March UK Beer Tour

[chazwicke]

Had a great time on my trip however it was a tour with 5 of us so I was not able to spend as much time in the pubs as I usually do. Some in my group were non beer drinkers and some were turned off by the smokey pubs in England. Scotland has smoke free pubs. I wish I could have settled in at more than a few of these towns to enjoy more real ale but my son and I were able to consume 100 beers between us. :) Most were cask conditioned beers but there were a few bottled, canned and draft. All that were not cask conditioned were inferior to the real ales excepting Meantime beers from Greenwich. They were very good but I preferred the real ale and that is what I was there for. Anyway, here is the list:


WHAT I DRANK AND WHERE MARCH 2007 TOUR

3/8/2007
Lufthansa Flight
Wharfsteiner (Bottled)

3/9/2007
Frankfurt Airport - Germany
Licher Pils (Tap)

Hilton Metropole
Guinness from Dublin (Can)

Market Porter - Borough Market
Solitaire Cascade Pale
Harvey’s Sussex Bitter
Archer’s Tinderbox
Mayfield Conqueror

Brew Wharf (Brewpub) – Borough Market
Meantime Kolsch (Tap)
Meantime Pils (Tap)

Atlas – Earls Court
Duechars IPA
Tim Taylors Landlord

3/10/2007
Mitre – Greenwich
Greene King IPA
Adnan’s Bitter

Spanish Galleon – Greenwich
Sheperd Neame Master Brew
Sheperd Neame Spitfire

Restaurant – Chinatown
Tiger (Can)

The Green Man – Marleborne
Director’s Bitter

Royal Exchange – Marleborne
Adnan’s Bitter
Brakspear Bitter

Rob Roy – Marleborne
Deuchars IPA

Great Western – Marleborne
Green King IPA

3/11/2007
Lord Moon On The Mall (Wetherspoons)- Whitehall
White Horse Dragon Hill
Cotleigh Tawney Owl

Coal Hole – Strand
Smiles Frosty Jack

Opera Tavern – Covent Garden
Brain’s Bread of Heaven
Gale’s Swing Low
Wychwood Dirty Tackle
Marsdon’s Pedigree

Wellington – Strand
Tim Taylor Landlord
Abbot Ale

3/12/2007
Cloisters – Salisbury
Ringwood Best Bitter
Hopback Summer Lightning

Market Inn – Salisbury
Goddard’s Market Inn Special Bitter
Fuller’s London Pride

Hotel – Bath
Murphy’s Stout (Nitro Tap)

Huntsman – Bath
Jenning’s Cumberland (Marsdon’s)
Abbey Ale’s Bellringer (Brewed in Bath)

The Ale House - Bath
Bath Ale’s Gem

Frontier Riflemans Arms - Bath
Chedder Ales Potholer
Moles Mole Catcher
Weymouth Durdle Door (Dorset Brewing)
Abbey Ale’s Bellringer (Brewed in Bath)

3/13/2007
White Hart – Stow on Wold
Arkell’s 2B
Arkell’s Kingsdown Special

Rose and Crown – Stratford on Avon
Theakston’s Cooper’s Butt

Boat – Llangollen, Wales
Whetherly’s Bitter (Can)

Trevor Sun – Llangollen, Wales
Thwaites
Spinning Dog Brewery’s Hereford’s Organic bitter

3/14/2007
The Lamb Inn – Grasmere Lake District
Theakston Best Bitter
Theakston XB

The Abbottsford – Edinburgh, Scotland
Hadrian Border Brewer’s Bramling Cross
Hadrian Border Brewer’s Legion
Broughten Ale’s Match Ale

Milnes – Edinburgh, Scotland
Deuchars IPA
Caledonian 80 Shilling
Theakston Cooper’s Butt

Kenilworth – Edinburgh, Scotland
Bateman’s Salem Porter
Woodforde’s Wherry
Caledonian 80 Shilling
Staropramen (Tap)

3/15/2007
The Royal McGregor – Edinburgh, Scotland
Vale Brewery Special
Inveralmond Thrappledouser

Mitre – Edinburgh, Scotland
Caledonian 80 Shilling

Worlds End – Edinburgh, Scotland
Belhaven 80 Shilling
Abbot Ale

Tass – Edinburgh, Scotland
Inveralmond Thrappledouser

3/16/2007
Golden Fleece – York
York Brewery’s Yorkshire Terrior
Blacksheep Bitter

Blacksmith Arm – York
Samuel Smith’s Bitter

3/17/2007
Golden Fleece – Stamford
Everard’s Tiger
Everard’s Original

Plough and Harrow (Wetherspoons) - Hammersmith
Butcombe Brewery Bitter
Brasserie D’ Ecaussinnes Belgian Amber (Belgian Cask)

3/18/2007
Frankfurt Airport – Germany
Licher Pils (Tap)

Lufthansa Flight
Warfsteiner (Bottled)

Total Beers Consumed by Chuck and Andrew: 100
(Multiple beers were consumed in some of the above pubs but the beer is only listed once.)

Favorites: Caledonian 80 Shilling & Tim Taylor’s Landlord
Worst: Wetherly’s Bitter.

[steveh]

Stopover in Frankfurt I surmise? Too bad there was no Kolsch to be had.

S.

[chazwicke]

Yeah I had to fly though Frankfurt. I was using my miles for 3 free business class tix and could not get them direct unless I wanted to fly coach.
I did have Meantime's Kolsch on tap at a London brewpub. Their Pils too. I liked both. Kolsch more than the Pils.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by chazwicke


3/14/2007

The Abbottsford – Edinburgh, Scotland
Hadrian Border Brewer’s Bramling Cross
Hadrian Border Brewer’s Legion
Broughten Ale’s Match Ale

Milnes – Edinburgh, Scotland
Deuchars IPA
Caledonian 80 Shilling
Theakston Cooper’s Butt

Kenilworth – Edinburgh, Scotland
Bateman’s Salem Porter
Woodforde’s Wherry
Caledonian 80 Shilling
Staropramen (Tap)

3/15/2007
The Royal McGregor – Edinburgh, Scotland
Vale Brewery Special
Inveralmond Thrappledouser

Mitre – Edinburgh, Scotland
Caledonian 80 Shilling

Worlds End – Edinburgh, Scotland
Belhaven 80 Shilling
Abbot Ale

Tass – Edinburgh, Scotland
Inveralmond Thrappledouser




I love the Abbotsford, it's a great old Victorian watering hole. Shame you didn't make it to the Bow Bar (or the Cloisters) though as you mentioned you were with family. How would you rate the other Edinburgh pubs you visited? I've not been to any of those other than the Abbotsford.

[chazwicke]

Of the others the Kenilworth was best. I've been there before. Rose Street brewery is not the decent place it once was. I stopped in but did not stay for a pint. last time I drank there it was a brewpub. I had hoped to get to Bow Bar and to Cafe Bar but to no avail. I actually ate dinner in the Abbotsford (on the 2nd floor.) As an appetizer I had ordered the Haggis, Tats and Neeps. The Haggis was great. I gave a forkful to my son before he knew what it was. Hilarious when he found out. I think he would have liked it if he did not know what Haggis is made of. Anyway it was good.

My next trip I'll not do a tour like this as time was severely restricted. There were several pubs in Stratford that I would have visited and one in York that I had to miss as well. I'd been to most of the towns on the tour before and I know some good drinking holes.

[stronk]

You certainly made the most of your time!

I agree about Caledonian 80 Shilling. One of the best beers you can regularly find outside Scotland. It's a pity you were in the lake district and didn't find a Jenning's pub. You missed out on Sneck Lifter (one of my favourites; check the avatar. Although perhaps not quite your style). Also, you missed Theakston's Old Peculiar, but I'm sure you have had that before anyway.

I'd have avoided Courage and Greene King, myself (especially their IPA, which is one step away from water, IMO), but they are better than nothing.

Mmmm: Wherry. Has it still got that lovin' feeling? I haven't been able to get at any for a while (my Norfolk friend moved house).

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by stronk

I'd have avoided Courage and Greene King, myself .

Outside of a badly handled pint of McEwans, which isn't that good in the first place, Courage was the worst pint I had last trip over. One needs some courage to drink it.

[surfadelic23]

Loved the Wherry. Was in Norwich for the CAMRA fest last October and had quite a few good pints of that wonderful Norfolk ale! Hats off to that branch as well for pulling off a great festival!
Check it out if you can...

[chazwicke]

Wherry is a favorite of mine too. I've had it on a number of occasions in the past and it is proof that a mild can have great flavor.
The Greene King beers and Courage just happened to be what the option was at that particular pub at that particular time. I didn't have too much time to shop around for other pubs. I personally like Abbot Ale and always have. I've not been too fond of the Speckeled Hen since they aquired it though. And the other Greene king beers have been lacking too. I'm not happy about Greene King Brewery being a takeover monster. I toured the brewery back in 1989.
I would have sampled Old Peculiar had I happened upon it. I usually enjoy it. The Theakston's Cooper's Butt was a very nice drink.
There were a couple of towns where I had to pass or obstain from imbibing because we just had no time or it was going to be a long wait for the restroom at our next stop.
This was an organized coach tour which I found very restrictive. I've never done one before although I have been to most of the places we visited before. This was more of a family trip with only my son being as interested in the beer and pubs. My wife, sister in law & Brother enjoyed the sights and the shops. It was important that they have regular meals and hotels at night. So that part was good. Also I'm not certain I want to try driving on the other side of the road after enjoying the pubs so having a comfy coach was nice. But all in all, Next time I'm travelling with my son only or a buddy or two who also enjoy the real ale. Tours are too regimented and restrictive unless you have a group then they have benefits.
But just imagine sitting in a nice pub with a great ale and just being ready to settle in for a few and realize that you've got 10 minutes to get back to the coach.:rolleyes:

[chazwicke]

I was just glancing at my list again and see that the Directors was served in the Green Man Pub which was smokey and full of kids (18 year olds I guess) and was my least favorite pub of the whole trip. We drank our pints and departed swiftly.

[stronk]

18 year olds I guess
Don't bet on it. Just because the legal age is 18, doesn't mean that we get any fewer underaged drinkers. I was one of them, in my time. I excused myself because I actually went to enjoy the beer and the company, not to get drunk. Perhaps we should become even more of a nanny state and require people to pass a personality test before they are allowed to drink alcohol. Once they are mature enough to drink, let them (although I'm sure some of those dreadful football hooligans we always seem to export to Spain would never pass. For one thing, they'd have to spell their names...).

[chazwicke]

These kids did seem younger. One girl was talking incessantly and with such drama and volume that I think she was really putting on a show or crying out for attention. We were sitting close enough to note that when her girlfriend went to the loo she promptly propositioned her boyfriend and spoke about her behind her back. But this girl never once shut up. And there was a hoard of young men all smoking and practicing Kung Fu or kick boxing maneuvers. They looked a little unsavory. The Pub appeard to be in rough shape and the the gent whom I thought was the publican stood behind one end of the bar and appeared disinterested. I did note that pub had signs out saying PUB FOR LET. I went to 3 other pubs within a block and a half and all were just fine. I can say that the experience in the Green Man was not the usual. The English pubs will be sooo much better when the smoking ban goes into effect. I can see that after being in the pubs in Scotland where smoking is not permitted.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by chazwicke
They looked a little unsavory.

I would have to disagree with this. I'm willing to be they would be very savory if tied up, run through with a spit, and roasted over a fire with a little lemon and rosemary.

[Richard English]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
I would have to disagree with this. I'm willing to be they would be very savory if tied up, run through with a spit, and roasted over a fire with a little lemon and rosemary.
No. They'd all taste of cigarette smoke and chemical fizz.

But you're right; fizz beer and cigarettes (along with loud music) do seem all too often to go together. Roll on 01 July when the smoking ban comes into force in England (although goodness knows why it couldn't have come in as soon as it was enacted; it doesn't need much work - just a few signs and removal of the ashtrays and you're 90% there!

[stronk]

I would have to disagree with this. I'm willing to be they would be very savory if tied up, run through with a spit, and roasted over a fire with a little lemon and rosemary.
Lol! I have it on good authority that sage would be another helpful seasoning, but I suppose you could work with the cigarette smoke and make them cajun.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by Richard English
No. They'd all taste of cigarette smoke and chemical fizz.



Ah, I forgot the ciggies, however they'd probably be drinking some stripe of alcopop, which would lend their charred flesh a certain sweetness. The earthcrushingly loud sounds they regularly ingest would tenderize the meat.

Chaver kebob anyone?