Mrs Ken and I have just returned from a weeks holiday in Lanzarote. Before we left I spotted on Facebook mention of "Roscoe's Beer House" on the aforesaid island - in the resort of Playa Blanca. "That looks interesting" I exclaimed ! It was an hour's walk from our hotel. Mrs Ken was less excited but agreed on Day 3 to accompany me along the promenade to Playa Blanca town centre.
Passing several cafes with San Miguel and other shite beer signs, we found the pub/ cafe in the town's pedestrianised area. The place was festooned with signs and bottles , principally Belgian in origin, which was no bad thing. Mind you, there was also a Brewdog sign, but ignored it.
I love strong dark beers so perused the menu and spotted one of interest. La Corne Black at 8%. Mrs Ken ordered a cider and the owner - Roscoe - scuttled off into his store cupboard and appeared with a few bottles. Soon the beer arrives, along with what can only be described as a glass horn in a wooden holder. WTF?
He pours the beer into the glass horn , showed me how to hold its holder to stop me getting beer all over myself and left us to it. The beer is described in the menu as as having chocolate, caramel and coffee notes, followed by plum, blackberry and red fruits aftertaste. Spot on.
I had to drink it slowly to prevent any backwash . What other customers must have thought of this idiot near the back of the pub swigging his beer like that. The price was 6 euros, which wasn't bad considering the uniqueness of the dispensing method.
I carried out some research when we returned home. The brewery is called Ebly located in the Luxembourg part of Belgium. Their beers brand name is La Corne Du Bois Despendus, of which the Black is one, Roscoe also sold three other styles.
I spotted a description of the glass on tinternet... "The drinking horn is the ancestor of the modern glass. Let this glass
transport you back in time. It's the perfect excuse to dress up as a
Viking, or Asterix and Obelix". Not sure that would be apt or practical in Lanzarote
Looking round the bar near us was what I would all a beer
Towards the end of the drink from the horn it was like staring into a tunnel entrance, watching the beer slowly flow round the bend at the end of the horn.
The bar opened at the end of 2018 and I wish Roscoe success in his venture, an oasis in a street of tourist bars.
Satisfied we set off back to the hotel, the H10 Rubicon. They had a great selection of bottled beers in the lounge fridge, all by Damm Brewery of Barcelona. There was very pleasant AK Damm, an Alsatian style beer ( that would be German state and not a dog) , a tasty gluten free lager called Daura and top of the list, a 7.4 double malt called Voll-Damm . Voll in the German for full, which it certainly was.
It was a bit depressing that most hotel guests were drinking the standard Spanish yellow piss, which they always drink without realising some little gems were available.
I can imagine a UK bottle shop selling some and a customer saying - Gimme a Damm Beer!
