What the cool kids are drinking

The Oxton Bar and Grill is unsurprisingly, in Oxton, which is one of the oldest districts of Birkenhead. A number of late Georgian and early Victorian mansions and cottages survive and there is a slightly upmarket, village feel which is untypical of this decaying town.

The bar will be a new entrant to the GBG in 2015 but after a perfectly good pint from the local Peerless brewery I was attracted by a keg offering of the sort that is rare in Wirral - Flying Dog Doggie-style. Very good it was too, but it was after ordering that I noticed the chalk board. The heading stated 'What the cool kids are drinking', listing a wine, a spirit and the afore-mentioned Doggie-style.

So it's official. Craft beer is for the young and cool. Like me.

Discount for CAMRA members

The Font, round the corner from Manchester Oxford Road station gives a whopping 25% discount to CAMRA members. That reduced my pint of Magic Rock Ringmaster from an expensive £3.60 to a very reasonable £2.70. It presumably indicates that the margin on cask beer in this bar is pretty high.

The Indy admits bias against alcohol.

I wrote to The Independent to complain about its skewed reporting of alcohol matters.  Below is an extract of the reply I received from Will Gore, Deputy Managing Editor:

With regard to our stance on alcohol, as with a range of issues we may take an editorial line on a subject if we think it is the right one after proper analysis (independence is not synonymous with impartiality). 

In other words they admit that their reporting is not impartial. I hope that I'm not the only one to challenge them.

Liverpool Beer Festival 2014

I hope those who attended had a good time. The local CAMRA branch actually made tickets available via the internet this year. The problem is you'd have to be in the know to be aware of that. A kind soul informed me a few weeks after the closing date for applications. Maybe I'll manage to get a ticket next year. Or maybe not.

The Independent newsapers - No friend of alcohol

The Indy on Sunday sent my blood pressure soaring with their leader comment today.  I've noticed the bias of the Indy papers over recent times but today's unsubstantiated uttering moved me to reply:

 

Sir/Madam,

 

I have noted with dismay for some time an anti-alcohol consumption slant to the reporting by the Independent on Sunday and your sister daily newspaper. It  took your leader column today to rouse me in protest at your pronouncements.

 

You state ‘ Minimum pricing would certainly have a disproportionate effect on poor people who are not problem drinkers. In our view, that is a price worth paying for the wider social benefits of cutting alcohol consumption generally and problem in particular.’

 

Can you explain in more detail why cutting alcohol consumption of responsible drinkers is a good thing, especially in regard to those on low incomes who you admit will be hit the most? 

 

Yours,

 

Steve Hannigan

 

I urge you to complain also.

 

 

The first craft beer chain?

Collecting my daughter from Lime Street station on Monday night I parked my car and used the side entrance. In doing so, I passed a pub that I'd forgotten about - The Head of Steam. Once packed to the gunnels it had just a couple of hardy souls watching Sky footy.

Huddersfield

Was this part of the first chain of craft beer pubs?  The Liverpool pub had five beers, each with a different range of beers. Beers from around the world were available and I remember buying the new, O'Hanlons produced Thomas Hardy's Ale from the Huddersfield outlet in 1984.

The earliest memory of a pub that would now be classed as 'craft' was a rural one. The Mason's Arms, Cartmel Fell, hidden above Lake Windermere had a world beer list on each table. It stocked over 150 Belgian Beers in the mid 80's and was the first place that I drank beers from the excellent Dutch 't IJ brewery.

Coronation Street and Fullers London Pride

 

Has anyone else noticed the keg pump that appears in centre frame in many scenes of Coronation Street's Rovers Return? Notwithstanding that it is keg is a dead ringer for a London Pride pump clip. the only photo I can find is not that clear but its the dispenser on the left. If you haven't spotted it before you will now I've highlighted it.

Manchester Beer Festival 2014

I thoroughly enjoyed my two day stay in Manchester apart from the Friday morning hangover. I found the Velodrome an excellent venue and it certainly attracted the crowds. There were punters from all over Britain and also further afield.  I'm told that the festival closed five hours earlier than planned on Saturday due to lack of beer and that beer order of 20% less than last year when it was CAMRA's National Winter beer festival should probably have been 20% more.

There was an extensive and excellent range of beers plus reasonably priced food. The Velodrome is easy to get to - three stops on the tram from Piccadilly or just two from New Islington for Great Ancoats Street and the Northern Quarter. I walked to the festival on Friday lunch time along the Ashton Canal towpath which took about half an hour. I'm aware of problems negotiating the numerous steps between the bars and seating/toilets/food for those with mobility problems. I believe that the organisers are considering siting some bars on the concourse next year for those who don't want to negotiate the tunnel too often.

The cycling was quite a spectacle. To see the best cycling teams in the world going about their training at close quarters was enthralling. The speed they reach is truly amazing.

Thanks to the local CAMRA branches for organising a very enjoyable festival.