I'm on one of my Bank Holiday stays in Cartmel. There are five real ale outlets. Rogan's has fallen by the wayside but The Priory Hotel has re-opened with Cartmel Peninsula on sale from the new Unsworth's Yard brewery just around the corner.
The King's now has Hawkshead Biiter, Red, Windermere Pale and Draught Bass. The Royal Oak has Coniston Bluebird and Skiddaw Bitter. The Cavendish Arms has Deuchar's IPA, Flying Scotsman and Unsworth Yard's Crusader Gold. The Pig and Whistle has four Robinsons' beers but you can't have everything. In fairness, the Crusoe was quite good.
Note that with my loyalty card Hawkshead Bitter is £2.38 a pint. The Crusader Gold in the Cavendish is £3.75 a pint! They do have to transport it a whole 100 yards from the brewery.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Friday, 25 May 2012
Exactly a month
...since my last post and virtually nothing in the month before that. It's hard to break a habit but once it's done it's just as hard to regain it.
It isn't as if I've left the world of beer. I went to Belgium twice in April - ZBF in the new Leuven venue was a superb experience. I've been to the Walsall Beer Festival, had a trip to the Bridge End, Ruabon (CAMRA POTY) and jaunts to Liverpool, Chester and Southport. But I just couldn't be bothered writing about anything. The funny thing is I didn't read anyone else's blogs either. I can't really explain why.
What has invigorated me is the the conjunction of good weather and my impending 12 day (!) holiday in Cartmel. The thought of unlimited Hawkshead Bitter plus numerous other beers on offer has got me like a child counting down the days to Christmas. There is even a new brewery which has opened in the village since I was last there.
I've been teetotal this week as part of my training for this epic challenge. Next Tuesday night I'll be propping up the bar of the Kings Arms. I'll keep you up to date with events.
It isn't as if I've left the world of beer. I went to Belgium twice in April - ZBF in the new Leuven venue was a superb experience. I've been to the Walsall Beer Festival, had a trip to the Bridge End, Ruabon (CAMRA POTY) and jaunts to Liverpool, Chester and Southport. But I just couldn't be bothered writing about anything. The funny thing is I didn't read anyone else's blogs either. I can't really explain why.
What has invigorated me is the the conjunction of good weather and my impending 12 day (!) holiday in Cartmel. The thought of unlimited Hawkshead Bitter plus numerous other beers on offer has got me like a child counting down the days to Christmas. There is even a new brewery which has opened in the village since I was last there.
I've been teetotal this week as part of my training for this epic challenge. Next Tuesday night I'll be propping up the bar of the Kings Arms. I'll keep you up to date with events.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Too busy to blog
The end/start of the financial has been even more intense than usual for me at work. Blogging takes a back seat when you've been putting in 12 hour days with weekend working as well.
Things are back to normal now and tomorrow I head to Belgium for the ZBF beer festival at the new venue in Leuven. Stella Artois will not be on my menu.
Things are back to normal now and tomorrow I head to Belgium for the ZBF beer festival at the new venue in Leuven. Stella Artois will not be on my menu.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Friday, 23 March 2012
Holt's not cheap anymore
£2.62 is how much I paid for a pint of Holt's Bitter in the Crown & Anchor, Manchester this week. There are still many pubs in the North West cheaper than this. For instance the nearby Micro Bar in the Arndale Centre has beers at £2.30 a pint. Sam Smith's prices are creeping up too. Has David Cameron been having a word or two?
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Name dropping
Unplanned circumstances meantthat I didn't arrive at my hotel in Manchester on Tuesday night until 10:30 p.m. It was straight in and out to head for the pubs. A quick couple in the Marble Arch and on the Port Street beer house. It was quiet but one drinker caught my eye. Garrett Oliver, the famed brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery was in conversation with a small group of drinkers. I managed to gain a few minutes chat with him, breaking the ice by saying I'd met him once before in Belgium. He was polite enough to say that he recognised my face although I'm sure that he gets bothered by plenty of beer groupies. I soon found out that one member of his party was the brewer from Nøgne ø in Norway. I can barely pronounce the name of the brewery correctly so I thought better of trying to speak to him.
Port Street shut at midnight and deciding that I could manage a nightcap I trotted round to The Castle. Lively as ever I was soon in conversation at the bar. I was talking to a friendly chap called Ian when I blurted out that he looked familiar. His laughter caused me embarrassment as he told me that he was in Coronation Street. He plays Owen Armstrong and for those who are interested in these things he had another Corry actor in tow, Mikey North who plays Owen's daughter's boyfriend Gary in the soap. Keep up! Anyway, he came across as a a very nice chap.
Port Street shut at midnight and deciding that I could manage a nightcap I trotted round to The Castle. Lively as ever I was soon in conversation at the bar. I was talking to a friendly chap called Ian when I blurted out that he looked familiar. His laughter caused me embarrassment as he told me that he was in Coronation Street. He plays Owen Armstrong and for those who are interested in these things he had another Corry actor in tow, Mikey North who plays Owen's daughter's boyfriend Gary in the soap. Keep up! Anyway, he came across as a a very nice chap.
Friday, 9 March 2012
The Health Lobby - More drivel in The Press
Most of the papers have been running stories today stating that people over 45 are more likely to drink every day than younger alcohol drinkers according to statistics. They all report this in a negative light, following on from the medical advice that we should refrain from alcohol on at least two days a week. It is interesting to see the pseudo-facts and mis-interpretation of the findings that they print.
The Independent, as one would expect, reports the statistics responsibly until the final few paragraphs:
'Experts recommend three alcohol-free days a week' the paper pronounces. Who are these 'experts'? The Indy doesn't tell us. Plus hang on a minute. It was only recently that they recommended two days a week off booze. At this rate we'll all be told to become teetotal by Easter.
They go on to quote Professor Tony Ray, a consultant in old-age psychiatry. 'This is such a hidden problem-older people drink behind closed doors. There are a variety of problems but they are usually below the radar because they do not involve death or liver disease.' It doesn't sound such a big problem to me.
My local rag the 'Liverpool Echo' trails the headline 'Over 45's Drink More Alcohol.' What does this mean? Does it mean they all had a drink one night and then decided to risk a second? Do they drink more than they used to? Is it meant to say that they drink more than the under 45's? Nothing in the article substantiates the latter two conclusions. Someone aged over 45 drinking a couple of pints or glasses of wine every night isn't necessarily drinking more than the teenager who binge drinks at weekends. Also if they've been drinking those couple of pints every night for last ten years then they haven't increased their consumption either and indeed quite possibly may have reduced their consumption over time.
But these articles are all part of the softening up process.
The Independent, as one would expect, reports the statistics responsibly until the final few paragraphs:
'Experts recommend three alcohol-free days a week' the paper pronounces. Who are these 'experts'? The Indy doesn't tell us. Plus hang on a minute. It was only recently that they recommended two days a week off booze. At this rate we'll all be told to become teetotal by Easter.
They go on to quote Professor Tony Ray, a consultant in old-age psychiatry. 'This is such a hidden problem-older people drink behind closed doors. There are a variety of problems but they are usually below the radar because they do not involve death or liver disease.' It doesn't sound such a big problem to me.
My local rag the 'Liverpool Echo' trails the headline 'Over 45's Drink More Alcohol.' What does this mean? Does it mean they all had a drink one night and then decided to risk a second? Do they drink more than they used to? Is it meant to say that they drink more than the under 45's? Nothing in the article substantiates the latter two conclusions. Someone aged over 45 drinking a couple of pints or glasses of wine every night isn't necessarily drinking more than the teenager who binge drinks at weekends. Also if they've been drinking those couple of pints every night for last ten years then they haven't increased their consumption either and indeed quite possibly may have reduced their consumption over time.
But these articles are all part of the softening up process.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Northern beer in London
I was in London on Saturday. While my wife and daughter went to see 'Wicked' at the ApolloVictoria I strolled down the road to The cask in Pimlico. I gave wry smile as I perused the handpumps. Five were taken up with beers from the superb Liverpool Organic Brewery.
I like their beers very much, but considering that they are freely available in the pubs I visit back home I'd hoped to find a wider choice to sample. Anyway, I started off with a pint of their 3.8% Cascade. Two things stood out. £3.40 for a low strength beer is on average 70p dearer than on Merseyside. Furthermore the total lack of sparkler left the beer flat, insipid and not enjoyable. I am neutral on the sparkler issue but this showed that some northern beers are best served with a head.
If I thought that the Cascade was expensive, Organic's other beers were even more so. The Liverpool Pale Ale at 4% was £3.70 and Shipwreck IPA at 6.5% was £4.60 with Imperial IPA at 7.2% selling for £5.20. I would . The Pale Ale would probably cost the same as the Cascade on home territory and the others about a £1 per pint less.
The customers at the Cask seem happy to pay these prices but I couldn't afford to drink there regularly.
I like their beers very much, but considering that they are freely available in the pubs I visit back home I'd hoped to find a wider choice to sample. Anyway, I started off with a pint of their 3.8% Cascade. Two things stood out. £3.40 for a low strength beer is on average 70p dearer than on Merseyside. Furthermore the total lack of sparkler left the beer flat, insipid and not enjoyable. I am neutral on the sparkler issue but this showed that some northern beers are best served with a head.
If I thought that the Cascade was expensive, Organic's other beers were even more so. The Liverpool Pale Ale at 4% was £3.70 and Shipwreck IPA at 6.5% was £4.60 with Imperial IPA at 7.2% selling for £5.20. I would . The Pale Ale would probably cost the same as the Cascade on home territory and the others about a £1 per pint less.
The customers at the Cask seem happy to pay these prices but I couldn't afford to drink there regularly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)