My Beers on International Stout Day, AND Cider to Come!

I did suggest I would imbibe more dark beers for this day (blog), so I visited the nearby Eel & Bear (blog) and drank this beer whilst there (above), and took a couple of beers home with me. From The Kernel Brewery in London (website), their Export India Porter (5.6%), and I shan't go on about the difference/similarities between Stouts and Porters here, as my opinion has been shared before, eg blog; if I had tasted this 'blind' though I would have called it a stout! 😉

The Export India Porter recipe is "inspired by mid-19th century recipes from Barclay Perkins and Whitbread" beers that were transported to British service personnel stationed in India, but brewed with a 21st century touch. Each batch is different, as they use different hops in each brew, mostly fruity hops from the USA, but now and then English hops, such as Bramling Cross (hopslist), which wouldn't surprise me if used in the bottle I drank from, who knows?!? But I got fruity and roasted flavours, hint of coffee and chocolate, nice one to start the day with. 👍

I did say I would drink the Hercule from Belgium again, which I did, but shan't repeat what I've already shared in my very recent blog. At risk of repeating myself, nice one! 👍

And the second stout at home was from Dundee in Scotland, Holy Goat Brewing (website) Foehammer Imperial Stout (11.2%), "based on an 18th century recipe for Courage Russian Imperial Stout." Because it is based on a traditional recipe I'm guessing English hops are used, but the brewery doesn't share that information, and the malts dominate the flavour anyway.

The reason for 'Russian Imperial Stouts' is that Peter the Great fell in love with London stouts when he visited England in 1698, and had some sent to his court back in Russia, where it became very popular. Indeed, Empress Catherine the Great, who had married Peter's grandson and overthrew him in 1762, loved Imperial Stouts too, and this recipe is based on an Imperial Stout supplied by Courage to her. 🍺

So, what's it like? There's a hint of liquorice and chocolate in the aroma and taste, but surprisingly very gentle in the aroma. Less sweet than I thought it would be after all the chocolate stouts and porters I've been drinking recently (blog). Very dark with plenty of body, and a dry slightly bitter finish, a much more subtle stout than I thought it would be, pretty damn good, cheers! 😁

And now for cider! Hastings Old Town Cider Festival 2025 begins today (7-15 November), at 7 venues in Hastings Old Town (Hastings Sussex website):

• The Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA;
• The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN;
• Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW;
• East Hastings Sea Angling Association, The Stade TN34 3FJ;
• First In Last Out, 14-15 High Street TN34 3EY;
• Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW;
• Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR.

Have fun folks, cheers! 👍

2023 Seasonal Time in Hastings

Happy/Hoppy New Beer/Year! 😉 I wandered around Hastings over the last few weeks, particularly the 'old town' with its better variety and choice of pubs, but I've included a photograph above of the tree in Priory Meadow shopping centre, taken fairly early in the morning.

I started in the town centre, it's where I live, but now walk eastwards, past Iceland, to the old town, where the first pub you reach opposite the seafront, with its other side in George Street, that is the Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website), which sells 4 cask ales from Sussex and Kent brewers, normally Harvey’s Sussex Best (website) as a regular; sadly they no longer appear to be getting ale from Bedlam Brewery. Plus side, they do now take cash again.

I missed drinking the 7.5% Harvey's Christmas Ale (website) on my last visit, indeed, which I last drank 4 years ago now (blog), but a bit strong to start off the session! However, I did recently drink there, from another East Sussex brewery Long Man (website), their 4.3% old ale Old Man, which I joked about many years ago about a young member of bar staff at the Dolphin Inn serving up 'an old man Old Man' - amused me at the time, sadly I've lost the image of her pulling the pint... Anyway, Old Man is brewed using darker malts, of course, with Bramling Cross and Fuggles hops, producing a fine version of an old ale, dark and bitter sweet, nice one...

Carrying along George Street you reach 2 of the 5 Shepherd Neame (website) pubs in the old town, if you like their ales, you may say 'blessed' with 5! Above is a photograph of Ye Olde Pumphouse, 64 George Street TN34 3EE. It looks old, but was actually built 1955/56, opening in 1956, but using older materials; I suggest reading Hastings Pub History website for more details. Indeed, the first pub that Shepherd Neame acquired in Hastings was The Freemans in Wellington Place, now Jempsons/Rye Bakery, which was their pub from 1928-1958 (blog).

What I did drink at the Pumphouse was the cask Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale (5.0% cask ale - 7.0% in bottle). An amber winter ale, not as impressive as the Harvey's version, no surprise bearing in mind the strength, but a gentle surprisingly easy to drink bitter sweet beer.

Virtually opposite, is another Sheps pub, the Anchor Inn, 13 George Street TN34 3EG (website), a much older pub (blog). Here you get the regular  ales, sometimes the impressive 5.0% Bishops Finger, and the pub is famed for its Sunday roast dinners/lunch!

At the eastern end of the street is another older Sheps pub, the Hastings Arms, 2 George Street TN34 3EG (website), which I have written about before in my older blog. Actually, I visit here quite often, and I really do need to update this blog more with information about pubs I've written about in the past in that older blog; usual Sheps beers served here. They have a locally popular, thus heavily subscribed Curry Night on Tuesdays, and Tapas Night on Thursdays. Also, I regularly meet up with people I know coincidentally at the Sheps pubs in the old town. 😁

Turning left up the High Street, and up on the left is the Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW (website), which I have written about a number of times (eg blog). Here I drank:

A wee bit confusing, because it was in a Long Man glass in this image, but the ale is actually from yet another East Sussex brewery Three Acre (website), and is their 5.1% Chocolate Oat Stout, with the added chocolate flavour coming from added cacao apparently, not just chocolate malt. Does what it says on the label, smooth, chocolatey, with a dry roasted malt finish, strangely nowhere near as heavy as I thought it would be, nice!

Further up the hill, and on the right is the First In Last Out (FILO), 14-15 High Street TN34 3EY (website), with its own brewery, and which I've written about many times (eg blog). Usually meet up with people I know here, indeed, arranged to meet up with a couple of friends here last Thursday, and another friend, Russ, always comes down once a year to visit me, and we always drink here, if not eat here (although it was the Albion where we ate at the Thursday before).

I have imbibed a few of their different styles of ale here recently, best bitter (3.8%), pale and hoppy (4.2%), and the stronger Gold (4.8%), but I'll discuss here their 4.6% Cardinal Sussex Porter. Brewed with chocolate malt and roasted barley this is a very deep dark red, and tastes like it should, with a smooth finish, nice one.

Go behind the FILO via the alleyway by its side, and car park, and you reach The Bourne, once a river, now a sewer below ground, and a road above, cross the road and nip up a side road to All Saints Street, if you turn left and carry on up the hill you come to another Sheps pub in the old town, The Stag. However, I turned right and down to the Cinque Ports Arms (above), 105 All Saints Street TN34 3BE. This pub was originally known as the Chequers and dated back to before 1642, but apparently hasn't been a pub continuously since then. For more information about the history of the pub go to the excellent Hastings Pub History website.

The have had 3 ales on when I've visited before, but it is usually 2 cask ales, including the ubiquitous Harvey's Sussex Best (above), and, replacing the Fuller's ESB that used to be a regular here, now they sell Fuller's smaller sibling, London Pride. Needless to say I had a pint of both, and a nice chat with Tony, who I found sitting at the bar when I arrived, cheers Tony!

Carry on down the hill and you come to the Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website), which sells 2 cask ales, and an array of crafty keg beers. The cask ales are usually from very local brewers, but I own up that I've forgotten what I drank here; I made no notes, oops, sorry! 😕

Anyway, carry on down and you'll reach Rock-a-Nore Road at the bottom of the hill, turn left and you come to the Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3DW (website), which I have to own up to being my favourite among many very good pubs in Hastings; but they sell some of my favourite ales and ales from some of my favourite breweries, notably pale, dry & bitter!

Anyway, recently I've had some very decent dark ales here too, including Titanic Plum Porter and Pomona Island Horngus Mild, but you'll guess from the image above, many excellent pale bitters too. Not just one of my favourite ales Citra, from one of my favourite breweries Oakham Ales (website), both of which I've written about many times before, but many also from another of my two favourite brewers; including Kocasco (4.2%) from Mallinsons (website), brewed with Kohatu, Cascade and Columbus hops, and a few from Kent Brewery (website).

The final Sheps pub in Hastings old town is back to the west of The Bourne and is the Royal Standard, 19 East Street/East Beach Street TN34 3DW (website). The building dates from 1707, when a shoemaker lived there, and was a beerhouse from 1822, and has been a fully licensed pub since 1856. As you'd expect, the usual Shepherd Neame ales are served here, although there wasn't Bishops Finger for my last visit, sadly.

My final seasonal pub is the Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (website), which I have written about quite a few times, eg blog, and which, incidentally, begins a 3-day Dark Beer Festival today, Friday 5th to Sunday 7th January 2024. It will be opening at 12.00 noon for these 3 days, and further information can be found at their facebook page.

I have been intending to write a blog about dark beers, and have been knocking back quite a few recently, but I'll leave that to after I visit over this weekend. However, I have to mention at least one excellent crafty keg I've had there recently, the 12.5% Our Barley Aged Imperial Stout (above), brewed in Glasgow by Overtone Brewing (website). They used 12 kinds of malt in the mash, and this was brewed in collaboration with Lochlea Distillery, aged in a selection of their ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso barrels... Oh yes, and Magnum hops used!

From my notes now: "Very very very dark! Brownish head, rich and thick/full bodied. An aroma of roasted barley, and smooth, rich and chocolatey taste... Very decent!"

HI HO! 🍻

Mini Pub Crawl around Hastings Old Town

I walked to the Old Town from Hastings Town Centre, and started at the Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3DW (website), because it's open by 11.00. This pub is in the heart of the Hastings Fishing Industry, with a balcony facing the famous tall black net huts. The Dolphin has returned to having 3 regular ales, 2 brewed in Sussex, Harvey's Sussex Best and Dark Star Hophead, and Young's Special, now brewed in Bedford, and I refuse to call it what they've re-badged it as 'London Special' as it's not been brewed in London for years now! Anyway, this recent visit saw 3 quite local guest ales too, that is, 2 from Sussex brewers, Lakedown (website), their 4.2% Pale, and Gun (website), Project Babylon, a 4.6%  American Pale Ale. I drank the third guest ale, from Kent Brewery (website), their rather easy to drink 4.2% The Quiet American, a light refreshing APA style with subtle flavours, noticeably grapefruit, nice one. 

I walked out of the pub to the right, and turned first right and walked up to the Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website), which also opens at 11.00. Since the Covid-19 lockdowns they have reduced the number of their cask ales to 2. On this visit they had 1 from a Sussex brewery, that is Battle (website), and their 4.5% One Hop Wonder, not sure which hop, but a quite subtle APA, and not bad at all. The other ale was from Kent brewer Pig & Porter (website), their Slave to the Money, a 4.1% bitter, using Bramling Cross hops. They also have a regular keg stout from Sussex brewery Only with Love (website), their 4.9% Halland Oatmeal Stout, which uses Columbus, Magnum and Willamette hops.

If you go straight down Courthouse Street opposite the pub, cross The Bourne main road, continue up Courthouse Street and it leads you to the Jenny Lind Inn dead opposite (website), 69 High Street TN34 3EW. The Jenny Lind was built on the site of a much older pub that dated back to the early 17th century, The Bell, but with a gap whilst not a pub of 200 years, before the Jenny Lind started trading in the 1850s. It's named after the Swedish Nightingale, the famous opera singer who, under the wing of the German composer Felix Mendelssohn, became widely followed throughout Europe, including by Queen Victoria; she moved to England in 1855, where she lived until her death in 1887.

The Jenny Lind, which opens at 12.00, usually has 6 ales available, but with room and handpumps available for quite a few more ales for special events. Their 2 regular ales are from Sussex brewery Long Man (Best Bitter - website) and Greene King (Abbot Ale - website). They had 4 guest ales including 2 from Sussex brewery Only with Love (one was their Halland Oatmeal Stout cask-conditioned and Grizzly RYE IPA - website). Also 2 from Kent breweries Pig & Porter Skylarking, a 4.0% Session IPA, and the one I drank, from Kent Brewery (website), their 4.8% The New Black, a Black APA, an oxymoron perhaps? I have written about Black IPA/APAs for my older blog, where I briefly explain how 'Black' IPA/APAs are brewed. Anyway, The New Black really is, surprisingly maybe, light and citrusy, and very tasty indeed!

Then, I continued down the High Street to the seafront and turned left to reach the Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (website), which opens 14.00 weekends, 16.00 weekdays). They had 2 ales available, a 5.0% milk stout from Pentrich Brewing (website) Glass Half Empty, and the ale I drank, from Verdant Brewing (website), their 4.4% Where Can I Find Friday, a collaboration with Fyne Ales (website). Brewed with Mosaic and Strata hops, this was a very drinkable golden bitter. There was also a keg stout from Kent brewer Time & Tide (website), and they have 6-8 real ciders and perry available, usually including a couple from local cider makers, on this day, from Nightingale Cider Co (website), their 6.0% Discovery.

I then walked back westwards towards Hastings town centre, soon reaching the Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website), but with an entrance on Marine Parade opposite the seafront too, and which opens at 12.30. They had 4 cask ales available, all from Sussex breweries, Harvey's Sussex Best (website) is their regular, and there is usually an ale from Bedlam too (website), which, on this day, was their Phoenix, a 3.9% APA. Labelled an Extra American Pale Ale, and brewed using hops (Cascade, Citra and Amarillo) and a yeast from the USA, indeed, a nice refreshing bitter. Also, there was Yacht Rock, a 3.8% 'extra pale ale' from Only with Love (website) and the 4.2% Pale Ale from Lakedown Brewing (website). Please note that you do need to pay electronically here as they do not take cash.

If you are inspired by this blog and decide to visit Hastings soon, cheers! 🍺

HASTINGS OLD TOWN NEW YEAR VISITS!

The Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website), plus it has an entrance opposite the seafront, sells 3 ales from Sussex and Kent brewers, normally Harvey’s Sussex Best (website) and a pale bitter and a darker beer; one usually from Bedlam Brewery (website). If visiting make sure you have a debit card with you (or other electronic payment device, how thinks change!) as they do not take cash. Oh yes, and they sell some amazing pies and Cornish Pasties!

The Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3DW, which opens at 11.00 every day of the week, please ignore the 12.00 opening mentioned on the website, and with its South-facing balcony virtually opposite the Fish Market, has changed its ale range from 3 regular and 3 guest ales to 2 and 4 respectively, sort of 😏 The regular ales are Harvey’s Sussex Best (website) and Dark Star Hophead (website), and the guest ales have been including a dark beer (Winter/Old Ale, Porter or Stout), an equivalent to a Special/Best Bitter from local breweries, or Young's Special, I refuse to call it anything else (especially as it is no longer brewed in Wandsworth - website), and usually an APA style dry pale bitter, often from the very excellent Kent Brewery (website) or also excellent Oakham Ales (website). Live music has returned on Saturday evenings, and very decent food is usually served every lunchtime/afternoon except Tuesdays, plus special evenings, including a good value Fish Supper deal on Monday evenings.

The First In Last Out (FILO), 14-15 High Street TN34 3EY (website), which brews its own ales a short way from the pub up Old London Road, continues to sell 5 of their own beers, and 1 or 2 guest ales. Their range includes pale to darker beers, including a Porter, the award-winning Gold, and had their own dark seasonal Winter Warmer when I last visited. They also sell excellent food; open 12.00 to 14.30 and 18.00 to 21.00 Monday to Saturday, and 12.00 to 15.00 Sundays.

The Jolly Fisherman, 3 East Beach Street TN34 3AR (website), a cosy micropub, continues to sell a good range of real ales in addition to crafty keg beers, and not forgetting some very interesting bottled beers, noticeably some great Belgian ones! Just recently, in early January, they had a Dark Beer Festival, with 10 Stouts and Porters on offer; outside of festivals they have darker beers regularly too. Opening hours are a wee bit limited; 16.00 to 23.00 Wednesday to Friday, 14.00 to 23.00 Saturday and 14.00 to 22.30 on Sunday, so not the first place to visit.

The Lord Nelson, 1 East Bourne Street TN34 3DP, at the bottom of The Bourne (facebook page), sells Courage Directors (website) and Harvey’s Sussex Best (website). Live music is played here on Sundays, early evening.

Cheers! 🍻

CAMRA - Happy 50 Years! And more pale bitters...

The choice for me today (above) at the Dolphin Inn in Hastings (facebook page), and what a great choice! I must admit I've been drinking mostly excellent pale bitters from Kent Brewery (website) and Oakham Ales (website), and I can't complain about that, cheers!

I will write much more soon, but have to mention the CAMRA 50th anniversary (website).

What can I say? Prohibition, cheers!

So, back drinking a quality real ale at a pub (blog), and gorgeous too, despite the snow yesterday, 😉 which didn't stop the Dolphin Inn in Hastings nearly selling the whole firkin of one of my favourite ales on the first day of reopening, and I returned today too...

And yes, it was the award winning Kent Brewery Prohibiton (website), 4.8% of 'American Pale Ale' style pale dry hoppy bitter that I imbibed, quality! With a variety of hops from the USA, and plenty of them used too, this is, as I've said before, really pale, with a big citrus fruity aroma, grapefruit flavour and dry and bitter finish, refreshing and so easy to drink, quality! 

And the view from my seat on the balcony, the Stacey Marie (facebook page) in the heart of Hastings historic fishing quarter. Oh yes, there were 3 cask-conditioned ales on offer, reduced from the 'usual' 6 due to understandable circumstances these days, including Prohibition, the ubiquitous Harvey's Sussex Best (4.0% - website), and Dark Star Hophead (3.8% - website), 2 from East Sussex and my favourite from Kent, all very local indeed, cheers! 

Roll on tomorrow!

So, tomorrow lunchtime I shall be sitting outside the Dolphin Inn, Hastings, as I suggested I would be in my recent blog, and drinking Kent Brewery's Prohibition,  an excellent APA style pale bitter, and also the first ale I imbibed at the first reopening in July last year (blog). The pub will be opening from 11.00 to the evening (closing time depending on the number of customers, and weather), but likely the early evening until we can drink indoors, so roll on May the 17th too... 

Oh yes, ale-wise they will be selling Harvey's Sussex Best and Dark Star Hophead too.

Whatever you do, enjoy, but stay safe, and cheers! 

Happy Easter and 3 Dolphins for you!

First of all, Happy Easter! Not that it will be all that ''merry' with no pubs open, but I'll make an effort with good memories here, so 3 Dolphin Pubs that I have frequented at different times in my life, and will happily return to whenever close by. They are all excellent pubs and were in the 2020 CAMRA Good Beer Guide (I presume they are all in the 2021 Guide too, but with all that's been going on I really haven't had the inclination to buy one so soon after buying the 2020 Guide, which I have hardly used anyway!). And the most recent Dolphin that I have latched on to is my current 'local', and is likely to be the first pub I return to in 2021, fingers crossed.

First, The Dolphin Hotel (facebook), down at The Barbican in Plymouth, which I first visited when I lived in Devon in the 1980s. My earliest memory is of a pretty basic pub, but selling the best Bass I'd ever tasted, served straight from casks stored and cooled behind the bar, I think they were kilderkins, which is still the case. Plus, they now sell up to 7 guest ales, and St Austell Tribute as a regular, at least they were before Lockdown. I cannot remember there being ales served from handpump when I first visited, only the gravity-fed beer, but, as I only thought of drinking the Bass at the time, that's no surprise.

I have visited many times since, but my most recent visit was a few years ago, before going to a football match at Argyle, we sadly lost (Argyle won), and not a lot had changed, and, apart from a sensitive redecoration, the GBG suggests the same still. The walls are adorned with Beryl Cook paintings, many images are of the pub's regulars, as she used to live in the area and frequented the pub herself. The pub is situated very close to the waterfront, from where you may catch a ferry over to Turnchapel, where lies another old favourite pub, and ex-employer, of mine, The Boringdon Arms. The Dolphin Hotel in Plymouth, though, is a must visit, if you like real ale and old pubs, and are in Devon... and the Bass is to be savoured 🍻

The second is Ye Olde Dolphin Inne (website), close by the cathedral in Derby, the oldest and, allegedly, 'most haunted' public house in the city. The building dates back to 1530, but the pseudo-Tudor additions to the exterior were made about 100 years ago, but it's still a great little building to investigate, with nooks and crannies in an unspoilt interior. I first visited here in the 1990s, as I lived in Sheffield at the time, and Derby is very close, and I obviously had to investigate this nearby city with its wealth of very good pubs. More often than not, subsequent visits were in connection with trips to to football matches at Pride Park, or made in conjunction with visits by friends or family.

Coincidentally, the first pint I ever drank here was of cask-conditioned Bass, though served via a handpump and not gravity fed, but it was still very good. I've also even seen cask-conditioned Worthington E here, which is very rare; I think Marston's now brew Bass for AB InBev, but that may well have changed with all that's happened! Ye Olde Dolphin Inne also sells a good variety of other regular and guest ales, which I've always found to be in good condition, including a 'house ale' (that I haven't tried, since it wasn't around at the time of my last visit), but which is brewed for them by Nottingham Brewery apparently, ie a 4.4% bitter called Dolphin 1530AD... but that may soon be old news, who knows? Anyway, if visiting Derby, which does have a great selection of good real ale pubs, Ye Olde Dolphin Inne should be on your list of visits.

The third choice is my current local, The Dolphin Inn (website), situated in Rock-a-Nore Road, opposite the fishermen's net huts and Stade, and at the southernmost point of Hastings 'Old Town'. The situation means you do get fishermen, and retired fishermen, frequenting this pub, a sign of the great continuity here. There are also a variety of other regular locals, and visitors to Hastings too, a true diversity of customers, male and female, young and old, professionals and labourers, I shan't go on, you'll get the point. It's a proper family-run pub, landlord and landlady, son and 2 daughters, and good regular staff, who may as well be family!

The Dolphin Inn supports local breweries from Sussex and Kent, with many local beers served regularly (5 out of 6 on my last visit, I seem to remember), having 3 regular ales, which were Dark Star Hophead, Harvey's Sussex Best and (non-local brewed in Bedford, not London anymore) Young's Special, also a 'changing' regular from the excellent Kent Brewery, plus seasonal regulars, eg Dark Star American Pale Ale and Harvey's Old Ale; usually, in 'normal' times 6 real ales are served by handpump. They are probably re-opening the balcony, with service at the benches, and weather permitting, but fewer ales available, though starting with the excellent Kent Prohibition, from the 12^th of April, ie Step Two/Three/whatever of the steps to freedom! I can only add that, like the other 2 Dolphins, definitely worth a visit if in Hastings, cheers!

One Year Ago Today!

On this date last year it was the last day we could drink ale in a pub in what were 'normal' times, before Britain was shut down from Saturday the 21st of March 2020; guess what my last drink at the Dolphin Inn (website) was? Unsurprisingly, from the excellent Kent Brewery (website), their so drinkable, ah memories, 4.9% Tropic Ale, a pale golden ale, with a big citrus and tropical fruit aroma and flavours, and a nice dry bitter finish, refreshing and pretty damn good... 

Tasty memory indeed, cheers! 😄

November: Save our Pubs, News and Views

I received my November copy of CAMRA's What's Brewing a few days ago and, unsurprisingly, the main theme was their campaign to "save our pubs from extinction" (website), also inside was the regular Roger Protz article which this month emphasized that we should "kill the virus not our locals." Obviously it isn't just CAMRA trying to save our local and community pubs, but the pub trade and brewing industry have their own campaigns (Campaign for Pubs), and, of course, we the customer do not want to return to a 'normal' life that has lost local pubs, which provide a social hub for many, a community service that the Government cannot provide, help prevent loneliness and depression, and help to ensure a good mental health for many, not to mention great real ales. I don't know about your locals, but the 6 pubs I have visited since the first lockdown all ensured sufficient mitigating factors were in place to ensure Covid Safety for their customers. But now a second month-long lockdown comes into force in England on Guy Fawkes Day, the 5th of November 2020, a lockdown that is very likely to go into 2021... Now is the time to save our pubs from extinction!

Oh yes, and this is the usual time of year to sample 'green hopped' ales, that is, ales brewed using hops picked that morning (though I doubt many stick to that 'purity') but basically, the hops used for the brew are freshly picked, not dried/preserved, which always provides a variation of tastes, and they are usually pretty excellent, as brewers are very careful with these seasonal beers. Anyway, I was going to walk up to the Tower (blog) last week as Louisa promised me she had 2 firkins of the always excellent Dark Star Green Hopped IPA (6.5%) in her cellar the previous week, so I was going to visit last week to savour this delicious ale... Sadly, the weather was atrocious and I didn't make it up the hill. But then, my more local 'local' the Dolphin (blog) had the same ale delivered last Thursday, and was going to have it available this week, but now the lockdown has stopped that happening, I'm not a happy bunny at all 😒 

Any more news? Well, Marston's has merged with Carlsberg, and any merger is a cause for concern, but we shall have to wait and see how that pans out...

Beer sales have plummeted, apparently, since March and lockdown, which is hardly surprising, and pubs, breweries and jobs are at risk even more now.

Whatever, look after yourselves during these bleak times, and be safe!

A Pint in a Pub, GORGEOUS TOO!

A wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website), and I'm not apologizing for drinking from an Oakham glass because it's a nicely balanced glass to drink from and no Kent glasses available here. Anyway, their gorgeous (and I wrote that in my notes) 4.8% version of an APA, Prohibition, quality! I have written about this ale many times, not as much as I've happily drunk it though, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the goodies, Oakham and Fyne ales, and many Yorkshire brewer's pale dry hoppy bitters too. 

I have had it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, notably thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that fresh from the cask ale was wonderful. Okay, I'll have said it many times, Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, I'll say it again, GORGEOUS!

And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday, and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.

Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and services at the tables inside, though customers sitting outside can come to a set point for their drinks, and there is an off sales provision too. 

In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon, salivating at the thought. 😋

Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful fellow ale drinking folks, cheers!

Hastings Tap Takeover 11-13 October 2019

This weekend, to help kick off Hastings Week (website), 12 venues in Hastings, from The Dolphin Inn in the East to The Tower in the West, will be holding 'tap takeovers' (Hastings Tap Takeover facebook page). That means each venue will be celebrating 'exceptional independent breweries' from near and far, not necessarily just cask conditioned ales, but crafty kegs too! 

Venues and breweries involved:

• The Dolphin Inn (facebook) - Kent Brewery (website)
• The Crown (website) - Burning Sky (website)
• The Jenny Lind (website) - One Mile End (website)
• The Jolly Fisherman (website) - Wylam (website)
• The Albion (website) - Harveys (website)
• The Imperial (website) - Cloudwater (website)
• The Drift In (facebook) - Good Things (website)
• Eel & Bear (website) - Pressure Drop (website)
• The Pig's Palace (facebook) - Battle (website)
• The St Leonard (website) - Franklins (website)
• Farmyard (website)  -  Three Legs (website)
• The Tower (facebook) - Downlands (website)

Congratulations Again to the Dolphin!

Again, my congratulations go out to the Dolphin Inn (facebook), 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW, for winning the 2019 SE Sussex CAMRA Community Pub of the Year, nice one! The award was presented yesterday evening, sadly missed by me, consequently no timely images, although I was there at lunchtime...

And, in addition to their 3 regular ales, Dark Star Hophead, Youngs Special, and Harveys Sussex Best, the 3 guest ales were all from close by, indeed, all three from Kent, and all very good. From Folkestone, Angels & Demons (website) 5% I Spy Dragon Fly, a very pale dry bitter, does what it says on the label, and I love it, but...

McCanns, a subsidiary of Angels & Demons, Folkestone Best, is a 4.0% traditional best bitter, and very good too, however... the Kent Brewery (website), from Birling, Tropic Ale (4.9%) is something very special, and I cannot get enough of this brewery's ales, I love them! Completely to my taste preference, and a hopfest in the mouth, they say a "Juicy IPA" and they aren't wrong. Another very pale golden bitter, tropical fruits and citrus aroma big time, grapefruit specifically in the taste, and beer of course, okay, it's getting boring, but like me, pale dry and bitter, quality!

Anyway, that's what the Dolphin is really about, Mark, Mo, family, and colleagues, serve up excellent real ales, not to mention great food too, and a truly 'community' public house, congratulations, yet again, and well deserved, cheers!