BEER IN PLASTIC GLASSES AND A MISHAP IN RICHMOND

Friday gone saw the start of the 2017 Sunderland International Airshow. Another event , timed to coincide, was the reopening of the Smugglers pub on Roker Beach. Now called Grannie Annie's , we called at the very start of the Airshow. Confronted by 3 Maxim Hand-pulls ( Swedish Blonde, Double Maxim and Lambtons), I opted for Double Maxim, which was served to me in a plastic glass.

 

Fair enough if I was going to sit outside , but we stayed indoors and weren't  offered a choice. I suspect it was for staff convenience with the anticipated rush later. ( we had a look in on the way to see the fireworks later and the place was rammed !!)

Anyhow, this got me thinking about plastic glasses. Somehow the beer doesn't taste the same and seems to warm up quicker. I can see the need at say a pop festival or at a public outdoor area with a hard surface.

Speaking of which ( finally - ed) about 5 years ago a group of us went on a pub crawl in Richmond ( Yorks). While having breakfast in the town' s Wetherspoons, a couple of bearded individuals sidled over with some leaflets.

Fancy calling to the Market Hall for our local CAMRA beer festival lads, it starts in an hour?

We promised we would so after breakfast and doing a couple of pubs, we headed for the market hall. Now when we do these trips, one of our group brings a quiz. Comprising several sheets of paper , its contained in a see through plastic wallet with a zip.

The hall had a cobbled stone floor, so the beer was served in plastic glasses. One of our lot just growled and muttered to himself throughout, glowering at his glass. In the corner of the hall was the gents, and just outside the door, was another  door at right angles. This door was open and behind it was a shelf. Bamber Gasgoigne, clutching his plastic wallet, headed to the loo. Seeing the shelf , he put his questions on it and went in the loo. 

I didnt see what happened next, but he came out of the gents and turned towards the open door to retrieve his quiz questions. Except the door wasn't open anymore...it was locked !. In the time taken for him to relieve himself, someone had walked over, shut the door , locked it and buggered off.

Well the rest of us were pissing ourselves. Fearing his life work was lost, Magnus Magnussun  frantically dashed up the CAMRA bar and asked if they could contact whoever had locked the door. Luckily, the guy had a mobile and so he returned to much fanfare and applause about 20 minutes later.

Typing this Ive just remembered something. The pub we visited before the festival was the Bishop Blaize. Sitting in the pub garden I said. I believe Richmond Castle is near the town centre.

You mean that tall tower behind you ?, the rest pointed out. 

Stupid boy !

   

MISTAKEN IDENTITY IN KESWICK

 It is said there is a typical male CAMRA Member. :

Mid 60's bald or balding, grey beard, pot belly and wears a fat bastard T shirt.

So park that thought for a while,

After it was announced in the news that the Lake District had been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO, I suggested a trip over to Keswick before the inevitable rush started. I found a Keswick Tourist map which  had pictures of various places to visit.

" Oh look " said Mrs Ken. "There is a Brewery Lane and a Keswick Brewery!"

" Is there really ? "

I was also keen to visit the Wetherspoons in town, The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. This was a former police station and magistrates court, and still retains the prisoners dock, magistrates bench and 3 cells ( see photos).

So after an hours cruise in the sun on Derwentwater, it was a walk into town for lunch in Spoons.

Then it was time to find the Keswick Brewery which began operation in 2004 and is located on the site of a former brewery which closed in 1897.

 

I had with me some CAMRA Angle magazines to leave in the small bar and shop. so as a typical CAMRA stereotype I  asked the guy behind the bar :-"Can I leave these real ale magazines please ?"

"Yes no problem, I recognise you from the last time you left some !!"

I HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE IN MY LIFE !!

 

SAMUEL SMITHS

I recently had an absolutely wonderful bottle of Samuel  Smiths Organic Chocolate Stout. Its made from organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa extract. I cant normally smell most beers but the distinctive aroma of cocoa tempts the nostrils. A fantastic stout. I am beginning to regret only buying 1 bottle.

Sam Smiths is based in Tadcaster and is the oldest brewery in Yorkshire.  I think I'm right in saying that the only real ale they produce is Old Brewery (OB)Bitter. It seems it  can only be found in their own pubs, so as a result there is no pubco mark up and hence is usually cheap.

COLPITTS

I used to drink it occasionally in the Colpitts in Durham in the 70's which I am pleased to say still sells it . We started a Durham pub crawl in there in 2011 for a mate who now lives in Australia. He said the best beer of the day was the OB.

Ive not tried their keg beers but there are some wonderful other bottles available.They seem to like making stouts as their Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Stout are as good as this one.  The trouble is they are not supplied in supermarkets, well not up here anyway. 
 

Its interesting that some breweries shy away from dark beers and indeed do some pubs. 

When challenged , "why don't you sell more dark beers ?"  

"Well customers prefer  lighter beers " 

" But you sell Guinness !"

So hats off to Sam Smiths for this cracking stout. Worth seeking out in a bottle shop near you ! 

COCK UP YOUR BEAVER

Ive just returned from Glasgow and another fantastic afternoon at the Glasgow Beer Festival. Its held every year in the Briggait Arts Studios. Its behind the Clutha, the riverside pub that made the news when a helicopter crash landed on its roof.

Anyhow , this is my third visit. I also go myself while the family go round the shops; however, within 5 minutes of sitting down, there is always someone friendly to talk to. This time a couple from Manchester, so we spent at least half an hour reliving the best pubs in the city. 

Another guy on the table was a CAMRA local who, the more he drank, kept coming out with wise and funny statements. The best was :

" Do you notice when young people come to a festival, they make a dash to the bar and order their drink first, then look for a seat. We old ones make a dash to find a seat first, then go to order a drink"

On the subject of drink, we finally get round to the title of this post. The festival had over 150 ales, ciders and foreign beers. On a Facebook post before we headed up to Glasgow I spotted a picture taken from the festival programme of a beer brewed at Bute Brewery called Cock Up Your Beaver. There then followed the usual comments about the name. In fact one CAMRA volunteer posted while I was there that he enjoyed saying to any women looking at beers where he was serving " Would you like to try a Cock up your Beaver ?

 
The name is actually the title of a Robbie Burns Poem. A beaver, in this context, was a hat; hence cocking your hat. The beer is usually only brewed in time for Burns night.

Personally, I thought the marketing was better than the beer. Its a 4.5% red ale; it was Ok.

Other great names were  " 99 Red Babons", "Betty and the Gardens- B side" and another imaginative name from Rat Brewery ; Raturday Night Fever"

The last two times Ive been was on a Saturday. Both times we were "entertained" by the Caledonian Brewery Bagpipe Band ( I don't do bagpipes) . This time I was there on a Friday, so I asked one guy behind the bar if the bagpipes were going to be on. "Saturday"" he said. Forgetting where I was I said "Great!" He glowered and walked away. 

And finally, the best beer for me this time wasn't actually a beer ; Toffee Apple Cider" Gorgeous !

Same time next year.

BEER FLAVOURED CRISPS

The other day I was wandering through a local supermarket and spotted these crisps. An acquaintance mentioned later  they also sell Hobgoblin flavoured crisps.(?)

Now when  I was a lad, all you could get was plain crisps with a blue bag of salt in them. Then new flavours were introduced till what became my favourite, Mint Sauce Flavour. Dont see it now but a few years ago I spotted in Tesco some Old Peculier Flavoured Crisps. I bought a packet. Did they taste of Old Peculier ? Did they bollocks ?

Back to the photograph, the small print says " with a splash of real ale " I have a mental picture of a factory worker holding a packet of these crisps under a real ale handpull, a quick pull and a squirt ( if you will pardon the expression.) , then passing it down the line to seal the packet.

Anyhow, in April 2015 a group of us visited the Jarrow Brewery for a tour, some samples , then back on the bus to McConnells Gin & Ale House for some more beers and a pizza. The night was going great, I did a quiz. Then one of the guys wandered over from the bar and placed discreetly on our table an opened packet of peanuts. " Here you go lads, try these "  Then he sauntered off.

" Oh , Cheers mate " etc etc.

Unsuspecting, we all tucked in, then stopped, with our mouths burning and eyes streaming. They were chilli flavoured peanuts. ! 

Bastard.  

CAMRA ANGLE SUMMER EDITION

The Summer edition of CAMRA Angle , the quarterly magazine of the Sunderland and South Tyneside branch of CAMRA, has  just been published. Copies are being  distributed to real ale pubs throughout the area , and beyond. As usual , this is another full issue and well worth a read.  

A regular section is a news update on pubs and breweries in the branch as well as Locale pubs and those that offer discounts. A new feature is a Crossword. Although cryptic, even I managed to get a few !

There are articles from our roving reporters in Newcastle, Huddersfield, Hartlepool, Margate and Krakow ( yes the one in Poland !), as well as an update about Beer from the Wood.   The pub walk features West and East Boldon.

This issue looks at the current CAMRA pub of the year, The George & Dragon in Hudswell, North Yorkshire.  

Issue 48 is rounded off by a  pub quiz and a picture quiz. 

If you cant find a copy, follow this link to download your own,  and for more branch news. .http://sst.camra.org.uk/

 

And remember, accept no imitations.  

I AM A CIDER DRINKER

The other week one of my regular haunts, The Station House in Durham, won CAMRA Regional Cider Pub of the Year. They always have 4 real ciders on but I normally have a dark beer. Last week, to celebrate their win I thought, bugger it Im going to have a cider. I conveyed this startling information to my mate who normally accompanies me every Tuesday night. He was shocked. 

"Cider Ken ?"

I patiently explained this was real cider, not the fizzy crap like Strongbow or Magners. Even the pub owner was shocked, expecting me to order my usual dark beer. Being no expert, I asked for a sweet one and was given Bread & Sabre Yardarm. Nice and sweet !

I was compiling a half page in our branch magazine about our local pub cider winners. The Ship Isis was the Sunderland winner, so some research was needed ; namely a visit to see what they had. 

I opted for Friels, at a hefty 7.4%. Now the problem I have , with sweet drinks like this, they go down so easily. I pondered this weakness of mine on the bus back home.

In 1989 when I worked for the Post Office I was sent on a week secondment to our IT HQ in Farnborough Hampshire. I opted to stay with an acquaintance who lived a train ride away in Weybridge Surrey. The week was not that demanding and so the inevitable drinking sessions took place every night. 

One night a bunch of us set off on a train into rural Surrey to a cider pub. Ive no idea what it was called or even where it was. My brain has retained random images of that night which allows me to piece together roughly what happened. 

We were all drinking cider only so I am thinking it was no ordinary pub. We were drinking outside so it must have been summer. We had that many that I ended up drinking someone elses pint as well. It was late when we set off back to the station. There were about 6 of us, with me walking with 3 others ahead of the other 2, one of which was the guy I was staying with. We spotted the last  train coming  and dashed up to the station and got on the train, thinking the other 2 were with us. They weren't !. They missed the train !

Now when I have had a few I tend to shut out the bad stuff so I just sat there on the train without a care in the world ! The fact I had nowhere to kip that night just didnt occur to me. Anyhow, we pulled into the next but one station and spotted the missing 2 belting over the station footbridge  . They had caught a taxi and caught the train up . Lucky me.

Since that night, I have had a reluctance to try cider, well till now !