A sad sight for Young's drinkers.

March51

The demolition of The Ram Brewery in Wandsworth is well under way with many of the old buildings disappearing to make way for a mixed housing and retail development. The stables and farmyard that kids used to love visiting have gone and the main buildings (recently done up to film 'Masterchef') will soon follow.

Yes, it's good something is at last happening to the site which has been standing empty since Young's sold it and re-located a few years ago but to dedicated Young's drinkers it really is the last nail in the coffin. The company has ceased brewing altogether and is now just a pub management company and any beers bearing the Young's name are brewed by Charles Wells Ltd. of Bedford. That's progress!.

Sorry, I still can't do that links thing but Google 'The Ram Quarter' ' if you want to know more or to buy a very expensive apartment in up and coming Wandsworth.

Fiiiiiish

Were you having a few when you started the topic?

March51

Fiiiiiish said:

Were you having a few when you started the topic?

Unfortunately not, just an old-timer's moment (again). Thanks though.

Saga Lout

Youngs "ordinary" is not the same - I can still remember the taste of it in the early 80s - boy, did I drink a lot of it - every lunchtime and several evenings a week! Those were the days.

kentaddick

My dad tells me that young's was the best beer he's ever had. Now they use different water it just doesn't taste the same

red_murph

Young's also known now for being silly expensive. Loved a pint of Special.

lolwray

used to like a pint of ordinary at the catford Ram back in the day ...Youngs is /was a nice drop

JiMMy 85

Fiiiiiish said:

Were you having a few when you started the topic?

Harsh mate, the man has vision issues. I'm impressed to see him write so much, it's the most exercise he's had in months!

Lincsaddick

That site must be worth absolute millions .. Wandsworth, the new Chelsea for the nouveau riche .. but whatever happened to the dray horses ?

cafcfan

Lincsaddick said:

.. but whatever happened to the dray horses ?

Sold to Tesco for burger meat I expect.

tangoflash

Lincsaddick said:

That site must be worth absolute millions .. Wandsworth, the new Chelsea for the nouveau riche .. but whatever happened to the dray horses ?

They were last seen entering this pub.................

killerandflash

Apart from Winter Warmer, I never was a great fan of Young's beers anyway, Fuller's was always much nicer!
Now of course, there are lots of new micro/craft breweries in London, so the choice has never been better

Riviera

Regularlly drunk gallons of Youngs "Mixed" at The Lamb Tavern for the best part of 20 years up until Wells took over the beer and it was never the same.

The Guinea pub in Mayfair kept the best Youngs, always tasted that little bit better there.

mattaddick

The ONLY decent thing about those disgusting years when we played at Palace were the beers you could get which - if my memory serves me well - was Young's in the Port Manor and Fuller's in the Goat House.

Bangkokaddick

Despite it not being quite the same, I still enjoy a pint of Youngs whenever I am back in the UK, and I always make a pilgrimage to The Lamb, which, like the beer, was better many years ago.

Hovi's Biscuit

Youngs died for me when they were bought by Charles Wells and became another brand, rather than a working brewery.

Their beers and lagers used to all be great and reasonably priced, but now most have been discontinued or exist as 'glass of brown shit with fairy liquid on top' generic ales (to steal a quote from Bottom).

Youngs were bought for their real estate portfolio - as a result, most of the interesting boozers have become overpriced wine bar type places.

The demise of Youngs is a great pity, but at least there are other decent brewers in South London nowadays.

Oggy Red

Produced by Charles Wells seems to be the death knell for formerly decent beers.

Take Courage Best for example - it used to be a decent enough session beer when brewed by Courage, but the bland beer today masquerading as Courage Best (brewed by Charles Wells) doesn't even taste the same.

killerandflash

Oggy Red said:

Produced by Charles Wells seems to be the death knell for formerly decent beers.

Take Courage Best for example - it used to be a decent enough session beer when brewed by Courage, but the bland beer today masquerading as Courage Best (brewed by Charles Wells) doesn't even taste the same.

Courage brewed Best has been rank since I first drank it back in the late 80s, being inoffensive now is a great improvement! Actually the best thing now, is that hardly any pubs stock it.

It was the Young's family who chose to quite brewing, they could have built a new, more modern brewery themselves, but chose not to.

Riviera

Courage Best in the 80's to mid 90's was a superb beer. However it was everywhere and many pubs didn't (and still don't) look after their ale. But like Youngs, Courage as a brewer disappeared many years ago.
Similar story with Doombar. Sharps were a wonderful independent brewery in Cornwall that opened in the early 90's. Their ales were superb, Sharps Own being a particular favourite of mine. However they were so successful that they sold out to one of the industry giants, Coors, and all we are left with is the awful, insipid, tasteless Doombar.
As others have stated we are very lucky to be experienceing a renaissance in beer not seen since CAMRA forced the big brewers to clean up their act in the 70's. We now have thousands of independent breweries and a growing number of independent Micropubs to serve these wonderful ales.

March51

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Lincsaddick said:

That site must be worth absolute millions .. Wandsworth, the new Chelsea for the nouveau riche .. but whatever happened to the dray horses ?

I heard that the original developer paid £67m. for the site in 2006 and that the Chinese consortium that is currently developing it acquired it for around £600m. Not a bad profit!

The horses retired to a farm in Sussex and still make appearances at shows and events. There is a driver's eye film on U-tube showing a Young's dray clip -clopping its way through Richmond and coping with the traffic.

Redrobo

Ah, winter warmer. Now that was a very special pint.

Saga Lout

Winter Warmer - a very special, legendary beer. But, take it from one who knows, it's not a good idea to have 3 pints before afternoon lectures at college...

Harry Gregory

There are too many great micro breweries nowadays to worry about the demise of Young's, Courage Fullers etc. Down in darkest Thanet there are now around 15 micropubs all serving great ales that change all the time. My local has six ales on each night and by the end of the week every ale is different from the start of the week.

ashley

The Bull's Head in Chislehurst used to sell Winter Warmer. Almost as good as Theakston's Old Peculier which was served at the old White Lion in Locksbottom. Best of all though a pint of Dogbolter at the Finnick and Firkin in Rushey Green . Sorry for sounding like a bit of a piss head .

ashley

Sorry I meant The Fox and Firkin I think . Mind elsewhere. "For Fox sake give me a Firkin pint ".I bought a t shirt once as I recall.

Riviera

Harry Gregory said:

There are too many great micro breweries nowadays to worry about the demise of Young's, Courage Fullers etc. Down in darkest Thanet there are now around 15 micropubs all serving great ales that change all the time. My local has six ales on each night and by the end of the week every ale is different from the start of the week.

I know, just spent a very pleasant couple of hours in The Tankerton Arms. To think that there is soon to be a similar establishment in Eltham Park excites me no end.

March51

I haven't been allowed beer for around 17 years now and still miss it terribly. But after Youmg's Special and Winter Warmer I was partial to Courage Directors which, when well kept, was an excellent pint. Its effect tended to be gradual and you had to be a little careful after 3 or 4 pints. Can I take it this beer now only lives in the memory along with the others.

Riviera

March51 said:

I haven't been allowed beer for around 17 years now and still miss it terribly. But after Youmg's Special and Winter Warmer I was partial to Courage Directors which, when well kept, was an excellent pint. Its effect tended to be gradual and you had to be a little careful after 3 or 4 pints. Can I take it this beer now only lives in the memory along with the others.

No the name still exists but like Youngs and Courage Best is produced by Charles Wells and not the tipple it was sadly.

Redrobo

March51 said:

I haven't been allowed beer for around 17 years now and still miss it terribly. But after Youmg's Special and Winter Warmer I was partial to Courage Directors which, when well kept, was an excellent pint. Its effect tended to be gradual and you had to be a little careful after 3 or 4 pints. Can I take it this beer now only lives in the memory along with the others.

Directors was also a fine pint and you are so right on it creeping up on you. Abbotts very similar

Riviera

Redrobo said:

March51 said:

I haven't been allowed beer for around 17 years now and still miss it terribly. But after Youmg's Special and Winter Warmer I was partial to Courage Directors which, when well kept, was an excellent pint. Its effect tended to be gradual and you had to be a little careful after 3 or 4 pints. Can I take it this beer now only lives in the memory along with the others.

Directors was also a fine pint and you are so right on it creeping up on you. Abbotts very similar

killerandflash

ashley said:

Sorry I meant The Fox and Firkin I think . Mind elsewhere. "For Fox sake give me a Firkin pint ".I bought a t shirt once as I recall.

I'm a firkin pheasant plucker!