St George's Day Festival of English Ale in Hastings

The Albion, in George Street, Hastings, is holding a Beer Festival this weekend, together with fun, music and food... 

In addition to their regulars, including an excellent favourite of mine, Dark Star Hophead (3.8%), which I had a pint of there yesterday, a crackin' ale indeed, Harveys Sussex Best (4%) and Timothy Taylor Landlord (4.3% ), you might just be able to imbibe up to 10 other ales from near and far!

From Sussex brewers, there will be Dark Star Sunburst (4.8%) website, Beachy Head Legless Rambler (5%) website, Rother Valley Chocolate Porter (4.2%) website, Harveys Armada Ale (4.5%), and their pertinent Georgian Dragon (4.7%) website; and from Kent, though the brewer himself comes from much closer to home, there will be Pig & Porter Red Spider Rye (4.8%) and Skylarking (4%), a session pale ale: website.

From further afield will be Adnams Mosaic Pale Ale (4.1%) website, from way up int' North, an early pioneer with their unfined and unfiltered ales, and excellent unique pub where they used to brew, the Marble Arch (website), one of my favourite pubs ever, Manchester brewery, Marble Pint (3.9%) website, and across from Cornwall, and now brewing more fine ales than when I lived nearby in the 1990s, St Austell Spring Fever (4.1%) website.

Have fun, and a Happy St George's Day to you, cheers!

White Rock Hotel, Hastings

The White Rock Hotel in Hastings, virtually opposite the pier, sells 4 real ales, usually at £3.00 a pint, up to 5% in strength.

Today, they had the trusty, and always very tasty, Dark Star Hophead, Hastings Best Bitter, Beachy Head Legless, and the very seasonal Harveys Christmas Ale.

I love Hophead, but thought I'd give 2 of the others a try, so started with the 5% (£3 a pint) Legless, a pale-ish bitter, but with a sweet first taste, a little fruity and bitter, orangey, a little like a Belgian beer, but with a Weiss beer type consistency. Interesting and enjoyable...

Then, though £4 a pint, I tried a half of the Christmas Ale at a mighty 7.8%! This is truly a Christmas pudding of a beer, with a dark, deep reddish colour, sweet, fruity, and a dry finish. Worth the cost!