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!

The Roundhouse - Penultimate stop today (10th)

The Roundhouse, Wandsworth Common North Side, is another old haunt of mine, had a few beers here, and seen a few groups too, and it remains a place for gigs, but also is an eatery, and has been done up winebar-ish, nice though. The food looks good, available lunch and evenings, apparently a great roast on Sundays; not the cheapest prices, but reasonable for the area, and around the Junction is a bit more upmarket than in my yoof!

The place was packed with young things along the left as you come in, leaving the right hand side vacant for us, and some others that came in soon after us.

There were 3 ales on offer, the Wandsworth brewed Sambrooks Wandle (regular), Hogs Back TEA (virtually a regular, apparently on about 80% of the time), plus a guest, for us it was Purity's Pure Ubu, a cracking 4.5% golden ale!