Lewes and The Rights of Man, and Women...

So, a return to Lewes in East Sussex, the home of Harveys Brewery, and, in past times, some quite important people, eg Anne of Cleaves and Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense and The Rights of Man.

My first pub of the day was the Brewers Arms, right next door to where Paine used to live (his previous abode is to the right of the pub, as you look at the photograph). This is a good 'free house', which was serving Sussex ales, the ubiquitous Harveys Sussex Best (4%), and Sussex Old Ale (4.3%), and the very good Dark Star American Pale Ale (APA, 4.7%), and from afar, Theakstons Old Peculiar (5.6%) and Ordnance City Brewery Detonator Pale Ale. The Detonator Pale Ale is a 3.8% very easy to drink pale-ish bitter from Somerset, worth a try if you see it, but definitely a session ale.

I also tried a half of their cider from Kent, Riddenden Cider, an amazingly pale, crisp cider, and at 8%, much too easy to drink! 

Back to Mr Paine, the Rights of Man, along the High Street and near to the Courts, is the newest Harveys pub in its chain. Very nicely done up, a little too bright for me, but the ales were in good nick, all of which were from Harveys, of course. Sussex Best, Sussex old Ale, Armada Ale (4.5%), were all there. However, I tried 2 I hadn't drunk before, Sussex Wild Hop, a 3.7% "blonde beer", pale, dry and quite bitter, though a little thin, as would be expected from the strength. I also tried the much more interesting Star of Eastbourne, an "East India Ale", 5.5%, quite crisp and bitter, pale-ish, not bad for a paler ale from Harveys, who tend to excel with their darker ales. I also have to mention the landlady, 'Tash', a very interesting woman indeed!

From there, it was up to the Lewes Arms, a Fullers house, though it always seems to have a guest ale, in addition to the Fullers, Gales, and Harveys Sussex Best. This day, it was Navigation Golden (4.3%), sorry, I didn't try it as Fullers own London Porter was available, which I had to drink, it has to be one of my favourite darker ales, a 5.4% very dark ruby beer, rich, body++, full of flavour, including a hint of liquorice, love it!

I then ventured to the Snowdrop Inn, another great pub, OK 3 Harvey ales on sale, plus Dark Star APA, and some from further afield, including Oakham Scarlet Macaw (4.4%), a very good ale I have written about before, and Magic Rock Curious (3.9%) "Original Pale Ale", I made the probably overused joke and found this to be a nice pale bitter, can't say much more than that really. I ate here too, olives, home-made humus and pitta bread, a nice starters. 

I had a cheese and onion pasty for my main meal at The Gardeners Arms, back in the High Street, another free house that sells many lovely ales, amongst which were Sussex Best and Dark Star APA. I started with Ilkley Pale (4.2%), a very good ale I have written about before, very pale and bitter, nice one, and I also had the Black Iris Black Mountain, a "Black IPA", dark, full bodied, hoppy, gorgeous!

Then I returned to Hastings, more of which soon... Cheers!