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 A couple of weeks ago The Cask Report dropped through my letterbox. I've been dipping into it ever since. It's prepared annually by Pete Brown and sponsored by a host of peeps including the leading regional brewers, CAMRA and SIBA.
I'd suggest you get your own copy if you're interested in understanding just how important cask ale is to successful pubs. You can download it here. Pete's background is in media and advertising - not pubs - but he's certainly got a handle on his brief. My own experience - as someone who decided to dabble in the trade and ended up buying my own business - tells me that Pete is spot on throughout the report. He identifies precisely why cask ale is more important than its actual market share might suggest.
Put simply, ale drinkers these days are just the type of customer publicans need to attract. They tend to be decision makers in offices and friendship groups, leading others - who may or may not drink ale - to your pub. They're more affluent, so will spend more freely. They're more likely to eat out (as opposed to fighting hunger pangs with crisps and nuts and falling upon a kebab on the way home), so will support the dry side of your business. I've observed this first hand at my own pub.
As an aside, it's interesting that the stereotypical real ale anorak is pretty much the reverse of the customer I've described above. CAMRA panders to them by acting like some kind of boozer's trade union, banging on about "take it to the top" and moaning about beer prices. It's time they stopped doing so, and focused on the modern cask ale consumer.
Last year I asked for info about The William IV and Sweet William, the born-again brewpub in Leyton, East London. As I said then, it being so far from the central districts probably meant I'd never visit. That prediction's proved to be accurate: it's taken me fourteen months to try one of their flagship beers. Did I train, plane and automobile it to E10? Of course not. Brodie's IPA is on sale at the ivy-covered Crosse Keys on Endell Street, Covent Garden.
It's decent, combining refreshing qualities and plenty of hop bite with a full body that will please traditionalists. I tried a pint alongside one of Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold, and it stood up to that former Champion Beer of Britain well.
At the time of writing, another East London brewery is set to open in Tottenham. The brewer is writing a blog about his exploits - The Urban Brewer.
Chef's making giant pork scratchings today. We asked the butcher to drop off some pig skins with our meat delivery this morning. Yum. They'll be on sale this evening.
You'll notice I've stepped up the blogging again. It became apparent to me that lots of people enjoy this site, so would be pleased if I started paying attention to it again. Plus there's another group of people get really irritated by everything I write but can't help reading it, which is almost as satisying.
Yesterday I tried a new beer from Brew Dog. It was at a small beer festival in a pub that's just a couple of hundred yards from my front door.
I've been following the fortunes of Brew Dog since the Scottish brewery's birth two years ago. Since then, they've cropped up all over the place. I was a big fan of their core range, but lots of the stuff they've come up with since hasn't been to my taste. On the other hand, their bottled dark lager Zeitgeist was really quite nice. So it's been a mixed bag. (The fact they advertise on this website doesn't compromise my neutrality at all, you see.)
On to the beer. I suppose Nanny State is so-called because it's clearly been brewed to prove a point. Here's the blurb on the brewery's blog. Brew Dog are known for their stronger, more extreme beers, but this is a small beer at just 1.1% abv. The label on the cask claimed it was an "imperial mild" (what tosh!) and had "more hops per barrel than any beer in Britain" (or words to that effect). It was dark brown and flat as a witch's tit. It tastes harsh and astringent. It wasn't too thin - a surprise - but there wasn't much else but that unpleasant hop flavour.
So, in short, I think this is rubbish. Brew Dog have so many salivating geeks ready to lap up everything they do, they'll no doubt get a pat on the back for it. But, for the rest of us, they've already proven they can brew low-strength beers (here's my review of their 2.7% abv mild last year), so I think this is a gimmick and a waste of time.
If you want your ale served with a shot of resentment, then The Peasant's British Beer Festival is an annual event. Quaere whether somewhere staffed by people with such an active resentment for the entire affair bothers with the hassle, but there you go.
St Austell Proper Job sold out in one session - and that was on the quietest day of the week. Tomorrow's guest ales are Lancaster Blonde (had it at Ye Olde Mitre recently, and can confirm it's worthy) and Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla Stout. The latter sounds funky and - judging by the aroma that filled the cellar when I tapped it - it suspect might taste a little strange too. But it comes from a brewery that's supplied us with excellent beers in the past so I'm keen to try it. My folks are in town tomorrow, so no doubt my old man will lash into both and make his views known.
Landlord and Harvey's are on sale too. Other beers in the cellar are Purity Mad Goose, Caledonian Double Dark, Moorhouses Pride of Pendle and Woodfordes Wherry.
 There are pints that remind you why you really, really like beer. I had one of those yesterday.
Situated in that pretty part of Islington behind Upper Street and by the canal, St Peter's Street is full of those stucco-fronted Georgian townhouses you feel obliged to glower into as you pass by. You know the type - kitchen in the basement, elegant sitting room on the ground floor giving way to an airy dining room that in turn looks out onto a leafy garden. And on that street is The Duke of Cambridge, perhaps the most fervently bourgeois establishment in all of London.
Pretty much everything at the The Duke of Cambridge is organic. That's their shtick. To be fair, their commitment can hardly be questioned. If you're interested, you can read about the long list of achievements they've made in that field on their website. The one we care about is the beer offer: the cask ales come from Pitfield Brewery in Essex (formerly of Shoreditch), with lagers (light and dark) from Freedom.
As we were shown to a table for a late lunch on Saturday afternoon, I glanced sideways toward the bar and spotted Pitfield 1850 London Porter on handpump. So the default option of sharing a decent bottle of wine between two wasn't on the cards. Sorry, love. It arrived at my table looking just perfect. The waiter probably thought I was nice but dim when I made such a fuss of it. Dark and smoky and licoricey and somehow meaty, the influence of an antique recipe came through. As well as being sufficiently organic to supply this pub, Pitfield are also known for brewing beers from the past (I've written about their efforts here, here and here).
Alongside classic pilsner, porter is my favourite beer style. And that was the best draught porter I've ever had, no contest. So when I took a long draw from the glass I knew that whatever happened today, things would be fine.
I have to warn you: The Duke of Cambridge is definitely one of those places that could be accused of being "more a restaurant than a pub". And it isn't cheap - you won't get much change from £50 for two main courses and a couple of drinks. But we live in the modern world, not the 1970s, so we don't mind pubs that offer table service and focus on good food, do we? We ate dover sole and a mutton curry, followed by a mammoth cheesecake. It was excellent.
As you know, The Gunmakers is closed at weekends. Or, at least, that's the theory. In reality, we're booked up most Saturday nights for private parties (click here for details). In the last month alone we've been the venue for two wedding receptions, an engagement party and a 30th birthday.
Tonight, a very nice Scots chap who shares my love of Oor Wullie and the Broons is celebrating his 40th with an absolutely lovely crowd of pals. Chef's knocked them up a first class buffet and Harvey's Sussex Best - the birthday boy's favourite ale - is flowing.
These private parties present the most remarkable opportunity to indulge in a bit of people watching. I've learned that birds of a feather really do flock together. When we're open to the general public, I see a mixed crowd (although thankfully the rougher elements stay away). On a Saturday, you see just how similar groups of friends and family really are. Here's an example: tonight, not a single person's gone out for a cigarette. (I suppose that isn't surprising - these are educated, middle class people in their 30s and 40s.)
One of the busiest Saturdays I've ever had was last year, when half the Greeks in London descended for an engagement party. Despite being packed to the rafters and going through cases of vodka and gin, I didn't sell a single pint of ale. But then there was one party when cask beer accounted for over 80% of takings*.
* Yes, that was your party, Tony.
 I've been told that St Austell Proper Job is a great beer. I say I've been told because I've never tasted it myself. Ever since I first heard it was a winner (I think it was ATJ who raved about it one time I met him), I've been keen to sample a splash, but each time I've seen the pump clip I've been thwarted. Either it's run out, or has poured like cloudy soup in some dodgy boozer. Of course, I could have picked up a bottle from the supermarket, but that'd be pointless - we all know that bottled ales are a poor substitute for the real thing.
Well, my time has come, because there's a firkin conditioning in my cellar now. I've just tapped it, so it should be ready by Monday lunchtime when we open for the week.
St Austell is a regional brewery in Cornwall.
Last night we served Adnams Old for the first time. The cask's tipped already, but there are still a few gallons left. I'm impressed by the sour notes, and suspect the 2009 vintage is better than previous years. It isn't quite as good as Harvey's Old Ale (probably the best example of the style available on draught), but it's nearly there.
 Traditionally, old ales were dark, malty beers consumed in the winter months that had first been matured at the brewery.
Yesterday afternoon I got a bit of a monk on after trailing up and down Regent Street when I wasn't really in the mood for shopping. Taking pity on me, my supremely understanding girlfriend humoured me when I asked if we could stop at a bowling alley for a drink on the way back. But of course Bloomsbury Lanes is more than just a bowling alley, and I had no interest in a game of American-flavoured skittles. As any fule kno, they sell quality beer at the bar. After five pints of Bernard - a superior Czech beer that's rare even in Prague - I felt much, much better.
Although you won't see Bernard on draught in many of Prague's pubs, they do the sell the unfiltered - and consequently slightly cloudy - kvasnicové version in U Kocoura in the Malastrana. I took down a couple of those jars last weekend.
So here's today's menu. You see, it really does change all the time. My vote goes to the lamb cutlets, but that burger (also lamb) is a winner with the crowd today. Even Peter the Bike's ordered it.  The beer delivery was shockingly late today. We had to open hatch with customers in the pub. But it was worth it. In the cellar I've got Tim Taylor Landlord, Harvey's Sussex Best, Wild Hop OPA, Harviestoun Schiehallion, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Adnam's Old, Woodforde's Wherry, St Austell Proper Job and Saltaire Stein Gold.
The whole debate about whether sparklers are good for real ale or not is, on reflection, a very boring one. (If you don't know what a sparkler is, I wrote about them here). Ultimately, it's all down to personal preference, and what we've learned is that professional Northerners tend to prefer sparklers. But then lots of people up North also tend to prefer Nick Griffin, so their views haven't really influenced me to date.
If I started using sparklers for some or all of my ales, my staff and customers would think I was a plonker. So I won't do that. But last night, when Eddie and myself were working a very dry private party, we decided to do the mess around with Tim Taylor Landlord - a Yorkshire ale that's said to taste better if served the Northern way. We poured a pint with and without the attachment and compared them.
What was our verdict? Well, pouring the sparklerised beer was a ball-ache and a half, but I have to admit that the end result was a little better. The aroma's more upfront (astonishingly so), the bitterness comes to the fore, and because the beer has so much condition to start with it isn't rendered flat and lifeless. I'll be breaking out the sparkler next time I pour myself a pint of Timmy.
Here's an order you don't see too often: five pints of mild, please. At lunchtime, most of the drinks orders scribbled down by our waitresses include a splattering of bullshit soft drinks (with tap water for the tight wads). Not so today, when Tony and his pals asked for their pre-prandials. There was no messing around. Every table was full and the orders were flowing thick and fast in my direction, but I still found time to snap this photo on my mobby.
 I spent this afternoon in Vinoteca. I love that place. The tasting notes are fantastic. If, like me, you're a budding wine enthusiast but lack experience, I'd recommend it.
Dark beers don't seem to sell as quickly as lighter ales - even at this time of year - yet some people moan when there aren't any on offer. It's a dilemma for the landlord who wants to please both regular customers and any beer enthusiasts that happen to swing by. Undeterred, I'm going to try and have a dark beer on throughout winter. I'm relying on cats like yourselves to come and drink them. Right now we've got Moorhouses Black Cat on downstairs. Next week I'm taking delivery of a supply of Adnams Old. After that, there'll be a pair of stouts: Caledonian Double Dark and Titanic Chocolate and Vanilla.
The OFT has ruled that the pubco tie system does not harm competition in the sector. The ruling comes in response to an official complaint by CAMRA. The BBC has the story. You'll note that shares in Punch and Enterprise have rallied.
You'd be forgiven for assuming I of all people would be preoccupied with this issue - but to be honest I take a pretty robust view on the subject. Independent pub operators who are subject to a tie (like myself) can quantify the effect the arrangement has on their business by considering (a) the difference between free trade and tied product prices and how that effects their bottom line, (b) whether they think their rent would be higher or lower if they had a another commercial landlord that wasn't a pubco and (c) whether they'd have secured as promising a site if they'd excluded tied pubs from consideration.
Whether the tie actually distorts competition is questionable. I'm not sure it does, and suspect the OFT are right. Pubs leased from Punch and Enterprise are still independently operated small businesses - they aren't part of a chain or subject to any central direction. Any suggestion that an industry of free houses only would scupper the big brewers and allow access to market for smaller producers is utterly naive. The likes of ABInBev and SABMiller (and, for that matter, Fullers and Greene King) would still have access to huge marketing advantages and would use their clout to sign up all the newly freed publicans to tempting barrelage contracts.
We change our menu all the time. That seems to really perplex those more comfortable in chain establishments, but I think the promise of variety brings us a lot of our repeat custom. To date, I've always kept a burger (with cheese, bacon and hand-cut chips) on the menu. Just to mix things up a bit, Chef dropped it last week. Most people haven't commented, but judging from the positively petulant reaction from a certain type of male customer, you'd think we'd broken some golden rule of pub kitchens.
The burger will be back next week, probably. As I said, we change our menu all the time.
I got back from Prague last night after 48 hours on the hoy in some of my favourite pubs. I'd been off the sauce for almost a fornight before I touched down, so my first pint of Pilsner Urquell (the unpasteurised version, served from a tank rather than keg) seemed to be the best beer I've ever tasted.
I had a few hours on my own before the lads arrived at midnight, so I spent Sunday evening crawling up through the Malastrana. Starting at the Malostranská Pivnice, I visited U Hrocha and U Kocoura before ending my solo session at the Klasterni Pivovar in the Strahov Monastery. It was a cold, misty evening, and as I climbed through the narrow, unspoiled streets of the lesser quarter toward the spires of Strahov, it felt like a waking dream.
The spell was broken somewhat when the others arrived and we made for a less salubrious joint off the Wenceslas Square. But at the end of the day I was there for a stag do, not a trip down my own personal memory lane.
In my experience, those who complain too loudly about stag dos and "Brits abroad" tend to be sadsacks with no mates, jealous of other people's fun. Nobody likes to see a group of tatooed plebs vomming in the gutter of a pretty European capital, but a bit of good-natured hoonery with the lads should be part of any man's life.
Today my mate Mike's stag kicked off here at The Gunmakers. Ten of the boys met up for a few pints of Landlord and Star before jumping in cabs to Gatwick, where they'll be flying to Rome for the next leg of the tour. I'll be joining them tomorrow night in Prague (I've got a wedding reception on at the pub tonight). Dr Robbles, as usual, is the centre of attention, upstaging even the groom. He was up 'til seven in the morning ironing slogans onto oversized polo shirts from M&S. Bless him, the bleary-eyed little madman.
 I'm going to be in Prague for six hours on my Jack Jones on Sunday, before the rest of the group fly in from Italy. I plan to crawl around some of my favourite pubs. I used to live in the Czech capital, but haven't been to the city for two years. I'm now on my twelth day without a drop of booze, so that first mug of pivo won't be touching the sides.
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A couple of weeks ago The Cask Report dropped through my letterbox. I've been dipping into it ever since. It's prepared annually by Pete Brown and sponsored by a host of peeps including the leading regional brewers, CAMRA and SIBA.
