White Horse which I picked more for proximity as it was just around the corner from the house. Marketing itself as a "bar and lounge" it looked like a shabby student pub from the outside, but it turned out to be a friendly and busy locals pub. Apparently boasting Chelmsford longest bar there was the usual selection of lagers and ciders available, but on the handpumps things got more interesting with a couple of Mighty Oak ales available. I went for Captain Bob which was in good form, reminiscent of Timothy Taylors Landlord on a good day. My friends went for the Oscar Wilde which was also in good nick. The rugby was on and the pub was pretty busy, filled with punters loudly enjoying the sport. We didn't stay long but this was a solid locals pub which I wouldn't mind returning to when it's a bit quieter.

We walked past The Royal Steamer which features in the Good Beer Guide, however it seems a new landlord has taken over and the ale selection had been drastically reduced. We decided to skip it and move on to The Golden Fleece, a rock pub which has had a recent makeover and is now targeting the burgers and craft beer market. Craft favourites Beavertown and BrewDog were on tap, plus there was an interesting selection of bottled beer. Like the grumpy bugger I am I ignored the craft beer on this occasion and went for the cask ale, Brentwood Marvelous Maple Mild. It wasn't exactly marvellous but was a well crafted mild, with the malty flavours present and correct. The pub was looking fresh after its makeover but there was something oddly hollow about the place - it was lacking character with its generic decoration and furnishing. The beer was in good nick though and the place was busy with young trendy punters so it's clearly winning over the people of Cheltenham. A nice enough place but not somewhere I would return to repeatedly.

Down the road we popped into The Railway Tavern, a long narrow pub next to the railway viaduct. Peeking through the windows I thought this pub would be a horror show of decrepit old punters and grumpy staff in a crumbling pub, but of course I was completely and utterly wrong. Walking in we got an effusive and friendly welcome from the landlord and barmaid, who helpfully pointed to a blackboard showing the ales available. I went for Farmers IPA from the the Maldon Brewing Co which was a very pleasant sup. In the back of the pub is a quaint area set up to look like a railway carriage - a bit cheesy but it worked. A friendly bunch of regulars were at the bar and overall the atmosphere was very genial. I would of been happy to stay for another drink but time was running short and we moved on to the next pub.

We were going to have a drink in The Plough, a Nicholson's pub across the road from the bus station, but the place was rammed with sports lovers so we went straight to The Ale House under the railway arches. Walking in you are greeted with an interior that is a bit like being in a aircraft hunger, and to the right a long bar serves a selection of 12 ales plus a good range of real cider. We were lucky to grab a bench in the busy bar and I worked my way through their exciting collection of ales. First up was Wibblers Chocolate and Vanilla Porter, which was basically liquid hot chocolate in a glass. A delicious desert beer.Alright Treacle? a treacle stout from Waen Brewery was sadly nowhere near as good, a bit lifeless and I couldn't detect any treacle flavor in there.

Last up was Rule of Thirds from craft beer darlings Siren. As it's a craft beer it was unsurprisingly an American IPA, and as it's from Siren it's unsurprisingly very good indeed, the best beer of the evening. It's the first time I've had Siren on cask rather than from a bottle and it was very good stuff, strongly hoppy but very drinkable. There are no hot food offerings in the Ale House but I did sample a scotch bonnet pickled egg which was very good but sadly lacking in heat. The Lovely Jemma enjoyed the large selection of real cider available. Apparently the place does live music as well, and judging from the crowd it's clearly a popular hub in Chelmsford. An excellent end to a varied and surprisingly good ale trail.

I was a bit jealous of my friends having such a decent selections of pubs in close proximity to their house and I must admit by the end of the drinking session even I was thinking of moving out to Chelmsford. But the sobering thought of having to pay £3,600 a year for a season ticket soon put a stop to that idea. The pub of the night for me was The Ale House but I'd be quite happy enjoying a pint in any of the boozers we visited. Well done Chelmsford!

Dalston and a little bit of Hackney

When you're a serious beer blogger like myself, averaging a whopping 25 posts a year, sometimes you have to do things you really don't want to do in search of decent beer and pubs. The avid reader(s) of my blog will know that I'm not a fan of hipsters, with their suspicious beards and brightly coloured trousers. The Lovely Jemma has recently been getting her hair cut at a trendy barber's near Dalston, an area known as a hipster stronghold. I've been tempted to travel there with her to try the pubs around the area, but the thought of being surrounded by preened ponces talking about nonsense in a ironic manner scared me off every time. I usually get as far as Liverpool Street before deciding I can venture no further. However a couple of weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and venture into the belly of the hipster beast. The sacrifices I have to make for this blog!

Dalston is supposedly gentrified although I couldn't tell at first glance, but at closer inspection I started to notice the poncy coffee shops, overpriced bars and gussied up vinyl shops amongst the grimy cafes and run down clothes stores. The perfect idyll for a hipster who can get posh beers and fancy coffee while also feeling a bit edgy as they hurriedly walk past the crummier stores hoping not to make eye contact with anybody inside. I soon became acclimatised to the bushy beards and horrible dress sense surrounding me and headed to the first pub on my mini jaunt, The Railway Tavern. Which was firmly closed despite the opening hours stating they open at 12pm on a Saturday, so it was off to the second pub on my list, The Duke of Wellington.

On entering I was surprised to see it was a fairly traditional pub, with a large central serving area in the middle of the room. The place was empty at lunchtime but there were plenty of "reserved" signs on the tables in preparation for the evening. I always find it a bit annoying when a pub allows you to book tables on a Saturday night - it's only fair that everybody has to fend for themselves. There was a well chosen collection of cask ales on offer and I went for a half of Shropshire Gold from the Salopian Brewery, a very solid sessionable golden ale. With the friendly staff and laid back indie atmosphere this was a pretty good local boozer - worth dropping in for a pint.

I wandered back to The Railway Tavern to see if they had woken up yet and the place was now open. I popped in and perused the beer selection. Along with a small collection of cask ales, mainly from Redemption, there was also plenty of trendy keg beer on offer including two beers from craft stars Pressure Drop, I stuck to the cask and went for the Railway Porter from the the Five Points brewery. This was an excellent porter with well balanced malt and coffee flavours, a delight to drink. The Railway is owned by the same people as The Pineapple and Tapping the Admiral both near Camden Town, and it had the same sort of vibe - a locals pub serving good quality beer. Thai food was also available. When trying to find this pub beware that there is another pub called the Railway on the main Kingsland Road - ignore this one, turn down the side street next to it and walk down until you find the Tavern!

My last pub in the Dalston area involved a jolly jaunt through the lively market, which seemed to specialise in selling every part of every animal that has ever existed. The Three Compasses is another locals pub that has been taken over by trendy beer. A large one room pub, the long serving area has plenty of keg on offer but only one cask was available, serving a Hackney Brewery ale when I visited. I opted for a Pressure Drop Pale Fire, a reliable and very tasty American IPA. As well as trendy beer there was also trendy food available with American burgers with a French twist provided by Le Bun. The burgers sounded pretty good but the last pub of the day is where I planned to have lunch.

With The Lovely Jemma joining me freshly shorn from her visit to the barber, we saunted down the Kingsland Road towards Haggerston, a dreary slab of London suburbia with precious little of note - except for Dukes Brew & Que, a street corner boozer which acts as the tap for craft beer darlings Beavertown Brewery. The place was packed with diners - this is really more of a restaurant than a pub. The selection of beer available was excellent and I went for a Brew By Numbers Session which was superb - the BBN guys really seem to do no wrong. For food I tried the heart destryoing Chicken Fried Steak which was delicious but probably accounted for my calorie intake for the month. Service was polite and pleasent, there was a good atmosphere going and me and TLJ both thoroughly enjoyed our time there. A great place to end my visit around the hipster joints - just a shame it's in the cultural void that is Haggerston.

Hong Kong Part 2 - Craft beer and sliders

Hong Kong is a great city to visit, especially for timid Brits who have never been to Asia before like myself. It feels exotic and comfortable at the same time. The remnants of its British past means traffic drives on the left, so I don't almost get run down every time I cross the road because I'm looking the wrong way. The transport system is similar to London, complete with an Oyster card system called "Octopus." But Hong Kong take their card system even further by letting you use the Octopus in convenience stores, tourist attractions and even McDonald’s. It's incredibly convenient and oddly satisfying to use your travelcard to purchase an ice cream sundae. I wish they would do something similar in London. Sadly the Octopus card isn't accepted in pubs - although this might be a good thing otherwise I'd spend all day touching in for a pint.

But I'm not here to tell you about public transport smart cards. I'm here to bore you about pubs and beer. After The Lovely Jemma and I had completed a successful afternoon of pubbing as detailed in my previous post, in the evening we visited the bustling Lan Kwai Fong district in Central. This is the nightlife centre of Hong Kong, packed full of bars and clubs, mostly populated with liquored up ex-pats. We visited Rockabilly, recommended by Time Out for its craft beer and sliders. For those who don't know what a slider is it is what used to be known as a "mini hamburger" until hipsters decided they needed a cooler name. The beer list was pretty good, mainly geared towards English brews but there were some Australian and US beers avialable as well.

I tried the Little Creatures IPA and it was an solid IPA, full of the fruity goodness you'd expect from an American style IPA. As it was Tuesday we took advantage of the "slider for a dollar" offer. As a Hong Kong dollar is about 10p we couldn't really pass it up. The sliders we tried were pretty good - well seasoned meat and tasty toppings. We also tried the poutine, a Canadian post drinks classic consisting of a bowl piled high with chips, cheese curds and gravy. Rockabillys version wasn't very authentic but it was pretty tasty. Sport was playing on the two large televisions in the bar and the music was a jolly collection of classic rock. We enjoyed our time here.

To finish the evening we went to Honi Honi, Hong Kongs only tiki bar. Situated on the third floor of an office block, not an unusual thing in Hong Kong where everything is built upwards, exiting the lift you're greeted with an atmospheric and delightfully stereotypical tiki bar. I didn't try the beer but the cocktails were excellent if expensive, served in gaudy animal shaped containers - monkeys, tigers and the like. Plenty of them involved fire and the bartenders were happy to show off their flame throwing skills while preparing the drinks. The crowd consisted of moneyed, hip and boisterous ex-pats, with the occasional local popping in. Great for a spot of people watching, but only those with fat wallets could enjoy a long session here.

On our last day we popped into the Trafalgar Brewing Co, a microbrewery pub in the busy Wan Chai area. This pub is situated in a block with two other beer temples nearby, Frites which had a large Belgium beer list, and Hop Shack which had a heavy English slant to the beer list. Sadly we didn't get to try them but this is clearly a destination for thirsty office workers surrounding the area. The Trafalgar is marketed as a English pub but inside it felt more like an American Sports Bar - high backed leather benched seating, dark lighting, and plenty of TV's showing different sports. I tried the in-house Hops and Glory, a splendid English IPA reminiscent of Fullers Bengal Lancer. At nearly £6 a pint, even at happy hour, this is not a cheap place but the beer was good and the atmosphere jolly.

It was great to see the beer scene being so embraced in Hong Kong, and me and The Lovely Jemma enjoyed our time in all the bars we visited. Of course there are hundreds of things to do in Hong Kong apart from drinking yourself silly, but it's nice to know there are some decent boozers around after you've filled yourself with dim sum and noodles. I loved the city and can't wait to go back!

Hong Kong Part 1 - Afternoon pubbing

Last week I was in Hong Kong, affectionately nicknamed "Honkers" by ex-pats when they're not going to underground fight clubs or enjoying a Tetley's after murdering two prostitutes. If he is found not guilty for the murder he should definitely be locked up for choosing Tetley's when he could have chosen a much better beer, as it turns out that Hong Kong has a decent beer scene going on. Before the trip I did extensive research on TripAdvisor and Time Out on places to go, and after filtering out the local dives that TripAdvisor reviewers love because it's "so local," and the hipster hangouts that Time Out likes to recommend, I had a list of respectable pubs and bars to visit in this vibrant, cosmopolitan city.

First up was The Globe, a facsimile of a modern London pub, except it has table service. I love table service in pubs and I wish more places in London did it. Sure it's fine to get up and order your drinks from the bar but as I get older I prefer someone just bringing the booze to me. Usually table service means a service charge is plonked on to your bill but The Globe doesn't bother, so you can happily leave a terrible tip and run out before the staff notice. The pub is accessible from the Mid-Level escalators, a series of long escalators which whisks commuters and tourists through the hilly terrain of central Hong Kong Island. On arrival at the pub we were handed what looked like a small novel but was actually the list of beers they had on offer. It seemed endless, with draft and bottled beer from all over the world.

All the draft is keg, in fact I didn't see any cask beer in any of the pubs I visited. I started off with a Evil Twin Little B, which was about £4 a half during happy "hour" (11am - 8pm.) This is a beast of a beer, it's basically boozy treacle. It was actually pretty good but I can't imagine anybody having more than a half of this. Next up was Yeastie Boys Golden Perch. This was a light, fruity golden ale from the New Zealand craft beer scene. It was almost too fruity and could of easily passed as a fruit juice if it wasn't being served in a beer bottle. On a Tuesday lunchtime the pub was full of ex-pats enjoying comfort food (pies, burgers etc) and good beer. Service was professional throughout and prices weren't too expensive. Well worth a visit and a good start to our beery trail.

BrewDog? Euston Tap? No it's Craft Brew & Co!

Around the corner from The Globe is Craft Brew & Co. This place has lovingly "borrowed" or perhaps "ripped off" the design of BrewDog pubs with its industrial, metallic stripped back feel. There's also a nod to the Euston Tap with a beer wall behind the bar. I tried the Hitachino Nest White Ale and it was really rather good, an excellent example of a witbeir. We took a seat and had a good look at just how formulaic the design of the bar was. I could of easily believed I was sitting in BrewDog Shoreditch, except the place wasn't full of people I'd quite happily punch in the face if I wasn't such a timid nerd, and they were playing PJ and Duncan's "Lets Get Ready to Rumble" which you probably wouldn't hear in a BrewDog unless it was for "ironic" reasons. The food menu was mainly centred around gimmicky sausages made out of exotic meats like alligator or kangaroo. The beer list was pretty solid  and I would have stayed for more, but sadly the bar is situated across the road from a large construction site, and the din of constant drilling was to much for me and The Lovely Jemma so we had to head off.

The final stop on our beer tour for the afternoon was The Roundhouse Taproom, a small bar again reminiscent of BrewDog, complete with BBQ menu and beers from all over. They also brew their own beer and I tried Smoky Baby #1, which was a solid, hoppy pale ale. Couldn't taste any smokiness though. The place was empty as we were there after lunch but before the end of work, but the staff were friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. Again this was a perfectly serviceable pub that I'd be happy to visit again - and maybe try the BBQ.

Next Sunday I'll be telling you about the last two pubs we went to - Rockabilly and the Trafalgar Brewing Co. Look forward to seeing you then!

Liverpool Street

I first visited the Williams Ale & Cider House near Liverpool Street station a few months ago, but sadly the visit was short lived as they weren't serving food on a Saturday lunch time and I was absolutely starving. At the time I couldn't understand why they would open at 12pm and not serve food. I'd heard good things about the place though and wanted to try it out, so a few weeks later I visited again on a Saturday lunchtime to pop in for a drink. They must have listened to my griping as the pub was now closed until 4pm, so again I missed out on a having a drink there. It was third time lucky though as yesterday I popped in at 4pm, the place was open, and I enjoyed a fine half of Spitalfields Bitter, served by a friendly barman who was more than happy to help me out with what beer to have by offering a few samples. Even though they had just opened there was a buzzy but relaxed atmosphere about the place, and it was a very pleasant visit all round.

There are other boozers around Liverpool Street that are worth popping in to. First up is the Woodin Shades, yer standard Nicholson's boozer across the road from the station. On my last visit I enjoyed a half of By The Horns The Saint, a very suppable stout. A smattering of customers, mainly tourists were in the pub enjoying a drink - there didn't seem to be much food being served, even though it was approaching 12pm. Service was functional. It's not a pub to make a special trip to but for commuters waiting for their train it makes a nice change to the Wetherspoons next door to the station. More on that later.

Next up is another Nicholson's, The Lord Aberconway, tucked down a side street near the front entrance of the station. This is a very pleasant pub inside, split over two levels with charming wooden booths down one side. Last time I was there I had a half of Trumans Runner and unfortunately the pub let itself down a little.  The ale was watery and insipid, and having had decent pints of it before I knew this was the fault of the pub and not the brewery. It need a little more time and conditioning and unfortunately tasted like it had been served too early. Still I quite like the pub and the service overall, although it is quite a small and I imagine it gets very busy on weekend evenings.

The useful Craft Beer London mobile app also recommends a pub in nearby Shoreditch, and I had a wander down there. I don't really like visiting the Shoreditch area as I always see something that throws me into an irrational rage - usually a ridiculous hipster beard or someone wearing cardboard shoes. This time it was a Bitcoin ATM which funnily enough I didn't see anybody using, because Bitcoin is an absolute waste of everybody's time. If you've never heard of Bitcoin, it's a virtual currency adored by idiots, who think they're sticking it to the man but who are actually wasting real life money on junk. The "value" of Bitcoins fluctuates widely and it's nearly impossible to actually spend the things - unless you live in a fad bubble like Shoreditch. They're useless as an investment as well, you may as well visit a casino, go to the roulette table and dump your money on red or black - you probably have a much better chance to make some money back.

The Crown and Shuttle is a former brothel turned into a craft beer establishment across the road from Shoreditch High Street station. It looks small from the outside but is surprisingly large inside. I could make a lazy Doctor Who reference here but I'm going to refrain. A very long bar down the right hand side has handpumps and keg dispensaries with all the latest and greatest craft beer offerings. Halfway down is a massive drum offering "brewery fresh" Meantime Pale Ale - I didn't get the chance to try it. My half pints of London Fields Hackney Hopster and Late Knights The Great Exhibition were both in great form and went down a treat. There is a lovely beer garden as well, with a mobile unit dishing out food being eaten by happy punters sitting on bric and brac furniture. This place is a bit hipstery but on a Saturday afternoon it was pretty nice, and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

The final pub in the Liverpool Street area worth popping into is the Hamilton Hall, a Wetherspoons inside the station that offers a little taste of Essex in Central London. Bronzed punters can choose from the decent selection of ales, and my Eton Boatman from Windsor & Eton was in fine shape when I last paid a visit. The interior is rather grand, with a sweeping staircase leading up to a balcony which overlooks the regal decor. All very posh for a Spoons and it's worth venturing in for the interior alone.

Well hopefully this long ramble will help somebody looking for a drink in Liverpool Street. I'm giving to leave you with one piece of advice: don't venture into Dirty Dicks, no matter how humorous you find the name. This tourist pack den of mediocre beer isn't worth the effort.

The Railway, Bromley and The Library, Islington

Antic are a "collective" of pubs that have been rapidly multiplying across South East London. Since I moved to SE London last year three new Antic pubs have opened near me. I've previously written about the Baring Hall and the Eltham GPO, and out of the two I prefer the Baring Hall. I was surprised to see it wasn't in the latest Good Beer Guide as they always serve a decent pint.  The GPO isn't bad but it seems to be having trouble shaking off the clientèle who used to go to its previous incarnation, the grubby booze barn "Old Post Office." They also aren't being very adventurous with their beer selection, with Landlord, Adnams and Deuchers nearly always the only ales on. I usually end up going to the Park Tavern across the road with its more lively beer selection.

I recently visited the third Antic pub to open near me, the Railway Tavern in Bromley. This pub used to be a rock pub/venue, then closed for a while until Antic got their hands on it. The strict Antic formula has been applied -  shabby decorations, antique and "eclectic" furnishing, and a good selection of real ales behind the bar. Even the smell told me this was an Antic - an odd tinge of antiseptic in the air. The stage has disappeared so maybe live music won't be returning here. Beer wise I tried the Cronx Standard, an excellent session bitter from this talented brewery based in the uninspiring council estate sprawl of New Addington.  Brockley Brewery Red Ale is a good attempt at a style of beer I'm not a huge fan of, being malty and sharp on the finish. Both beers were in good condition and very suppable. The pub isn't serving food yet but I'm looking forward to returning when the kitchen opens - Antic pubs usually have a good menu. The service on a quiet Saturday lunchtime was a bit dozy but pleasant enough. Hopefully this pub will continue to improve.

The craft beer scene continues to rage throughout London, and more and more pubs are stocking beers from Beavertown, The Kernel and other craft superstars - at increasingly ludicrous prices. The Library in Islington is a pub/bar/music venue that has embraced craft beer - although I suspect it's to make a bit of extra dosh from "on trend" customers rather than because of a love of the scene. Bottles started at £4.95, with the majority of them at £5.95 and some even reaching £6.45. Now I enjoy brews from The Kernel and Bristol Beer Factory but these prices are just crazy. The pub itself is fine if a little soulless but it's no better or worse than the other middle class trendy bars dotted along Upper Street in dull Islington. I wouldn't visit the pub again.

I'm off to Leeds next weekend so I won't be updating next Sunday, but I'm hoping to visit a few pubs up there and can't wait to tell you all about them. See you soon!

The Miller, London Bridge

London Bridge isn't my favourite area in London. It has always been a grotty little corner of the capital, dominated by the railway station which is surrounded by office buildings full of depressed workers who look longingly across the river at the City, thinking about the money they could be making if they were only a bit more smarter and/or cutthroat. The restaurants and bars in the area have always tended to be soulless food and drink dispensary's catering to people who don't really care what they're eating and drinking, just as long as they are consuming something. Things got even worse a couple of years ago when The Shard opened, a building devoid of any joy which dominates the skyline and looks like it's waiting for the Eye of Sauron to be installed. Some people say the £25 admission to see the view from the top of the Shard is expensive, but I'd happily pay that much to have a view of London without the bloody Shard in it.

However no matter how bad an area is I usually find there's a slight glimmer of hope somewhere. For London Bridge the shining gem used to be Borough Market, but sadly it is now a pale shadow of its former self, and is now mainly for tourists and monied office workers who want to spaff their money on artisan brownies. But inbetween Borough High Street and London Bridge sits The Miller, providing a much needed pub with a laid back atmosphere and plenty of decent ales - both traditional and craft. From the outside this place looks nothing special, a bog standard council estate pub sitting in the shadow of Guys hospital. Inside things are relaxed with shabby chic furniture and decoration.

On the handpumps is an ample selection of ales and ciders. The ales tend to be on the more traditional side, with Titanic, Skinners and Castle Rock seen in the past. In the fridges behind the bar is a decent selection of craft beers, including craft darlings Weird Beard, Siren and Beavertown. The ales are good value but the craft is expensive, especially considering it's usually in 330ml bottles - or cans. I struck lucky on my latest visit though as they had Weird Bear K*ntish Town beer in adult sized 500ml bottles! Even better it was an exceptional wheat beer, never sickly and going down very easily.

Titanic They Think It's Ale Over was a solid bitter from the ever reliable Titanic boys. Castle Rock Harvest Pale, which I've only had in bottle before and wasn't particularly impressed with, was better on cask but still not a knock-out considering the many awards it has won. I enjoyed the beers in a small, concrete beer garden to the side of the building. I tried the food as well, a meat and cheese plate plus deep fried risotto balls which I've completely forgotten the name of. The food was splendid, if again a bit expensive.

The Miller is a much needed respite from the humdrum pubs in the London Bridge area and well worth a visit if in the area. There's usually plenty of comedy and drama on in the large room upstairs as well. In fact I performed myself there a couple of times - I think I managed to make a couple of people laugh although it might just have been the sound of my own nervous laughter. Considering my best joke was "I found some chocolate in my belly button - ironically it was Lindt" I was lucky to make it off the stage alive. See you next week!

Beer apps

I've been on this planet for 32 years and have had internet access for 17 of them, and I find it hard to remember the dark times before I got my first 28.8 modem. This could be because I was too busy doing social interaction with actual real life people, but more likely because I was playing video games all day. I honestly can't remember. What I do know is that the internet is slowly eroding social interaction and devolving us all to anti-social, goggle eyed goons. Where before I would have to make an effort when mingling with strangers, now I can just whip out my trusty smartphone and avoid all forms of social interaction while writing blog posts complaining about how nobody socially interacts anymore.

We may not be getting along as well as we did before the internet came along but one thing the net has bought us is countless amount of knowledge. How did the world function before the internet? It must have been a arduous, tedious time having to look through books, journals or talking to an expert. Now I can just do a quick Google search to find out how to do my job and get a full listing of every episode of "Fraiser." It's true that about 90% of content on the internet is misinformed bollocks but that useful 10% helps me do my job, learn new things and most importantly find out where all the exciting pubs are.

If you told me 20 years ago that in the future you would get the internet ON YOUR PHONE I would have laughed for a few minutes before actually thinking about it and agreeing it's probably likely. For beer geeks smartphones are an invaluable tool for finding out  about top pubs and top drinks. There are three apps I find very useful.  Untappd is probably one of the best known beery apps. It allows you to "check in" beers so you can keep a record of all the booze you're consuming like the big old lush you are. This blog wouldn't exist without Untappd as I have the memory of a forgetful goldfish. Untappd is meant to produce recommendations based on your list of beers but it's ropey at best. The missing link is that the beers it recommends aren't always readily available. It would be better if it gave you recommendations based on other local check ins, so you might stand a chance of buying a "Dave Beards Craft IPA Explosion" or whatever it recommends. Still the app is well worth downloading purely for logging beers.

Next up is Craft Beer London. This handy app tells you what local hipster beer hangouts are nearby just in case you've got a hankering to be surrounded by trendy beards sipping on mega hopped IPA's (otherwise known as craft beer.) It's a good app but for some bizarre reason it doesn't list opening hours, which has caught me out a few times when I've visited a bar for a cheeky lunchtime half only to find out it doesn't open until 4pm. It's a pay app but I think it's definitely worth a purchase for any beer loving Londoners. But following on from my gloomy "state of the craft beer scene" article a couple of weeks ago I wonder if this app will still be as relevant over the next few years.

The last app is the Good Beer Guide from CAMRA. It's amazing to think I can have a nationwide listing of decent boozers sitting on my phone. The app works fine, you can search for pubs or get the app to tell which ones are nearby. It gives plenty of info about each pub including opening times. The one flaw is not related to the app but inherent to the GBG itself. It's a very useful tome but you have to remember pubs are included based on beer quality rather than the pub itself. Thanks to the guide I've been to some amazing pubs but I've also been to some real shockers in terms of atmosphere, sipping my admittedly tasty pint in a room with crumbling architecture and terrifying "locals." Unlike Craft Beer London which is updated every few weeks the GBG is updated once a year, and a year is a long time in the pub trade, where formerly decent boozers can change management and become shoddy, or even just close down. The app is not cheap but it's more economical than buying the book - and it's much easier to lug around with you.

When the craft beer bubble pops

Things have gone a little crazy for the "craft beer" movement in the UK over the past few weeks. First The Guardian are claiming that the writing is on the wall for the popularity of craft beers and then the BBC chipped in to the scaremongering with a report on how the hops beloved by trendy bearded hipster brewers worldwide are running short. Could the craft beer movement in the UK be heading towards the end? Well probably not for a little while yet, but I'm under no illusion that craft will be going strong forever. Craft beer is a bubble and it inevitably has to pop.

Allow me to do some naval gazing on the craft beer scene - in the UK at least anyway. I can't even being to guess what's going to happen in the US. I believe there are two reasons which will lead to craft beers decline. First is that craft isn't really spreading out to the regions, and secondly London is getting over saturated with new brewers that are offering a similar product, usually tremendously hopped IPA's or mega boozy stouts and porters. When I was in Birmingham there was plenty of exciting, well made beer but I didn't see anything from the craft "heavyweights" such as The Kernel or Beavertown. The craft movement is still very strongly London based, with perhaps small pockets of activity in places such as Manchester. The issue is what happens when the London hipsters move on to the next latest trend, and they will move on eventually. Sadly nothing lasts forever especially in the fast moving capital.

When the bubble finally pops not everybody is going to survive, for varying reasons. Some craft breweries will have enjoyed the ride and naturally call it a day. Others will fight to keep going but with the customer base becoming smaller they will have trouble making an impact on the marketplace. Some may get bought out. But others may do quite well - but they may not be considered "craft". My opinion is that to survive they will have to leave behind the craft ethos and become more commercially minded. Below are two examples of breweries that I think are prepared and a sure bet to survive the bubble bursting.

First up is BrewDog. Love them or loathe them, they are a big operation and were lucky to start at the beginning of the craft beer revolution. Their greatest asset is that they have their own bars, which are a valuable shop front for their beers and invaluable for spreading the word about their product and building a solid customer base.They even have their own off licenses now with BottleDog, a canny business decision. The crucial thing about BrewDog which will make them succeed is that thanks to their bars they have a presence nationwide, and not just in London. In fact they are even spreading abroad with openings in Tokyo and Finland. What BrewDog are doing is no different then a tied house such as Fullers or Sam Smiths - they just have a different image. If things did start to go pear shaped for them I think one of the big brewers will buy them out and keep the brand going. I can only see BrewDog going kaphut if the owners refused to sell on.

Another interesting thing about BrewDog is that I would consider them a "lifestyle choice" brand. I think a lot of punters choose to visit a BrewDog bar or have a BrewDog beer because it projects an image, the same way people drink particular brands of champagne or drive a certain brand of car. The whole "punk" attitude, anti-corporate stance and crowd funding is a very clever and effective way of getting a very loyal customer base. Luckily their beers are pretty good but even if they weren't I think BrewDog would still do well.

The second example of a brewery that I think will survive is Thornbridge. This may be a controversial choice as some may not seem them as craft. But I think that's a good thing. Thornbridge have done a fair bit to open the eyes and taste buds of the casual drinker to the world of more adventurous beer, mainly through the quietly groundbreaking Jaipur which is widely sold thanks to the Nicholson's chain. Not only is it a great beer but it's an excellent gateway beer to the world of big hopped ales that craft is famous for. I consider their beers to be craft as they are clearly dedicated, they're happy to brew practically any type of beer, and nearly all of them succeed. But it's also perfectly valid to consider them to be a regular brewery and that's why I think they'll survive the bubble bursting. They have the edge by being commercially minded, and have cleverly embraced both the craft and mainstream market. Their beers sit quite comfortably in both Waitrose and BottleDog. Camden Town and Oakham breweries are similar to this and I think they will also continue to do well.

BrewDog and Thornbridge are two breweries I can confidentially predict carrying on after the dust has settled, and it's testament to the exciting but volatile world of craft that I can't put a safe bet on any others. The breweries I worry about are the London based ones that aren't making much impact outside the capital, such as Beavertown or Siren and others in the "Bermondsey Mile." It may be that they don't care if they're short lived - they're just enjoying being part of a popular scene. But it would be a shame to lose some talented breweries and tasty beers. Ultimately I feel that to survive the craft bubble breweries have to leave behind some of the craft ethos and be more commercially minded. BrewDog have clocked this - will the others be able to do the same?

The Craft Beer Off License featuring BottleDog

BottleDog is a new venture from those controversial BrewDog boys. Satisfied with conquering the "craft beer" bar market with trendy hipster magnet drinking holes up and down the country, they're now taking on the humble off license. Well actually they're not really taking on the off license as judging by this first outlet they are offering a specific product, which is beers that come in tiny bottles with wacky labels and ABVs at the higher end of the scale. You're not going to find multipack offers on Fosters or Carling here.

I remember when this building was a cabby's accountancy firm

As the place is across the road from where I work I thought it would be rude not to visit on opening day.The place was doing a roaring trade when I walked past at lunchtime and when I popped in after 6pm it was quieter but still doing a brisk trade. The BrewDog branding is scaled back and there's nothing on the front of the shop showing that it's a BrewDog venture. It doesn't even advertise itself as a off license which confused a big group of punters who walked in expecting the place to be a bar. After confirming amongst themselves that there wasn't a seating area in the back where they could drink their purchases they quickly turned tail and left. Despite the low key branding there are a few BrewDog hallmarks in the shop  - stripped back decor, cool tunes being played, and plenty of trendy beers on offer.

So many beers, so little time. Well actually you've got from 12pm - 9pm
 every weekday (plus Saturdays!)

I was pleased to see the prices were competitive and the German and Belgian beers in particular were very reasonably priced. All the major London craft breweries including Pressure Drop, Siren and Beavertown were represented, plus of course BrewDogs own offerings - although I didn't spot any of BrewDog's rarer beers. There also two taps dispensing booze to take home in "growlers" - sadly not a dog full of beer but a fancy term for a glass bottle. I spoke to the enthusiastic manager who mentioned there are plans to do Meet the Brewer events and there will be additional taps installed for more take home offerings. I look forward to revisiting in the future.

BottleDog isn't the only game in town for craft beer off licenses. Another shop worth visting is the Oddbins in London Bridge. I found out about this place from the excellent "Craft Beer London" app on Android and iPhone. I never would of guessed that an Oddbins, more known for their wine offerings, would be a hotbed of hot new brewery activity. They stock all the cool London brands at prices slightly cheaper than BottleDog. Unfortunately the staff aren't as clued up as the BrewDog boys but there are some tasting notes nestled amongst the bottles. Well worth a visit if you're stuck in the building site dystopia which is London Bridge, with the ominous and downright creepy "The Shard" looming down on you.

For a more traditional off license The Bitter End in leafy Bromley is well worth a visit if you're in the area. They are always well stocked with beers from respected brewers such as Harveys, Dark Star and Oakham. The occasional newer brewery is also represented - I picked up an excellent American Pale Ale from Croydon brewery Clarence and Fredericks. They also have around six beers sitting in barrels behind a makeshift bar, ready to be poured out for lucky punters to take home. These are usually session bitters such as Wadsworth 6X but last time I was there Dark Star Seville was on, in great form, and at a very reasonable price to take home.

Say what you will about the craft beer movement, one big benefit is that there's a huge selection of beers available in high street shops, at least in and around London. But even out of town it's easier to get beers that are a big step above the usual Fosters and Carling tat. Before you could only get these beers at specialised pubs and bars - and at high prices. Let's hope this wide range continues to be stocked even when the "craft beer" frenzy, inevitably, calms down.

Hastings revisit - The Dolphin and First in Last Out

I went down to Hastings on Good Friday, as I fancied a trip to the seaside and it's pretty easy to get their from my house on the train. Being a holiday weekend I was preparing for the worst on the train journey: screaming kids, stroppy parents and a generally miserable atmosphere. In reality although there were a few young 'uns on the train it was actually pretty quiet. Another surprise for me was how quiet Hastings was considering it was a holiday weekend. To be fair the town isn't looking its best these days, and with Brighton, Eastbourne and other better maintained seaside towns nearby maybe Hastings doesn't have much appeal these days. There isn't really much to attract people down there besides the shopping and the (stony) beach. You also have to leave before sundown to avoid getting attacked by the towns blossoming population of chavs.

I'm hoping the place will start receiving a bit more love from the local council over the next few years as there's still a bit of charm to the place. However none of it is found in the "new town" which is the first thing visitors come across leaving the train station and main car parks. This gormless concrete mass of generic town centre shops isn't going to win anybody over. But walk down towards the old town and things get a whole lot nicer, with little antique and curio shops dotted about that you can easily kill a few hours in. Amongst the antique shops on the outskirts of the Old Town is the First In Last Out, a brewery tap for the FILO brewery, which is a few hundred metres up the road from the pub. I've written about this place before and I enjoyed my time there, and I was looking forward to going back.

The atmosphere was gently buzzing when I walked in with a nice mix of locals and beer seeking tourists. I was pleased to see a small beer festival was on over the Easter weekend. Before I hit the guest ales I tried a FILO ale, the Old Town Tom. Curiously this was the only beer among the FILO range which was labelled as a "craft beer." I have no idea why this one was craft and the others weren't, as the FILO is a small, talented brewery and I wouldn't raise an eyebrow if they labelled all their beers as craft. Curious craft branding aside, the Town Tom was a decent sup, with a ginger kick that added a bit of character to the brew.

I also tried a couple of beers from their festival. Dark Star Seville was on, and what a lovely beer this is. Packed full of orange flavours with every hoppy mouthful, this was a absolute pleasure and I would of happily drank this all day. But instead of getting another I tried a Roosters 41 Degrees North. Despite the tasting notes promising plenty of New Zealand hop flavours, this was a curiously flat tasting ale, with none of the hoppy goodness I've had from other South Pacific beers such as High Wire NZ or Thornbridge Kipling. Disappointing.

My second pub on the trip was The Dolphin, which I was visiting for the first time. This CAMRA award winning pub was in the more touristy harbour area of the town, and it's situated across the road from old fishing huts. Inside the decor is suitably nautically themed, with fishing nets, captain hats, ropes and other sailing knick knacks scattered around the walls and ceiling. A blackboard proudly displayed the varied ales on offer. There was also a separate blackboard listing "craft ales." Like in the FILO I have no idea how the landlord at The Dolphin decides what classes a beer as craft. The only diference I could see is that all the ales on the craft board were 30p more expensive than the "normal" ales. The breweries on the craft board were Meantime and Charles Wells. Personally I'd class Meantime as craft as they're not really in the "big league" brewers. Charles Wells however is a rather cynical attempt from the Youngs Brewery to cash in on the craft craze, and I don't think it deserved to be on the board.

I opted for a couple of the "non-craft" ales. Franklins Brewery Citra was a good effort at an American flavoured IPA, with a decent mouthful of fruity hops in every sip. Buntingford Brewery Polar Star was another hoppy treat, this time a blonde beer. Both beers were in excellent condition and very flavoursome. Other customers were tucking into tasty looking food, with fish dishes appearing to be the house speciality - unsurprising considering the location right by the fisherman's huts. A good little boozer and one I would be happy to return to.

Next week I'll be (hopefully) writing about the new BrewDog venture "BottleDog," which appears to be a upmarket offie. See you then!

Brains Craft Brewery

This "craft beer" movement that you may have read about on the internet and the newspapers is a funny thing. I still don't think anybody really knows what craft beer is but as long as decent ales keep appearing I'm happy for the movement to continue. Some of the more established breweries have noticed that there's money to be made with this weird craft thing and more and more beers are now suddenly "crafted" by brewers. I find this pretty patronising mainly because it's obvious beer is crafted unless they've previously been digging beer out the ground or just cut open a tree and wait for the ale to spill out? But I guess if the breweries think they sell a few more bottles by slapping "craft " on the label then fair game to them.

One brewery that has embraced the craft movement further than just re-badging existing beers with a craft label is Brains. This Welsh outfit have started a new brand of beers from the Brains "Craft Brewery." They've got some beer writers and other non brewers in the beer world to help out with creating the ales. Now I'm sure these guys are excellent at tasting and reviewing beers but whether they know how to produce a decent one themselves is open to debate. I know if I was given the chance to make a beer it would probably end up being a horrific failure with an initial hoppy flavour leading to vomiting, paralysis and eventually death. That's why I stick to writing about beer rather than making it, and even the writing I'm not great at seeing as I completely failed to produce any new content last Sunday.

The Brains Craft Brewery beers were available in Tesco on a 4 for £6 offer so I thought it rude not to give them a try. I could tell they were craft beers immediately as they had trendy labels and were in kid sized 330ml bottles. First up was Barry Island IPA, labelled on the bottle as an American Style IPA and a collaboration with "YouTube real ale reviewer extraordinaire" Simon Martin. True to the description this was a hoppy, boozy drink. It was a good attempt at recreating the highly hopped, Lagunitas style IPA. Recommended.

The other brew I tried was the Boilermaker. According to the Brains website this is a collaboration with "Ben and Tom from Thinking Drinkers." I have no idea who they are but according to their website they are trying to "revive the lost art of discerning drinking." A bold aim but this beer isn't going to help their cause. Despite the label promising vanilla notes and a whisky finish, I could taste neither. Instead it was a rather muddy IPA flavour, nothing outstanding and nowhere near as pleasant as the Barry Island IPA. A shame as this beer sounded the more exciting of the two but it just didn't deliver on what was promised.

It's good to see Brains trying something different and getting the beer blogging community involved. More experimentation in the brewing industry is always welcome and who knows what winning formula they may hit upon. But some experiments shouldn't be released into the wild and while the Barry Island was definitely ready for release I think the Boilermaker could have done with a bit more work before being sold to the public. It's not the first craft beer I've tried that wasn't ready for public consumption, and luckily thanks to Tesco's deal it wasn't so much of a costly mistake to me as some other craft beers have been. Overall though I look forward to trying more beers from the Brains Craft Brewery.