Putney & Tooting for Wimbledon!

Because of railway strikes, I travelled to London on Friday and back again on Sunday, so that I could attend a football match on Saturday, had to, see near the bottom. So I stayed at my brother's home, and Friday saw me in Putney, first off at Ghost Whale, 134 Upper Richmond Road SW15 2SP (website), a bottle shop and bar that also sells 8 keg 'craft' beers. I enjoyed pleasant discourse again with staff member Ray, from L.A., who I mentioned before (blog).

I returned again, a wee bit damp on Saturday, and I hadn't written many notes this weekend past, and I deleted some photographs I had meant to help jog my memory, oops, but on Friday I did imbibe the Belgian Abbey ale from St Bernardus (website) ABT 12 (10.0%), simple reason explained below next photograph. ABT 12 is a quadruple style ale (to do with strength), it was a deep dark red/brown/rust colour, a slight perfume to the aroma and taste, sweeter than I usually drink, with caramel and a hint of chocolate in the taste, but dried out slightly at the finish, had to be done, and not bad at all, but one shouldn't drink too many! 😉

Oh yes, and I did write notes of the first beer I drank on Friday, which was from Devon brewer Utopian Brewing Limited (website), their Bohemian British Lager (4.2%). It's brewed as a pilsner style, and, quite frankly, it does what it says on the tin, although I had it from the tap, it's a light crisp fruity lager, simples... See, I do drink lager sometimes!

So why the Belgian beer, and this Belgian beer photographed above from the Brown Dog in Florida? Well, it was Stacey of The Brown Dog, 215 St Joe Plaza Drive, Palm Coast, Florida, USA, FL 32164 (website), who reminded me by posting on their facebook page that Friday was the Belgian National Day national holiday (website), only a coincidence that I was online whilst at the Ghost Whale! Anyway, so I decided to have a Belgian beer to celebrate, top photograph, and Stacey sent the immediately above photograph back whilst I was still there on Friday, nice one! I have written about the excellent Gulden Draak a year ago (blog), and also Stacey contributed a guest blog about The Brown Dog a year ago too, cheers!

I then visited The Bricklayer's Arms, 32 Waterman Street SW15 1DD (facebook), which has 12 handpumps, 11 for ales and one for cider, and they do have quite a few ales from West Yorkshire based brewery Timothy Taylor's (website), although I prefer to drink their beers when I'm in West Yorkshire, notably at The Fleece Inn in Haworth (website). On the Friday I had a couple of ales, one from the South East London based Original Small Beer brewery (website), who specialise in lower alcohol strength beers, their 2.3% Organic IPA. It was a wee bit fruity, hint of orange, quite dry, slightly sour, I noted 'not bad' but I didn't have another.

No, I then went for a very different more traditional bitter from North London brewery Redemption (website), their 4.6% Urban Dusk. It had a deep dark chestnut colour, apparently with Bramling Cross hops to add a dark fruity taste (hopslist), but my notes say 'It looks like a bitter, it tastes like a bitter, and by golly it is a bitter' also 'very good' 😊

And I returned here on Saturday too, when I drank the East London based Five Points Brewing (website) Railway Porter (4.8%), which was very good indeed. Brewed using Goldings hops which give sweetness and spice (British Hop Association), and all things nice 😉 but the darker and roasted malts influence the taste more, as you would expect. It was rich and dark, had plenty of body, and with hints of chocolate and coffee in the taste, it was very good.👍And I shan't go on about whether it should be called a porter or a stout, because I've discussed that many times before, eg blog, but, as a friend pointed out, calling it a stout would betray the name Railway Porter, but maybe it edged more towards a porter anyway... 😏

I walked a few miles to Tooting earlier on Saturday, and had to take this photograph as it reminds me of Wolfy Smith, "Power to the People!" (youtube), you maybe have to be of a certain age to understand why. ✊ OK comrades (oops!), when the programme was on tv I went out with a lass for 2 years, who lived behind nearby Amen Corner (there's another link to popular culture of the past), which is just down the road from the Broadway, and we called ourselves the Tooting Popular Front as a laugh, so it did really exist and wasn't just made up by the writers. 😁

Anyway, back to pre-match drinking, which started at a pub I hadn't visited for many years, The Castle, 38 Tooting High Street SW17 0RG (website), where I followed in the 3 young women pictured in front of me (it's a busy pavement, it was the least busy photograph I managed to take!). It's certainly moved on to be a very foody pub, although haven't many?!? But it did have the England women's football match on television, and Cornish brewery St Austell (website) Proper Job (4.5% in cask), which I have written about many times, eg blog. I must admit that I was a little disappointed, although this is one ale that is better, and stronger, in its bottle-conditioned version (5.5% & blog), and drinking it in a pub just reminds me...

The Tooting pub I had originally planned to visit before the match was The Selkirk, 60 Selkirk Road SW17 0ES (website), which looks a fair size from the outside, but with added on bits, 'tis very big inside! I chose this pub because I had never been in it before, it's on a side street just off the High Street, but I saw it online, and I lived in Selkirkshire when I worked up in the Borders for a couple of years in the late 1980s, 'twas fate! Roomy inside, though with a few divisions, so not just one cavernous room, very friendly bar staff, also chatted to other customers, and a few other football fans, so it wasn't just the rain that kept me inside longer than planned.

Only one cask ale, and one draught cider, the ale was Timothy Taylor's Landlord, and, as I said above, I prefer to drink their beers up int' north, but I had a pint, and Landlord is what Landlord is, a decent enough bitter, gentle with the hops. But they did have quite a few crafty kegs on too, so I had a pint of Greenwich based (S.E. London and of Greenwich Meridian fame) Meantime Brewing (website) fizzy Anytime IPA (4.7%). Unsurprisingly, an American style IPA (APA), brewed with Cascade (hopslist), Centennial (hopslist), Ekuanot (Yakima Valley Hops, I believe also known as Equinox - hopslist) and Mosaic hops (hopslist), producing a light pale bitter, with tropical and citrus fruits in the taste. Now, I own up that I didn't take any notes, my apologies, but I was too busy having a life and chatting... 😁

And, I just had to have another drink before I left, because one of the bar staff said she loved these half-pint glasses (and their pint glasses too), and because the rain was coming down quite seriously outside the pub! And this is a lined-glass, in fact there is a wee bit over the measure here, although it didn't look like more than half a pint, but it was, cheers! So, from North London based Beavertown Brewery (website) Neck Oil (4.3%), who own up to using an enormous variety of hops in this session APA, although maybe not all at once (?!?), including Columbus (hopslist), Centennial (hopslist), Simcoe (hopslist), Amarillo (hopslist), Galaxy (hopslist), Vic Secret (hopslist) and Mosaic (hopslist)! As you could imagine, no doubt, this ensures a cornucopia of flavours, a wee bit too cold and fizzy for me, but very drinkable indeed!

And the reason behind my visit to London for the weekend? It was to go to a pre-season friendly match at AFC Wimbledon's new ground in Plough Lane SW17 0NR (website), and I have a bit of history going to the old Plough Lane ground when they were in the Southern League, and why drink in Tooting beforehand? 'tis far enough away from the ground to not be overcrowded on match days, and near enough to walk to in about 15 minutes. As you can see above, the proof of my attendance, and I got there quite early still, and the ground was still nearly empty, but the attendance was 5,138 for a pre-season friendly, and that's a fair turn-out for a friendly. 👌

Postscript. I bought a couple of 500ml bottles of the very tasty St Austell Proper Job (5.5%) this morning, cheers m'dears! 😉

A few beers in London...

I visited The Bricklayer's Arms, 32 Waterman Street SW15 1DD (facebook) a couple of months ago when I was in Putney (blog), and again last week, and confirm that it has certainly returned to form under the guidance of the new landlord Chris, nice one! 12 handpumps, one for cider, and on our latest visit there was a choice between 11 different cask conditioned ales.

We started with the 'East London Brewed' Five Points (website) XPA (4.0%), brewed with Citra and Galaxy hops. I wrote about the Citra hop just yesterday (blog), a hop from the USA with a complex lineage, including Hallertau Mittelfruh, Tettnanger, Brewers Gold and East Kent Golding, and providing 'citrus, grapefruit, lime, and tropical fruits' flavours (hopslist). The Galaxy hop is from Australia, descended from the German hop Perle, producing 'citrus, peach and passionfruit' in the aroma and taste (hopslist). This is a very pale bitter, I since noticed that wheat malt is used in addition to extra pale malt, hints of citrus indeed, but very subtle fruit flavours, a very refreshing and easy to drink session ale, with a nice dry bitter finish.

My brother stayed on the XPA, having just a half (he assured me there were a couple of bottles of Westmalle Tripel at home to enjoy in his garden later!), but I had another pint before we left the pub, this time of the Five Points Best (4.1%), which pretty much does what it says on the label. Brewed with Fuggles hops, a very traditional hop from Kent, named after a Mr Richard Fuggle in 1875, and a very English hop indeed (hopslist), although has been grown around the world, and is also in the lineage of many hops from the USA, eg a parent to Cascade and Willamette. An amber colour, and I also noticed later that wheat malt is used for this as well as darker malts, obviously a favourite of the Five Points brewers. A traditional best bitter with hints of biscuit and the required bitter finish, I've nothing to add, 'tis a nice best bitter. 👌

The next day we visited The Market Porter, 9 Stoney Street SE1 9AA (website), by Borough Market, near London Bridge, which opens between 06.00 and 09.00 weekdays (market licence), before closing for 2 hours and then reopening 11.00 to 23.00; opens at 12.00 at the weekend... We were there on Thursday, but didn't get there until after noon. 😁 Mostly, because we were going to see a matinee performance of The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare's Globe theatre (website). More of in my alter ego's blog, but to the ale...

We drank the York based Brew York (website) Make It Columbus (4.6%), a single hopped APA style bitter. The Columbus hop (USA) was 'originally bred by Chuck Zimmerman as part of a USDA* breeding programme' in the 1970s, with a herby citrus aroma and flavour (hopslist). Brew York appear to love using the Columbus hop, and so we came to drink this ale of theirs. Very pale golden, certainly a hint of citrus in the flavour, dry and bitter, and very decent! 👍

Cheers m'dears! 

 * United States Department of Agriculture

Fun Time in Putney and a wee bit more...

And this wasn't done in one day, honest, but on Thursday and Friday, I'm a wee bit sensible 😉 Anyway, I started off at The Rocket, Putney Wharf, Brewhouse Lane SW15 2JQ (website), which you may have noticed is a 'spoons, and a pretty decent 'spoons too, with a nice view (see further down, my final photograph). Brewhouse Lane is so called because of Martin the Brewer, who is reported to have been brewing here in the 14th century, and it is believed that brewing still continued there into the 18th century (Layers of London).

I had unlimited coffee there and Eggs Benedict with Mushrooms, before drinking an ale, which was from Nottingham brewery Magpie (website), their 5.2% 'British IPA' Jay IPA. As you'd expect, brewed with British hops, but I can't find out which hops, anyway, hints of citrus and a slightly sour taste with a dry bitter finish. I noticed a hint of maltiness and tasted honey too, a bit too sweet for me, but happy to finish my pint, thank you very much.

OK, not directly Putney related, but The Rocket had been the second 'spoons I'd visited in 8 days, the previous week my brother and I had been to The Picture Playhouse, 36-38 Western Road, Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 1DY (website). Here we drank from Yorkshire brewery Roosters (website), who have brewed clear vegan ales for years now, it can be done, their 4.7% Twenty Four Seven 24/7, pale golden and brewed with Amarillo and Simcoe hops from the USA and Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, providing a big citrus aroma and taste, and drying out to a very nice dry bitter finish, I liked this a lot, and costing just £2.50 a pint with my CAMRA member discount!

Back to Putney, and on Thursday I visited somewhere I've been meaning to enter for some time now, Ghost Whale, 134 Upper Richmond Road SW15 2SP (website), and they have premises in Brixton too. This is a bottle shop that also sells 8 keg 'craft' beers, and where you can imbibe on the premises too, which I did! I spent a while here, enjoying pleasant discourse with staff member Ray (from L.A.), who went to the same university college in Roehampton/Southfields as my brother, although quite a few years in-between their studies.

I began by drinking (and not pints here, I must add, but halves and two-thirds) Hertfordshire brewery Baron (website) Fuzz, a 4.2% Pale beer, brewed with Mosaic and Strata hops. OK, the beers I drank here were not clear, so Fuzz looked a little fuzzy too, but it was very fruity, citrus and forest fruits. Actually a clean refreshing finish, not bad at all.

The beers in the bottles pictured above were delivered whilst I was there, I didn't manage to sample any of them before I left, but I have reviewed Westmalle Tripel before, more than once (eg blog), I also took home 3 beers, see further down. But I did have a beer from East London brewery Howling Hops (website), their 6.6% NEIPA (New England IPA) Cabin Fever, thus brewed with Azacca, Topaz and Centennial hops, and consequently very pronounced citrus and tropical fruit, cloudy, so quite thick, but easily knocked back, not bad at all.

My final drink on the premises was from North London brewery Pressure Drop (website), their 8.5% DIPA (Double IPA, thus more malt for strength and plentiful hops) called Monstrous Unnatural Thing, brewed with Idaho-7 and Mosaic hops. This was very rich and thick, like fruit juice to look at, and with a tropical fruit flavour burst! It had a very decent flavour indeed, I liked it, but I couldn't have drunk a pint. Oh yes, and whilst I was there, Max of Wimbledon Brewery turned up, we chatted and he advised that he was then off to the Bricklayer's Arms where their ales were on tap, and where I was to visit on my second day (below).

On Friday I actually started off north of Putney Bridge, close to Putney Bridge Station, at a 17th century pub, The Eight Bells, 89 Fulham High Street SW6 3JS (facebook), which had 4 cask ales, including one from West London brewer Portobello (website) and two from South West London brewery Sambrook's (website), very local both. I had the 4.2% Sambrook's Pumphouse, brewed with British Admiral and Goldings hops, and late hopped with New Zealand Wakatua hops, to give this traditional English IPA a fruity twist. Pale golden, quite bitter, with a very dry finish, which I liked, pretty good.

I then crossed the bridge, and still close to the Thames on the south side (Surrey side), west of Putney Bridge and Max's parting shot the day before, to The Bricklayer's Arms, 32 Waterman Street SW15 1DD (facebook), which has certainly returned to form under the guidance of the new landlord Chris, not to mention tasteful refurbishment and new loos, great stuff! 12 handpumps, one for cider, and on my visit there was a choice between 9 different cask conditioned ales 👍including two I had a pint of each, from South West London brewery Wimbledon (website).

First, Wimbledon Best Bitter (4.3%), a traditional style best bitter, brewed with English Fuggles and Goldings hops, it does what it says on the label, I noted 'pretty good' and I would happily drink it all day. Then I had a pint of the Wimbledon Quartermaine (5.8%), an 'English IPA' brewed with Fuggles, Goldings, Admiral and Target hops, a bit sweet for me at first taste, but drying out to bitterness at the finish, not bad, but I noted that I should have had a half. 😉

I also drank 2 pints of ale here from one of my favourite brewers, Kentish brewery Kent (website), I'll try something from somewhere different on my next visit, but I had to... They were brewed by Kent after all! First, their 3.7% Session Pale, which again does what it says on the label, it is a light session pale ale, hint of citrus, very refreshing with a dry bitter finish, and very easy to drink, I could drink this all day. 👌 My final drink here was the Kent Kent Golding Bitter (4.1%), brewed with Golding and Fuggles hops, and a traditional 'ordinary' or 'session' bitter indeed, and I'll not get tired of saying it, but you know what you are going to get by reading the label, hint of malt and hint of citrus, but, well it's a very good bitter indeed, cheers! 

So, to the 3 beers I took away with me in a tote bag from Ghost Whale, a bag that my niece was very happy to adopt, two pale ales and a very dark one from Belgium. First, from Beak Brewery of Lewes in Sussex (website) and their 6.0% Parade IPA, brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Idaho-7 hops, so you would expect a big fruity flavour, and you wouldn't be disappointed! A pale golden beer, hazy, and fruity aroma and taste, a bit too thick for me, but not bad.

Then, from Windsor based brewery Two Flints (website) Vista, a 5.5% West Coast Pale Ale, brewed with Simcoe and Talus hops from the USA and British grown Olicana hops, and apparently a small amount of wheat added to the malt... This produced a very tasty pale golden beer, plenty of fruit in the aroma and taste with a lovely dry bitter finish, I did like this! 👍

My final beer, and from Belgium, was from Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck (website) and their Barista Chocolate Quad (11.0%), similar to a porter in style, with chocolate, coffee and a hint of liquorice in the aroma and more chocolate to the taste. A deep dark red, creamy, with plenty of body as you would expect from the strength and style, my niece wasn't impressed, but then she doesn't like beer much, but a good ale to finish a session with, cheers! 😁

Before I go, and this was my view from The Rocket (at the top of this blog), with Putney Bridge clearly in the picture if looking to the west (above), and with the historic St Mary's Church virtually next door to the pub (just out of shot), south of and just to the east of the bridge, to the left of the photograph. St Mary's Church was where the Putney Debates of 1647 were held by Parliamentarians during the English Civil War (Putney Debates) with the goal of deciding what a new 'democratic' commonwealth should look like...

Cheers folks! 🍻 

A Trip to Putney and 37 degrees Celsius!

Loved these on the floor!

I arrived at Clapham Junction railway station following a surprisingly not too uncomfortable 2 hours wearing a face mask during the journey, and decided to walk along the Thames Footpath rather than catch a bus to Putney, and I couldn't believe how hot it was, 37 degrees Celsius! Still not sure whether I should have caught a bus or not, but I was looking forward to going to the Harvey's pub to the east of Wandsworth Park, The Cat's Back (website), however, it wasn't open when I got there sadly (about 3.15 pm). So, still thirsty, I cut through Wandsworth Park...

... into Putney, and ended up walking along the Lower Richmond Road to The Half Moon at number 93 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1EU (website), a pub well known for live music in 'normal' times, and somewhere I hadn't been to this century! Well adapted for 'social distancing' with separate doors for entering and exiting, took my name and mobile number as I entered, very quiet, although I was informed customers had been there for lunchtime, and I was asked to sit under the air conditioning, very many thanks! It was so lovely and cool, cheers!! 😓

And I was brought a lovely pint of the excellent again St Austell (website) Proper Job, a 4.5% modern styled, USA-hopped (Willamette, Cascade, Chinook), 'Cornish India Pale Ale.' I have written about Proper Job before, named after a West Country colloquialism that I first heard when I visited Devon and Cornwall in the 1970s, meaning a job well done or quality, and used from Cornwall to Somerset. And the ale is a pale golden, dry, citrus fruity, bitter, very thirst quenching (I drank a second pint soon after 😉). I've written a number of times about this ale, for example when drinking a bottle-conditioned 5.5% version during the recent lockdown (blog) and, more recently following the sad death of its creator, Roger Ryman (blog).

Coincidentally, I was in Putney to 'house sit' (and look after 2 cats!) for my brother and his family because they were away across the country in Cornwall. Anyhow, I let you down a wee bit because the Half Moon was the only pub I visited whilst in Putney, it was too hot to go for long walks or to visit pubs really, and I had a nice garden in which to sit, although I mostly stayed indoors and watched DVDs supplied (virtually a self-imposed lockdown). But I did go just round the corner from the house to the Artisan & Vine at 195/197 Lower Rochmond Road, SW15 1HJ (website), which had a very interesting selection of canned beers to drink; I tested these 5...

2 were from the New Zealand brewery Deep Creek (website), first their 4.5% pale ale Lotus, New Zealand hops as you would expect (presumably Lotus), not too bitter, a hint of citrus fruit, and quite a pale golden beer with a dry finish, nice and refreshing. Then, their stronger 5.4% Redwood, an American Pale Ale, so presumably hops from the USA. Much more body as you would expect from the strength, a deep golden colour with a BIG fruity aroma, and citrus fruit/grapefruit in the taste with a hint of tropical fruits, again not too bitter, but with a dry finish.

Then, from much nearer to home, well Croydon, and Signal Brewery (website), and 2 of their beers. The 4.9% The Pale is an American style APA, using Cascade and Chinook hops, a golden beer with plenty of body and a big fruity aroma and tropical and citrus fruit in the taste; they describe the flavour as 'grapefruit & pomegranate.' Another that is not too bitter and with a dry finish. The second from this brewery was, also 4.9%, The IPA, cannot find out the hops used, could be similar, but an unfined beer, so hazy, very pale with a BIG fruity aroma too, and plenty of fruity taste, they suggest 'citrus & mango' and I shan't argue. Very good!

The fifth beer was again from New Zealand, but a different brewery, 8 Wired (website) Yes, Sensei, a 5.5% APA, described as a 'punchy little hophead.' A little bit darker than the other beers, nearer to a pale amber, and with plenty of body, I got peach in the flavour, guessing hops from the USA, with a dry bitter finish. The proprietor of Artisan & Vine comes from New Zealand, so may be a bit prejudiced, but he suggested this was his favorite, and it is very good, but so they all are. I may just agree with him, but enjoyed drinking the lot, every one a winner!

And to the sad loss of The Bricklayer's Arms to Putney, closed down during the lockdown. This has been the London CAMRA Pub of the Year many times in the past, but had been running down in recent years, and the beer garden has been built over with flats, consequently the regular beer festivals stopped. I suppose the writing was already on the wall when I wrote my blog (older blogspot) 4 years ago, when the council basically put a protection order on it, and many other pubs in Wandsworth, who knows?

But a shame, it has been a great place to drink ale, was the best in Putney for years...

A Weekend in London, and a Surprise or Two...

I visited my brother over the weekend, and, OK, this isn't just about ale, but ale does play an important part of the story, particularly noting the miles we walked between Friday afternoon and Sunday to get to pubs. Anyway, first to The Rocket (website) close by Putney Bridge and St Mary's Church, where the 'Putney Debates' were held during the English Civil War (website). Indeed, we think the pub could have a better choice of name, eg 'The Leveller' or something with 'Cromwell' in the title, and not just because of Oliver, but his great-grandfather Thomas Cromwell was born and lived locally. Anyway, The Rocket is the best pub for real ale in Putney, simples!

So, to Friday's ale, and Windsor & Eton's (website) Knight of the Garter, a 3.8% 'golden ale' as it says on the pumpclip, and pretty damn good too! This ale has a nice fruity grapefruit flavour, presumably from the Amarillo hops used in the brewing, with a slightly nutty bitter finish, Dan suggested 'slightly tart' and I couldn't disagree. We didn't drink anything else here but this ale, as I doubted we'd enjoy any other of their range as much, so we went back for more... And the price? Well, this is a 'spoons, so a mere £2.30 a pint, but for CAMRA members like me, another 50p knocked off the price, so £1.80 a pint, cheers muchly!

You'll have noticed by now that the miles of walking were between Putney and, well, it was to be Rotherhithe, and along the Thames Embankment. Consequently, we crossed Wandsworth Bridge from the Surrey side, then re-crossed Albert Bridge back, one of my favourite bridges!

We carried on past our later in the day visits on our way to Rotherhithe and  looking back up the Thames caught this view, with so many old and newer landmarks included.

Thence to the last boarding place in London from whence the pilgrims embarked in 1620 before heading for Southampton, then America! And why this pub's name was changed to The Mayflower (website), another old favourite pub, which I have been visiting since the 1970s.

Which glorious ale did we imbibe at the Mayflower in Rotherhithe? Well, it was very good indeed, though I can't rate Kent Brewery (website) highly enough, consistently good ales they brew! This was one of their 'single hopped' pale bitters called Citra, Citra being the hop used, in case they hadn't made it plain enough. You'll be aware I do love ales brewed with Citra, and this 4.5% offering didn't disappoint. With a lovely fruity aroma, this very pale golden ale had citrus, grapefruit and bitter orange, in the taste, and with a lovely dry bitter finish, Dan said 'tart' - extremely delicious and refreshing indeed, though a bit more pricey at £4.40 a pint!

We walked back to Borough Market, and I suggested we go into Southwark Cathedral (website), where our paternal great-grandparents were married when it was still a parish church, and Dan was very happy we did (so was I) as there was a rehearsal playing for a concert, and a favourite piece of music of his, ie Vaughan Williams 'Lark Ascending' (youtube example for your appreciation if, like me, you'd never heard it before).

We then walked the very short distance to The Rake by Borough Market (twitter page), a regular haunt when we are in the vicinity, and, despite the noisy young clientele (and Fagin!) at the time (they'd obviously been drinking too much during the afternoon!), and when we managed to find a seat inside, we thoroughly enjoyed the Fyne Ales Jarl (3.8% and £4.50 a pint).

Fyne Ales (website) are one of the breweries whose ales I have never been disappointed with, indeed, 4 years ago I placed their Jarl, which I first drank 6 years ago, as my 'champion' session  bitter (blog). OK, this wasn't the best I've ever tasted it, but still good... If you cannot be bothered to look back at the older blog here is how I describe it (if you can be bothered to carry on reading this 😉): "a crackin' dry, pale golden and hoppy ale, with plenty of citrus flavours, nice and bitter, and very refreshing" and brewed with Citra hops, what more can I say?!?

We then wandered another short distance to The Globe Theatre, a slightly smaller replica of the original Globe that Shakespeare used to produce his plays at in the late 16th/early 17th centuries, to see The Two Noble Kinsmen, written in collaboration with John Fletcher.

The Stage

I have to admit I'd never heard of this play, but Dan bought a ticket for me and, as groundlings (standing rather than sitting, but right in front of the stage, quality, and very much part of what goes on!), we enjoyed the play very much. There was so much humour, not to mention pathos, and with some fine performances, notably by the actors playing Arcite, Palamon, Emilia, and the Jailer's Daughter. I wrote my own review of this excellent play, but, unless it reappears, they don't seem to like what I said, which was very appreciative, oh well... Anyway, see their website.

We then caught 2 buses back to Dan's as it was late, cheers!

Visit to West/South West London

So what were we doing drinking in a Wetherspoons pub? Well, historically, as in the last few years, I've considered the Bricklayers to be my pub of choice in Putney, sadly, they've gradually descended into the abyss, it's freezing out of the summer season, I've been there and they've had no beers at all, recently very few ales available, and on our last visit we were served up a very poor pint from the usually reliable Twickenham Ales, and at £4.40 a pint... I've given up! So, to The Rocket, Putney Wharf Tower, Brewhouse Lane, Putney SW15 2JQ (website), it has a great view of the bridge and down the river (Thames), and is next door but one to St Mary's Church (website), who's 15th century tower is visible, and the church where the Putney Debates were held by the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War, proper historic!

Also, as I'm a member of CAMRA I get another 50p off a pint of real ale there with a voucher, and during my recent visit, that was off an already low £2.29 a pint, so just £1.79 each for a few very different decent ales, instead of £4.40 a pint plus for poorly conditioned/dead ale, no competition, and there's not much else in Putney for real ale these days either! My brother Dan, really liked the 4.9% Romsey brewery Flack Manor (website) Hedge  Hop, a traditionally copper coloured bitter, slightly sweet biscuit flavour, with hints of fruit and spice the result of the use of Cascade, Pilot and Challenger hops, not bad and Dan kept returning to it...

But I prefered, from the much more local Wandsworth brewer, Sambrook's (website) Powerhouse Porter (also 4.9%). I have to admit I wasn't too impressed with Sambrook's in their early days, but their ales seem to get better every time I try them, and this one is a gorgeous example of a Porter! Brewed using a variety of malts, and producing a smooth deep dark red ale with plenty of body, and a hint of chocolate in the taste, very nice, cheers!

The next day we walked a circuitous 18 mile route to Richmond and back, via Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, and the Thames footpath (mostly Middlesex side). In Richmond we visited The Victoria Inn, 78 Hill Rise TW10 6UB, our new 'favourite' pub there, with excellent service from the Cornish 'maid' (oops! My history of living in Devon and Cornwall coming out there, sorry, all women down there are called 'maid' and all men are called 'boy', so 'young boy' or 'old boy' etc!). Anyway, here we both drank the Suffolk brewer Adnams (website) Ghost Ship (4.5%), more expensive, oh well, you can't be paying £1.79 a pint everywhere, sadly... This is a pale sharp refreshing ale, with a slight citrus flavour from the Citra hops used (and other unspecified hops from the USA) and a dry bitter finish, their best ale, I believe.

When we got back to Putney we dropped down in strength at The Rocket, but what a great brewery to find an ale from, Oakham of Peterborough (website), and again at £1.79 for CAMRA members, still great value at £2.29 though for others! Jeffrey Hudson Bitter (JHB, 3.8%) is a wonderful pale golden ale, with citrus in the aroma and flavour provided by the Challenger and Mount Hood hops used, quite sharp and refreshing, with a dry bitter finish and, indeed, one of the best session ales brewed!

I usually prefer to drink at smaller local ale houses, but the manager/cellar manager appears to be keeping their ales in very good condition, and, although quite a busy pub, The Rocket has an appropriate number of staff working to keep the drinks flowing and the till ticking, cheers!