The Beer Thread

[Frankie Crisp]

No ales though, it's lager all the way over there.

I live over there and I miss my ale. Luckily, German lager is fucking heavenly and even the worst German pils I've ever tasted pisses on your Carlings and Stellas.

Agreed. I was over there a couple of months back and before going, resigned myself to having to drink lager. We didn't have one bad pint and it's so crisp, lively and refreshing I considered giving it a go when I got back. Until I remembered how crap it tastes over here.

 

Those steins are lethal, too.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Frankie Crisp

[air_raid]

Those steins are lethal, too.

 

I leave BPP in charge of mine.

 

[DCW]

Was in Edinburgh a few weeks back and was brought to a craft pub called Brewdog who do some lovely ales and IPA's.They had a beautiful ale caled Dogma which is brewed with heather honey and scotch, around the 7% mark IIRC.I had four of the bastards and was fairly well oiled for a meal with my friends posh rugby mates.

[air_raid]

Was in Edinburgh a few weeks back and was brought to a craft pub called Brewdog who do some lovely ales and IPA's.They had a beautiful ale caled Dogma which is brewed with heather honey and scotch, around the 7% mark IIRC.I had four of the bastards and was fairly well oiled for a meal with my friends posh rugby mates.

 

They indeed do fine work, and are well on the way to conquering Britain.

 

 

5AM Saint is a lovely drop, and my favourite is Cocoa Psycho. Best of all, in the Manchester one, while you drink you have a nice game of Guess Who, Frustration or Kerplunk. Plus last time I was there I fell in love with about three of the "alt girl" type barmaids.

[Cheesy Peas]

In London I've taken to drinking in the Euston Tap and the Cider Tap when I'm down there and it's become my favourite pub(s) away from home, anyone drink there?

 

Check out the Dolric Arch, which is literally across the way from the Euston Tap. Regularly gets in guest ales, and is honestly one of my favourite pubs in London. Also, if you're around North London, keep an eye out for Redemption Hopspur, which is a really nice amber ale. I'm usually a fan of wheat beers and pale ales, though.

 

I've walked past the Dorich arch loads of times but never ventured inside, will do next week.

 

I'd also try the Bree Louise if you're in that part of London. It's like a never-ending beer festival. 8 pumps and 12 'festival' barrels every time I've been in. Just turn right out of Euston station, you'll find it down a side street.

 

Is the Brewdog pub in Manchester any good? I've not been over for months so haven't been able to try it. Do they only serve their own beers, or do they have others on as well?

[air_raid]

Is the Brewdog pub in Manchester any good? I've not been over for months so haven't been able to try it. Do they only serve their own beers, or do they have others on as well?

 

It's minimalistic. The stools are very uncomfortable if you don't get a table. But otherwise it's great if you just go with friends to chat and enjoy the beer. There are seldom loud, raucous groups of dickheads or at least not when I've been, but the place is reassuringly busy. There are other beers available but I've not noticed if there are other ales or just the bog-standard selection of rubbish lagers/ciders/John Smiths or similar. My eyes are automatically drawn to the overhead blackboards to see which ones of their beers are on at the time.

[SiMania]

I'd also try the Bree Louise if you're in that part of London. It's like a never-ending beer festival. 8 pumps and 12 'festival' barrels every time I've been in. Just turn right out of Euston station, you'll find it down a side street.

 

I was staying round the corner from there on Wednesday, went for a curry in Drummond Street and an early night, will definitely go there next week.

[Cheesy Peas]

Is the Brewdog pub in Manchester any good? I've not been over for months so haven't been able to try it. Do they only serve their own beers, or do they have others on as well?

 

It's minimalistic. The stools are very uncomfortable if you don't get a table. But otherwise it's great if you just go with friends to chat and enjoy the beer. There are seldom loud, raucous groups of dickheads or at least not when I've been, but the place is reassuringly busy. There are other beers available but I've not noticed if there are other ales or just the bog-standard selection of rubbish lagers/ciders/John Smiths or similar. My eyes are automatically drawn to the overhead blackboards to see which ones of their beers are on at the time.

 

Cheers, thanks for the info, will try it next time I'm over. Sounds similar to 57 Thomas Street on, err, Thomas Street near Afflecks Palace. One long bench and a couple of chairs, Marble Brewery beers served. Capacity of about 10.

[Baz Windham]

Top thread, been an ale drinker for a good few years now, CAMRA member for a couple of years and all that kit and caboodle. My tastes have always been changing. Tommy! would tell you it's because I'm picky and pretentious about it, but it's just when I keep experimenting and getting to like new styles/strengths etc.

 

Love going to the festivals, normally go to a few a year (Birmingham, Derby, Tamworth are the regulars), but my taste has changed a bit the last 12 months from a lot of what you get at them. They are still great mind. I tend to go for slightly stronger beers now in smaller quantities, so places like Brewdog bars and a lot of what's considered craft beer stuff suits my tastes these days, Magic Rock Brewery are good example of people that do stuff right up my street. IPA's and Stouts are my top beers in any shape or size.

 

Also got into a bit more foreign beer (especially Belgian and American) this year with help from Amsterdam and places that have good bottle ranges. The Post Office Vaults in Birmingham is probably the best for this, a catalogue full of a couple hundred bottled beers they sell. A lot aren't cheap but there are some that are reasonable and some good stuff to be had.

[Arch Stanton]

When I went to Oktoberfest, we started drinking steins of lager in the tents at 9:30am and did not stop until they booted us out at 11pm. Stayed on my feet the whole time and didn't suffer too much in the way of a hangover the next morning. That's a testament to the quality of the beer they produce over there, the German Beer Purity Law ensures that their lagers aren't full of chemicals and other shit. Their stuff really is good. I couldn't drink Carling for much more than a couple hours without feeling bloated to fuck and horrendous the next day.

[bigfoote]

I'm quite lucky, given that locally, I have a few breweries and brewpubs nearby. Oakleaf in Gosport is probably the "biggest", having provided beer for 'Spoons festivals and I have a soft spot for both Pompey Royal and I can't believe it's not Lager. Add Irvings, Suthwyk, Bowmans, Ballards, and most recently Havant to the list and living in Hampshire is finally showing positives.

 

Personal preference, forged by growing up under my father's tutelage and gallons of HSB, is for strong "best bitters" and stouts, the darker the better.

 

And yes, I have a beard and glasses. But no sandals.

[gary v1]

Oktoberfest has never really appealed to me, mainly because of the lager and how busy it would be. Best festivals I've been to are the Paisley ale festival which is huge and has different sections for Scottish/English and European beer, and the Los Angeles beer festival which is held in the Streets set of paramount studios http://www.partyearth.com/los-angeles/thin...estival-2013-1/

 

Unfortunately I now live in Dublin which is fucking awful for real ale, bar a handful of pubs. The locals seem to beall about quantity over quality with every pub offering Budweiser and Carlesberg.

 

When I lived in Glasgow, the best Pub was the Bon Accord at Charing Cross which always has 10 ales on which are regularly rotated with only Deuchars as a constant. Also good are the 3 Judges, West, BrewDog and Inn Deep which is owned by my favourite brewer, the Williams Brothers.

 

I'd love to do some more home brewing. I think I need a house with a garage though as my current place is tiny and the missus won't allow it. When I do I'll try an extract I think as the next step past a kit. I've done a few kits and for those starting out I'd recommend any kit by Coopers. Also have a look at www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk for help getting started. Glasgow has a great home brew shop in Partick and I bought my first kit personally from one of the aforementioned Williams Brothers who gave me some friendly advice and encouragement.

 

Also me and my friends have a beer challenge of trying 365 different beers in 2013. Currently on track despite the slim pickings here!

Edited August 23, 2013 by gary v1

[gary v1]

Also for DCW -you'll be glad to hear that Dublin has a few pubs that permanently have Brew Dog on tap. Try Against the Grain, the Black Sheep or Brewdock. Not at all cheap though!

[neil]

I am a real ale fan, and occasional home brewer. Personal favs are porters and stouts. Most UK nobs think the US is void of any decent beer. Couldn't be more wrong to be honest. There is a massive microbrew, with some really being a lot bigger than "micro". The one negative thing about US beers is that they are generally overhopped. I place the blame of this on two things, 1) an overreaction to the underhopping of the BMC beers and 2) a belief that a beer is better the more hops it has.

 

There is a brewer around Boston going by the name "Pretty Things". He did a stint in the UK brewing in Yorkshire and has done a series of old beers (oldbeers.com). This are really good. The East India Porter is absolutely amazing.

 

When I'm back in the UK, I love to visit my brother in York and go down numerous pints of York Brewery's Centurion Ale. Sex in a pint glass.

[gary v1]

Personally I love a good hoppy beer, to a point of course. You're right about the Beer in America though. I had so many good ones mostly from the West Coast when I was there. I was in San Diego for a couple of days which is beer heaven.

Edited August 23, 2013 by gary v1