Currently Drinking...

[45156]

Basically I'm persona non grata with our local CAMRA branch. They're more or less twiggy beer, beardy, sock&sandal Luddites. I make a point of drinking a Sixpoint from the can when one of them is in visual range just to piss them off. The SE London bunch are far more progressive. More than likely I'll let my membership lapse next month after 10 years.

 

 

My point entirely - some CAMRA members would sup diesel oil from a cask rather than a decent beer which has been pasteurised - this attitude has gone on for years now, and I resigned over it some fifteen years ago, which was sad, as I was virtually a founder member of the campaign, having been recruited in the very early days by Michael Hardman himself and while it was still the Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale.  About SIxpoint, I do love Bengali Tiger, which weighs in at 6.4% ABV but is utterly delicious.  Now then, when will some enterpising publican stock Sixpoint Resin which I long to sample, despite its massive 9% strength.

Edited September 3, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

I am still a CAMRA member and find the society very useful but do love the Amercian and continental craft beers aswell (a much bigger range of good tasting beers than many real ales - if you thought that the standard lagers on sale in many bars were bland compared to real ale then just try some of the American craft beers)

 

The way that craft beers are taking off over here with so many craft beer bars opening, I dont think that they really need CAMRA to promote them.

 

 

 

P.S. Six Point Bengal Tiger is very nice and I am normally a dark beer drinker.

Edited September 3, 2014 by roundhouse

[45156]

Very true - what some of the small American brewers are now doing with malt and hops is stunning.  I do love the concept of American craft brewers developing recipes which are then brewed in the UK as cask conditioned beers.  Much as I don't really like the ambience of many JDW drinking emporiums pubs establishments the company has got a pretty progressive attitude to beers of all sorts - if you forget the "usual suspects from the Greene King stable".  (though I did rather like the high gravity version of Abbot which turned up recently in the Green Ayre which at 6% with a robust flavour was much more like the Abbot of old).

Edited September 3, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

The first itme htat I had a black IPA was in the Green Dragon in Portland OR. The Oregon brew crew had used the green dragons brewing equipment ot produce a small batch of this black IPA. We were there for the launch of the beer and they called it an old English style of beer but I had never had that type in the UK.

 

Since then more American brewers have produced a black IPA and now quite a few UK brewers do so.

 

Windsor and Eton Conqueror Black IPA (cask) is superb and is often on in the Bree Louise near Euston station.

 

Windsor and Eton do quite a few alesinfluenced by American styles

https://www.webrew.co.uk/main/shop/category/beers/

 

Also the first place that we have seen the American style growlers

https://www.webrew.co.uk/main/shop/growler/

 

The second place we have seen them is at Lovibonds in Henly On Thames. Another very Amrecian style craft brewer.

 

Interesting how things have changed how a type of beer in the USA is now influencing brewers over here, especially the double hopped type of beers.

 

On a side note, nice to see that the Borough in Lancaster is now brewing incxluding a nice dark ale. Lancaster is certainly getting very good for beer bars and pubs.

Edited September 3, 2014 by roundhouse

[melmerby]

I am also a Camra member*, but I am sick and tired of their "key campaigns" which IMHO are a total waste of time.

 

Many hard core Camra members don't seem to have notice the changing way the British consume alcohol.

We keep being told that "X" number of pubs are closing every day/week/month and we need to do something about it.

They blame smoking bans, planning laws, taxation, pubcos etc. etc.

 

Pubs have been closing in vast numbers since long before I was a lad(!!) and long before any of those things were "issues"

 

The huge local industrial base which supported a pub on every street corner and also in between has long gone and isn't going to return.

Gone are the days when the working man would have a quick bevvy on the way home from his dirty factory job.

Just get a 1900 large scale OS map and check how many more pubs/off licenses there were in industrial areas compared to the 1950s.!

The same applies between the 50s and now.

 

Keith

 

* The Wetherspoon's vouchers pay for my membership and I like reading the magazine.

The discounts on other publications are also useful.

[45156]

On a side note, nice to see that the Borough in Lancaster is now brewing incxluding a nice dark ale. Lancaster is certainly getting very good for beer bars and pubs.

Yes indeed - one micro and one small brewery, and also a number of good pubs - but a crying shame how far downhill Ye Olde John O Gaunt has gone since Steve gave it up. 

[roundhouse]

Yes indeed - one micro and one small brewery, and also a number of good pubs - but a crying shame how far downhill Ye Olde John O Gaunt has gone since Steve gave it up. 

 

Not been in that pub but do remember walking past it on August BH Monday on our way to the Borough (which does discount if you show your CAMRA member card) and the Tap House (a fairly new place).

[The Lurker]

Strangely enough I see some bottled beers which seem to have gone up in ABV, but the hand pulled  I spot easiest is Camerons ordinary - whatever it is called now (IPA for some bizarre reason)  it used to be 3.6 to 3.7% now 3.8% (and last year as something else it was 4%) - not a lot of difference but they did the same with Tetleys - now a very pale shadow of the ale once proudly brewed in Leeds and seen as a session beer for the locals (session as in about 8 pints or so on a night out)

 

I found as a student in Leeds in the  80s that Tetleys had a very strange and unpleasant after taste which faded the further from Leeds that I drank it. (best was in the Coach & Horses in Hexham). As a result we used avoid Tetleys pubs - which was actually quite hard in those days;there were a few John Smiths or Stones pubs, and Student Union did various Theakstons brews. But for the last two years I could be found in the Fox & Newt with a pint of old Willow, or one of the guest beers (especially if it was a Timothy Taylors beer).

[45156]

the Tap House (a fairly new place).

Used to be The Fat Scot many years ago, and was best avoided.

 

Another good one is the Robert Gillow, which is a Hydes pub, and which took many of the bands that used to play at the John O Gaunt.  The Sun is also a very good pub indeed.

 

Shame I didn't know you were in town.  Another time, perhaps.

Edited September 3, 2014 by 45156

[roundhouse]

We have been in the Sun some years back, excellent for Lancaster Ales but was a noisy place.

 

We also visited the Robert Gillow on our way back to the station. Did the Merchant Arms nearby last year.

 

We normally stay in Lancaster the Sunday night after the Barrow In Furness show in October but we won't be there this year due to other shows. but looks like we will be there next year.

Edited September 3, 2014 by roundhouse

[45156]

We have been in the Sun some years back, excellent for Lancaster Ales but was a noisy place.

That's because the Sun is a Lancaster house, as it's owned by the same guys as the brewery, Matt Jackson and Phil Simpson.  It's not noisy in he daytime, and has a totally different atmosphere.

 

The Merchants is a bit like drinking in an air raid shelter, IMHO.

[roundhouse]

Tonight's tipple in the Rake... Straight into the strong beers. The O"Hanlons is a 2011 brew saved till now.

 

The Charence and Fredericks(Croydon) is a Black IPA

 

Tomorrow night is Firebrand (of Cornwall) tap take over with numerous American style craft brews.

 

PS good job we came in here as there were no trains for a while after 5pm from London Bridge due to a signal failure

Edited September 6, 2014 by roundhouse

[Barry O]

I found as a student in Leeds in the  80s that Tetleys had a very strange and unpleasant after taste which faded the further from Leeds that I drank it. (best was in the Coach & Horses in Hexham). As a result we used avoid Tetleys pubs - which was actually quite hard in those days;there were a few John Smiths or Stones pubs, and Student Union did various Theakstons brews. But for the last two years I could be found in the Fox & Newt with a pint of old Willow, or one of the guest beers (especially if it was a Timothy Taylors beer).

Didn't you try the dark mild... far better than Tetleys' bitter as it didn't give you a headache?  Fox and Newt now holds the Burley St Brewery... not bad beer also sold at the Pack Horse opposite the Engineering Building - the erstwhile home of the DREGS  (Drunken Regular Engineers Gallon Society)....

[roundhouse]

And here is another American style brewer, Hard knott, this time from Millom in Cumbria

[hayfield]

Whilst in Cornwall recently was rather partial to the odd glass of St Austells Brewery IPA "Proper Job"  very pleasant indeed

[roundhouse]

There are some great beers inCornwall now. st Austell is a favourite but plenty of others these days such as Skinners a Keltek etc.

[ozzyo]

Good reasons to drink beer #1

Prohibition.sized.jpg

 

How can some of them be that ugly with only one head?

[ozzyo]

I've just found this thread and my god your all Pi$$ heads I'll feel right at home. Reading the thread from post one till now. A couple of pubs that I like have not had a mention.

The Great Western? Out of Wolverhampton station under the old subway and along side of Low level station, about twelve heads on most times. I may get in on Sat. on my way back from Telford.

The Pub, Lancaster on China Street, can be a bit on the noisy side when the bands get going, about eight heads on the go.

The Vic. Preston just across the road from the railway station about eight heads on (don't get it mixed up with the Railway, no real ale the last time I went in and soon came out).

The Duke of Edinburgh. Barrow-in-Furness, about eight heads with at least four guest ales and some real larger and ciders

The Snug. Carnforth station, a very small pub but well worth a visit only about four heads but always a good pint.   

 

OzzyO. AKA the beer monster! 

[PhilJ W]

I must be a masochist taking part in and reading this thread. For the past 2-3 years I have not drunk any beer,  or any other alcoholic drink. The reason for this enforced teetotalism is that medication I am on does not like mixing with alcohol.

[Ian Smeeton]

Have you considered getting a different Doctor, Phil?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[ozzyo]

Beer is a type of food and is good for you in moderation?

 

Who lives in a town called moderation? Is it in the U.S.A. somewhere?

 

I bet these women live in that town, on there own!

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=455127

 

OzzyO.

[45156]

The Duke of Edinburgh. Barrow-in-Furness, about eight heads with at least four guest ales and some real larger and ciders

 

 

 

Owned by the Lancaster Brewery lads, Matt and Phil, as is the Mill in Ulverston

[PhilJ W]

Have you considered getting a different Doctor, Phil?

 

Regards

 

Ian

I have to take the medication, alcohol cancels out the medication.

[roundhouse]

Owned by the Lancaster Brewery lads, Matt and Phil, as is the Mill in Ulverston

Both very nice pubs  - both done with Ozzyo in attendance!!

[wollastonblue]

I'm off to the beautiful Duchy of Cornwall on Saturday. I'm hoping to visit Kernow Model Shop while I'm there. Any pub recommendations for Cambourne?