GBBF

[NickDavies]

I went along for a couple of hours this evening and the turnout seemed very low. Indeed by about 8pm the numbers had thinned quite noticeably. As far as I'm concerned it was all very pleasant but I doubt that Camra high command see it that way. The drop off in alcohol consumption is well documented, especially amongst the young and for whatever reason far fewer people seem to want to enjoy a midweek drink. I was nattering to one of the bar managers who said the the early part of the week is indeed getting quieter, then everything concentrates on the Invasion Of The Dickheads on Friday night.

Times they are a changing.

[Pubsignman]

Don't know if it would affect GBBF turnout, but there is another festival on in London this week. It's aimed at 'craft' keg and cask drinkers and having unintentionally turned up at a couple of their events whilst doing the Bermondsey Beer Mile on Saturday, I was surprised to find they had a very diverse audience, including plenty of CAMRA types.

http://www.londonbeercity.com/

[trainman]

Bermondsey Beer Mile? What dat?

[Pubsignman]

Bermondsey Beer Mile? What dat?

There are seven microbreweries (plus one bottle shop/bar) located in various railway arches in Bermondsey. On a Saturday, you can do a crawl around all eight venues, with the supposed walking distance between each brewery totalling a little over a mile.

I was a bit skeptical as only one venue serves cask ale, but it turned out to be a really good day and a lot of the keg stuff was surprisingly easy drinking.

Starting at Surrey Quays tube station and following the arches back in the direction of London Bridge, the crawl is as follows:

1) Fourpure
2) Partizan
3) The Kernel (although they are closing their taproom for good on 5th September)
4) Brew By Numbers
5) UBREW (beers brewed onsite by amatuer/hobbyist brewers)
6) Bottle Shop (a bottle shop with 8 keg beers on tap)
7) Anspach & Hobday
8) Southwark (cask ale available)

[Bucking Fastard]

There are seven microbreweries (plus one bottle shop/bar) located in various railway arches in Bermondsey. On a Saturday, you can do a crawl around all eight venues, with the supposed walking distance between each brewery totalling a little over a mile.

I was a bit skeptical as only one venue serves cask ale, but it turned out to be a really good day and a lot of the keg stuff was surprisingly easy drinking.

Starting at Surrey Quays tube station and following the arches back in the direction of London Bridge, the crawl is as follows:

1) Fourpure
2) Partizan
3) The Kernel (although they are closing their taproom for good on 5th September)
4) Brew By Numbers
5) UBREW (beers brewed onsite by amatuer/hobbyist brewers)
6) Bottle Shop (a bottle shop with 8 keg beers on tap)
7) Anspach & Hobday
8) Southwark (cask ale available)

Thanks for the list PSM,I've heard of this crawl but never seen the full list of brewers......it's on the to do list :glass:

[Al 10000]

then everything concentrates on the Invasion Of The Dickheads on Friday night.

Times they are a changing.

Me and the wife attend the Nottingham beer festival every year and also do the Derby beer festival on a few occasions and a few local pub festivals.
We can only attend festivals on a Friday or Saturday because we both start work at 6am and have to get up before 5am,so there is no way we can have a really good drink
at a festival in midweek.

Does this make us dickheads because we only attend on a Friday or Saturday.

[Pubsignman]

Thanks for the list PSM,I've heard to this crawl but never seen the full list of brewers......it's on the to do list :glass:

It's worth a look if you've got a free Saturday, preferably during the summer, as it's much nicer taking your beer outside than sitting in eight very similar railway arches.

One correction to my original email - the crawl starts from South Bermondsey station, not Surrey Quays, although the start point is walkable from the latter.

I don't think any of these places are on PuG yet, so I'll try and get them added unless anyone feels they're not in the spirit of the site (I know there are quite a few brewery bars already on PuG, so I'm assuming it will be okay). The reviews might take a bit longer though, as I'm off on my holidays on Sunday.

[NickDavies]

Me and the wife attend the Nottingham beer festival every year and also do the Derby beer festival on a few occasions and a few local pub festivals.
We can only attend festivals on a Friday or Saturday because we both start work at 6am and have to get up before 5am,so there is no way we can have a really good drink
at a festival in midweek.

Does this make us dickheads because we only attend on a Friday or Saturday.

Only if you are already a dickhead. As you are not you have nothing to worry about apart from having to tolerate the noisy braying suited twenty- to thirty-something pissed-up once a week drinkers who infest every central London pub at 6PM on a Friday.

[Aqualung]

I don't think any of these places are on PuG yet, so I'll try and get them added unless anyone feels they're not in the spirit of the site (I know there are quite a few brewery bars already on PuG, so I'm assuming it will be okay).

I'd rather see these than restaurant chains, residents only hotels and night clubs or worst of all questionable venues that just get added so that the contributor can increase their picture total, that is just too pathetic for words.

[bcfczuluarmy]

as it's much nicer taking your beer outside than sitting in eight very similar railway arches.

I hate ticking a pub if I only order a drink while standing inside and then venture straight outside, if I end up sitting outside due to the weather and company I need to a least go in for a piss, even if I don't actually need one to fully feel a pub especially if it's not close to my house. Might as well sit in the park with a drink and dream.

[london calling]

I went along for a couple of hours this evening and the turnout seemed very low. Indeed by about 8pm the numbers had thinned quite noticeably. As far as I'm concerned it was all very pleasant but I doubt that Camra high command see it that way. The drop off in alcohol consumption is well documented, especially amongst the young and for whatever reason far fewer people seem to want to enjoy a midweek drink. I was nattering to one of the bar managers who said the the early part of the week is indeed getting quieter, then everything concentrates on the Invasion Of The Dickheads on Friday night.

Times they are a changing.

I hate this idea that the young'uns are Dickheads just because they get drunk and a bit excitable at beer fests.

[london calling]

I prefer the London beer city events to the GBBF.Went out to some of them on Monday night but didn't get around much as the Old Fountain had a Moor beer tap take over and also had on Kernel -India Porter which passed the 3 pints test (again).

[rpadam]

I went along for a couple of hours this evening and the turnout seemed very low. Indeed by about 8pm the numbers had thinned quite noticeably. As far as I'm concerned it was all very pleasant but I doubt that Camra high command see it that way. The drop off in alcohol consumption is well documented, especially amongst the young and for whatever reason far fewer people seem to want to enjoy a midweek drink. I was nattering to one of the bar managers who said the the early part of the week is indeed getting quieter, then everything concentrates on the Invasion Of The Dickheads on Friday night.
Went along last night - busy, but not so crowded that you had difficulty getting served reasonably quickly. Enjoyable evening.