The London Drinker Festival 2007 - done and dusted

Last week in Rome, my senses were overwhelmed by the interiors of some of the greatest cathedrals in the world. Entering the hall at the Camden Centre was a similar experience, for the beer lover at least. I was walking into a different kind of temple, one devoted to beer in all it's forms. The festival hall was lined with casks stacked two high on stillage, a small army of CAMRA volunteers scurrying around to satisfy the collective thirst of a packed house.

We were at the Camden Centre on both of the first two days and filled our boots. Cask ales of the festival for us were Dark Star Routemaster and Alcazar Windjammer IPA, with an honourable mention going to Spire Sergeant Pepper's Stout. The chance to enjoy draught Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier from Bamberg led to a long stay at the international beer bar, which offered an outstanding selection of bottled beers from the Low Countries alongside draught German beers on gravity dispense. At the cider and perry stall, there was a rum barrel-aged cider I couldn't get enough of.

Even Dryz (the one who drank lager all day on the St. Albans pub crawl) agreed to sample a couple of ales on Wednesday. His first was a Dark Star Hophead, which I forced upon him. He grudingly agreed it was "alright". Next, he went for an Espresso Stout from the same brewer, and thought that one was just about OK too. There's no pleasing some people.
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The London Drinker Festival 2007 - now on

The London Drinker is North London CAMRA's annual beer festival. It's one of the biggest real ale events of the year and is eagerly awaited. It starts today and runs until Friday. I'm going to be there tomorrow night and at some point on Friday. The venue is the London Borough of Camden's town hall, right next to King's Cross. From tomorrow, it'll be lined with scores of casks full of lovely real ale.

The provisional beer list is online here. Dark Star, one of my favourite brewers, has produced a one-off blend of Hophead and IPA especially for the festival. The foreign beer bar was particularly impressive last year, with great German beers dispensed by gravity direct from the barrel. Hopefully there'll be something similar this year. Remember that the more interesting beers sometimes sell out by Friday evening, so it's best to come before then.

Incidentally, my new pal Alex Liberati (the owner of Brasserie 4:20 in Rome) is coming over for the festival. If you spot us knocking back the pints, do say hello.

Information:

1. There's more information about the festival on North London CAMRA's website here. The Camden Centre is on Bidborough Street, WC1 (map). It's just across the road from King's Cross.
2. The sessions are Wednesday & Thursday 12-3, 5 to 10.30, Friday 12 to 10.30. Admission is £3, free on Wednesday & Thursday lunchtimes.
3. Food is available, prepared by CAMRA volunteers, bless 'em.

Birra in Roma - Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa' - "The Football Pub"

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After we left his own Brasserie 4:20, Alex took me north to the heart of Trastevere. It's a district of Rome on the left bank of the Tiber noted for its narrow streets and its down-to-earth bars and restaurants. It's relative lack of tourist attractions compared to other parts of the city centre is a major attraction when the dizzying array of monuments, churches and galleries becomes a little too much.

"Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa'" is a Roman saying which, Alex assures me, is best translated as "what the hell are you doing here?" It's also the name of one of Rome's best beer venues. I'll just call it by it's other title, "The Football Pub". The interior is rough and ready, with scarves and other footy memorabilia from across Europe lining the walls. When we arrived a little before midnight it was packed out, a mixed crowd spilling onto the lane. The vibe was relaxed but gently raucous - just how it should be. You can raise a glass and a song in here without getting any funny looks. Landlord Manuele is a great host.

The bottled selection encompasses an impressive range of Belgian beers as well as a few of UK brewers Young's and O'Hanlon's better beers. On tap, there's some real stars from Germany, Belgium and Italy. A tap handle for Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier caught my eye - it's a dark, very smoky classic from Bamberg, a beautiful German city famous for the style. Most people are startled when they first taste it, gibbering about smoked cheese and ham in a glass. That's true, though be careful, because very quickly you'll become hooked on this delicious brew. Incidentally, Bamberg is sometimes called the "Franconian Rome" due it being built on seven hills, just like Italy's capital.

Once more, I was amazed to see real ale on offer. The sight of another traditional hand pump really tugged this British beer lover's heartstrings. This time, the ale on offer was Lazio's own Birra del Borgo Re Ale, a rich and flavoursome 6% abv IPA, brewed using East Kent Goldings hops. By this stage of the night, the beers which had poured thick and fast back at 4:20 were having their effect, but there was no mistaking the powerful hop presence and sweet malt. The full body and complexity reminded me of a Belgian ale as much as anything else. By chance, the brewer Leonardo was in the pub that night (he's the guy with the glass on his head in the picture), so I could praise his handiwork in person.

Conversation flows as easy as the pints at the Football pub. I was tickled to hear a story about Britain's own Prince Charles, pulling a pint of real ale at the 2004 Slow Food Movement conference in Turin. Good lad, all is forgiven. One of the students I spoke to told me he was life member of CAMRA, and worked at the GBBF in Earl's Court last year.

After a couple of hours in the Football Pub, it was time for the next stop on our tour. Alex led me to "The Original Pub in Trastevere", The Dog and Duck. Guvnor Maurizio has been serving up Irish stout for 23 years, and this tiny place has a delightfully lived-in feel. You can always tell when the tat in a pub has built up over the years, reflecting the personality of the owners and the regulars: the D&D is just that kind of place. It's age and location set it apart from the tacky Irish bars in the centro storico. Beers on tap (pictured right) include Guinness, Porterhouse Oyster Stout and Dublin Red from Ireland alongside Bosteels Kwak, La Chouffe and Tripel Karmeliet from Belgium. For tradition's sake we opted for a perfectly poured pint of the black stuff. Not my usual choice, but when (in an Irish pub) in Rome ...

After finishing our pints and letting Maurizio lock up for the night, we headed back to Alex's own Brasserie 4:20 to finish off. After all, the place is open until 4am, so it'd be rude not to. The beer research continued apace, as I went back on to the White Dog beers. When I left at dawn, there were a few folks - including Alex - still going. Frustratingly, when I got back the ropey breakfast buffet in my doss house of a hotel wasn't due to open for another hour. In the absence of caffeine, it was finally time to hit the sack. The deadline for check out had long since past when the staff finally managed to turf me out.

It was a great night I won't forget in a hurry (I'm still having tequila flashbacks), and I'll be back soon. When you're next in Rome, visit 4:20, the Football Pub and the D&D, and be sure to tell them that Stonch sent you.

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Cheers.

Information:

1. Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa' is at Via Benedetta 25, Trastevere, Roma (Tel: +39 06 972 75218, website). It's open every day from 5.30pm. It's on the left bank of the Tiber, just across the bridge from the main tourist areas, but thankfully a world apart in terms of atmosphere. The full beer list is on the website. Click "birre" then "prossima" to scroll through the tap handles and see what's on offer. The bottled selection can be viewed by clicking "bottiglie".
2. The Dog and Duck is at Via della Luce 70, Trastevere, Roma (Tel: +39 06 454 74798, website).
3. Birre del Borgo of Lazio, brewers of Re Ale, have a website here. I've brought home a 75cl bottle of their Re Porter, which I'll be reviewing soon.

Birra in Roma - Real ale at Brasserie 4:20

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Brasserie 4:20 is a new venture in Rome, launched earlier this month by local beer connoisseur Alex Liberati. It's situated in an old railway arch, south of the city centre on the banks of the Tiber.

This brasserie and beer bar is one the best discoveries I've made to date. Only quality beer is dispensed from the chrome taps (15 of them, no less), which are suspended above the raised bar which lines one side of the venue. The staff understand the beers they are selling, and explain each beer's origins and taste profile as they bring it to your table. Every beer is served in the correct glass - that's a house rule. Outside of Belgium, I've never seen such attention to detail in the service and enjoyment of beer.

The decor is sophisticated and modern, but a warm and welcoming atmosphere is created by the bare brick and curved ceiling. A DJ stand sits above on a small balcony, laid across empty kegs. The extensive food menu, offering Italian cuisine with a modern twist, pairs the food with appropriate choices from the beer list. Beer is even used in the recipes for several of the dishes.

When I arrived in the early evening, apart from a handful of people enjoying a pre-dinner apertivo, the place was quiet. Italians usually don't come out until later in the evening. I sat at the bar and cast my eyes down the menu. The beers available on tap are enough to take a beer lover's breath away. From Germany, there's Rhenania Alt, Gaffel Kolsch, Augustiner Pils, Goeller Rauchbier, Riegele Augustus, Weininger Golden Bock and Andechs Hell, Doppelbock and Weizen. From Belgium, you can try La Chouffe, McChouffe, XX Bitter and the sublime St Bernardus Abt 12. The Italian beers are White Dog Best Bitter and Stout. A draught line-up like that would be impressive anywhere. To find it near the heart of Rome is truly astonishing.

The best is yet to come: lurking behind the bar is a solitary cask, fitted to a proper hand pump beer engine (pictured right). The real ale on offer was White Dog Best Bitter, from a microbrewery near Modena. Apparently it's one of 4:20's most popular beers, meaning you can rely on getting pints in perfect condition - mine certainly were. Most drinkers outside of Britain miss out on the untold joy offered by traditional cask ale - but not here.

Both the Italian beers I tasted were top class. White Dog Stout (5.5% abv), currently dispensed unpasteurised and unfiltered from a keg, will soon be available cask conditioned. It was my first pint of the night, before I'd spotted the hand pump. The bitter liquorice and coffee flavours provide an instant hook for a moreish beer that just goes down a treat.

White Dog Best Bitter (4.8% abv, pictured left) had the strength of an ESB but the refreshing succulence of a session beer. I've rarely tasted a cask beer that offers such a brisk burst of hops. Those that maintain (without foundation) that this kind of flavour is muted in real ales really need to try this one. If either of these beers were available in the UK, they'd be winning awards at beer festivals. The White Dog brewery is run by English expats Steve and Kelly Dawson in a 17th century stone building in the Appenines. I've got a lot more to say about White Dog, so look for an article here soon.

When owner/manager Alex arrived, the bar staff told him I was in, and he came over for a chat. Alex is an immensely committed and enthusiastic ambassador for beer, whose expertise and taste for different styles are remarkably wide-ranging. Perhaps most impressive is that he's launched this already thriving business at the age of 24. The chat lasted on-off for the next 10 hours. We ate from the excellent menu, and worked our way through the beers, before setting out for a tour at the other top beer venues in Rome.

Next stop: Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa' in the Trastevere. It was turning into quite a session.

[Continued here]

Information:

1. Brasserie 4:20 is at Via Portuense 82, Roma (Tel: +39 06 583 10737). It's open 6pm to 4am daily, with food served until very late. Things start to hot up about around 10, and keep going until closing time. Come early if you want a quiet drink and to be serenaded by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Come later if you're planning on making a night of it.
2. The White Dog Brewery have a website here. Steve and Kelly also run a B&B, and with prior arrangement guests can participate in the brewing process.

Birra in Roma - Johnny's Off License

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St Peter's is not Rome's cathedral, nor is that enormous Vatican basilica the highest ranking Catholic church in the world. Both honours go to St John Lateran, on the other side of the river and a little to the south east of the centro storico. The adjoining Lateran Palace was the papal seat until Clement V upped sticks to Avignon in 1309. The basilica is definitely worth a look on any visit to Rome, and I never miss it out. After gawping at the baroque facade and the huge, animated statues of the twelve apostles which gesticulate from niches along the nave, I headed south past the city walls. After two days surrounded by art and high culture, Stendhal's syndrome had kicked in already. I was looking for Johnny's Off License, a beer shop on Via Veio, a stone's throw from the basilica.

This place beats anything we've got in London. It opened in 2004, and the selection has expanded since then. Now, it's practically bursting at the seams with beers from around the world. Seeing bottles of British craft beer a shade cheaper than I could source them in London stung a little, I must admit. The focus is on Belgium, Germany, Britain and Italy. It was the Italian stuff I was interested in, although a few rare and exceptional numbers from elsewhere caught my eye too.

Johnny, an Irish expat, is a friendly (and immensely knowledgable) fella who is doing much to spread the word about good beer in Italy. We discussed the problems that stop the market for real ale being exploited in Italy. He told me horror stories about casks being left to broil in the baking sun by distributors who simply don't understand what's in those metal containers, rendering the beer undrinkable and bar owners wary. Of course, the logistics of importing live beer from the UK - the main source of cask conditioned ale - make the problems many times worse. If affordable, good quality real ale is going to become available across the country, it's going to have to come from domestic brewers.

At this stage, I have an admission to make. Until this week, I'd never tried a single Italian craft beer. They aren't imported in any quantity to the UK, and no-one's promoting them. It's always struck me that a country in which food and wine is given such an exalted status would be ripe for a craft beer revolution. The good news is that it's happening, and it seems to be focussed on innovative and imaginative brews. The fact that I can't drink them here in the UK offers the perfect excuse for even more frequent visits to my favourite holiday destination.

I've brought home bottles of Del Borgo Re Porter from Lazio, Panil Barriquée from Parma and Maltovivo Noscia IPA from Campania. I'm looking forward to trying them, and when I do I'll be writing about the experience here. The IPA sounds very interesting - apparently the latest batch intentionally has a distinctly smoky edge. It seems that Italians like to pronounce IPA - as in India Pale Ale - "EE-pa". I like that. Johnny was also kind enough to gift me a bottle of BABB Fosca, a 6.6% abv stout from Lombardy. I tried this later in the day, and was very impressed. It was deliciously moreish, with a lots of coffee and dark bitter chocolate. A perfect start for my Italian beer journey.

As well as the beers, I also left with the names of two venues I'd be able to try Italian real ale, along with the names of the owners, both good friends of Johnny's. The first was a new venture, opened only two weeks ago, Brasserie 4:20, housed in a railway arch by the Tiber. The second was in Trastevere, the elaborately named "Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà", also known as the Football pub. That evening, I set out in cab, which turned into the standard procedure white-knuckle ride through the Roman streets. After that, I really needed a proper pint.

[Continued here]

Information:

1. Johnny's Off License is at Via Veio, 4-00183, Roma (Tel: +39 06 77250130, website). It's very close to S.Giovanni Metro station, and of course the basilica of the same name.
2. The brewers of the beers mentioned in the article are all online: Del Borgo, Panil, Maltovivo, BABB)

Birra in Roma

Good beer's everywhere, and finding it's a lot of fun.

I've just come back from a four day trip to Rome. I hadn't been to the city for a few years, and I've got plenty of time to spare at the moment. So on Tuesday morning I hopped on a plane and checked into a cheap hotel on Via Cavour. In between the sightseeing, I managed to squeeze in the obligatory beer hunting.

I'll write up my experiences over the course of the next few days. I drank real, cask-conditioned beer in two different places, pulled with proper hand pumps. I met some of the key players in the local craft beer scene, and learned a lot about what they're doing over there. And I got very, very pissed. So in summary, I've done irreparable damage to both the environment (sorry, Mr. Gore) and my liver (sorry, mum).

I've got a lot to tell you about, but I've spent the last few hours suffering the indignities of Ryanair while afflicted with a menacing hangover. It's time for bed.

[Continued here]

St Peter's Ruby Red Ale

I'm sitting here with Dave (a.k.a. the Long Armed Goon), who's just finished his shift and brought round a couple of bottles of St Peter's Ruby Red Ale. It's a 4.3% abv bitter that certainly lives up to its name, pouring a deep red-brown with a magnificent toffee aroma rising from a fine foam. The fruity malt character dominates the taste profile, with a lovely combination of bitter fruit, caramel and a gentle toasted aftertaste. Each mouthful offers something slightly different, which is always a good thing in a beer.
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I've tried - and enjoyed - most of the St Peter's range, but haven't picked this one up before. I'd be interested to see how it tastes from cask conditioned. In the cold-filtered bottled version we've got in front of us, I feel there's real complexity bursting to get out. If you like gentle but warming beers, this is one for you.
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Information:

1. St Peter's Brewery is in Bungay, Suffolk (website). I've written about their London pub, The Jerusalem Tavern, here.
2. You can buy mixed cases of St Peter's beers, including Ruby Red Ale, direct from the brewery and from Majestic Wine Warehouse.

Two more from Jarrow - Jobling's Swinging Gibbet and Westoe I.P.A.

Yesterday I was back at the Pembury Tavern beer festival again with James and Alec. The line-up of beers was different, and we were able to try two more from the Jarrow Brewery. Both were characterful, enjoyable brews.

The first, Jobling's Swinging Gibbet (4.1% abv) is a fiercely hoppy amber bitter. The beer's name recalls William Jobling, a striking miner executed in 1832 for assaulting a colliery owner. He was the last Englishman to be gibbeted - he was publically executed, and afterwards his corpse was displayed in a cage. This grisly scene is depicted on the pump clip. Passing sentence at Durham assizes, Judge Parke expressly stated that he had done so partly to deter working men from participating in trade unions. Understandably, Jobling is widely considered to be a martyr in the North East, and his name lives on today.
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We moved on to Westoe I.P.A. (4.6% abv), a punchy golden bitter. On a cheerier note, this one's named after an area in South Shields, right next door to Jarrow. Westoe had its own brewery until the 1960s. The owners of Jarrow Brewery recently revived the the area's beer tradition by opening a brewpub in the town, The Maltings.

The beer scene in the North East of England really seems to be flourishing at the moment. To my knowledge, there are are now microbreweries in each of Durham, Newburn, North Shields, Jarrow, South Shields, Sunderland and Newcastle. It's a region rich in history and culture, and a revived brewing tradition goes hand-in-hand with that.

Information:

1. The 2nd Pembury Tavern Beer Festival was held between 14th and 18th March 2007. You can read more about it here.
2. The Jarrow Brewery is based at The Robin Hood Inn, Primrose Hill, Jarrow, NE32 5UB (Tel: 0191 428 5454, map). The brewery doesn't seem to have a website (not good) but there's information on Quaffale.org. I've seen Jarrow beers turn up at The Market Porter and The Wenlock Arms in London, as well as The Pembury Tavern.
3. The Maltings is at 9 Claypath Lane, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE33 4PG (Tel: 0191 427 7147, map). There are pictures of the pub online here.

The Pembury Tavern, Hackey - 2nd Beer Festival

The 2nd Beer Festival at The Pembury Tavern kicked off yesterday. It was Dave's day off, and right now every day is a day off for me, so we trundled along to Hackney on the 55 at about 2pm. The pub was far from empty when we arrived, although the crowd were mainly real ale freaks sitting quietly doing crosswords. Things livened up as the day wore on, and when we left shortly before closing time it was very busy, with a mixed crowd. It's good to see the pub going from strength to strength - and it was probably good for them to see the back of us, considering the state we were in after eight hours of drinking.

All sixteen handpumps are in use, with about ten casks on stillage. Some casks are being held back until later in the festival, which runs until Saturday. Beers available are mainly from the Midlands and the North, and all are from microbreweries. The full list is on the pub's website here. Yesterday, we thought the real stars were Northern Brewing Two Tone Special (5.0% abv, a very bitter and fiendishly dark stout), Jarrow Old Cornelius (4.8% abv, a dark ruby ale) and Milton Mammon (7.0% abv, an amazing beer that brings together qualities found in Flemish sour ales and English old ales). I'm particularly pleased to see beers from Jarrow. It's a great brewery in a very historic town, close to where I was born and brought up.
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As mentioned in earlier posts, the Pembury has a bar billiards table. Last time I beat The Long Armed Goon three games to two. This time the boot was on the other foot, and Dave won six games to my four. He must have been practising secretly, or found a way of cheating - there's no other explanation I can think of.

Try and get down to the Pembury on Friday or Saturday. If you want to try great beers you haven't seen before in London, you won't be disappointed. In fact, I think I might be there again on Saturday ...
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Information:

The Pembury Tavern is at 90 Amhurst Road, Hackney, E8 1JH (Tel: 020 8986 8597, map, website). It's on several bus routes (including the 38 and the 55 from the centre), and is a short walk from Hackney Central railway station. I've written about the pub before here.

ZeroDegrees, Blackheath - a London brewpub

The UK brewpub scene doesn't match up to what's going on in the US. Most sizable American cities have at least one bar where beer is brewed and served on the premises, but over here there's only a few brewpubs scattered across the country. On Saturday, after our trip to The Greenwich Union, myself and Ross headed down through Greenwich Park to visit ZeroDegrees, a thriving business in Blackheath offering a range of beer in a US-inspired setting.
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The location's great. Blackheath is a lovely part of London. You really feel like you've escaped the city. ZeroDegrees sits on the edge of the heath itself, overlooked by All Saints' church and at the top of the picturesque high street. It comes as no surprise that the area is part of the historic county of Kent, a village caught up in the urban sprawl of London, but retaining its own distinct character. The facade of the building is in keeping with its surroundings, with a fenced off pavement terrace set aside for drinkers. We sat outside in the sun until late afternoon. Magic.

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Inside it's an entirely different story - ZeroDegrees is big, loud and brash. Gleaming steel is everywhere, from the brewing vessels to the gargantuan bar where the fresh beer brewed a few feet away is dispensed direct from the tanks under air pressure. There's an open kitchen (the food looked great but we didn't eat) with an attached dining area, and a lairy back bar with a mezzanine level where the sport blares out on big screens. Not quite what we expected but, as always, we were here for the beer.

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There are four regular beers, all available on our visit together with a special. The Pale Ale (4.6% abv) is described as a being in the style of an American Pale Ale from the West Coast, and was a credible effort. Perhaps if they turned up the volume slightly on both the hops and the alcohol they'd be on to a winner. The Pilsner (4.8% abv) was distinctly average, and although it was clearly preferable to your standard UK lager, it isn't something I'd drink again. The Black Lager (4.4% abv, pictured right) was the best we tried, a dark brown beer with a persistent creamy head and a likeable sweet caramel character and a light body. It did, however, come across as being a little too green, even more so than the others. A friend from Blackheath who joined us seemed to like it, and she never drinks beer. We didn't try the Wheat Beer (4.2% abv) and the special, which was another pilsner.

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ZeroDegrees is definitely worth a visit, particularly if you can sit outside on a sunny day. Pints are keenly priced at £2.50. The beers are solid and the range is good, but those we tried could do with some refinement. Perhaps if there was a more competitive brewpub scene in London, the owners would be inclined to improve them.

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Information:.

1. ZeroDegrees is at 29-31 Montpelier Vale, Blackheath, SE3 0TJ (Tel: 0871 4262721, map). It's a few minutes walk from Blackheath Station. It opened in August 2000. There are also branches in Reading and Bristol - see their website for details. If you particularly like their beers, you can buy minikegs to take away, at £15.50 for 5 litres and considerably more for a larger keg. There's a happy hour between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays, when a pint costs only £1.90. Bargain.
2. For more information on brewing in London, see my January article here.

Guinness Red

Today's Evening Standard carried two bad news stories for London pub lovers. Firstly, the front page story about the riot between rival hooligan firms down at The White Horse in Parson's Green. I won't dwell on it here, but it's terrible news for the pub. Second, the warning from Kevin Moran, landlord at The Nag's Head in Belgravia, about pub closures in West London. Apparently trade is down, and Kevin blames this on those buying up properties in the area, saying that "Muslims are teetotal and the Russians go to expensive hotel bars".

It wasn't all bad news though. On page 20 there was a voucher for a free pint of Guiness, redeemable at any O'Neills pub. At the end of his shift at the JT, Dave (the Long Armed Goon) and myself set off on an O'Neills crawl. Armed with a clutch of vouchers, we were determined to tear the arse out of this generous special offer.

I must stress that O'Neills pubs aren't places I'd normally set foot in without being held at gunpoint. For those that don't know, they're Irish-themed chain bars, and they're scattered across Britain. London has more than it's fair share, and the sight of bewildered tourists sitting impassively in those around the West End truly does sap the soul. Today's experiences were no better: it's reassuring to have your prejudices confirmed. In the first pub, a scary fella cheerfully explained he was on the run from the police, having stabbed a kid up in Camden. Don't worry, though - apparently the fight wasn't his fault. There were a crowd of tattooed Geordies in the next place with an enormous pile of Standards, tearing the vouchers out as they threw back the pints, claiming they'd been at it for hours. It made us feel so much better about our own behaviour.
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I was keen to try out Guinness Red (4.1% abv), currently being trialled in the UK by macrobrewer Diageo. The chance to try a beer that's new to the market might have offered some consolation. I should have known better. The promotional materials told us that this is "made in the same traditional style as Guinness beer, but uses lighter roasted barley for a rich red colour and bittersweet taste".

Well first off, the beer doesn't really look red in the glass. The photo on the right of Dave's pint shows that it isn't quite as dark at the normal Guinness, but the red only shows up when held up to the light. Unsurprisingly, there's no aroma coming up from that artificial, nitrokeg head. The body is definitely thinner than the black stuff, and the flavour even weaker. There's none of the dry, roasted flavour that once characterised Guinness here. To be fair that's probably intentional. This is a bizarre beer, and for me it offers nothing at all. There isn't a kind word I can say about it. You might try a pint out of curiosity. My advice? Only do so if someone else is paying.
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Information:
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You can tell Diageo what you think about Guinness Red here. The beer is currently only available in selected O'Neills outlets. There's a press release on Diageo's website about the trial.

The Greenwich Union - Meantime India Pale Ale

On Sunday, after leaving The Hat and Feathers in Clerkenwell, we hoofed it down to Bank station to get the DLR to Greenwich. Spring has suddenly arrived in London, and the time to hide out in cozy pubs by the fire is over. Greenwich is a lovely part of London, with many attractions including the Maritime Museum, the Cutty Sark and the Observatory. We didn't let any of that get in the way of the drinking this time, though.

The Greenwich Union is Meantime Brewery's only tied house. It sits on a pleasant street, right next door to a Young's pub. This family-orientated gastropub is modern in style, with an emphasis on food as well as quality beer. The narrow interior is less appealling than the conservatory and beer garden to the rear. If I had kids and lived in Greenwich, I have little doubt I'd come here most weekends. Neither apply, but I always enjoy a visit here to try a range of Meantime beers, served fresh and unpasteurised from pressurised kegs (and sometimes on cask if you're really lucky). Meantime concentrate on emulating modern European and American styles, which adds diversity to the London brewing scene, but doesn't endear them to traditionalists.

We took up position at the end of the garden, and tucked into two pints of Meantime India Pale Ale. This 7.5% abv beer starts bitter and dry thanks to the hops, but leaves behind a remarkable and pleasant juicy fruit aftertaste. For a good IPA, balance is key, and they've got that right here. It's certainly very drinkable, although you wouldn't want to be knocking back the pints at this strength. Normally I'm not an advocate of keg beers, but because this one isn't pasteurised the method of dispense doesn't spoil the experience.

Restricting ourselves to one pint, we headed down the road to Greenwich Park, overlooked by the towers of Canary Wharf across the river. Our destination was Zerodegrees, a microbrewery in Blackheath neither of us had visited before. It's about twenty minutes brisk walk across the park and down to the heath. Mike McGuigan, who was once the brewer there, had been in touch via this site to recommend we try it out. A write-up of our visit will follow.

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Information:

1. The Greenwich Union is at 56, Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT (Tel: 020 8692 6258, map).
2. Greenwich is accessible via DLR, underground, overland train and riverboat. The latter can be a good laugh on a nice day, but don't get on a boat with a commentary. There are a few other pubs in the town you can combine with The Greenwich Union for a pub crawl, although none have caught my imagination as much as The Richard the First next door (Tel: 020 8692 2996). This old Young's house retains a divided interior and a traditional pub charm. It's a very different place to it's neighbour.
3. Meantime Brewing Company, also in Greenwich, are online. The brewery featured in my January article, Brewing in London.

The Hat and Feathers, Clerkenwell - Dark Star Hophead

At the crossroads where Aldersgate Street, Goswell Street, Clerkenwell Road and Old Street meet, there's been a derelict pub for as long as I've lived in London. The Hat and Feathers first opened in 1860, but closed in the early 90s and stood empty until three months ago. It's now reopened as yet another gastropub in the area that gave birth to the concept. I've passed by the pub on my way to and from the City and peered in the windows many times, but the smart interior has never drawn me in. I'd dismissed this new venture as a restaurant only, but it turns out I was wrong.
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Today myself and Ross dropped in to the empty pub at opening time and were surprised to see Dark Star Hophead on offer alongside Fullers London Pride. Julio the barman told us that the pub turns over real ale at a cracking rate, and added Hophead to the line up in the last few weeks. Hopefully they'll keep it on. This 3.8% abv session bitter really is exceptional. The appetising floral aroma promises something special from the off. It's clean tasting and refreshing, and there's a brisk burst of hops you won't get from other beers of such modest strength. Our pints were in perfect condition.
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The fancy restaurant upstairs has an interesting menu, and although prices are high I'll be back soon to try it out, washed down with a few pints of Hophead. The barman explained that they're hoping to open an outdoor terrace for drinkers alongside the pub in time for summer. This is a place worth keeping an eye on.
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Information:

1. The Hat and Feathers is at 2 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5PA (Tel: 020 7490 2244, website).
2. Dark Star Brewing Company have a fancy website here. I've written about them before, and I will again. A fabulous micro. You can also try Hophead at The Seven Stars near Chancery Lane (53 Carey Street, London WC2A 2JB, Tel: 020 7242 8521), a pub popular with barristers, including my pal Alec.

UPDATE (24/03/07):

Sadly the Hophead is no longer on at The Hat and Feathers. It seems it was a guest beer for a limited time only. The good news is that the pub continues to offer two real ales - London Pride and a rotating guest from a small brewery. Currently, they've got Everards Tiger on.

The Harp, Covent Garden

Last night I went with my pal Quirke, a London theatre critic, to see the delightful Billie Piper on stage. He was reviewing and I was tagging along, partly for the booze lavished on the press and their retainers. The production was Treats and the venue was The Garrick. Not bad by all accounts, although I'll reserve judgement until the official Quirke verdict appears in Time Out. Then I can nod along sagely. Stick to what you know, Stonch - beer. Sadly the free bar offered nothing decent on that front, just bottles of cheap lager in an ice bucket. By the time we spilled out I'd arseholed more than my share of red wine, and was gasping for a decent pint..

Fortunately, after braving London's glittering West End, there's a place of refuge for those of us who prefer homelier pleasures (and don't have to get the last train back to Romford or some other such godforsaken place). The Harp, run by the capable Binnie and her staff, is just around the corner from St Martin's Lane and just a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square. It's amazing that a pub like this has survived in the tourist zone of London, but it has. The Harp is undoubtedly the best place for real ale (and cider) in the vicinity, although it isn't a very well kept secret. The narrow bar room fills up at around five every day, and the crush doesn't let up until chucking out time. The decor is gratifyingly pubby, with an original oil painting of actor James Mason catching the eye. As with most dedicated real ale pubs, pump clips from former guest beers adorn the bar.

Beers on offer last night were regulars Black Sheep Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Harveys Best Bitter, alongside guests Adnams Broadside and Springhead Roaring Meg. Our pints of Landlord were perfect and would do Peter Eells proud. This is a great pub, an absolute gem in the heart of London.

Information:

1. The Harp is at 47 Chandos Place, London, WC2 4HS (Tel: 020 7836 0291, map).
2. You can read Kieron Quirke's blog here. He is a television comedy writer as well as a journalist and a theatre critic. On lads' holidays, he likes to stand out by wearing linen suits.

The Nag's Head, Belgravia

After a visit to Harrods, that crass tourist trap cunningly disguised as a department store, even the most ardent materialist might need a stiff drink. Nestled in a mews street which looks for all the world like a village lane, and a stone's throw from Knightsbridge, is The Nag's Head. It's one of London's better known pubs. In its 150 year history it's had only five or six landlords. The incumbent Kevin has been running the pub for over two decades. We stopped by on Monday after a visit to the V&A, a magnificent museum that never fails to impress.

The eclectic collection of bric-a-brac, the cosy interior with two open fires and the celebrated guv'nor have all resulted in this place winning plaudits left right and centre. Certainly, it's a nice place to sit and have a drink, the easy listening / country background music creating a relaxing ambience. The beer selection, sadly, leaves a lot to be desired. The only cask ales on offer are Adnams Bitter and Adnams Broadside, two increasingly commonplace beers. Two distinctly sulphurous pints set us back £3.30 each. That's the most expensive pint of session bitter I've ever forked out for. The fact it wasn't in anything approaching good condition made the whole experience a bit too much like daylight robbery.

If you feel the need to raise an overpriced, eggy pint to the nearby temples of consumer extravagance, a quick visit here might be a welcome diversion. I doubt I'll be back again though - this is one for the tourists only.
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Information:

1. The Nag's Head is at 53 Kinnerton St, London, SW1X 8ED (Tel: 020 7235 1135). Finding it has been made easier by the cunning placement of a sandwich board on the main road, but best to consult a map.
2. A search on Google threw up this short video about the pub. The bird narrating has a surprisingly sexy voice, so it's worth seeing for that alone.

The Rake, Borough Market

If you're interested in beer and you live in London, you'll probably already know about Utobeer at Borough Market. The guys who own it have been importing fine beer from around the world for years, and with the demise of the Pitfield Beer Shop their pre-eminence is unchallenged. Last year they opened a bar in a disused building in the middle of the market. I first visited a few months ago with Steve, then manager of The Jerusalem Tavern. Back then, they hadn't really got things going properly and I wasn't overly impressed. I've popped in a few times since, and noticed steady improvements each time. Yesterday I had my first proper session in the place, and this time I was really feeling it. Now I'm definitely a fan.

The bar itself is tiny, and always seems to be buzzing. Most of the seating is outside in a covered, heated patio. They now offer two cask ales and there's a steady turn over of guest keg beers from Belgium, the US and elsewhere. Yesterday, the imports on tap included Géants Ducassis (Belgian fruit beer), Van Honsebrouck Bacchus (a Flemish sour ale), Anchor Steam (a Californian craft lager) and Gordon Highland Scotch (a Scotch-style ale from Belgium). Because none of the usual suspects are available (there's no Stella or Guinness here, chum) everyone has to get involved and try a variety of beers. The staff are knowledgable and make first class recommendations, so don't be afraid to ask if they unfamiliar draught line-up and fridges full of bottles intimidates. This is a perfect addition to the already excellent scene down in Borough, the food and drink mecca for Londoners.

The occasion yesterday was my old pal Hyth's first visit to London for a while, and our first meeting for a year. There were six of us in The Rake and everyone enjoyed it. Suicidally, I found myself drinking the Gordon Highland Scotch steadily for about four hours, eventually finishing the keg off for them. At 8.6% abv, this strong but smooth dark ruby ale isn't perhaps the best session beer, but it really was great on tap and I couldn't help myself. I was worse for wear when we moved on for the night, and I'm still feeling the effects today. You'd think I'd know better. It's been a heavy weekend, but as Hyth is fond of saying - nobody said it was gonna be easy.

Information:

1. Utobeer is in Borough Market, on the south bank next to London Bridge. is open during market hours and sells a huge range of beers from around the world. They have a website with further information, although it seems to be in dire need of some maintenance.
2. The Rake is at 14 Winchester Walk, SE1 9AG (Tel: 020 7407 0557), within Borough Market itself and in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral. Here it is on a map of the area.

The Session: Pitfield Shoreditch Stout

A number of beer bloggers are participating in an event today - The Session - which gave the perfect excuse to quaff a dark beer with lunch. The theme this time is stout. You will find links to the other blogs participating in this event over at Appellation Beer.

Contrary to popular misconception, the origin of stout is English, not Irish. English porter was adopted by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, who added his own dry roasted twist, giving birth to what is now considered a separate style - the Irish dry stout. Restrictions on the roasting of malts in Britain during the Great War led to a decline in production of English porter and stout, leaving much of the market to Irish brewers. Sadly, the ubiquitous nitrokeg Draught Guinness of today is a poor representation of a classic style.

Fortunately, craft brewers in the UK now have a renewed interest in producing stouts, and there are many examples to choose from. As you will have seen from my reviews of their historic range, I'm a fan of English microbrewery Pitfield. You can read more about the brewery here. I like their earthy, uncompromising beers, and Pitfield Shoreditch Stout is no exception.

It's a bottle conditioned ale that pours a deep, dark brown with a smooth tan head. The roasted malt is evident in the aroma, and burnt flavours and coffee dominate the palate. The body is light and fluffy and the low strength (4.0% abv) means this one is suitable for a session. This isn't the most complex of beers, but there's enough to keep you interested.

Cheers.

Information:

You can buy bottled Shoreditch Stout from Pitfield via their online beer shop. Unfortunately they won't ship overseas. In London, it is sold at The City Beverage Company (303 Old Street, London , EC1V 9LA, Tel: 020 7729 2111). It is available from the cask at The Duke of Cambridge in Islington (30 St Peters Street, London, N1 8JT, Tel: 020 7359 9450), where it's a regular beer.

Boycott Greene King - Save The Lewes Arms

There's a campaign underway down in Lewes, East Sussex which has led to the boycott of a much-loved pub, The Lewes Arms. You might wonder why beer lovers would want to stay away from a 220 year-old pub which has long been centre of the local community. Previously, amateur dramatics, pub games, sports teams, live music and even language classes flourished at the pub. For those ignorant enough to think traditional pubs are just about people drinking themselves to an early grave, The Lewes Arms' proud history is a suitable riposte.

The regulars at The Lewes Arms have long enjoyed locally-brewed Harveys Best Bitter. Hungry giant Greene King snapped the pub up some years ago and introduced its own beers alongside Harveys. According the The Friends of The Lewes Arms, Harveys Bitter outsold GK beers three to one. Not content with making healthy profits by providing local people with what they want to drink, GK decided to axe Harveys beers from the bar altogether. This led to the boycott. After taking over and shutting down breweries up and down Britain, do GK now want to squeeze those that remain by marginalising local beers and imposing their own?

Lewes MP Norman Baker has been active in the campaign. At least someone in Westminster realises that when we've lost our traditional pub culture, our country will be the poorer for it. We should be lobbying those who govern us to pass sensible laws to preserve an essential part of British culture. Supporting local breweries as opposed to greedy nationals is part of that. Don't drink Greene King beers and don't visit their pubs - you won't be missing much.

Information:

1. Lewes is the home town of Harveys, a regional brewery founded in the late 18th century which is still and independent family business. The brewery is online here. Harveys Best Bitter - an exemplar of the style - is available in a number of London pubs. You can try the brewery's full range, including Harveys Mild, Harveys Pale Ale and a number of seasonals, at the their one London tied house, The Royal Oak in Borough (44 Tabard Street, SE1 4JU, Tel: 020 7357 7173). The food there is fantastic too.
2. Greene King has been responsible for acquiring and then closing Morland, Ruddles and Ridley's breweries. Last year they bought Hardy's & Hansons, the last independent brewery in Nottinghamshire, and soon after announced it would close. Greene King's flagship beer is Greene King IPA. It tastes like dishwater.

[CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE]