Hastings Jack in the Green Ales!

I very recently drank 3 local ales brewed especially for the Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green May Day events (website). In brewery alphabetical order, from Brewing Brothers (website) 4.0% Ol' Jack Pale Ale, brewed with Citra (hopslist), Mosaic (hopslist) and Strata (Indie Hops) hops, and imbibed at the Jenny Lind (website) and Dolphin Inn (website). Looking at the name and those hops will give you a clue, and you'd not be surprised, this is a pale ale, tropical and citrus fruit aroma and taste, pale and dry, and very refreshing, nice one!

Second, from FILO Brewing Company (website), and imbibed at their own pub the First In Last Out (website), their 4.1% Thirst of May - Green Man Ale, brewed with English hops, Olicana (British Hop Association), Celeia (hopslist) and Pioneer (hopslist). Consequently the more bitter of these 3 ales, quite pale, but slightly darker than the other two. More body, and certainly a more traditional style English ale, but with subtle tropical and citrus fruit flavours, another nice one!

Finally, from a little further away just over the border in West Sussex, and Only With Love (website) 4.2% Jack's Back Spring Ale, and another brewery that has discovered you can brew vegan friendly ale that is clear, yay! 👍 Imbibed at The Crown (website), but they don't advertise the hops used, however, from their past brews, and strength of this ale, I'm guessing Harlequin hops (British Hop Association), but I have got in touch with them and will correct if they advise me otherwise (still waiting). Whatever, a very easy pale ale to drink, quite gentle hop wise, and not very bitter. And yet another very decent ale indeed, cheers m'dears! 😁

Paler Beers in Hastings

I've written about Britain's first Trappist ale before (blog), and now Tynt Meadow (website) are brewing a 5.0% Blond Ale, again in a Trappist style, but with an English 'twist' adding English hops and yeast to the malt produced from English barley. A deep golden blonde colour, a wee haze (bottle conditioned), and a little sweetness with a hint of caramel, vanilla, spice and fruity mandarin, completed with a dry slightly bitter finish, nice one, and unique!

Next is from Sussex brewery Burning Sky (website), and Plateau, full of flavour and only 3.5%, very much a session ale! Plateau is the brainchild of Mark Tranter, legendary fine tuner of Dark Star Hophead when he worked there, and is very similar to the original Hophead from when it was brewed in Brighton. However, it is a little weaker in alcoholic strength, but the flavour is more pronounced than the current Hophead, thanks to the hops added. Mark says it is "hopped at different stages of the brew with a mix bag of US and NZ hops..." and, of course, influenced by his experience and finesse. A pale golden bitter, very easy to drink, with grapefruit noticeable in the aroma and taste, and very refreshing and decent indeed.

From another Sussex brewery, indeed, from the Hastings based FILO Brewing Company (website) and imbibed in their own pub, the 4.0% Hop Cat, which pretty much does what it says on the label. Indeed, this is a light pale ale, with plenty of citrus fruit in the aroma and taste, very easy to drink with a nice subtle bitter finish, and refreshing, oh yes!

The next 2 beers are both from Bristol Beer Factory (website) over in the West Country, the first being their 4.2% Launch Approval, brewed with U.S. Loral (Yakima Valley Hops) and German Mandarina Bavaria (hopslist) hops. A pale ale, with floral and peppery hints in the aroma and taste, and citrus, notably orange, in the flavour. Another excellent session ale from this very dependable brewery, refreshing with a light dry bitter finish, nice one.

Dune Twist, is a more substantial 5.0% IPA from Bristol Beer Factory, and is also brewed with hops from 2 different countries, this time with N.Z. Nelson Sauvin (hopslist) and U.S. El Dorado (hopslist). Plenty of body and flavour, as you would expect, with tropical and citrus fruits in the aroma and taste, very smooth, but with a nice crisp dry bitter finish, quality!

Starting to prepare for Oktoberfest 😉 2 German beers, first is a Helles style lager from one of the older breweries in Germany, having brewed beers for nearly 700 years since its foundation in 1328! Augustiner Brau (website) Lagerbier Hell (5.2%), from Munich, is brewed with Bavarian malt and hops. This has a hint of wheat in the aroma and is a pale straw colour, indeed, 'a very tasty beer' was the first thing I noted, with a hint of citrus in the taste, mildly hoppy and slightly sweet, but refreshing and certainly not too bitter. A secondary fermentation ensures this beer has a lively sparkle, finishing off with a nice dry crispness, pretty good!

The final beer here, and the second from Germany, is brewed by Badische Staatsbrauerie Rothaus (website) in the southwest German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, in the Black Forest Mountain Range. Although the brewery was founded in 1791 by the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien, it is now owned by the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Anyway, to their 5.1% Rothaus Pils which is, unsurprisingly, a Pilsner style lager, consequently hoppier than the Helles, although not significantly so. Brewed with malt from locally grown barley, and local spring water from the Black Forest, and Tettnanger (hopslist) and Hallertau (hopslist) hops, producing a slightly floral and spicy aroma and taste. Another refreshing beer, with hints of wheat in the taste and a crisp slightly bitter finish, very nice indeed, cheers! 😁

The first and last 2 beers were bought in the Eel & Bear (blog), the Plateau was imbibed at the Prince Albert (blog), the Hop Cat was from the First In Last Out (blog), and the 2 Bristol Beer Factory ales were enjoyed in the Dolphin Inn, which I have written about many times (eg blog).

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! 🍻

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! 🍻

Combining Ale, the FILO, Pickled Onions & Charity!

OK, I own up that the main purpose of my visit yesterday to the First In Last Out, 14-15 High Street, Hastings TN34 3EY (website) wasn't just to drink real ales brewed in Hastings, indeed, close by and up the road actually, but because for a number of years now I have gladly taken advantage of the rather special spicy pickled onions (above) prepared and provided by Elina (once apprenticed to Paul; see older blog), and a wonderful puller of real ales too! Elina starts work on the onions well in advance of this holiday season, and all proceeds from the sale of the pickled onions go to the charity for homeless people in Hastings, Eastbourne and Bexhill, Warming Up The Homeless (website). So, not only have I contributed to that charity, I have excellent pickled onions to go with the cold meat, cheese and bubble & squeak that I shall be enjoying on Boxing/St Stephen's Day, quality, cheers Elina!

But, also, the beers... the 4 handpumps shown in the photograph above, plus a seasonal winter warmer that was a wee bit too sweet for me to drink more than a half of, quite pleasant, liquid Caramac came to mind, and with rum added to the cask, many thanks to Adam (whose back is in the image above) for serving it up. When I first arrived the first other customer I recognised was Eddie, who, coincidentally, I have seen a few times recently after not seeing each other for ages, great to chat, cheers Eddie! 

So my main drinks were two of the above ales, the easy to drink FILO Churches Pale Ale (4.2%), a refreshing session ale brewed with one of my favourite U.S. hops, Amarillo, and the stronger 4.8% FILO Gold,  brewed with another great hop from the USA, Cascade, their 'premium ale, nice and pale and golden, good stuff!

So, a pleasant afternoon was had, good ale, good company, and pickled onions to add to the mix, many thanks again to Elina for her time and patience, cheers! 

This blog was first written for my other blog, Steve on Hastings, and, by the way, here's a link to the FILO Brewery website.

Back to Rye!

I returned to Rye yesterday and re-visited the Rye Waterworks, my first 'micro' pub (older blog giving history etc). Why did I return so soon, following our walk there from Hastings last week (Steve on Hastings blog)? Frankly, we'd walked for 4 hours to get here last week, nearly missing the rain, at a fair old pace too, and couldn't get into the Waterworks because it was packed, so I had to return at the first opportunity, just to wish them a Merry Christmas and have a few beers, of course...

The photograph above is from last week, before the rain came, and as we 'marched' alongside the Royal Military Canal from Pett Level, but yesterday, certainly lazier as I caught the train to Rye and back. Anyway, I reached the Rye Waterworks this time just before it opened, so I was the first customer, hurray! Sadly, I didn't see David, the proprietor, this time, but did see his wife Ulla and excellent son Eddie, as he opened up the bar a wee bit early, not for me, but for a tradesman; never mind, I was still happy. 😉

Anyway, to the beers (above, all at £3.70 a pint) and ciders, which I didn't try any of; and the gap above left was filled by Hastings brewed FILO Cardinal (4.6%), a fine dark ale that the brewer calls Sussex Porter, though a wee debate with fellow customer Paul found we didn't agree it is a porter, so I shall be writing a blog very soon about porters, stouts and other dark ales. 

So what did I drink? I drank 3 of the paler ales, including Battle Brewery (website) One Hop Wonder (4%), brewed using just Chinook hops; a golden bitter, less citrus aroma and flavour than I thought it would have, but a very easy ale to drink. Then I tried the stronger Romney Marsh Brewery (website) American Pale (5%), brewed using a variety of different American hops, so every brew is subtly different; a more fruity pale golden ale, a bit sweeter and with more body, as you'd expect...

But my favourite ale of the day was the Old Dairy Brewery (website) Uber Brew (3.8%), brewed with 3 hops, Chinook again, Citra and Equinox, and I started with a pint and finished with another pint of this; a fair amount of body for such a session ale, and much more citrus in the taste, pale and golden, with a nice dry bitter finish, pretty damn good, cheers!

Oh yes, and a friend I hadn't seen for quite a while, Harrison, caught the same train as me coming home, good discourse made for a good journey, cheers again!

Rye Waterworks micropub, my first!

OK, not MY first micropub, but the first micropub I have ever visited, I've tried before, for example when visiting Deal a couple of years ago, but Deal's micropubs weren't open; NB make sure you know a micropub is open before visiting! So, what is a micropub? It appears to be accepted that a micropub essentially serves ale from casks, no lagers, probably wine, few spirits, and traditional bar snacks, but with no television, electronic games or fruit machines, and they're often situated in ex-shops! So, to my first, and also the first micropub in East Sussex...

The Rye Waterworks micropub

To The Rye Waterworks, Tower Street (corner with Rope Walk), Rye, East Sussex TN31 7AT (01797 224110), which was originally a water pumping house (1869), and has since been a soup kitchen, public lavatories, and a shop selling antiques and curios more recently (still is, sort of, but more later). However, with a history going back at least 300 years! See further down for the 'potted history' I have written, following talking to David (the licensee), and from researching a 19th century book by William Holloway and a recent online engineering journal.

David when he first held the keys!

The above photograph is borrowed from the Rye Waterworks facebook page, many thanks, and there are some great photographs showing the progression of the considerable work done on the fabric of the micropub since, so well worth a look! David is the licensee, and a warmer and more friendly publican you could never expect to meet, indeed his enthusiasm for this project, a micropub he opened just over a couple of weeks ago, seems unlimited (by the way, many thanks to Rod, who tipped me off about the Rye Waterworks, cheers!). David told me that the interior still has a small amount of work to finish off, "93% complete" he estimates, but it is already comfortable. Indeed, on this blue sky day, it was lovely and cool inside, but in the evening he lit the wood burner to ensure his customers remained comfortable.

Regarding the 'curios' I mentioned earlier? Well, David is still selling furniture and curios on behalf of the last incumbent at this address, indeed, most of what isn't nailed down you can buy, including all the tables and chairs, stools and other furniture, framed prints and curios! For example, just out of shot of my photograph to the right, there is a crackin' brass pub bell and a rather fancy ice bucket for sale... so, the Waterworks isn't just a unique micropub for being in an old pump house rather than an old shop, it will also look different every time you visit, as the furniture and decorations change each time some are purchased! Of course, all this is evidence of the great character of the place, but I really do need to talk about the ales...

There are 8 ales available (all from microbreweries within 20 miles of Rye), and served by gravity from this rather large fridge behind the bar. The 8 include 2 'regular' ales, one brewed by Old Dairy Brewery (website), a 4% session ale called Carrot Top (£3.60 a pint), much beloved by Sussex Best drinkers it appears, and the one we drank, from Three Legs Brewing Company (website), their excellent 3.7% session pale golden and hoppy session bitter Pale (£3.70 a pint). My notes: "Golden with a strong fruity aroma, a gorgeous fruity bitter." Can't say better than that! We also drank the 'guest' Black Pale (4.3% and £3.70 a pint) from Three Legs, a deep very dark red colour, roasted barley in the aroma and taste, quite bitter and "sharp on the palate" said my brother, couldn't disagree, very nice too, but I did prefer the golden Pale, as is my taste!

There were 5 other guest ales, FILO Cardinal (a 4.6% Porter, £3.80), Rother Valley Copper Ale (4.1% and £3.70), Hop Fuzz English (3.8% and £3.70), Range Ales Double Tap (4.1% and £3.70), and I also had a half of the 4.4% Romney Marsh Brewery (website) Amber Ale (£3.70 a pint), a sweetish complex fruity and nutty bitter which is sweet to taste, but dries out at the finish... There were also 3 ciders, Norman Hunt & Sons Conquest (4.8% and £3.70 a pint) and Big Kev's Summer of Fruit (6% and £3.8) and Dickens (8% and £4). Also, of course, some fine gins, wines and soft drinks are available too.

David has recently received his Food Hygiene Certificate, so expect to see rolls with various fillings on sale, sausage rolls, pork pies and scotch eggs, and the usual crisps and nuts, not to mention homemade spicy pickled eggs, and I do love pickled eggs!

Oh yes, so you don't attempt to visit when it is closed (noting my earlier failures when trying to visit micropubs elsewhere) the opening times at present are: 

Mon-Thursdays 2-10pm

Fridays 2-11pm

Saturdays 12-11pm

Sundays 12-10pm

Brick Cistern & Tower

"Potted History" (as promised!):

A 'water-house' was known to have been built on this site by 1628, but the present building includes what appears to be a foundation stone from when it was rebuilt in 1718, with a pump driven by a 'horse gin' piping water from the Ashdown Sands Springs; a horse gin was a wheel which had a horse harnessed to it, the horse walked around in circles and powered the pump.

A lead water pump was added in 1826 to pump water up Conduit Hill to the oval brick cistern (now grade II listed) that is by St Mary's Church. Then, in 1869, the Victorians rebuilt the water-house again and installed a steam engine and pump. As I said earlier, it has since been a soup kitchen (1907), public lavatories, and a shop selling antiques and curios... 

Now it is a micropub, cheers! 

My sources: 

Roder, David  Licensee, The Rye Waterworks.

Holloway, William  The history and antiquities of the ancient town and port of Rye, in the county of Sussex. With incidental notices of the Cinque Ports, published by J R Smith (London) 1847.

Rye Ancient Water Supply on www.engineering-timelines.com 2018.

Microbrewery ups the anti...

Already, we have crafty keg breweries, started off by Brewdog, who are charging silly amounts for their beers. Now, for me locally, the First In Last Out has increased the prices of their beers following the budget, but they have recently increased prices at least twice a year, despite having up to 50% small breweries tax relief on a pint of their own ales. So, they're selling a pint of their FILO Gold (a very decent ale, indeed, and local CAMRA champion this year!) at £3.70 since they put their prices up 2 days ago; which is equivalent to £4 a pint, or thereabouts, taking into account the tax relief. Indeed, a pint would cost you similar in the array of Hastings Shepherd Neame pubs (which are vastly overpriced too!), yet you can buy, today, a pint of the excellent Salopian Hop Twister at the nearby Dolphin Inn for £3.60, or 10p a pint cheaper straight up, or 40p a pint cheaper taking into account the tax relief...

Hmmm... is this taking the p*ss or what?