18th September, Bohemia Road and back to Hastings.

The Tower, just down from Bohemia Road above St Leonards, Hastings... and Louisa the landlady wasn't here again, starting to get a complex!

Anyway, great value real ales here, 1648 Britannia (4.1%), Hastings Blonde, and 2 Dark Star ales, Hophead at £2.30 a pint and APA at £2.40! Good company, chat, ales (I drank 2 pints of Hophead, unsurprisingly), I'm fast becoming a fan of this pub, shame it's up that hill!!

The Dripping Spring, just along Tower Road from The Tower, hasn't changed landlord/landlady yet! Usual suspects, Sussex Best, Wye Valley HPA, Ringwood Fortyniner and Black Sheep Best, plus Youngs Gold and Castle Rock Harvest Pale Ale, 3.8% of memories from my local being the Tyne Mill (Castle Rock pubco) New Barrack Tavern at Hillsborough in the early years of this century, which, of course, I drank for old times sake.

The North Star, just off Bohemia Road, and the delightful Paisley serving up the ale, and friendly chat with her and another barfly. The food has changed here, in that, hot food is only served on Wednesday Curry Night now, and rolls are served up from about 1pm every day except Sundays, when gratis food is provided after 3pm when the meat raffle is over.

 

Ales? 2 regulars, Taylor Landlord and Sussex Best, and 3 guests, Jennings Crag Rat (4.3%), Ripple Steam Best Bitter (4.1%, see website) and Rudgate Jolvik Blonde (3.8%), my choice today, a pale, dry bitter.

As usual, 4 local ales at the White Rock Hotel, down opposite the beach and pier, of which, I drank the Dark Star Kiwi, 4% and amazing fruit aroma as soon as your nose reaches the rim of the glass! Kiwi fruit tends to be a bit delicate, flavour wise, not really sure if it was the kiwi, or flavours from the hops used (more likely), but very fruity, pale, slightly 'hazy', and it's meant to be, the informed and always friendly Kerry told me, dry and bitter, I thought sweet for a while, but actually slightly 'tart' when I concentrated on the flavours, I liked it, indeed!

 

Oh yes, 3 other ales too... Harveys South Down Harvest Ale (5% and discussed in an earlier blog when I tried it at the Dolphin), 1648 Britannia Ale (4.1%) and Rother Valley Ebulem, 4.5% and an 'elderberry porter', a very dark ale. 

Finally, the Dolphin, at Rock-a-Nore, Hastings 'Old Town', the super efficient and always lovely two sisters, Laura and Louise working behind the bar today, and the usual regular ales, Sussex Best, Dark Star Hophead and APA, now Youngs Special, and Riptide back on again, and a new one, Sharp's Red Ale from Cornwall, 4.1% and the pump clip adds 'Eden Project' to the name, apparently, some ingredients are being sourced by the Project for a few special brews like this one. The Red Ale is very easy to drink, deep red colour, a bit sweet, with a cherry fruity and dry aftertaste, not really hoppy enough for me, but others were chucking it down!

 

Cheers :-)

From Frank's Front Lounge to The Tower!

Obviously, I started at Frank's Front Room, central Hastings and very close to the Railway Station (and to my home). Still quite new to me, indeed, still new to Hastings!  Clean, bright, and, quite frankly (sorry for the pun), very woman/younger person/older person/food seeker/ale drinker friendly... 3 ales - Hastings Blonde and Best Bitter, and, not so local, Sambrook's of Wandsworth Wandle.  I do come from Wandsworth, so maybe... but no! The local Best Bitter for me, decent ale, indeed.

On my way up to St Leonards, and not so far from the centre of Hastings, the Dripping Well. 3 ales on here too, including Hastings Best Bitter, which I again drank, thanks to Steve the Fireman for the beer :-) Also, they're still selling Henry's IPA and Directors, but I do prefer the Hastings Best. So, now up Bohemia Road...

...to the North Star, which still has good ales and friendly bar staff, 5 ales on here, but I only drank one of them, the Sunset Blonde from Cross Bay Brewery, a 4.2% dry, pale bitter with a pleasing aroma, though lacking a bit on the flavour hops, but very easy to drink, I thank you!  Also, on the bar, were Young's Special, Landlord, the ubiquitous Sussex Best, and Shepherd Neame's Whitstable Bay (4.1%).

Round the corner to drop off books at their 'book club' (though I'd already offloaded most at the Dripping Well to another customer there) and the Dripping Spring... Still a good pub, good ales, and friendly company, and not just the landlady... I drank Rother Valley Northam Imperial Pale Ale (NIPA), at 5% a very tasty pale bitter, with good body; I do like Rother Valley ales. I also drank the Ringwood Boondaggle, a 4.2% 'blonde' ale, with a nutty flavour. I spoke to a bloke who'd lived in Wandsworth before, and a Devonian couple and their daughter... I got a bit homesick, I have to admit ;-)

Also available were London Pride, Sussex Best, Hastings Best, Greene King's London Glory (their attempt to emulate Fullers Pride), and Marston's 5 Hops.

So, to my last pub of the session, the Tower, and Louisa, the landlady, was here today, yay! (I trust she's not been avoiding me on purpose), later, Linda took over behind the bar. Good chat to Louisa, a continuation of the good service from Linda, and the bloke who'd lived in Wandsworth was here too! Good chat with other regulars and Olympics events on the screens too, and also 4 ales, again dominated by Dark Star, ie Festival (5%) and Summer Meltdown (4.8%), and Hylder Blonde (4.2%), which I drank, after a pint of Island Brewery's, from Newport in the Isle of Wight, Wight Gold, a 4.0% pale bitter, very easy to drink. The Hylder Blonde was excellent, allegedly tasting of elderflower, but definitely a fruity taste, grapefruit even, which I'm guessing comes from the hops used.

Then I came home... Cheers!

Bohemia Developments...

OK, St Leonards, Bohemia Road, whatever, so, developments and latest ales in the area, ie the 4 pubs I do visit in the area and heading back into town...

My first stop was the Tower, still selling great ales at reasonable prices for the area (though I do miss the prices in Sheffield from my trip up North last week ;-) -  OK, so this is the best value ale house in the area, the ale is well looked after and nicely priced well below £3 a pint, and Louise remembered me, nice one, cheers!  So 4 ales on sale, and two of my favourites, Dark Star Hophead and APA, were still both on, plus Batemans Hop Bine Bitter (3.6%) and yet another old favourite Hop Back Summer Lightning, 5.2% of pale, bitter and wonderful hoppy ale... I re-tried the Summer Lightning, well you have to, don't you? Plus I drank a pint of the Hophead, well, I drank that first, actually, then a pint of Lightning, and, maybe not a surprise, because tastes develop, I prefer the Hophead, but Summer Lightning is still a crackin' ale!  Nice company, nice chat, great ales, I'll be back again, Louise, cheers muchly!

I then visited the Dripping Spring for the latest tales of managers coming and going, yet! There is actually a couple installed as managers here now, and they have both been in the area for many years, so here's hoping we see them continue the good name of this pub and its ales: a warm welcome to Jeannie and Dave :-)

And, yes, real ales back on the bar, the previous manager having been asked to run down all stocks meant that when Jeannie and Dave took over last week there was no beer at all, so, orders were put in and they re-opened last Monday 18th June, no doubt much to the delight of regulars. So, very happy to see the excellent 2 Dark Star ales here too, Hophead and APA, plus Rother Valley Level Best, and because of the 'Euros' England's Best.  In addition, the two old regulars, the ubiquitous Sussex Best and Wye Valley HPA.

I next visited the North Star, sporting a completed 'loyalty card' (9 pints gets you a free pint), but no sign of Jamie about, no doubt down at his other venture the General Havelock, but, as ever, great service from his colleagues, thank you. 5 ales on sale, as ever, Landlord, Doom Bar, Sussex Best, Jennings Cumberland Ale, and Wadworth Red, White & Brew (4%), which I entertained as my complimentary loyal pint; it's a light bitter, not overly bitter, with a slight roasted flavour from the malt. 

Walking back down the hill into town and my final call was to the Dripping Well, with the ever friendly Rick behind the bar, and good banter from both sides of the bar.  The 4 ales today were Henry's IPA, Adnams Bitter, Directors, and Hastings Best Bitter (4.1%).  I had a pint of the Directors first, an ale I used to drink so much of in my youth, but my everchanging palate, which is getting to like more and more bitter and dry ales (not so malty), means that drinking Directors and the like is becoming like drinking liquidised Caramac to me, I just have to accept it...

Anyway, Nick informed me he is giving the Hastings Brewery a try out, dropping out the Adnams, and has Hastings Blonde and HPA to come on.  I drank the Best Bitter, which is quite a well balanced and enjoyable bitter.  Good luck with that venture, Nick, it would be great to see the Hastings Brewery develop their brewing skills and get some regular outlets!

Cheers!!

Dripping down the Bohemia Road...

Bohemia isn't just in the West End of London, no... Bohemia is in Hastings too!  I first visited the Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB (01424 721773) - I literally mean it was my first visit ever here, hence the details. 

Chatted to Louisa, the landperson/landlady, who has convinced me that I need to visit here more often, not sure she was even trying, but, decent ales on, and at VERY competitive prices (no real ale more than £2.40 a pint at the moment).  4 handpumps that have developed to providing 4 different ales now, which, today, included Dark Star APA and Hophead, Batemans Triple XB and Wells Diamond Jubilee Ale at 4%. 

I drank the Hophead, much as I'd have loved to drink the APA, but too early in the day for a 4.7% ale. For the short-term, they also have a 2.8% English Ale from Tolly Cobbald coming on (forgive me, but I believe it may now be a part of one of the new 'Nationals', Wells?) at £1.49 a pint, not a lot of alcohol but crackin' price, and I am told it is quite hoppy, sadly, not on again for a couple of days!  I will be back ;-) 

Just along from the Tower is the Dripping Spring, and, well, fings change very quickly!  The managers are now... not there! Indeed, there has been an 'interim manager', for a week in the interim, from my last visit, and now a babysitting manager, Astra, who appears to have the job of keeping the pub going until the new publicans take over on 10th June, and getting rid of stock in the meantime! Not an easy job, but good luck to her, and her only colleague in this period, the always present and lovely Laura.

Real ales will, consequently, run out within the next few days, I'd imagine, so, if you cannot make it here before the end of the extended 'bank holiday' weekend,  they're unlikely to have much real ale on until after the new people take over on 10th June.  Today I had Wye Valley HPA (as I like it) and, the more local, Beachyhead Legless Rambler (5%) a medium coloured bitter. Also on sale was the ubiquitous Sussex Best, Broadside and Hopdaemon Skrimshander IPA (4.5%). 

So, still heading for home, and further down the Bohemia Road, I reached the Dripping Well for my last lunchtime ale (London Pride) and chatted to Nick, the landlord, and a few locals. Great pub, with a friendly atmosphere, selling 4 real ales, though the Pride may soon be a pump alternating between guest ales, in addition to the regular Directors, Henrys IPA and Southwold Bitter.  Please also note that the 2 weekly lunchtime (Sunday) jazz music sessions is being changed to monthly, so check up beforehand if you want to visit for the music.

Scot's invasion Day 2

The plan for Tuesday was to visit Icklesham, but we had nearly an hour to kill, as we'd just missed the number 100 bus, so we nipped down to the front and had a pint in the White Rock Hotel, 5.7% of in yer face hops that is Dark Star Revelation, crackin' ale!  The White Rock sells 4 ales at a time, all from local breweries, also having Arundel Sussex Gold and Rother Valley Chocolate Porter (both 4.2%), and the ubiquitous Sussex Best. 

We left in time to catch the bus and headed towards Icklesham, first stopping at the Queens Head, full of older people enjoying their lunchtime food, where they had 5 ales on today, including 1648 Brewery's St George at 4.5%, a nice 'real' bitter, as in, bitter and medium coloured, typical ale type in the South East.  Jeff was unhappy that the barmaid hadn't smiled at him on entering (she's a good judge of character, obviously), but gave me a wonderful smile later on when we did one of those dances you do when trying to walk by each other, but trying to let the other have advantage (as I said, good judge...).

We then walked back along the main road to the excellent Robin Hood, with its real ales and 2 real ciders served from handpumps.  Darcy and Debbie were working behind the bar as we entered, and we were welcomed by a lovely smile from Debbie, which made Jeff happy.  I positively loved drinking the Old Dairy Brewery seasonal ale, a strongish IPA style, whose name or strength I didn't make a note of as I was invited down to the cellar, but it was very nice (since checked on the brewery's website and can't find anything about it there either), and they also had Gales HSB and Archers Golden Ale (4%) and EMPIRE India Export Ale at 4.7%.  As I said, Darcy invited me down to the cellar, immaculate and spotless, as proudly shown to me by the publican of this hostelry for the last 15 years.  I also heard the story of Debbie falling down into the cellar from the bar (the cellar door is in the floor behind the bar), a story you'll have to find out more about yourself when you visit, but please don't say you heard it from me ;-)

Jeff, today, told me this was his favourite of all the previous pubs we visited, and the ones to follow, must have been the smile and the banter with a long regular, Fred, who I had had a fine chat with a few weeks previously too...

So, we caught the bus back to Hastings, despite the forecast warning us it would be raining most of the day, it hardly had yet... When we alighted from the bus at the bottom of The Bourne, we walked round the corner for a quick pint of Hophead in the Dolphin, a refreshing pint desperately required after the long arduous trip.  Jeff was happier here today, it was a bit more lively, which could be explained by a combination of brighter weather than on Monday, plus the ever-wonderful Louise behind the bar, and on top of the bar, and over the bar (she was updating the boards showing which artists and groups were to provide entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings), and she is always a pleasure to chat to. 

From the Dolphin we walked westwards along the front, passing the White Rock, and up through Warrior Square, across the station and up to Bohemia Road and the 2 pubs there.  First, we stopped in at the Dripping Spring, with 9 ales on today, including Moorhouses Black Cat mild, which Jeff enjoyed, and Wye Valley HPA, which I always enjoy.  Good ales and banter with all around the bar, plus the visit of a regular I remember seeing in this pub on my first ever trip to Hastings the week before I moved here, ie the delightful 'Rowlie'... I'm not sure of the spelling, but that's how her name sounded to me.   

We then crossed Bohemia Road to the North Star for a pint each, and Jeff 'stealing' the woman I was trying to chat up while he visited the loo, life ;-) before we walked back down Bohemia Road to the Dripping Well, where Nick tried to give me a pint for nothing by undercharging me.  Thanks Nick, but I'm too honest for that, so I paid up for the round, I had London Pride, can't remember what Jeff drank here, things were getting a little hazy by now...

Anyway, from here we virtually rolled downhill to the Wetherspoons, the John Logie Baird, yep, me, in a 'Spoons'!  Jeff had insisted he buy me a meal, and you can get 2 steaks and a bottle of wine for £16 on a Tuesday evening, amazing.  So, and I was quite surprised I admit, I actually enjoyed a 'rare' surloin steak... Cheers Jeff!

St Leonards, Hastings+

A short walk to St Leonards via Bohemia, then back via Warrior Square and the front...

First stop was the North Star... 5 ales on sale here, including Hogs Back TEA, Landlord, Sussex Best, Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge, and Dark Star Rye & Juniper 'SAHTS Inspired Beer', at 5.2% a rich fruity, full-bodied pale ale, with a bitter and dry aftertaste... You'll take it from this that I drank the Rye & Juniper, yep indeed, very good!

Next, I visited the Dripping Spring, the only pub in the Hastings area where you can find Wye Valley HPA, as far as I'm aware, a really easy to drink pale bitter, and, therefore, one of the reasons to visit this pub. The new managers appear to have kept up the good name of previous incumbents, and a friendlier pub would be hard to find.

In addition to the HPA, there was Black Sheep Best, Bombardier, Sussex Best, and Courage Best on sale, with more coming on for the weekend, NB tomorrow (Friday 29th) Fullers ESB will be available, thankfully not today, as experience tells me I'm not at my best after a few pints of ESB.

I also tried a half of the Jennings Lakeland Stunner at 3.9%, pale, with hints of grapefruit, and a bitter sweet, a bit sour even, taste; it says 'full bodied' on the pump clip, yes it is, probably why the 'sweet & sour' taste in particular. Wasn't bad, but I decided to concentrate on the HPA.

Finally, I'm glad to have stopped at the White Rock Hotel, where I sat on the balcony, overlooking the pier and sea, crackin' weather, and very pleasant company to talk to, consequently I handed over my card, and it would be very nice to hear that she looks at this blog, if not the website...

I again drank the Dark Star Rye & Juniper (at only £3 a pint here!), well, it is very nice, and they also had Hastings Blonde (3.9%) and Porter (4.5%), and Rother Valley Blues, a 5% dark beer. As ever, the White Rock Hotel sells locally brewed ales from Sussex at a decent price, locale indeed!

Hastings 3 - St Leonards and the front

OK, another lovely day, beautiful sky, mild, and, well, I'm nearly finished in my 4 part quest to provide knowledge of the real ale pubs and bars worth visiting in Hastings...

First, the White Rock Hotel, provides accommodation (dah!), but great to visit even if not a 'guest'. Virtually opposite the pier, non-smoking throughout, even on the terrace and it's sea view, decent breakfasts (I enjoyed eating the "Full Audrey" on Sunday morning, ie their full cooked breakfast) and 4 real ales served up to non-guests as well after 10.00 every day. Today, one pale ale, Hastings HPA (5 hopped IPA) at 4.7%, not so bad, does what it says on the label; Harveys Porter 1859, a 4.8% porter, easy to drink; Dark Star Black Coffee Pilsner at 4.8%, sounds weird, but actually quite a subtle coffee flavour, drinkable again; and the very good WJ King Kings Old Ale at a meagre 4.5%, dark, hint of coffee and strong roasted malt, reyt nice! They've 2 dark Star beers coming soon, Rye & Juniper and Revelation... which is a 'revelation', crackin' ale, I recently drank at the Evening Star in Brighton!

Next, the North Star in St Leonards (a way above Warrior Square), serving up 5 real ales, Hopback GFB, Hastings HPA again, Harveys Sussex Best, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Dark Star Sussex Extra Stout. This is a crackin' pub, the landlord, Jamie, soon to reopen the General Havelock, see next posting! Always a good visit, and they have a 'loyalty card' for real ale drinkers (and for food), drink 9 pints and get one free... works for me ;-)

Finally, the Dripping Spring, which has new managers, great pub, the first I ever drank at in Hastings. They appear to be wanting to keep up a similar way of working, ie supporting real ales in their pub. 4 ales on today, though can have up to 7 or 8 at weekends. Today, the 2 regulars, Wye Valley HPA, an ale I particularly like, and this is the only place in Hastings it can be found, so my drink today, and Harveys Sussex Best. The 2 guests today were Adnams Broadside and Fullers ESB (I saw a regular from the Cinque Ports in the Old Toan drinking the ESB here today). Good luck to the new landlord and landlady, I support you!

3 Sunday - The Smuggler at Pett Level

Again, last night we visited a couple of other pubs in St Leonards on the way back, the Dripping Spring and the North Star, both good ale houses, and we watched much of the England v Spain match in the Dripping Spring, whilst quaffing Wye Valley HPA an excellent couple of glasses of ale, indeed.
However, on Sunday, we caught the first train of the day to Rye, the inland Cinque Port, and visited the church for a brief spell, as there was a service shortly after our arrival. We then left to begin our trek back to Hastings, first following the Royal Military Canal to Pett Level and The Smuggler, which serves an excellent looking breakfast from 09.30 to 11.30; you guessed it, I'd prepared a packed lunch, so was again envious of those eating here, saving the experience for another day! We had a couple of excellent pints of Ringwood Fortyniner at only £2.50 a pint, whilst sitting outside, looking at the sea, bathing in the warm sun, and eating my delicious sandwiches!

We also experienced another minutes silence at the Lifeboat Station, before finishing our beers and wandering up to the cliff tops and heading west for Hastings, where we drank Dark Star Hophead, yet again, at the Dolphin and also Fullers ESB at the Cinque Port Inn in the early evening.

So an excellent weekend, lots of walking, a few pints here and there in great surroundings, and marvelous weather too, what more could one want from a weekends entertainment, except for a football match of course.