Ale, craft, pubs thread

[Gloucester Saint]

Even if the game was rubbish, it might be that you and your friends found a great pub on an away game.

Or maybe your local does a great pint? I think some of the posters on here run bars or micropubs. 

My beers this weekend have been Badger Golden Glory and Brew 61 Grazing Girls

[Lord Duckhunter]

Ship & Mitre Liverpool. 

Coach & Horses Norwich. 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Ship & Mitre Liverpool. 

Coach & Horses Norwich. 

It’s bit outside of the main city but the Fat Cat in Norwich is one of the best pubs I’ve been to. Kings Arms is great as well.

[Patrick Bateman]

Lucky Saint for me - by far the best non/low alcohol beer around in my humble opinion, love it!

[Lord Duckhunter]

Used to be a real ale man, 100% no question. But I think the quality is going downhill, probably down to lack of experience in bar staff. The real ale pubs are still good, but you used to be able to get a decent pint in most places and that’s not the case now.

I’ve got a beer machine at home, so that’s started the move towards IPA”s. Punk, Neck oil & Camden my favourites. Real ale wise, tanglefoot still top despite H&W fucking around with the strength. Taylor’s landlord,  if it’s kept well & Hop Head my top 3. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Used to be a real ale man, 100% no question. But I think the quality is going downhill, probably down to lack of experience in bar staff. The real ale pubs are still good, but you used to be able to get a decent pint in most places and that’s not the case now.

I’ve got a beer machine at home, so that’s started the move towards IPA”s. Punk, Neck oil & Camden my favourites. Real ale wise, tanglefoot still top despite H&W fucking around with the strength. Taylor’s landlord,  if it’s kept well & Hop Head my top 3. 

Beer Hawk had some Perfect Draft machines, not sure what they were like. We’ve got two GBG pubs near us, one is staffed by late teens and quality varies considerably, the other is very well kept but standard selection bar Wye Valley Butty Bach (quite common here but they do it well) of Pride, Doom Bar and 6X. The hotel/restaurant has the most interesting beers - Goffs Cheltenham Gold (excellent), Wye Valley HPA and a guest of Sharp’s Coaster (pale ale high 3% Abv) although they often have Bristol Beer Factory as guests. The other pub is also 15th century, Butcombe own it which is decent stuff.

Round here, Cheltenham is a bit of beer hub with Deya (if you like IPAs and Pale Ale You’ll love their Steady Rolling Man), Clavell & Hind, Corinium, Goffs at nearby Winchcombe, Gloucester Brewery there which is fine stuff, and a clutch of top pubs and two beer shops/bars. Missus drove me on a tour of pubs and Cotswold breweries last year for my birthday - Fleece Inn at Breforton, North Cotswold, Hook Norton. Stroud brew good stuff and there’s some lively walks from their brewery tap.

Nationally, Landlord is lovely, both the pale ale and dark, Dark Star Hophead pops up in Cheltenham sometimes and that’s a favourite too. What was RCH are in their third incarnation and favourites there include Old Slug Porter, Pitchfork pale ale and East St Cream strong bitter.

Other favourite brewery is Hobsons in Shropshire, can see the Shropshire Hills around here in places (eg Cleeve Hill) - got some bottles of Twisted Spire, Postman’s Knock and Plum Porter for the winter. 

Moreton in Marsh beer festival in a couple of weeks,

Edited September 1 by Gloucester Saint

[Lord Duckhunter]

39 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Beer Hawk had some Perfect Draft machines, not sure what they were like.

That’s the one I’ve got. Some great IPA’s. Vocation life & death, although it’s a bit pricey, is the best. Free delivery if you order 2 so  I normally get a punk ipa, then try something different. It is absolutely like having a pint in the ale house, best home drinking experience by a mile. Get about 9 pints out of it, there’s some iffy reviews but I’ve had it a year and it’s been absolutely spot on. 

[Tamesaint]

2 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Beer Hawk had some Perfect Draft machines, not sure what they were like. We’ve got two GBG pubs near us, one is staffed by late teens and quality varies considerably, the other is very well kept but standard selection bar Wye Valley Butty Bach (quite common here but they do it well) of Pride, Doom Bar and 6X. The hotel/restaurant has the most interesting beers - Goffs Cheltenham Gold (excellent), Wye Valley HPA and a guest of Sharp’s Coaster (pale ale high 3% Abv) although they often have Bristol Beer Factory as guests. The other pub is also 15th century, Butcombe own it which is decent stuff.

Round here, Cheltenham is a bit of beer hub with Deya (if you like IPAs and Pale Ale You’ll love their Steady Rolling Man), Clavell & Hind, Corinium, Goffs at nearby Winchcombe, Gloucester Brewery there which is fine stuff, and a clutch of top pubs and two beer shops/bars. Missus drove me on a tour of pubs and Cotswold breweries last year for my birthday - Fleece Inn at Breforton, North Cotswold, Hook Norton. Stroud brew good stuff and there’s some lively walks from their brewery tap.

Nationally, Landlord is lovely, both the pale ale and dark, Dark Star Hophead pops up in Cheltenham sometimes and that’s a favourite too. What was RCH are in their third incarnation and favourites there include Old Slug Porter, Pitchfork pale ale and East St Cream strong bitter.

Other favourite brewery is Hobsons in Shropshire, can see the Shropshire Hills around here in places (eg Cleeve Hill) - got some bottles of Twisted Spire, Postman’s Knock and Plum Porter for the winter. 

Moreton in Marsh beer festival in a couple of weeks,

HPA is a great beer. For the play off final I used the car park at Wealdstone FC and finding  it being sold in the clubhouse made it an absolutely perfect day. 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

That’s the one I’ve got. Some great IPA’s. Vocation life & death, although it’s a bit pricey, is the best. Free delivery if you order 2 so  I normally get a punk ipa, then try something different. It is absolutely like having a pint in the ale house, best home drinking experience by a mile. Get about 9 pints out of it, there’s some iffy reviews but I’ve had it a year and it’s been absolutely spot on. 

https://www.perfectdraft.com/en-gb/perfect-draft-range/perfect-draft-kegs?page=6

Nice selection there, Ghost Ship would lovely on that although appreciate it’s not everyone’s favourite beer. It’s very strong but Triple Karmeleit is a stunning beer. Any of the Leffe range would be great too, the Winter one for Christmas. I quite like Club Tropicana from Tiny Rebel too, pops up sometimes around here as Newport not too far. And Old Pecuilar for something darker. Probably only lacking a good stout or porter, but I have to say I’m tempted….

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Tamesaint said:

HPA is a great beer. For the play off final I used the car park at Wealdstone FC and finding  it being sold in the clubhouse made it an absolutely perfect day. 

It is, one of the frequent fliers around here along with Butty Bach also by Wye Valley. The most local pub (four in our small town) did have their Hopfathers as a guest which flew out of the door. If you like HPA, you’d also enjoy Goffs Cheltenham Gold.

Over the border in Worcestershire there’s also some quality stuff - Teme, Hop Shed, Brew 61, Bewdley amongst others. 

Planning to come to Soton later in the year once we’ve had the next stage of our house renovation done, to catch up with friends and family. Will check out some of my old haunts - Guide Dog, SW Arms - with some I’ve only been to a couple of times - Butchers Hook (loved it there), King Olaf’s (not been but friends love it) and Dancing Man (not been for a while). Heard the Platform open again after the fire. Family connection there.

[Hamilton Saint]

On 01/09/2024 at 07:41, Gloucester Saint said:

Even if the game was rubbish, it might be that you and your friends found a great pub on an away game.

Or maybe your local does a great pint? I think some of the posters on here run bars or micropubs. 

My beers this weekend have been Badger Golden Glory and Brew 61 Grazing Girls

Badger Golden Glory is a wonderful ale--I first tried it, after seeing it on sale at a shop in Frome, Somerset. Some time later I did a tour of the Hall & Woodhouse brewery In Blandford St. Mary in Dorset, where they make all those Badger beers (including Fursty Ferret, Tangle Foot, Blandford Fly, and Master Stoat). Good stuff!

 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, Hamilton Saint said:

Badger Golden Glory is a wonderful ale--I first tried it, after seeing it on sale at a shop in Frome, Somerset. Some time later I did a tour of the Hall & Woodhouse brewery In Blandford St. Mary in Dorset, where they make all those Badger beers (including Fursty Ferret, Tangle Foot, Blandford Fly, and Master Stoat). Good stuff!

 

Yes, I like Badger’s range, although not all of their pubs keep their beers as well as they should to get the full flavour profile. Master Stoat I’d love to try on draft but only ever seen it in the bottle. It’s also available in Aldi under the label ‘Coffee Stout’. Coming into the time of year when the plum and blackberry notes of their stronger Cranborne Poacher really hit the mark. 

[Gloucester Saint]

We have an optical illusion. It looks for all of the world like a pale ale, or IPA, but no, this is Stroud Brewery’s enigmatic Arctic Cat White Stout.

The nose has coffee, the palate more coffee, quite significant vanilla notes and some chocolate discerned. I did pick up some bitterness from hop but very much a walk on part.

Enjoyed this whilst watching Gloucestershire beat Birmingham Bears in a thrilling T20 QF at Edgbaston. As Hampshire are out, I hope my adopted county prevail in Finals Day next Saturday. Now I need to select a different beer to watch Cheltenham v Harrogate with tomorrow. 

 

[Turkish]

Don’t all real ale drinkers wear check shirts, have beards and talk very slowly about left wing politics as they are all have very important things to say?

[Winnersaint]

On 04/09/2024 at 08:12, Gloucester Saint said:

Yes, I like Badger’s range, although not all of their pubs keep their beers as well as they should to get the full flavour profile. Master Stoat I’d love to try on draft but only ever seen it in the bottle. It’s also available in Aldi under the label ‘Coffee Stout’. Coming into the time of year when the plum and blackberry notes of their stronger Cranborne Poacher really hit the mark. 

 My parents lived in Blandford St Mary just up the hill from the brewery. Always used to stock up at the shop when visiting. Tanglefoot will always be my go to H&W beer. Both parents no longer with us so it’s been a few years since I’ve been that far south or west. Not so keen on the hint of elderflower in Golden Champion nor ginger in Blandford Fly. Can’t get Wicked Wyvern in supermarkets hereabouts so can’t comment on that. The one I really never liked has been seemingly discontinued which was Shapwick Monster. Like Duckie I have a Perfect Draft machine. I’m quite partial to their range of Belgian beers. Got a Mont Blanc La Rousse keg for something different, saving it for Xmas as I’mtrying to drop 8-10 kilos in time for Alps cycling trip next Julyi

 

 

 

 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Don’t all real ale drinkers wear check shirts, have beards and talk very slowly about left wing politics as they are all have very important things to say?

At the Southampton Beer Festival at the Guildhall early 00s there was a stand full of anti-EU/Brexit merchandise including that t-shirt which had a bulldog cocking its leg all over the EU stars😀

I do have beard these days but far more of a striped shirt kind of guy. Politics is generally off the menu because we’re all too busy enjoying the ale. 

The beer festival which sticks out in my mind is the National Great British Beer Festival, again early 00s at the former Earls Court, when it was still mostly blokes (about 50/50 on festival attendance with gender these days) and by early evening there wasn’t enough men’s toilets. The queue for the blokes toilets was so huge that by the time I left being a dozens of blokes around the perimeter urinating up the interior walls of Earls Court! 

You watching Harrogate at Cheltenham on Sky Sports+? Crap game it has to be said. The travelling supporters (50 or so) will be able to give the whippets a run out in nearby Pitville Park before they head north.

Edited September 7 by Gloucester Saint

[buctootim]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

Don’t all real ale drinkers wear check shirts, have beards and talk very slowly about left wing politics as they are all have very important things to say?

Doesn't sound like Ducky to me 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

 My parents lived in Blandford St Mary just up the hill from the brewery. Always used to stock up at the shop when visiting. Tanglefoot will always be my go to H&W beer. Both parents no longer with us so it’s been a few years since I’ve been that far south or west. Not so keen on the hint of elderflower in Golden Champion nor ginger in Blandford Fly. Can’t get Wicked Wyvern in supermarkets hereabouts so can’t comment on that. The one I really never liked has been seemingly discontinued which was Shapwick Monster. Like Duckie I have a Perfect Draft machine. I’m quite partial to their range of Belgian beers. Got a Mont Blanc La Rousse keg for something different, saving it for Xmas as I’mtrying to drop 8-10 kilos in time for Alps cycling trip next Julyi

 

 

 

 

 

Tanglefoot is a classic. Wicked Wyvern was in Morrisons and Tescos but seem to have stopped doing it. Very good beer on cask or keg. Never tried Shapwick Monster. Mont Blanc La Rousse is a good stuff. Alpine cycling trip sounds amazing. I’m a fairly moderate drinker -  5-6 units a week but really enjoy what I have. If I’m going to a beer festival I’ll leave off the stuff a few days beforehand. Walking in the local Cotswold Hills keeps me trim. Lots of cyclists around here, there’s a few steep hills to keep the more handy cyclists interested but nothing on a par with the Dales (Fleet Moss, Park Rash) and Lakes (Hardknott, Honister and Kirkstone).

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

Always used to stock up at the shop when visiting. Tanglefoot will always be my go to H&W beer. Both parents no longer with us so it’s been a few years since I’ve been that far south or west.

Tanglefoot is not as good as it was. They’ve reduced the strength (tax purposes I presume)and it’s not quite the same. It’s still a great beer, but not quite the peak it was. I actually had a conversation with one of the Woodhouses about it, when my mate who is a landlord introduced me. He was a posh fox hunting type & I was rather merry, but he thanked me for my “passionate feedback” 😂

Edited September 7 by Lord Duckhunter

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, Gloucester Saint said:

At the Southampton Beer Festival at the Guildhall early 00s there was a stand full of anti-EU/Brexit merchandise including that t-shirt which had a bulldog cocking its leg all over the EU stars😀

I do have beard these days but far more of a striped shirt kind of guy. Politics is generally off the menu because we’re all too busy enjoying the ale. 

The beer festival which sticks out in my mind is the National Great British Beer Festival, again early 00s at the former Earls Court, when it was still mostly blokes (about 50/50 on festival attendance with gender these days) and by early evening there wasn’t enough men’s toilets. The queue for the blokes toilets was so huge that by the time I left being a dozens of blokes around the perimeter urinating up the interior walls of Earls Court! 

You watching Harrogate at Cheltenham on Sky Sports+? Crap game it has to be said. The travelling supporters (50 or so) will be able to give the whippets a run out in nearby Pitville Park before they head north.

Watched the second half pretty boring, thought town were going to nick then gave away a late goal which has become their trademark the last couple of seasons. Fair play to 50 fans for travelling so far to watch them, wouldn’t get me doing that. 

[The Cat]

There are loads of great craft beer places in Southampton now. The area around Bedford Place round to Carlton Place has enough for a ridiculously good pub crawl.

Bottle & Stoat, Beards & Boards, Overdraft (also has incredible mexican food) Raven & Bine all outstanding. Then the Brewhouse around the corner is alright too.

If you want dull, generic supermarket style craft beer Brewdog is close by and there's other bars and pubs in the area selling mass produced Neck Oil.

Dancing Man and Platform Tavern down the bottom end of town also great.

Olaf's Tun in Woolston is ridiculously good as is Butcher's Hook in Bitterne.

Shirley has Craft 101, Witches Brew, another Overdraft and Clockwork. We also have Unity brewing their own beer in Northam.

We're really lucky here with the amount of exceptional places to drink. Southampton probably has more craft beer options than a lot of other similar sized cities.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, The Cat said:

There are loads of great craft beer places in Southampton now. The area around Bedford Place round to Carlton Place has enough for a ridiculously good pub crawl.

Bottle & Stoat, Beards & Boards, Overdraft (also has incredible mexican food) Raven & Bine all outstanding. Then the Brewhouse around the corner is alright too.

If you want dull, generic supermarket style craft beer Brewdog is close by and there's other bars and pubs in the area selling mass produced Neck Oil.

Dancing Man and Platform Tavern down the bottom end of town also great.

Olaf's Tun in Woolston is ridiculously good as is Butcher's Hook in Bitterne.

Shirley has Craft 101, Witches Brew, another Overdraft and Clockwork. We also have Unity brewing their own beer in Northam.

We're really lucky here with the amount of exceptional places to drink. Southampton probably has more craft beer options than a lot of other similar sized cities.

Thanks The Cat, really good summary and realising that I’ve only been to Butchers Hook, Brewhouse, Dancing Man and Platform. Last time was a few years back for a best friends’ stag do and enjoyed it but also had one eye on keeping him and the party on the straight and narrow. Which was fine until his cousin joined after work, the ale stopped for him and the Sambuca came out….

Time I selected a less popular Saints home game where I might get a ticket and had a long weekend in the city of my birth. Those top four options you mention I’ve not been to at all. Olaf’s Tun my friends rave about and has been on the long-term to-do list, I’m from Woolston originally and one of my best friends lives in the street there where I grew up. I also understand that the Guildhall square area looks very different to when I was last in the area?

This gives me a great idea of where to try when I get that arranged,

[Tamesaint]

Just returned from a trip to North Yorkshire. Excellent beers up there and a proliferation of small breweries. Good to see them thriving . 

Anything from Saltaire , Wensleydale and Pennine breweries tended to be good. Ripon with its Timothy Taylor pub is a must for anyone who enjoys Landlord or Bolt Cutter. Black Sheep is big in the north but has expanded and is now often seen down here in the south - justifiably so in my opinion. Just avoid the  Theakstons. 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

26 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

Just returned from a trip to North Yorkshire. Excellent beers up there and a proliferation of small breweries. Good to see them thriving . 

Anything from Saltaire , Wensleydale and Pennine breweries tended to be good. Ripon with its Timothy Taylor pub is a must for anyone who enjoys Landlord or Bolt Cutter. Black Sheep is big in the north but has expanded and is now often seen down here in the south - justifiably so in my opinion. Just avoid the  Theakstons. 

 

Don’t know what’s happened to Theakstons? Last couple of pints I’ve had in the Dales have been well off - yet switched to Black Sheep in the same pubs which was fine. Love Black Sheep’s Riggwelter but a one pint only beer! Wensleydale good stuff, and Saltaire excellent. I love their Triple Choc Stout but appreciate its not for everybody. 

York Brewery is good stuff, been on their brewery tour. Rudgate are in York as well, their Ruby Porter has won Champion Beer of the Year a while back. Used to like Daleside, especially their Morocco ale made for Levens Hall in Cumbria and I think they are now owned by Roosters which has always been great stuff. Roosters Yankee was one of the first beers to use Cascade hops from the Pacific Northwest. 

Copper Dragon - that is great stuff, Golden Pippin one of the best golden ales I’ve had anywhere. Hambleton Nightmare a great dark beer. 

I see Harrogate has its own microbrewery and tap - will look out for that next time I’m up that way.

Edited September 8 by Gloucester Saint

[Holmes_and_Watson]

This week I has been mostly drinking...

Titanic's Plum Porter.

Edit: Not to be typed after a few pints of it, to avoid typing a Titanic Porter's Plums. 🙂

Edited September 8 by Holmes_and_Watson

[Gloucester Saint]

54 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

This week I has been mostly drinking...

Titanic's Plum Porter.

Edit: Not to be typed after a few pints of it, to avoid typing a Titanic Porter's Plums. 🙂

Titanic Plum Porter is good in the bottle but different league on draft. I have some Hobson’s Damson Porter in storage for Xmas. Best Plum Porter I’ve ever had was Elgood’s Plum Porter. Worst was St Peter’s - tasted like Dr Pepper.

[Gloucester Saint]

Also, picked up some of this yesterday having lunch at Dunkerton’s just outside Cheltenham https://www.hooky.co.uk/product/pheonix-4-5/

A can of this https://stroudbrewery.com/products/alederflower-cans and this https://atticbrewco.com/products/rollin-waves-pale-4-8?srsltid=AfmBOopEeHB-wP8rHeh4kS0wdWA2DiQjtAvmLpOhw7uol1Dmfe0YzS-c

[Holmes_and_Watson]

18 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Titanic Plum Porter is good in the bottle but different league on draft. I have some Hobson’s Damson Porter in storage for Xmas. Best Plum Porter I’ve ever had was Elgood’s Plum Porter. Worst was St Peter’s - tasted like Dr Pepper.

Yup. It was draft, and I didn't bother straying to try anything else. A favourite, when I see it.

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Yup. It was draft, and I didn't bother straying to try anything else. A favourite, when I see it.

Nowt wrong with that. I’d tried thirds of a few other beers at GBBF in 2019 but hit upon Maxim Raspberry Porter from Sunderland. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing it very often, if again, so carried on with only that. The Fullers pub next to Olympia after I left had a guest Thai kitchen night on - what a great day!   

[The Cat]

5 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Thanks The Cat, really good summary and realising that I’ve only been to Butchers Hook, Brewhouse, Dancing Man and Platform. Last time was a few years back for a best friends’ stag do and enjoyed it but also had one eye on keeping him and the party on the straight and narrow. Which was fine until his cousin joined after work, the ale stopped for him and the Sambuca came out….

Time I selected a less popular Saints home game where I might get a ticket and had a long weekend in the city of my birth. Those top four options you mention I’ve not been to at all. Olaf’s Tun my friends rave about and has been on the long-term to-do list, I’m from Woolston originally and one of my best friends lives in the street there where I grew up. I also understand that the Guildhall square area looks very different to when I was last in the area?

This gives me a great idea of where to try when I get that arranged,

The ones around Bedford Place are all fairly new. It seems that since COVID there's been an explosion of craft beer places in that area.

Overdraft is where Black Phoenix and previously the Pensioners was. Raven and Bine is run by Dancing Man and is in the building which used to be Smugglers. If you haven't been for a while you may not know that area is now completely pedestrianised. There are tables in the street so you can buy a beer from one pub then a meal from somewhere else and sit outside enjoying both. It's a lovely area to spend an afternoon or evening, especially when the sun is out.

Guildhall Square is a lot different now. I forgot to mention Belgium & Blues which is in that area and also has a lot of great beers. Mind you, it's worth paying attention to the prices of some as they do have a few which can be quite wallet busting!

 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

49 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Nowt wrong with that. I’d tried thirds of a few other beers at GBBF in 2019 but hit upon Maxim Raspberry Porter from Sunderland. I figured I wouldn’t be seeing it very often, if again, so carried on with only that. The Fullers pub next to Olympia after I left had a guest Thai kitchen night on - what a great day!   

I remember n ale festival I was at for 3 evenings. On the second one, there was an orange blossom specialty one. That was me, until it ran out. Very much because I'd not being likely to see it again soon, like you said.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, The Cat said:

The ones around Bedford Place are all fairly new. It seems that since COVID there's been an explosion of craft beer places in that area.

Overdraft is where Black Phoenix and previously the Pensioners was. Raven and Bine is run by Dancing Man and is in the building which used to be Smugglers. If you haven't been for a while you may not know that area is now completely pedestrianised. There are tables in the street so you can buy a beer from one pub then a meal from somewhere else and sit outside enjoying both. It's a lovely area to spend an afternoon or evening, especially when the sun is out.

Guildhall Square is a lot different now. I forgot to mention Belgium & Blues which is in that area and also has a lot of great beers. Mind you, it's worth paying attention to the prices of some as they do have a few which can be quite wallet busting!

 

It’s good to see, I was concerned that the pandemic would leave a legacy of more consumption at home. Pensioners used to be one of my pre-match places in the 1990s for the Dell, as was the Cricketers. Overdraft sounds good, I think the Shirley original opened a few years ago now or possibly I’m getting confused? 

Raven and Bine sounds a big improvement on how the Smugglers used to look. That’s the pub on its own over by Oxford St on the road leading to what was the East St Centre. Was the Smugglers where Terry Hurlock was drinking when he was caught drink driving? Seem to remember a sign outside proclaiming it. 

Didn’t know about the pedestrianisation. Belgium & Blues sounds like my sort of place too, Belgian beer has never been cheap, even when the old Soul Cellar opposite the Civic Centre sold the stuff, plus the Belgocafes in London. Don’t mind paying the extra if it’s a rare Trappist beer like a Westveleren though. 

You’ve whetted my appetite for a few return trips to my Southampton roots. You are certainly a 🐈‍⬛ about town!

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I remember n ale festival I was at for 3 evenings. On the second one, there was an orange blossom specialty one. That was me, until it ran out. Very much because I'd not being likely to see it again soon, like you said.

Downton Brewery in Wiltshire do a chocolate Orange beer which is good and remember drinking that mostly at one festival.

The other beer I’d have stuck to if it wasn’t quite so strong at the old Gosport Winterex was Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild. They had it on recently at the Cross House Tavern in Tewkesbury, my wife agreed to drive back whilst I enjoyed a half which rarely travels beyond its native West Midlands. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

20 hours ago, The Cat said:

I forgot to mention Belgium & Blues which is in that area and also has a lot of great beers. Mind you, it's worth paying attention to the prices of some as they do have a few which can be quite wallet busting!

Is that down some stairs? We had a spell after matches  in one down some stairs about 8 years ago. The problem we found was the good beer was either weak as piss  or too strong. Couldn’t find a decent session beer & ended up pissed as rats on train home . 
 

Alex used to be good for ale, weird but good pint. 

[The Kraken]

11 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Is that down some stairs? We had a spell after matches  in one down some stairs about 8 years ago. The problem we found was the good beer was either weak as piss  or too strong. Couldn’t find a decent session beer & ended up pissed as rats on train home . 
 

Alex used to be good for ale, weird but good pint. 

Yes.  Its what for many years was Goblets.

[The Cat]

29 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Is that down some stairs? We had a spell after matches  in one down some stairs about 8 years ago. The problem we found was the good beer was either weak as piss  or too strong. Couldn’t find a decent session beer & ended up pissed as rats on train home . 
 

Alex used to be good for ale, weird but good pint. 

Yes, it was Goblets before being Belgium & Blues.

The Alex is back open now, they do ridiculously good burgers.

The Guide Dog sounds like the sort of place you would like, proper old school real ale pub.

[Gloucester Saint]

43 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Is that down some stairs? We had a spell after matches  in one down some stairs about 8 years ago. The problem we found was the good beer was either weak as piss  or too strong. Couldn’t find a decent session beer & ended up pissed as rats on train home . 
 

Alex used to be good for ale, weird but good pint. 

Goblets used to be Greene King but probably changed long before 8 years ago. GK IPA and Abbot Ale would fit the bill for being weak as piss/quite strong without that 4-4.5% Abv decent session bitter. Mind you, they did look after their Abbot Ale. Alex used to be a pre-match SMS pub 2005-12 for us, did a great pint of Landlord or Summer Lightning. Belgium & Blues sounds like an upgrade on Goblets, will have to try that, and that cellar environment would work for Belgian Ales.

Mind you, with the strength of some of those, you’d do well to even be on the train post-match!

Edited September 9 by Gloucester Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

12 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Yes, it was Goblets before being Belgium & Blues.

The Alex is back open now, they do ridiculously good burgers.

The Guide Dog sounds like the sort of place you would like, proper old school real ale pub.

Guide Dog was another pre-match SMS haunt, but if the missus was with me it was more the Alex because she found the GD a bit too busy for a small pub. They still do Flower Pots range looking at the GBG, used to offer Itchen Valley but I don’t know if they’re still trading? Funny brewer they were. Dark Star listed as well.

I also note from GBG that the SW Arms is open again and refurbished (which it really did need!). That used to get away fans from all over the country looking for it but a bit further from SMS so you had to factor that in. Used that and the Dolphin a lot when lived near Bitterne Triangle (many years before Butchers Hook). Bookshop Alehouse in Portswood listed and that’s on my need to try list too.

Sad about Chris up who used to run the Bitter Virtue offie not far from there on Cambridge Rd (IIRC) away a couple of years ago.

[The Cat]

On 09/09/2024 at 12:50, Gloucester Saint said:

Guide Dog was another pre-match SMS haunt, but if the missus was with me it was more the Alex because she found the GD a bit too busy for a small pub. They still do Flower Pots range looking at the GBG, used to offer Itchen Valley but I don’t know if they’re still trading? Funny brewer they were. Dark Star listed as well.

I also note from GBG that the SW Arms is open again and refurbished (which it really did need!). That used to get away fans from all over the country looking for it but a bit further from SMS so you had to factor that in. Used that and the Dolphin a lot when lived near Bitterne Triangle (many years before Butchers Hook). Bookshop Alehouse in Portswood listed and that’s on my need to try list too.

Sad about Chris up who used to run the Bitter Virtue offie not far from there on Cambridge Rd (IIRC) away a couple of years ago.

Yes, that was sad. I lived in the flat about Bitter Virtue for a few years back around the time it opened which was very handy!

Bookshop Alehouse is good, haven't been there for ages though.

The Rockstone is reopening soon. Has been bought by the bloke who runs Papillon (old Cloisters) Xoxo, Heartbreakers and others. His business partner is the bloke who bought Unity after it originally stopped trading so I imagine it will be craft beer and ale focused again as it was back in its glory days.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

On 09/09/2024 at 12:06, The Kraken said:

Yes.  Its what for many years was Goblets.

Goblets, now that takes me back a fair few years

[Gloucester Saint]

24 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Yes, that was sad. I lived in the flat about Bitter Virtue for a few years back around the time it opened which was very handy!

Bookshop Alehouse is good, haven't been there for ages though.

The Rockstone is reopening soon. Has been bought by the bloke who runs Papillon (old Cloisters) Xoxo, Heartbreakers and others. His business partner is the bloke who bought Unity after it originally stopped trading so I imagine it will be craft beer and ale focused again as it was back in its glory days.

I probably walked beneath your windows many times to go into BV! Rockstone sounds promising, we were in there once when they were having a Play Your Cards Right game with a jackpot which reached an amount well into the hundreds as nobody had won for a few weeks. One of my best mates played and won the jackpot. We’d never been in there before. Did we get some filthy stares?! 

Edited September 11 by Gloucester Saint

[suewhistle]

On 08/09/2024 at 19:10, Gloucester Saint said:

Belgian beer has never been cheap,

I popped into a 'Spoons once for a pre-match pint, think it was The Giddy Bridge, and they had Koenig from Antwerp, on draft. I'd had it over there but that was keg and it was so much better and more drinkable on draft. Can't remember the game though as I took the chance to have more than one..

The South Western and Guide Dog are both good bets and the prices are decent - I had a wince inducing priced pint in Hamble this lunchtime. As mentioned the former is popular with away fans and when a Hull City supporting friend told me, in jest, that she couldn't tell me where they'd all be drinking I told her!

 

[Saint-Reece]

18 hours ago, The Cat said:

Yes, that was sad. I lived in the flat about Bitter Virtue for a few years back around the time it opened which was very handy!

Bookshop Alehouse is good, haven't been there for ages though.

The Rockstone is reopening soon. Has been bought by the bloke who runs Papillon (old Cloisters) Xoxo, Heartbreakers and others. His business partner is the bloke who bought Unity after it originally stopped trading so I imagine it will be craft beer and ale focused again as it was back in its glory days.

The Rockstone is reopen now as far as I have heard! 

[Gloucester Saint]

21 hours ago, suewhistle said:

I popped into a 'Spoons once for a pre-match pint, think it was The Giddy Bridge, and they had Koenig from Antwerp, on draft. I'd had it over there but that was keg and it was so much better and more drinkable on draft. Can't remember the game though as I took the chance to have more than one..

The South Western and Guide Dog are both good bets and the prices are decent - I had a wince inducing priced pint in Hamble this lunchtime. As mentioned the former is popular with away fans and when a Hull City supporting friend told me, in jest, that she couldn't tell me where they'd all be drinking I told her!

 

Which pub did you go to in Hamble? I was thinking Jolly Sailor as that’s never been cheap but of course there’s a nice little selection around the High St https://www1.camra.org.uk/pubs/olde-whyte-harte-hamble-le-rice-188127

Looking forward to visiting the renovated SW Arms. They always did a lovely pint of Blakes’ Gosport Bitter in there when Blake’s were brewing. A dark bitter verging on a porter/stout. I loved it but not all of my friends did, one of them tried it in the SW Arms, took a gulp and exclaimed ‘they’ve burnt the beer!’

Groups of Pompey CAMRA branch used to use the SW Arms and Dolphin on a Friday night often. 

[suewhistle]

The Bugle and a quaffing pint of Flowerpots (somethingorother) sat in the sun whilst waiting for a friend to finish work. Probably around £1.50 more than the same pint in the GD or SW!

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, Saint-Reece said:

The Rockstone is reopen now as far as I have heard! 

You heard right, 23 August apparently. Anywhere that offers a minimum choice of Landlord, Vibrant Forest and Black Sheep is worth a visit https://www1.camra.org.uk/pubs/rockstone-southampton-188544

[Badger]

On 01/09/2024 at 17:16, Gloucester Saint said:

Beer Hawk had some Perfect Draft machines, not sure what they were like. We’ve got two GBG pubs near us, one is staffed by late teens and quality varies considerably, the other is very well kept but standard selection bar Wye Valley Butty Bach (quite common here but they do it well) of Pride, Doom Bar and 6X. The hotel/restaurant has the most interesting beers - Goffs Cheltenham Gold (excellent), Wye Valley HPA and a guest of Sharp’s Coaster (pale ale high 3% Abv) although they often have Bristol Beer Factory as guests. The other pub is also 15th century, Butcombe own it which is decent stuff.

Round here, Cheltenham is a bit of beer hub with Deya (if you like IPAs and Pale Ale You’ll love their Steady Rolling Man), Clavell & Hind, Corinium, Goffs at nearby Winchcombe, Gloucester Brewery there which is fine stuff, and a clutch of top pubs and two beer shops/bars. Missus drove me on a tour of pubs and Cotswold breweries last year for my birthday - Fleece Inn at Breforton, North Cotswold, Hook Norton. Stroud brew good stuff and there’s some lively walks from their brewery tap.

Nationally, Landlord is lovely, both the pale ale and dark, Dark Star Hophead pops up in Cheltenham sometimes and that’s a favourite too. What was RCH are in their third incarnation and favourites there include Old Slug Porter, Pitchfork pale ale and East St Cream strong bitter.

Other favourite brewery is Hobsons in Shropshire, can see the Shropshire Hills around here in places (eg Cleeve Hill) - got some bottles of Twisted Spire, Postman’s Knock and Plum Porter for the winter. 

Moreton in Marsh beer festival in a couple of weeks,

Fleece at Bretforton, the “asparagus pub”. 
 

Is there a micro brewery there now ? 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

This week, I has been mostly drinking...

Draft Sharp's Doom Bar

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Fleece at Bretforton, the “asparagus pub”. 
 

Is there a micro brewery there now ? 

I can’t recall seeing one, but they do usually have a good choice of ales and food on. https://www.realalefinder.com/beerboard/?the-fleece-inn-bretforton

If any of you are ever Evesham/Worcester/Cheltenham or Gloucester way, it’s well worth a visit https://lovetravellingblog.com/2024/06/04/the-fleece-inn-bretforton/

[Gloucester Saint]

Moreton in Marsh Beer Festival. The beer pictured is Beowulf Black & Blueberry, which I enjoyed but bit too sweet for anything more than a half. Best beers were Red Dawn from Ludlow Brewery and Stoutrageous by Gorilla in Mexborough. The others were decent but lacked some balance.