Congratulations to Rye Waterworks!

David welcomes me!

I recently discovered that the Rye Waterworks micropub, which opened little over a year ago (more details at last years blog), had been presented with the South East Sussex CAMRA Runner Up for Cider Pub of the Year 2019 award, congratulations! So I had to visit asap, and did so yesterday, and what a fine day it was too...

The ever-changing furniture

At opening time, 12.00 noon, there was David and Ulla working at the Waterworks, and local teacher and part-time bar steward Josephine (or Jo to friends), started at 14.00. As ever, a friendly welcome (see first photograph, for example) and warm banter and discussion with people both sides of the bar, including customers new and not so new.

Beers to the Left, Ciders to the Right

The Rye Waterworks doesn't just sell 8 local real ales, but many local gins and very nearly local wines (this isn't the place for that story), but, and very likely why they won the award so early in the pub's existence, they also sell 14 or so local real ciders (including 3 in bottle), usually a perry, and even a 22% locally produced mead! Also, food-wise, and we're talking traditional, and not so traditional, bar snacks including locally made pork pies and scotch eggs, for the vegetarians locally produced vegetable somosas and pickled garlic cloves, and the Roder's neighbour supplies home made spicy chutney and jam to accompany the excellent food on offer.

 

As I've said before, if it's not nailed down, virtually everything you see, inside and outside, that is furniture, curios, pictures/posters, pewter tankards et al, is for sale, which is why it looks a little different every time you visit... And, of course, what's on offer to drink and eat changes here and there too, hence the number of different beer pump clips seen in the above photograph!

Yesterday, as I often do, I mostly drank the excellent session pale golden bitter from Old Dairy Brewery (website), their 3.8% Uber Brew, pale, dry and bitter, refreshing and, indeed, excellent! I also tried a pint of the Goachers (website) Silver Star (4.2%), another golden ale, sweet at first taste with a hint of honey, but with a dry finish and bitter aftertaste, very complex and not bad at all. I also tried a half of Brumaison (website) 1770 London Porter, a 4.7% porter (with not just a small part stout; I've written a stouts and porters blog before!), which was excellent too...

I'll be back... Cheers!

Belfast:

A Guest Review by my friend Sam, cheers Sam!

Kitchen Bar

I was born in Belfast but have lived in England for 46 years. When I stopped going back regularly in 1983 there was no Real Ale to be had in pubs in the centre of Belfast. In fact, very few people went into the city centre. Imagine my surprise when I returned for the first time in 30 years, 5 years ago, and attended the Belfast Beer Festival! Going over for a couple of days at the end of May, I determined to see the state of play with real ale in Belfast City Centre. All visits were in the afternoon.

The first pub I tried was The Kitchen (website), near the main shopping centre in Victoria Square. It is a modern looking pub with half used for food service and sport on the TV. There was one handpump, serving Whitewater Maggie's Leap, a full bodied bitter at 4.7%. Priced at £3.80, was an enjoyable pint. 

Later in the afternoon I tried The Bridge House (website). This is a typical Wetherspoons pub. Prices were very reasonable, but I was disappointed that there were no local beers on. I had a pint of Pickled Mouse from the Arundel Brewery. At 4.1% it was the weakest beer apart from Doom Bar and Ruddles. 

On the second day, after a visit to my old neighbourhood, I visited The John Hewitt (website). This is a small pub in the Cathedral district. Lunchtime is geared for food, but they do have music advertised in the evening at weekends. Again there was only one handpump, serving Yardsman American Pale Ale, a light and refreshing beer brewed by the Hercules Brewing Company in Belfast. 

I then tried McHughs (website), a pub in the oldest building in Belfast. This building is the back room of the pub, and the rest is fairly modern. This pub also had only one handpump serving Whitewater Maggie's Leap. As with all the beers tried, it was in good condition. 

On the third day, I had some time to kill before getting the bus to the airport, so I went in The Crown (website) on Great Victoria Street. This pub is famous for it's interior with original booths. It also has a fine selection of real ales. I tried another Whitewater beer, Copperhead, a hoppy beer with a touch of citrus at 3.7%, although at £4.70 a pint it was on the expensive side.

The Crown tends to get very busy at lunch times, so I went next door to Brennans (facebook page), which had no real ale, but served Maggie's Leap on tap at £4.30 a pint! This is a Typical Belfast pub serving traditional Irish food. 

At Belfast International Airport, I went to one of the bars through security. They were selling Maggie's Leap on keg for £6.30 a pint! I suppose that is one way to counter air rage!*

Overall, I was disappointed by the choice offered, although I only visited city centre pubs. There are a number of breweries in Northern Ireland brewing real ales, so it is a shame more are not repreented in Belfast.

Cheers Sam, and many thanks, Maggie certainly leapt at you plenty!

*Or cause it! (ed) 😉

Hoppy Beer Day Britain!

Hoppy Beer Day Britain, do have a pint or three, cheers! See website for information.

If The Beermeister Could Do Perfect Drinking Partners!

Thirsty?!?😉

Congratulations to Hastings' Dolphin Inn!

Congratulations to The Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW (facebook page), for winning the CAMRA South East Sussex Community Pub of the Year 2019. Well done to Mark and Mo, Laura, Louise and Fraser, and all the bar staff, plus to Clare and her kitchen staff for adding a new dimension since she took on the kitchen. 

The Dolphin Inn, its staff and customers do make this not just an excellent place to knock back 6 real ales, always in perfect condition, at any one time, including 3 regulars (Dark Star Hophead, Harveys Sussex Best and Youngs Special), and 3 guest ales, usually locally brewed, for example, I enjoyed a couple of pints of Dark Star Revelation, a truly 'revelationary' 5.7% hoppy ale, one to savour, and brewed in East Sussex still! 

But also, good food, and a true community pub, with locals from all walks of life joining in with community projects, looking out for each other, charity work and fund-raising £thousands, at least three days a week with live music played by local musicians and singers, and welcoming to all ages, and visitors and tourists too... 

Yet again, this is certainly a well-deserved award, nice one and cheers!

Summer of Pub!

1967 was the Summer of Love, 52 years later CAMRA has announced a campaign for 2019 called Summer of Pub to encourage people to get down to the pub over the coming months. So look out for dedicated posters and beer mats in pubs taking part, or encourage your publican to participate, or if you are a publican join in! How to get involved and details of events and participating pubs can be found at the CAMRA website.

Please do enjoy the Summer of Pub!

Seven Cs of Rye...

It seems like I'm making a monthly trip to Rye nowadays, which is a good thing, and to the Rye Waterworks again, at Tower Street TN31 7AT, and which I've adopted as my 'local' in Rye. There was the usual pleasant company, including new faces as ever, and the friendly service of father & son team, David and Eddie.

Inside (above), and as I've explained before, the ever-changing furniture, posters and pictures, and curios, every trip is like entering a different pub, as everything not nailed down is for sale!

And the 8 real ales available listed to the left of the board (above), and a similar number of ciders to the right. Why have I named this the Seven Cs of Rye? Well, I was stuck for a pun, and can't be far off having seven hops used among the 8 ales on offer, with names beginning with C! Cannot be certain, because not all brewers tell you what hops they use, but certainly at least 4 of the following hops were used: Calypso, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Columbus and Comet, well I can dream...

Bar to the right

I mostly drank the Old Dairy Uber Brew, 3.8%, and lovely and hoppy (includes use of the hops Citra, Chinook, and Equinox), quite frankly, this is one of the best session pale golden bitters on the market, and very local too. I also had a pint of the 4.2% Old Dairy Simcoe IPA (let me down on the hops used obviously!). This was unfined, so suitable for vegans, and a hazy amber colour, a bit too sweet for me, plenty of caramel from the malt, with a slightly nutty finish, and surprisingly very dry in the finish. Yes, I also tried a pint of the Rother Valley Brew 3500, which I guess is their 3500th gyle, or brew, but it wasn't mentioned on their website when I looked just now. Presumably why it's a 3.5% ale, copper colour, slightly nutty, with a hint of roasted malt, indeed, a very decent traditional style bitter.

As you can see in the photograph above this one, situated at the far end of the bar, tee shirts are now on sale for £10 each, and the photograph immediately above is the one I took home with me, cheers David and Eddie!

I shall return...