Pubs & Beer

[gingerjon]

11 hours ago, Padge said:

The one reputed to be the oldest pub in England?

Always best to believe the legend with that one and, should you wish to continue to believe in poetry, not follow the details about how old it, and most (virtually all) other, 'ancient' pubs really are.

[Padge]

6 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Always best to believe the legend with that one and, should you wish to continue to believe in poetry, not follow the details about how old it, and most (virtually all) other, 'ancient' pubs really are.

A lot of people in Wigan think the oldest pub in the town is the John Bull Chophouse in Coopers Row. It is far from it, the building has only been a pub for around 50 years, previously the building was a cobblers, ironmongers and an oyster bar. The building itself is probably 18th century but the pub is from around 1975.

[Stevo]

18 hours ago, Padge said:

The one reputed to be the oldest pub in England?

And a claim disputed by others! But yep that one.

[Stevo]

7 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Always best to believe the legend with that one and, should you wish to continue to believe in poetry, not follow the details about how old it, and most (virtually all) other, 'ancient' pubs really are.

I'm with the legend myself. If you squint hard enough there's evidence/ records of beer making on site back to the 1100s or thereabouts, and a pint taken in what is basically a series of caves lends the right kind of atmosphere.  

I didn't know till recently that Nottingham has two other claimants to the title of England's oldest pub - the Salutation (which does "feel" old to me) and the Bell (which does not feel that old to me, though again there's evidence of beer making/ selling on the site going back centuries).

[Stirlin]

Brew York latest venture.

 

Brew York and YUZU street food to open Brew+Bao this month | York Press

[Padge]

Off to Wigan Central tomorrow for their spring beer festival which started today and is on until Sunday.

https://wigancentral.bar/on-the-bar.html

 

Edited April 3 by Padge

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

On 12/03/2025 at 14:25, Stevo said:

I'm with the legend myself. If you squint hard enough there's evidence/ records of beer making on site back to the 1100s or thereabouts, and a pint taken in what is basically a series of caves lends the right kind of atmosphere.  

I didn't know till recently that Nottingham has two other claimants to the title of England's oldest pub - the Salutation (which does "feel" old to me) and the Bell (which does not feel that old to me, though again there's evidence of beer making/ selling on the site going back centuries).

Sorry to be pedantic, Stevo (actually, not that sorry!), but in England in the 12th century, the drink in question would have been ale, I think.  It would have lacked the critical ingredient which I think in those days would have made ale different from beer, namely hops.

In the early 16th century, parts of modern day Germany were getting quite particular about the contents of beer (both what was permitted and what was not), embodying the requirements in the law; hops were a key ingredient.  Concurrently, of course, initially fuelled by the likes of Martin Luther, the Reformation was getting under way.

England, in due course, imported both, hence the contemporary doggerel, "Hops, Reformation, bays and beer, came into England all in one year", which I think would date from the middle or second half of the 16th century.

[Stirlin]

On 03/04/2025 at 15:57, Stirlin said:

Brew York latest venture.

 

Brew York and YUZU street food to open Brew+Bao this month | York Press

Brew York launches Nine Realms Ale Series to mark birthday | York Press

[Padge]

New pub opens in Wigan on May 9th.

Eckersley Mill

 

[Jeff Stein]

On the way back from football yesterday popped into Chelmsford Brew Co Taproom. It's actually in the brewery in Great Baddow and a little rough and ready, but the two beers I had yesterday, Surfer's Funeral (NZ Pale ale) and Crossroads (Red IPA), were as good as anything I have drunk this year. They usually have a good range of German bottled beers too

[Spidey]

1 hour ago, Padge said:

New pub opens in Wigan on May 9th.

Eckersley Mill

 

That’s my office location also. May have to start getting the train in to Wigan

[Padge]

ho hum

Edited April 6 by Padge

[Padge]

Pretty busy at Wigan Central Beer Festival, a bit of sunshine helps. Was packed inside as well.

 

 

[Jeff Stein]

I have been meaning to write a review of the Bermondsey Beer Mile for a little while. I did it for the first time in almost a decade during the winter. For those who don't know, it comprises a number of small craft breweries principally set up in railway arches under a line out of London Bridge station. Back in the day the breweries opened to the public on a Saturday afternoon, but now most of the taps seem to be open all week. There are now also producers of other beverages, such as mead and saki, there for those of a hipster bent.  Despite the weather not being great, everywhere was heaving and perhaps too much for my taste. It definitely seems to be on the tourist trail and a student hangout. I think I prefer it when it was a bit more rough and ready. 

Coming from London Bridge, the first stop is Southwark Brewing, which is the only real ale brewery on the mile. We had already had had a pint of their LPA in the Shipwrights Arms, a rather interesting circular pub. In their tap I had Mayflower Session IPA and Routemaster Red. I have never thought of their beers as anything but average and bland and my mind unfortunately was not changed.

Next up was one of the better known breweries, Anspach and Hobday. It was very busy and standing room only. There seemed to be a lot of people there who were hanging out, but not buying. We had a London Black Nitro Stout and then a half of 45 Days Later Baltic Porter, a half because it was very strong. Both beers were very good.

After a bit of a walk, there were three stops in a row. The first wasn't a brewery, but a  bar specialising in Dutch beer. We had a session IPA from a brewery which I had not heard of before, Jopen. There were a lot of beers on, but there did seem to be an awful lot of those craft favourites, pale ales and IPAs on. I would have preferred to see more uniquely Dutch styles. The place got too busy to comfortably stay so we moved into Cloudwater's tap. This was the only other place where we were offered real ale, which was good, but the bar smelt bad and did not overly appeal. The last in that little group was the Enid Road Tavern. I had a pretty awful stout from the Bianca Road brewery. Again the place didn't appeal. I got the feeling from the attitude of the bar staff that a couple of middle aged blokes weren't their target audience.

Our last bar on the mile that we were visited was the new one opened by The Kernel. I thought it was really stylish and attractive, even though the pale ale I had was uninspiring. It also kept to the old Bermondsey beer mile times calling last orders at 8. We felt that was enough and missed out the last couple of bars. Instead we went to the new Wetherspoons in Waterloo station for dinner. The Lion and Unicorn (named after the pub at the 1951 Festival of Britain) is apparently their largest pub and just as character free as one would imagine. The Portobello Chestnut Ale was ok. We finished the evening in The Hole in the Wall, which is an incredibly scuzzy pub in an arch, but always has a good number of decent real ales.

I am not sure I will rush to do the Bermondsey beer mile again. I did feel we were a bit out of place in a lot of the bars and they were generally not places for a quiet pint and chat. More to the point, I just did not feel the the beer was tasty enough to make a repeat worth it. I think both I and my friend felt the best beers we drank during the day were  a couple of winter beers (Millionaire Shortbread Stout and Winter Warmer) from the Twickenham brewery at the Wetherspoons in Victoria station where we originally met. Unfortunately that probably tells a tale. Despite that we are going to try the newer Blackhorse beer mile next Saturday.

[Padge]

South Lancs CAMRA have decided the Black Horse in Preston won't be considered for their next pub of the year. They have won it for the last three years and they say they want to give someone else a chance.

Bonkers.

[Futtocks]

3 hours ago, Jeff Stein said:

Our last bar on the mile that we were visited was the new one opened by The Kernel. I thought it was really stylish and attractive, even though the pale ale I had was uninspiring.

The only Kernel beer I've had is one of their dark ones (can't recall which from their range) which I liked quite a lot. They used to sell it at the Sourced Market at St Pancras station, which was on the way home from work at the time.

[Jeff Stein]

On 20/04/2025 at 16:35, Futtocks said:

The only Kernel beer I've had is one of their dark ones (can't recall which from their range) which I liked quite a lot. They used to sell it at the Sourced Market at St Pancras station, which was on the way home from work at the time.

Had a bottle of Kernel Hopfenweisse Idaho 7 this evening. Very nice it was too. Probably the best non-German interpretation of the style that I have drunk

[The Masked Poster]

Me and my Mrs went out with an old couple of friends of ours yesterday in Bradford. It gets a lot of slating but it was actually...... bloody nice! 

It definitely needs a boost and still is nowhere like it used to be but it was pretty good. There I said it. 

[Eddie]

On 06/04/2025 at 18:15, Padge said:

Pretty busy at Wigan Central Beer Festival, a bit of sunshine helps. Was packed inside as well.

 

 

Are all those people waiting for a train to Leigh?

[Spidey]

@Padge have you managed to try Three Mills yet?  I was there with a few work colleagues Friday. Good selection  of beers. Think the staff need some bedding in time though 

[Padge]

19 minutes ago, Spidey said:

@Padge have you managed to try Three Mills yet?  I was there with a few work colleagues Friday. Good selection  of beers. Think the staff need some bedding in time though 

No, I flew to Greece on Wednesday so I have missed the opening.

A friend said they had the hand pumps with Wiley Fox and Wigan Brewhouse beers which were in decent condition and a wide choice of craft.

Will make a point of getting down there when I get back.

[Spidey]

48 minutes ago, Padge said:

No, I flew to Greece on Wednesday so I have missed the opening.

A friend said they had the hand pumps with Wiley Fox and Wigan Brewhouse beers which were in decent condition and a wide choice of craft.

Will make a point of getting down there when I get back.

I was driving so only had one - chose a Beartown one in a bottle,  Crème Bearlee, before moving on to Guinness Zero.  

[shaun mc]

The standard of zero/low alcohol beers has improved vastly over the past few years.

Guinness, Leffe, Erdinger, Ghost Ship

Though you have to think why are they as expensive as standard beers, without the duty to pay?

[Padge]

3 hours ago, shaun mc said:

The standard of zero/low alcohol beers has improved vastly over the past few years.

Guinness, Leffe, Erdinger, Ghost Ship

Though you have to think why are they as expensive as standard beers, without the duty to pay?

Big Drop are my go to low % beers, great range and do taste like beer.

Erdinger, excellent choice can't tell the difference, not impressed with Ghost Ship though.

[Futtocks]

4 hours ago, shaun mc said:

The standard of zero/low alcohol beers has improved vastly over the past few years.

Guinness, Leffe, Erdinger, Ghost Ship

Though you have to think why are they as expensive as standard beers, without the duty to pay?

Possibly the economies of scale. They are already set up to produce the regular stuff in massive quantities, while this is both a new production line and for a product that isn't (yet) selling anywhere near as much.