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Christmas at The Gunmakers
Emerging unscathed from a busy lunch service, I see a feature on mild I penned is in this month's What's Brewing?. CAMRA members will see it. The rest of you won't. Spread across four pages, the main body of the article deals with the history, recent development and (modest) revival of the style. There are also three case studies on milds from Theakston's, Brains and Dark Star.
Each year CAMRA devotes the month of May to promoting mild. It's a beer style that accounted for over 50% of beer sales in Britain in the early 1950s, but suffered a near-death experience in later decades. My tip for Londoners: get yourself to Ye Olde Mitre (1 Ely Court, Ely Place, EC1N 6SJ, map), where landlord Scottie will have a different mild on almost every day throughout the month. For more on mild, see my article from this time last year - Milds in May.
I've taken over as manager of a pub this week, so things are pretty slow around here. If you're looking for something to read, try these from the archives:
* Health warning: features a man dressed as a large cock and balls.
In 2003 I visited the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Western Bohemia. We were shown around by a proper little chuckabout of a bird who, despite speaking otherwise top notch English, couldn't pronounce the word "brewery". You'd think she'd have nailed that down. I'll write about the visit a little more on Friday.
Draught Pilsner Urquell is fairly rare in Britain, but recently it's been dispensed from an authentic looking brass font at The Crown Tavern on Clerkenwell Green. With summer finally beginning to peek around the rainclouds, the pub - blessed as it is with a huge outdoor seating area - is coming into its own again. Time to get a few Monday night pints in.
Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech) has been in production since 1842. The brewery is now owned by international giant SABMiller, having been acquired by South African Breweries in 1999. The beer is also brewed under license in Poland, but only the real thing is exported to the UK.
 Venice, two summers ago. A sunny spell amid curiously wet weather for August. Caught up in the tourist maelstrom by the Rialto bridge. An edge needs to be rubbed smooth with intoxicants. A bar is nestled in the colonnade of an old market, backing out on to the Grand Canal. A small handwritten sign stipulates bar service only. Strong, dark, red beer on draught. Blonde barman pours on command. A glass is in the hand within seconds. Sitting outside on a little drop-down wooden seat, attached by hinges to the ancient stone wall. Wealthy Americans disembark from a water taxi. Gondoliers steal nicotine-tinged moments. A policeman in a silly hat and white gloves waves his arms around.
The bar was Al Pesador (website). I loved it dearly and returned every day that week.
 It was January 2006. I was in Prague again, and it was stark bollock freezing. Even a hardy Northern European dressed as an eskimo couldn't survive outside for more than two minutes. A little basement pub was spotted.
Inside, the clientele in the one room bar was comprised almost exclusively of grungy students. Two corpulent, leather-clad Hells Angels were running the gaff. Neither seemed worried about the graffiti on the walls, presumably scrawled right under their watchful gaze. The tables were so covered in ink and obscene etchings, they looked like schoolboys' desks.
The only beer on offer was Staropramen, one of the less enjoyable Czech lagers. Tapman Hells Angel busied himself cranking out mugs of beer. He did so in the traditional way, pouring glasses with a huge head, allowing those to settle for a few minutes while starting on some more, then returning to the first batch to top them up. His mate stalked up and down, dishing the beers out to those assembled on the hard benches.
An old drunk slumbered in a corner. Stalking Hells Angel put him on the shake, but only to force another beer on the poor chap. My requests for the bill were ignored, answered instead by another mug of beer. It was slammed down extra hard, presumably to make the point I was being a bit of a fanny. This was repeated seven times. It didn't feel half as cold outside when I finally left.
The pub was Pivnice Pod Petřínem. It's at Hellichova 5, Praha 1. The beer is probably the cheapest you'll find in the immediate area, but it certainly isn't the best.
This week I've been out running four times, and spotted a different TV personality every time. I could single-handedly fill a page in Heat magazine. Perhaps I should ask for a column.
- Monday: passed Kellie Shirley (Eastenders' Carly Wicks) crossing Embankment Bridge.
- Tuesday: Dan Cruickshank, architectural historian, stepped aside for me in Spitalfields.
- Wednesday: weaved past Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud on the Millenium Bridge.
- Friday: crashed into Alexei Sayle outside the British Museum (oy, sorry pal).
Enjoy your weekend. Drink lots. Or don't. It's up to you. I'm off for a pint of Landlord.
 Gray's Inn Road is a mile long. It divides Bloomsbury from Clerkenwell, and connects the barristers' chambers of Holborn to the crack dens of King's Cross. Cocksure chaps in wigs swan around at one end, while mumbling smack rats anxiously loiter at the other. Half way between them sits The Calthorpe Arms. It's a Young's pub that must have been in the brewery's estate since time began. It may or may not have seen better days.
Inside, there's wall-to-wall carpet and a silent-but-flashing fruit machine. Banquette seating lines the room. There's nothing in the centre, just dead space. The bar is long but lacks a gantry and much else besides. Its sparseness makes the landlord seem uncomfortably close at hand. He wears a short-sleeved shirt and tie. His haircut is from the 1950s, but he isn't. A man with clumps of hair hanging out of his nose reads the paper. Other patrons have their eyes trained on the tables in front of them. A near-muted television is above us. It shows the candidates for Mayor facing down an audience of pissed people in an ITV studio. We finish our drinks and leave. The Calthorpe Arms is at 252 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8JR, map. It was the local CAMRA branch's pub of the year in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
Stonch's Beer Blog has been mentioned in the New Statesman, a left-leaning current affairs magazine first published in 1913. I'm quite pleased about that. Here's the article.
Thanks to Tom Stainer, editor of What's Brewing?, for pointing this out to me.
 This is a photo of a picture on the pavement. It's on Farringdon Road, directly opposite The Betsey Trotwood and outside the Guardian building. I spotted it this afternoon. I like it. Nice monkey. He should cheer up, thoughbut.
If you feel like celebrating your Englishness - or need to be suitably fortified before facing those who will be doing so - remember that cask Fullers 1845 is available today in ten of the brewery's tied houses (list here). In bottle conditioned form it's a lovely ale, and a constant fixture in my sexy Italian fridge.
Alternatively, look out for any pub with red-and-white bunting on display. I noticed a lot of it about on my morning run. Inside, choose a pint of something with a suitably "patriotic" pump clip or label. Drink it, and thank St. George that you won life's lottery (or something like that). I think I'll be on the wine tonight. Best make sure it isn't French.
St. George was a soldier who lived in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) about 1700 years ago. I think St. Bede of Jarrow is a far better candidate for patron saint of England. For some reason people won't follow my lead on this.
 InBev are terribly keen to impress. The multinational mega-brewer wants to remind us of the quality and authenticity of their artisanal Belgian products. Last year, they reached out to bloggers to extol the virtues of Stella Artois, a lager that has been brewed by the same family for countless generations. Now, they're looking to promote Leffe - their Abbey beer - at the most important event in the British beer enthusiast's calendar: the Great British Beer Festival.
Over the weekend I received an email from the organisers of Bières san Frontières, the festival's international bar. It attached the initial approach from InBev's PR consultants. The boys are looking for some advice on how to handle an offer of this magnitude - they don't want to mess it up. Here are two key paragraphs that will really clinch it for all of us:
"I represent Leffe, which is the UK's favourite Speciality Beer and I'm looking to find out what opportunities there may be for Leffe to have a presence at the Festival? I know that for a beer to qualify, it has to follow traditional methods and recipes, which Leffe does. Originally created by monks near Dinant in Belgium, Leffe's complex, layered taste was developed to quench the thirst and lubricate the tales of pilgrims who arrived at their Abbey and it is still brewed using the same ingredients, traditions and processes as 1240.
"Leffe is a beer to be savoured - a beer that is rich in every sense of the word: taste, colour, aroma, ritual and history. As such, it is not meant to be consumed quickly or without a lot of thought. Rather, it is intended to be part of meaningful, intimate moments between small groups of people." Touch wood, we should be seeing this über-authentic Belgian classic on offer at this year's GBBF. InBev are interested in "a stand to exhibit, sampling, sponsorship" - the full bloody monty. I can't wait - can you? Leffe was an abbey brewery in the Wallonian province of Namur. Monastic brewing ceased at the end of the 18th century. Modern Leffe beers have been produced since the 1950s pursuant to an agreement between a commercial brewery and the abbey, which still receives some royalties for use of the name. Today, they are produced by InBev in the Stella Artois brewery in Leuven, Flanders.
News from my pal Chris Gill at Quaffs. Reports of the demise of his Spitalfields beer stall were premature. Due to changes in the way the market is run, Quaffs is no longer open for business on Thursday and Friday - Sunday's your lot. Get down there for a great, ever-changing selection of British and international bottled beers. They also sell mini-casks from Chris's very own Ascot Brewery.
It's always been thought that Elvis only set foot in Britain once, and that was just a brief stopover at Prestwick Airport in Scotland. It's emerged today he secretly visited London for a day in 1958, accompanied by Tommy Steele. Brilliant. The BBC has the story.
Alabama. Homebrewing is illegal there. Mental. Send in the UN, those people need liberating. See here.
Until recently, comedy actor Matthew Horne used to be a regular in The Jerusalem Tavern. Then Gavin and Stacey became big. On Sunday it won two BAFTAs. He doesn't come in anymore. Matthew - what's occurring?
Why do I capitalise the definite article when I write pub names? It really annoys me. I feel trapped by it now. Help.
Euston Station is very ugly; St Pancras is not. We have John Betjeman to thank for that. It's fitting, then, that Geronimo Inns have chosen to name their pub within the refurbed station after our sometime Poet Laureate. I was at the launch of The Betjeman Arms on Thursday evening, together with Roger Clark of Nethergate Brewery and writing duo Chris " Podge" Pollard and Siobhan McGinn. Having met in the mid afternoon, we'd spent three happy hours researching for Siobhan and Podge's forthcoming book - Around London in 80 Beers. At about half six we passed the now-famous giant snoggers and approached the pub. It's upstairs from the shopping concourse, and is reached by a Wonka- esque glass lift. A shiny sports car and staff in fancy dress greeted us.  Beyond the cordon, eager-looking punters snatched at sumptuous canapes and slurped away at fluid freebies. Among those invited to gawp and consume, there were lots of cravats, permatans and silver foxes. Pushing aside proffered champagne flutes, Podge charged to the bar as fast as his legs would carry him. We followed in his wake. Sadly the promised house beer - Betjeman Ale - wasn't available. We made do with dimple mugs of Sharp's Doom Bar, later moving onto bottled Duvel. Despite the generous hospitality on offer, there were lots of tuts about insufficient loos and resulting queues. Podge noticed some of the uppermost windowpanes weren't quite clean. Aside from that, everything was as intended: swanky-as-you-like. The main bar, raised to a slightly uncomfortable level, is a glittering temple of booze. Next door, the dining rooms are high- ceilinged and opulent. Private meeting rooms allow business travellers from across the water to hop off the Eurostar, talk turkey, eat steak and head back home without even entering the city. I doubt The Betjeman Arms will offer a speedy return on Geronimo's capital investment, although I suppose it doesn't have to. It's far too posh for a quick pit stop, and its recessed location within the station means it will be overlooked by many. On the other hand, if the food remains of the standard served on the opening night, it could be a destination in its own right. The Betjeman Arms is upstairs at St Pancras International Station, Pancras Road, London NW1 2QP (map). Geronimo Inns (website) is a small pubco operating in London, Surrey and Kent.
  Recently I've been doing a bit of work with a company that imports and distributes speciality beers in London and the South East. Alex and James, who set up Milestone Beers three years ago, are always on the lookout for interesting beers to add to the catalogue. I'd heard about a new lager brewery in the Peak District from a commenter on this website (thanks, John Clarke). Two weeks ago I left my London comfort zone and headed to Derbyshire to check it out.
A cramped train from Euston brought me into Macclesfield station, where I was met by brewer Richard Hand. He drove me up into the hills to his picturesque brewery, possibly the highest in the country (pictured right). Richard, a native of Stoke-on-Trent, used to live in the Czech Republic. He became interested and involved in the brewing industry during that time. Resolving to bring his expertise back to Britain - where there's a gap in the market for a quality, home-grown lager - he set up shop at Blackwell Hall, home of the Taddington Brewery a century ago. Sourcing exactly the right kit took time, but in 2007 he produced his first batch of Moravka.
 Taddington's beers are all unpasteurised and free of preservatives - and we all know what a difference that makes. I tried both the 10 degree (4.4% abv) and 12 degree (5% abv) versions, as well as the unfiltered ("Kvasnicové") 12, straight from the lagering tanks. A trip to a pub down the road, where the Moravka font stands proudly at the bar, proved it tastes good away from the brewery too. All the beers have a moreish, creamy malt body, with just the slightest hint of caramel lurking in the background. The firm bitterness that marks a true pilsner is there, with Zatec hops used in abundance for a perfectly balanced beer. The Kvasnicové was slightly cloudy, as you'd expect, the yeast altering the aroma considerably and producing a slightly more complex palate.
I'm excited - I've written before about my love of quality lager and the difficulty of finding it in this country. Without hesitation I can say this stuff is the best British lager I've ever tasted, hands down. Indeed, I can't recall having had an appreciably better pilsner in Germany or the Czech Republic either.
At the moment Moravka is only available in a few selected pubs and bars scattered across the West Midlands and the North. Now it's coming to London. The Jerusalem Tavern - my beloved local - will be trialling it this coming Monday. I think it'll be the perfect complement to St Peter's ales. If it goes down well, it'll be replacing Bitburger (boo) as the pub's house lager. If you're able to, come along and try it out. I'll be there for most of the day. If you're good looking enough I might just buy you a pint of Britain's best lager.
The Jerusalem Tavern is at 55 Britton Street, London EC1M 5UQ (map). The pub is open all day.
 Dark Star Hophead is a winner. It's light, punchy and lovely - the perfect British session beer. Finding it in London has always been tough, but here's some good news: the owners of The Charles Lamb in Islington (16 Elia St, N1 8DE, map, website) have decided to adopt Dark Star's finest as their house beer.
I've been a fan of The Charles Lamb since it first re-opened a year or two ago. The beers are great, the food is excellent, the people are pretty and Mascha the pub dog an excellent companion (just don't feed her). Best of all, they have a large ceramic cock. It's identical to the one that sits in the corner of my living room. He's looking at me now. He isn't winking. Dark Star Hophead is also a regular beer at The Seven Stars (53-54 Carey St, WC2A 2JB, map). Dark Star Brewery is based in Sussex and is online here.
Sainsbury's are running a very different beer competition this year. First off, all the entrants - solicited from British breweries only - have to be either produced especially for the competition, or not normally available in the off-trade. Secondly, the final will be decided on the basis of sales in 300 selected Sainsbury's supermarkets. Of an initial 100 entries, 15 finalists have been selected and 40,000 bottles of each procured. They'll be sold in special in-store sections. The two bestsellers will both be declared winners, and receive permanent national listings. The shortlist has just been announced:
Robinsons Old Tom with Ginger; Red Rat Craft Brewery’s Crazy Day Stout; Greene King’s Sun Dance; Williams Brothers Brewery’s Harvest Sun and Good Times; Sharp’s Honey Spice Wheat Beer; Bath Ales’ Barnstormer; High & Mighty Brewery’s Beer of the Gods; Doctor O’Kell’s IPA; Arundel Brewery’s Prize Fighter; Copper Dragon’s 1816; Holden’s Golden Glow; St Peter’s Amarillo Ale; Highgate Old Ale; and Hampshire Brewery’s Arthur Pendragon. Among these, name recognition could be key. Will shoppers be intrigued by the idea, choosing on the basis of the tasting note booklets or just plain curiosity? On the other hand, will they see - for example - the Greene King label and stick with a familiar brand? Should the likes of Hampshire and Copper Dragon really be holding their breath? Sainsbury's are promoting this competition as part of a drive to increase their current range of bottled ales by 50% this year. That's definitely good news, although I'd like to see them look to local breweries for new beers, as opposed to giving the golden ticket of national listing to just a few. Generally, do you think our major supermarket chains are doing a good job for beer lovers right now?
 "Very few events offer the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the rock stars of the craft beer world". That's what the press release for "Savor", an event to be held in Washington DC, breathlessly claims. I promise you, I'm not making this up. Quite frankly, I couldn't if I tried.
So who are these stellar individuals, who will doubtless have to fight off adoring teenage girls and sweaty-palmed autograph hunters? Helpfully, they're listed: Tomme Arthur - Port Brewing Company, Adam Avery - Avery Brewing Company, Peter Bouckaert - New Belgium Brewing Company, Sam Calagione - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Vinnie Cilurzo - Russian River Brewing Company, Greg Koch - Stone Brewing Co, Jim Koch - Boston Beer Company, Garrett Oliver - The Brooklyn Brewery, Hugh Sisson - Clipper City Brewing Company, Carol Stoudt - Stoudts Brewing Company and Rob Tod - Allagash Brewing Company The emphasis on Garrett Oliver's name appeared in the press release - I haven't added it. And guess who sent it out? That's right: Brooklyn Brewery. Garrett Oliver, the ever-so-modest brewer of the truly sublime Brooklyn Lager, is pictured. Thanks to reader Ted Blair for forwarding me the press release.
I've never bothered with St George's Day. A fourth century Anatolian who may or may not have killed a big lizard doesn't turn me on, nor do the exhortations of those who want to add another divisive celebration to our national calendar. However, this year there'll be a reason to hit the pub on 23rd April (next Wednesday): Fullers are releasing a draught version of 1845, their 6.3% abv ale. This won't be the first time they've done this, but it's definitely a special event. Here's a list of the pubs that'll be serving it:
- The Cambridge Arms (Coldharbour Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 7JS, map)
- The Churchill Arms (119 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 7LN, map)
- The King and Queen (34 High Street, Caterham On The Hill, Surrey, CR3 5UA, map)
- The Old Fish Market (63 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1QZ, map)
- The Old Pack Horse (434 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5TF, map)
- The Prince Albert (30 Hampton Rd, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5QB, map)
- The Red Lion (Chalton, Horndean, Hampshire, PO8 0BG, map)
- The Bishop on The Bridge (1 High Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9JX, map)
- The Six Bells (44 Lower High St, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2AD, map)
- The Red Herring (49 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7EH, map)
Thanks to reader John Cryne and Simon Robertson-McLeod of Fullers for the tip-off.
 In The Jerusalem Tavern there are a number of black-framed pictures that merge seamlessly with the faux-Georgian decor. They're all prints of engravings depicting suitably hearty, ye olde scenes. My favourite is entitled "Jolly Companions", and depicts friends drinking in a monastery's cellar. I don't have an electronic version, so you'll need to go there yourself to see it (just don't take my stool).
The caption tells me the artist was Eduard von Grützner. T'internet tells me he was a South German artist, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and noted for his humorous treatment of boozy monks. Pictured right is one example. They're more than a touch twee, but I can't help but enjoy the red, contented faces and intimate subterranean settings. Best of all, he really can paint beer: he captures that beauty in a glass only the beer lover really understands.
The very real association between monastic life and brewing is kept alive today, most notably through the seven Trappist breweries in the Low Countries. There's something irresistible about a chap in a brown habit brandishing a mug of beer.
So I have a new ambition: to own an original Grützner. Perhaps some of you lot could chip in and buy me one for my 30th birthday? It'll only set you back a few thousand. Go on, stop being tight.
For this post I've created a new label - "beer and art" - and tagged a few others with it. Remember you can always click on label names at the bottom of posts to see articles from the archives on the same theme. Alternatively, on the left hand side bar (scroll down) there's a list of categories to browse.
Perhaps some of you old soaks remember Sir Alec Douglas-Home's term as Prime Minister. If so, this story might surprise you. Although he was seen as an ineffectual toff at the time, it's emerged that the 14th Earl managed to convince a group of left-wing students not to kidnap him - by offering them beer. That's gutsy. The BBC's Today programme has the story.
 After last week's clumsy teaser, here's a proper plug for London's German beer festival:
It's been organised by the owners of Zeitgeist and Andy Neil of Bier-Mania, with a little help from yours truly. The event kicks off at 3pm on Thursday 15th May, and runs through to 1:30am on the Saturday night. There'll be music. There'll be drinking hats. There'll be 20+ German microbrewed beers served via gravity.
Facebook users, show your support.
The festival venue - Zeitgeist - is at The Jolly Gardeners, 49-51 Black Prince Road, Lambeth, SE11 6AB (map). It's London's best German pub. For an independent review, check out this from my erstwhile drinking buddies, Boak and Bailey: "absolutely bizarre and absolutely brilliant". For those of you looking for a beer list, I'll announce the final line-up nearer the time. It's going to be good.
Caledonian Brewery is to be acquired by Scottish & Newcastle. "Caley" is Edinburgh's last surviving independent Victorian brewer (once there were over 40). S&N - itself about to be acquired by Carlsberg and Heineken - has owned the brewery's land, facilities and 30% of the company since 2004. This latest deal sees them exercising an option to purchase the remaining 70% of the shares. The Morning Advertiser has the story.
Caledonian's flagship beer, Deuchars IPA, is widely available across London. Currently it's a guest beer in Young's pubs across London. It isn't very exciting.
Read about our stag night pub crawl through Edinburgh here. We drank a lot of Caley beer that weekend.
 Rarely have I been so remiss. Last month, at the conclusion of a week-long tour of Italy, I visited Birrificio Lambrate in Milan. I still haven't written about it. Time to put that right, in what little time I have available today. What follows is a stream of consciousness reminiscence.
Lambrate is a railway station. Like London - a city to which is it often compared - the centre of Milan is ringed with them. The brewery sits on a side street just around the corner from the terminal. It was founded back in 1996, making it the eldest of the half dozen brewpubs in the Lombard capital. It now produces 1000 litres a day and a regular range of eight beers.
We visited on the last night of our holiday. We'd spent the day clambering across the roof of the Duomo - a remarkable Gothic edifice that exceeded my expectations handily - before marvelling at the bella figura of consumerism in the streets around it. As we walked down the darkened Via Adelchi, the pub looked to be closed. Terror gripped me. No fear - a gaggle of smokers emerged, their staccato twittering providing relief and banishing dry thoughts.
Inside, the bar was all dark wood, alcoves and rock music. Happy Hour was in full swing, and the place was packed. The other punters sported dreads, tattoos and piercings. That's to be expected - the beer scene in Italy is young and defiant of convention. Indeed, the wall-mounted tributes to Brothers Che and Fidel might upset conservatives. The generous buffet was mobbed. My companion was happy to join in the battle for free food, paper plate in hand. I headed straight to the bar - first thing's first. They were serving the house brews al tedesco, adhering to the time-honoured seven minute pour, which beats the CO2 out of the beer while producing a pleasingly mountainous head of foam.
We started with Montestella (4.9% abv), top-fermented like a Kölsch, but closer in character to a pilsner. It was marvellous. A touch of underlying caramel squared up to an insistent, yet delicately floral, hop burst. Next, we tried the Ghisa (5% abv), a smoked ale. Despite grand claims to the contrary, this didn't match up to Bamberg's best, the smoke fading away and leaving behind a forgettable stout. Soldiering on, it was time for Lambrate. This eponymous effort didn't pull punches at 6.8% abv, and won plaudits from my pal. For me, it was all mouth and no trousers, a rather indistinct and overly sweet brew that would put you to bed without the requisite romance. Likewise Sant'Ambroeus, another menacing 6.8%'er. Mango and apricot were alarming rather that interesting, and it was nothing short of sickly.
I saw the night out with another couple of Montestellas, my clear favourite and a suitable palate cleanser. Afterward we tackled the Milanese Metro, returning to our dismal digs where even the persistent snoring from across the room didn't disturb my beer-assisted slumber.
Birrificio Lambrate is at Via Adelchi 5, Milano (website, map).
 I'd heard rumours that Wells & Young's, the Bedford brewer, were up to something - something good. Without much fanfare, it's come to pass: Young's Bitter is now available as a bottle conditioned ale. That means the beer is unpasteurised, with live yeast in the bottle.
I spotted the evidence in Sainsbury's today (pictured right). As well as the ordinary Bitter, Kew Gold - a new beer - is available in live form. It uses hops from the botanical gardens of the same name, just like the old cask seasonal Kew Brew, which was ditched when Young's merged with Wells in 2006. They join the two existing BCAs in the brewery's line-up: Special London Ale and Champion.
This is a fantastic development. It's great to see one of Britain's bigger breweries embracing real ale in the bottle, just as Marks and Spencer did last year with a range of own brand products. I think kudos really needs to go to CAMRA: twenty years ago you could count the number of bottle conditioned ales available in Britain on one hand, and still have fingers left to make a rude gesture at a Thatcherite. In recent years they've campaigned hard to promote the concept. Now, there are countless examples for drinkers to enjoy.
As well as photographing beer with my mobile phone like some kind of weirdo, I also did some shopping in Sainsbury's. I bought chicken and green beans and onions and cereal and yoghurt and kitchen cleaner (with bleach). I forgot to buy toothpaste, which is a shocker as we've almost run out.
"Wenstock" - marvellous. It's a folk festival at The Wenlock Arms - your favourite pub - on Sunday 20th April. "From reels and jigs to psychedelic medieval madness" claims the flier I was handed by John the Boatman in The Betsey t'other night. Apparently, there'll be "real ale, real cider, real spears and real folk". Can't say fairer than that - you can get lashed and skewer a ticker. Pitch up at 5pm at 26 Wenlock Road, N1 7TA (map).
You really did read it here first. Last week I reported that a new microbrewery was on the cards down in Greenwich. Yesterday, the Publican ran this story. Meantime, the area's existing brewery, is behind the venture. They plan to brew a London Porter on the site, right by the Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College. I hope it's better than their cold, fizzy stout.
Thanks again to reader Jonathan Wren for the tip off. He's also told me about this beer and jazz festival, to be held in Greenwich from 16-20 July.
We've had a couple of comments from readers regarding rumours that an Oakham pub will be opening in London. I've spoken to the brewery and can confirm that this will happen later in the year. The pub in question - The Mansion House at 46 Kennington Park Road (SE11 4RS, map) - closed in 2006 and has stood empty ever since. It'll be renamed "Oaka". I visited the brewery's Peterborough heartland recently - a great day on the beers.
 The fires that ravaged Camden in February knocked out one of London's landmark music pubs, The Hawley Arms. I wrote about it here, but you're more likely to have seen it on the national news first. The landlady became the nation's favourite talking head for a day or two, and troublesome regular Amy Winehouse screeched her dismay to millions at the Grammys.
The pub won't be reopening for many months. The folks behind the Hawley aren't out of business, however. They opened a second pub not long ago, a stone's throw from my gaff in Clerkenwell. The Wilmington Arms used to be a charmless locals' boozer, but recently the old Greene King house has been tarted up comprehensively. Entering the spacious front bar, you're left in no doubt as to the parentage: "The Hawley Arms" is written in big letters above your head (pictured). You can't get shifted for skinny jeans, daft hats and distractingly gorgeous young women. Presumably the old soaks who called it home before have migrated elsewhere - the decidedly dodgy Exmouth Arms across the road seems a likely candidate.
As you'd expect, there are gigs most nights in the adjoining bar. Last night I went along with my chums from the Betsey to see some band or another. They were good. £7 entry stung a little, I can't get the stamp off my hand, and I'm feeling jaded today.
Information:
- The Wilmington Arms is at 69 Rosebury Avenue, EC1R 4RL (map, myspace). Two real ales are offered. One is always from Greene King, but the other is usually a genuine guest beer. Pumpclips around the bar indicating fellow regionals such as Bateman's get a look in, but don't expect anything too exciting. Last night I let GK Abbot and Bath Gem remain unmolested for a moment, opting for pints of Budvar instead.
- The pub is right next door to Rosebery Kebabs, a real favourite of mine over the last few years. Last night I purchased a large doner and chips, before returning home to terrorise my flatmate and watch Eastenders on Virgin replay. Sadly, it seems I ate the lot. That lack of leftovers means I need to go out for breakfast.
I've been criticised in the past for only writing about beer in London. I don't mind. That's where I live, after all. However, take a look down the left hand side bar at "Pubs most recently visited". Read it and weep ye doubters. I've still to write-up accounts of my visits to Birrificio Lambrate in Milan and Taddington Brewery up in the Peak District - I'll try and do both this week.
Having said all that, my devotion to this city comes first in my tiny mind - yes, before even beer - so expect a lot more on London life.
Interested in German beer? In London? Then save these dates: Thursday 15th - Saturday 17th May. There's going to be a beer festival dedicated to beers from small (and in most cases tiny) German breweries. There'll be a range of styles from across the country. All will be served via gravity for total authenticity. Only a few will have been seen in this country before. Best of all, it'll be in a proper pub. More details to follow, or sign up to the event listing on Facebook.
I don't drink a lot of bottled beer. On that basis, I'm probably not the best person to talk about bottle sizes. Nevertheless, a press release that came in last week caught my eye. West Yorkshire's Old Bear Brewery has introduced pint bottles - in place of 500ml containers - for all its packaged products apart from the mighty Duke of Bronte Capstan FS. MD Ian Cowling explained the move:
“We have managed to keep our pints in the pub, but somewhere along the line we lost our pint bottles. The pint has been under threat from the EU for some time now, and even though late last year it was announced that it was safe; in our own way we still want to make a stand." Now, even if that slightly tabloid tone is a turn-off, you can see what they're aiming at here. People tend to like Samuel Smith's old-fashioned, full pint bottles, and more beer is never a bad thing. Or is it? I think it depends on the product and where you're trying to sell it. If you're bottling beers largely for home consumption, bigger sizes can be winners. In Old Bear's case, that's almost certainly the objective, so I think this is a good move for them. However, if you're aiming at the on-trade, the reverse seems to be true. 750ml bottled beers (admittedly rare) are a virtual write-off, and 500ml isn't much better. Buyers for pubs, bars and restaurants seem to prefer smaller, 330ml bottles. The volume and more stylish appearance appeal to a greater number of customers. A lot of British breweries are missing a trick here. I think this is yet another reason why you're more likely to see imported beer in the fridges of up-market licensed premises. And just don't get me started on the labelling - remember what happened last time?
 Thanks to all who participated in Friday's Session, hosted here at Stonch's Beer Blog.
The choice of subject - Beer People - came naturally to me, yet caused consternation for some. Alan McLeod complained that "a lot of people go one about beer being a social lubricant and all but that's just not the way it is with me". David thought it was "an unusual topic", but went on to tell us about his boozy pals. Rick Lyke - clearly a sociable kinda guy - displayed boundless enthusiasm for the subject matter. Kieran Haslett-Moore was right in there too - great stuff. Stan Hieronymus - originator of the beer blogging Friday concept - "let the subject speak for itself", posting a video interview of Ed Reisch, an American ex-brewer. I loved reading about a "drinking club with a running problem" from Matt C in California - I need to get involved with one of those. Dave tells us about how he pulled his beer-loving missus using Facebook*. In their excellent video presentation, Joe and Jasmine gave an amusing account of their beery relationship. Jay Brooks suggests we in the beer writing world set aside a day a year to honour the most important beer people of all - the brewers. * If you're registered there, join Stonch's Beer Group (but don't try and pull me unless you're really fit). Here's a list of direct links to all the participating posts (let me know if yours is missing): Boak and Bailey, The Beer Nut, Black Cat Brewery, Sacramento Brewing Company, Flying Dog Brewery News, Electric Landlord, Barley Blog, Musing Over a Pint, Sports Beer Wine Life, Sophisticated Brews, Brewing the Perfect Beer, Lyke to Drink, Pacific Brew News, Bottled Llama Brewing, Pfiff!, Relentless Thirst, Hop Talk, Bottles of Barley, Beer Haiku, Great Canadian Pubs and Beer, Maeib, Blog About Beer, Brainard Brewing, The Brew Site, Hair of The Dog Dave, Akelas Biggins, Beer at Joe's, A Good Beer Blog, Beer, Maine & Me, Appellation Beer, Southern Suds, Beer from the Motherland, What's on Tap, Brookston Beer Bulletin, My Beer Pix and Stonch's Beer Blog. Next month's Session will be hosted by Boak and Bailey, a couple of fellow Londoners. I have no doubt they'll pick a great topic to get us all writing together again. Cheers to all! PS. Ron Pattinson didn't even bother taking part. Grumpy sod.
 If you walk through Cambridge with Richard Naisby, you'll find he's known to half of the city. Since he set up Milton Brewery in 1999, he's become a familiar sight to local yokels and transient students alike. His flame-red facial foliage makes him hard to miss, and earned him the nickname "Beard". It's entirely fitting, and mercifully easy to enunciate when drunk.
 On Tuesday, I travelled up by train and pitched up at the brewery at noon. The plant is housed in a bright and spacious 1950s industrial unit. After a few beers from casks on stillage, Richard wisely chose not to tap a kilderkin of Mammon (a 7% abv old ale), and invited us on a pub crawl instead. It was a long day, one of those where you stop counting the pints in order to preserve some semblance of mental (if not physical) health. While we drank, I learned a lot more about the man and the brewery.
For Richard, it all started in another, better place: Oxford. It's a city packed with excellent pubs. Many an undergraduate is inspired to seek beery enlightenment, going forth into the worlds of politics, arts, media and business with a life-long appreciation of our favourite beverage. Richard was no different. He was a founding member of the Oxford University Beer Appreciation Society, and remembers hosting Michael Jackson at their annual dinner in 1994. The Beer Hunter knew how to charm an audience. Rising from his seat, he revealed a single white-gloved hand and began his speech with a reference to a namesake: "For those of you who are wondering - yes, I'm bad". After leaving Oxford, clutching a drinker's degree, our protagonist beat the well worn path down the M40 to base himself in London. Eschewing the mundane, Richard took to travel writing and spent time traversing the globe. It was in Pakistan's Karakorum Mountains where the idea of launching a brewery first took hold in a chance meeting with a future business partner. Within three years of that meeting, Milton's first beer - Pegasus - had been launched in Cambridge on 9th September 1999. By 2001, they'd already bagged a series of awards. The following year saw them open their first pub - Peterborough's Coalheaver's Arms - via the newly-founded Individual Pubs Company. That enterprise, of which Richard is managing director, now runs the Oakdale Arms (2003) and Pembury Tavern (2006) in London too. Milton is now a successful, respected brewery that's looking forward to its tenth anniversary next year. Those were some of the milestones along the way. The quirkier anecdotes are better fun, and Richard has a host of them. Here's my favourite. In the brewery's first month, they were asked by veterans of the Arnhem landings to provide a cask of ale for their 55th anniversary trip over to the Netherlands. This didn't seem an unusual order, until one of the old boys let slip their plans: to jump out of a plane with it attached to a parachute, and then tap it on the landing grounds for the Prince of Wales. Bright beer was racked, and the mission commenced. He even got the cask back, with barely a dent in it. Information: - Milton Brewery is online here, and Individual Pubs Company is here.
- You can read Michael Jackson's own account of that dinner in Oxford here.
- I first met Richard at The Pembury Tavern last year - here's an account.
- During our Cambridge pub crawl we visited The Green Dragon (5 Water Street, CB4 1NZ, map), The Fort St. George (Midsummer Common, CB4 1HA, map), The St Radegund (129 King Street, CB1 1LD, map, my review) and The Cambridge Blue (85-87 Gwydir Street, CB1 2LG, map). All are recommended, the first two for their riverside locations and historic interiors, the others for their great real ales from microbreweries. The picture above shows myself and Richard at the bar in the Radegund, his regular haunt.
If you're participating in the Friday Session, just leave a comment below with a link to your post. The theme is "Beer People" (explained in more detail here). Remember, anyone with a blog or similar website can take part.
My own contribution will follow during the course of the day, with a round-up of everyone's posts appearing here tomorrow.
Enjoy!
Refresh UK, owner of the Wychwood Brewery and the Hobgoblin and Brakspear brands, has been acquired by Marston's. That's a fairly significant takeover in the context of the UK cask ale market. The Publican has the story.
 This morning I had a bacon roll for breakfast. It cost £1.40. There are times when there's nothing you want more than fried, fatty pigmeat crushed into crusty bread with a splash of ketchup and an (un)healthy dose of butter. Those times usually come after a monumental evening (or, in this case, a full day) on the beers.
Observant Londoners will have spotted some, if not all, of the cabman's shelters that are dotted across the West and Central postcode areas. Once there were 61 of these narrow green huts. Today, a baker's dozen is all that remains of the Victorian scheme to provide warmth and sustenance to resting drivers. They were the brainchild of the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1874, and kept the men out of pubs while offering "good and wholesome refreshments at moderate prices". The survivors are all listed buildings, and remarkably they still serve the same purpose they were built for.
We passed the shelter by Temple tube station this morning. Although the cramped seating area inside is reserved for cabbies, a sign promised that service at the hatch is available for all. We waited our turn, then stepped onto two stacked wooden pallets. Two old biddies rustled up pure joy in a paper napkin. Moments later we were walking along Embankment in the spring air, munching away with abandon, our moods lifted.
Greenwich could soon be home to a brewery. A planning application has been made to the local council to convert a listed building by Cutty Sark Gardens into a "cafe and bar with micro-brewery". The building in question is none other than the Old Brewery, giving the venture some real heritage.
According to English Heritage, the Old Brewery at Cutty Sark Gardens was constructed to serve the Royal Hospital for Seamen in 1834. By 1871 at the latest, beer was no longer produced on the site and since then it's been used as an engine house and latterly an electricity substation.
Thanks to reader Jonathan Wren for the tip-off.
 It's time to own up. I am a geek. I don't like Star Trek, I don't own a fleece, but I am a geek nonetheless. We all have a cross to bear, I suppose. Now, some of you reading this will be heartened by this admission on my part. However, it would be remiss of me not to make clear right now what kind of geekery I'm yammering on about. You see, it's got nothing to do with beer.
Lords, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - I am a sambuca geek. Here's the evidence: - Myself and Roy Disco regularly get through an entire bottle of it in an evening at the Betsey.
- Eschewing the clear, white variety, I absolutely insist on black sambuca. I'm always a little nervous when I enter a boozer in case they don't have the right kind.
- I consider the practice of igniting one's shot to create what is commonly known as a "flaming sambuca" uncouth and a waste of the precious, life-giving liquid.
- Whenever I fly out of Italy I spend absolutely ages in the duty free shops scoping out the best bottles and comparing prices.
- When I first learned about the practice of immersing roasted coffee beans in it - sambuca con mosca - I nearly lost my shit and wanted to kiss the man who revealed the technique to me.
- When we do a round of shots, my pal Anna always asks for a tequila. I go all grumpy and try and talk her round to sambuca. I'm an evangelist, so I am.
- I even have a cute nickname for it - "Sammy B" - which I like to convince strangers has universal application and wasn't in fact coined by yours truly.
So there you have it. I feel unburdened.
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