For any of you doing your Christmas shopping in Bromley during 12-14th Dec, my brother in law Steve has got a stall called 'The Fryer's Habit' in the Bromley Christmas Market selling craft beers ahead of the launch of his micropub in the New Year.
(Admin, please remove if you feel this blatant plug is inappropriate)
First 3 days of trading was a roaring success. He's back in the market Sun 18th - Wed 21st Dec.
Popped into the Long Pond last night. It's just over 2 years old now, if I recall right. It was pleasantly heaving. Not only that, the entire Westmount Road parade is showing unprecedented signs of life, when the received wisdom was that such small parades have no future. If anyone doubts what a good pub can do for a community, and what a noble thing it is to open and run one with the passion and dedication that @Rivieira and his family have shown, they should visit the Pond. And I have finally understood that the correct serving temperature for English beers is 11-12 C.
All lagers should be served from the fridge not warm !!!
Of course.
The question is whether the IPAs brewed on the Continent now should be served at the same temp as the lagers. Seems wrong to me and the Landlord agrees.
Edit: or perhaps we agreed that they are brewed cold fermented like lagers, in which case are they really IPAs?
All lagers should be served from the fridge not warm !!!
Of course.
The question is whether the IPAs brewed on the Continent now should be served at the same temp as the lagers. Seems wrong to me and the Landlord agrees.
Edit: or perhaps we agreed that they are brewed cold fermented like lagers, in which case are they really IPAs?
Nope, that would make them IPLs, which we are seeing quite a few of here in the States.
All lagers should be served from the fridge not warm !!!
Of course.
The question is whether the IPAs brewed on the Continent now should be served at the same temp as the lagers. Seems wrong to me and the Landlord agrees.
Edit: or perhaps we agreed that they are brewed cold fermented like lagers, in which case are they really IPAs?
Nope, that would make them IPLs, which we are seeing quite a few of here in the States.
On the way too the Duck and Rice in Soho, where Pilsner Urquell is served from the tank. Very curious. Already a black mark , booked for 7.30, told to come at 7. When I asked what rhe sodding difference was, they told me they want the table again at 9. So I said we can go to the bar after, right, can I book that at 9? No, no bookings for the bar. Unthinkable in Prague.
Already trailing the relevant Prague benchmark then, before we even consider the price is exactly 5x higher. At this price I expect perfect head, on my PU, from an exceptionally beautiful waitress...
On the way too the Duck and Rice in Soho, where Pilsner Urquell is served from the tank. Very curious. Already a black mark , booked for 7.30, told to come at 7. When I asked what rhe sodding difference was, they told me they want the table again at 9. So I said we can go to the bar after, right, can I book that at 9? No, no bookings for the bar. Unthinkable in Prague.
Already trailing the relevant Prague benchmark then, before we even consider the price is exactly 5x higher. At this price I expect perfect head, on my PU, from an exceptionally beautiful waitress...
Well, got to say, the PU was great, impeccable head, and three of the OSC guys drank it all evening. And they found us a table downstairs. Very decent food too.
Best Beer: - Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus Classic Bier 14%. Absolutely fabulous. Winner for the second year running.
Best Draft Beer: - Phoenix, Wobbly Bob.
Best Supermarket Offering: - Harviestoun Old Engine Oil 6%, available from Waitrose
Second Most Ridiculous Beer Tried: - Southminster, Wobbly Otter 12%.
Most Ridiculous Beer Tried: - I can't remember - it's the blackouts, but it was about 20%
Best Pub (over all): - The Pride of Spitalfields, Heneage Street (off Brick Lane). Nice atmosphere, good beers, large friendly cat and free roasties.
Best Pub (beer selection): - Award shared between Mawsons Micropub, Southend and The Carpenters Arms, Bethnal Green.
Best Pub (landlord/landlady): - The Old Garrison, Shoeburyness.
Best Pub (helpful friendly staff): - The Rock, Chiddingstone Hoath.
Best Pub (architecture): - The Lamb Tavern, Leadenhall Market.
Best Pub (atmoshphere): - The Pride of Spitalfields.
Best Pub (food): - The Good Samaritan, Whitechapel. Amazing value.
Best Pub (prices): - The Old Monkey, Portland Street Manchester. About half the price of the Sawyers Arms just up the road.
Best Brewery: - Adnams has been the one that has consistently pleased. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip around the Greene King brewery, but am never overly keen on their beers.
Best Off-Licence: - Thind Wine Merchants, Sevenoaks
Best Beer Festival: - Rochford. But I only went to two, so there wasn't much competition.
Best Pub Crawl: - The Great Fire of London Tour. Starting in The Ship, Hart Street and finishing in The Butchers Hook & Cleaver, Smithfield.
AND THE NOT SO GOOD
Worst Beer: Brahma Cerveja. Dreadfully thin and tastless South American take on an American ajunct lager. Can't imagine what posessed me to try it.
Worst Beer Poured: Guinness at The Travellers Joy, Rayleigh. Only went in there out of curiosuty as it's probably the nearest pub to my house that I'd never been in before. I soon realised why. I only chose the Guinness as a safe option and they couldn't even get that right.
Worst Pub: The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel. Absolte hole. Scruffy, dirty pub, with no comfortable furniture and appalling beer. The 'garden' overlooks the spot where Brown Ale was invented, but it is just a seedy back yard and there's not a sniff of a chance of getting a bottle of brown in there. It's a crying shame given it's location and history, that someone doesn't make something of this place.
Most over-rated beers: Beaverstown.
Worst Value Drinking: Bill's Restaurant, Wellington Street, Covent Garden. Best part of a fiver for 275ml of generic beer rebranded with their own name.
Worst Beer Festival: Southend Folk and Beer Festival. Too many folk, not enough beer!
Some supplementary awards, as I was dreaming about pubs last night:
Best South London Pub: - The Pelton Arms. I had previously heard a lot about this and wanted to go for a long time. Stumbled across it this summer and wasn't disappointed.
Not an ale fan but what happened to the fella that opened a place on Thames street Greenwich only for it to be compulsory purchased? Has he tried anywhere else?
A friend came over NYE and left some other of his ales, I am going to give them a go they are IPA, one called brew dog or something like that, question is should they be drunk at room temperature or from a fridge ?
A friend came over NYE and left some other of his ales, I am going to give them a go they are IPA, one called brew dog or something like that, question is should they be drunk at room temperature or from a fridge ?
Normally room temperature....ones that need chilling tend to state it on the bottle. Enjoy!
Comments
He's back in the market Sun 18th - Wed 21st Dec.
It was pleasantly heaving. Not only that, the entire Westmount Road parade is showing unprecedented signs of life, when the received wisdom was that such small parades have no future.
If anyone doubts what a good pub can do for a community, and what a noble thing it is to open and run one with the passion and dedication that @Rivieira and his family have shown, they should visit the Pond.
And I have finally understood that the correct serving temperature for English beers is 11-12 C.
The question is whether the IPAs brewed on the Continent now should be served at the same temp as the lagers. Seems wrong to me and the Landlord agrees.
Edit: or perhaps we agreed that they are brewed cold fermented like lagers, in which case are they really IPAs?
Pah!
:-)
5% abv. £1.50 per (500ml) bottle.
And very tasty it is.
Already trailing the relevant Prague benchmark then, before we even consider the price is exactly 5x higher. At this price I expect perfect head, on my PU, from an exceptionally beautiful waitress...
THE GOOD
Best Beer: - Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus Classic Bier 14%. Absolutely fabulous. Winner for the second year running.
Best Draft Beer: - Phoenix, Wobbly Bob.
Best Supermarket Offering: - Harviestoun Old Engine Oil 6%, available from Waitrose
Second Most Ridiculous Beer Tried: - Southminster, Wobbly Otter 12%.
Most Ridiculous Beer Tried: - I can't remember - it's the blackouts, but it was about 20%
Best Pub (over all): - The Pride of Spitalfields, Heneage Street (off Brick Lane). Nice atmosphere, good beers, large friendly cat and free roasties.
Best Pub (beer selection): - Award shared between Mawsons Micropub, Southend and The Carpenters Arms, Bethnal Green.
Best Pub (landlord/landlady): - The Old Garrison, Shoeburyness.
Best Pub (helpful friendly staff): - The Rock, Chiddingstone Hoath.
Best Pub (architecture): - The Lamb Tavern, Leadenhall Market.
Best Pub (atmoshphere): - The Pride of Spitalfields.
Best Pub (food): - The Good Samaritan, Whitechapel. Amazing value.
Best Pub (prices): - The Old Monkey, Portland Street Manchester. About half the price of the Sawyers Arms just up the road.
Best Brewery: - Adnams has been the one that has consistently pleased. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip around the Greene King brewery, but am never overly keen on their beers.
Best Off-Licence: - Thind Wine Merchants, Sevenoaks
Best Beer Festival: - Rochford. But I only went to two, so there wasn't much competition.
Best Pub Crawl: - The Great Fire of London Tour. Starting in The Ship, Hart Street and finishing in The Butchers Hook & Cleaver, Smithfield.
AND THE NOT SO GOOD
Worst Beer: Brahma Cerveja. Dreadfully thin and tastless South American take on an American ajunct lager. Can't imagine what posessed me to try it.
Worst Beer Poured: Guinness at The Travellers Joy, Rayleigh. Only went in there out of curiosuty as it's probably the nearest pub to my house that I'd never been in before. I soon realised why. I only chose the Guinness as a safe option and they couldn't even get that right.
Worst Pub: The Blind Beggar, Whitechapel. Absolte hole. Scruffy, dirty pub, with no comfortable furniture and appalling beer. The 'garden' overlooks the spot where Brown Ale was invented, but it is just a seedy back yard and there's not a sniff of a chance of getting a bottle of brown in there. It's a crying shame given it's location and history, that someone doesn't make something of this place.
Most over-rated beers: Beaverstown.
Worst Value Drinking: Bill's Restaurant, Wellington Street, Covent Garden. Best part of a fiver for 275ml of generic beer rebranded with their own name.
Worst Beer Festival: Southend Folk and Beer Festival. Too many folk, not enough beer!
Best South London Pub: - The Pelton Arms. I had previously heard a lot about this and wanted to go for a long time. Stumbled across it this summer and wasn't disappointed.
Best Pub Garden: - The Ship, Dunwich, Suffolk.
Best Urban Pub Garden: - The Pelton Arms.
Good list @Stig
Am a fan of The Pride of Spitalfields
A few more
Manchester pub of the year - The Briton's Protection
Leeds pub of the year - The Duck and Drake
Sheffield pub of the year - The Gardeners Rest
Has he tried anywhere else?
craftbeerrising.co.uk
If so, worth it?
Enjoy!