I’d hoped to be able to make the CBA Xmas Social today and their trip round Dudley and Netherton, but alas events conspired against me, notably the early snowfall, the need to await a delivery and lastly one’s inability to get up in the morning, plus the fact we would have had to have left quite early to attend a 50th birthday that evening.
Instead therefore I find myself in Lichfield that afternoon having attended to the morning’s activities, and so we pop into The Acorn where they were selling Titanic New York Wheat Porter. I offered the bar tender a voucher but he said to save it as it was their daily 99p a pint special anyway. Thaqt and a large coffee that Linda wanted and which a completed loyalty card took care of meant that the round came to 99p, the cheapest round ever I suspect.
That evening finds me at Tamworth Football Club for the aforesaid 50th. The atmosphere was a little downbeat given the late 3-2 defeat at Carlisle that afternoon in the FA Cup, but I partly consoled myself with Warwickshire’s Best Bitter.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Wed 24th November - Birmingham
In Birmingham for a course today (Open Educational Resources if you’re interested) which was taking place at The Studio in Cannon Street. I’d already decided to visit a couple of pubs in the evening as well as the German Market, and on arriving at venue noted a new pub, The Windsor opposite so decided to start there after completing the day’s business.
The Windsor is one of those copycat Wetherspoon type venues, with picture of food, etc. The only thing to distinguish it however was the fact that the menu’s daily specials (complete with a free pint of whatever) were in a somewhat different order, with Tuesday being Curry night, Wednesday , Grill Night and Thursday Pie night. A couple of real ales were available and I chose M&B Mild, a once common beer which I’m not seeing that much these days it appears.
Next pub was the Brier Rose, a genuine Wetherspoon for the excellent 6% Wadworth Pixley Black Current Stout.
Final pub of the evening was Baccus Bar and Brew Dog Punk IPA.
The Windsor is one of those copycat Wetherspoon type venues, with picture of food, etc. The only thing to distinguish it however was the fact that the menu’s daily specials (complete with a free pint of whatever) were in a somewhat different order, with Tuesday being Curry night, Wednesday , Grill Night and Thursday Pie night. A couple of real ales were available and I chose M&B Mild, a once common beer which I’m not seeing that much these days it appears.
Next pub was the Brier Rose, a genuine Wetherspoon for the excellent 6% Wadworth Pixley Black Current Stout.
Final pub of the evening was Baccus Bar and Brew Dog Punk IPA.
Friday 19th November - Derby
Derby provides an excellent venue for a Friday but if I do have a problem with the place its that you’re actually spoilt for choice and the venues are starting to spread just too far from the city centre.
The initial plan was to get a taxi to the furthest point and then work back but looking at the traffic we opted firstly to go to the Brunswick. An excellent select as always and I went for two halves to sample a couple of their darker beers, specifically Derby Porter and the easy drinking and so dangerous 6% Black Sabbath.
We then moved on to the Babbington Arms (Wetherspoons) where I opted for Gargoyles Chocolate Stout.
Off now to march to the somewhat 1st World War atmosphere that is Mr Gundy’s with its plethora of Film Stars, etc on the walls and a newly established micro brewery round the back. We tried to peer through the windows but the condensation from the working brewery proved too troublesome. I opted for a local beer in the form of their 3.8% Trenchfoot.
Heading back now down and across the Ashbourne Road brings us to my first new pub of the evening, The Greyhound. Liefmans Fruit Beer made for a slightly expensive but refreshing change whilst we passed a few moments with a group of what I guess were students.
A walk round some back streets cum housing estate now follows taking us to my second new pub, the Five Lamps and Buxton Best. A slightly community pub feel is supported by the hand made cards being on sale at the bar.
We head off again into the night to the Silk Mill where we order a taxi back to the station leaving just time for a swift half of Beowulf Finns Hall Porter.
So there you go, five pubs including two new ones and some excellent beers – the perfect Friday night crawl – cheers JF!
The initial plan was to get a taxi to the furthest point and then work back but looking at the traffic we opted firstly to go to the Brunswick. An excellent select as always and I went for two halves to sample a couple of their darker beers, specifically Derby Porter and the easy drinking and so dangerous 6% Black Sabbath.
We then moved on to the Babbington Arms (Wetherspoons) where I opted for Gargoyles Chocolate Stout.
Off now to march to the somewhat 1st World War atmosphere that is Mr Gundy’s with its plethora of Film Stars, etc on the walls and a newly established micro brewery round the back. We tried to peer through the windows but the condensation from the working brewery proved too troublesome. I opted for a local beer in the form of their 3.8% Trenchfoot.
Heading back now down and across the Ashbourne Road brings us to my first new pub of the evening, The Greyhound. Liefmans Fruit Beer made for a slightly expensive but refreshing change whilst we passed a few moments with a group of what I guess were students.
A walk round some back streets cum housing estate now follows taking us to my second new pub, the Five Lamps and Buxton Best. A slightly community pub feel is supported by the hand made cards being on sale at the bar.
We head off again into the night to the Silk Mill where we order a taxi back to the station leaving just time for a swift half of Beowulf Finns Hall Porter.
So there you go, five pubs including two new ones and some excellent beers – the perfect Friday night crawl – cheers JF!
Friday 12th November - Tamworth
As Dickens would have put it, “I won’t patronise the reader by recourse to a lengthy description of the proposed itinerary this evening, suffice it to say that this was to be a typical Friday night out in Tamworth visiting our usual three haunts.” However with the Wetherspoons beer festival on we decided to concentrate our efforts in the Bolebridge.
Meeting point was again the Globe where there was a rather tasty ale by Daleside (Old Lubrication.)
Onwards to the Sir Robert Peel for where this time I went for the Bishops Farewell from Oakham. RO and a rather inebriated GG were present all the merrier for an estimated 9 pints and 11 whiskies earlier that day.
Finally off to the Wetherspoons beer festival for Exmoor Dark, Bank & Taylor Black Squirrel and Jersey Liberation Ale and finished with bottle of Tyskie.
Meeting point was again the Globe where there was a rather tasty ale by Daleside (Old Lubrication.)
Onwards to the Sir Robert Peel for where this time I went for the Bishops Farewell from Oakham. RO and a rather inebriated GG were present all the merrier for an estimated 9 pints and 11 whiskies earlier that day.
Finally off to the Wetherspoons beer festival for Exmoor Dark, Bank & Taylor Black Squirrel and Jersey Liberation Ale and finished with bottle of Tyskie.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Yard of Ale - Closed!
News reaches me c/o that the Yard of Ale in Birmingham (last visited in June) has closed - see here
Friday, 5 November 2010
3rd November - Derby
In Derby for a trip to the theatre (stage version of Keeping Up Appearances) and afterwards went to Babbington for food and chance to try some of the Wetherspoon festival beers which included :
- St Austall Coxwain Special
- Birra Del Borgo Castagnale (an excellent Italian chestnut beer albeit brewed on this occasion at Everards)
- RCH Strawberry Line
- Lion Stout (from Sri Lanka but brewed this time at Marston's)
29th October - Birmingham Beer Festival
First time for me at Birmingham beer festival, itself in a new two floor venue in the shape of the Second City Suite. We acquired a table just too close to the food stall but convenient for the locale and Vegan bars (alas most interest was upstairs where I also bumped into a lonesome , at first, Mick the Tick.)
200 beers to consider so start simply (downstairs and study the form.) Had previously decided to concentrate of porters and speciality beers so Two Towers Jewellery Porter was first up (or should that be down.)
Downton Pumpkin Ale next (yes that's got pumpkin in it!).
Hopshackle Aniseed Porter took my eye as a good compremise (yes, that's aniseed!)
Failed on the tombolla.
Nook Brewhouse Cherry Stout followed at which point we noticed that the tasting notes got fewer and fewer in the programme at this point ("must have been drunk by now!?" sugested GP.)
Dunham Massey Treacle Treat
BFG from Black Country (merely as an experiment)
Pitfield's Red ale was my one selection form the Vegan bar.
Quartz Ale-Del-Weiss (for something different)
Back to porter land via Dorset Piddle's Tunderbox Porter and then Conwy's Telford Porter.
We finished by pooling out left over tokens on Oakham's 8.8% Black Barron.
200 beers to consider so start simply (downstairs and study the form.) Had previously decided to concentrate of porters and speciality beers so Two Towers Jewellery Porter was first up (or should that be down.)
Downton Pumpkin Ale next (yes that's got pumpkin in it!).
Hopshackle Aniseed Porter took my eye as a good compremise (yes, that's aniseed!)
Failed on the tombolla.
Nook Brewhouse Cherry Stout followed at which point we noticed that the tasting notes got fewer and fewer in the programme at this point ("must have been drunk by now!?" sugested GP.)
Dunham Massey Treacle Treat
BFG from Black Country (merely as an experiment)
Pitfield's Red ale was my one selection form the Vegan bar.
Quartz Ale-Del-Weiss (for something different)
Back to porter land via Dorset Piddle's Tunderbox Porter and then Conwy's Telford Porter.
We finished by pooling out left over tokens on Oakham's 8.8% Black Barron.
22nd October - around Walsall's Backyard.
BJ's selection this evening as I join the lads at the Red Lion for a steady start via Banks's Original.
"Pretty Bricks" next was the proclamation and so we headed though various bits of the town that possibly need a regeneration grant to find "It's shut" and so we continue our 30 minute tour of industrial wastelands to finally reach the Fountain where The Hoard from Backyard went down well.
Next up to the Victoria for D&B Porter (another Backyard beer and nothing to do with Dunn and Bradstreet GP and DP!)
Lyndon House Hotel and I thought trying the house beer (Lyndon House Bitter) would be a good idea - one lives and learns. At this point TH mentions Lotus Notes - 'nough said!"
We then kicked leaves and hummed hovis theme music as we struggle up the steep cobble infested pathway past the church to the Wheatsheaf, where we samply Timothy Taylor Landlord and proved to be rubbish on the quiz machine before leaving for the Black Country Arms. Salopian Choir Porter was my personal favourite of the evening.
Time to head towards Birmingham and we finished in Bacchus Bar with Purity UBU.
"Pretty Bricks" next was the proclamation and so we headed though various bits of the town that possibly need a regeneration grant to find "It's shut" and so we continue our 30 minute tour of industrial wastelands to finally reach the Fountain where The Hoard from Backyard went down well.
Next up to the Victoria for D&B Porter (another Backyard beer and nothing to do with Dunn and Bradstreet GP and DP!)
Lyndon House Hotel and I thought trying the house beer (Lyndon House Bitter) would be a good idea - one lives and learns. At this point TH mentions Lotus Notes - 'nough said!"
We then kicked leaves and hummed hovis theme music as we struggle up the steep cobble infested pathway past the church to the Wheatsheaf, where we samply Timothy Taylor Landlord and proved to be rubbish on the quiz machine before leaving for the Black Country Arms. Salopian Choir Porter was my personal favourite of the evening.
Time to head towards Birmingham and we finished in Bacchus Bar with Purity UBU.
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