WHATS WITH ALL THESE BLONDE BEERS ?

I was thinking about what my favourite beer  for May would be when a recent post in Inside Beer * triggered this off this preamble.

* Online newsletter from beer writer Jeff Evans :- Click here to read

Every year a group of us go to the pub to watch the FA Cup Final. Now, given that we turn up over 3 hours before kick off, you can work out that the ulterior motive is to have a few ( well several) beers. More often than not the match is forgotten.

Anyhow, this year, as in the past few years, we met in The Barley Mow, Birtley. This pub used to have 13 handpulls but is now down to 5. Nevertheless, they are all well kept but I noticed the choice was limited to light coloured beers.

Marstons New World ( Pale Ale)

Copper Dragon Golden Pippin ( Golden Ale)

Osset Silver King ( Golden Premium Bitter)

Purity Gold ( Golden Ale)

Robinson's Beerdo ( Golden Ale)

Now don't get me wrong, these are all fine beers-I know tried them all ! ;   but they all looked the same !!

I was chatting to the manager of my local Wetherspoons the other week about his choice and he said most of his customers prefer light coloured beers. Seems like a worrying trend.  Having said that, over the weekend they had on a wonderful Ithaca Nut Brown Ale. Recommended.  

So , back to "Inside Beer" . The latest online edition stated that in a recent report by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA)  94.7% of British Breweries produce a golden ale. This backs up the Barley Mow and Spoons observation then.

Jeff Evans also states he is finding it harder to experience darker beers, and like me, is tiring of seeing light, citrus flavoured ales. Here here !

So at last, onto my beer of the month.  

Well the other day I popped into an M&S food store to use the gents, and ended up spending £4.50 ! This wasn't in the loo, but  on a couple of dark beers in a conscious decision to counter recent light coloured beers. They were Cheshire Chocolate Porter and a Salted Caramel Porter. I have not  had the former yet but during the recent England V Australia footy friendly match I opened the Caramel Porter. 

 

Wow !! This immediately took my mind off the crappy game

This beer is brewed for M&S by Meantime Brewery and has a nice ruby red colour ( see picture left) but not an overwhelming smell. It was only when I tasted it that the sweetest of the caramel filled my mouth. Mrs Ken had a sip and could taste the salt which I couldn't. This didnt matter ; it was a bit like drinking Maxim Coffee Porter, Batemans Mocha or Saltaire Triple Chocoholic, all of which are fantastic beers. 

I regret only buying 1 bottle, so much so that I can already feel another dash to use their  loo soon.

MAKE YOU OWN PUB LUNCH

l was flicking through an old copy of Alesman, the CAMRA magazine for the Keithley and Craven ( North Yorks) branch, when I spotted an ad for The Hare and Hounds, Lothersdale. 

"I've been there" I thought, and I recall with great fondness what happened during my one and only visit.

This is a TRUE tale of exemplary customer service by a pub landlord.

In the summer of 1973 3 friends and myself set off to walk the southern half of the Pennine Way, starting at Edale in The Peak District, and ending in Keld, North Yorkshire. Day 5 saw us heading north towards the village of Lothersdale, near Skipton, for a lunchtime pint. About half a mile outside the village we walked passed a farmhouse. At an upstairs window we could clearly see a girl of about our age ( early 20s) finishing off getting dressed. We stood transfixed for several moments  , then carried on down to the village

The pub had just opened so we were first in . Ordering our drinks, we asked about food.

"Sorry lads, too early", said the landlord. We were starving and had a moan. After a pause, he disappeared into the back of the pub, and came back with a loaf of uncut bread, a lump of butter, a block of cheese, a bread knife and 4 plates.

 
" Here you go, you can make your own".

Impressed by this major first in  customer service, we set about making thick sliced cheese sandwiches on the bar.

Now for what happened next, you have to think of a word that rhymes with that Kenny Everett character Cupid Stunt.

We were enjoying our self made meal, when mine host looked out through the bar window and declared,

" Watch your language lads, here comes a bit of ----"

During our laughter, the door of the pub opened and in walked the girl at the farmhouse window ! She was the barmaid !

I can't see anything like this happening these days. The guy would probably be brought up on a sexual harassment charge. Now of course in those days there was no such thing as Trip Advisor. If there was, I can imagine a comment like this :-

The Hare and Hounds pub can be found in the North Yorkshire village of Lothersdale. Run by a friendly, if slightly eccentric , landlord who specialises in allowing customers to prepare their own meals. However his attitude to female staff leaves a lot to be desired. 

5 out of 5 for customer service, but 0 out if 5 for subtlety.

PS we still had to pay for our food .

A CLUB FOR OLD MEN WITH BEARDS ?

A mate of mine once said that he could spot a male CAMRA member a mile off; going bald, beer belly and a beard. I have to say that is an apt description of myself.

Anyhow,  CAMRA have started a long consultation process to determine the future direction of the organisation. So Saturday just gone finds me in the Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle. Its a venue I've never been in before. It consists of a cafe bar at street level, with 2 handpulls ( Hadrian & Border and Allendale beers) and a basement with another bar ( same beers) and a tiny stage for comics to perform on.  

The beers were spot on , albeit expensive at £3.90 a pint. No sign of any CAMRA discount on offer this time !

At sign - in  we were each handed a small pendant with a keypad and visual display. Called a Clickapad , like they use of TV voting shows , this was to enable us to vote in real time on various aspects of the presentation give by the CAMRA top men. So for example, a list was given asking why members had joined CAMRA ; press 1 for for the the real ale,  2 for reduced entry into beer festivals or 3 for  the Wetherspoons vouchers and so on up to 10. Can't recall the results of  each vote but it was a useful exercise to show the CAMRA top men how we felt. ( Let's hope the data was saved.) 

It was actually stated during the discussion that CAMRA is sometimes seen as a club for old men with beards. Looking round the room, I can see where this came from. One guy quipped it was something to do upon retirement, although Ive had mine since Sunderland won the FA Cup in 1973.

I hate to bring the term craft up , but it was interesting that those members who mentioned it all accepted  that craft isn't real ale. At last.

The show was well run but towards the end the presenter made the classic mistake of standing between the words on the screen and the projector. On the screen could be seen ;

Pubs and other places we drink

The h and e of the word "other"  appeared on his forehead and the n of drink was on his upper lip, looking for all the world like he had grown a droopy moustache. I think only a couple of us noticed, I guess we were sitting at just the right angle. Very amusing.

One concern in the organisation is that less young people are joining.Now over the last ten years I've encouraged my ex student daughter to drink real ale. Every time we meet up she has a pint ( or more). In fact at one point she was visiting more beer festivals than I did which really pissed me off at time..  Although not a member, there's time yet.

The adverse to this was evident after I left. I had to get home to go back out again to see a U2 tribute band at our local arts centre. One of the 8 handpulls in the bar was a wonderful porter from Empire Brewery called Big Brother . One young guy had just bought a pint of Lager but then asked to sample the Porter. On tasting it he pulled a face , saying he had tried Hobgoblin and Bombardier before, but said he preferred lager. I think some people like that could never be persuaded.

So I thought the day was worthwhile. A chance to see the CAMRA top brass and local members, have a couple of good local beers in a new venue for me.

PS - the U2 tribute band were OK; the sound was a bit distorted but the guitarist, called "The Hedge", was excellent.   

A COFFEE PORTER WEEKEND

About this time last year Maxim Brewery released a seasonal brew, Coffee Porter. Fellow CAMRA members were going on about it at the time but I didnt manage to find any to try ; - sold out. Determined that was not going to happen in 2016, I first broached the subject when I spent a day at the brewery last year. *

"April / May " I was told.

Further updates were extracted from the brewery until at the time of the brew in April I managed to reserve myself a minicask to drink at home. I wasn't going to risk missing out in a pub again.

Now coffee flavoured beers are not that common but most of the ones I have tried have been at beer festivals. Batemans Mocha and Dark Star Espresso Coffee Beer spring to mind. At this years Newcastle Beer Festival recently there was Bandwagon Coffee Porter from Hadrian and Border. The guy who pulled the drink said he thought it just tasted of cold coffee. Nevertheless, yours truly enjoyed it, as I do most dark speciality beers.

Anyhow, back to the Maxim. Picking up the minicask last month, I stored it in the garage to settle then jetted off to Majorca for a week, to suffer some crappy Spanish drinks **. On return, I thought that this May Day Bank Holiday I would have a Coffee Porter Weekend.  

Filling up a jug in the garage and carefully carrying it indoors, I poured some , and a generous sip for Mrs Ken. Obviously there was a hint of coffee in the aroma ( I'm crap with smells, but got this one) Perhaps Mrs Ken can sum up the tasting experience :-

"It tastes like cold coffee ( see above) but soon it wraps itself around your tongue and lingers there for a while."

This beer is dangerously drinkable ( its 4.5%). So far Ive had between 5 and 6 pints ( the minicask holds just under 9) , so more to look forward to today then. I just wish there was  some sort of indicator to tell you how much is left. We shall see tonight  !!

There may be still some out there in a pub somewhere; give it a try

*A day in Maxim Brewery

** Follow the link to read about Majorca beer

  

CAMPAIGN FOR THE REINTRODUCTION OF OWD RODGER

Many years ago I used to drink on an occasional basis in The Cooperage Pub on Newcastle Quayside. Sadly, this wonderful place closed in 2009 but it has memories for me because it used to sell Marstons Owd Rodger on handpull. Since its demise my only means of access to this great beer has been in bottled form from a B&M's supermarket. 

If you have not tried this 7.4 % old ale then I would definitely recommend it. It has a dark ruby red colour with a fruity, warming flavour. Ideal as a winter warmer although I have the occasional drink throughout the year.

I got to thinking about why it had not been seen , certainly here in the North East, as a cask ale. A couple of weeks ago I emailed Marstons and asked them. Imagine my surprise when they replied saying its going to be available in December as a guest beer. Now when Marstons say "guest" they mean one of there own beers as a guest in one of their own pubs.

This reply prompted the idea for the Campaign for the Reintroduction of Owd Rodger  ( CAMROR). 

A digression now but there is a point to it.

I visited the Bishop Auckland Food and Drink Festival last weekend, primarily to seek out the advertised "Tipple Tent" and try some local beers. Also on my list was to visit Pollards, a pub just outside the town centre and which features frequently on the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

In the Tipple Tent were bars selling beers from  Black Paw,  Yard of Ale and Hill Island breweries, all from County Durham. Sunderland brewer Darwin were selling bottles only, including their Flag Porter for £1 !! .  I had a couple from Yard of Ale and Hill Island, bought a Flag Porter, then headed off to catch the bus to Pollards.

I discovered it was a Marstons pub and soon got chatting to the landlord. I mentioned the email from Marstons about the Owd Rodger and he said he was going to order some in !. Fantastic, if all else fails another trip to Bishop Auckland was on the cards. He kindly gave me a copy of a new Marstons magazine ( pictured left) which I  think is principally aimed at publicans.   Inside was the proof that Owd Rodger in cask is on its way.

So the objective of  CAMROR is simple, next time you visit a Marstons pub, mention the Owd Rodger. If enough customers and pubs ask for it, maybe, just maybe, the brewery will make the cask variant a permanent feature.

I finished a bottle off prior to writing this and have come to the conclusion Owd Rodger is my beer of the month for April.

BOTTLE CONDITIONED IN MAJORCA

We have just returned from a weeks holiday in Majorca. It was a last minute job to escape the crappy weather, and not having been before, I wasn't expecting anything exciting beer wise. We stayed in the East coast resort of Cala Bona, (an hours coach drive from Palma Airport) . I was pronouncing it Cala Boner till I got wrong off the wife , can't think why.

Despite planning on drinking wine with most evening meals during the week, it was soon time after arrival to check out the local supermarkets for any decent beer. Sadly, it was mostly San Miguel and John Smiths. ( why go on holiday and drink John  Smiths ?)  However found some German Paulaner wheat beer so made do with that for the first few days, as most supermarkets just sold the same crap.

After half a dozen bottles of the same stuff, got bored and fancied a change. Venturing further afield one day, we found a larger store with a marginally better selection.

So I picked up bottles of Tramuntana Golden Ale and San Miguel Selecta. It's worth mentioning that the fridge in our hotel room was small and bottles could only be stored horizontally. Later that evening, allowing sufficient time to cool , I opened the Tramuntana. There was a woosh and the bottle just erupted, not unlike a geyser erupting in Yellowstone National Park. I managed to capture most of it in a glass. It was my fault ; I should have read the label more closely - it was in Spanish but closer inspection revealed the words :

Carbonatacion Natural

Cerveza Artizan

Craft Beer.

It appeared this was a bottle conditioned beer, brewed on the island. It didnt have an exceptional taste, just a standard pale ale. It was one of those drinks where you say, that was refreshing, then instantly forget what it tasted like.

Now as I said, we've not been here before so I don't know if this is a recent development or what. The beer itself was stored on the bottom shelf of the supermarket so not being sold in  prominent position.

I've been on the website, http://www.cervezatramuntana.com/which doesn't  tell you much. Still, a small victory I thought.

Finally the Selecta. This wasn't bad, not bottle conditioned but a very malty 6.2 % beer. I read a review on "Ratebeer" which said " Compared to the ordinary San Miguel, this is a masterpiece." Quite so

NEWCASTLE BEER FESTIVAL 2016

Well,  Ive just visited the Newcastle Beer Festival for the umpteenth time. It was held in the Northumbria Uni Students Union and as usual it was standing room only, mainly because there were only a couple of tables and a few stools.

There are 3 problems with this :-

1. You drink more beer standing up.

2  The beers warms quicker in the glass being in constant contact with the hand

3. You invariably have to take your glass with you to the gents.

Luckily, we managed to grab one of the tables so were set for the evening. 

I'm still recovering from the Tiny Rebel Stay Puft ( a marshmallow porter) and the 11.5% Barrel Aged Orkney Porter, among many others.
 

Anyhow , before it moved to this venue it was held in the Kings Building, Newcastle University, with seating in the main bar area and in the adjacent cafeteria. Personally , a much better location but it had become too small.

My last visit to the Kings Building festival was a bit of a disaster however.

It was 2007 and  Mrs Ken and I had been on holiday in Cyprus and our flight back was due in Newcastle Airport at about 6 ish. I had arranged to meet a friend,  who was travelling up from the Midlands on a family visit, at the Beer Festival .  His name was first on my phone ( not a smartphone) contacts list and I put the phone in my bum bag I was wearing on the bus to the airport from the hotel. Unbeknownst to me every time I moved,  the phone was sending out a short text " da da da" This must have gone on for about 30 mins. He was driving up the M1 getting all these texts and having no means of stopping them ( other than switching the phone off of course)

Obviously I switched it off at check in and then on arrival in Newcastle, I texted my mate to say we were here. Mrs Ken then drove home with the cases and  I caught the Tyne and Wear Metro into the city centre.

I got off the Metro and crossed over the street to the festival venue  to find it was closed. They had run out of beer !. I then got a text saying my friend had arrived in  the Crows Nest pub nearby with his wife.  I headed for the pub, gagging for a pint, then was confronted by a bouncer on the door who said, " Do you have any ID please sir ?".

"Your f***ing joking aren't you ?" my mate lip read me saying through the window.

Then I noticed him  and his wife through the window pissing themselves laughing. As an act of revenge for the multiple texts,  he had tipped the bouncer off to  challenge me. Bastard.