26 mile pub crawl, Hastings to Rye, and back...

I'm hampered with ankle and lower lumbar injuries at the moment, so time to report on walks, pubs and ales experienced before yesterday. On Tuesday (9th July), the Routemeister, my brother Dan, and I walked a little over 25 miles in a 'figure of 8' route, starting in Hastings, over the cliffs and Hastings Country Park to Pett Level then along the Military Canal to Rye, where we popped into the Queens Head (twitter), where we were treated to the efficient and friendly bar service of the bar manager (I do believe she is), Kate. 

The ales are on sale here for £3.30 a pint, which is a decent deal when considering the strength of most of the ales, especially the one I drank. There were the 4 in the photograph, plus, being served by gravity directly from a barrel on the bar, Long Man Blonde (3.8%), so 4 of the 5 ales are brewed in East Sussex, nice one.  Indeed, there is regularly at least one ale each from Long Man and Franklin's breweries.  The 4 you can see are Franklin's Grumpy Guvnor (4.5%), reported before, all the way from Somerset, Cotleigh Buzzard Dark Ale (4.8%), and the 2 we drank.  Dan enjoyed the Long Man Golden Tipple, a 5% very pale golden bitter with a hint of cider in the flavour, and I had the, favourited many times in the past and excellent, Dark Star Revelation, 5.7%, and in your face hops, delicious, many thanks Kate!  

Anyway, we came back via the Castle Water wildlife sanctuary, and seafront, to Pett Level and the Smuggler Inn, now run by the 2 sisters from the Hastings Arms, Sue and Hazel, this was where we came to the middle of our 'figure of 8', and some more sustenance.  4 ales on, Sharp's Doom Bar (4%), their regular ale, Harveys Sussex Best (4%), a semi-regular, Youngs Bitter ("Ordinary" in Wandsworth terms, and 3.7%) which is soon to be replaced by Youngs Special (4.5%), and the very good Otter Bitter (3.6%) that I drank.  Good to see this fine pub open again, and glad for the sisters, cheers!  

We then walked up to Pett Village, and revisited the Two Sawyers, another fine hostelry.  The ales on this day were Ringwood Fortyniner (4.9%), Harveys Sussex Best (4%), and Youngs Special (4.5%), all regularly seen, and discussed before. There was also Old Dairy Brewery Red Top (3.8%), a darker bitter than my usual, with a dry roasted bitter taste, not bad at all!

We then finished off with a walk back to Hastings and a visit to the Dolphin at Rock-a-Nore, where Jason was working this night, with Mark, the landlord, in attendance too, and fine chat and imbibement was had by us 3... 2 guest ales on, including the Elgoods EP (4.3%), a "rich malty bitter", but we ended up knocking back a few pints of the excellent Dark Star American Pale Ale (4.7%) aka APA. Dark Star are certainly maintaining a decent version of the APA, much more bitter than when I first tasted it.  But I shall be adding more about the Dolphin in a future blog, very soon.

Cheers! 

Something a bit different in Bexhill on Sea, plus Hastings...

Bistro 45, opposite the front at Bexhill, a nice little find in a virtually real ale free town, which only has the wonderful Albatross Club (RAFA) as a freehouse offering a good variety of cask conditioned ales, plus a bit of Sheps here and there...

Bistro 45 is mainly a restaurant, as the name implies, but the bar does sell about 25 Belgian beers, which got me interested.  A bit more expensive than drinking in pubs, obviously, but I tried a beer I hadn't had before, ie Het Anker Gouden Carolus Classic, an 8.5% Dark, slightly sweet beer with a hint of liquorice, very nice! 

Also, I've taken advantage of the CAMRA 50p voucher that can be used in Wetherspoons. So for £1.65 a pint (£2.15 - 50p) I tried the Arundel Trident, a rather bitter "strong pale ale"; I liked it a lot!  This was at the John Logie Baird in Hastings, who also had 2 more Arundel ales, Stronghold (4.7% "Premium Ale") and Footslogger (4.6% "Premium Sussex Ale"), and also local, WJ King's Festive (4.7%).  

Finally, the latest ale at the Dolphin, Rock a Nore, 'old town' Hastings, where the Otter Head was yesterday replaced by Salopian Darwin's Origin, a rather good 4.3% pale bitter, a complex fruity flavour and a very dry bitter indeed, loved it!

Cheers!

...and a happier day (9th May)...

A beautiful day, and I headed for the Hastings Arms and Jeny Lind first, but forgot, neither open til 12.00 on Thursdays...

So, down to Rock a Nore, and the Dolphin, hardly arduous, a wee chat with Mark the landlord, and the wonderful Louise behind the bar, what more could I want? Oh yes, Laura made a cameo appearance, and Debs turned up a little early before her shift started, and ale of course!

 

The usual regulars, Sussex Best, Youngs Special, and Dark Star's Hophead and American Pale Ale (APA). The quite exquisite Kelham Island Mistress Flames (5%) was near the end of its second firkin, and the other 'guest' was Moorhouse's Blond Witch (4.5%).  Now the Blond Witch ain't bad, and you'll be aware I love Dark Star's paler and hoppy ales, anyway, I had a pint of the Hophead, and Mark gave me a half of the Mistress Flames, so I was mellow when I made my way back up High Street to the Jenny Lynd, which was now open.

In the Jenny Lind were Tony, this side of the bar, who I'd seen in the library earlier, and who asked for a bit of advice about drinking in Greenwich; I suggested he ignore the pubs near the Cutty Sark and head westwards for the Dog & Bell, but he wanted an easier pub to find, so I now suggested he walk eastwards along the river, past the Palace, to the Trafalgar, which I believe used to be, if not now, a Youngs pub.  But even better, is the Yacht, just around the back of the Trafalgar, and in a little alley, fronting onto the Thames too. 

 

In addition, the second Pre-Raphaelite barmaid I approve of in Hastings {I saw the first working at the Dolphin again the next evening, where Otter Head (5.8%) had replaced the Mistress Flames, a paler ale, a bit of a 'sweet & sour' taste}, ie Sarah, was working behind the bar, dead enthusiastic, and a pleasure to be served by.  Anyway, ales there included regulars Directors, Theakstons Best and Old Peculiar, a couple of Hastings beers, Blonde and Pale Ale, and I had a pint of the Palmers Dorset Gold (4.5%), unsurprisingly, a golden ale with a hint of caramel. 

My final visit of the day, partly because I wanted to meet up with buddies Paul and F***ing John, you need to know him and you'd understand why I call him that, was the First In Last Out (FILO).  Good to meet up with them both again, as it's been a while since I've had a drink or three with them, though I've seen Paul quite a few times outside of pubs recently.  Mike the landlord was behind the bar, and one of his sons too, Sharon the landlady was in the kitchen with their Eastern European colleague, Elena (spelt something like that anyway).  And the manager, Tony, turned up a couple of times too...  

 

5 of their own ales on sale, and Orkney Raven Ale (3.8%) too, which I'm sure I've had before, but today was to be spent drinking their own ales.  The FILO beers were Mike's Mild (3.4%), Old Town Tom (4.5%), Churches Pale Ale (4.2%), and the two I had, first, Crofters, 3.8% and £3 a pint, is a good session bitter.  I was pleasantly surprised to see both Paul and John drinking this too as they're usually Guinness drinkers, so it has been a while since I had a drink with them! 

Anyway, I finished off with the FILO Gold (4.8%), a nice stronger pale bitter with plenty of body, and some of it was served up from the wee cask you see in the photograph above, reyt cute!  Then I had a pint from the cellar...

 

Oh yes, both the FILO and Jenny Lind sell a local real cider too, the 5.5% Laughing Jester, cheers! 

The Bell Inn, Bath

Following the Chancellor's decision to get rid of (we hope for ever) the Beer Duty Escalator, today's news is about the offering of shares in a cooperative to own the CAMRA Good Beer Guide entry, The Bell Inn, Bath (site).  OK, we're not likely to see any decrease in the price of ales in pubs due to this tax reduction, but it should help publicans to keep increases in prices to a minimum, taking into account the brewers' own price rises, which many pubs have already passed on, but some have not awaiting the Chancellor's announcement.

The Bell Inn is a music venue, as well as offering 9 real ales, and has the support of many celebrities, including Peter Gabriel, Clare Teal, Robert Plant, Midge Ure and Will Gregory of Goldfrapp, who should all be able to contribute a few coins between them.  This looks to be an interesting project, and great if it keeps a good real ale house, and music venue, alive and kicking.

 

The Bell has 7 regular ales, that include quite a few I have recently commented on: RCH Pitchfork (4.3%); Stonehenge Danish Dynamite, a 5% light golden ale much enjoyed recently at the Dolphin in Hastings, and both soon to be available there again; Abbey Ales Bellringer, a 4.2% amber ale; Otter Brewery Otter Ale, a 4.5% bitter; Bath Ales Gem, a 4.1% ale that includes wheat and barley malt; and 2 of my favourite all-time ales, the excellent 4% Butcombe Bitter and the 5% pale and hoppy trendsetter from Hopback, Summer Lightning, always sampled by me if available. 

 

In addition, 2 weekly changing guest ales are available, usually chosen from a host of reasonably local small brewers, including Arbor Ales, Cotswold Spring, Milk Street, Plain Ales, Spinning Dog, and many more.  If you're ever in Bath, I'd suggest you pay this pub a visit, if you do, I'd be happy to publish your findings, cheers!