Congratulations to Louisa at the Tower!

Congratulations to Louisa, and her colleagues at the Tower, London Road, Bohemia, for winning the local South East Sussex CAMRA 2015 Pub of the Year, and Cider Pub of the Year too, nice one, or two! I've known Louisa, the manager at the Tower, for 3 years now, and can honestly say that I've never had a bad pint there. In fact, she has brought this pub into CAMRA reckoning by maintaining ales in excellent condition, with many local Sussex ales too, along with excellent value. 

Consequently, I have been writing about the Tower for 3 years now, and have had a look back over my blogs to help with this one. However, I didn't really need to, because Louisa has continued to sell good quality and good value ales. I first noted the cheapest ale as £2.30 a pint in 2012, now it is still usually just £2.60 a pint, a fair comparison relative to other pubs regarding changes in pricing, but still so much better value than most, and in lined glasses ('spoons apart for price!). The Tower has also been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 2 years now. 

Also, that early 'cheapest' ale was the excellent Sussex brewed Dark Star Hophead (3.8%) at £2.30 a pint, and the other virtual regular from Dark Star brewery (website) American Pale Ale (APA, 4.7%) at £2.40 a pint. They were both on for my most recent visit this week at £2.70 a pint and £2.80 a pint respectively, great stuff!  

Over those 3 years, Louisa has also added 2 handpumps from the 4 when I first visited, meaning usually at least 4 regularly changing ales in addition to the 2 virtual regulars. Other ales on this week were the even more local Franklins (website) Pudding Stout (4.2%); from the North West, Robinsons Voodoo Dawn (3.9%), a 'deep red ale'; and from South Yorkshire, Abbeydale Accent Compensation (4.1%), a pale bitter.   

Oh yes, and the 6th ale on this visit, from Peterborough, was the excellent Oakham Bishops Farewell (£2.90 a pint), 4.6% of pale hoppy, citrus fruity, dry and bitter ale. I've written so often about this ale, as I have the Dark Star pair, that I really don't have anything else to add, except, I continue to love drinking them! 

And to add to Louisa's collection of awards was the local Cider Pub of the Year! She sells 2 keg ciders, Strongbow and Symonds Founders Reserve, and 2 real ciders, as can be seen from the photograph. There is Shepton Mallet Somerset Snuffler (4.8%), and the legendary Westons Old Rosie, 7.3% and dangerous!   

Congratulations Lou!

Icklesham - today's visit

Today I visited Icklesham, and it was a very good decision, 2 crackin' pubs, both free houses...

The Queen's Head, Parsonage Lane, TN36 4BL, a 17th century inn, was my first port of call, where I met John, behind the bar, who was a great source of information (many thanks John), and a fine chap to chat with. Like most pubs in the country, the Queen's Head relies quite heavily on food sales, (the chap I met outside beforehand warned me that I'd better have a good appetitie if eating here), and, despite my being there very early (opens at 11.00 and I was waiting outside by then), the evidence of reserved tables for a Thursday lunchtime tells its own story.

The Queen's Head also sells a fine range of real ales, between 5 (during the week) and 10 at weekends are on offer, plus a real cider; the beer range includes 'locales' from Dark Star, Old Dairy and Whitstable breweries, for example. Today, I drank Adnams Ghost Ship, not quite so local, but an ale that's been served in my more local pub very recently, and it was very pleasant, and a bit too easy to drink.

I then visited the Robin Hood, Main Road, TN36 4BD, another freehouse (quite reminds me of being back in Sheffield, freehouses galore), parts of the building dating back to 1607. The Robin Hood also is renowned for its good food, and also its good ales and 2 ciders (including, more rarely, a perry). There are 5 regularly changing ales on offer, I drank the 'locale' Old Dairy Spring Tap and finished off with the 3.7% Harviestoun Ruck & Maul, a rather away from home Scottish ale, very pale and hoppy, with a grapefruit taste... just has to be cascade, or a US similar, hop, but, and I'll be honest, I haven't researched it, but very nice...

The ciders are the very familiar Old Rosie and Westons Vintage Organic, both 7.3%.

I had a good chat to Ollie, the barman, and to a regular, Fred, who does have some very interesting tales to tell from his service in the army in WW2, very good company.

Oh yeh, and it's the CAMRA South East Pub of the Year, apparently...

I caught the bus back to Hastings from very close to the pub, a very 'happy bunny', cheers!

Elephant & Castle and Lewes Arms

So, from the Black Horse, I wandered back past the church and around the back of the castle to the Elephant & Castle in White Hill. Nice large bar, plenty of room, with green wood panelling up to about 3 or 4 feet along the walls, being refurbished as I drank there!

Another pub with interesting food menu and 3 ales and Old Rosie cider. 2 regular ales are the uniquitous, down here, Harveys Sussex Best, and Timothy Taylors Landlord! The third choice was Brains SA, which I drank, but they've also had recently Caledonian Deuchars IPA and Arundel Old.

I then wandered down the hill a bit to the Lewes Arms, a Fullers house, where I drank Fullers London Porter, had to, it is so good! They also had Bengal Lancer and London Pride. From the Gales range there was HSB and Seafarers, and guest ales include the regular Harveys Sussex Best and Adnams Bitter. Food is available from 12 noon until 8.30pm-ish.

Had to include a photograph of Harveys Brewery...