tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post2124679771124223131..comments2024-03-28T17:11:52.333+00:00Comments on The Pub Curmudgeon: Great exhibitionCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-64078533134501688362012-07-16T20:14:46.287+01:002012-07-16T20:14:46.287+01:00Curmedgeon; the Barley Mow has indeed closed. In i...Curmedgeon; the Barley Mow has indeed closed. In its hey-day there was an offer/challenge that if anyone managed to drink one each of the up to 17 beers they got their money back. There was also a very good barbecue, customers would purchase their meat and bread at the kitchen then go outside to cook it themselves. Where was Elfin Safety then? St. Albans now has the Blacksmith's Arms which regularly stocks up to ten Ales, all in tip-top condition at reasonable prices. Indeed, I believe they got an award for selling more Real Ale than Lager - for a city centre outlet that is quite an achievement. Most Ale enthusiasts who drink there also frequent others amongst the many smaller pubs in the area.andy5759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-18292708281819824992012-07-16T18:57:52.486+01:002012-07-16T18:57:52.486+01:00There is a clear trend of mainstream drinkers movi...There is a clear trend of mainstream drinkers moving towards golden ales, but many of those are quite bland and not in any sense "extreme beers".Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-40579903072557391182012-07-16T18:54:58.789+01:002012-07-16T18:54:58.789+01:00But then if you'd asked them about the likely ...But then if you'd asked them about the likely prospects for pear cider or rosé wine in pubs ten years ago, they'd have given a grim prognosis... the consumer is a fickle creature.Baileyhttp://boakandbailey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-34475147975287842802012-07-16T18:02:04.514+01:002012-07-16T18:02:04.514+01:00I base my view from chatting to various licensees ...I base my view from chatting to various licensees about what sells well. The key word is "mass": I don't believe they will get the level of acceptance that Tetley Bitter used to have or Greene King IPA has now, or even Deuchars IPA, Landlord or London Pride.Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-71606900078916815192012-07-16T17:25:16.945+01:002012-07-16T17:25:16.945+01:00RedNev said: "Such beers will not gain mass a...RedNev said: "Such beers will not gain mass acceptance."<br /><br />That's an interesting assertion because we've heard anecdotal evidence pointing both ways, and can't make up our minds.<br /> <br />On the one hand <a href="http://ohgoodale.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">Phil</a> has rightly identified that, to a lot of people, the appearance of a beer such as Hobgoblin as a guest at their local is still an exciting event.<br /><br />On the other, a few people have told us that they didn't 'get' beer until they had a really hoppy, 'extreme' one.Baileyhttp://boakandbailey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-34503055267934030072012-07-16T12:34:14.098+01:002012-07-16T12:34:14.098+01:00If I walk into a pub to be faced with Landlord and...If I walk into a pub to be faced with Landlord and Golden Pippin, I wouldn't complain. Landlord, when well-kept, is still an excellent pint. It's a pity there is so much prejudice among certain real ale drinkers against good regional beers. And yet, as far as I can see, most "innovative" beers I've drunk just seem to have had a sackload of hops chucked into them. Such beers will not gain mass acceptance, whereas a respectable but more conventional golden beer like Thwaites Wainwright will, and is (I'm seeing it everywhere).Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-34683783737650526892012-07-16T11:26:29.012+01:002012-07-16T11:26:29.012+01:00When I bought my first free-house in Exeter in 198...When I bought my first free-house in Exeter in 1986 there were no hand-pulls, I soon put that right, one of the first things I did was to install four pulls, 1 Local (Steam Engine) 1 regional(ish) Wadworth and 2 for nationally available ales on rotation every couple of weeks ... I think it played a significant part in growing the trade from 87 brewers barrels per annum to close on 800 brewers barrels over the next four years ... as did having a wide range of bottled beers ...Publican Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533484978463975994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-50986529502424221472012-07-15T18:05:50.627+01:002012-07-15T18:05:50.627+01:00Curmudgeon - post from last Sep still accurate, ev...Curmudgeon - post from last Sep still accurate, even though I'd personally advocate day-to-day quality as the only consideration for inclusion (acknowledging subjectivity of that), so would argue for inclusion of Spoons where they're consistently good.<br /><br />As also noted here, quality over the week end often much better than on a Monday lunchtime (if open !)<br /><br />And yes, quality is propped up by the beer enthusiast who seems to stick to the ten or more pumps pubs such as the Wellington, Boathouse at Wylam and Ship & Mitre, based on recent evidence. Tales of CAMRA branch trips are becoming very dull.Martin, Cambridgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-74144735400210348352012-07-15T17:49:42.395+01:002012-07-15T17:49:42.395+01:00Martin, rather brings to mind this post.
I remain...Martin, rather brings to mind <a href="http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/tavern-in-every-town.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a>.<br /><br />I remain convinced that most of the mainstream pubs are now carrying too many ales to ensure decent throughput - although, in my experience, the specialist pubs do better even if they have 12 pumps.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-60404732206731379422012-07-15T16:38:52.215+01:002012-07-15T16:38:52.215+01:00Following on from Bailey's comment, I often re...Following on from Bailey's comment, I often read of CAMRA members' disappointment in enetering a pub with only three or four beers on, with ranges including Landlord, Golden Pippin and Pedigree described in withering terms.<br /><br />The upshot of this is the decreasing quality of beers I'm noticing in Beer Guide pubs. In four successive beers in South Tyneside over the weekend the beer was very dull, and no advert for real ale. All four had five or more handpumps. Only the more focused local in East Rainton offered a quality beer (Theakston XB).Martin, Cambridgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-26941330940784667552012-07-15T15:41:38.520+01:002012-07-15T15:41:38.520+01:00"...the wide choice has now gone mainstream, ..."...the wide choice has now gone mainstream, with many operators... offering a choice of beers than in 1980 would have been considered worthy of an exhibition pub".<br /><br />This is a really important point. At their best, in the right context, what exhibition pubs, destination craft beer bars can do is raise the bar a bit.<br /><br />When I left in 2011, there were three pubs in Walthamstow/Leyton alone that, ten years earlier, would have been contenders for 'best pub in London', based on the range and quality of their beer.<br /><br />Three guest ales is barely worthy of comment in London these days; when I first moved there in 2000, that was enough for a place to qualify as somewhere that 'takes its real ale seriously'.Baileyhttp://boakandbailey.comnoreply@blogger.com