Not a big fan of Shepherd Neame's, when it was hard to get a good ale in my youth we used to drink Spitfire quite often as it was in a lot of pubs. Though I must say I do like their Late Red which is a relative new addition to their range I believe. Asda have that one, and are in general very good for ales.
For me Badger's are about the best that are reguarly stocked in supermarkets. Though I wouldn't go near their elderflower one.
If you're around Crofton Park/Brockley Mr Lawerence is a cracking beer shop. When I used to live there it was a family run businees, with a very helpful oldish lady, and a brilliant selection of ales. Quality selection of beers, especially local, and good prices unlike the bollox charges you'd get in say Borough market.
PS IPA wasn't brewed for India or curry. Pale Ale was one of the only beers that survived the lengthy sea journey under sail, and supposedly improved under sail. So I believe it became profitable for breweries to make it and ship it to India, as other export markets were closing and India was where the money was.
Those Badger boys certainly know what they are doing. The Elderflower one would be Golden Glory and is my favourite(apparently their biggest seller having overtaken Tanglefoot). Put it in the fridge for an hour to give it a slight chill and drink it with a nice Lamb bhuna.
Well thats dinner sorted this evening.
Failing this brew your own. I am currently building an all grain 20 gallon brewery in my cellar. (Don't tell the Mrs.)
By the way, can I get a pint of Courage Best in the East Stand on Monday night?
yes, i believe its available in all stands now
Courage Best....Surely we could have a better ale than that!
I was very shocked at the Great British Beer Festival this year to find Courage Best, so shocked at where i found it as well that they have me a 1/3 free. It is now Wells and Young's that make it and they have changed it ever so slightly. It was infact a good drink!
By the way, can I get a pint of Courage Best in the East Stand on Monday night?
yes, i believe its available in all stands now
Courage Best....Surely we could have a better ale than that!
I was very shocked at the Great British Beer Festival this year to find Courage Best, so shocked at where i found it as well that they have me a 1/3 free. It is now Wells and Young's that make it and they have changed it ever so slightly. It was infact a good drink!
agreed - they have 3 real ales on up my club. They vary 2 but keep courage best all the time - it's decent now but you have to watch out where you buy it as they do a 'non real' version as well.
Spitfire i think is over rated - Whitstable Bay is a nice Shepherd Neame ale.
after a trip to the lake district and doing the tour of the jennings brewery i really enjoyed a couple of there ales, even tho im a larger man through and through some of the ale was top notch, doyleys old man nearly fell into a vat of brewing bitter which was funny.. can you get he following jennings in local shops? cumberland ale and cock-a-hoop really enjoyed these as very lite and not heavy.
after a trip to the lake district and doing the tour of the jennings brewery i really enjoyed a couple of there ales, even tho im a larger man through and through some of the ale was top notch, doyleys old man nearly fell into a vat of brewing bitter which was funny.. can you get he following jennings in local shops? cumberland ale and cock-a-hoop really enjoyed these as very lite and not heavy.
Tesco's in Welling something has then, Morrisons always has them but a bit more expensive.
after a trip to the lake district and doing the tour of the jennings brewery i really enjoyed a couple of there ales, even tho im a larger man through and through some of the ale was top notch, doyleys old man nearly fell into a vat of brewing bitter which was funny.. can you get he following jennings in local shops? cumberland ale and cock-a-hoop really enjoyed these as very lite and not heavy.
Aldi do quite a few of the Jennings beers as well, have had snecklifter and the best one from there at .99-1.29 in the past
my local Tesco's selling a big range of Innis and Gunn now and also individual bottle of Grand Reserva Peroni. Much taster than ordinary Peroni, which I also enjoy.
Real Ale surely means direct from the barrel. Bottled beer is not Real Ale in my opinion.
The Bitter End on Masons Hill is the best place in London.
Big debate about that but you can get some bottle conditioned ale.
Camra have this to say
"CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, supports real ale in a bottle. This is the next best thing, and the bottled equivalent, to the draught real ales you can enjoy at the pub.
CAMRA has launched a logo “CAMRA says this is real ale” to clearly identify products that are the real thing: natural, living, bottle-conditioned beers. It is important to note that some cask-conditioned real ales do not undergo secondary fermentation once bottled. We hope that this logo will be able to clearly identify real ale in a bottle."
I for one really do not mind at all have a bottle of something that is ale but not "Real" it is different from the original but mostly not at all worse. It is like a nice wine, all down to personal taste
Real Ale surely means direct from the barrel. Bottled beer is not Real Ale in my opinion.
The Bitter End on Masons Hill is the best place in London.
Big debate about that but you can get some bottle conditioned ale.
Camra have this to say
"CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, supports real ale in a bottle. This is the next best thing, and the bottled equivalent, to the draught real ales you can enjoy at the pub.
CAMRA has launched a logo “CAMRA says this is real ale” to clearly identify products that are the real thing: natural, living, bottle-conditioned beers. It is important to note that some cask-conditioned real ales do not undergo secondary fermentation once bottled. We hope that this logo will be able to clearly identify real ale in a bottle."
I for one really do not mind at all have a bottle of something that is ale but not "Real" it is different from the original but mostly not at all worse. It is like a nice wine, all down to personal taste
Not that much of a purist so with Strasburger on this one.
Shamefully I live a mile from the Bitter End but use it far less than I should.
No fan of Shepherd Neame really and wouldn't touch Spitfire nowadays.
Oh dear to the non-bottlers! I hate beer in cans, can't drink ale if they put it in plastic just have to not buy. I love Tangle Foot, but recently the offers for them in bottle are crap in the supermarkets. So I thought to myself, haven't bought ale in cans for years maybe I should try Tangle Foot from a can. Oh my god all the tawny, sweet, nutty flavours were gone I was left with an asinine & anodyne bitter of flatness. Guinness original is the only one I can drink from a can. I permitted the ultimate sacrilege and drank ale from a can, and for that I'm truly sorry.
Tonight I'll be going to The Man of Kent, and getting myself a Incubus or maybe a Goacher's IPA. For me Goacher's are one of the best micro-breweries I've tasted.
Comments
Those Badger boys certainly know what they are doing. The Elderflower one would be Golden Glory and is my favourite(apparently their biggest seller having overtaken Tanglefoot). Put it in the fridge for an hour to give it a slight chill and drink it with a nice Lamb bhuna.
Well thats dinner sorted this evening.
Failing this brew your own. I am currently building an all grain 20 gallon brewery in my cellar. (Don't tell the Mrs.)
agreed - they have 3 real ales on up my club. They vary 2 but keep courage best all the time - it's decent now but you have to watch out where you buy it as they do a 'non real' version as well.
Spitfire i think is over rated - Whitstable Bay is a nice Shepherd Neame ale.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Cellar+Plus,+Footscray+Road,+London&hl=en&ll=51.439911,0.072978&spn=0.007343,0.018046&sll=51.438617,0.071127&sspn=0.003672,0.009023&vpsrc=6&z=16&iwloc=A
I'm in plympton.
Real Ale surely means direct from the barrel. Bottled beer is not Real Ale in my opinion.
The Bitter End on Masons Hill is the best place in London.
CAMRA has launched a logo “CAMRA says this is real ale” to clearly identify products that are the real thing: natural, living, bottle-conditioned beers. It is important to note that some cask-conditioned real ales do not undergo secondary fermentation once bottled. We hope that this logo will be able to clearly identify real ale in a bottle."
Shamefully I live a mile from the Bitter End but use it far less than I should.
Never heard of it so guess its a name change. Anyone been
Crystal Palace Hotel
The Sportsman
The Occasional Half
Jack Beard's at the Palace