tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25156851394778794702024-03-19T03:19:19.058+00:00Get Beer. Drink Beer.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-39356555039931147022023-05-29T21:46:00.007+01:002023-05-30T20:56:23.681+01:00The Peasants' Revolt - "We just wanted somewhere where the people of Brentwood could have good beer"<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>THE PEASANTS' </b></span> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">R</span><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana;">EVOL</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">T </span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">- "We just wanted somewhere where the people of Brentwood could have good beer"</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzMQKHC1d2hd5sBMYb-weZKfE6LDT4iPP6xXqf_K7Lh651Jvw7AtCuM7VFDwkpqrp1EJTatorph8vpByj3Eu_GejzO87XHTBtnE2zr0iG_RIZzUROn8hryVzPInikKA6OtLgXXeUw2GK63fciKHmAPh0crhmPEIUB9-7B94wxTsBuWwtU4Aehzcexfg/s4375/IMG_E5673.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4375" data-original-width="3285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzMQKHC1d2hd5sBMYb-weZKfE6LDT4iPP6xXqf_K7Lh651Jvw7AtCuM7VFDwkpqrp1EJTatorph8vpByj3Eu_GejzO87XHTBtnE2zr0iG_RIZzUROn8hryVzPInikKA6OtLgXXeUw2GK63fciKHmAPh0crhmPEIUB9-7B94wxTsBuWwtU4Aehzcexfg/s320/IMG_E5673.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>If you've been following my blog, or maybe just dipped in from time to time, then you may have been wondering what I've been up to for the past few years. </p><p>It would be too simplistic to say that I lost my taste for writing or that I felt quite disillusioned with the beer scene in this country, it's more complicated than that, and there was Lockdown where none of us knew what was going to happen next and even if we would come out of the other side. My personal experiences through that dark period I will put down at some point, but this is not the place for that. However, if I could put my finger on the one thing that has made me pick up my laptop again after all this time, then it would have to be, without any shadow of doubt, the opening of the Peasants' Revolt micropub in my home town of Brentwood on the 29th January last year.</p><p>Of course, these things don't just happen overnight, and the journey that culminated in the opening of the Peasants' Revolt is a long and winding one.</p><p>Mason Nathaniel,, grew up in both Poplar and Bow in East London where his drink of choice was a lager top. On a trip to Newcastle with his mates he met Harriet, who would later become his wife. They both worked in recruitment, however Harriet's father just so happened to be Mark Hall, owner of The Split Chimp Micropub in Newcastle and The Split Chimp Ale House in Whitley Bay. It was around this time that Mason had his own beer revelation, and it was Brew Dog's 5am Saint that provided it, although he confesses that Stone's Arrogant Bastard has a fond place in his heart too. "Newcastle changed my view of beer," he tells me, "the way that the people demand good beer, and good quality beer, really opened my eyes."</p><p>After living, and learning about beer, in Newcastle for seven years, and marrying Harriet, the couple first moved to Finsbury Park for a year. Harriet however, wanted to move somewhere with "a decent high street", and chose Brentwood to be their home, their son, Fletcher, being born in 2020, and it's his face you'll see on the beer mats should you visit. Mason admits that Harriet was, and is the driving force, "the power behind the scenes", it was her that encouraged him to open the micropub, provided the backing, and still holds down a full-time job in recruitment so that this dream could become a reality. </p><p>In order to get some experience, Mason talked his way into a job behind the bar at the Brave Nelson for three months, a local pub that used to be the sole outlet for Nethergate beer in the area, before opening the Peasants' Revolt in what once was a Bridal Gown shop, just up from Brentwood station.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixU3GPWVZcCUG2-NM_C5zIhZfMidgNSZNhUT1V9TfixkcKMRoNmlz2rOOZhAuQKZOChlS1l_2pPtDSEiUxpbM8Byi9zFDcjmQIi708_US4hxuiD4DybNZ8gtPpTx-gkjKAky2ubx8MJJR6tZ_pnW7kanFhtjCIX5nDfE95cKk_uQ99woy9qDJJmhUnSQ/s4592/IMG_5681.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixU3GPWVZcCUG2-NM_C5zIhZfMidgNSZNhUT1V9TfixkcKMRoNmlz2rOOZhAuQKZOChlS1l_2pPtDSEiUxpbM8Byi9zFDcjmQIi708_US4hxuiD4DybNZ8gtPpTx-gkjKAky2ubx8MJJR6tZ_pnW7kanFhtjCIX5nDfE95cKk_uQ99woy9qDJJmhUnSQ/s320/IMG_5681.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason on the taps</td></tr></tbody></table><br />That's how it started, so how's it going?<div><br /></div><div>Personally, I'd been crying out for something like this locally for a long long time, and from the moment I walked up to the bar on opening night I knew I'd found it. </div><div><br /></div><div>A pint of cask Thornbridge Jaipur was my first drink there, and it was in such good condition that I immediately ordered another. Mason says that he still remembers me walking up to order my drink, focused on what I wanted, oblivious to everyone else there. That still happens, and quite often I'll walk in and order a drink before turning around and realising that I'd gone straight past some of the many friends I've made there in a little over a year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Peasants' Revolt is much more than just a micropub in that respect, and without exception, anyone who walks in is warmly greeted, whether it's their first time visitor or a well established regular. A handshake and an introduction from the man himself are commonplace. Customer service, and making the customer feel relaxed is very much where it's at here, and Mason will talk through the range of beer (and ciders - three or more on gravity dispense, wines and spirits) on offer, highlighting particular flavour characteristics and offering tasters if need be.</div><div><br /></div><div>The six craft keg taps are the highlight here, and consequently have the highest turnover. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tap one is always a lager, and for quite some time it was LoveLeigh Lager from Essex's Leigh on Sea Brewery, however now you might well find one from Utopian or Exale. Tap two in the most popular, usually a lower abv. Pale or IPA, with taps three and four often, but not always stronger versions or variants. Tap five a stout and tap six a sour normally complete this line up, although this isn't a hard and fast rule, and it's not unusual to see tap three or four have another sour, a porter, or even a Belgian beer, Delirium Red appearing on more than one occasion.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBPcH8A7RrfilnEmplJ20F_5c7jiy5Ko5W0Qj_0latbRZXLKi2IRu7B028d4dX925WsAd91RerSV2BjG62Xh-zyxQAo73kGeEZhoWtJA9dhzoItnjAGABfKowexiZhy7kf34hg0Qr9kkfClRIAdHWo1ZUdULycCduTvR7FAJgFgjtsoPi0ZE5QrKjUg/s4592/IMG_5663%20-%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBPcH8A7RrfilnEmplJ20F_5c7jiy5Ko5W0Qj_0latbRZXLKi2IRu7B028d4dX925WsAd91RerSV2BjG62Xh-zyxQAo73kGeEZhoWtJA9dhzoItnjAGABfKowexiZhy7kf34hg0Qr9kkfClRIAdHWo1ZUdULycCduTvR7FAJgFgjtsoPi0ZE5QrKjUg/s320/IMG_5663%20-%20Copy.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>There's cask beer as well, usually two although occasionally three, with a Pale or lighter beer as well as a Bitter available. Recently this tap has included Rebel Rouser, a Red Ale based on Tiny Rebel's Cwtch that Mason brewed in collaboration with Billericay Brewing. A huge beer fridge adds more choice, with cans from Brew York, Stone, Hammerton and Yonder proving popular alongside bottles from The Kernel. A variety of styles are included, as well as some Belgian bottled beers and low alcohol offerings. Crisps (including Scampi Fries obviously) and nuts from Nobby's and KP are the classic pub staples, although if you're very lucky indeed, you could be there on an occasion when Uncle John's home-made samosa's are brought round.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since it's opening, the Peasants' has built a loyal local following, a community of friends of all ages, who just like good beer and socialising, working or just chatting in an environment which has music as a feature rather than an afterthought. </div><div><br /></div><div>Look to your left when you walk through the door and you'll see a the lightning bolt from David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album boldly painted on the wall. Posters from other musical influences can be found as well, especially Two Tone, and the toilet artwork pays homage to the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Madness. Very much part of the atmosphere, the music is louder than you'd find in most micropubs, but it's never intrusive, and the volume seems to be pitched in that sweet spot where you can enjoy a pleasant conversation or sing along should you so wish. DJ nights occur about a month, an erstwhile barman Warren Borg could often be found playing his guitar and singing on a Thursday night, inviting customers to join him behind the microphone. myself included on one occasion, although other work commitments have made this a rarity of late.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8xDFlq3A7dRdIcc1Ulh87mGeR7XBGYfN3sTsmixcJKezo3I7CLrZ2PNQGtbeEZV7XTrPlBzNH6VqauAiCbXI4LJVI3-qfFChQxk-7UR3F6w4pUVBFxP2cVPTpDbGKccp_8nm7Nm0EaU3cGkp0fbkrGq9FKohovb5wATeBxytKEJyuAuKIlWFf3choA/s4592/IMG_5686.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8xDFlq3A7dRdIcc1Ulh87mGeR7XBGYfN3sTsmixcJKezo3I7CLrZ2PNQGtbeEZV7XTrPlBzNH6VqauAiCbXI4LJVI3-qfFChQxk-7UR3F6w4pUVBFxP2cVPTpDbGKccp_8nm7Nm0EaU3cGkp0fbkrGq9FKohovb5wATeBxytKEJyuAuKIlWFf3choA/w381-h240/IMG_5686.JPG" width="381" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Constantly evolving, Mason hasn't been afraid to try something new in order to see what works and what doesn't. The biggest change is yet to come as, having acquired the premises next door, there are plans to expand and improve the pub still further later in the year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I know it sounds like a cliche, and obviously I'm more than a little biased, but the Peasants' Revolt is simply a great place to be. Always friendly and welcoming, it truly is a home from home, a warm hug of a pub when the world outside can be a little overwhelming. Somewhere to spend the afternoon or evening, a place to call in for a quick one on your way home from work or on your way to the station for a night out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On a personal note, the Peasants' has been a place of friendship and laughter, banter and games, conversation and happiness, all with the added pleasure of great beer with great people. I hope to see you there sometime soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhis76MNx_uv9tDDpxyVqt_xtq8sH5qtvaCemfAmAkrBofx4iAewDz6eG6Iw1VSZPJT_oOuBJsYAwgkaU1xi9H9Tp2aCniwBrsh26qxF_uGvRGFZKvjbOSe7DBakrA66IGBXbFHggfOH8-ToPCP3yxfAxutSiRBHdL7Mq2q3FjmpPFfIKaazU5brxsYVg/s4592/IMG_0113.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhis76MNx_uv9tDDpxyVqt_xtq8sH5qtvaCemfAmAkrBofx4iAewDz6eG6Iw1VSZPJT_oOuBJsYAwgkaU1xi9H9Tp2aCniwBrsh26qxF_uGvRGFZKvjbOSe7DBakrA66IGBXbFHggfOH8-ToPCP3yxfAxutSiRBHdL7Mq2q3FjmpPFfIKaazU5brxsYVg/s320/IMG_0113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The Peasant's Revolt Micropub, Kings Road, Brentwood, CM14 4DR is two minutes walk from Brentwood railway station. Catch the Elizabeth line from Liverpool Street, or alternatively catch a faster train to Shenfield, and it's the first stop on the Elizabeth line London-bound.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Opening times:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Tuesday to Thursday 2pm to 10.30pm. Friday and Saturday 2pn until 11pm, Sunday 2pm to 8pm, closed on Mondays.</div>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-47075051676252379782019-03-28T16:25:00.002+00:002019-03-28T19:16:32.278+00:00Whatever Happened To Light and Bitter?<br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b> Whatever Happened To Light and Bitter? </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This might seem like an exercise in nostalgia, and to some extent I guess it is, but sometimes, just sometimes, it's worth pausing and reflecting on where you've come from and what made you who you are.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You might recall that I started this journey around this time last year with <a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.com/2018/03/never-go-back-journey-through-my-past.html">this admittedly self-indulgent post</a> on some of the pubs I visited when I was growing up. It's a theme I'll come back to as there are a many more places that I'd like to revisit, some of which I know have changed for the better, and some I suspect for the worse. In more than a quarter of a century (actually it's thirty plus years in some places) it's fairly unlikely that things will be as I remember them, or even if they ever were.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYR1_g0bLhZ08GHHk6F5qQpWuBpclqMJbU2cu-B6qkyx1YP7YYu-R-amYxXQMClZM3FPgaXqHcCl0zJrVAIkiKNVwjNH2C0t9bGJOiTMC12hJORadcwPeEShxrSxxbtgMkTpuS6zEhTQc/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYR1_g0bLhZ08GHHk6F5qQpWuBpclqMJbU2cu-B6qkyx1YP7YYu-R-amYxXQMClZM3FPgaXqHcCl0zJrVAIkiKNVwjNH2C0t9bGJOiTMC12hJORadcwPeEShxrSxxbtgMkTpuS6zEhTQc/s320/001" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a way I suppose we're all searching for the familiar and the comforting as much as we're also searching for the new and the exciting, a touchstone, an anchor, that enables us to enjoy new experiences and tastes without venturing too far outside of our comfort zone. We apply this to ourselves in beer all the time: the new beer in a pub you know well; picking a beer from a brewery you know or have heard of; doing some online research prior to going to a new taproom, town, city, or country; asking for advice and recommendations; looking at reviews. These are our comfort blankets, and although the thrill of finding somewhere new or undiscovered, particularly in a different country is undeniable, we know that when we get home we'll still have our safe places, the ones where we know we can relax in comfort.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back in the late 1980s, certainly between 1986 and 1988, the years of my O-levels and A-levels, that place was the Hinds Head in Dagenham, a mere stumble down the hill from Chadwell Heath station. It's been closed for over ten years now, and I gather it's in the process of being converted into flats, but for around three years this was the place I'd meet up with my friends on a Saturday night to drink light and bitter and play snooker, pool, and occasionally darts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was, for all of us I think (we numbered around six to eight most weekends), our first introduction to pubs without our parents. The Hinds Head had been converted into a pub by Whitbread in the early 1950s when it had previously been a social club, and as a consequence had a large games room at the back where we were mainly left alone, all the serious drinking going on in the main bars to the front.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Light and Bitter, that magical drink that meant you always got more than a pint for your money. I wish I could remember exactly why we started drinking it, because I don't think it was for that reason, although we certainly appreciated it, but I have a real feeling it was on the recommendation of the barman, always the same one in the back room, who wanted to keep us in check by making sure we 'watered down' our beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We used to feel quite grown up I recall, not sophisticated though, that was never our intention, although this must seem simply archaic to those who've never experienced this drink as to many of the newer beer drinkers it probably brings to mind black and white images of men in flat caps and tweed jackets nestled around tables carefully nursing a pint with a bottle of light ale perched alongside. Someone's playing a piano in the corner too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those unfamiliar with this drink, Light and Bitter is, as you might expect, a half of Bitter (usually a bit more, three quarters wasn't uncommon) served in a pint glass or mug with a bottle of Light Ale as an accompaniment. This was to be mixed as you saw fit, either in measured stages but more usually as half the bottle, taking it almost to the top, and the other half when you were down to the half pint level again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-s_hchJZ80646CuLODM_9IL7fT0sGj-dS__NYr-a5uuZDSAY0EDKfRwHIkXyt5PuHjubqLlFx2v2tv-5yslteRDYsWI98ACReKk5GJNwLUAn1BL_D5iRR-k57HnlX05w7hZjvvnGTpAo/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-s_hchJZ80646CuLODM_9IL7fT0sGj-dS__NYr-a5uuZDSAY0EDKfRwHIkXyt5PuHjubqLlFx2v2tv-5yslteRDYsWI98ACReKk5GJNwLUAn1BL_D5iRR-k57HnlX05w7hZjvvnGTpAo/s320/001" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This drink is also known as a Light and Ordinary in some parts, particularly in the Young's pub I drank in when I started work in London's East End, the Ordinary being Young's Bitter as opposed to Young's Special. The Light Ale was from Young's as well, although when I was drinking it back in the Hinds Head it was all Whitbread Bitter and, of course, Whitbread Light Ale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't remember the last time I saw anybody order or drink a Light and Bitter in any pub I was in for at least ten years, so I put out a request on Twitter to see if anyone still drunk it, anywhere was still serving it, or if anyone had any memories of drinking it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first port of call were <a href="https://twitter.com/BoakandBailey">Boak and Bailey</a> although my question to them was around Light Ale specifically and whether they still saw it on their travels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They replied:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yes, every now and then, especially in Young's pubs. The Titanic in Southampton had it the other week too, Courage branded. No apparent rule as to where it crops up. We'd guess it has to do with nostalgic landlords and/or a handful of older customers who get through a case every six months or so."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I put the main question to a wider audience the first to reply was <a href="https://twitter.com/Beeradventcal">Pub culture vulture</a> who echoed my experiences:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I still drink it. Introduced to it in the early 90s when I moved to London. It's a 'value' beer, not least because you used to get slightly more than a pint."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Times have changed though, as he went on:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It was always Young's bitter and either their light ale or Whitbread's. Everywhere seems to pour the bitter into a half pint glass first now, but there are still a few pubs where they don't do that. I used to judge how good a pub was by how much bitter they poured into a pint."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CarsmileSteve">Carsmile Steve</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I have it when I visit the Shakespeare's Head behind Saddler's Well because: a. They know what one is, and b. There's only so many pints of straight Courage Best I can deal with."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BacchanalianUK">Bacchanalian</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Old timers were still drinking it in the late nineties / early noughties in the social club I used to work in. Not many though."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheHillpaul">Nigel Hillpaul</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I started drinking it is pubs as it was good value.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can remember going to a strange pub and asking for one, only to be told: "We don't serve cocktails"."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MolyneuxR">Rodger Molyneux</a> let me know a few places that he frequents that still sell it, <a href="https://twitter.com/LeatherBottlePH">The Leather Bottle</a></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in Blackmore, Essex, and not too far from me still serve it , although only two customers still drink it, and <a href="https://twitter.com/tomrayni">Tom Ray</a> </span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">suggested that it's a good way of livening up a tired cask (beer) ... particularly Greene King IPA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With all this information what I really needed to do was go and find some for myself, to see if it was a drink best left in the past or whether it was actually relevant, particularly to me, in this day and age. I had a few days off work due, so I decided that this was when I would seek it out, reasoning that a Young's pub would probably be my best bet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My first attempt was at Old Tom's Bar in Leadenhall Market, but this was thwarted by the fact that even though they had plenty of bottles of Light Ale in the fridge they didn't have any suitable Bitter to pair with it. It was probably the only day of the year that they didn't have any Young's Bitter but that was the day I chosen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Undeterred I knew I had another day out to come and, of course, on this occasion I was finally able to try it again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Town of Ramsgate in Wapping was the fourth and final pub to visit on my walk along the Thames River Path, The Grapes, The Grapes, The Prospect of Whitby, and the Captain Kidd being the other three, and I was delighted to find that they had both Young's Bitter on cask and bottles of Light Ale, Young's of course, in the fridge. I was even more delighted by the measure of Bitter I was poured when I first asked for it, and if you want to know why then you only have to look at the first picture in this post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were plenty of diners towards the rear of the pub so I made my way to the front where I could be alone with my treasure. I took a tentative sip of the Bitter before adding the Light Ale, its glorious copper colour seemingly glowing in the light streaming through the window. This was my moment, and I took a deep pull on the pint before me. Smooth and refreshing, the bitterness of the Young's Bitter dialed back slightly by the Light Ale. The maltiness comes through and lingers long into the finish, but it's not harsh, reminding me of nothing more than a soft and crumbly golden digestive biscuit. I had drunk nearly half by now, so I took the time to do what it possibly the best thing about this drink; I topped up my pint with more light ale until it was full again, enabling both to savour the taste all over again and transport me back to those nights some thirty-odd years ago in the back room of a pub in Dagenham, listening to the clink of snooker balls striking each other and the distant thud of darts into a dartboard.</span><br />
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<br />Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-11344204414241341272018-11-04T17:42:00.002+00:002018-11-04T17:42:20.130+00:00Our Friends in the North East<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>Our Friends in the North East</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b> or</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>Why I didn't make it to Wylam</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Driving north from my native Essex there are a series of landmarks that trigger a feeling that I'm moving in the right direction: the will it / won't it congestion gamble where the end of the M11 meets the A14, the bushes that signify the end of the motorway section of the A1 at Peterborough, the Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 outside RAF Wittering, and the now sadly closed and boarded up Ram Jams public house. Next comes Stamford, then Grantham, then Doncaster, the cooling towers at Ferrybridge, the run to Scotch Corner, before we finally get somewhere that we always feel compelled to stop, get out of the car and marvel at its iconic majesty.<br />
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Anthony Gormley's Angel of the North never ceases to make me feel that arrived somewhere, and on this occasion that somewhere is a few days in Newcastle.<br />
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Newcastle is somewhere, to my shame, I've only been once before. That was four years ago almost to the day where it provided a welcome overnight stop on a drive to a holiday in Edinburgh. The briefest taste of the place and the friendliness of the people we met meant it was always somewhere I'd wanted to return to, so when a suitable opportunity presented itself we did.<br />
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After settling in and unwinding a while at the quayside apartment we'd booked our first destination was, as it had been four years previously, <a href="https://www.thebridgetavern.com/">The Bridge Tavern</a>.<br />
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Situated between the stanchions of the famous Tyne Bridge, there's been an ale house on this site for around two hundred years. This was demolished when the bridge was built then rebuilt in its shadow, although if I hadn't been absolutely certain of where it had been last time we were there I'd have thought that I was in the wrong spot because, as the picture below shows, its former name of the Newcastle Arms is still proudly displayed on the stonework.<br />
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Making our way upstairs we found that the tables we had occupied all those years before were free once more, as if awaiting our return. I also remembered two of the things that made my previous visit so memorable. The first was the friendliness of the people, willing to engage in conversation about absolutely anything. To be fair most of my conversations in pubs involve beer, and those that don't have often started that way, but rather than a short answer or a "sorry mate, cheers", there seems to be a genuine interest in both the beer and you. The second, remember I am from Essex, is sparklers. That's all I'm saying.<br />
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My first beer was the Tavern Inn Midnight Oats. Brewed on the premises its light roasty chocolate taste perfectly setting up my appetite for both beer and food for the evening. The food would be haggis toasties with quails eggs accompanied by pigs head croquettes alongside Wylam Brewery's hazy, juicy DDH IPA The Shape.<br />
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There was time for one more before we moved on, so I opted for Almasty's Chocolate and Caramel Stout, which delivered every flavour it promised, a wonderful beer, and its taste was still lingering tantalisingly on my tongue as we walked along the banks of the Tyne.<br />
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We took pictures, you have too, the Tyne bridge, Baltic Flour Mill, Gateshead Millennium Bridge and The Sage centre, look so beautiful with their lights reflecting off the water, but in reality my mind had already drifted a little further down the river, just beyond the mouth of the Ouseburn.<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/TheFreeTradeInn?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">The Free Trade Inn</a> had, over many years, taken on an almost mythical status for me. It had become the pub that I never quite made it to, fate intervening on every previous attempt. Tonight I was determined to make it.<br />
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As I got closer I could feel the anticipation building. They do say that you should never meet your idols, and was beginning to hope that this didn't apply to pubs as well. I needn't have worried. The Free Trade Inn was everything I'd hoped and more.<br />
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This white-banded island of a building, like the prow of a ship gazing out over the Tyne, stands alone, silent and majestic. Inside it's warm, both in temperature and greeting, the yellowing walls and stripped wooden counter full to bursting with hand pumps and keg fonts. I walk its length and back again contemplating my first beer, Mordue's A'l Wheat Pet, before taking a seat at one of the lower level tables, it's blue star still blazing beneath the patina of years of spilled beer. I don't think I've ever felt so at home in a pub straight away. I may have even let out an audible sigh.<br />
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My wife and children relaxed into their seats and started a conversation, it had been a long day, but I found myself captivated by my surroundings, hardly able to believe that I'd actually made it. Time for more beer.<br />
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There'd been a Left Handed Giant tap takeover the previous weekend and quite a few of the beers were still on so, despite being warned by the attentive bar staff that they were pricier than some of the other beers I opted for a dry and bitter Cycle City IPA on keg which disappeared in no time at all.<br />
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Almasty's excellent Echelon Pale was followed by Beavertown's Grateful Bread Breakfast Kvass, one of their Tempus Project beers, by which time the day was starting to catch up with me at last and it was time to go back.<br />
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Visiting the gents at The Free Trade Inn is a feast for the eyes, with years of graffiti overlapping and interweaving with no inch of wall uncovered. There's humour, insults, pathos and pictures, all human life displayed in pen and ink. I lingered a little longer than I perhaps should have taking it in.<br />
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There was something else that needed doing as we made our way outside, and, like hundreds of drinkers before me, took a picture back up the Tyne towards the lights of city.<br />
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Wednesday dawned and after an amazing breakfast at Quay Ingredient (thank you for the tip <a href="https://twitter.com/danielvane">Mr Vane</a>) we headed out of town to the edge of the Roman Empire.<br />
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I didn't expect <a href="http://www.vindolanda.com/">Vindolanda</a> to offer much in the way of beer, however I was surprised to see that there were references to it on some of the tablets that had been discovered preserved in the mud there.<br />
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Not far away is the <a href="http://www.twicebrewedinn.co.uk/">Twice Brewed Inn</a> and Brewery which depending on which direction you're coming from is either in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Brewed">Once Brewed</a> (East) or Twice Brewed (west). Dating from at least the 18th Century, this solid stone building is warm and inviting, standing up to the elements in this desolate part of Northumberland.<br />
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The beers, either cask or bottle are available on the bar to drink on the premises or take away. They all, usurprisingly have Roman-inspired names, and I went for the Ceres Dunkelweizen which had a light, prickly chocolate flavour and slid down very easily.<br />
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The brewery itself is in an adjoining building although we were more captivated by the 'Weather Forecasting Stone', although it was far windier than it was indicating.<br />
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Visits to the Roman Army Museum and Housesteads Roman Fort high up on the remains of Hadrians Wall, completed our day although, back in Newcastle that evening we did find a rather good Sardinian restaurant to have dinner.<br />
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Thursday was our last full day in Newcastle and we were going to use it to explore the city properly at last.<br />
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We'd only booked our visit a couple of days before we went, and after I tweeted that I was finally going to do the city justice I was inundated with suggestions of places to go for both food, and of course drink. There were so many we couldn't hope to visit them all, and there were a few sights we wanted to see too, we tried to do our best.<br />
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Breakfast was again taken at <a href="http://quayingredient.co.uk/">Quay Ingredient</a>, bacon and maple syrup on french toast if you ask, before we headed uphill to the Castle and on to the Discovery Centre where the children could play at being children and let their hair down a bit.<br />
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Just on the Gateshead side of the river is the container community that is home to the <a href="https://www.bytheriverbrew.co/">By The River Brew Co.</a>, a brewery that is as much on the river as it is by it. Opened in the summer of 2017, it was perfectly placed to take advantage of the magnificent weather, becoming the hottest spot on the Tyne in more ways than one. If you had any beery folk on your Twitter or Instagram feed from the Newcastle area then you will have most likely read or seen the buzz around this place.<br />
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There was a chilly wind blowing along the river when we arrived so, although it was bright we made our way inside and made ourselves comfortable at the most central table in the place, one where we could soak up the atmosphere inside while still being able to look out over the Tyne.<br />
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The beer menu had plenty of interesting beer on offer but whenever you're at a brewery it makes obvious sense to order at least one that was brewed on the premises which is why Sarah and I both went for the Proto Banger IPA, hoping that it would live up to it's name. We certainly weren't disappointed as it was indeed exactly as promised, a hazy, juicy IPA with soft dry finish.<br />
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The interior of the bar extends into a restaurant at the far end, and space is limited due to the nature of the place. Even though we hadn't realised it when we arrived it became clear that the tables around us, despite being unoccupied, were all reserved for lunch and we were lucky to actually get a seat inside. We were close to the wood burner too, providing welcoming warmth and despite there being plenty of outdoor seating no-one was prepared to brave the elements when room could be found inside.<br />
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I'd wanted to get to quite a few places today but one beer had caught my attention that I wanted to have before leaving. It's Not Mike Porter, a collaboration between By The River and Northern Monk, is big cherry vanilla coffee porter with the vanilla and chocolate flavours very clean and defined and the cherry lending an over-arching tartness. The finish was long, deep and lingering and stayed with me long after we'd left the bar and made our way back over the Tyne bridge into the heart of the city.<br />
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After spending the afternoon walking around the shops and markets clustered around the Grey's Monument, commemorating Charles, the second Earl Grey, the local-ish boy who became Prime Minister and under whose government slavery was abolished in the British Empire before having a tea named after him, we were in need of a drink and respite. We'd passed dAt bAr a on our way here, it's literally just around the corner, so that seemed as good a place as any.<br />
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A pizza and burger restaurant, I remember the buzz on social media when dAt bAr opened its door in early 2014 mainly due to its beer range. Now four years old, the decor is starting to show its age, unless of course it was originally designed to look a little tired in which case it's rather good.<br />
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As a first time visitor walking in I was confronted by a host of individual keg fonts with no obvious beer list or numbering system. Looking perplexed I asked what beer was on only to be pointed to the large chalk board to my right. Choosing Almasty's Breakfast IPA I was equally surprised when a seemingly unmarked font was approached and the beer poured. Spotting my expression the silver numbers on the bar top relating to the numbers on the board were pointed out to me by the man serving me, admitting that it had been a mystery to him too before he was shown.<br />
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The Breakfast IPA was big and hazy, the grapefruit and orange flavours very pronounced really like the breakfast juice it was attempting to mimic. Big juicy bitterness and a dry grapefruit flavour led it by the hand to the finish, the perfect after-shopping refresher.<br />
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Despite burgers for dinner being the order of the day we weren't going to eat here, I been advised by Emma Mitchell (<a href="https://twitter.com/minkewales">@minkewales</a> on twitter) to try nearby Meat:Stack who'd catered at her wedding, but looking at the list again we decided we wanted another drink here first.<br />
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We went for Summer Wine's Ripple Heights with its sweet aroma of raspberries and vanilla ice cream. This is a beer that would probably be too sweet for many and although I'd consider myself to have a relatively sweet tooth it was right on the borderline for me. This beer has a particularly good finish akin to a lingering frozen raspberry death rattle.<br />
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<a href="https://www.meat-stack.com/">Meat:Stack</a> didn't disappoint. We chose the upstairs bar in preference to the noisier, darker bar downstairs mainly because we all preferred it, and we did have the place to ourselves for most of our dinner.<br />
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The cheeseburgers were amazing. I went for the Yellowstone, a double cheeseburger with baconnaise, hash browns, fried onions and American cheese, we all had the beef dripping fries, and this was all washed down with Brewdog's Lost Lager. This was one of the best burgers I've had and we'll be heading here again next time we're back in town.<br />
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I'd wanted Wylam to be my ultimate destination this evening, but as we made our way up Northumberland Street it was becoming apparent that the previous days exertions along Hadrians Wall coupled with the time we'd been out today meant that had started to look pretty unlikely.<br />
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Just around the corner on St Mary's Place, down some steps between a pub and a restaurant is <a href="http://townmousealehouse.co.uk/">The Town Mouse</a> and, as it was close, this is where we went.<br />
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Warm and inviting, pretty much as soon as I'd walked in I found myself in conversation with the barman and another chap at the bar, I felt at home right away. There was only one table near the door, the chill of a late October evening keeping a space that we happily occupied.<br />
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One of the things that makes my heart sing most when I'm away is a beer selection full of beers and breweries I haven't tried before, and as the people of Newcastle are justifiably proud of their local beer scene and that of the North East of England, it had been my pleasure to drink beer from local breweries wherever possible. The beer list at The Town Mouse micropub was no exception.<br />
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The North Riding Brewery in Scarborough may well be just under a hundred miles from Newcastle-upon-Tyne but it's still in the North East, and it was their NE Pale on cask that I opted for first, it's big juicy bitterness sliding down incredibly quickly it was immediately time for another beer.<br />
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Box Social were a brewery I'd heard <a href="https://twitter.com/MylesLambert">Myles Lambert</a> sing the praises of on the <a href="https://northeastsippinforecast.com/">North East Sippin Forecast</a> podcast and seeing that they had their Blackcurrant Ripple on keg was a temptation I didn't have to resist. Unfortunately for me, the barman proclaimed that he wasn't happy with the way it was looking so asked my to chose something else.<br />
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Reluctantly I opted for Wilde Child and Brass Castle's Adoption Process Passion fruit IPA, however no sooner had I paid for that than another beer appeared alongside it. Looking up, I was told that although he wasn't willing to sell it he was perfectly happy to give me a half to try as there was not really anything wrong with it.<br />
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It was getting quite busy in the basement bar now, those who had lingered after work were now being joined by those out for the evening, and our table was being eyed quite hungrily by those standing. While we didn't feel under any pressure to vacate it tiredness had started to creep up on me, and I started to work out how far away from Wylam Brewery we were. Fifteen minutes doesn't seem like a long walk, but having two tired teenagers in tow I knew it wasn't going to happen tonight.<br />
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It was my wife who came to the rescue and suggested a compromise. Although we had to leave our apartment by eleven she was perfectly happy to drive me over for a drink there when it opened at midday. Satisfied and frankly grateful for this we finished our drinks and began the anticipated half hour walk back to where we were staying.<br />
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Fortunately the Metro came to our rescue, and double-fortunately it took us directly to Newcastle Central Station, home to <a href="https://twitter.com/Centr_Ale">Centrale Beer Shop</a>, although it did take a little while going up and down the platform until we actually found it.<br />
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Situated on platform 12, although I now only know that in hindsight, the selection of beer available was staggering. I could have spent a fortune here but showing much restraint and with the guidance of Bruce the owner I had soon amassed a fine selection of great beer from local breweries.<br />
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Bruce is very knowledgeable, and it was a pleasure talking to him about beer and the scene in Newcastle, he even gave me a tote bag to help carry them back. I promised him that it would go with me every where from now on, I'd become a walking advert for his shop, so if you see a lonely figure guarding beer in a Centrale bag in Essex, London, or further afield then that person could well be me.<br />
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A few beers back at our apartment looking out over the Tyne and it was time for bed on our last night. Still, there was Wylam tomorrow.<br />
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Except there wasn't.<br />
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Those of you who have been paying attention will have noticed that our last full day in Newcastle was a Thursday. Re-checking the brewery opening times I realised that I had my dates wrong. Today was Friday, and I'd checked the opening times for Saturday by mistake. Wylam wasn't opening until five o'clock in the evening, far too late for us. It was time to make other plans.<br />
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Turning to Twitter I needed a different plan for our journey home. Twitter responded and we were soon on our way to ...<br />
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I'll leave that one for my next post.<br />
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There are so many people I need to thank for their help and advice in making my short stay in the Toon so enjoyable. Although I didn't get to meet up with Myles, who I mentioned earlier, on this occasion the excellent North East Sippin Forecast podcast is well worth a listen and is now hopefully back on schedule. Similarly Emma <a href="https://twitter.com/minkewales">@minkewales</a> for Newcastle recommendations, and Andrew her husband (previously @sheriffmitchell on Twitter, but no more) for an amazingly helpful email pointing out the best places to visit along Hadrians wall. We almost managed them all. Whoever manages the twitter account for The Free Trade Inn <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFreeTradeInn">@TheFreeTradeInn</a>, I really sorry we never actually got to meet. To all the people I met along the way and told them that my family history takes me back to the North East thank you for humouring me, you listened very attentively. And lastly but definitely not least, a huge thank you to Daisy (<a href="https://twitter.com/daisy_turnell">@daisy_turnell</a>) who was, for all intents and purposes my virtual Newcastle tour guide. Thank you so much for all your help and suggestions, and the invite to the brand new Anarchy tap room that I sadly couldn't attend. I definitely owe you a beer.<br />
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Next time I'm going to get to Wylam.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-25186525863048461242018-10-10T15:54:00.002+01:002018-10-10T19:08:46.214+01:00IT'S ALIVE!<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>IT'S ALIVE!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>A Bottle Conditioned Beer Event</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It''s a warm Thursday afternoon in early October and I'm sitting outside The White Horse in Parsons Green with a pint of Ilkley's Mangoes Overboard, occasionally checking my watch for the six o'clock deadline. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a deadline that I really don't want to miss as tonight beer writers and brewers are gathered together to celebrate bottle-conditioned, and as we shall see, can-conditioned beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bottle conditioning, as I'm sure you are well aware, is the process of adding priming sugars into a bottle containing beer which has little or no carbon dioxide which enables refermentation in the bottle. It is this that brings the beer into condition, continuing the fermentation which produces carbon dioxide, making the beer naturally carbonated and as similar, in many cases, to the cask conditioned product. To quote The Oxford Companion to Beer, "Bottle conditioning, when done properly, can result in a beer with a finer, silkier texture of carbonation, superior foam retention, more complex flavo(u)rs, longer ag(e)ing ability than beers that are "force carbonated"."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gathering in the upstairs rooms, where once I brewed a Citron Pilsener with Martyn Cornell and Andy Parker, now of Elusive Brewing renown, we are seated at tables laden with glasses, and platters of bread, meat and cheese, ready for the panel in front of us to introduce both themselves and tonight's beers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a brief welcome from Rupert Ponsonby from <a href="http://www.randr.co.uk/site/index.html">R&R Teanmwork</a>, who have invited us here tonight, Jeff Evans, editor of eight editions of the Good Bottled Beer Guide, is ready to give us a brief history of bottle-conditioned beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He asks us to forget the apocryphal story of it's invention some 400 or so years ago by the Hertfordshire rector and angler, Dr Alexander Nowell who, after a fishing trip, left a full bottle of home brewed ale by the river, only returning a few days later to discover the still full bottle had continued its fermentation. "He found no bottle, but a gun, such was the sound at opening". (Martyn Cornell also debunks the myth <a href="http://zythophile.co.uk/2010/01/15/a-short-history-of-bottled-beer/">in this excellent post on the subject</a> ). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Potentially the story of bottle (or flask, or leather bag) conditioned beer goes back millennia, but certainly goes back to the 18th century when beer was first put into bottles for sale commercially. It was the advent of pasteurisation, the process that killed bacteria, making for a consistently uninfected product that meant that bottle conditioned beer became little more than a footnote in history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the formation of CAMRA (<a href="http://www.camra.org.uk/">the Campaign for Real Ale</a>) in 1971 there were only 5 bottle conditioned beers available in the UK, including Spingo from The Blue Anchor in Cornwall, Worthington's White Shield, and the recently revived Thomas Hardy's Ale, produced at that time by Eldridge Pope in Dorset.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the uplift in cask conditioned beer there was, from the early 1980s, a revival in bottle conditioned beer. By 1990 there were more and more available, so many in fact that in 1991 CAMRA passed a motion at it's AGM to actively promote these beers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a result of this Jeff persuaded CAMRA to produce a book on the subject, and in 1997 the CAMRA Guide to Real Ale in a Bottle was produced. He wasn't happy with either the title or the cover, and in 1998 this was relaunched as the Good Bottled Beer Guide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By the time of the 2009 edition there were over 1300 bottle conditioned beers in the UK alone, with foreign bottle conditioned beers, including the iconic <a href="https://sierranevada.com/">Sierra Nevada</a> Pale Ale, swelling that number.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There has been no new book since the 2013 edition, and there are approximately 1800 beers that meet the criteria now, but Jeff left us with the parting comment that it might be possible that an up to date edition is not too far away.</span><br />
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First to present their beer was Stuart Cail from <a href="https://harviestoun.com/">Harviestoun Brewery</a> in Scotland.<br />
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Schiehallion Lager (4.8%) came to us in a 75cl sharing bottle which Stuart informed us that they had just started producing. This bottle conditioned version started as a trial sample which was tested locally before they made the decision to expand. To my mind it tasted a bit flat, with the aroma of burnt tyres, a little maltiness with some lemon in the mix. This faded quickly and the general consensus at our table was that the beer was in poor condition.<br />
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The same couldn't be said of the next beer, Ola Dubh at 10.7%. This was the cask strength version which Stuart told us was aged in <a href="https://www.highlandparkwhisky.com/">Highland Park</a> whisky casks. There was a little of the same burnt tyre aroma as the Sciehallion initially but this was quickly overtaken by a nose full of boozy dark chocolate and coffee. It had a deep chocolate flavour and a long, lingering finish, one that completely removed all traces of the previous beer.<br />
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Pat McGinty from <a href="http://www.marstons.co.uk/">Marstons</a> then spoke to us about their approach to bottle conditioned beer. For them, he said, it was all about wanting to give the consumer the experience and taste of cask conditioned Marstons Pedigree in a bottle.<br />
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The beer is brewed in the traditional way, on the <a href="https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/IdBjsaZjWz/the-burton-union-system/">Burton Union System</a> in Burton on Trent, but the new process involved here was understanding how much yeast was needed in the bottle in order to give exactly the result they were after.<br />
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After much trial and error they hit upon the winning formula, although there was some initial confusion with consumers over the haze resulting in the yeast in the beer, and helping them understand that bottle conditioning was a continuation of the brewing process. He finished his talk with the following phrase which summed up what they are striving for: "Bottle conditioning is the way forward, it's what real beer is all about."<br />
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We were then giving some of the bottle conditioned Marstons Pedigree (4.5%) to try, and they really have done a fantastic job with it. The aroma retains that classic sulphurous 'Burton snatch', with a hint of cardboard and a little roasted malt. Quite thin, it was clean and fresh tasting, with that distinctive Pedigree malty flavour with the merest hint of berry fruits. It was astonishingly close to the cask version in great condition and I would have welcomed the opportunity to taste them side by side.<br />
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Next it was the turn of Justin Hawke from <a href="https://www.moorbeer.co.uk/">Moor Beer Co.</a> who talked about the influence that both cask beer and the beer he had whilst stationed in Germany with the US military had on both him and the beer he now produces.<br />
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After a night out drinking they would notice that the naturally cloudy, unfiltered, naturtrub beer he and his companions had been drinking meant that they avoided hangovers the following day, but it was cask beer that he had fallen in love with and it was this that led him to come to the UK and start brewing. This was something that, once you know, is obvious to see and taste in Moor's beer, something that has made their uncompromising position on both unfiltered beer and taste in abundance both admired and respected.<br />
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When it came to canning the beer Justin was adamant that he didn't want to give up the natural conditioning of the beer, and both the sugar and yeast content was carefully measured to ensure that he was content that the same beer goes into cask, keg, bottle and can.<br />
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All three of the beers we tasted from Moor were out of the can, with Nor Hop (4.1%) with it's score of 100% for style on <a href="https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/moor-nor39hop/166528/">RateBeer</a> being first. This has a gorgeous tropical aroma, lime mango, passion fruit and dragon fruit all inter-mingling wonderfully, and with a wonderful taste that delivers everything the nose promises.<br />
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Do It Together is a Mango Tea Pale Ale at 5.2% abv, with a slightly musty green tea and passion fruit aroma. It glides over the tongue elegantly before delivering those flavours all over again for maximum impact.<br />
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The final beer from Moor was Old Freddy Walker Strong Old Ale (7.3%) which had a strong chocolate malt aroma, like a chocolatey horlicks. It was thinner than I remembered but the chocolate malt punch was swift and welcome, the taste fading wonderfully slowly leaving a subtle reminder of the beer before.<br />
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Roger Ryman of <a href="https://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/">St. Austell Brewery</a> spoke of how a trip to Marstons to see what they were brewing led him to set up his own version of the Union System to experiment with. We were told that St. Austell are possibly the biggest producer of bottle conditioned beer in the UK, with Proper Job IPA (5.5%) taking up a third of that production.<br />
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We were then given bottles of Proper Job to try. First brewed in 2006, the bottle conditioned version is filtered then re-seeded with yeast and when it was tested against a 'bright' filtered version with consumers there was no comparison; the bottle conditioned beer "absolutely smashed it".<br />
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The initial aroma reminded me a little of 'cheesy' feet, although that may have been down to the brie I had just consumed, but there was more of that burnt tyre aroma I experienced with the Harviestoun beers (which I am inclined to believe may be down to the carbon dioxide produced in re-fermentation) before a wave of lemon hit my senses. The beer itself was clean and fresh tasting, with some biscuity malt accentuated by the lemon notes from the hops. It finished clean and succintly on that same biscuity lemon note, a beautiful beer by all accounts. I can't remember the last time I had some Proper Job but I'll be making a point of having at least one next time I do.<br />
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The Bad Habit Abbey Tripel (8.2%) was the second and final beer from St.Austell, one that Roger confessed was a bit of an indulgence as he wanted to explore the flavours of the Belgian beers he loves so much. This had a sharp, sweet aroma, with that classic Belgian yeast note reminding me quite considerably of Chimay Blue. There were some dark fruit notes in the flavour and it tasted quite sweet, however we all noted that it didn't linger on the palate as you may expect a Belgian beer of this strength to do, rather it rinsed itself away, the flavours all collapsing in on themselves before seemingly disappearring down a drain in the middle of the tongue. None of us found this unwelcome just unusual, and it's certainly a beer I'd like to try again.<br />
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Our final speaker of the evening was John Keeling of <a href="https://www.fullers.co.uk/">Fullers</a> someone who is never short of an opinion. He also had two bottles of their Vintage Ale with him which I will come to in a moment, but before that I want to start with three direct quotes that I noted down from what he said which seemed to sum up what this whole evening was about. They were:<br />
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"Bottle conditioned beers are never the same as cask beers."<br />
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"Bottle conditioned beers are the supreme example of small package beers."<br />
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and lastly,<br />
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"Bottle conditioned beers exist in their own right."<br />
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The first Vintage Ale was the most recent, the 2017 (8.5%) which was relatively light tasting. It positively glowed in the glass with a distinct raisin and biscuit aroma. I last had this beer shortly after it's release and someone remarked after their first sip how it had changed in the last 9 months. The slight bitterness I remember had faded away and this was a more complex beer, the raisin notes accentuated, hinting at plums and damsons, but that malty biscuit backbone was still very defined.<br />
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The next bottle was the Vintage Ale 2010 (8.5%) and this was an altogether different affair. Noticeably darker in the glass, it had a more complex raisin and fudge aroma with flashes of madeira and whisky coming through as well. It was also fuller over the tongue, with a big burst of raisin, date and dark fudge, none of the biscuit to support it either, rather the malts were chewy like burnt toffee, it was absolutely stunning. These flavours stayed with me after I'd drunk it, building with each sip, a truly beautiful experience.<br />
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Fortunately I have a bottle of this, and many other years of the Vintage Ale at home, although when asked about tasting this at the right time John suggested we should,<br />
"Buy 64 bottles of each vintage on release and try it every three months or so."<br />
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He went on to explain the method they use at Fullers for the Vintage Ale where they chill the beer at one fifth gravity, although I missed the next part as I was rather distracted by the sublime beer in the glass in front of me.<br />
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When asked about the changes in the beer and how to account for them he replied in a phrase that was honest and summed up my experience and the science of ageing beer for me:<br />
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"Changes are so difficult to predict so you just have to enjoy the ride as it goes on."<br />
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After thanking the speakers and respectfully applauding it was revealed that there was one more treat in store for us that evening.<br />
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When we had arrived a line of vintage Bass ales was pointed out to us along the shelf at the back of one of the rooms. A beautiful display of bottle conditioned beer I thought at the time, and took an appropriate picture as it wasn't too crowded in the area at that point.<br />
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When the noise of applause had died down it was revealed that they were opening a bottle of the Bass & Co. Ratcliff Strong Ale, brewed on the 16th December 1869, for us to try.<br />
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We were all given thimble-fulls of this beer which, considering it's age I tasted with some trepidation. It poured a murky brown colour, and the aroma had a touch of dusty port about it. Initially muddy and musty it quickly changed character and became a deep rich madeira flavour. Hints of raisin, not unlike the last Vintage Ale, began to appear, and it finished incredibly smooth and complex. At nearly 150 years old this was certainly a beer to savour but my small pour was finished far too quickly for my liking. Luckily there was still plenty left so I managed to grab another so that I could enjoy this rare and wonderful experience all over again.<br />
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Tonight had truly shown what a wonderful thing bottle conditioned beer made by people that really care about the beer they produce and the taste the consumer enjoys, can be. As a prelude to the launch of Bottle Conditioned Beer Week in 2019 (see the flyer at the top of this post if you missed that bit) it couldn't have been much better.<br />
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<i>I'd like to thank Marstons for organising the event, R&R Teanwork for the invite, the speakers for their informative and enjoyable words, particularly for humouring me and fielding my additional questions afterwards, and to The White Horse on Parsons Green for such a wonderful evening. I had an amazing time and am extremely grateful to everyone involved. It was also great to catch up with so many of my fellow writers and beer lovers too, cheers to all.</i><br />
<br />Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-16714174779743739592018-09-21T15:00:00.003+01:002018-09-22T21:52:42.042+01:00Ongar: Going Downhill (Relatively) Quickly<div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ongar: Going Downhill (Relatively) Quickly</span><br />
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The clouds gathered in judgement above me, dark and brooding with the occasional patch of grey-blue revealing itself at brief and surprising moments. The summer would bring a heatwave that nobody had predicted, but this springtime afternoon was like an uncertain and fickle child, changing its mind on a whim.<br />
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Ongar is only twenty minutes on the bus from my hometown of Brentwood, fifteen minutes on a clear run and with a driver who wants to maximise their turnaround time, but from the image obsessed high street I had left behind it seems half a world away.<br />
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The word "Ongar" means grassland, and it is home to the remains of a Norman fort. Only the earthworks remain and they are overgrown and dismal, preserved only by a crude wooden fence. The Central Line used to come out this far until 1994, but the trains now terminate at Epping and Ongar feels as if it it's resigned to the fact that they will never come back despite the occasional petition requesting its return.<br />
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The number 21 bus drops me at the top of the High Street and I cross the road and head into The Cock Tavern.<br />
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The Cock Tavern is a small, one bar pub at the top of the high street, and claims to be the oldest public house in the town. It certainly dates back to before 1765 when the first reference occurs, and at one stage it most certainly brewed its own beer. <br />
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It's a white weather-boarded building, a Good Beer Guide regular and always has a good selection of well kept cask beer. Today they have Otter Brewery Springfest, Mighty Oak The Joy Of Six, Harveys IPA and Red Fox Black Fox Porter. The latter is my choice and it has a medium bodied, pleasant coffee finish, a is a good start to the afternoon.<br />
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Music is playing, seemingly coming from the bar and the woman behind it is having a fairly animated conversation about her up coming holidays, and in particular how the pressure on the aeroplane will affect her ears. This holds my attention for all of five seconds so I look around at my surroundings for something more stimulating.<br />
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A central brick fireplace dominates the room with a television on it that thankfully is not on, and this would seem to indicate that it once had two bars. A door, no longer in use confirms this. There are a selection of newspapers, leather easy chairs, and tables with menus looking redundant as no-one is eating because, apart from those at the bar I'm the only one in there.<br />
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Despite the undeniable quality of the beer there's not really any atmosphere, but I expect it gets quite lively in the evenings, live music appears to be a regular occurrence. This is a pub I know quite well and I occasionally pop in here, if time allows, when I'm in Ongar to see a client. There's nothing to hold me here today though so I finish my pint and move on.<br />
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Crossing the road and heading down the hill I go into The Kings Head. This is the most central pub in the town and a plaque above its central arch proclaiming the date 1697, which is presumably the year it was built.<br />
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Entering the bar through the open doorway to my left I immediately get the sense that this is a pub for diners not drinkers. The cramped bar area displays mainly keg beer, Kozel and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (off at time of visit - a not-so-subtle glass placed over the taps a clear indication). This is confirmed when a group of three come in and enquire about lunch. "Straight down to the restaurant area and they'll take care of you there", the barman tells them, and they walk the length of the bar, disappearing down some steps and out of sight.<br />
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Further along the bar, nearer the restaurant end I spy three hand pumps, two of which have London Pride and a third that has George Gale's Seafarer. This is the one I go for, its honey and lemon hop character cutting through the lingering taste of the Porter I finished in The Cock not five minutes earlier.<br />
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It's pleasant enough in here at this time of day, relatively quiet, with the piped music at just the right level so as not to be intrusive.<br />
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The beer and the signage make it clear that this is a Fullers pub, or at least pub-cum-restaurant affair, my glass carries their branding, and I recall hearing good things about the food here so its good to see a reasonable beer selection. It seems a very organised and efficient place despite the barman disappearing for fairly lengthy intervals, although it is quiet, and nobody who arrives is kept waiting.<br />
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The building itself retains many of its original Georgian features and, even without the research that confirms it, it's plain to se that this was a coaching inn at some point. Once there must have been two separate bars here considering that there are two separate entrances and fireplaces, and it's good to see that they've kept some of the original features, although it's the cast iron radiators (a Victorian addition) that supplies the heating now.<br />
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I'm surprised to find that I feel far more relaxed here than at The Cock, and this is despite the hubbub and banter of a group of workmen near me who are making a little too much fuss as they leave.<br />
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Finishing my drink I decide to have a quick look around and notice a separate room across the archway from the main part of the pub and head inside. Crossing the courtyard I can see the restaurant sprawling languidly at the rear of the building, it's white weather boarded exterior looking rather inviting. The room I enter is intriguing and surprising, and may have been a waiting room for the coaches, although now it looks rather plush, decorated as it is with skulls, horns and antlers and though I'd love to linger here a while, it's time to move on.<br />
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As I continue my journey down the hill, I'm caught behind a middle-aged man in a grey tracksuit taking his squat overweight dog for a walk, constantly drawing aggressively at a greasy roll-up between his lips. I manage to get around him and his noxious fog just as I pass the beautiful half-timbered building that was once The Bell. The support strut for its sign still points towards the high street, lonely and redundant as this is now a private dwelling although flashes of its former glory are still evident. It's the kind of building that will always say "Pub" what ever its use in later years, one that you feel is still rather proud that it was a lively social hub of the community even if its glory days are now passed.<br />
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Presently I arrive at The Royal Oak.<br />
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The Royal Oak is a strange pub, and it's very quiet at this time of day. So quiet in fact that I stand at the empty bar for almost five minutes before anyone realises that I'm there at all. "It's very quiet in here", I say to the lady who appears from what appears to be the door to the toilets and asks if she can help me,<br />
"It always is until about half two", comes the reply.<br />
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The beer selection holds nothing of interest for me, but out of politeness I order a half of Kronenberg (I can't remember the last time I did that) as it's the best of a bad bunch. Fosters, Carling and Stella Artois are my other options, although I do notice some bottles of Old Speckled Hen in the fridge.<br />
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I get the feeling that this is a locals pub, although it's clearly an old one and has absolutely heaps of character. The building itself is around 400 years old, although for some of that time it was both a fishmongers and public house, a mix of trades that I suspect would seem very much at odds to todays drinkers.<br />
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Greene King IPA beer mats hint that this may feature on the forlorn hand pumps some of the time, although today they are purely an ornamental feature. Maybe they are awaiting a delivery, but the lack of pump clips of any variety seems to indicate that cask beer may well be off the menu.<br />
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Darts team trophies are displayed on the wall and there's a prominent dart board so it's logical to guess that this is what the pub is known for around here, and whilst there are darts behind the bar tempting me to 'throw a few arrows' they would inevitably prolong my drinking time here.<br />
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The lady who served me at the bar now has a companion and even though they occasionally look at me with slightly puzzled expressions I get the same feeling of warmth and cosiness here that I got in The Kings Head but not in The Cock. It's an oddly comfortable place, and if they had some decent beer on I'd be coming back, although as it stands this is highly unlikely.<br />
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I later discover that it's known locally as the Royal Coke, due to a past reputation, perhaps due to it serving an abundance of a certain brand of fizzy drink. Or perhaps not.<br />
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Leaving The Royal Oak and heading to the bottom of the hill I'm confronted by the broad expanse of The Two Brewers. Unfortunately for me it's closed when I arrive, although the sign outside says otherwise. This strikes me as odd for 2.00pm on a Thursday afternoon, but given that the last three pubs I visited were hardly a hive of actively it is perhaps understandable.<br />
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I remember this pub well enough, and peering through the window I see it hasn't changed much inside. I did have an amusing tale to relate which ended with a much younger, much drunker version of me slurring "...there's nothing drong with winking" at my companions and falling off my bar stool, but that can't be expanded upon sadly and I move on. I'm a little disappointed, but at least that story is safe for now and no-one need know.<br />
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Heading up hill again, away from the high street this time and into Marden Ash I take a left turn onto the Brentwood Road, taking a quick picture between the passing cars and head across the road to The Stag.<br />
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The Stag is a pub that I've often passed but never been inside. That is until now, and I'm very glad that I have.<br />
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It's a McMullens pub to my surprise, and the five hand pulls have two of their AK, which is what I order, two of Country and one of the dubiously titled Nympho from Rivertown which, I suspect, may be the craft arm of McMullens.<br />
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I'm the only customer here as well, and I settle down with my beer a little away from the bar, its light maltiness particularly welcome after the Kronenberg earlier. Countdown is starting on the television just above my head, but I'm not in the mood for word games and manage, with only a modicum of success, to block it out.<br />
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This is clearly another old pub, records show that it was built in the eighteenth century and served much of that time as a beerhouse. Similar to the other pubs I've been to today this once had two separate rooms betrayed by, as before, the two separate fire places at either end. It is now one long bar with a smart wooden floor, a green hued fish tank at one end and a rather distracting fruit machine at the other. The continued noise from Countdown combined, other music playing and the flashing fruit machine lights is an overwhelming sensory assault. Thankfully they turn the television off when asked.<br />
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A sign advertising Pie and Mash on Fridays and Saturdays would seem to mean that it picks up a bit as the weekend approaches.<br />
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The young women behind the bar, one of whom is in the process of finishing a bowl of breakfast cereal, are giggly and chatty when I go to order another drink and this puts me immediately at ease so I pull up a stool there.<br />
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The Stag is smaller on the inside than it appears from the road, rather cosy and manages to retain much of its character even with the modern alterations. It is exactly the kind of pub that doesn't immediately seem that inviting when you arrive but after investing some time, as I am able to today, it starts to open up and reveal itself properly. It's almost as if the building itself is as cautious of you as you are of it.<br />
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The landlord arrives presently and I discover that the Rivertown beer is called Nymph is reality, some wag having added the extra "O" on the blackboard and my suspicions are confirmed as it is a brewery in which McMullens have an 'interest'. I recall having seen Rivertown beers when I visited Hertford, the home of McMullens, last year. The brewery itself is a beautiful Victorian building, part of which was very sympathetically being converted into flats.<br />
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In conversation I discover that cellar for The Stage is, in actuality a shed adjoining the property which, according to the landlord makes all the keg beers extremely lively. I fail to understand how this is so but I'm sure there's somebody out there who can enlighten me.<br />
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He takes me out and shows me the cellar and I can see that there's plenty of outdoor seating and a children's play area should you arrive with younger ones in tow. I'm told it gets quite lively in here on Friday and Saturday evenings, the bar itself holding around 100 people at a push. Given its size I'd have thought that half that number would be a tight fit, but apparently not<br />
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I order a pint of the Nymph, and make my way outside just as the brief ray of sunshine I spotted turns into a sudden downpour. Hiding from the rain in the covered area I drink my beer, finding it full-bodied and malty and this, along with the AK, are by far the two best beers I've had today.<br />
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The Stag has been a very pleasant surprise and I like it a lot. Out of all those I have been to today this will most certainly be the one I return to when I'm back this way again.<br />
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Leaving The Stag I contemplate walking back to the high street and checking if The Two Brewers has opened yet, but time has caught up with me and, after checking the bus times, I note that there's one due in five minutes. There also happens to be a bus stop right across the road which pretty much makes my mind up for me.<br />
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The rain has stopped now, and just as I board the bus the sun breaks through once more. I write up the last of my notes and look out of the window at the featureless fields. I think I might just have time for a swift half in Brentwood before I walk home.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-89280258646596316512018-09-01T18:37:00.000+01:002018-09-02T08:45:12.644+01:00Falling in love again<div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Falling </span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">In Love </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Again</span></b></div>
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If you saw the tweet that I posted when I returned from my holidays this year you may have an idea where this post is going, and if you didn't then the wording and colours above may give you an indication. This isn't a 'What I did on my holidays' blog although you will have to bear with me as it unfolds.<br />
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I expect, by the time you read this, that may already have taken your summer holiday, indeed you may be looking forward to next years. After the heatwave that was so different from our traditional experience of cloud and showers, the days are noticeably colder and the nights noticeably shorter even though we're still having the occasional warm day.</div>
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After our adventures in Budapest, Vienna and Prague last year we wanted to stay a little closer to home but still, much to the exasperation of the children, do a three city break, although not necessarily spread over three countries.<br />
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Brussels, Amsterdam and Antwerp were the three we chose. Easy to get to, we're only a half hour drive from Ebbsfleet International, and as both internal and international European train journeys are so easy to book online, one that didn't require to much effort to organise at short notice.<br />
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The day of our holiday dawned, up early we set off with the usual mix of excitement and trepidation which is customary on these occasions, and just over three and a half hours later we had checked into the Radisson Red Hotel in Brussels.<br />
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Drawers and cupboards explored, cases partially unpacked and following a quick freshen up (the children having laid on their beds and logged on to the wifi first obviously) we were down in the lobby ready to go out and explore. Well almost, we all suddenly realised that we were hungry, and the smell of food from the hotel restaurant proved too much of a draw, so we made our way to a booth and waited for the menu.<br />
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Whenever I go to a hotel, any hotel, I hope for some decent beer to be served. Belgium is the one place where this is almost guaranteed and thankfully our hotel was no exception. Ordering a glass of Mort Subite Gueuze, I marvelled at its arrival. A pale golden liquid topped with a shock of foam of the purest white served, as one would expect, in its own glass. Holding it in my hand it seemed to glow as I raised it to my lips, the faintly fruity sour aroma enticing me in. Drinking deeply I savoured its beautifully clean flavour, it had re-awoken something within me and I couldn't help but smile. I had fallen in love all over again.<br />
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My love affair with Belgian beer goes back further than I can begin to remember, and what my first beer from that country was I can only guess at. I would suspect that it was a Hoegaarden, its glass so different from those I was used to drinking from, its golden colour so beautiful in the sunshine, its cloudiness so intriguing, it may even have had a half slice of lemon on top, something I wouldn't dare consider now. Or maybe I would.<br />
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I would have been familiar with the style, having read about the delights of beer from the continent from Michael Jackson's writing and from studying Roger Protz's European Beer Almanac. I also remember ordering some of those Beers Of The World boxes from a site whose name escapes me from an advert or pamphlet in What's Brewing. The world did indeed seem a lot bigger in those days, and to be drinking beer brewed from China and Finland I felt like I was taking a leap into the unknown. I felt like I was exploring another culture, another country through their beer and I would wonder about those that had brewed it and what their lives must be like.<br />
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Another revelation. I started to find Belgian beers in off-licenses particularly Bottoms Up in Gidea Park, which was practically next door to where the Gidea Park Micropub is now (see previous post). Alongside bottles of Pete's Wicked Ale from the US and Schlenkerla from Germany were such Belgian delights as Orval and Westmalle. This was 1994. I was in heaven.<br />
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Fast forward a few years, and my first holiday abroad with my then girlfriend (now my wife) was to Bruges, spending days exploring the city and drinking in De Halve Maan with evenings turning into morning in 't Brugs Beertje. I still have some of the beer labels from that trip in one of my scrap books although how I got them off the bottles in one piece I can't imagine. I do remember drinking an awful lot of beer, including the fabled Westvletern 12 which was appeared one evening after talking to an English chap who had settled there for a few hours. I trusted him with my francs when he said he would pop out and come back with some cigars if we wanted some, and against my normal judgement, possibly swayed by alcohol and holiday bonhomie. He was true to his word however and he returned with the cigars about twenty minutes later, producing the beer was as a repayment of our trust. He told us the story of the brewery and the beer but I confess to not really knowing much about it then, and I think that by then I had gone beyond the stage where I could appreciate it.<br />
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Returning from Belgium I became completely obsessed with the beer, buying it from online retailers, joining beer clubs where I could get it and, even though I wouldn't to back to the country for another twelve years, discovering I could get a taste of both the beer and cuisine at the various Belgo establishments across London and The Belgian Monk in Norwich, close enough to Beccles where my parents had moved a few years before.</div>
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It was the diversity and intricacy of Belgian beer that I was drawn to. Then there was the glassware, the history and the uncompromising way that the brewers ploughed their own furrow and the loyal following that some of the beers and breweries attracted both locally and internationally. There was always something different to suit my mood or the season.<br />
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Of course I still maintained a healthy interest in what was happening here in the UK and it was the explosion of what we now call craft beer here, and particularly what was happening in London, that turned my head, pick up my laptop and start writing.<br />
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As an interesting aside it was actually a Brit who had moved to Belgium who encouraged me to start writing my blog. You may be aware of Rob Mitchell as the artistic director and chief photographer of Belgian Beer and Food magazine or his beautiful photographs for Duvel Moortgat. To me he is an ex-schoolmate and still a friend to whom I owe thanks.<br />
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It can reasonably be argued that the craft beer boom in the United States was, in part, inspired by brewery founders and aspiring visits to Belgium and wanting to reproduce the beer that they found on their return home. Greg Hall at Goose Island was inspired by such a visit to use Brettanomyces in Matilda, and in The Oxford Companion To Beer, Garrett Oliver opens the entry on Belgium with the sentence, "Belgium is to beer what Cuba is to cigars and France is to wine." This is turn inspired the beer renaissance here in the UK.<br />
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What was happening all around me, particularly in London and my native Essex fired my imagination, excited my taste buds and fuelled my writing. I put Belgian beer to one side but never away. It was always there when I needed it, waiting in the background, never pushy, biding its time patiently waiting but occasionally reminding me how special it was. Highlights included many splendid appearances in various guises at the #SXBottleShare , an amazing holiday to Bruges with the children and a rather splendid stag weekend with several friends in Brussels where I returned with a bag full of as much beer as my bag could hold.<br />
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And so I come full circle to this years holiday. The delights of Brussels, introducing some of my favourite places to my family, discovering some new ones and finally making it to the Cantillon Brewery and sampling its many delights in-house with others who had made the pilgrimage for much further afield than me. Then there was Antwerp, home of the Bolleke. Discovering some fantastic places and incredibly friendly people, particularly at Billie's, and the experience that is the De Koninck brewery. Travelling back to Brussels on the train and glimpsing Mechelen, home of the Het Anker Brewery and planning a trip encompassing both there and Ghent.<br />
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Upon returning home I realised that my current feelings echoed elsewhere, with The Food Programme's The Mothership of Brewing: Beer and the Belgians striking a particular chord. It's still available on the BBC iPlayer Radio and well worth a listen.<br />
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Like I said before, I've fallen in love with Belgian beer all over again, and whilst I've found some new breweries and noticed that some of the styles are influenced by what is happening in the industry worldwide they have also been exploring their own history and resurrecting some older recipes and styles, like the Seefbier I enjoyed so much in Antwerp.</div>
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The beers of Belgium are back in my life, although they never really went away, and whilst there may be plenty more to turn my head in the years to come I'll remember, like Dobie Gray sang in The "In" Crowd, 'Other guys imitate us, but the originals are still the greatest'.<br />
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<i>This post is dedicated to the memory of Chris "Podge" Pollard, a friend and great supporter of my writing, particularly of his adopted Essex. It is to my eternal regret that I never made it on one of his legendary Belgium Beer Tours, and I shall miss his gruff voice, kind words, generosity and unfailing enthusiasm about beer in general and Belgian beer in particular.</i><br />
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Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-90303272802653545232018-04-19T11:28:00.000+01:002018-04-19T13:12:04.056+01:00The Gidea Park Micropub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Gidea Park Micropub is almost opposite The Ship in Gidea Park, just outside Romford (<a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/never-go-back-journey-through-my-past.html">see my previous post</a>) and my first visit was towards the end of the extended ramble around my past haunts that I know was a rather long read. It's the kind of place, unlike some of those I encountered, that I knew that as soon as I walked in that it wasn't going to be my only visit. It wasn't, and this post was written over the two visits so far that I've made, and my experiences of both. I hope that it unwinds in a coherent way, let's find out.<br />
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Looking around the room as I enter I'm approached by a bearded gentleman in a CAMRA t-shirt who shakes my warmly by the hand. Enquiring as to where the bar is he informs me that there isn't one, and the beer is kept in a room within the micropub itself. Looking up at the board I opt for a pint of Tinkers Cuss from One Mile End and settle down adjacent to the dart board, which occurs to me as a rather dangerous thing to have, and not something that I remember coming across in micropub before.<br />
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When I go to a new pub on my own I like to take in the feel of the place with my first drink, and in some places I ascertain quite quickly that it will be my last, but not here. There are a group of lads occupying middle table animatedly discussing giving up smoking and running the London Marathon, but it's not threatening and I sit there contentedly with my beer, which is by far the best kept that I've had today.<br />
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Looking up I notice the bearded CAMRA man going into the 'inner sanctum', a room towards the back of the pub. Peering around the door I spy a fully stocked bar in there, with wine glasses and bottles all lit up, but he swiftly closes the door behind him before I can get a proper view.<br />
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Upon his return, and my pint finished, he asks me if I would like another. I decline ath this point as I want to go across to The Ship for a swift one, but promise that I'll be straight back. He introduces himself as Steve Powell, and I tell him that I'll be back for a chat soon.<br />
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When I get back from The Ship, I order a pint of Empire's Dangerous Dave, and slip into easy conversation with Steve.<br />
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Gidea Park Micropub was opened on the 21st of December 2017 on Main Road, it is owned by Trevor Howard who has previous experience at a number of local Wetherspoon pubs, including the Moon and Stars in Romford, The Barking Dog in Barking (a pub I didn't go in on my travels), The Lord Denman in Dagenham Heathway (now closed) and The Collie Row in Collier Row. Fed up with Wetherspoon's local management structure and internal politics he decided to leave, and when the opportunity of managing a micropub arose after conversation with Dave, he seized the opportunity.<br />
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Steve tells me that he himself still does some shifts at The Collie Row, and as we talk I forget my notes and all too quickly it's time for me to leave.<br />
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Less that a month later, on a bright Monday afternoon, I'm back in Gidea Park. It's less that half an hour away door to door, trains permitting, and as I'm at a bit of a loose end it seems silly not to.<br />
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I arrive just after midday, its normal opening time, but I'm not the first customer of the day, just. As I pause to take a picture outside, a man I'd estimate to be in his late fifties tries the door and goes in before me.<br />
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Inside I order a pint of Big Hand's Little Monkey as my first drink of the day, a pleasant chocolatey Mild, and the first I've had from this Wrexham brewery. I make myself comfortable at one of the larger tables, perfectly happy with a little solitude as I go over my previous notes and begin to write.<br />
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The first pint slips down rather easily, thirsty for another I get a pint of Maxim's 7Cs and a packet of dry roasted peanuts. Light and hoppy, it's a perfect foil to the savoury peanuts, and I'm rather pleased with my choice.A suited gentleman comes in and enquires about food, but the crisps, nuts and pork scratchings on sale here aren't enough to tempt him, so he quickly leaves in search of greater sustenance.<br />
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On my first visit I noticed that there was a variety of beery reading material available, with copies of Ferment magazine and London Drinker in cardboard stands, but I pick up a copy of Mersey Ale to peruse, the Liverpool and District CAMRA magazine, and it gets me thinking that a visit to Liverpool might not be a bad thing to do sometime soon.<br />
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Pondering my next drink I spy a scrawl on the the blackboard stating that since opening that they have had 129 different beers from 66 different breweries, which strikes me as a rather respectable amount in just over 3 months.<br />
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Super Collider from Salopian is my next choice, its tangy hoppiness a real delight, and, three drinks in, I find that I'm rather enjoying my free afternoon. There's a lot to be said for killing some time people watching in a pub of any kind, and the blissful ambience of the micropub is rather relaxing.<br />
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It's a little busier now, a couple of retired gentlemen are discussing mutual friends Steve, who I met on my previous visit, is engaged in conversation with a recent arrival in an anorak who has ordered a pint of Ilkley's Hanging Stout. It looks rather tempting and I decide that this will be my next and possibly last drink here, the time having disappeared so quickly.<br />
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Hanging Stout it is, thinner in body than I was expecting but with a lovely malty chocolate finish. I have a half, and then another, followed by a third, as I pick up on the conversation with Steve and the man in the anorak, who introduces himself as Kevin. These are some of my favourite times in a pub, heated debate about dispense methods and breweries as another hour or so slips by.<br />
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Once again I have to leave, but as before I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here. The gravity dispense beer is in excellent condition, and turns over very quickly, new beers came on and old ones off in both of my recent visits. Fridays and Saturdays are rather busy I'm told, so I'll have to get back there to see what they're like, hoping that there's not a darts match in progress. That would make things rather interesting.<br />
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<i>Gidea Park Micropub is located at 236 Main Road, Romford, RM2 5HA and is open every day of the week from 12-11pm. It's less than five minutes walk from Gidea Park station on the Cross Rail link that currently runs out of Liverpool Street. It can be found on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/gideaparkmicro?lang=en">@gideaparkmicro</a> . Although not strictly in Essex, Havering is a London Borough and was previously a Royal Liberty, it is worthy of a mention and a visit for its accesability, friendliness and superbly kept beer. Give it a try.</i><br />
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<br />Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-67348645916484232572018-03-22T14:42:00.000+00:002018-03-23T10:07:16.830+00:00Never go back? A journey through my past ...<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Never go back?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A journey through my past ...</span></div>
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Going back to the places that you grew up, the places you used to drink in, the places that hold a degree of significance to you, no matter how trivial they may appear to others, is as much a journey of discovery as rediscovery. </div>
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Time is a strange thing. It plays tricks with your mind, clouds your memory, and can leave you doubting your judgment. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDgegvRCtz6Nxy3PXGf3-QpzpkePx11koi02IT01dXByFZD1Q8AoG4dyHJDB2mBEvzx-rj6Yw7sXhivfLGftFJIyel2xswBRQsud-QYop4Yu_K42MY9FRHAtYTiBD7GKpwfFxCd-p4y1J/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>This is a journey that I've wanted to do for some time, a journey through my past, revisiting those pubs and places that meant something to me growing up. Why it took me so long, well I don't really know. Maybe it's because I was worried that some of these places just wouldn't be there anymore, maybe because some of the places I was going to don't have the greatest reputation now, or maybe because it was so personal to me that I was frightened that it would darken the memories of those places that I've kept with me for over twenty years.<br />
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Starting out on a bright but chilly Thursday morning, as I boarded the train at Brentwood I realised that even though I knew where I wanted to go I hadn't actually planned a route to take, however as I got closer to Seven Kings station I felt an urge to visit The Cauliflower. It's a pub that was quite a walk from where I used to live but one that was always worth a visit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gc63918Yh48tjwE4xmedtMcLBu6oiRbD4yAhnlUmzkcnaoP-RIcy0m-twUc79f_GgiQ1JNEvu8OiyOrvzjodMcoUlq26LX2obG6AGXJBQowmWzkp4slmI_Rg0LU7mls5FkMfHRTduAkd/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gc63918Yh48tjwE4xmedtMcLBu6oiRbD4yAhnlUmzkcnaoP-RIcy0m-twUc79f_GgiQ1JNEvu8OiyOrvzjodMcoUlq26LX2obG6AGXJBQowmWzkp4slmI_Rg0LU7mls5FkMfHRTduAkd/s320/001" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>The Cauliflower (553 High Road, Ilford), is an imposing late Victorian Gin Palace built in the Flemish style around the year 1900. It is on the site of a much older pub, as many are, and that was built on the site of an ancient market and cauliflower patch (so I'm told) hence the name. The rear of the property is clearly visible as you pull into Seven Kin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gc63918Yh48tjwE4xmedtMcLBu6oiRbD4yAhnlUmzkcnaoP-RIcy0m-twUc79f_GgiQ1JNEvu8OiyOrvzjodMcoUlq26LX2obG6AGXJBQowmWzkp4slmI_Rg0LU7mls5FkMfHRTduAkd/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gc63918Yh48tjwE4xmedtMcLBu6oiRbD4yAhnlUmzkcnaoP-RIcy0m-twUc79f_GgiQ1JNEvu8OiyOrvzjodMcoUlq26LX2obG6AGXJBQowmWzkp4slmI_Rg0LU7mls5FkMfHRTduAkd/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>gs station heading out of London, and it is though that the railway was responsible for its location and grandeur. Originally a hotel, something it may well be again if current plans become reality, it was erected on the site of two railway intersections, of which now only one remains, with the owners gambling that Ilford station would be opened there. This wasn't the case although, in the early part of the twentieth century it was indeed a very high class hotel, one which rivalled those of the West End of London for it's opulence and clientele. For those of you who like such stories, it is told that a ghostly apparition of a drowned local girl appeared at the leaving party for Mr and Mrs Hart and their daughter Eva, that was held there prior to their emigration to Canada in 1912, warning them not to take the trip. This disturbed many of the guest but Mr Hart dismissed it as nonsense. Two weeks later Mr Hart lost his life when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, although Mrs Hart and their daughter Eva, who has a Weatherspoon pub named after her in nearby Chadwell Heath, survived.<br />
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Later in its life The Cauliflower found fame as an acclaimed music venue, with bands such as the Small Faces, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and the Inspiral Carpets having performed there. It was for music that we used to meet there too, and I have fond memories of time spent both inside the pub and drinking outside in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and a particularly fine cover band that, in my head at least, always seemed to be playing "Big Area" by Then Jericho.<br />
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Sadly, on this particular morning I'm too early and the pub is not yet open. Peering through the window I get a sense that it hasn't changed a great deal, but I what I really wanted was a sense of what The Cauliflower was, and what it was to me. This isn't to be on this occasion, and so I make my way down South Park Drive towards Barking, and in particular Faircross, the place I was born and where I grew up.<br />
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The walk is actually shorter than I remember and the road hasn't changed much, although the old Redbridge Health Centre is now closed and derelict, a crumbling monument to NHS health cuts and centralisation. Just beyond that is the back entrance to Barking Park, and as I round the corner I see the familiar tower of The Royal Oak pub, a local landmark and one that brings on a wave of nostalgia.<br />
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The Royal Oak (201-203 Longbridge Road, Barking) known locally as the Fly House, possibly due to it's use by day-trippers visiting the nearby park by pony and trap, or flys as they were known, and in my lifetime had a large representation of a fly on its strange mediaeval fairy tale-like tower. It dates from around 1867, although some argue later, and is one of many buildings in the area listed as being of special architectural interest. It was originally a cottage that was not included in the acquisition of land by Barking Council in order to build both the park and the school, a strategic corner spot, and its conversion to a pub and subsequent rebuilding meant that it could take advantage of the passing trade.<br />
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This was the nearest pub to me when I grew up although not one that I often frequented when I first started making my tentative forays into that world. This was mainly due to many of my friends living nearer to Romford, making the pubs of either there or Chadwell Heath preferred venues. I do however have some interesting recollections of the place.<br />
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I remember visiting there on Christmas day with local friends and family when I was old enough to do so, and on one occasion having so much to drink that I had to excuse myself from Christmas dinner and retired to my room to sleep the rest of the afternoon away. I also remember the toilets, in particular the strange off yellow of the cistern, pitted with brown stains caused by parked cigarettes or other nefarious activities. In later years, after I had moved away from the area, the bank opposite (now closed and empty) was the first branch that I actually managed. I would leave the building at lunchtime, light a cigarette in the porch and walk across the road where my pint of Castlemaine XXXX would be waiting for me on the bar, regular as clockwork. They used to have regular outing to Ascot every year too, and get dressed up in their finery ready to board the coach as I'd be opening up in the morning.<br />
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This, however is another pub that I'm not destined to get inside of today. As I pass I notice a man furtively disappearing into the side entrance, but as I try to follow the door is locked from the inside. Walking round to the front I have no joy there, and although the opening times state 11-11 and it's now half past, I have no choice but to continue my journey.<br />
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Walking into town, beyond Barking Park, I'm struck not just by how much has changed, but how much has stayed the same. The shop fronts are different of course, mobile phone stores, vape shops and fried chicken outlets have replaced the toy shops, book shops and record stores of my youth, but the streets are still familiar, and although the people are different they walk the same streets that I once did, know the same routes, the same short cuts and dead ends, and recognise the same landmarks that I now see again with my slightly jaded eyes.<br />
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Just before the station are two pubs separated by a narrow road. I'll be going in The Spotted Dog a little later, but not the Barking Dog. It's a Weatherspoons outlet, and despite being Good Beer Guide listed it didn't exist as a pub when I was living in the area so hold no interest for me.<br />
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Going past another former branch I worked in, now a large betting shop, I make my way up East Street turning before right before what used to be the The Stag pub, now an open space, and make my way along Axe Street to The Victoria.<br />
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Dating from 1871, The Victoria (Axe Street, Barking) was rebuilt in 1961 in order to modernise it for the nearby Gascoigne Estate. It's a Brakspear's pub now, a subsidiary of the Marston's estate, and this two bar local has a very successful da<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2P65NHRX7usJ97Lt2DESUZr3WIO7PXhykZHBBB08ij3IFEWX-BN65adwKLefIBFR6cZKODlyaewG4rvA0F-VM0rrExKFGsF-tLwo_s5lvY_PVZvGfurfW8D9H1Vy9sNgXOir6-7LFK3R/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1565" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2P65NHRX7usJ97Lt2DESUZr3WIO7PXhykZHBBB08ij3IFEWX-BN65adwKLefIBFR6cZKODlyaewG4rvA0F-VM0rrExKFGsF-tLwo_s5lvY_PVZvGfurfW8D9H1Vy9sNgXOir6-7LFK3R/s320/001" style="cursor: move;" width="312" /></a>rts and quiz team according to its website. My father used to go here on a Thursday evening after bell ringing practice at nearby St Margaret's church, and when I was old enough I would occasionally go there too, although only when my younger brother wasn't with us. I don't remember much about it, only that they used to have a seemingly endless whip, or kitty as they called it, a pouch that was brought out every Thursday with their beer money in it. It therefore wasn't a major part of my formative years, so I take picture and pass by with a nod to those who I used to my fellow campanologists who are no longer with us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2P65NHRX7usJ97Lt2DESUZr3WIO7PXhykZHBBB08ij3IFEWX-BN65adwKLefIBFR6cZKODlyaewG4rvA0F-VM0rrExKFGsF-tLwo_s5lvY_PVZvGfurfW8D9H1Vy9sNgXOir6-7LFK3R/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The Barge Aground (15 The Broadway, Barking) is a pub that I did want to visit and just around the corner to The Victoria, but this is now a Romanian restaurant called Tarancuta. The previous Barge Aground used to be situated on the opposite side of the road, on the approach of shops that led up to the Curfew Tower gateway to both St Margaret's church and Barking Abbey (a real abbey this time, from which the school by The Royal Oak gets its name) before being demolished in the 1960s. In his introduction to Barking Pubs Past and Present by Tony Clifford, Billy Bragg, a local lad whose family were in the licensed trade in the area for generations, claims to have proudly sunk a pint or two on its former site. The name itself comes from Barking's heritage as a fishing port, having once boasted an incredible 220 boats, or smacks as they were known, by the 1850s before falling into decline, and Captain James Cook himself was married in St Margaret's, having met a local girl in the area on a visit. His marriage certificate used to be kept in the vestry when I used to go there but I gather it's somewhere far more secure now.<br />
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Just along from the Barge Aground and opposite St Margaret's Church of England Primary, my first school, is The Bull (2 North Street, Barking) .<br />
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Always an imposing building, I used to watch men stagger out of there on a Friday afternoon while I waited for my bus home, which was also the first time I remember hearing swearing in anger for the first time rather than just naughty words to be shared in the playground. Roger Protz, the eminent beer writer, was also familiar with The Bull, and I recall him mentioning that he used to walk down there with his father from nearby East Ham where he grew up, and it was one of his earliest experiences of beer and drinking.<br />
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The Bull though is no longer a pub, and although it retains its familiar exterior it is now a nightclub called The Kings Bull. After a long look, and a quick walk around the churchyard and abbey grounds, I move on.<br />
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The town centre is now pedestrianised and hosts a market selling everything from halal meat to hair extensions. It's busy on this Thursday lunchtime but I make my way through, past the station to The Spotted Dog, and for my first beer of the day.<br />
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The Spotted Dog Hotel (15 Longbridge Road, Barking), for it was that once, was built in 1870, and modernised throughout the early 20th Century. Legend has it that during some early building work tunnels were found thought to be used by contraband smugglers, and it is another pub that is reputedly haunted. Figures of both a young girl and young boy have been reported by staff after closing time, both fading to nothing after they were approached. It was also popular with signalmenn from Barking station, possibly sneaking a quick pint between shifts.<br />
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This is where I came on my 18th birthday with my friends, the landlord congratulating me somewhat ironically as birthday cards appeared on the table as I'd been drinking here for a year or two before. There was sawdust on the floor then, and we came for the Davy's Old Wallop, which was apparently Courage Directors with some added caramel, and served in all Davy's Wine Lodges at the time, or so I'm led to believe. I also meet my wife here after work on a Friday night when I worked locally as it was a great meeting point for teachers in the Borough after a week in the classroom.<br />
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The interior hasn't changed much, but there seems to be more space as if it's been opened up a bit, with less tables and no sawdust on the floor anymore. The big barrels of Port which used to be above the bar are gone, but the landlady points out some that remain by the old clock (the original clock I'm told) and I gladly take a few pictures. There's no more Old Wallop either, and the solitary handpump dispenses Doom Bar now, but I plump for a tasty Pilsner Urquell to quench my thirst, the Kozel (my first choice) being off for the moment.<br />
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The pub is inhabited uniformly by middle aged white men this lunchtime, either on their own or in pairs, quietly drinking, for the most part, mainly at the bar, discussing recent events in their lives. The piped music I found intrusive, although no-one else seemed to mind it, and big screen televisions constantly advertised upcoming sporting events, but I found it both welcoming and relaxing. Well, maybe not relaxing, the music saw to that, but I was able to enjoy my pint before moving on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqOPUIEPwdkGUKOPXA5Ipvp9onXsuxrGepgBmCh8nxViSWBC8k-9E4HCQkS5RKq8p7HXL7kd1sKnodB_TCtoLYsWE2U9cOMnAcrAQ90jMEHgjdkM7q-GFFMqzABwELMboNuuELAUMOH6C/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqOPUIEPwdkGUKOPXA5Ipvp9onXsuxrGepgBmCh8nxViSWBC8k-9E4HCQkS5RKq8p7HXL7kd1sKnodB_TCtoLYsWE2U9cOMnAcrAQ90jMEHgjdkM7q-GFFMqzABwELMboNuuELAUMOH6C/s320/001" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqOPUIEPwdkGUKOPXA5Ipvp9onXsuxrGepgBmCh8nxViSWBC8k-9E4HCQkS5RKq8p7HXL7kd1sKnodB_TCtoLYsWE2U9cOMnAcrAQ90jMEHgjdkM7q-GFFMqzABwELMboNuuELAUMOH6C/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>As I was going I had another brief chat with the landlady who asked I remembered the Jolly Fisherman (108 North Street, Barking) on the Harts Lane estate. It wasn't a pub I used to drink in, I do recall going in there once or twice and it did used to be a Good Beer Guide pub back in 1998 (I've checked the listing and it's in there) so I decide to make a quick detour.<br />
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When I get there though windows are covered with blackout curtains, never an inviting sign, so on this occasion I decide to give it a miss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9li_w-tunF3JnE1B2AiBbwO9k3BcxOUAGjUr_SnVKuTB6GC_VzUPHwmm-wUG7MHIjnUW61stkepPuWqhPvGri16QXWeG1B44E_VFw1ZrYBkzYeAoGR5DuUW4-96sv98qafjin9P5EJY5s/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9li_w-tunF3JnE1B2AiBbwO9k3BcxOUAGjUr_SnVKuTB6GC_VzUPHwmm-wUG7MHIjnUW61stkepPuWqhPvGri16QXWeG1B44E_VFw1ZrYBkzYeAoGR5DuUW4-96sv98qafjin9P5EJY5s/s320/001" width="320" /></a>I go back to Barking Station to catch the bus to Ilford via the old Red Lion (38 George Street, Barking) but this appears to be student accommodation now. The sky is darkening and rain threatens as I wait at the bus stop, and as I board I realise that it didn't make it to The Britannia (1 Church Road, Barking). I used to go there for a pint or two of Youngs Bitter, or Ordinary as it was known, and it used to be a popular music venue in the late 1950s and into the 1960s, but I later learn it has closed. A real shame.<br />
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The journey along Ilford Lane is long and tortuous, mainly due to the number of cars double parked but I eventually arrive at Ilford station and stop to take in my surroundings.<br />
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I used to come here a lot as a boy, my great uncle had a haberdashery and clothing shop in Manor Park and we used to meet here for lunch. I also worked here for a while, but even though there are pubs here that I went to, I don't look back on any of those visits fondly, they were just places to go and have a couple of beers after work. Nothing more than that.<br />
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Romford is only four stops on the train, so I decide to catch that as I have a very particular pub in mind to visit, and another a little further on that always felt like a home from home.<br />
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Walking along South Street in Romford, you pass all the familiar town centre drinking dens, the 'pack 'em in and get 'em hammered' places that invariably lead to trouble on a Friday and Saturday evening, earning this town a reputation as a place to avoid late at night. That they all seem to be right next to each other, inviting drinkers to move easily between them, can't help either, but this isn't the end of Romford I'm after. The market place is my destination, and more specifically the pub that sits right on its edge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD2J1QpigaRQrhz8Omv8YmDXnWN9aFWLB2smcd9sHIPIyo4UaVdyEr-0ynkLaVRyXznmAgj2pCXGaX1nv7n9tkq_nRU5MrZE-_BWKODG2Z8y4si6IITg4JQ9xhsM-gKrkffjkpdbWeqDR/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghD2J1QpigaRQrhz8Omv8YmDXnWN9aFWLB2smcd9sHIPIyo4UaVdyEr-0ynkLaVRyXznmAgj2pCXGaX1nv7n9tkq_nRU5MrZE-_BWKODG2Z8y4si6IITg4JQ9xhsM-gKrkffjkpdbWeqDR/s320/001" width="320" /></a>The Golden Lion (2 High Street, Romford) or more accurately, The Golden Lion Hotel, can be found in listings going back as early as 1440, although the current building dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. It used to be a coaching in, and the site of the stables can still be seen to the rear of the property.There's a connection with The Cauliflower too, as it was run by a Peter Reynolds between 1867 and 1899 while both his father and younger brother ran the Seven Kings pub at different times.<br />
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This pub holds a lot of memories for me, all of them good. As most of my school friends lived this way, from the sixth form and beyond it became a regular meeting place where those who had been away to university could return to on a Friday or Saturday evening knowing that there was a fair chance of bumping into someone you know for a pint and a catch up. There were several birthday parties held here, mainly in the upstairs function suite and bar, but it was Christmas Eve that you were guaranteed a big crowd, and a good half of the drinkers would be ex-St Edwards pupils, with a few staff too. It was on one particular Christmas Eve that I asked Sarah, the woman who would become my wife of nearly twenty years, out on a date for the first time, so you can see why it holds a very special place in my heart.<br />
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As I enter through the low doorway I'm pleased to see that things haven't really changed. The Golden Lion is still almost exactly as I remember it, albeit rather less crowded at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon than when I used to come here. I'm told that it still gets very busy in the evenings though, and particularly at the weekends. It's a Greene King pub now, with a respectable menu, and whilst there has been some modernisation, most noticeably a new bar top, and a partition may have been taken down, as well as a slight widening of an internal doorway, it's still very much as I remember it. The beer range is from Greene King of course, but seeing that they have Theakston's Old Peculiar on cask I settle down by the door with a half of that. Looking around I see that there's a very mixed crowd, usually a sign of a thriving pub, made up of people meeting for an afternoon chat away from the hustle and bustle of the market place and shopping centre, whilst young families are finishing of their lunch. The barman walks past me carrying two plates of curry for a nearby table and asks me how my beer is. "It's nice enough", I tell him, and he smiles and carries on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMutNLDCI9tyOCQdDTwWtSYVBvAWdxbiYWjaG44shMm1_5HwYg8Z0IZvoJjX3WoBg7gDwYS-Se1dCoSmIE_Fxjv6uvDu9XSUjeiNc5gPhQT3P9dopykLzXqd4hRBWFU33cfuSH5NpL6uA/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMutNLDCI9tyOCQdDTwWtSYVBvAWdxbiYWjaG44shMm1_5HwYg8Z0IZvoJjX3WoBg7gDwYS-Se1dCoSmIE_Fxjv6uvDu9XSUjeiNc5gPhQT3P9dopykLzXqd4hRBWFU33cfuSH5NpL6uA/s320/001" width="320" /></a>There's piped music, but it's not intrusive, and I 'm reminded of the time we put the whole of Flood by They Might Be Giants on the juke box (sadly gone), which didn't go down particularly well that evening. I don't think it lasted more than three songs before being turned off. We protested, of course, but it made little difference and the landlord was unmoved by our tongue in cheek pleas for its restoration or our money back.<br />
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I find the gentle buzz of conversation around me rather soothing as I sit and write, but, pleasant as it is, there's nothing really to keep me here for another drink so, after making a pretence of going to the toilets (vastly upgraded from those I remember, but strangely with the wash hand basin in a separate room) to see if the back of the pub is still as I recall (it is), I make my way back and out through that low doorway (mind the step) and out into the sunshine.<br />
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Rather than turning left and heading off in the direction of the final pub on my journey, I decide to turn right instead, towards what is left of the old Romford Brewery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEhvV8MmVfsUhmFWU0oAjjq3f0AbOnPlCfAdi77pEeKJZKeBdJOTKTJlEMIzApR9zDiaRuqJxwLquCFNjUnA_0HMjF4YiAxCG4fAndnBy89g05cbKGcD_rj_a4TdD3O1audxwVjU_4PvZ/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>This takes me past The Bitter End (15 High Street, Romford), almost opposite The Golden Lion. Now permanently closed after a fire on Boxing Day 2015, it has been through many incarnations, and at one time it was a pub I preferred to The Golden Lion. This was when the name changed to Clutterbuck's in the late 1990s and the range of cask beer surpassed any found in the area. Beers from the likes of Butterknowle, King and Barnes and Timothy Chudleigh, breweries that have now all closed, could be found on the hand pumps, as well as a host of others. There was a bar billiards table too, and I used to look forward to arriving there, just to see what was on.<br />
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After this it became the Ford and Firkin, brewing on the site, although it was never quite the same as Clutterbuck's it was still a destination pub for good beer. This was under the ownership of Allied Domecq, who had acquired the brand in 1991, however after a few years this was sold on, the brewing equipment was sold, the range of beer was replaced by bland national lager and its name reverted back to The Bitter End. I never went there again.<br />
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Similarly the Romford Brewery buildings that remain are a sad shadow of their former selves. Formerly The Star Brewery, founded in 1708 on what the then the main road to London, it was bought in 1799 by Edward Ind, becoming part of Ind Coope in 1845. With the coming of the railway along the rear of the site in 1839, it was able to expand considerably, covering 20 acres and employing over 1000 workers.<br />
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Brewing on the site stopped in the early 1990s, and the brewery itself was closed and mostly demolished in 1993 with the brewing equipment shipped to China, converting the site to a car park and shopping centre called The Brewery. Two large copper brewing kettles mark the entrance from the road, reminding shoppers of its heritage, and only the offices remain of the buildings where John Bull Bitter and Double Diamond (along with Castlemaine XXXX) were once brewed. Part of this is devoted to the Havering Museum, somewhere I'll visit another day, but I head back to the market place noticing a strange triangle hammered into the kerbstone (graffiti by a Bass lover perhaps), remembering the smell of brewing that used to hang in the air over the town, now just a memory but once smelled never forgotten.<br />
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The Lamb (5 Market Place, Romford) originally dates from around 1681, but was burnt down and rebuilt in 1852. Briefly renamed Mulligans in 2013 by its then owner Richard Willis, who also owned the Romford Snooker Club, hoping to capitalise on the large Irish community in the area, it was subsequently bought by Greene King and reverted to its former name. Once hosting a venue for folk music on its first floor, something I remember from my occasional visits, it's not a pub I particularly hold dear to my heart, and the crowd of leisure suit clad smokers in the doorway and weaving mobility scooters give me cause to carry on walking to the top of the market.<br />
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On my right is The Bull (74-76 Market Place, Romford), an imposing building and local landmark in the very heart of the market place. rebuilt sometime in the late 19th, early 20th century, it was once a large three storey building with an even more commanding presence that it holds now.<br />
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My particular memories of The Bull were as an occasional stop in the market place on my way through, or as a loud music venue on a Friday evening when it had a resident DJ. Neither of which cause me to linger, so I continue through and under the roundabout at the top via the subway, emerging onto Main Road heading to my final destination.<br />
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The walk up Main Road, much as the walk down South Park Drive, is shorter than I remember, and the sun comes out encouraging me to quicken my pace. Lodge Farm Park come up on my right, with the larger Raphaels Park (pronounced locally as Rayfields) across on the other side of the road. Up the slight hill and round a bend in the road and I'm in Gidea Park, greeted by three pubs; The Archers on my side, whislt opposite that The Unicorn, now known only as the Harvester, and a little further along The Ship. It's the last of these I'm aiming for so I cross the road by the newly opened Gidea Park Micropub (a post for another time) and make my way to The Ship.<br />
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From ever since I first went there I fell in love with The Ship (93 Main Road, Romford). It's the kind of pub you immediately feel at ease when you enter and even though it must be at least 15 years since I crossed its threshold, today is no exception.<br />
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The pub dates back to 1762, and it's still the original building, little changed in all that time. Once reputed to have its own brewhouse, some structural alterations were carried out in 1950 revealing an additional large brick fireplace and exposing the original structural timbers that can still be seen today. The bay windows at the front had to be removed when dry rot was found in the surrounds, but they were rebuilt in exactly the same fashion in order that their character be preserved.<br />
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Once upon a time I'd walk though the doors and Dave the barman would be pouring me a pint of Courage Best, having seen me walk past the leaded windows. This rather impressed my father the first time I brought him here, but that was many years after my first visit when Dereck, the landlord at the time used to hold court in the main bar. I'm told by the current owners, who purchased the pub in 2007, that he still comes in from time to time, but not today sadly.<br />
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I met my wife properly in this pub. I'd known her from school, she was a few years below me, but I used to come here, a 40 minute journey on the 87 bus, because it was a proper pub. It felt like home from home, and it still does.<br />
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The beer range is better now. The Courage Best and Directors are gone, replaced by 5 cask beers now, including Brentwood Gold from just up the A12, but I opt for a half of Timothy Taylor's Landlord, and it tastes great. It's a Good Beer Guide listed pub now, and has been for the last few years and rightly so, and it's something that the owners are justly proud of. It should have been when I was younger, the beer, though limited, was always impeccably kept, but I didn't care about such things then, it was always for the company and the atmosphere. There was a weekly quiz night on a Thursday, and I'm told there still is, and it was to The Ship I came after coming out of hospital after an operation for bladder stones. Though the pain was unbearable, it didn't stop me having a drink with my friends.<br />
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As I sit by the very window that Dave used to spot me through all those years ago I have to wonder why its been so long since I've been back. A dwindling fire adds a smoky smell to proceedings, and even though I can hear music playing in the background it's a local radio station, and only on the edge of my hearing. I suddenly feel that like it's twenty years ago and I know I need to bring Sarah back here very soon. She'd love it.<br />
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It is essentially a three room pub, with a portioned snug, a larger but still small bar area, and a larger main room, although this is all relative, The Ship isn't a big pub by any means. Late on a Thursday afternoon it has a mix of what appear to be locals. An elderly man opposite me nurses a bottle of Budweiser while his dry cleaning hangs from one of the large barrels that serves as a table. I can see a middle- aged couple chatting in the snug, both to each other and the bar staff, whilst in the main room I can hear, but not see, agreeable noise and chit chat. A woman pops in to enquire about drinks after a funeral, then another asks about live music, which does happen here she is told. The fire is stoked, a couple leave, and I go back to my Landlord. I'm in a good place and start wishing that I could stay here for the rest of the evening.<br />
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This is not the case though, and all too soon it's time to leave.<br />
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As I walk up to Gidea Park station and my train home I reflect on my journey, the places I've been and the emotions I've felt. Clouded by nostalgia, especially considering my final port of call, I nonetheless feel a great warmth and fortunate to have had such good friends and good memories to look back on. It's been a voyage of rediscovery rather than that of discovery though, and whilst time moves on it's comforting to know that some places remain the same.<br />
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Footnote:<br />
I used various sources for my research into some of the pubs and places mentioned here, most notably Tony Clifford's Barking Pubs Past And Present published in 1995 by Barking and Dagenham Libraries Department, but also the Ilford Recorder, the Romford Recorder, pubhistory.com, and occasionally the websites of the pubs themselves, although disappointingly the majority of them don't offer much in the way of assistance. This has been a labour of love for me, and if you've enjoyed it then perhaps you'd like to take a similar journey yourself, or, if you'd prefer to do mine then I'd be more than happy to show you around. Just make sure you have good walking shoes on.<br />
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There are many other pubs in other areas I could have visited that also hold some significance for me. Perhaps I'll do those in the not too distant future.</div>
Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-28364628929114384252018-02-03T14:29:00.002+00:002018-02-03T16:07:01.805+00:00Opting out of the Hype P A ?<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Opting out of the Hype P A ?</span></b><br />
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I know I haven't written much for six months or so but it doesn't mean I haven't been drinking much beer, and I'd hazard a guess that during that time at least sixty percent of the beer that I've consumed were IPA and US-style (in all their incarnations) IPAs at that.</div>
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Good old ubiquitous IPAs, those big hoppy hits of dry fruity goodness ready to wreak havoc on your tongue with their big bold bitterness, the beer that, it could be argued, were responsible (although let's not forget Pale Ales here) for changing the game and mobilising the masses to drink what we npw universally call craft beer. Who wouldn't want to get their lips round something that actually tastes, and not only that but is actually incredibly and deliciously full flavoured ? Who wouldn't want to go into a bar and see tap after tap full of these glorious brews, each one the very latest up-the-minute and freshest (well, maybe) example of that particular brewers endeavours ? You wouldn't want to miss out on that one beer that absolutely every beer writer, tweeter and their dog have been raving about would you ? </div>
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Well you might, and that's neither here or there as this isn't a post about how I'm fed up with drinking IPAs. No, not at all. I'd be lying if I said I still don't enjoy that wonderful smack across the chops you get from a perfectly crafted, fresh-as-you-like IPA, and I'd have to say that my brewery of choice for these amazing beers time and again is still The Kernel, and it their constancy and consistency that keeps me reaching for those understated brown labels, obviously with half an eye on the "Bottled On" date. Well you do, don't you? 'Best Drunk Fresh' is an IPA brewers mantra.</div>
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What I've been experiencing recently, and I'm referring mainly to canned beer here, is that the vast majority of the IPAs have been, well, very samey. I found it hard to distinguish between them, and they weren't particularly memorable. They certainly weren't bad, but perhaps a little bit, maybe more than a little bit, homogeneous.<br />
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(Side note: I was hypothesising with some purveyors of fine beer recently that if these same breweries and I don't have name them, you know who they are, started brewing and canning Mild what the effect would be.)</div>
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To be clear, I'm not talking about extreme style variants here, I've noticed Sour IPAs starting to appear recently (haven't we seen them before, or am I imagining that?) and Coffee IPAs have been a thing for a while, but I will clump together Session IPAs and DIPAs in with their older sibling.</div>
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Can you place your top five IPAs that you've had over the last three months ? Possibly, but if I asked you to place your top five from those that were released as brand new onto the market in the last six months then I'm willing to bet that you'd have a much harder time. Of course you would, it's a ridiculous thing to ask, these are transient times where this weeks big beer will be forgotten next week as there's always something new. It's all about the new, the most up to date, the next big hop, the latest technique, the next can design, and not being one of the first to try it, or at least not missing out, isn't it ?<br />
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Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited along to record a show with Steve and Martin from the Beer O'clock Show that featured beers from Shane Swindells at <a href="https://www.cheshirebrewhouse.co.uk/">The Cheshire Brewhouse</a> that were brewed using a recipe dating back to the 1800s as well as hop and malt varieties dating back over fifty years. If you haven't heard the episode you can find it <a href="http://www.beeroclockshow.co.uk/2018/01/the-tasting-room/">here</a> should you want to. But any notion that I had of beer being so much better in this day and age, although admittedly these aren't the actual beers drunk in days gone buy, were certainly dispelled. I'd advise you, if you haven't already done so, to check out their beer and see, or rather taste it, for yourself. These are IPAs from the old school. They're bottle conditioned, so treat them with the respect they deserve, but they'll repay you with some of the best beer you'll have had in some time, guaranteed.<br />
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I've been hearing and reading about some murmurings around the price of craft beer, not exclusively targeting IPAs but they have tended to be squarely in the firing line by virtue of the fact that they seem the most common. I'm going to ignore the indignant outrage at the £13.40 pint last year as micro-storm in a third glass, but on the whole beer has become more expensive to make by virtue of it's popularity, it's basic supply and demand, and if you include an expanding brewery's costs growing outside of the actual product then, on the whole, I'm happy to pay for it, but only when I really want to. Before the UK's craft beer explosion there was, believe it or not, some amazing beer out there in pubs up and down that country, and a lot of that beer is still with us, it just hasn't been getting much attention of late. Cask Conditioned Beer and Real Ale aren't dirty words to be spat out with venom and disgust (although the term 'Real Ale' does sound rather trite to my ears these days), they are still things of beauty, of wonder and delight. In these days of New = Best, and the next new one will be even better, let's not forget those beers we remember as being really good but we don't touch because they've been around awhile. My local, The Spread Eagle in Brentwood, Essex, has Sharp's Atlantic, perfectly sessionable if a little thin, along side Fuller's London Pride and Titanic's Plum Porter, and has done for some time. All three are drunk and replenished within a few days by a pub of mixed clientele of all ages who just want to drink good beer, and know it when they find it.<br />
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To conclude, I'm not opting out of IPAs or denigrating them in any way, and I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'm going to get sucked in to the talk about the next big beer. You'll have noted the question mark in the title, and there's still a part of me that loves the thrill of the chase even if the result is more often than not, a bit of a disappointment. I'm just being a bit more wary, a bit more discerning, and a bit more focussed on other beer styles, letting my gaze and palate roam where it wishes (remember when it was wall to wall dark beers in wintertime ? A part of me misses that) and maybe, just maybe, opting out of the hype P A.<br />
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<i>Footnote: The IPAs in the photograph are just what happened to be in my fridge at the moment, so you'll note that they are beers that I chose to buy and enjoy. I'm not telling you to buy them or otherwise, you'll have to make your own mind up.</i></div>
Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-89540225010688374562017-06-18T16:17:00.001+01:002017-06-18T19:18:31.113+01:00A Beer With No Soul?<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Beer With No Soul?</b></span><br />
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<b>"... that's why I'm pissed off now, especially by United States customers, they don't give a shit when InBev is buying another company, for them it's the same. No! Goose Island is not a craft beer, come on, that's how they kill the Belgian markets. The Belgian market almost died to that kind of stuff. It was InBev policy for almost thirty years, buying up opponents, now they are doing it worldwide. In Italy, the day they bought Del Borgo I called friends, Manuele in Roma, I called Stockholm, and said "Guys, we have to move!", but we were not ready. But if I have some time this year I hope I can get a group of people to get ready for the next strike. We have to strike back. That's how they destroyed Belgium, buying breweries. As soon as somebody is getting better, buying it. Buying it to do what? Produce the same shit everywhere, so it has no soul."</b><br />
<b><span style="color: #444444;">Jean Hummler of Moeder Lambic in conversation with Breandan Kearney.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><b>The Belgian Smaak Podcast, EP007</b></span><br />
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<b>It's a warm Monday evening, and I'm in hipster-central Shoreditch for another beer launch. As it's on the way I stop off at BrewDog, meeting Matt Chinnery (the Half-Pint Gentleman) for a beer or two, returning our glasses to the bar before heading a few doors down to where Goose Island has a pop-up bar ready to launch Migration Week in London for the second year in a row. Migration Week, to quote from the promotional blurb, "The Chicago Brewery will be showcasing the wide range of beers in the Goose Island portfolio at a variety of diverse events across London, where beer lovers <u>can embrace the spirit of Chicago</u> in the capital from 12-17 June."</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>The invite tonight was for the launch of Goose Island's newest beer, Midway, a 4.1% session IPA showcasing American hops. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's a tasty beer too full of big hop flavour, but not too bitter. There's notes of lime, lemon and orange, a full on sessionable citrus hit perfect for summer drinking. It slid down very easily and had three or four in quick succession, which wasn't actually as quick as you might think given the plastic glasses it was served in, which appear to be almost compulsory at every non-brewery-based event at the moment. A side rant here but, come on, they're not easy to drink from nor are they eco-friendly, and if you're really worried about glass and injury then just make sure you have enough staff that know where the dustpan and brushes are kept.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We had a good night, and the guys at Goose Island were particularly generous with plenty of beer flowing and some very good food and, if you allowed yourself to get carried away by the blues riffs played by the over-loud band, you could almost forget that the whole thing was being bank-rolled by ABInBev.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's a PR stunt, but nothing new there, that's what these launches are all about. Whether you're a big multi-national or a small local independent, it's all about getting your product out there, getting it talked and written about, creating an interest.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Goose Island do these events really well. I've been to quite a few of them now and they tend to bring out the great and the good in the beer writing community, particularly when the Bourbon County bandwagon rolls into town.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>They are a real celebration of Chicago beer culture.</b><br />
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<b>Except this one wasn't.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Goose Island Midway is not a Goose Island beer. </b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>You know this, it's an ABInBev beer, and you yawn and switch off. I wouldn't blame you, this has been a broken record since they were bought be ABInBev in 2011, and on the whole it's now accepted that if you choose to buy it then you tend to know what it is. It's what's become known as "crafty" and the examples are endless.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Goose Island Midway isn't a Goose Island beer because it's brewed by Birra del Borgo in Italy. It can't embrace the spirit of Chicago because it has nothing whatsoever to do with Chicago. It is a fraud, a beer pretending to be something it isn't, riding on the reputation of an established, better known brewery that's really just a front for a multi-national. It has no real identity, it's the bastard child of marketing men and brewers, spawned ultimately by those who, for their own reasons, took the big money from The Man. There is no story other than profit, there is no passion, there is no soul.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Goose Island Midway was described to me as a "game changer" by a representative of, get this, ABInBev's Craft Division, (a frightening development) and it is. For the first time that I can recall a really tasty new beer that wasn't a limited edition or one-off, not a dumbed down half-hearted flavour-challenged attempt, has been produced under the guidance of ABInBev. It appears that they are learning, should we be worried?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Referring again to the Breandan Kearney's excellent interview again, it won't be long before they'll be producing the same shit everywhere.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Does anyone know where ABInBev have recently invested a lot of money in a state of the art brewery in London recently?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><i>You can listen to what Jean Hummler of Moeder Lambic has to say on the Belgian Smaak Podcast <a href="http://www.belgiansmaak.com/ep007-jean-hummler-moeder-lambic/">here</a>, and I'd strongly recommend that you do. All of these podcasts are pure gold if you have any interest in beer, particularly Belgian beer, at all.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Many thanks to Matt Curtis who allowed me to crystalise the ideas for this post by messaging me regarding the beer the day after the event. Thanks mate.</i></b>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-74645843822305635872017-05-21T09:03:00.003+01:002017-05-21T09:03:34.905+01:00Book Review: Historic Coaching Inns of the Great North Road - Roger Protz<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7DdTsLIChScSujN5vyw-98Fupd4IK8BBezmzkHwWtSGMSlrEjnG4n7tWRUHFSc4HSCHXEeClaJ9Eqj3JndlDeOEUvo_tvvIyqx7ua-Q1c44z-N4u8loEuhhJtgK7iu2cgDJK4JugZB4/s1600/001" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7DdTsLIChScSujN5vyw-98Fupd4IK8BBezmzkHwWtSGMSlrEjnG4n7tWRUHFSc4HSCHXEeClaJ9Eqj3JndlDeOEUvo_tvvIyqx7ua-Q1c44z-N4u8loEuhhJtgK7iu2cgDJK4JugZB4/s320/001" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Book Review:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;"><b>Historic Coaching Inns of the Great North Road - Roger Protz</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
I'm a sucker for old inns and I don't mind admitting it. The anticipation of approaching, the resolute beauty of the exterior and, crossing the threshold, the palpable sense of history as I join the ranks of patrons that have enjoyed the hospitality within the self same walls through centuries past.<br />
<br />
All human life has frequented inns through the ages, from paupers and beggars to kings and queens, from murderers and thieves to bishops and knights of virtue, itinerant traders, drovers, servants, writers and politicians, each seeking companionship, solace, sustenance, warmth and rest according to their needs. Inns have been court rooms, prisons, breweries, brothels, meeting rooms, places to plot, plan, philosophise and ponder life's mysteries, as well as providing inspiration and material for playwrights, poets and authors. The stories their walls could tell are many and varied, from joyful and jubilant to morbid and melancholy with every emotion inbetween. This is what I find so fascinating about them, this is why I love them and this is the reason I visit them. For me, surprisingly, a good beer is a bonus, and whilst not essential it often means that I spend longer soaking up the atmosphere than I had perhaps intended.<br />
<br />
When CAMRA sent me this book to review I had a feeling of both anticipation and trepidation. The subject matter had obvious appeal, but I wanted to be taken on a journey of imagination along an ancient road, touching on history enough to peak my curiosity, while also providing just enough of a contemporary review that I'd long to explore these places for myself. A tough ask maybe, but fortunately this, on the whole, is exactly what this book delivers.<br />
<br />
Those of you that have read some of the many books that Roger Protz has written will be familiar with his narrative style and he sets the scene and historical context that lead to the rise and demise of the coaching inn, before setting off from London to Edinburgh on a journey that follows the old Great North Road, similar in the most part to the route of the A1/A1M, but taking in the towns and cities that the modern road now bypasses so as not to inconvenience today's road users. The chapters are written in stages so that it isn't a monotonous list of inns, and these are interspersed with jolly asides on subjects relating to coaches, highwaymen (and women), and road builders, as well as providing guidance to other places of interest in the area of each stop. It's clear to see that this was a genuine journey and an enjoyable one at that.<br />
<br />
As you would expect in a CAMRA book the beer available in each is mentioned, but this is more in passing rather than a dominating factor, and it's not only real ale that gets a nod, although it is most certainly available in every inn that has an entry here. I would have liked a signpost to other coaching inns in the area that don't carry cask beer but that is purely a personal indulgence and in no way a criticism, it just means that I'll have to do a little background reading if I visit these places so as not to miss out on an historical gem.<br />
<br />
I confess to have already visited many of the inns written about here, the Dukes Head in Highgate, the George in Stamford, the Angel and Royal in Grantham and the Olde Starre in York being particular favourites, and am pleased that I feel the same about each as Roger does, finding his insights both interesting and insightful.<br />
<br />
If this book has a fault it is that, for me it doesn't go deep enough into the area and history of each place and how it related to the coaching era but this isn't really it's purpose, and that I find some of the picture placement a little confusing as the inn exterior tends to be shown at the end of the piece next to the following entry. What it does provide however is enough of a starting point to pique your curiosity should you have any interest in coaching inns, historical buildings, or are just in search of a beer related diversion.<br />
<br />
This isn't the definitive book on the subject, at some 192 pages you would not expect it to be, but it is the ideal book to pack in your glove box or back pack should you wish to set off on a journey of discovery into this country's past and the history of beer and travel.<br />
<br />
<i>Historic Coaching Inns of the Great North Road by Roger Protz is published by the Campaign for Real Ale Limited and is available through CAMRA books with a registered retail price of £12.99 although with a little shopping around you should be able to get it cheaper than that. I've already mentioned that this book was sent to me for to review for free, and even though I confessed my love of inns in my opening sentence if it was awful I wouldn't have hesitated in saying so. It's not, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.</i>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-64348285712916119462016-08-12T22:50:00.005+01:002016-08-12T23:03:01.710+01:00The Moral High Ground: Shades of grey<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Moral High Ground</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #444444;">Shades </span><span style="color: #666666;">of</span><span style="color: #999999;"> grey</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once upon a time we all knew who the good guys and the bad guys were.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Macro-breweries, Big Beer if you like, were the enemy. Evil empires run by money men, focused on profit, churning out enormous quantities of homogeneous ice-cold beer, irrespective of brand. It didn't really matter what it tasted like as balance sheets were king, maximum profit for minimum cost in the quickest possible time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The good guys, of course, were the small regional breweries. Guarding their territory, putting quality first, making a superior product at a price point that, although it might be slightly higher than Big Beer, we all were willing to pay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By buying their beer of these regional or micro-breweries as they were called, championing their cause, we held the moral high ground. We were the consumers raging against the machine. We were the worms that were turning. We prayed for a revolution, a spark that would ignite and spread across the land like a wild fire, sweeping away Big Beer and bringing a new age of beer. A beautifully beery new dawn. We gazed into our pints, imagined this impossible brave new world, let out a sigh and came back to reality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now things are different. Beer is booming, and big business as well. Where have those oh-so-clear dividing lines gone? Things that would once have outraged us to the point of getting up out of our chairs and actually doing something about it; brewery closures, selling controlling interests to larger breweries, even Big Beer, now have many of us shrugging, mumbling on social media that we won't drink beer from them again (although by the following week we've forgotten all about it and drink it again), and feel a the warm glow of the self-righteous. I'm as guilty of this as the next drinker.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Forty-odd years ago of course, back in the early days of CAMRA, they organised demonstrations. Proper ones. In November 1973 around 600 members "from as far apart as Northumberland and Kent"(source: What's Brewing - December 1973) protested the closure of the Joules Brewery in Stone, Staffordshire by Bass Charrington by organising a protest march culminating in an orderly rally at the brewery gates where Christopher Hutt, the then CAMRA Chairman and author of the excellent "Death of the English Pub", and Bill Young, the district secretary of the local branch of the Transport and General Worker Union, both gave speeches. The following year there was a similar protest at the Barnsley brewery in South Yorkshire with a turn-out of reportedly twice that number. Although both of these were unsuccessful, both breweries were closed fairly soon afterwards, it showed that, despite a relatively small membership (9,000 by 1974 compared to 181,543 today (source; CAMRA website)) it was able to mobilise members to travel and protest a cause. If you make a direct comparison with the estimated 1,200 that protested against pub closures and the beer duty escalator outside the Houses of Parliament in 2012 then surely it means that its members are, on the whole, less involved, less militant, and couldn't really care less.<br />
<br />
This state of apathy is not unique to beer of course it can be seen right across our society, look at the percentage of the electorate who actually watch the news let alone vote, but even though many of us feel we have a strong sense of justice, what our actions say we have is just a general feeling of unease or discomfort, a malaise.<br />
<br />
Recently I was invited to a brewery launch party at The Rake by 'French' brewery, Le Brewery. The quote marks around 'French' are there for a reason, because even though the brewery is based in north-western France it was founded by Steve Skew, an Englishmen, and continues to be run from England by, as I discovered on the night, a consortium who had purchased it as an investment when Steve put it up for sale around 18 months ago. I reviewed their Norman Gold in July 2012, and you can read about it <a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/beer-review-le-brewery-norman-gold-4.html">here</a> should you so wish.<br />
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"We came, we saw, we conquered" was the slogan and, I quote from the invite; "Le Brewery is set to conquer the UK craft beer and cider market as it launches its award-winning range and we want you to be the very first to try them".<br />
<br />
I looked at the <a href="http://lebrewery.com/">website</a>, which showed a range of eight beers and one cider so I was expecting to taste a variety of beer when I arrived and introduced myself to the team from Le Brewery. Sadly I was to be disappointed. Only two beers, Mysterieuse Lady, an elder flower blonde, and Norman Gold, the beer I had previously reviewed, the two least interesting and the lowest in abv were available to try, along with the cider, their re-designed labels still showing an interpretation of the images of the Bayeux Tapestry, but one that had been settled on by a committee of marketing men. Bland and uninteresting. It transpired that these were the bottles that had been sent to supermarkets to try and spark an interest in the brand (not the brewery I noted) to enable them to gain a foothold in the UK market. As I was talking to them a gentleman who introduced himself as someone who had run successful charities before turning his attention to crowd-funding, arrived with a bottle of their beer and took their attention. I didn't stay much longer after that, although my attention was diverted by one of their older, oxidised, but infinitely superior bottle of Harold's Revenge, a 7.6% English Old Ale, that they had found whilst clearing out the cellar of old stock.<br />
<br />
After being initially shocked by this blatant marketing exercise I was perhaps even more shocked by my process of rationalising the evening. If I had bought a brewery as an investment without being completely immersed in the culture and lore of beer this would probably be precisely the route I would follow. It's a well trodden path, one that pays off in many industries and seeing that beer is making headlines and reading about the money being handed to breweries by multi-national companies in mergers and take-overs then why wouldn't you want the chance to get on that train when it arose? Does it make them bad people or just shrewd marketeers? I wasn't so sure as I used to be.<br />
<br />
I'm sure we all remember the outcry on social media when Camden Town brewery was acquired by AB-InBev in December 2015, the last, and most headline-grabbing, from a UK drinker's point of view, of the takeovers, mergers and purchases of a busy year for such things.<br />
<br />
Among the most vocal, Matt Curtis let his disappointment be know when he wrote <a href="http://www.totalales.co.uk/blog/2015/12/22/let-down-hanging-around-camden-town-brewery-sells-to-ab-inbev">this post</a> about the situation, although he did conclude that he would just have to come to terms with it.<br />
<br />
If you follow his writing you probably already know that last month (July 2016) he published <a href="http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2016/6/22/critical-drinking-with-jasper-cuppaidge-of-camden-town-brewery">an interview with Jasper Cuppaidge of Camden Town</a> on the Good Beer Hunting website. I urge you to read it as it explains some of the reasons, other than financial, that Jasper says he had for accepting the reported £85million offer from the brewing behemoth, and it makes for interesting reading. Investment in a bigger brewery in Enfield, on the outskirts of London, access to business, beer and brewery knowledge, and expansion into new markets, particularly the US, are all cited as reasons and the argument is convincing. I do notice that Matt doesn't have a closing paragraph on this occasion, preferring to finish instead with a future projection question, leaving you to draw your own conclusion.<br />
<br />
So while I continue to buy and enjoy as I'm sure many of you do, Camden Town's beer, the fact that I'm paying my money to AB-InBev is an inconvenient truth that I'd rather not acknowledge. I still wouldn't buy Budweiser, but I did go to an event organised by Goose Island, another AB-InBev acquisition, the day before Craft Beer Rising this year because Bourbon County continues to be an amazing beer.<br />
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Perhaps, given what I've experienced, that things have changed. Big Beers isn't all bad and obviously transparent marketing of a product (as opposed to <a href="http://www.brewgeekery.com/the-definition-of-craft-beer/">this example highlighted by Pete McKerry</a>) isn't the worst thing in the world after all?<br />
<br />
So who has the moral high ground now?<br />
<br />
Certainly not me, if I ever did. My halo, such as it was, has slipped and things aren't as black and white as I once perceived them to be. All I'm left with is shades of grey and that bothers me a lot less than I think it should.<br />
<br />
Still, there's always a new brewery, a new beer release, an event to attend, or a parcel arriving on my doorstep, that will mean that I don't really have to worry about it for too long.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-39859177222826292402016-07-12T22:49:00.001+01:002016-07-13T17:57:32.578+01:00Drinkers Digest: Ferment and Beer52.com<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Drinkers Digest:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ferment and Beer52.com </b></span><br />
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<b>"We want to be the voice of a somewhat fragmented UK beer world and to do that we want to explore beer in an adventurous and fun way" </b>Erin Bottomley, Editor, Ferment magazine. Taken from the editorial in Issue 1.<br />
<br />
Just over a month ago I was delighted to discover that a beer orientated magazine had gone overground hit the newsstand, or more specifically WHSmith's. With the exception of CAMRA's "BEER" magazine which I have occasionally seen for sale, I think it was "Beers Of The World", relaunched in 2012, that was the last regular beer magazine available in the UK. Now not only could I buy it for myself, I could tell others about it and, what's more, some of the contributors are people that I'm proud to call my friends.<br />
<br />
Of course, Ferment isn't a new magazine. Subscribers to the Beer52.com beer club have been receiving it every month with their beer order, and will continue to do so, but even though I wasn't a member I could now read it for myself.<br />
<br />
I devoured every page of course, enjoying some parts more than others (I'll expand on that a little later on), and had seriously considered subscribing judging by the beer that they were sending out (more on that later too), so was surprised and delighted to be contacted by Ben Black from Beer52 asking me if I'd like some beer to review.<br />
<br />
I accepted without hesitation, (you can see a disclaimer coming here, can't you?), and the beer arrived around a week later as promised. Unlike the magazine I didn't pay for this (told you so!), and was genuinely excited at the chance to write about the beer I received and relate it to some of the articles in Ferment magazine. This is something I'm assuming that existing subscribers have been doing for some time, but the chance for me to add a new dimension to my beer drinking was something that I simply couldn't pass up.<br />
<br />
Trying to match the beer to some of the articles was relatively easy in some instances as you will see, but where I hadn't had the beer before it proved a little more challenging,. I also didn't want to re-write what was already written as the original authors have far more experience and clever wordsmithery than I could ever hope to have.<br />
<br />
Realising that this was going to be a little harder than I had at first thought, I reasoned that the best place to start was at the beginning.<br />
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<b>"Craft beer is many things to many different people ... Maybe it's time to take a deep breath, sit back, and enjoy the beer."</b><br />
Beery state of the nation by Pete Brown. Beer Pairing: Lerwick Brewery - Azure.<br />
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Pete Brown is one of this country's foremost beer writers. His books and articles have taken both himself and beer around the globe, but in this opening piece he looks at where we are at this moment in time in the UK with respect to what's happening in the rest of the world, specifically the US. Mergers, takeovers, hipsters and IPAs all fall under his gaze, and his conclusion along the lines of don't worry, be happy, and drink the beer, revisiting some old classics alongside the new breed, is sound advice. If you look at history then it's only (almost) business as usual.<br />
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The Lerwick Azure. Pale Ale brewed with American Cascade and New Zealand Rakau hops nicely encapsulates much of what has led this particular craft beer revolution. It starts worryingly, bitter, with some pithy citrus notes, but it is it's conclusion, a precise dry finish that lets you know that evrything's going to be alright. A zingy palate awakener leaving you wanting more, much as you'd expect from a magazine's opening gambit. Job done.<br />
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<b>"The funny thing is that we love the person who comes into the bar and says 'I don't like beer'. We love being able to change their perception of beer and help them find something that they'll enjoy."</b><br />
Lunch with Mikkeller by Heather Naismith & Fraser Doherty. Beer Pairing: Mikkeller - Vesterbro Pils<br />
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I have to admit to being a bit of a Mikkeller fanboy. If you ask me what my favourite beer of all time was then I'd certainly consider their 10.9% Beer Geek Brunch Weasel and 5.3% Spontanale, both would make it into my top ten, and back in May 2012, when my blog was very much in its early stages, I wrote reviews of twenty-four Mikkeller beers is thirty-one days. I still stand by those reviews, so as you'd expect an interview with the elusive brewer and founder of Mikkeller, Mikkel Borg Bjergso, a man renowned for not giving interviews, is an article that I'd turn straight to and devour, much as the food and atmosphere is devoured by the lucky interviewers who met with him in Copenhagen's famous brewpub, War Pigs. It's a rare insight into the life and ethos of a man with a passion to change peoples perceptions of beer and make the consumer more discerning, a tough task perhaps, but one he shows no signs of easing up on.<br />
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Managing to be both juicy and dry at the same time the aroma of peach and mango in the Vesterbro Pils is immediately enticing. Named for the district of Copenhagen that is home to the War Pigs Brewpub, this beer floods the mouth with mango, peach and passion fruit flavours whilst almost instantaneously drying the mouth with a crisp bitterness, preparing you for the next swallow. Perfect with creamy cheese, I had it with a selection which included Manchego and Goat's cheese that I had for my lunch today, it also stood up well to the robust strength of mature Cheddar, and I can imagine it engaging in some light interplay with a cheesecake for dessert, whether it be plain or, and this would be my preferred choice, one with an apricot puree, echoing the exchanges of conversation in the article. This is definitely a 'light lunch' beer, but one that rewards the drinker with some beautifully nuanced touches. A beer as rarely seen outside of Copenhagen as the brewer himself, an exclusive to this Beer52 box, it has that little bit of something extra, something different, that ignites my passion for all things Mikkeller.<br />
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<b>"We followed hash-smoked air into the middle of the freetown melee, pausing in a bar with seaside sensibility, a wooden hut filled with crusty, pleasant-faced men with wild beards, big zoots and crinkly smiles."</b><br />
The Danish Caper by Craig Ballinger. Beer Pairing: To-Ol - Baltic Frontier.<br />
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There are two very different ways to explore a brand new city. The first is to prepare an itinerary well in advance, marking the key places you must visit, researching opening times, distances and methods of transport between attractions or, as described here, to go with the flow of the city itself, letting it take you to wherever it wishes, accepting new encounters and embracing their spontaneity. Of course you may have in mind some idea of the places you like to go to, and maybe you have some appointments you need to keep, such as the meeting at To-Ol in this piece, but the freedom to roam with no agenda is both eye-opening and surprisingly both full and light simultaneously.<br />
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"...an IPA beaten with Juniper Berries and Sea Buckthorn and trashed with hops" says the label, and using natural ingredients shaped by the skill of the brewer's hand is what makes a really good beer, and this is a really, really good beer. A dry botanical aroma switches to a tart, sweet gin-edged flavour, building and drying suddenly with a fruity nectarine and grapefruit encased pop. Ebbing and flowing like the street-life parade, punchy and fresh, like the day starting easily, rising to a crescendo of activity in the evening before dissolving into nothingness in an instant, this beer is exciting, challenging and rewarding in equal measure.<br />
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<b>"In many cases this just forces brewers to use their ingenuity and knowledge to work out ways to make their beers with hops that are more readily available, and, in the process, create some brand new beers for us to try."</b><br />
In Hop Pursuit by Erin Bottomley. Beer Pairing: CAP Brewery - Don't Break the Oat.<br />
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Concerns over hop shortages have been rumbling away in the background for some time now, and it's an issue that affects brewers who want to bring plenty of good quality beer to the market place, and the consumer wanting a consistent well-rounded product packed full of flavour. Heavily hopped Pale Ales and IPAs, DIPAs, and more recently their younger brother Session IPAs, have fuelled the craft beer movement, bringing a glut of new drinkers demanding big bitter palate-bashing bruisers to quench their seemingly never-ending thirst. When the scales of supply and demand become more and more unbalanced then something obviously has to give. But it isn't all doom and gloom, in fact, with a little skill and 'outside-the-box' thinking the future could brighter than ever.<br />
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I'll confess that it was the fact that this beer uses solely Bramling Cross hops, a British hop in seemingly plentiful supply, that influenced my decision for this pairing, although on closer inspection of the label I realise that I've actually shared a few beers with one of the brewers, Danko. It's also pays tribute to the British style of brewing so I'm already warming to it before I've taken a sip. A smoky creamy chocolate aroma reminds me of many a bigger beer and I'm a little disappointed that it's thinner over the tongue then I had anticipated. A brief pause, then the flavour hits. More smokiness, more chocolate, this time tempered with a touch of cola nut, a nudge in the direction of coconut, then it washes itself cleanly away leaving behind a cheeky ghost of its former self. It's delicious, and I wish that I had another bottle.<br />
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<b>"It can be easy to forget about a brewery like Chimay in a world of increasingly more adventurous and radical breweries."</b><br />
A Little Respect. A Visit to the Chimay Brewery, Belgium by Matt Curtis. Beer Pairing: Chimay Gold.<br />
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One of the most enduring constants since I was legally allowed to drink beer, and probably a little before that, has been my love of Belgian beer. A local off licence stocked bottles of Chimay Blue (Grand Reserve) and Red (Premiere) alongside cans of William Younger's Tartan and Inde Coope's Double Diamond. Exotic, strong and flavoursome, taking four or so bottles to a party guaranteed a good nights drinking and usually a sore head in the morning. Matt Curtis is someone I've known almost since the minute I started writing about beer. We started our blogs around the same time, and have spent quite a few drunken evenings discussing beer and propping up bars, so to discover that he also had an early encounter with the delights produced at the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Scourmont brought a huge smile to my face. This is the tale of Matt's visit to both the abbey and the brewery, a totally absorbing read.<br />
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This beer pours a wonderfully golden colour with a head as pure and white as the robes of a Trappist Monk with a subtly understated aroma of lemon and white pepper. Clean tasting,refreshing and with a deliciously full body, its flavour of subdued lemon zest and crushed coriander seeds sublimely across the tongue punctuated with a spicy bitter bite that fades gently away. By far the easiest pairing to make of the five, this beer isn't a brash and boozy as it's bigger brothers but for my taste it is simply divine.<br />
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It doesn't end there for Ferment Magazine. I haven't told you about Melissa Cole's Views from the Bar, Mark Dredge's Guide to Pale Lagers or, and this was one of my favourite pieces, Archie McDiarmid's A Beer Drinkers Guide to the Wine List,to name but three, but I'll let you find out about those for yourself. Nor was it the end of the box I was sent; My Pils by To Ol, Nazca by Chilean brewery Rothhammer, Vesterbro Wit by Mikkeller, Red Doe by the fantastic White Hag Brewery in Sligo, Ireland, and Hefe from Edinburgh's Stewart Brewery rounded out the excellent selection. When a selection of beers this mouth wateringly good along with the brilliant writing in Ferment magazine as part of the package then why wouldn't you want to be a part of the Beer52.com experience?<br />
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Those wonderful people at Beer52.com have given me an exclusive code to share with you that will give you a whopping £10 off your first order. Simply follow this link to <a href="https://www.beer52.com/subscription/registration?execution=e1s1">www.beer52.com</a> and enter the coupon code <b>GBDB10 </b>after your payment details and some fantastic beer to drink on its own or as I did, while you read Ferment magazine, will be delivered to your door in a matter of days. The second issue of Ferment magazine came out on the 7th July and focuses on the burgeoning London beer scene, meaning a great new selection of beer from Beer52.com for you to enjoy. A regular subscription will mean you never miss an issue or fantastic beer, some of which are exclusive to Beer52.com. What are you waiting for?Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-5227171195775498222016-07-03T17:49:00.000+01:002016-07-03T18:00:59.583+01:00Georges Day - Visiting Great Wakering<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Beer In Essex:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">George's </span>Day</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Visiting Great Wakering</span></b><br />
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It starts to rain just as my train pulls into Southend Victoria station, the end of the line, the grey sky fittingly echoing a melancholy you can almost taste in this rundown Victorian seaside town. I hurry through through the generic 'every-town' centre and catch the bus to Great Wakering.<br />
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The journey takes me just six miles inland but it seems a world away, and the sun breaks briefly through the crowd as I walk past the church and duck pond to Home Farm on whose land George's Brewery resides. I'd written a potted history of the brewery itself in June last year in the second part of my exploration of Essex bottled beer, <a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/beer-in-essex-bottling-it-part-two.html?spref=tw&m=1">you can read about it here if you want to</a>, and despite having received an invitation to visit soon afterwards I finally had an opportunity to do so. Incidentally, should you wish to know the full history of the brewery, and the associated Hop Monster brand, then <a href="http://www.hopmonster.co.uk/history">this link</a> will take you to the official version written by owner Mark Mawson.<br />
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When I get there Sam (Martyn, George's very capable brewer) is part way through brewing a batch of Checkpoint Charlie, their 4.0% bitter with tangerine, peach and notes, ably assisted by their pony-tailed delivery driver/jack-of-all-trades Steve. Even though they are clearly busy I'm warmly welcomed and handed a box of beer that Sam had organised for me from when I first said I was coming. I'd previously met Sam and his German girlfriend Pia at the Essex Winter Beer Festival in Chelmsford earlier in the year, and my wife, Sarah, and I had spent a good hour or so in their company chatting and drinking quite a lot of beer, not all of it good sadly.<br />
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After making a cup of tea and taking a few pictures, I'm commandeered into hop duty and I'm soon up a ladder piling hops into the kettle. This is something I've done before at several breweries but it's the first time I've done this in a kettle where the lid flips up completely, it's certainly easier than pouring them (and mostly missing) into the small opening that I've previously experienced.<br />
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George's is a five barrel brewery housed in a converted barn that's thick with cobwebs around the exposed wooden beams, the spiders help keep the flies at bay I'm told, it is after all on a working farm. The brewery equipment came from Eddie Gadd when he upgraded his Ramsgate Brewery in Kent, and he had previously obtained from a Firkin brew pub, and considering its age it's doing rather well, although this does have a decent pedigree. Having a scout around I get a little excited when I find a now unused conditioning tank. Painted white, although it has got a little dirty with age, I see that it still bears the trade marks of Scottish and Newcastle, William Younger's, McEwan's, and Newcastle Brewers. Considering that these companies merged Scottish and Newcastle in 1960 (Younger's and McEwan's had previously merged in 1931) I'd anticipate that this tank is around fifty years old. It would be great to see it in use again.<br />
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Brewing, as you probably already know, involves an awful lot of involved and often frantic work followed by extended periods of waiting, and I use one of these to spend some time with Sam, talking about him and beer in general. He's easy to talk to and generous with his his time, and I start by asking about his background, both beer and non-beer related and how he came to be brewing at George's.<br />
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"I was born in 1993, and grew up in Rochford (Essex, around six miles west of Great Wakering). My earliest memory of beer and pubs in general was going to The Chequers in Canewdon (once owned by TV chef Jamie Oliver's uncles and closed in 2010) with my grandparents as a teenager. It was a great pub but sadly no longer there."<br />
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"My original plan was to be an actor, I'd trained as one at college and was going to go to drama school to continue my studies to BA level. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful at the auditions and had to wait until the following years entries to try again. Having an unplanned gap year to fill I got a job as the Guest Services Manager at a local activity centre, and this proved to be a big turning point in my life. It was during this time that I met my partner, Pia, and started dabbling with home brew."<br />
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"I stayed at the activity centre for three years, but decided that I really needed a new challenge, so I quit my job and used the money that I'd originally set aside for a new car to move to Munich in Germany and stay with Pia. I took German lessons, ate great food, drank great beer, and spent lots of time researching the things that really interested me. I even applied for either MI5 or MI6 at one stage, I can't remember which, but it was during this period that I realised that brewing was the path that I really wanted to follow."<br />
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"My last month in Germany was filled with brewing related research. I crammed my brain with as much information about the brewing process as I could and applied for an apprenticeship at Partizan Brewery in Bermondsey, London. On my return to England I went for an interview with Andy (Smith, Partizan Brewery founder and brewer) but it didn't work out, so I decided to look a little closer to home to see what I could find. I contacted Mark at George's and we met for a chat. He clearly saw something in me that he liked as he invited me for a brew day trial, and the rest, as they say, is history."<br />
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"I've been here for about eighteen months now, starting as the assistant initially but I'm now the only brewer with an assistant of my own who I'm now training. My first recipe, Checkpoint Charlie, a batch of which we are brewing today, is now part of our core range, and my latest, Huell Melon is also going well. I'm still saving for that new car though!"<br />
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I'm sure he'll get that car soon if he continues along these lines, both beers are very good indeed.<br />
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Huell Melon is a German hop, and as he spent some time in Germany I ask him whether there's any German influence in the beer that he brews, or if there's anything due along those lines.<br />
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"Of course", he replies, "but I can draw inspiration from anywhere I go. I went to Berlin for my birthday last year, and it was touring the city that I got the inspiration and the name for Checkpoint Charlie. I like the beers I make to have a personal connection as I think it makes it a more enjoyable experience for the drinker when each beer tells them a little about the person who made it."<br />
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Leading on from this then, is there a beer that you'd love to brew but haven't yet had to chance to?<br />
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"I'd love to do a Weiss Bier, a proper traditional Bavarian one, and I love drinking Hopf when I'm in Munich. In fact I love that beer so much we have it on most of the time at Mawson's (George's micropub in Southend), it proves popular too. Wheat beers are a style that I feel are a little under-appreciated in England, and when a brewery brews one over here it tends to be an American-style hoppy version or a Belgian Wit.<br />
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So are there any beers from a UK brewery that you'd wish you'd brewed yourself?<br />
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"Easy one, it has to be Dark Star's Espresso Stout. I absolutely love that beer, and in my opinion it's exactly how a stout should be. I can't believe that it's not permanently available on cask."<br />
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Any other beers you look out for?<br />
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"Anything that is new or different to be honest. I'm really interested in finding new flavours and different takes on a style, whatever it may be."<br />
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That's a feeling I know well, and I'm sure many of you do too., so lastly I ask him about what's next for George's, which direction are they going in?<br />
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"Over the next year we plan on putting our Hopmonster Freakshow beers and maybe Wakering Gold into KeyKeg. We'll also have two strong ales being released later this year; Gaspar's Star which we've used an Abbey Ale yeast in, and Nebuchadnezzar which has a Saison yeast. We're hoping that our bottles may soon be available from an online retailer."<br />
<br />
"The Huell Melon is selling incredibly well, the first cask was sent to Mawson's and sold out in under four hours, and I've been told it's gone down well in other pubs as well. I really want to see George's Brewery continue to grow and I'm sure that it will."<br />
<br />
I'm sure that it will too.<br />
<br />
Owner Mark arrives at this point, and I have a brief chat with him before I leave. I have a beer tasting for another Essex brewery to attend that evening, but I want to head to Mawson's before that as I've never been before.<br />
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<br />
Just missing the bus, I have to wait twenty minutes for the next one, but find that Mawson's was worth the wait. I settle down with a half of Brew By Numbers fantastic 05|15 (Citra & Azacca) on keg just as Sam arrives. Having finished for the day he has decided to join me, getting me a half of Gerorge's excellent Columbus before I have to go. His generosity doesn't stop there either and he drives me into Southend, close to where the tasting is being held. I feel thoroughly spoilt.<br />
<br />
George's Brewery beers are available in a wide range of pubs all over Essex, usually as guest beers, and you can find the bottles in many places as well. I have to say that I prefer them on cask, and even though the bottles are very good they have recently switched where they are being bottled and I've had some issues with yeast in suspension in some of the early ones. I'm sure this problem will be ironed out by now however.<br />
<br />
Should you want to know more about the brewery and their range, and to be honest why wouldn't you, then you can follow this link to their website: <a href="http://www.georgesbrewery.com/">www.georgesbrewery.com</a> where you'll also find a link to my reviews.<br />
<br />
I had a fantastic day at George's Brewery, and I hope to catch up with them again soon. Should you want to try there beers then you'll get a chance to do so at the Chelmsford Summer Beer Festival that starts this Tuesday, 5th July 2016 at Admirals Park, Chelmsford and runs until Saturday 10th July. A link to the website, beer list and events can be found right <a href="http://cbcf.info/">here.</a> See you there.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-35364053546473867172016-06-23T21:21:00.001+01:002016-06-23T21:24:51.619+01:00The Geese and Fountain, Croxton Kerrial: Scotch Eggs and Peacocks<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Geese and Fountain</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Scotch Eggs and Peacocks</b></span><br />
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If you<span style="font-family: inherit;"> want to find out where the best pubs are then you can do a lot worse than ask a local brewer, and if that brewer or more appropriately brewster in this case, is as well respected as Sara Barton then you'd do well to heed their advice.</span><br />
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Planning an overnight stay in Grantham with the aim of visiting both The Angel & Royal, where King John, that most villainous of English monarchs once held court, and The Beehive, the pub with the living sign, I found a hotel online that just so happened to be a stones throw from Brewsters Brewery. After sending an inquisitive tweet about the best place to find their beer we were invited to the brewery itself and spent a good couple of hours there drinking beer and chatting with Sara and Sean. Discussing the best places to eat and drink locally they recommended The Geese and Fountain on the main road between Grantham and Melton Mowbray as the best place to have lunch the following day, particularly after discovering we were headed that way (the historic Anne of Cleves pub was another on my list of places to visit and the famous pork pies an obvious draw). They thought we'd be as suitably impressed as they were, and they'd had their daughters birthday party there not that long ago so having our children along with us wouldn't be a problem either.<br />
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After a slight detour to Newark which included a visit to the impeccably stocked Real Ale Store lunchtime beckoned. Heading back down the A1 to the same junction we'd encountered it earlier that morning, a six mile drive along the A607 brought us to the front door of The Geese and Fountain.<br />
<br />
When I arrive at a pub to find a sign stating "Over 100 beers in bottles and cans" my pulse tends to quicken ever so slightly, and I have to confess to hurrying across the threshold so see what was within leaving my family to organise themselves in the car park. This is a tactic I regularly employ, ostensibly to enquire if children are permitted but in reality it's so that I can take in the beer selection and plan my route along it. This was definitely the case on this occasion, and such were the riches arranged before me I took rather longer than usual to re-emerge and give them the all-clear.<br />
<br />
Opting for a half of Hopcraft Brewery's Killing Joke, a smooth Jester hop accented Pale Ale from Wales, I remarked on the fact that there were several other Welsh beers available on both cask and keg. Nick Holden, the landlord, explained that they were just finishing a Welsh beer festival and handed me a list of the fourteen beers and cider that he had featured during the week. I had already noticed that they still had Waen Brewery's sublime Lemon Drizzle on keg and made a mental note to have a half of that before I left.<br />
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Food was required but as we'd had an extensive full English at the hotel buffet a few hours before we chose scotch eggs and pork pies from the lighter pub food menu, and when they arrived we immediately knew we had made the right choice. The scotch eggs were freshly cooked and wonderfully warm, crisp on the outside with meat that was perfectly savoury and a bright yellow yolk that was exactly the right balance between firm and runny. These had featured, we were told with a justifiable degree of pride, in a Telegraph article on the Britain's best pub snacks written by Adrian Tierney-Jones someone who, as beer geeks and readers of the Telegraph will already be aware, has impressive credentials in both beer and pub grub. You can read the full article <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/from-pork-crackling-to-cockle-popcorn-britains-best-pub-snacks/">here</a> and if you compare Adrian's picture with mine then it might be argued that they're possibly even better now. The pork pies, from a single producer, was chosen from a single supplier in Melton Mowbray after a full tasting of all available locally and selected because it hit the right peppery notes.<br />
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Suitably impressed in and sated in all departments I approached Nick for a few words while my wife and children, having finished eating, picked one of the board games to play.<br />
<br />
He was more than happy to talk and show me around the pub whilst another member of staff covered for him behind the bar, so I started by asking him about the Geese and Fountain, how long it had been here and how he came to be running it.<br />
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"It wasn't always called the Geese and Fountain," he told me, "that's the name we gave it when we re-opened it in August 2015 after it closed in 2012. Before that it was called the Peacock Inn and you can still see that name picked out in black tiles on an outbuilding in the car park. The peacock appears on the coat of arms of the Duke of Rutland who owns the land around here, and all the pubs on his estate shared the same name. It was originally two cottages, not a pub at all we think, however there are records showing it as coaching inn dating back to the eighteenth century. It had been a Whitbread's pub at some point too, and behind our sign on the front door there still is a large Whitbread sign, but I don't think that any other breweries have owned it."<br />
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"I took over the pub with my partner Kate Ahrens as we both felt that this was an exiting time to be in the trade. We are both former health care workers and although I'd previously worked in the industry, at the Magnesia Bank in North Shields and running a vegetarian restaurant in Lewisham, London, I hadn't been behind a bar in twenty years, and Kate had never worked in the trade at all."<br />
<br />
With the background established I was keen to press Nick about how he felt about what was happening with regard to beer both nationally and locally and in particular presenting it alongside food of such quality.<br />
<br />
"There's been a renewed interest in beer and brewing recently and it's the real ale and craft beer cross over that excites me the most. We're lucky that we have so many good local breweries practically right on our doorstep and while the Vale of Belvoir has a great reputation as a food destination it hasn't, in the past, done enough to promote local beers as the perfect accompaniment to local food. You'd find so many places selling excellent local meats, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Stilton cheese and locally farmed vegetables and fruit but having pretty standard wine and beer offerings that bypassed the local producers in favour of more mainstream brands."<br />
<br />
"When we're travelling we always like to experience the produce of the whichever area we are in at the time, and we really wanted to establish the Geese and Fountain as a pub that offers the best in local food and drink. This underlies our commitment to local ales, lagers and ciders as well as local spirit producers, Burleigh's gin is produced in Loughborough and Two Birds produce a range of flavoured vodkas and some unique gins in Market Harborough, and we're always adding more to our range."<br />
<br />
It's easy to think of these locally sourcing specialist retailers as being solely the preserve of larger cities, especially when beer is part of the equation, but this obviously isn't the case. We had decided to visit The Geese and Fountain purely on Sara's recommendation, it didn't feature in any books or online guides I'd read when we'd been planning our visit and, believe me, I'm rather meticulous, not wanting to miss out on any hidden treasures, and yet here I was in a talking to the landlord of a pub that was making my heart sing. I realised that I was sporting a huge grin as I ordered that half of Lemon Drizzle I'd promised myself so, not wishing to make myself appear a gushing loon I adjusted my expression and asked Nick about the change of name and the pubs unique sign.<br />
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"Whilst we were of course aware of the historic name of the pub we wanted something that reflected the village of Croxton Kerrial itself. If you follow the road down the hill you'll find that there is indeed a fountain and a pond with geese on it. It seemed a natural fit."<br />
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"The sign above the main entrance, a little tableau of geese and the model fountain was put together by Adam Mills who is a plumber and kitchen/bathroom fitter. He lives in the house opposite the pub, a large part of which he built himself, and he decided to build us a model of a fountain, or water spout, when his mum turned up at his house one day with some metal geese she'd bought at a garden centre. We're rather pleased with it."<br />
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As well they should be, it's a striking feature, one that would make you stop on your travels to view on its own and, as you'd stopped anyway, head inside for curiosities sake.<br />
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I freely admit that I could have happily spent the rest of the day in The Geese and Fountain, and had we not had to be home that evening we could well have stayed, there are six Bed and Breakfast rooms available and plans afoot for more development, using an old skittle alley as function room and community cinema, and setting up an allotment gardening area, but at the moment they're quite rightly focusing on getting the basics right.<br />
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There is much more I could tell you but it's more fun to let you discover it for yourself (see if you can find the clues as to which football team Nick supports, for example) and you'll find that all the staff are friendly and happy to chat.<br />
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So, if you're heading either up or down the A1 as I know many of you do, I'd encourage you to break your journey at Grantham and head along the A607 to The Geese and Fountain. Whether lunchtime or evening, perhaps for an overnight stay, you might find yourself having a rather longer visit than you'd planned. You can thank me later.<br />
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You'll find The Geese and Fountain at:<br />
1 School Lane, Croxton Kerrial, Grantham, NG32 1QR<br />
Telephone: 01476 870350<br />
Website: <a href="http://www.thegeeseandfountain.co.uk/">www.thegeeseandfountain.co.uk</a><br />
On Facebook at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thegeeseandfountain/">The Geese and Fountain</a><br />
And on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/Geese_Fountain">@Geese_Fountain</a>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-52389348339110444362016-05-24T21:02:00.000+01:002016-05-24T21:02:04.480+01:00Whatever Happened to The Local Guides?<br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><b> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whatever Happened to</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #134f5c;"><b> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Local Guides?</span> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Whatever happened to local beer and pub guides? Those local CAMRA pub guides. Slim of width and back pocket friendly, handy (sometimes fold-out) map enclosed. Visiting a strange town never seemed quite so strange with a trusty guide firmly in hand. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">When planning a trip for business or pleasure they were, for me at least, an essential purchase to ensure that however bad the accommodation, terrible the food, and inclement the British weather I could always find good beer close by. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Relying on an army of enthusiasts sent out to visit every pub in their county, they contain the name address, telephone number, opening times, brief description and, because these were CAMRA guides, the real ale (or not) that could be found there.</span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zgNN8qtVFc/V0SyaaOeYNI/AAAAAAAAmBc/8dCRE_ATZxIBKlSNXiHv0zMuVRJ-9tEAQCKgB/s1600/86bf71e4-9fef-4377-a288-da44573b4f09" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zgNN8qtVFc/V0SyaaOeYNI/AAAAAAAAmBc/8dCRE_ATZxIBKlSNXiHv0zMuVRJ-9tEAQCKgB/s320/86bf71e4-9fef-4377-a288-da44573b4f09" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">The opening pages are often simply an introduction to the guide and a list of the (incredibly few) local breweries contained within the county's borders whilst others have more lengthy prose, providing an insight into the issues of the day. Frightening headlines such as "Nitrokeg - the new threat?", "New Keg. New Threat.", "Pubs in Peril", and "Coming Soon ... The £2 Pint" seem as relevant to the Campaign now as the ever were, although if you consider that the last one is from the 1992 edition of Avon Ale, a county that no longer exists, then perhaps we're not as badly off as What's Brewing's letters page might have you believe. There are some lighter and more informative articles too. The Real Ale Drinkers Guide To Kent Pubs (1993) includes one on Pub Games In Kent and Hop Research At Wye (college, the home of the worlds oldest hop research department, a Derbyshire guide (of which more below) has one on Fly-fishing, and The North London Pub Guide (1995) has a handy guide to night bus routes in the North London area.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Most counties had several editions with a new updated versions every three to five years on average some, Essex for example stretching to nine, the last of which was published in 1997. I don't recall seeing any reviewed in What's Brewing's book section any later than the turn of the century, although there may have been one or two, but most county's final editions were published long before this. For a recent excursion </span><span style="background-color: white;">I ordered the latest Derbyshire edition I could find from an online store and even though I expected it to be out of date I didn't quite expect it to be nearly a quarter of a century old.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I know this is the digital age where guide books are something archaic. Many cities have applications that can be downloaded (Craft Beer London for example is excellent), enabling you to pin-point your position and find the nearest pub or bar, or even plan your route to your destination of choice but, for me at least, a smart phone in one hand and pub guide in the other is a beer explorers delight.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">There are of course some more modern guides, good guides that will take you to the best bars and pubs in key European cities, and I can certainly recommend the Cogan&Mater published "...In 80 Beers" guides if you're visiting the cities covered as I have used them myself on several occasions. I've put some of my favourites in the picture below, a mixed bag but all worthy of investment if you're visiting the areas covered.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdm924R7ZFQ/V0Syi9UCtxI/AAAAAAAAmBo/AnIPyZOy9iwTxxlmNn-et7L9NaFX7IqeACKgB/s1600/ecd2f2e9-ca33-4da1-a57d-28f6c0b287ac" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdm924R7ZFQ/V0Syi9UCtxI/AAAAAAAAmBo/AnIPyZOy9iwTxxlmNn-et7L9NaFX7IqeACKgB/s320/ecd2f2e9-ca33-4da1-a57d-28f6c0b287ac" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">Inevitably some cities have lots of guide books, constantly updated. London and York in particular have a glut of 'best of' books that will tell you where to find a pub or bar to suit any whim or persuasion. Good those these are I do have a hankering for the return of those Angus McGill Evening Standard London Pub Guides of the 1990s, their mixture of wit and information meant they were the only guide books I have read through from cover to cover on more than one occasion, and I still look through them now and again.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">I have asked myself whether I'm just being nostalgic, looking not-very-far back at a time when mobile phones were actually phones and not the gateway to everything and everywhere they are today but the more I think about it then the more I'd like to see the return of the local guide. While I appreciate that things move faster these days, with new breweries and venues on a seemingly daily basis, it's the successful ones that thrive and grow, staying the course year on year. The Good Beer Guide is limited by space and it's championing of real ale, surely there is a need for these guides now, directing visitors to the best places today and serving as reference guide for the next generation of drinkers and further generations to come who might look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.</span>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-28337397941434768702016-04-10T22:34:00.002+01:002016-04-10T22:38:24.775+01:00Irish Craft Beer: Is now the time?<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b>Irish Craft Beer: Is now the time?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></b></span>
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If you didn’t know there had been a craft beer revolution in
Ireland similar to the explosion of new breweries and beers on this side of the
Irish Sea then you might be in for a bit of a shock. What you could be forgiven
for however is thinking that it had been on a fairly low key scale, such has
been the small amount of Irish craft beer reaching these shores up until now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s strange to consider the amount of beer that reaches the UK from the United States with logistically harder obstacles of
transport and trade to overcome as well as freshness issues to be taken into
account, that we don’t see more from nearest neighbours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently I was invited to attend the ‘Spirit of Sharing’
event organised by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, and held at the Irish
Embassy in London. Hosted by Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall who proved himself
to have a good working knowledge of Irish beer, highlighting an example of a
beer and food menu in a restaurant he had visited relatively recently. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y7dvIJ5jG9I/VwrDWBI638I/AAAAAAAAlzw/bDMdr--RdDQJJejza3f6W4Z7nK6yacnyg/s1600/c04e2b00-9766-4913-aabc-fefdaada9631" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y7dvIJ5jG9I/VwrDWBI638I/AAAAAAAAlzw/bDMdr--RdDQJJejza3f6W4Z7nK6yacnyg/s200/c04e2b00-9766-4913-aabc-fefdaada9631" width="200" /></a>The purpose of the evening was to bring together food and
drink writers, bloggers, and retailers with small Irish drinks producers from
the areas of whiskey, poitin (which I’d never had and developed an immediate
taste for), cream liqueurs and beer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There were representatives of six Irish breweries present:
Boyne Brewhouse, Carlow Brewing Company (O’Hara’s), Drew Fox Brewing
(Clever Man), Galway Hooker, White Hag Brewery, and Wicklow Wolf Brewing
Company, all showcasing their wares. To have six stands out of a total of
fourteen dedicated to beer shows how seriously it is now being taken.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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All the beer I drank was of a good or very good standard,
with the best being on a par with some of the more well-respected UK craft brewers,
and the worst the equivalent of our established family breweries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was an excellent evening, the canapes and chocolates that
accompanied the alcohol were delicious, all Irish of course, and we were even
given bottles to take home however, even though I got to have some
conversations there wasn’t the opportunity to talk in depth that I would have
liked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fortunately I had another chance a few weeks later when The
Rake held a celebration of Irish beer, “Thank Goodness, No Guinness”, for St.
Patrick’s day, featuring both cask and keg beers and celebrating some of the
best that Ireland has to offer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImwBvo4Q1NY/Vwq7pWiKuWI/AAAAAAAAlu4/8OZhLooedjU6sIkCAsblcQHXtNHKXBYyg/s1600/c65ba328-0250-4edf-9f52-68286c2c212d" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImwBvo4Q1NY/Vwq7pWiKuWI/AAAAAAAAlu4/8OZhLooedjU6sIkCAsblcQHXtNHKXBYyg/s200/c65ba328-0250-4edf-9f52-68286c2c212d" width="200" /></a>It was busy when I got there, but thankfully I spotted a few
faces I knew; Steve from the Beer O’Clock Show and Simon Sanders, both of whom
had been at the Irish Embassy. The casks were set up on stillage in the outside
drinking area and I opted for a pint of the dry-hopped Kinsale Pale Ale from
Blacks of Kinsale Brewery. Steve pointed out that standing immediately behind
me was the man that had brewed it, Sam Black.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Based in Cork, Sam completed an MSc degree in Brewing and
Distilling at Edinburgh’s Herriot Watt University in 2012 and opened the
brewery with his wife, Maudeline, the following year. Currently brewing around
ninety barrels a week, most of his output is currently bottled.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“We keg the remainder of our beer normally,” he tells me, “as
there are only around eight or so pubs in Ireland who actually know how to
serve cask beer.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RcVynzXZ2c/Vwq70Hh6klI/AAAAAAAAlxA/NId0IB1j2A09Y1JmxK8eNJFszHztJOFOw/s1600/9bbc618f-ded4-4fff-a5ae-06147797e9c7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RcVynzXZ2c/Vwq70Hh6klI/AAAAAAAAlxA/NId0IB1j2A09Y1JmxK8eNJFszHztJOFOw/s200/9bbc618f-ded4-4fff-a5ae-06147797e9c7" width="200" /></a>“The Irish Craft Beer scene, is very small at the moment,
around two percent of the market. If you imagine the menu at McDonald’s, for
example, it’s the equivalent of those little tubs of tomato sauce you get to
dip your chicken nuggets in, probably even smaller than that. Heineken is by
far the most popular drink, not Guinness as many people believe, so there’s a
huge potential for growth.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I ask him if it’s difficult to find craft beer outside of
the main cities or towns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Not really,” he says, “you can generally find at least one
outlet in most places, wherever you might be, that you’ll find some good craft
beer. The older pubs that were there at the start of the Irish craft beer boom
that have survived, and many went under, were the best in most instances.
People have just started to make a profit out of it in the last two years.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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Having related this to others, I’m not convinced that you
can find good beer everywhere you go but I gather from speaking to Pierce
Cooney (otherwise known as Sonovagun, and who I’ll coming back to later) some
breweries, such as Bru, have nationwide supermarket contracts that gets their
beer the exposure they need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wanting to find a different viewpoint I found Liam Brogan
from Ireland Craft Beers, the company responsible for bringing the beers over to
The Rake for this event. He is the only full-time employee with the title of
Chief of Operations, and far more enjoyable than his previous job as a
chartered accountant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bAeDg335BQ8/Vwq9fTn5dwI/AAAAAAAAlx0/q6m7Yes6BMQGkCB3nY0404kyIKzJn3gvw/s1600/491242cf-80c7-4777-9aee-144f9d671b89" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bAeDg335BQ8/Vwq9fTn5dwI/AAAAAAAAlx0/q6m7Yes6BMQGkCB3nY0404kyIKzJn3gvw/s200/491242cf-80c7-4777-9aee-144f9d671b89" width="200" /></a>“We see the whole of Ireland as one market,” Liam tells me, “and
even though we’re based in Belfast we treat deal with the both Northern Ireland
and the Republic as one market.” More like the Irish rugby team rather than the
separate football teams I speculate. “Yes, exactly that,” he says.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“There are ninety breweries in the whole of Ireland,
Northern and Eire” he explains, ”including contract brewers, and we see our job
to be introducing them to a larger markets. We don’t sell in Ireland though, instead
we’re currently concentrating on expanding into the UK, particularly London in
the Brewdog bars, and in New York with its Irish immigrant community which we
hope will give us a foothold in the US.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m curious to find out how they overcome any trade and
currency barriers, and how the beer gets to its destination at point of sale.
He initially responds with a well-rehearsed sound-bite, which I suppose is the
unofficial company slogan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“We are the ‘One stop shop for all your export needs’. We
collect from the brewery and deliver to the bar. We pay all the duties, taking
all the trouble away from the buyer, and use existing hauliers to actually
transport the beer, which cuts our costs overall.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The craft beer market has seen a huge global boom in the
last five years, and we want to be part of that.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I checked his figures concerning the number of breweries in
Ireland on the Beoir website which provides a comprehensive list, particularly
as I’d heard the Irish Ambassador quote sixty as the figure the previous week.
If you consider the area as one, Liam’s figure is closer to the actual number
but I’m assuming that Mr. Mulhall was only referring to those from the Republic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
There’s one man that I particularly wanted to speak to
before the evening is out, and I manage to grab a few words with him just
before he was about to leave for another event.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3HKa6L3Iro/Vwq8PqKcDqI/AAAAAAAAlv0/BDggnplZbXUyPnFKN_zE55jaRBwgX5VPQ/s1600/bf6d814f-1ff9-49e3-9d0a-8d49784c0ebd" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3HKa6L3Iro/Vwq8PqKcDqI/AAAAAAAAlv0/BDggnplZbXUyPnFKN_zE55jaRBwgX5VPQ/s200/bf6d814f-1ff9-49e3-9d0a-8d49784c0ebd" width="200" /></a>Rick Levert from Kinnegar Brewing grew up in upstate New
York, meeting his partner Libby Carton in Germany where she convinced him to
follow her back to her homeland and set up a brewery. The brewery is
(unsurprisingly) in Kinnegar, County Donegal, they also have links with nearby
Rathmullan house, a four-star hotel, having set-up a brewing academy offering
weekend courses dealing with both the theory and practice of brewing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I ask him first about the size of his brewery, before moving
on to his future plans and the likelihood of us seeing his beer in the UK.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Our system is currently around eight and half barrels, and
we brew somewhere around nine to ten thousand litres a week, if you’ll allow me
to use American units of measurement,” he tells me in his soft but firm East
Coast accent, “which works out at around four-hundred thousand litres of beer a
year.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
“Due to my upbringing in the US I have a slightly different
perspective on the craft beer scene in Ireland. We’re currently concentrating
solely on Ireland for the moment as we’re brewing at capacity and all of our
beer is currently consumed there. The demand is there for our beer, we have a
particularly strong base in both Galway and Dublin, and as every drop we can
produce at the moment we just don’t have any to send abroad. We will be moving
to a new brewery in about a year however which will be around a kilometre away
from our current site, and we have factored in additional capacity which mean
that we will be able to have around thirty percent of our total output available
for export.”<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
Hopeful signs that we might see more beer from Kinnegar in
the foreseeable future, it’s just that we’ll have to wait a little longer.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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I did manage to have another conversation with an Irish
brewer, although it wasn’t that particular evening. I’d sent an email to
Malcolm Molloy from Drew Fox (Clever Man) Brewery having spoken briefly with him
at the Irish Embassy, and he kindly telephoned me the week after the event at
The Rake to answer my questions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Based in Wexford, County Wexford in the South-East of
Ireland, Malcolm had previously spent a long time in Chicago, having his own pub
there, The Grafton, which gave him plenty of experience of craft beer, both
selling and tasting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MvvE-f2vBc/Vwq7JtBeWKI/AAAAAAAAlu4/eHprk0YYwGgGEo5IJawPXAmjOkLj2B3hw/s1600/471f84c5-2b84-4c4f-b991-aa160c1083f7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3MvvE-f2vBc/Vwq7JtBeWKI/AAAAAAAAlu4/eHprk0YYwGgGEo5IJawPXAmjOkLj2B3hw/s200/471f84c5-2b84-4c4f-b991-aa160c1083f7" width="200" /></a>With his children growing up and having a hankering to come
back to Ireland, he made the decision to move back to Wexford in 2010. As he
knew, as he says “a bit about beer” and drawing on his experiences he began
planning his brewery in the middle of 2012, eventually opening around a year
ago. He currently brews around twice a week on his two thousand litre kit, and
is very open and honest with his answers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I start by talking about the beer I’d had at “Thank
Goodness, No Guinness” evening, referring to cask beer in general, and he
re-iterates what Sam Black had previously told me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I don’t do cask beer, we’re strictly keg and bottle only,”
he says. “Unlike the UK, Ireland doesn’t have cellarmen, and there’s no real
training or education in keeping and selling cask beer. It’s much easier to
clip on a keg and have a stock of bottles for both convenience sake and keeping
the beer longer. By keeping to keg and bottle, every establishment that sells
beer is a potential customer as there is no tie system over here.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m guessing it’s not quite that straight forward but he
refuses to be drawn, preferring instead to talk about the beer and how he views
the UK market.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“As a nation we’re really just dipping our toes in the craft
beer waters. With plenty of demand in Ireland expanding into the UK at this
stage would bring a huge element of risk. There is plenty of opportunity for
Irish beer to make inroads into the UK, being Irish still carries a great deal
of provenance as a location and there are lots of people living there with
Irish roots, but whether the time is right, well I’m not so sure.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“The recent Irish craft beer scene has developed along
different lines from typical English beer, taking its cue from, and emulating, American
styles. We are lucky in that even though there is a constant yearning for
newness, there is also a desire to drink what’s local.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“We have to sell our beer through pubs at the moment and not
on our own premises as a tasting room would be illegal under current Irish law.
I doubt this will change either, as there would be a lot of resistance from Irish
publicans and they form a big pressure group over here, carrying a lot of
political weight.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Having more of an understanding of the problems facing
breweries there I ask him about his future plans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’re looking to become the next Budweiser!” he jokes. “When
we came to the market, we had a range of four core beers but something a little
different from most breweries, with an Amber, an American-style Pale Ale, a
Kolsch-style beer, and a peat-smoked Stout. When I planned the brewery I had
already factored in potential growth and we have plenty of excess capacity, but
at this stage we’re purely looking at establishing our footprint locally before
considering other markets, although this most certainly would include the UK.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having spoken to those inside the industry I wanted some
insight from some consumers, so I approached Pierce Cooney with whom I’d
previously exchanged beer (I sent him some from Brentwood after he sent me a
bottle Ejector Seat, that turf-smoked stout from Cleverman), and Wayne Dunne,
the Irish Beer Snob, who releases the excellent beer podcast of that name with
his wife Janice, and knows many of the brewers in Ireland personally.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I asked them both the question I posed in the title of this
piece, whether or not they thought the time was right for Irish beer in the UK,
and if so (or not) then why? The first to respond was Pierce as Wayne had other
commitments to fulfil before getting back to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Why isn’t there more Irish craft beer in the UK? That’s a
good question. It’s probably a question of demand meeting supply. Craft beer
has grown massively in Ireland and breweries are just meeting local/Irish
demand at the moment, I’d imagine that they’re just not brewing enough to
export. There is a lot of expansion going on at the moment however, and
breweries are constantly stating that in order to survive they must export.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Secondly, in my opinion a lot of Irish beer just isn’t good
enough to export anywhere at the moment. Most core ranges consist of a Pale
Ale, a Red Ale and a Stout, and most of these are just bog-standard. It would
be my guess that many importers in the UK have turned down Irish beer purely on
the grounds of its (lack of) quality.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd2G-UmyQKw/Vwq_kbWwb4I/AAAAAAAAlzM/FYr_5WF87rMWfX2EfvSzC7PPYsZHCDlQg/s1600/2c9feebe-6855-4261-92fb-c08d1cc8e26e" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dd2G-UmyQKw/Vwq_kbWwb4I/AAAAAAAAlzM/FYr_5WF87rMWfX2EfvSzC7PPYsZHCDlQg/s200/2c9feebe-6855-4261-92fb-c08d1cc8e26e" width="200" /></a>“We’re still behind the UK in terms of innovation and scale,
there’s nothing here of the standard of Brewdog, Buxton or Thornbridge for
example, and a lot of times the beer from the UK that we actually see over here
has been that which breweries haven’t been able to sell over there, so it’s
shipped over here close to its best before date. I could be wrong, but that’s
my theory, and my fear would be that due to a crowded market the UK would get
Irish craft beer that’s just not selling in Ireland.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Having said that though, I do have a feeling that you’ll be
seeing more Irish craft beer in the UK very soon.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wayne, along with Janice, has a similar take on the
situation but with some surprising information when it comes to exports.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“Our take on it is that brewers who are setting up are first
and foremost concentrating on getting the quality right along with satisfying
demand in their local market. That in itself is a challenge given the
relatively small scale on which some of these guys operate. We are constantly
seeing new start-ups having to increase capacity within twelve months of
opening. According to the latest figures, around forty percent of Irish brewers
are exporting, although to be honest the main markets would be the US, Canada,
as well as parts of Europe. The UK market, specifically England, is a much
harder nut to crack, especially given the quality of some of the beers being
produced there right now.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“The overall quality is improving, but I do think that part
of the problem is tying up some good distribution partners, those who won’t
price their beers out of the market, particularly in relation the strength of
Sterling versus the Euro.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It used to be that only the distilling side of our alcohol
exports were being promoted abroad, so it’s good to see beer and cider being
featured as well. For the first time ever Irish craft beer was sent to the
President of the USA as part of a St. Patrick’s Day package. That was O’Hara’s
(Carlow Brewing Company), and I know that they teamed up with Wetherspoons for
their recent Cask Festival, and they have a dedicated UK distributor, but are
they just another brand in a bulging portfolio? This is where distribution
selection is crucial.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KuhhFrxxfIU/Vwq9qPP7O2I/AAAAAAAAlx0/icod3sAb9Rgi5vXRxhWxLgL7gp7zNRSxQ/s1600/697e10cd-da1c-4fc4-a495-beb0431c285b" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KuhhFrxxfIU/Vwq9qPP7O2I/AAAAAAAAlx0/icod3sAb9Rgi5vXRxhWxLgL7gp7zNRSxQ/s200/697e10cd-da1c-4fc4-a495-beb0431c285b" width="200" /></a>“To sum up, it’s down to satisfying local demand first, then
struggling to find suitable partners for export. From what I understand Bord
Bia are starting to mentor companies who are ready to export, with operations
like Ireland Craft Beers helping getting into the markets that they want to
target.”<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking at all the evidence, I’d have to conclude that
whereas I’d personally like to see more Irish craft beer readily available over
here I’m going to have to learn to be a little less selfish and wait a little
while longer. Irish brewing, ignoring the old established brewers for the
moment, is still in its infancy and needs to develop at its own rate. Somebody
at The Rake said they were about five years behind what’s been happening in the
UK, and whilst I don’t think that’s true, they’re proving to be fast learners,
I think that they still have a fair way to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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All is not lost however, and if you want to find some great
Irish beer then you just need to know where to look. Bru, for example, have
over eighty draught accounts in the UK and you can find at least one O’Hara’s
beer, the County Carlow Irish Stout, in most larger Marks and Spencer stores countrywide.
If you want a little more choice then you could do a lot worse than check out
Honest Brew’s online store, featuring beers from both Eight Degrees and White
Hag, and if you know anywhere else I can find Irish craft beer over here then
please be sure to let me know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Useful links:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.bordbia.ie/Pages/Default.aspx">Bord Bia - the Irish Food Board</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.beoir.org/">Beoir - promoting Ireland's microbreweries and a wealth of information</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blacksbrewery.com/">Blacks of Kinsale</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.irelandcraftbeers.com/">Ireland Craft Beers</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://kinnegarbrewing.ie/">Kinnegar Brewing</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.cleverman.ie/">Clever Man</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/son0vagun">Pierce Cooney on Twitter</a> - but you should also check out his Instagram account <a href="https://www.instagram.com/son0vagun/">@son0vagun</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/irishbeersnob">Wayne Dunne on Twitter</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsBeerSnob">Janice Dunne on Twitter</a> and the <a href="http://www.irishbeersnob.com/">Irish Beer Snob website</a> including links to their podcast</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://honestbrew.co.uk/">Honest Brew</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-38956375328976742132016-03-31T16:34:00.002+01:002016-04-07T21:15:07.385+01:00Rocking the boat to stop the ship sinking. Essex Beer: One year on.<br />
Beer In Essex<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Rocking the boat to stop the ship sinking</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Essex Beer: One year on</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It's been just over a year since I wrote <a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/an-open-letter-to-essex-brewers-and.html">this open letter to Essex brewers and breweries</a> and I've been taking some time recently to reflect on how things have moved on, if at all. Looking back on my posts, the people I've spoken to, notes I've made, and perhaps most importantly the beer I've tasted, I have been collecting my thoughts and coming to conclusions that don't make for comfortable reading in some instances.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">There's no doubt that 2015 was a big year for beer both in the UK and abroad and 2016 looks set to continue the trend. The number of new micro-breweries opening in the UK grew by 24% from 2013-2014 to 361, with a new brewery opening nearly every day (source: UHY Hacker Young), whilst in the US the number of breweries surpassed the previous high point of 1873, hitting a phenomenal 4100.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The global multi-nationals put big money on the table, buying controlling stakes in many well-known and highly respected 'craft' breweries. Starting with Elysian in the US being acquired by AB InBev in January, Meantime being sold to SAB Miller in May, Lagunitas selling a 50% stake to Heineken in September, and Camden Town Brewery becoming a wholly owned subsidiary on AB InBev in December, it was a year that saw Twitter erupt with bile, outrage and indignation, whilst self-righteous drinkers vowed never to touch beer from breweries they previously worshipped despite the beer itself not changing a drop.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Whilst Essex itself wasn't subject to such upheaval, there has been a marked growth in some significant areas. The number of breweries in the county increased from 29 to 33, and this was despite 1 confirmed loss (with the kit at Witham finally being removed), meaning that we've actually gained 5 new breweries (Watts & Co., Moody Goose, The Rock Brewing Co., The Pumphouse Community Brewery, and most recently Keppels) an increase of just under 14%.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWC0vZMI-JY/Vv1CYQldpiI/AAAAAAAAls8/H2XZ0BWLSysrjtFtZuoFbXhak1QOq0LXw/s1600/11eaeeba-fb85-4dd8-a224-6cdea99b1ba1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWC0vZMI-JY/Vv1CYQldpiI/AAAAAAAAls8/H2XZ0BWLSysrjtFtZuoFbXhak1QOq0LXw/s200/11eaeeba-fb85-4dd8-a224-6cdea99b1ba1" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white;">The biggest area of increase that can't have escaped your notice is the growth of the micro-pub. What began with the Hop Beer Shop opening Moulsham Street, Chelmsford in late 2014 has now expanded to Billericay, Upminster, Southend, whilst Maldon proudly boasts two, and with more in the planning stages drinkers in Essex will soon have an enviable choice of places to drink. Brewery taps continue that theme, with fresh beer direct from the brewery being an attraction not to pass up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I could of course tell you all to give yourselves a huge pat on the back, quote Harold Macmillan and tell you that "our people have never had it so good", and while that would be right to a degree there's still an awful lot that is troubling me.</span><br />
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The first thing that I come across time and again is inconsistency. Whether it be from cask or bottle I know that I'm certainly not alone in wanting the same taste that I remember from the last time I had the beer. To be fair when it comes to cask this is generally very good, however I have been known to contact brewers directly to ask if they've changed the recipe of a certain beer as it has tasted far better (and in one particularly memorable case far worse) than when I previously had it. You could say that this would be a move in the right direction and it would be if it was maintained, but if I've had occasion to come back to the beer again I have found that often it's back to its former state. I've been embarrassingly caught out more than once introducing friends to a beer after extolling its virtues only to find it a shadow of the previous pint.<br />
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Before you berate me about breweries having no control over the way cask beer is served in pubs I am fully aware of that, but this isn't just a pub thing as I've noticed it at beer festivals too, and anyway I'll be coming on to cask beer presently.<br />
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If I had to highlight one particular area that several Essex breweries have a big problem with it would be their bottled beer. Some of it simply is not good enough, not by a long stretch. One of the biggest problems is that it is seriously lacking in carbonation. Bottle-conditioning your beer might keep you 'in' with your local CAMRA branch (you wouldn't want to upset them would you?) but if it doesn't work, and I assure you in most cases it really doesn't, all you're left with is a lifeless limp liquid with none of the nuance and sparkle a great tasting pint of beer has. The yeast tastes stressed, with its muddy taste often prevalent and whilst I try to muddle through, picking out what flavours I can, others have a different way of dealing with it. They tell me about it too.<br />
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I'm often asked to recommend local beer to people, and whilst this isn't actually a very difficult job I find myself quoting the same beers from the same breweries as I know they won't go far wrong. When people find out that I write about beer they usually have something they want to tell me and it's not always great. Bottles poured down the sink, being bought back to point of sale, and customers telling retailers that they wouldn't touch a particular breweries beers ever again are just some of the stories that have been told to me from drinkers across the county and beyond. Many of these bottles were bought as gifts, a treat for a loved one or friend, or maybe just because they wanted something a little different. Well they certainly got something a little different, a beer or brewery, or possibly even a whole county's output they forever file under 'Avoid!'.<br />
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There's a saying in customer service circles that if someone gets a good experience then they'll tell another person, but if they get a bad one then they'll tell 10 people who will in turn tell 10 others. Surely the purpose of running a business is to grow and bring more customers in, or am I missing something?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXJN2JYPTh8/Vv0D3UHMHBI/AAAAAAAAlsY/xd4CPBhIza4Ti5GySalMBOh1V1bXHHxNw/s1600/c31d15d5-a93c-49fc-8a0b-648001a782f9" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXJN2JYPTh8/Vv0D3UHMHBI/AAAAAAAAlsY/xd4CPBhIza4Ti5GySalMBOh1V1bXHHxNw/s200/c31d15d5-a93c-49fc-8a0b-648001a782f9" width="200" /></a>So, on to cask beer. A fantastic pint of cask-conditioned pint really is a thing of beauty, and we are lucky in some ways as well-kept cask beer is readily available in very many places in our county and the country as a whole. Contrast this with a conversation I recently had about another piece I'm writing where I discovered that the Irish Republic only has around a dozen pubs that know how to keep cask beer properly, then you'll realise how well off we are. Because of the Irish situation the breweries produce keg and bottled beer for the pubs there, but despite more and more keg and bottle outlets being opened up and down the country the vast majority of our breweries are seemingly not noticing what has been happening in the last few years. Whether this is intentional self-blinkering, thinking that the whole 'craft' thing is just a fad that will pass soon enough, or not wishing to fall out with the (in some instances rather scary) local CAMRA members I'm not sure. What I do know is that the beer scene in this country has changed in the last decade, and it has changed forever. Whilst I'm pleased to see some movements towards keg, and some have dabbled for a little while now, I appreciate that not all will want to look that way, however the writing is starting to appear on the wall. When it comes down to survival of the fittest then it might be a little too late to started re-inventing yourself.<br />
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It's time for me to get out my own particular drum and start banging it now, and some of you that know me reasonably well will know I've been playing this one for around six months now. Don't you know that it's good to talk?<br />
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I don't mean exchanging pleasantries at beer festivals, or picking up the phone to see if you have any spare hops, I'm referring to a real exchange of ideas or trying to work out problems together. I know that some of you are frightened about competitors doing the same beer that you've been planning for ages, but this isn't the Cold War for goodness sake, we need more trust in this day and age not less after all. In any case, any rival brewer would be foolish to rush out a beer that you've spent time perfecting (provided that you have) and brewing properly, putting out an inferior product before you are ready, and nothing will stop then trying to copy or better your beer after you've released it anyway, whether you've spoken to them or not. If that hasn't occurred to you then you haven't really though it through properly have you?<br />
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An avenue that some of you have turned to is to bring in a consultant, someone who has worked in the industry for a while with a 'proven' track record. I also know what some of you think of them when you've had a chance to reflect. Perhaps that might be a good topic of discussion to start with when you finally pick up the phone to each other.<br />
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Finally, if you think that I'm quite fortunate in that I don't have to change or move out of my comfort zone and it's all too easy for me to pass judgement then you'd be right, or at least you would have been a year ago. In the last year, having been with the same company for the last 28 years I found that I wasn't happy with the way things were going. I needed a challenge, something new, so I took on a new role. A new role meant training, extra hours, the possibility of failure (which would have cost me my job) and I have to admit that it wasn't easy. However, after some considered trial and error, having the excellent support of my peers and colleagues, and not being afraid to try new things, things that took me way out of my comfort zone at times, it all came together, the hard work paid off and began to reap the rewards. I continue to do so, it's a job I enjoy immensely, but I'm not so foolish that I can't see that I need to stay one step ahead of the game and that there is always something that I can improve on an work at, all the time keeping one eye on the competition. Can you see where I'm coming from now?<br />
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One very last note. I'm not going to name names or point fingers at this point as I can't see that being anything other than destructive at this stage, so don't even ask me if you see me. That doesn't mean that I'd never go there, just that I don't feel that the situation warrants it at the moment and I'd like to think it wouldn't get to that point. I will say that if you have a suspicion that any of these situations apply to you or your brewery than you may be right, and if you think that they definitely don't then you might want to think again.<br />
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With reference to the slightly mixed metaphor in the title, I hope that rocks the boat just a little bit.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-87374976970504633682016-03-22T22:18:00.005+00:002016-03-23T16:02:59.628+00:00Music, Moving, and a Mystery too. The Franklins Tale.<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>Music, Moving, and a Mystery too</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.yourround.co.uk/ViewImage.aspx?TableName=Brewer&IdColumn=BrewerID&Value=965&FieldName=BrewerPicture&ImageType=BrewerPicture" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.yourround.co.uk/ViewImage.aspx?TableName=Brewer&IdColumn=BrewerID&Value=965&FieldName=BrewerPicture&ImageType=BrewerPicture" height="193" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Franklins Tale</b></span><br />
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I remember seeing an interview with Eddie Izzard, the cross-dressing comedian with a penchant for marathon running, a few years ago in which he described the town he grew up in as "Rock and Roll Bexhill-on-Sea". I am assuming that he had his tongue very firmly in his cheek when he made that off-hand statement but I am reliably informed that the music is turned up extra loud when they make beer in that particular part of Sussex.<br />
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<a href="http://franklinsbrewery.co.uk/">Franklins Brewery</a> was founded in 2010 when Gary Doel bought Whites Brewery in Pebsham, Bexhill-on-Sea and changed its name and also bought a brewery in Yorkshire at around the same time, moving the kit down to the south coast to replace the older equipment that Whites were then using.<br />
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In 2012 Steve Medniuk formerly of Dark Star, joined the the brewery, and in just over a year bought Gary out on the 22nd October 2013, realising a long-standing ambition of owning his own brewery.<br />
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They brew on a ten barrel kit, having recently added two new conical fermeters and currently have four employees, Steve, Andrew, Paul, and Tanvir.<br />
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I was contacted by Tan (who handles their social media) a few weeks ago asking if he could send me samples of their new bottled beer to try, a new venture for them, and provide them with some feedback. I'm always keen to try something I haven't had before, and as East Sussex isn't my usual patch I wanted to find out more about the brewery and the way they operate.<br />
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It is to the first sentence of the press release that accompanied the bottles that I alluded to in my first paragraph; "Our micro-brewery is nestled on the beautiful sunny Sussex coast and it is here with the music turned up loud that we make our beer." The bottles arrived with a very plain and distinctive white label, another musical reference (white label releases in the days of vinyl were generally pre-release copies, or rare editions or those with exclusive mixes, and not available for sale), so rather than dive straight in I sent back an email with a few questions, firstly asking about what music they listen to when they're brewing.<br />
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"We are largely into Electronica and 90s music" Tan replied, "With Andy Wetherall mixes, Daft Punk and the Stone Roses being amongst our favourites. Our beers aren't boring and we hope that this reflects our personalities. Living in Brighton we're all pretty liberal social and bohemian and collaborations with artists, bands, record labels, festivals, independent film makers are all opportunities we would love."<br />
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After being cask only I wonder if the bottles are just an experiment at this stage, or part of a longer term plan. Will this format be exclusively for seasonal or limited release beers or can we expect to see the full range of Franklins beers in bottle in the future?<br />
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"The white label releases are just an experiment at this stage. We're in the process of re-branding at the moment, so when the designs are signed off they will be uniform across both pump clips and bottles. We do hope to expand the bottle range to encompass all of our beers, with Pavilion 35 most likely to be next followed by our new kegged Pilsner (tasting great by the way, with a lovely bitterness and a fresh dry finish)."<br />
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It's a shame I haven't got any of the Pilsner today, but it should be appearing in local bars soon I gather. That aside, what future plans does the brewery have?<br />
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"Well we've outgrown our current home as our sales figures have sky-rocketed lately and the beer is selling very quickly. We have a brand new 15 barrel custom made kit on order but I think it's more likely that we'll move premises before that arrives. We already have a short-list of locations and we'll be staying in Sussex too. All four of us currently live in Brighton so we wouldn't want to be more than a hours travel away from there."<br />
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"You'll be seeing more kegged beer from us in the future too, and there's plans for a canning line in our new location at some point. Beer-wise, look out for a grapefruit pale ale at the start of the summer along with some experimental German inspired brews. Steve loves to visit Berlin, he has friends there, so something with a German influence seems an obvious thing for us to try."<br />
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With my appetite firmly whetted, I need get into those beers and find out what I've actually been sent.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMtxyDgNbEo/VvFt23SGZaI/AAAAAAAAlqY/7fY5q0lvsDUL4w_peaR3S-zsJJoPk42XQ/s1600/3f014e55-f63f-4a95-8d08-5a7797313638" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMtxyDgNbEo/VvFt23SGZaI/AAAAAAAAlqY/7fY5q0lvsDUL4w_peaR3S-zsJJoPk42XQ/s320/3f014e55-f63f-4a95-8d08-5a7797313638" width="320" /></a>First out of the box is <b>Mama Knows Best (4.2%)</b>, described as a malty, modern Best Bitter brewed with English malt and Mosaic hops.<br />
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It pours a beautiful Rosewood-Amber colour with a creamy off-white head sitting in the glass very invitingly, precisely the colour I look for in this style and shows that they know how to use their malts well. The aroma has a hint of mango but this is dominated by the smell of a freshly unwrapped strawberry flavoured Starburst sweet, I can almost taste the chewiness and, like the advert used to say back when they were called Opal Fruits in my childhood, it's making my mouth water. A light prickle of carbonation down the length of my tongue releases a muted earthy fruity caramel with mango, chewy lime and some plum notes balanced against a mellow brown sugar maltiness before this playful party combination is crashed by a pithy bitterness. The finish is woody and bitter with a light creaminess, and it sits surprisingly heavily on the centre of the tongue for some time before it fades with a little more sugary sweetness.<br />
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This is a good example of an English Best Bitter, very balanced and tasty without delivering anything remarkably different. The hopping is well done but I wouldn't immediately have picked it as Mosaic, although on consideration all the clues were there, and I think that's probably because I've become more accustomed to it featuring in heavily hopped Pale Ales, IPAs and Lagers. The big question is of course whether I'd have it again, and if I saw it on a bar in cask then I'd definitely give it another go as the added carbonation it would get from being hand-pulled would release more of the fruity creaminess in this beer that I absolutely love.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MdIIePNoJgQ/VvGCHiV7KiI/AAAAAAAAlq4/-DK_e3nQjU89ubTJPIU7_MI0S79V3qh4A/s1600/1505bc5e-36fc-4ede-a5a4-b8126943f1a1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MdIIePNoJgQ/VvGCHiV7KiI/AAAAAAAAlq4/-DK_e3nQjU89ubTJPIU7_MI0S79V3qh4A/s320/1505bc5e-36fc-4ede-a5a4-b8126943f1a1" width="320" /></a>According to the notes I've been sent Franklins <b>Citra IPA (5.5%) </b>is "zesty, full and punchy", whilst the description on their website plays on the hop shortage and how they've "moved mountains" to make this beer available to their customer. Admirable stuff, but the real key is how it actually tastes and as there are already some very well known and widely available single hopped Citra hopped IPAs available that will be the real deal-breaker here.<br />
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The signs are promising from the outset as it has that classic citra beer aroma of caramel drizzled pineapple and mango that you might expect. Pouring a light but fiery copper colour with a thin white head I need to drink the thing to find out more than it's telling me at the moment. My first impression is that it's a bit of a bruiser, as full and punchy as I was promised, big on bitterness and big on flavour, but whilst all the right citrus and tropical fruit pointers are there it seems a little squashed together in a big gooey burst of intensely overwhelming and slightly muddled flavour. The caramel courageously beats it's way through the mire before being brutally stamped on by a clean and mercifully brief boot of bitterness. Thankfully there's still some life left in it, and even though it's swansong is fleeting it's well rounded, light, sweet and rather lovely.<br />
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You may feel I've been a little harsh on this beer but as I mentioned earlier the citra IPA market already has some well regarded champions and while this is good it doesn't quite step up to the next level. I'm sure that many of you will like this beer, and like it a lot, so if you see it around then give it a try. This is another that I'd like to find on cask or indeed keg, just so that I can give it another go.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-carN59U7Pc8/VvGu8qfRbVI/AAAAAAAAlrc/Q54dzL7ZKQsoZuqtEFgGif2H7C3ZLiVkA/s1600/88e66f1b-4dff-48c5-b466-5cf1adeec42a" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-carN59U7Pc8/VvGu8qfRbVI/AAAAAAAAlrc/Q54dzL7ZKQsoZuqtEFgGif2H7C3ZLiVkA/s320/88e66f1b-4dff-48c5-b466-5cf1adeec42a" width="320" /></a>The final beer of the three is <b>Old Smokey (5.0%)</b>, a "dark, smokey Porter" brewed with beech smoked malt, oatmeal and chipotle chillies. The best Chilli Porters have a slow building heat that works alongside the chocolate toastiness of the malts but never quite over-powering them. Adding the beechwood smoked element, surely a nod to German Rauchbiers brewed in Bamberg, will hopefully give it an extra twist.<br />
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It pours a little thinner than I expected, its deep brown revealing ruby red highlights as I hold it up to the light, but its thin beige head dissipates disappointingly quickly possibly meaning than the oatmeal is being used for body here rather than head retention. The aroma is just as I'd hoped it would be, lightly smokey with the distinctive 'hot' smell of chilli heat, all on top of some sweet and deep milk chocolate. My suspicions about the oatmeal are confirmed when I drink it as it has more body than I first thought, and although it's undoubtedly smooth there's a touch of oiliness about it too, adding a hint of unctuousness. The chocolate is certainly the first thing that you notice as it sweeps across the tongue like the strokes of a flamboyant artists brush, gently depositing a burst of chilli heat perfectly at the top rear of the palate. The finish has an initial mineral taste before it slides away with a different, slightly fruity chocolate note leaving that prickly warmth gently tickling the back of my throat.<br />
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Of the three beers I find this the most interesting, its combination of elements giving it different layers to explore. Unlike the other two however, I think the 330ml bottle it comes in is exactly how I'd like to drink it as personally I think a pint would be a rather too much.<br />
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If you're curious about any of these beers then they can be found at Eebria Trade online, Bison Beer and Trafalgar Wines in Brighton, Borough Wines in Eastbourne, direct from the brewery itself of course, and at various pubs, restaurants and bars across Sussex.<br />
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I did receive these beers for free, they were sent to me to appraise and feed back to Franklins, writing about them was my decision and I don't feel that my opinion has been altered because of this. If you'd like another opinion though you can read Rach Smith's <a href="https://lookatbrew.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/review-franklins-brewery-bottled-range-qa/">recent review here</a> on her excellent Look At Brew blog.<br />
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Finally, it's time the mystery I promised in the title. Having made enquiries, reading local press cuttings online and asking the chaps from the brewery itself, nobody seems to know where the name of the brewery actually comes from. I used the Chaucer reference mainly as it suited my purposes here, but if anyone can enlighten me, or indeed them, I'd love to hear from you.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-59868916362691916062016-02-06T21:10:00.003+00:002016-02-07T08:40:48.649+00:00Beer In Essex: Brentwood Reclaimed<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Beer In Essex</b></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: black;">Brentwood Reclaimed</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>A Local Odyssey</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">At the beginning of January I was asked if I'd like to contribute to this years <a href="http://www.tryanuary.co.uk/">#tryanuary</a> campaign by writing a few words for the website as a guest blogger. Obviously I wanted to do something Essex-related but I also wanted to do something that I hadn't done before, something new. That is after all the essence of #tryanuary. Luckily for me my inspiration was close at hand, and I decided to revisit, rediscover and in some cases uncover some of the pubs that I had in my local town that I didn't know.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">With one exception, which reveals itself instantly, I hadn't drunk in any of these pubs for at least ten years if at all. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Unfortunately time restraints meant that they didn't all make the blog but they're all here, and for me they have become: Brentwood Reclaimed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The Brewery Tap</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7P6KfbZDFnO_MLzvdCWMEZWPPZtppOuerppN2lebflf5Sf4lGlsR3KG3uEEZcxHFWti72gwO4lPNCybSnGPkE8tHTwCk6LOzG7lsyMcHiwI2QPsPdOo0T0ZWsN9C8eNULWUnssfG1LSe_/s1600/BT1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7P6KfbZDFnO_MLzvdCWMEZWPPZtppOuerppN2lebflf5Sf4lGlsR3KG3uEEZcxHFWti72gwO4lPNCybSnGPkE8tHTwCk6LOzG7lsyMcHiwI2QPsPdOo0T0ZWsN9C8eNULWUnssfG1LSe_/s320/BT1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Towards the bottom of King Street, less than a minute from
the Brewery Tap. Once part of A. Fielder and Company, brewers, before the rest
of the site was converted into shops in the late 1920s, the actual pub building
and layout remain unchanged.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used to drink in here when we first moved to the area as
an old school friend used to live next door, but it’s been more than a decade
since I last crossed the threshold. It’s not changed much, which is to its
credit, and as I sit here on a Wednesday afternoon I reckon it’s not a bad
place to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a group of men aged 35-50 discussing the latest
episode of Countdown whilst three women in the corner are gossiping about
mutual friends, a half of lager each and a few empty packets of crisps sit
ignored on the table in front of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from Timothy Taylor’s Landlord there’s Fuller’s London
Pride, Adnams Ghost Ship and Southwold Bitter on the bar. The beer tastes good,
and as I drain my glass I wish I had more time. It’s been a while since I’ve
been in here, but it won’t be too long before I’m back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Victoria Arms</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just around the corner from the Sainsbury’s superstore,
tucked snugly into its space on the Ongar Road is the Victoria Arms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Built in the late 1860s this Victorian boozer, a Gray &
Sons tied house, could make a very good case for being the most aesthetically
pleasing of all of Brentwood’s pubs. Head inside, through the unusual internal
porch and you’ll discover that it’s bigger inside than it looks from the
street, cleaner and brighter too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The interior is split into two distinct sections, and
although you can freely between them now it’s not difficult to spot where the
central corridor once led to a Tap Room on the left and a Saloon Bar on the
right. Look back from the bar and you can see the writing on the period etched
windows confirms this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Six hand pumps greet you, and I’m told that there’s a fair
chance that you’ll find a beer from an Essex brewery on one of them. There’s
four beers from Cornwall, two each from Sharp’s and Skinners, Greene King IPA
and Maldon’s Farmers Golden Boar, on the bar when I pop in at lunchtime, and if
you’re so inclined Heineken’s Meister lager provides a drinkable alternative to
some of the usual brands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A mix of ages of both sexes occupy the tables that keep to the
edges of the room, eating, drinking and talking, each absorbed in their own
company.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I take my pint and retreat to a table near the door to
observe the comings and goings, content to watch the world go by for half an
hour or so. The woman who served me comes out from behind the bar to clean the
tables as soon as the patrons leave, smiling happily to herself as she does so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I rather like the Victoria Arms and I’m guessing you will
too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Artichoke</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Standing like a guardian at the gateway to the town, The
Artichoke has seen some changes in the two centuries of its existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Viewed from the busy crossroads that quarters Shenfield
Common the uninformed visitor would never guess it’s true, older identity as,
following a mysterious roof fire in July 2000, Mitchell and Butler’s reduced
then removed that name from the building completely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a Toby Carvery now, Home of the Roast, it proudly
proclaims, and it’s a bustling temple to the most traditional of English fare
from breakfast time through to dinner and beyond. Cars pull in and cars pull
out from the featureless car park behind the pub disgorging their passengers
before waiting silently for them to return on this asphalt wasteland where, a
mere stone’s throw away, 19 year old William Hunter was burnt at the stake
during the reign of Bloody Mary for refusing to retract his Protestant beliefs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brentwood school is just next door, counting Douglas Adams,
Hardy Amies, Robin Day, Griff Rhys Jones, Noel Edmunds and Keith Allen amongst
its illustrious and not-so alumni. I’m given to wonder how many of them may
have sneaked out of the dormitory for a clandestine pint or two in the later
years of their attendance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I doubt that they’d find much there to excite them today.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The polish gold metal fonts dispense Stella Artois, Carling,
Carlsberg and Magners cider, Tetley Bitter and Fuller’s London Pride all on keg.
I ask if they have any cask or interesting bottled beer, they don’t so I opt
for a half of the latter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a soulless food factory now, designed to satisfy but
not to be enjoyed as a pub should. There’s nobody waiting for anyone to arrive,
no groups gathering for a drink before a night out, no clubs or associations
meet here and the token bar seating area to the right of the door goes
unnoticed by those waiting to be seated at the sign they must obey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have no reason to linger, so I drink quickly and leave. I
don’t look back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Robin</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s been a beer house on this site for at least the last
three hundred years, and in a survey of businesses in 1788 it was notable for
being the only one of eleven public house not on the High Street. It was known
as the Robin Hood then, and more recently the Robin Hood and Little John,
however a makeover and a change of name from legendary benevolent outlaw to
red-breasted Christmas bird has given the building a different feel. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recall the Robin Hood and Little John having a dubious
reputation, but recent refurbishments have transformed the place I’m told by
Tara who works behind the bar and is happy to chat and extol its virtues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a Heineken pub, not a temple of beer with Heineken,
Amstel and Moretti on keg, and Deuchars IPA and Old Speckled Hen are the only
cask beers (“because they sell well” I’m told) although they are occasionally
replaced with seasonal variations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A television opposite the bar shows Sky Sports, but it’s
unobtrusive and I barely notice the sound coming from it despite me being the
only customer. The interior is smart, light, clean and spacious, and the
central bar is accessible from two of the three distinct areas that were once
separate rooms. That was several alterations ago and you can walk between them
easily now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Situated on the main Ongar to Tilbury road along which once
timber from Epping Forest was taken down to the docks, it’s taken me ten
minutes to walk here from the centre of town so I’m in need of a drink. The
Caledonian Deuchars IPA is the only sensible choice as far as I’m concerned and
I’m delighted to find that it’s well kept and sparklingly bight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The menu is American inspired; burgers hot dogs, pulled pork
and chilli, but a packet of Monster Munch is enough for me today, and I make my
way to a table near the door to devour them hungrily. After taking a delivery
Tara returns and engages me if conversation once more and we happily put the
world to rights chatting about local pubs, many of which she’s worked in, until
it’s time for me to leave.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Robin is the furthest pub in Brentwood from where I live
and the beer range isn’t exciting enough to entice me across town often, but if
I’m passing and want a place to rest and chat then I just might pop in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Gardeners Arms</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the oldest part of Brentwood, just behind the High
Street, you’ll find the Gardeners Arms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Built in the early eighteenth century as a workhouse for the
poor of the parish, it fell under the ownership of the Billericay Union
Workhouse in 1835 before being sold as an inn two years later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It stood on Back Street in those days and overlooked fields
leading to Thorndon Woods, but times change and so did the name of the road and
it now stands stoically on Hart Street whilst giggling day trippers on their
TOWIE tour scuttle briskly past on their way to the Crown Street boutiques.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing I notice on entering is how dingy the place
is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cross to the bar and have a choice of Greene King IPA or
Sharp’s Doom Bar so I opt for a half of the latter. It’s poured in silence, the
barman only speaking to tell me the price, and he takes my money and retreats
to a stool on the other side of the counter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two men who look to be in their early sixties sitting
adjacent to where I stand stop talking whilst I’m at the bar, only resuming
their conversation when I’ve taken my beer to a far table.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The horseshoe shaped seating area was clearly once two
separate bars, lit only by eight dim lamps, a fruit machine, five keg founts
and two large televisions showing an R&B music channel. The barman is
listening to talk radio from a old transistor and it sounds as if it’s coming
from the inside of a wet cardboard box.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The beer is passable if unremarkable so I quickly finish the
last third and head out into the rain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Rising Sun</b></span></div>
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It’s unusual for a pub to open in the middle of the
afternoon these days. Three o’clock used to be the time when last orders were
called not so long ago, but from Monday to Friday this is the time that the
first pint of the day is pulled in the Rising Sun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Noted as a “beer shop” in an Essex Chronicle report of 1851
and a quarter of a century later as a “beer house”, the current building dates
from 1912 when the original was demolished and rebuilt in what was its own
garden to accommodate the widening of the Ongar to Tilbury road on which it
stands.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is currently the only pub in Brentwood to feature in the
Good Beer Guide and consists of two rooms with very separate uses. One is the
lounge with a scattering of tables and chairs as well as some stools at the
bar, whilst just beyond a smaller brighter space has two dart boards and a
fruit machine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Five hand pumps are arrayed in front of me as I enter, with
Timmy Taylor’s Landlord, Fuller’s London Pride and Sharp’s Cornish Coaster
permanent fixtures with the other two usually featuring a local beer, at least
one of which is from the nearby Brentwood Brewery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s obviously a regulars pub as everybody seems to know
everyone who comes and goes, and although I don’t fall into that category
they’re friendly enough and don’t seem bothered that I have entered their
midst. It’s relaxed, and I feel comfortable taking my pint to a nearby table to
watch the evening unfold. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s fairly busy, not overly so but steady enough and I find
myself wishing this pub was on my walk home rather than being in completely the
opposite direction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t think why I’ve never been in here before and order
myself another pint. I could be here a while.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Nags Head</b></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Although technically in the parish of South Weald, the Nags
Head is the first pub that you pass should you pull off the M25 at junction 28
and head towards Brentwood itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Originally a rural public house on the main route from London
to Colchester, ownership can be traced back to 1826, it stands close to the
crossing of two major roads, the M25 and the A12.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a large brick building with an even larger car park, a
destination for diners rather than the thirsty forest and field workers of
times past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Heading up some steps to the pub itself it has the feel of a
slightly up market carvery rather than a pub and my suspicions are confirmed as
I head inside. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For half past two on a Thursday afternoon it’s surprisingly
busy and I have to wait a few minutes for a table as my companion and I have
come down for a late lunch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There’s a small but comfortable seating and waiting area
before you get to the desk of the table manager and the bar, and it’s bright
and clean inside with wooden floors and muted tones. It’s efficient but
relatively informal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A varied crowd of reasonably-dressed people have clearly
made a little effort to come out to eat and chatter comfortably as they eat,
office workers, two elderly ladies, young families and a group out for a
birthday lunch are occupy the tables around us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are two hand pumps on the bar, Doom Bar and Broadside,
and it’s the latter I fancy and order a pint. When it arrives it’s a little
flat but palatable and not in the greatest condition. If I’d have thought about
it then perhaps I should have gone for the Sharp’s beer, being the lighter of
the two it probably turns over a little quicker.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The food however is good, tasty and relatively reasonably
priced with the triple-cooked chunky chips in particular being very nice
indeed, but we’re on limited time and we eat up hungrily and go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d come back for food, but not for beer, and as it’s quite
a walk from both where I live and the town centre I doubt I’ll return soon.
Strangely a small part of me finds that a bit of a shame.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Hutton Junction, Hutton</b></span></div>
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<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
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It’s Wednesday night and I’ve arrived back at Shenfield
station a little earlier than I expected. Finding myself with a half hour to
call my own I forgo my usual route up Mount Avenue, push on past my turning and
head to the Hutton Junction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dating from at least the mid 1880s when the local railway
station had the rather longer name of Shenfield and Hutton Junction due to the
fact that it lies on the parish boundary of both, you’ll notice that it’s not
actually a Brentwood pub. I’m sure you’ll forgive me this indiscretion as it’s
a pub I’ve not visiting it before despite working just up the road for six
years and only being a half hour walk from the centre of Brentwood itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s a Gray’s pub now, one always meant to go in but never
quite made it. A ‘not quite but nearly’ pub that always fell at the final
hurdle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tonight I bite an eighteen year bullet (I don’t live that
far away either), head inside … and wonder why it’s taken me so long.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Walking up to the bar, the conversation around me is relaxed
and friendly and the smile I get from the woman who serves me puts me at ease
in an instant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are five cask beers to choose from this evening,
Greene King IPA, Pendle’s Blonde Witch, Belhaven Burns Ale, Greene King XX
Mild, and the beer I opt for Cottage’s Full Steam Ahead. I take my pint to the
only unoccupied table and take a seat just as the bell for last orders rings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking around the sounds are muted and respectful
considering the late hour, and I recognise the faces of a few customers from
work and one or two others who live locally. We smile and nod and carry on. No
more is necessary.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I finish my pint and wind my way home just as the glasses
are being collected. The perfect end to a good evening. I make a mental note to
get a slightly earlier train home next time I’m in London so that I can squeeze
in just one more drink at the Hutton Junction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>
</o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><b>The Spread Eagle</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
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All journeys, whether good or bad end with a return home. Or
at least to somewhere you feel at home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Spread Eagle is that place for me. It’s not my closest
pub, but it’s on my journey home, and in recent times and due to recent changes
it has become my local.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s one of those pubs that, if you didn’t know it was there
then you’d easily miss it. A stark white mid-Victorian building its triangular
shape at a slight angle to both Queens Road and Coptfold Road at whose apex
junction it sits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Familiar places, familiar faces.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Head inside and look left to see a narrowing seating area
with wooden tables of various heights, mis-matched chairs and an out-of-tune
piano. Off to the right it opens out a little, and even though there’s slightly
less seating it’s more comfortable and relaxed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In front of you is the bar which has a few high stools, and
on which stands three hand pumps serving draught Bass, Sharp’s Atlantic and
Adnams Broadside, all kept in immaculate condition by Jack, an experienced
landlord despite his relatively young years. The keg fonts have Shipyard IPA
and Greene King East Coast, with Estrella, Amstel, Moretti and Staropramen the
lager options, but you might see Brooklyn Lager in the place of the latter in
the not-too distant future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Bottles from Brewdog, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island and
Curious Brew can be found in the fridge, offering a safe but tasty diversion if
you’d like a change from the usual.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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My usual is the Atlantic, at least for my first drink, and I
ordered a pint when I came in. It tastes great and after a minute or replying
to a work email I wander over to the bar for a chat with Jack, and we swap
anecdotes whilst he expands on ideas he has for the place we’ve discussed on a
few occasions. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A visit from Greene King head brewer John Bexon was well
received, and the first of the brewing / home brewing club meetings due to take
place of the 15<sup>th</sup> February has attracted a lot of interest from
local home-brewers, commercial brewers and even further afield.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I return to my seat as there are customers requiring
service, and I look around the bar with a contented sigh as soft soul music
plays in the background. I finish my drink and decide whether to have another
or head home. Looking at my watch it’s later than I thought. Maybe just a half.</div>
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-66175442010245222972016-01-21T19:21:00.002+00:002016-01-23T13:48:05.231+00:00Beer In Essex: Beer Brothers - Saffron Brewery<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-InJHCx-E19Y/VqEOkot5m2I/AAAAAAAAlg8/5lbMp9IvQo4/s1600/IMG_4307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-InJHCx-E19Y/VqEOkot5m2I/AAAAAAAAlg8/5lbMp9IvQo4/s200/IMG_4307.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Beer In Essex</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;"><b>Beer Brothers</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;"><b>Saffron Brewery</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
It's mid-November, and there's a definite chill in the air as I walk down the drive of Parsonage Farm towards the <a href="http://saffronbrewery.co.uk/">Saffron Brewery</a>, the imposing shadow of the church of St Mary the Virgin blocking out the sun making it just that little bit colder.<br />
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I've made the visit to Henham, a small picturesque Essex village that is by distance a few miles north of Stansted Airport although a world away in time, with David Ginn of <a href="https://twitter.com/essex_food">Essex Food</a>. He has kindly driven us both there, and after a brief stop to take some photographs of the 'chocolate-box' thatched cottages across the village green we find ourselves right on time for our midday appointment.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-QHgbKTZCQ/VqEPYzDMHhI/AAAAAAAAlhk/kxZzV0ZmWNQ/s1600/IMG_4308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-QHgbKTZCQ/VqEPYzDMHhI/AAAAAAAAlhk/kxZzV0ZmWNQ/s200/IMG_4308.JPG" width="200" /></a>I went to a meet-the-brewer that Saffron did in Chelmsford in the summer and recognise James as we get nearer, pacing up and down outside the main entrance with his mobile phone glued to his ear. He waves his acknowledgement but continues his earnest conversation before finishing abruptly and shaking our hands warmly introducing himself. Another door opens, from what I later learn is the office and shop, and his brother Ed appears rolling up his sleeves and shakes our hands too.<br />
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The warmth of the welcome and the ease with which we fall into conversation has made me briefly forget the temperature outside, but after chatting for about ten minutes or so we all decide that it's best if we head inside.<br />
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The first phase of Saffron Brewery started in May 2006 when the then owner and brewer Tony Barrett launched its first official beer at the 33rd Cambridge Beer Festival. The beers soon developed a strong local following and sold well, so much so that the only pub in Henham, the Cock Inn just across from the brewery, continued to stock it despite being ordered not to by Punch Taverns.<br />
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Tony was joined soon after by Dave Hill in order to expand the business, and he took over control of the operation, briefly sharing the site with Bishop Stortford Brewery, before the Hoskins family stepped in and bought Saffron outright in 2013.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3oGxNxBmng/VqEPkc-LqWI/AAAAAAAAlh4/UgxFULjhaHs/s1600/IMG_4311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I3oGxNxBmng/VqEPkc-LqWI/AAAAAAAAlh4/UgxFULjhaHs/s200/IMG_4311.JPG" width="200" /></a>I ask them why they decided to go into brewing, and James informs me that it was a natural progression for him. "I'd run the pub (the St. Radegund in Cambridge) since 2009, and before that I was in the building trade. We used to stock the beers, and when the opportunity came up it seemed like the logical thing to do."<br />
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Despite some early problems, they managed to get the brewery how they wanted it and began adding some of the beers that they wanted to brew to the range that they inherited. As with many smaller regional breweries however, they don't get to experiment as much as they'd, or at least Ed, would like.<br />
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"We have our core beers and our seasonals, and they are proving very popular," he tells me, "and when you have a limited amount of kit it's hard to find time to plan and brew another beer. Our customers ask us for specific beers, and we don't want to let them down."<br />
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I get a sense that Ed would like to brew a few more different beers though and occasionally gets his own way, the recent Saffron Galaxy with its distinctive sci-fi themed label being particularly memorable, the Galaxy hop's beautiful passion fruit and mango flavour, its tropical aroma bursting from the glass.<br />
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They've also recently brewed their first collaboration beer with <a href="https://twitter.com/OGBeerMag">Daniel Neilson</a> of <a href="http://www.originalgravitymag.com/">Original Gravity magazine</a> and comedian Ed Byrne. "Humour Me" is described as a golden harvest ale, based on their Saffron Blonde with a higher caramalt content, but this has fermented out beautifully leaving a deliciously lingering brown sugar sweetness. If you're lucky you might still find some bottles out there, I believe Ales By Mail have some, but it sold very briskly I'm told.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_frqIkbJ9M/VqEPxIvBKgI/AAAAAAAAliQ/5VexsW215oE/s1600/IMG_4314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_frqIkbJ9M/VqEPxIvBKgI/AAAAAAAAliQ/5VexsW215oE/s200/IMG_4314.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Inevitably I have to ask them what's next.<br />
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James becomes quite guarded here, and pauses before answering, choosing his words carefully.<br />
"Well, we already have the St. Radegund in Cambridge as our brewery tap, but we're in the process of buying and converting a new pub locally, just outside Saffron Walden (from which the brewery gets its name) but I don't want to say too much about that at this stage, just in case."<br />
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That pub is the Bluebell Inn, in Hempstead, Essex, I can now reveal, and will hopefully be opening relatively soon so keep an eye on their website for details of that.<br />
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As far as beer is concerned, I'm told that they will be trying a few different things in January and February with a Pilsner-style lager and 6-7% abv US-style hoppy IPA beers to look out for.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CJD4sJl8oXc/VqEP9bQsyBI/AAAAAAAAlik/koGVibuGirg/s1600/IMG_4313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CJD4sJl8oXc/VqEP9bQsyBI/AAAAAAAAlik/koGVibuGirg/s200/IMG_4313.JPG" width="200" /></a>The afternoon passes quickly in beer and conversation, particularly as we are generously treated to a tasting of the full bottled range. I make some cursory tasting notes and buy quite a few, ready for the third and final part of my Essex bottled beer series which you can expect to see in a month or two.<br />
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We take some final pictures and head off home just as the sun is setting on what has been a thoroughly enjoyable day. I hadn't written too much down but I was taking away some good memories, as well as a very heavy bag full of beer.<br />
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It's been two months since my visit and things have moved on apace. There's more to come from Saffron Brewery and you'll be hearing from me again soon about some quite exciting developments. Watch this space, as they say.<br />
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Saffron Brewery can be found at:<br />
The Cartshed,<br />
Parsonage Farm,<br />
Henham,<br />
Essex<br />
CM22 6AN<br />
Tel. 01279 850923<br />
On twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/SaffronBrewery">@SaffronBrewery</a> and on Facebook at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaffronBrewery/?fref=ts">Saffron Brewery</a><br />
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They have a shop on site where you can buy bottles, glasses and mini-casks, and will be hosting a series of tasting evenings at the brewery itself the first of which was on 22nd January, so if you're in the area or just fancy an evening in the Essex countryside with an extra attraction then keep an eye on their website for further details.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-42641802012817853062016-01-05T07:34:00.001+00:002016-01-05T07:34:24.543+00:00#12EssexBeersofChristmas The Twelfth Day - Twelfth Night<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Twelve <span style="color: red;">Essex </span>Beers of Christmas</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
It's the Twelfth Day of Christmas, or Twelfth Night or Epiphany if you's prefer, and it's time for my last entry of this Essex seasonal selection, and the beer I've chosen is particularly apt for the day.<br />
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As it's the last day I'm going to take this opportunity to look forward to some of the things that I'll be up to for <a href="https://twitter.com/BeerInEssex">@BeerInEssex</a> this year.<br />
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You can expect quite a few features on Essex Breweries as I'll be getting out and about to bring you more stories from our county's brewers starting with Saffron who I visited towards the end of last year. I'll also be finishing off my guide to Essex bottled beer starting with Pitfield/Dominion and finishing with Wibblers, hopefully finding a few gems along the way.<br />
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I have a couple of projects that I'm hoping to come to fruition, some of which are in the very early stages but could prove to be rather exciting but we'll have to wait and see. I'm also planning to brew again this year, and a beer with Billericay Brewing has been in the pipeline for a while and if everything falls into place we hope to have it available at the Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival in February.<br />
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That's all to come and I'll hope you'll join me, or at least look in from time to time, but for now the time has come to open one final Essex Christmas Beer.<br />
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<b>The Twelfth Day, Twelfth Night:</b><br />
<b>George's Brewery - Balthazar's Feast 9.0%</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This Extra Strong Old Ale has a curious name combining both that of the wise man (King or mage) who is supposed to have brought the gift of myrrh to the infant Jesus, an event that is celebrated today, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and a story in the book of Daniel, Belshazzar's Feast (which is also a painting by Rembrandt) where King Belshazzar holds a great Feast using the cups from the great Temple, but dies that night for his blasphemy. Hoping not to meet the same fate, I'm going to pour this out.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPCRyC4i0Nk/VotstcGqBbI/AAAAAAAAleU/-OKTO9yxswM/s1600/IMG_4789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPCRyC4i0Nk/VotstcGqBbI/AAAAAAAAleU/-OKTO9yxswM/s200/IMG_4789.JPG" width="200" /></a>This is a deep brown beer with ruby red edges and a sustained creamy off-white head. The aroma is really fruity at first full of blackcurrant, blackberry, liquorice and burnt toast, it really is inviting, one of those beers you instinctively know is going to be good. I have had this beer before and I remember that I loved it when I had it in the summer, but my mouth is salivating just thinking about it. This is a fresh batch, and now you know why I left it to last. Smooth at first before a big bitter boozy kick propels this beer into a whirl of raisin, chocolate, blackcurrant and a beautiful alcohol burn, all stirred around with a stick of liquorice wood. The finish is equally fruity, with the blackcurrant fading out slowly into a dry bitter ghost that takes up residence at the back of your tongue and waves comfortingly at you from time to time like an old friend across a crowded bar.<br />
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This was a great way to finish this journey through twelve Christmas beers from my home county of Essex, and I'm extremely grateful to all the brewers and breweries for making them. I paid for them all with the exception of the Billericay Brewing Black Christmas, and I have enjoyed every one. I really do hope you have had a fantastic Christmas and 2016 brings you all that you wish for. I also hope that you have enjoyed this exploration of Essex beer, and if Essex brewers produce twelve different Essex Christmas beers next year, and I can get hold of them then I'll do it all over again in twelve months time. Let's drink to that.<br />
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If you like to find out more about George's Brewery beers, or their alter-ego Hop Monster, you can follow <a href="http://www.georgesbrewery.com/">this link</a> to their website. If you've read my reviews then I'm sure you'll want to.<br />
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Happy drinking, and a very Happy New Year to you all!<br />
<b><br /></b>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-21940850783650003972016-01-04T22:07:00.003+00:002016-01-04T22:07:53.318+00:00#12EssexBeersofChristmas The Eleventh Day<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Twelve <span style="color: red;">Essex </span>Beers of Christmas</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
It's the Eleventh Day of Christmas, and I expect for some of you it was your first day back at work after a nice long break. If it was more of a shock than you were hoping then grab yourself a bottle, can or pint of something new, it is #tryanuary after all. If you are in Scotland of course, you'll be going back to work tomorrow. I hope you had a pleasant Hogmanay.<br />
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If you're at work and are thinking about beer, as I often do, why not consider going somewhere different for your lunchtime beer. If that isn't an option then why not try after work or on the way home. There are a few pubs close to where I am that I haven't been in for many years and one of two that I don't recall going in at all. These are the pubs I'll devoting one beer a week two in January. It may well be that I won't ever go in them again, but at least I can comment on them if asked. I'll be writing a blog for Andy at <a href="http://www.tryanuary.co.uk/">Tryanuary</a> about my experiences, so look out for that towards the end of the month on his site. I'll let you know when.<br />
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My day at work was pretty horrendous, I hope yours was less hard work, but it's over now and time to open a beer.<br />
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<b>The Eleventh Day</b><br />
<b>Maldon Brewing Company - Farmer's Christmas Stout 4.8%</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is Maldon's festive stout, a regular seasonal and one I've been looking forward to all year. This is a classic Oatmeal Stout, brewed with English Challenger, Fuggles and Goldings hops and exactly the kind of beer that you want when the weather turns colder.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3KjpzE0wi8/VormP0r4CcI/AAAAAAAAlds/rsnmhyAwlD0/s1600/IMG_4787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C3KjpzE0wi8/VormP0r4CcI/AAAAAAAAlds/rsnmhyAwlD0/s200/IMG_4787.JPG" width="200" /></a>This bottle conditioned beer pours a deep dark ruby red, so dark it's close to brown, close but not quite. Chocolate, liquorice and prune notes dominate the aroma once you've let it warm a while, in fact the closer to room temperature it gets the more pronounced it becomes, so you might want to let it warm a while. Full bodied and a touch coarse, this isn't a silky smooth beer but I think it's much the better for it, there is a dry toasty chocolate note that runs throughout with raisin, prune and the merest hint of blackberry lurk in the background but, as before, become a little more prominent as the glass warms in my hands. The finish has a thick lick of frothy chocolate mousse before it dries beautifully leaving the thinnest of milk chocolate veneers mixed with a hint of burnt toast. This is a delicious Christmas stout, I wish I'd bought some more.<br />
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If you'd like to know about Maldon Brewing beers, you can <a href="http://www.maldonbrewing.co.uk/">follow this link</a> to their website or visit their micro-pub, the Farmer's Yard, in Maldon High Street.<br />
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<br />Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-91162990065645632092016-01-03T20:58:00.001+00:002016-01-03T21:03:44.896+00:00#12EssexBeersofChristmas The Tenth Day<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Twelve <span style="color: red;">Essex </span>Beers of Christmas</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
On the Tenth Day of Christmas my true love sent to me ten lords a-leaping, which reminds me that 2016 is a leap year.<br />
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The extra day we have every four years helps us synchronise with both the astronomical and seasonal years, as the earth travels around the sun roughly every 365 and a quarter days this gets us back on track. The extra day is always in February, meaning it has 29 days this year instead of the usual 28, and the name leap year itself comes about because the calender days 'leap' an extra weekday when a leap year occurs. For example Christmas Day, which was on a Friday in 2015, leaps a day so that it falls on a Sunday this year.<br />
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However that isn't until February, and we still have the whole of January to get through first, and keeping with the theme of my posts this new year I'm going to remind you once again of <a href="http://www.tryanuary.co.uk/">Tryanuary</a> and give you a way you can take part, particularly if you live in Essex this week.<br />
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This Tuesday the 5th of January, as well as being Twelfth Night is our twelfth monthly meeting, and also the first time that the <a href="https://sxbottleshare.wordpress.com/">SX Bottleshare</a> meet this year. For #tryanuary we're all trying to bring along a beer that none of us have actually had before, it'll be quite a challenge.<br />
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We meet at the <a href="http://www.the-ale-house-chelmsford.co.uk/">Alehouse</a> in Chelmsford on the first Tuesday in the month, with the majority of us coming straight from work for a beer and a chat. We drift in from around 6.00pm, meeting at the bar for a pint or two before we make our way to our reserved table for the main event at 7.00pm sharp(ish). It's always lots of fun, and we have had brewers, publicans, beer sellers, beer writers and overseas sales reps turn up, sometimes out of the blue, to join in, drink and talk about beer. There's often food, usually home made and always delicious, so we never go hungry.<br />
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What I'd like you to consider, particularly if you live in Essex and you're free on Tuesday, is to come along and join us. Make coming to the SX Bottleshare something that you decide to do for #tryanuary. If you're not able to come, then try and make 2016 the year that you do go to a bottle share, if we're too far away find one near you, and if there isn't one near you then think about starting one yourself or with a group of friends. Share that special beer, share the love, it tastes so much better when you do.<br />
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If you're thinking of joining us on Tuesday, I urge you to take the plunge. Let us know at <a href="https://twitter.com/SXbottleshare">@SXBottleshare</a> on Twitter, or leave a message with me <a href="https://twitter.com/1970sBOY">@1970sBoy</a> so that we know to look out for you. I can't wait for you to join us.<br />
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<b>The Tenth Day:</b><br />
<b>George's Brewery - Marley's Ghost 4.0% </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lg1cQg4n_s/VomG0yNw4ZI/AAAAAAAAldM/XiWvQEF_FX0/s1600/IMG_4783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lg1cQg4n_s/VomG0yNw4ZI/AAAAAAAAldM/XiWvQEF_FX0/s200/IMG_4783.JPG" width="200" /></a>The second of my three George's beers is named after the first ghostly visitor to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". With three hop varieties although only one named, which is Citra, this pours a medium amber cover with a bright white head, and from the aroma the Citra hop is very evident with its grapefruit citrus notes. Medium bodied it has an initial light Rich Tea biscuit malt taste before the sweet and tart citrus hops, of equal lightness, emerge from the background to balance those malts perfectly. This is a lovely beer, one I've had before but I don't recall it being as good as this, surely the recipe has changed? I'm sure the brewery will let me know if this is the case. The finish is clean and crisp like the beer itself, and those beautiful citrus flavours linger just long enough. It's simply delicious.<br />
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If you'd like to know more about George's Brewery / Hopmonster, then <a href="http://www.georgesbrewery.com/">follow this link</a> to their website where you'll find my reviews of some more of their beers.<br />
If you'd like to come along to the SX Bottleshare then <a href="https://sxbottleshare.wordpress.com/bottlelist/">follow this link</a> to see a list of the amazing beer we've drunk in our last eleven meetings. We'd love you to come and ask for that.<br />
Incidentally, if anyone from George's Brewery would like to come along at any point then please let me know, or even just turn up with some of your beer. That would be fantastic.Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2515685139477879470.post-81408670502656247572016-01-02T22:27:00.000+00:002016-01-02T22:27:34.906+00:00#12EssexBeersofChristmas The Ninth Day<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Twelve <span style="color: red;">Essex </span>Beers of Christmas</b></span><br />
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The Ninth Day of Christmas is, rather strangely, National Science Fiction Day in the USA due to, and I'm guessing this, it being the birthday of Isaac Asimov in 1920. It is also the day that my true love sent to me, nine ladies dancing, and all that.<br />
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It's not going to be a long post tonight, I have to confess that I've been at a local pub this afternoon, the Olde Dog in Herongate, a pub that I've been drinking regularly at for over a quarter of a century. It's one of those pubs that, even though I hadn't been in for a couple of months, I immediately felt at home. They keep their cask beer on stillage behind the bar and their house beer, Olde Dog IPA is brewed for them by Crouch Vale. They usually have their Brewers Gold on, however the Essex beer available tonight was from Wibblers, and very good it was too.<br />
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Many pubs are quiet this time of year, but not the Olde Dog, with its real fire and Christmas decorations still decking the bar it had attracted quite a late afternoon-early evening of crowd drinking plenty of good beer. This is the one f the best times of year to visit a pub near you that has some festive charm and good beer. The once-a-year Christmas drinking crowd have melted away like the remnants of a late winter snowman, before the warm weather brings the families in to enjoy the gardens and lighter evenings. So get out and supprt your local pub, they'll thank you for it.<br />
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<b>The Ninth Day:</b><br />
<b>Brentwood Brewing Company - Santas Little Helper 4.0%</b><br />
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This hoppy blonde Christmas beer from Brentwood almost didn't make it into this selection, and if I'd had a substitute I probably would have gone for it, and there are two reasons why.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7dSoun_eF8/VohOmydHveI/AAAAAAAAlcs/X3QRSPxz6uE/s1600/IMG_4757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o7dSoun_eF8/VohOmydHveI/AAAAAAAAlcs/X3QRSPxz6uE/s200/IMG_4757.JPG" width="200" /></a>The first, and most trivial of these is the lack of correct punctuation. For goodness sake, if you have to write Santa's please put in the apostrophe otherwise it looks very sloppy. But I'm sure this isn't what caught your eye if you looked at the label, I'd imagine it's the scantily clad blonde haired girl making Father Christmas (or Santas (sic)) look like a lecherous old pervert. This is something I'll keep going on about until it changes, but there is no need for this type of out-moded 1970s imagery in beer, and certainly not in beer in Essex. We get a rough enough ride with TOWIE showing us in poor light without this kind of thing as well. Please stop it.<br />
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Onto the beer itself. It pours a pale amber with a pure white head and the aroma of peach juice and lime zest. It's actually very good, smooth and medium bodied it ticks all the right boxes for this style, with gentle honey-soaked waffle malts wrapped up in grapefruit and mango citrus sprinkled with the merest hint of orange zest. The finish drops the malt and leaves the citrus notes to linger, not too long but long enough to keep you drinking and make you want another.<br />
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This is a really good beer sullied by some ill-thought out packaging. I'd like to see it next year looking a little more mature.<br />
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If you'd like to know more about the Brentwood Brewing Company and their beer then <a href="https://www.brentwoodbrewing.co.uk/">follow this link</a> to their website, or visit their shop at the brewery itself. They'll be more than happy to introduce you to their range.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>Justin Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07666476376111755013noreply@blogger.com0