Tuesday 16th October - Bexhill and back...

A 10 mile round trip today on foot along the seafront, first eastwards to Hastings 'Old Town' to drop something off for a mate, then westwards to Bexhill-on-Sea, to the De La Warr Pavilion, no longer sporting a bus falling off the roof (work of art, apparently)...

To the RAFA Club, The Albatross, with it's 3 ales on sale, a slight mix up, but soon sorted out, the good company of Jeff, the 'steward' and purveyor of fine ales, and many others, including Jonathan and Tim, who both bought me a half, and I shall have to remember the mutual round on my next visit, many thanks, gentlemen! Jonathan had also told me about a local 'get you home' service he's been using, where someone turns up on a wee bike, puts it in your boot and drives your car home with you in it, see www.booterscooter.co.uk for more details; this branch is obviously for the Hastings and Bexhill areas in East Sussex, but I've heard of similar around the country.

So, what were the ales this Tuesday? Well, it was there, so I had to have a pint of it... Dark Star Hophead, love it! But, to prove I'm not just a 'Hophead', I had to try at least a half of the other two ales, both from Rother Valley Brewery. So I had a half of each, the Ruby Wheat Beer (RWB), a 4.4% ruby wheat ale, does what it says on the label, though more a brown colour than ruby red, but who's quibbling? The flavour is distinctly of toasted walnuts to me, Jonathan suggested another nut, but we agreed this must be from the use of the wheat in the recipe, whatever, very nice.

 

But, to the Northiam IPA, a 5% IPA, you may not be surprised to read.  Now this was excellent! I can't believe I wanted to drink more of this rather than go back to the Hophead, but I did, how can I describe it? It was refreshing, though full bodied, a crackin' dry pale bitter, I loved it, and, frankly, as it was 5% I did get a wee bit merry, cheers lads!  And so, back eastwards, walking very much on the beach as the tide was a fair way out...

To the White Rock Hotel, virtually opposite Hastings Pier, and Johnny the bartender here this afternoon, good chat inbetween other customers, cheers, good service. As ever, 4 local ales; one of the good things about both the White Rock Hotel and The Albatross is that they sell local ales from the smaller breweries, great support! 1648 Britannia (4.1% and reported before); W J King Kings Old Ale, a 4.5% darker ale for the Autumn, presumably, the norm for this time of year; Weltons Sussex Pride, a 4% pale-ish bitter; and Dark Star English Pale Ale, a 4.5% ale made from "100% English malt and hops", plenty of body and pale, very nice again, as I sat on the veranda quaffing my pint and completing the sudoku in the Metro.

 

A very enjoyable day, cheers!