London Beer Flood 1814 Anniversary

The London Beer Flood, which I have written about a number of times before, was a distressing event that happened close by what is now the Dominion Theatre in London's West End, and occurred on the 17th of October 1814; some reports record this tragedy to have happened the day before, but the evidence to support the 17th as the anniversary looks to be stronger.

In those days, London drinkers were supplied by dozens of competing breweries, which resulted in some breweries building enormous vats in which to ferment and condition their ales. Indeed, the enormous porter vat of Maux & Company had a capacity of over a million pints! At about 6pm, on the 17th of October, 206 years ago, one of the steel restraining bands that enveloped that gigantic vat broke and released the contents. Together with the million plus pints of porter released from this vat, other vessels in the brewery were damaged and released even more beer into the flood. The resulting deluge damaged the brewery and a nearby pub, the Tavistock Arms and, sadly, flooded the basements of nearby homes...

Depending on which reports you read, between 7 and 9 people died as a direct result of the flood, most of them drowning in their own basements, and many more were seriously injured, including some of those who came to help rescue survivors... 

R.I.P. to those who sadly died in their own homes. 😢

Images, with thanks to www.history.info, and I cannot find the source again for the photograph of Maux & Company brewery, my apologies to that source!

Pubs to Revisit in England Part II - in t' North

It's a while since I wrote my first blog regarding pubs to revisit n England, so to Part II and up int' North! Heading up the M5/M6 to the North West and my first pub today is The Marble Arch Inn, 73 Rochdale Road, Manchester M4 4HY (website), an interesting listed Victorian building. The pub has wonderful tiling, some of which, apparently, was found by chance when the ceiling fell due to dampness! This used to be a brewpub, and you could see into the brewery out the back, and in those days I often chatted to the brewers about the ales on offer, hops used etc, but now Marble Beers (website) are brewed around the corner in larger premises, supplying organic, vegan-friendly, ales to the pub and the free trade, indeed, I last drank their 3.9% session ale Pint at the Tower Pub in Hastings not so long ago.

The Marble Arch Inn was built in 1888 and has an obviously sloping mosaic (not hoppy 😉) floor, and I've often seen objects/glasses rolling or slipping down tables. This pub sells not just excellent ales but very good food too, but be careful of your plate, as well as glass, on the table! I've most often visited just as part of a fun day out in Manchester, where there are many other great pubs as well, and I've visited the pub when in town for football too, for example, when I drank there with my brother and friend Teapot Dave from Haworth, during the afternoon before an evening football match at Old Trafford. Amusingly, before the match we ate and drank here and took advantage of their great jukebox, and Dave made us laugh because he confused The Clash's London's Burning (YouTube) with The Ruts' Babylon's Burning (YouTube), we laughed anyway, though not so much Dave. Anyway, I must return!

My second pub, and not too far away from my Manc friends, is The Philharmonic, 36 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BX (website), a pub I wrote about earlier this year after it become Grade I Listed (blog); if you haven't already read the blog I'd suggest you do so as it gives a bit of history of the pub, plus a bit of history of my interest. Indeed, many of these pubs have an element of football interest in them for me as well, as in me visiting with friends whilst in town for a football match, or meeting up with friends who support the opposition. However, I've also visited just for a drink when I hadn't even been living locally, that's how good these pubs are! I'm certainly looking forward to returning to this delightful building... 

Next, we need to travel north-east to The Bodega, 125 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 4AG (website), but why the name Bodega? The name comes from a small wine cellar or wine shop in Spain, indeed there are a few pubs called this around Britain, notably this excellent pub in very easy reach of Newcastle FC. I have also drank here before and after matches at nearby Sunderland FC too, which is very easy to reach via the Metro, and the people of Newcastle become extra friendly when they discover you're supporting the Mackems' opposition! I was a bit upset when I last came here for a Newcastle match as my mate Teapot Dave (again) became a pain as he was driving and had to limit his drinking; he got me away from The Bodega way too early, redirecting us to the 'Spoons, sadly, and I was getting on very well with the (female) manager of The Bodega too...

Anyway, The Bodega is another wonderful Victorian pub that has a lovely interior, with a long bar that extends way back, making it appear cavernous compared to how it appears before you walk in. It has an elaborately tiled floor and 2 stained glass domes, or cupolas, in the ceiling. I haven't visited for a while, consequently why I'd love to return, but last time I was there they had 8 real ales on offer; with 4 guest ales supporting 4 regular/semi-regular ales from 3 of my favourite brewers, Oakham Ales, Fyne Ales and Durham Brewery. No wonder I like returning! 

Next we head back southwards to Yorkshire, and I have to add at least 1 pub from the White Rose county. I'm not including any pubs in Sheffield, because I know I'll be revisiting Sheffield again, no worries, and I regularly write about Sheffield anyway, like in this blog. Plus, I'd upset too many people I know up there if I only included 1 or 2, there are so many excellent pubs in this part of South Yorkshire! So, I'm selecting a pub in Leeds that I've visited when in Leeds just for fun, not to mention business (football), and for a Christmas drink with 8 or 9 friends from Haworth, including good old Teapot Dave, who didn't do anything embarrassing, indeed, it's likely I may have, we did have a few to drink...

So, to Whitelock's Ale House, Turk's Head Yard, Leeds LS1 6HB (website - entrance via Briggate), which dates from 1715, and is the oldest pub in Leeds. It is situated down a long narrow yard, which you could easily miss if you didn't know it was there and that would be a shame! The interior hasn't changed since the nineteenth century, with stained wood, stained glass windows and, despite being narrow, a very bright interior, mostly due to the abundance of mirrors and glass. You can sit outside in the alley/yard, but it's a welcoming pub to stay inside with friendly service... we were tolerated with our Christmas visit! And they sell decent food and excellent real ale, with many ales from Yorkshire breweries; I seem to remember drinking a lovely pale bitter from Leeds Brewery on my last visit, and I'll be back! 

Next, the Midlands...

Cask Ale Week!

What an opportune day to begin Cask Ale Week 2020 (website, and which is more than a week, certainly 1 or 2 over the 8 😉), that is, on Thursday just gone, when rules for drinking in pubs became even more complicated, some may say farcical, but rules are rules... I have written about the updated Covid-19 rules in my other blog, and I apologize if I seem to spend more time on that blog, but, as I always do, I promise to try and write more here, especially now that a Google 'improvement' has messed up my website address, or lost it!

Anyway, put on a face covering, go into a pub or 3, and have a decent pint of cask ale, cheers!

New St Austell Brewing Director

OK, I appear to be a little late with the news, my apologies, but St Austell Brewery has appointed a new Brewing Director following the sad death of the previous incumbent, the excellent brewer who brought us Proper Job and Tribute, Roger Ryman (blog). 

Georgina Young has been their new Brewing Director since her appointment a month ago (website), and I thank them for the (slightly edited by me) image above. Georgina was a log-time friend to Roger, who had been delighted when she moved from her head brewer position at Fuller's to St Austell owned Bath Ales, as their head brewer in May 2019.

Georgina graduated with a MSc in Brewing and Distilling from the Edinburgh university Heriot Watt, before working at Smiles Brewery and running a pilot brewery at Camden BRI, then joining Fuller's as a production brewer in 1999; where she was promoted to head brewer in 2017. She is also a Master Brewer of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

My congratulations and best wishes go to Georgina and her career at St Austell and Bath Ales, may she carry on, if not improve upon, the great work started by Roger, cheers m'dear!

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...

Hoppy International Beer Day 2020!

Today is the day to celebrate International Beer Day, (Days of the Year) not to be confused with Beer Day Britain (blog), as this day's celebration (today's) originated in Santa Cruz, California. So, wherever you live, pick up a glass and raise it to International Beer Day 2020, and to thank and celebrate everyone who makes drinking fine beers possible, cheers!

My Second Pub Visited Post-Lockdown

A confident message from the publican, Louisa, and amusing too, the story is based on the events of Sunday the 23rd of May 1943, when a bombing and 'strafing' raid was made on Hastings during World War II, with one pub, the Swan Inn in the High Street in the Old Town, receiving a direct hit. The Swan Inn has a long history, indeed the Duke of Wellington was honoured with a dinner and dance there soon after he returned home from Ireland with his new wife, Kitty Packenham, in 1806 (blog). A memorial garden is now on the site, opposite St Clements Church. You'll have guessed by now that wasn't the pub I was in for a few pints...

No, I was at The Tower, 251 London Road, on the corner with Tower Road, in Bohemia, Hastings & St Leonards TN34 6NB, I've been there twice, actually, since my last blog. So, during that air raid back in 1943 an interesting wee story evolved when a 1,000 lbs bomb hit the road outside The Tower, which had its cellar doors open for a delivery, and it bounced along and dropped into the cellar of the pub, I kid you not, and it did not explode! I am certainly grateful for that, because The Tower is one of my favourite local watering holes, thankfully the building is still standing.

The Tower

The sapper who diffused the bomb that day rendering it harmless, and who returned the next day to remove it, was a gentleman from Coventry called Patrick Kavanagh. A photographer from the Hastings Observer recorded the removal of the bomb from the cellar, but the image was never published in the newspaper because of wartime restrictions. Coincidentally, Patrick's daughter moved to Hastings, just round the corner from The Tower in Springfield Road, and when visiting her in 1990 he strolled to the local pub for a drink. Not realizing he was in the same pub he was reminiscing with locals about his wartime experience and was told to have a look at a photograph on the wall, which was the photograph taken 47 years earlier, and the photograph is still on the wall now! I have found an interesting account written by his son 9 years ago (website).

So, drinks at The Tower, excellently served by Lou, and the pub that couldn't be closed by the Luftwaffe, even after they bombed the building, has been reopened with suitable restrictions taking into account Government Covid-19 Guidelines, following Johnson closing the pub!

The photograph immediately above is from my second visit, an interesting variety of styles, but the first ale I shall describe was the very good 'best bitter' I drank on my previous visit, from the Sussex brewer, Gun Brewery (website), their 4.4% Chummy Bluster, brewed with 7 malts and 3 different English hops. It is described as 'Vegan Friendly' being unfined, and gluten free, so drinkable for all! And it did what it said on the label, my notes say: "traditional coloured, plenty of body and flavour, like a good Best Bitter" which says it all!

I started with a guest session bitter for my second visit, from the Kent brewer, Northdown Brewery (website) Pale Ale Mary (4.0%), brewed with Northdown, Brewers Gold and Bobek hops, pale, but not as fruity and flowery as many contemporary pale ales. Indeed, quite subtle flavours with a nice dry bitter finish, a very decent session bitter. I've drunk and written about the 'classic' Dark Star Hophead (3.8%) many times, and I didn't drink it on this visit, as 'researching' and someone has to do the job! But I did try the very different beer from Cumbrian brewer Fell Brewery (website), their Cask O'Joe, a 4.6% 'Coffee Milk Stout.' Very smooth, rich and creamy, not too much coffee in the taste and with a hint of chocolate, a bit too sweet for me really, although it did have a slightly dry bitter finish, but I did drink a pint with no bother!

My last pint was another from Gun Brewery, a 6.5% Vegan IPA with a big citrus and tropical fruit aroma and taste, presumably hops from the USA used, as this is an APA style. It's advertised as being 'hazy' because 'Vegan' but hardly hazy at all, with proteins in the brew obviously dropping naturally. My favourite ale of the lot, hic... cheers to Lou, and to you the reader!