How much?

[london calling]

Got charged £5 for a pint of cask Darkstar-green hop ipa 6.5 in the Wenlock last night.Got charges £5 for my second pint of it as well.Stunning beer but sad that a pub like the Wenlock which was known for reasonable priced beer resorts to this sort of pricing.Added to my boycott list.

[Mobyduck]

Got charged £5 for a pint of cask Darkstar-green hop ipa 6.5 in the Wenlock last night.Got charges £5 for my second pint of it as well.Stunning beer but sad that a pub like the Wenlock which was known for reasonable priced beer resorts to this sort of pricing.Added to my boycott list.

Thats shocking, really like the pub and the beer, but that's out of order, paying £ 4.00 in my local( Hampshire) and have been told its £3.75 in The Partridge , Darkstars own pub in Sussex.

[NickDavies]

How much do they charge for ~4% ordinary bitter or for cooking lager? A fiver for 6.5% beer in central London isn't all that remarkable; if they are pricing on a percentage margin it's unlikely to be less if mainstream stuff is around the typical £3.50 - £4 mark.

[Aqualung]

Got charged £5 for a pint of cask Darkstar-green hop ipa 6.5 in the Wenlock last night.Got charges £5 for my second pint of it as well.Stunning beer but sad that a pub like the Wenlock which was known for reasonable priced beer resorts to this sort of pricing.Added to my boycott list.

It was £3.80 at Cobbets in Dorking but could have been nearer £3.60 if I had remembered the CAMRA discount. I suspect yours was a lot better as mine was served from a cask on a warm day with no apparent cooling on it. I'm looking forward to seeing Dark Star adding to their estate. I believe they've got their eye on one in Hayward's Heath.
Their is no reason why keykeg should be significantly dearer than cask other than sheer greed (aka marketing). .
I don't have a boycott list for Central London as I try and boycott the entire area!

[trainman]

I'm looking forward to seeing Dark Star adding to their estate. I believe they've got their eye on one in Hayward's Heath.

Ooh, that'd be good. It's been a while since the demise of the Stand-Up Inn at nearby Lindfield, and Haywards Heath could do with a decent pub.

[london calling]

It was £3.80 at Cobbets in Dorking but could have been nearer £3.60 if I had remembered the CAMRA discount. I suspect yours was a lot better as mine was served from a cask on a warm day with no apparent cooling on it. I'm looking forward to seeing Dark Star adding to their estate. I believe they've got their eye on one in Hayward's Heath.
Their is no reason why keykeg should be significantly dearer than cask other than sheer greed (aka marketing). .
I don't have a boycott list for Central London as I try and boycott the entire area!
In case you misunderstood it was cask.

[london calling]

How much do they charge for ~4% ordinary bitter or for cooking lager? A fiver for 6.5% beer in central London isn't all that remarkable; if they are pricing on a percentage margin it's unlikely to be less if mainstream stuff is around the typical £3.50 - £4 mark.
There is only 13p extra duty on a pint of 6.5 compared with 4.0.THis is just a blatant rip-off probably because there is a limited supply of this beer.I can assure you £5 is not common around central London for cask beer and although I drink up there every week I cannot remember a £5 pint or even near it.

[Aqualung]

In case you misunderstood it was cask.
Sorry, I didn't misunderstand, that was just a diversion onto another rip-off. London Fields in the E10 William is £2.75 on cask but £3.65 on keg.
Is your duty assessment correct? I thought it was around 10p duty per pint for each 1% ABV. If the lowering of the duty has changed this then it hasn't been apparent in any pub I've been to. Some supermarket prices are lower than they were a couple of years ago.

[london calling]

Sorry, I didn't misunderstand, that was just a diversion onto another rip-off. London Fields in the E10 William is £2.75 on cask but £3.65 on keg.
Is your duty assessment correct? I thought it was around 10p duty per pint for each 1% ABV. If the lowering of the duty has changed this then it hasn't been apparent in any pub I've been to. Some supermarket prices are lower than they were a couple of years ago.
You are not far out .Its 18.37 pence per litre so just over 10p for each 1% but small brewers get a 50% reduction. So 21p for a 4% and 34p for a 6.5.According to my calculations

[NickDavies]

Thus 25p a pint extra on the difference between a 4% pint and a 6.5% pint. If you are working to a 66% margin, not unreasonable in central London unless you own the freehold that's 75p +VAT = 90p over the counter. OK not entirely accurate because you've probably got extra manufacturing costs for a stronger beer and conversely there's reclaimable VAT to offset. But I stand by my point that a 6.5% beer is likely to be quid a pint more than a 4% beer assuming a 66% GP.

[Aqualung]

You are not far out .Its 18.37 pence per litre so just over 10p for each 1% but small brewers get a 50% reduction. So 21p for a 4% and 34p for a 6.5.According to my calculations
I was overlooking the Progressive Beer Duty that some of the regional brewers keep on whingeing about (why don't they just stop supplying the supermarkets?).
I don't know the exact details but I believe the full 50% discount only applies to breweries producing less than 5,000 hectolitres per annum which if I've calculated correctly is just under 400 firkins. I would have thought that they brew a lot more than this. I still agree that it's a rip-off irrespective of how much they brew.

EDIT: I have checked my calculation and think that should be just under 4,000 firkins!
Given that Dark Star have two tied houses and are seen as guests all over the place I would think they must easily exceed that figure.

[Strongers]

A couple of weeks ago I paid £2.50 for half an Adnams Ghost Ship, 4.5%.

[Aqualung]

A couple of weeks ago I paid £2.50 for half an Adnams Ghost Ship, 4.5%.
Are you going to name and shame??

[Strongers]

The Nags Head (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22860/).

[ROBCamra]

A couple of weeks ago I paid £2.50 for half an Adnams Ghost Ship, 4.5%.

Peanuts!:evilgrin:

To be really ripped off you need to visit The Lawn Club (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82193/) £5.50 per pint for cask Siren Craft Soundwave.

[Maldenman]

£5.10 for a 4.7% cask beer in Wave Maiden (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82866/) in Southsea!

[Farway]

£5.10 for a 4.7% cask beer in Wave Maiden (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82866/) in Southsea!

Too late now, but try The Barley Mow (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/13961/) next time

Oh, I see you have been there in 2012 :o

[Maldenman]

Too late now, but try The Barley Mow (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/13961/) next time

Oh, I see you have been there in 2012 :o

Sadly my Pompey visits will drop off now my daughter has finished university. :(

[hondo]

The Nags Head (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22860/).

Currently in the running to be my pub of the month but that might be more to do with the sea of Taylor Walker pubs I've been drinking in

[Al 10000]

I paid £2.50 for a half of keg crap Whistable Bay Pale Ale in this pub http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/76666/,it has put me off from going down
down London again for a while.

I do hope i get the urge to go down again,but when i can drink in pubs in West Yorkshire and get most halfs at £1.50 or less and a bag of proper chips
with scraps on for 90p,worth a trip to Sowerby Bridge just for the chips and scraps,but the pub were also decent.

[Mobyduck]

£2.50 recently for a half of the house beer in the Blind Beggar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/25298/) called Beggars Belief ,It was very pale and around the 3.8% mark (which is ok with me) but had all the taste of tap water. It did what it said on the can, beggard belief This pub is not flash in anyway ,but boasts a decent history,reason to rip the punters off? I think not.

[Pubsignman]

£2.50 recently for a half of the house beer in the Blind Beggar (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/25298/) called Beggars Belief ,It was very pale and around the 3.8% mark (which is ok with me) but had all the taste of tap water. It did what it said on the can, beggard belief This pub is not flash in anyway ,but boasts a decent history,reason to rip the punters off? I think not.

The staff there told me that the Beggars Belief was brewed by Greene King, but I've since been told that it is actually Jennings Cumberland Ale. Either way, it's a rip off for a beer of any kind, not least one that's 4% and can be found the length and breadth of the country.

[Mobyduck]

The staff there told me that the Beggars Belief was brewed by Greene King, but I've since been told that it is actually Jennings Cumberland Ale. Either way, it's a rip off for a beer of any kind, not least one that's 4% and can be found the length and breadth of the country.

I found a few links to it being brewed by Jennings, the beer I was served was far paler than Cumberland Ale, watered down maybe, it certainly tasted like it,it was rubbish anyway .

[london calling]

Thus 25p a pint extra on the difference between a 4% pint and a 6.5% pint. If you are working to a 66% margin, not unreasonable in central London unless you own the freehold that's 75p +VAT = 90p over the counter. OK not entirely accurate because you've probably got extra manufacturing costs for a stronger beer and conversely there's reclaimable VAT to offset. But I stand by my point that a 6.5% beer is likely to be quid a pint more than a 4% beer assuming a 66% GP.

Nick ,I understand what you are saying about GK mark up but this is a pub that always sold cheaper beer than the rest of the local pubs.If a beer cost 25 p more to buy they charged 25p extra.I find it hard to take when a pub bumps its prices up.I wouldn't complain if its a new to me pub that charges top whack as its up to them and up to me if I pay it.I t felt like an old friend stiching me up.

[AlanH]

At the opposite end of the scale, on a pub crawl around Wrexham all the beer was priced between £2.20 and £2.75 including stronger beers. If you wished to drink John Smith's crap, you can get that for £2 (I passed because that's £2 too much!). It is hard to pay more than £3 in Wrexham.
It is not because it's "Oop North" because Chester, 15 miles further Oop North is at least 50p dearer, and according to RobCamra's North/South line, Wrexham is in the South!
In Wetherspoons, ALL the beers were £1.95 so I got 3 pints for £4.35 with my Camra tokens.
When I fancied a BITE to eat, the Chicken Curry and free pint was £5.90 (I sat at table 42 and was served by blonde Janice with a nice smile :evilgrin:) :manutdfc:

[Mobyduck]

In Wetherspoons, ALL the beers were £1.95 so I got 3 pints for £4.35 with my Camra tokens.
When I fancied a BITE to eat, the Chicken Curry and free pint was £5.90 (I sat at table 42 and was served by blonde Janice with a nice smile :evilgrin:) :manutdfc:
And is it a big pub and will you go back there next time you are in Wrexham? :D

[Aqualung]

In Wetherspoons, ALL the beers were £1.95 so I got 3 pints for £4.35 with my Camra tokens.

That would be the lower festival price and it's the same as my local one in E4 where the normal standard guest price is now £2.10. Northern Spoons are not necessarily all that cheap although many are.
Some London outlets are only charging £1.99 for the festival even when the standard guest ale price is £2.49.
I could have had a pint of Jaipur for £1.99 in Surbiton last Saturday.

Where is the North / South divide in Wales??

[AlanH]

Where is the North / South divide in Wales??

On top of a mountain in Powys!
I would draw a line across the thinnest part from the most Westerly English border to the nearest point to the sea, but to avoid half of Aberystwyth's pubs being in the North and the other half in the South, I would slant the divide up to the old Dyfed/Gwynedd border on the River Dovey estuary.

This puts Wrexham in the frozen North, but pricewise, it makes little difference in Wales because I can't imagine the Taffs of the Welsh valleys paying a pound or so more for their beer!

[Wiganer]

That would be the lower festival price and it's the same as my local one in E4 where the normal standard guest price is now £2.10. Northern Spoons are not necessarily all that cheap although many are.
Some London outlets are only charging £1.99 for the festival even when the standard guest ale price is £2.49.
I could have had a pint of Jaipur for £1.99 in Surbiton last Saturday.

Where is the North / South divide in Wales??

In the Eccles Cross, Eccles, all of the real ales are currently £1.59, down from £1.69 a few weeks ago. Pretty remarkable in this day and age.

[london calling]

Got charged £5.15 for Darkstar -green hop in the Craft beer co Covent garden tonight. Superb beer.

[Mobyduck]

Got charged £5.15 for Darkstar -green hop in the Craft beer co Covent garden tonight. Superb beer.
It is a superb beer, crazy price,this is a reflection of the stupid prices prices being charged for craft keg beers and the idiots who pay it on a regular basis. This is more Pub/Bar greed rather than the breweries charging I would say.

[Aqualung]

This is more Pub/Bar greed rather than the breweries charging I would say.

Red Squirrel told me exactly that. I had a pint of the 7.5% Springhead Double Jeopardy for three quid at Callans Micropub in Hebden Bridge yesterday. It's old school and was superb so is my (non Spoons) bargain of the week.

[london calling]

Debated about buying a Weird Beard beer in a new bottleshop/bar last night but decided too expensive. Did a job in a beer shop today and the guy said have a beer so I picked the beer I nearly paid for last night.Free tastes better I hope.

[trainman]

Debated about buying a Weird Beard beer in a new bottleshop/bar last night but decided too expensive. Did a job in a beer shop today and the guy said have a beer so I picked the beer I nearly paid for last night.Free tastes better I hope.
So John, the price was..?

[london calling]

So John, the price was..?
Cant actually be positive as I was told the price of a few beers at once but think £5.95(to drink in) but all the prices were high and I just zoned out and was thinking fook that.I was thinking Aqualung could get 3 pint in Mcspoons,the northern contingent who drink in real pubs could probably get 2 pints,Moby in Hampshire could get a pint and a half and I get a less than a pint bottle of beer.But to be fair drank it tonight and it was lovely where as 6 of the 9 beers I drank at the Wandsworth beer fest all about £4 a pint were pretty kak.Sometimes its worth the extra.

[Aqualung]

Aqualung could get 3 pint in Mcspoons
Even 4 standard guests in the Liverpool Lime Kiln last summer where the beer quality was excallent. Most standard prices in outer London are nearer or over £2.50 nowadays unless it's a festival, cheapskate Monday or the January Sale. .

[Mobyduck]

Even 4 standard guests in the Liverpool Lime Kiln last summer where the beer quality was excallent. Most standard prices in outer London are nearer or over £2.50 nowadays unless it's a festival, cheapskate Monday or the January Sale. .
I had Triton Sin Bin on cask, sub 4.0% I think although the bottled stuff is 6.2%, at The Nonsuch Inn, (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56983/) North Cheam last week at £1.99, I didn't think the beer was particularly anything special though.

[Aqualung]

I had Triton Sin Bin on cask, sub 4.0% I think although the bottled stuff is 6.2%, at The Nonsuch Inn, (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56983/) North Cheam last week at £1.99, I didn't think the beer was particularly anything special though.
Spoons put their prices up in October so I would guess it's now £2.05 excluding Monday, festivals and the January sale. That one would be cheaper because it's a bit remote, ie not near a shopping centre or transport hub. It's a different story in Sutton or even worse Wimbledon.

[Mobyduck]

I had Triton Sin Bin on cask, sub 4.0% I think although the bottled stuff is 6.2%, at The Nonsuch Inn, (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56983/) North Cheam last week at £1.99, I didn't think the beer was particularly anything special though.


Spoons put their prices up in October so I would guess it's now £2.05 excluding Monday, festivals and the January sale. That one would be cheaper because it's a bit remote, ie not near a shopping centre or transport hub. It's a different story in Sutton or even worse Wimbledon.

Having just read your BOTW its clear I misidentified the beer, it was obviously Liberation Sin Bin ,not Triton. :muppet:

[Aqualung]

Having just read your BOTW its clear I misidentified the beer, it was obviously Liberation Sin Bin ,not Triton. :muppet:

OK, I found it on Friday in the Surrey Docks at Rotherhithe. I thought it was fairly unmemorable but should have predicted that as it's a themed beer and I don't recall ever trying a good one!
I've never heard of Triton.

[Mobyduck]

I've never heard of Triton.
They come from Indianapolis (http://tritonbrewing.com/year-round-beers/sin-bin-belgian-pale-ale/), I couldn't see the name on the clip and thought they may have done a weak version for JDW as this was all I could find searching the web for the beer.

[london calling]

Got charged £5 for a pint of cask Darkstar-green hop ipa 6.5 in the Wenlock last night.Got charges £5 for my second pint of it as well.Stunning beer but sad that a pub like the Wenlock which was known for reasonable priced beer resorts to this sort of pricing.Added to my boycott list.

The fantastic Darkstar -green hop ipa was available at the Mulberry Tree fest tonight £3.60 a pint.

[Aqualung]

This (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/81441/) place is selling bottles of the 7.4% Burning Sky Monolith at £17.50 a go. Alright, they are 750ml but it's still ridiculous. It's not all bad, the 7% Bad Seed India Pale Ale on cask here was £4.00, not cheap but not outrageous.

[london calling]

Marks and Spencer have some good beers. Usually £2.40 but they have 3 for £6.They also have 3 of them in a wooden box as a gift set £15. How much !!!

[Bucking Fastard]

Birrificio del Ducota Italiano ,La Luna Rossa (a wild/sour keg beer) being sold here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84233/) at £5 for a third. :eek:

I didn't partake.

[Aqualung]

The Walnut Tree (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55968/) is an unremarkable London suburban JDW and they are charging £4.15 a pint for keg Hop Stuff Renegade. I made my excuses and left.

[london calling]

I was reading todays reviews and there are about 100 pub reviews by trainman and when I got to one where he complained about a half of Doombar costing £1.55 a half in Putney I realised they were old reviews. 2008 price.

[Maldenman]

£4.90 for a pint of Bank's Sunbeam in The Rose (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24282/) yesterday.

[Mobyduck]

£4.90 for a pint of Bank's Sunbeam in The Rose (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24282/) yesterday.

It's all getting a bit silly.

[Komakino]

Just done £3 for a (an?) half of Kernel Export India Porter (5.9%) at Stoke Newington's Jolly Butchers - no link as I'm still "live". I'll let you guess whether it was "K" or "C"...

[london calling]

As its London hard to tell on price alone but it being Kernal its a K.And it being one of my favourite beers I hope you liked it.cheers

[NickDavies]

Called for a swift half in here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23236/) the other lunchtime. A guy came in and ordered three pints of Camden Hells for which he was quoted £15.30. I feared for a moment first aid might be required. Seems he just wanted three pints of lager (and one of those with a generous top) and that was the first pump he spotted.

[Komakino]

Broke my record last night at Bristol's Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/507/) with a pint of Wild Beer's The Blend 2015 for the princely sum of £7.00 (I'd asked for a half, but cloth ears obviously didn't hear...)

[Wild Rover]

Yesterday in the Punch and Judy in Covent Garden a pint and a half of Peroni set me back a jawdropping £9.35p. This is pub daylight robbery,at least Dick Turpin wore a mask

[sheffield hatter]

Broke my record last night at Bristol's Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/507/) with a pint of Wild Beer's The Blend 2015 for the princely sum of £7.00 (I'd asked for a half, but cloth ears obviously didn't hear...)

If I'd asked for a half and been poured a pint, I'd have paid £3.50. Or walked out...

[Komakino]

If I'd asked for a half and been poured a pint, I'd have paid £3.50. Or walked out...

I think I must be a glutton for punishment, SH...

[NickDavies]

If I'd asked for a half and been poured a pint, I'd have paid £3.50. Or walked out...

Reminds me of a particular dopiness in a Wetherspoon's the other day

Nick: Half of Old Nadger's Scrotum Bugler please.

Personage of an East European disposition starts pouring a pint of Old Nadger.

Nick: Hang on just a half.

Latvian: You said "I'll have a Old Nadger's Scrotum Bugler"

Nick: But I didn't and if I did I'd say "I'll have a pint of Old Nadger's Scrotum Bugler please" if I wanted a pint.

By which point your reserve of emotional energy is exhausted, the pint is accepted, and you feel stupidly grateful you've got a 50p Camra voucher to make up for the thirty minutes of life you'll never get back.

[london calling]

As a beer ticker and half pint drinker I use the international symbol of asking for a half holding my index finger and thumb about 2 inches apart.Rarely fails in loud pubs or with our European cousins in London pubs. Get in the habit. If this fails and you are not happy you can use 2 other fingers to show your displeasure.Equally understood by most staff

[london calling]

[QUOTE=Komakino;83605]Broke my record last night at Bristol's Famous Royal Navy Volunteer (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/507/) with a pint of Wild Beer's The Blend 2015 for the princely sum of £7.00 (I'd asked for a half, but cloth ears obviously didn't hear...)[/QUOTHH
Had the opposite problem in the Hop Locker Waterloo.Got a pint of a beer from a new supposedly great brewer and half way done I was fed up with it.The server came from behind the bar picked up my glass and downed it thinking it was his beer.He apologised and I selected a new more expensive half as a replacement.nice one.

[Maldenman]

£7.35 yesterday for a pint and a half of Twickenham Naked Ladies in The Zetland Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23287/) . Assuming the half is not weighted that's £4.90 a pint for a relatively local beer.

[Tris39]

Last April I paid £5.35 for a pint of the ordinary in The Flask (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/25468/) .

I appreciate that Witanhurst is opposite, London's largest house after Buckingham Palace and recently valued at £300 million, so perhaps this has rubbed off?

[Farway]

£7.35 yesterday for a pint and a half of Twickenham Naked Ladies in The Zetland Arms (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23287/) . Assuming the half is not weighted that's £4.90 a pint for a relatively local beer.

Must be Brexit with falling pound driving up the cost of ingredients, oh hang on is this the Marmite Moment :evilgrin:

[NickDavies]

Greedy King for you. I bet they weight it for Taylor Walker branding too. Their 10% off for Camra members is worth having at that price, provided there's anyone behind the bar who knows how to key it into the till.

[ETA]

Beer Asylum (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84626/)

Four draft ales on, the cheapest was £5.20 a pint. Excessive for a micro, I feel.

[Aqualung]

Beer Asylum (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84626/)

Four draft ales on, the cheapest was £5.20 a pint. Excessive for a micro, I feel.

According to What Pub it's all keg. If that is the case I wouldn't give it micropub status. Some micropubs do a few keg options but none of them don't do any cask at all. Depending on the strength and assuming it is "craft" keg then it might not be over the top but only in comparison to other places.

[oldboots]

According to What Pub it's all keg. If that is the case I wouldn't give it micropub status. Some micropubs do a few keg options but none of them don't do any cask at all. Depending on the strength and assuming it is "craft" keg then it might not be over the top but only in comparison to other places.

Their website says "four rotating Real ales" but the pictures there and on their Facebook page suggest a rather naughty use of the words real ale. They do manage to spell Draught correctly for the context.

Meanwhile back at the thread, I was shocked and stunned at having to pay £3.90 for a pint of Landlord in a fairly ordinary pub in a small Yorkshire town, going rate is £3.30 - £3.40 less in other places.

[london calling]

High prices are not just a London thing. 7 Brothers brewery tap in Manchester regularly charges high prices for cask.A friend who was in Madchester for the fest paid £5 for a 5.2 stout and £4.50 for a 3.8 session ale. Should change their name to 7 Robbers brewery.

[Aqualung]

I paid £3.10 for Dark Star Crème Brulee (5.9%) here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/81750/) on Friday and £3.40 for Thornbridge Wild Raven (6.6%) here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/82614/) yesterday.

Big city centres are a lost cause for me now. The pubs are not only generally better elsewhere (and I include JDWs here) but also a lot cheaper.

[Spinko]

High prices are not just a London thing. 7 Brothers brewery tap in Manchester regularly charges high prices for cask.A friend who was in Madchester for the fest paid £5 for a 5.2 stout and £4.50 for a 3.8 session ale. Should change their name to 7 Robbers brewery.
I had been planning to visit but did wonder why I hadn't seen many reviews. Surely its rent is cheap where it is compared to the proper city centre area. I'm sure Blackjack's Tap is generally around £3 a pint.

[london calling]

I had been planning to visit but did wonder why I hadn't seen many reviews. Surely its rent is cheap where it is compared to the proper city centre area. I'm sure Blackjack's Tap is generally around £3 a pint.
They are cutting out the middleman so should be cheaper than a pub.Surely they cant survive with these prices.

[london calling]

Siren -broken dream 6.9 £4.90 at the Grovenor Hanwell
same beer £5.35 at Craft beer co Clerkenwell on sunday
same beer £4.20 Euston Tap 2 on sunday
cheers

[Aqualung]

Siren -broken dream 6.9 £4.90 at the Grovenor Hanwell
same beer £5.35 at Craft beer co Clerkenwell on sunday
same beer £4.20 Euston Tap 2 on sunday
cheers

Was that cask? I paid £5.20 for it on keg in the Castle Rock VAT & Fiddle opposite Nottingham Station and thought that was excessive. I didn't think it being on keg added anything to it at all as a beer.

[Mobyduck]

I didn't think it being on keg added anything to it at all as a beer.
It's exceptional on cask, not tried a keg version but would expect to agree.

[london calling]

Was that cask? I paid £5.20 for it on keg in the Castle Rock VAT & Fiddle opposite Nottingham Station and thought that was excessive. I didn't think it being on keg added anything to it at all as a beer.
All cask prices.

[london calling]

I ordered 2 halves of keg beer in Charlottes Place w5 recently.Its a new bar/rest in Ealing.When the barman brought the first half of Buxton -rednik stout he noticed I was going to pay with old fashioned money.Cards only so the manager was summoned and after a lot of head scratching I was given the beer for free. The price was right for me although I was a bit embarrassed by all the kerfuffle.

[sheffield hatter]

I ordered 2 halves of keg beer in Charlottes Place w5 recently.Its a new bar/rest in Ealing.When the barman brought the first half of Buxton -rednik stout he noticed I was going to pay with old fashioned money.Cards only so the manager was summoned and after a lot of head scratching I was given the beer for free. The price was right for me although I was a bit embarrassed by all the kerfuffle.

It's got to be worthwhile going back next week, in disguise.

[NickDavies]

Cards only eh? Did they have very prominent signage and did they warn you before anything touched your lips that they don't take cash?

[Aqualung]

I ordered 2 halves of keg beer in Charlottes Place w5 recently.Its a new bar/rest in Ealing.When the barman brought the first half of Buxton -rednik stout he noticed I was going to pay with old fashioned money.Cards only so the manager was summoned and after a lot of head scratching I was given the beer for free. The price was right for me although I was a bit embarrassed by all the kerfuffle.

I just don't understand this. I discovered last year that some of my cards had contactless payment on them. I used one to try it out at Shrewsbury Station for a day return to Newtown which was £5.00. Would I use one in a pub or anywhere else? No way! What's wrong with cash? The whole thing makes my blood boil!! Oh, and I don't have a phone that supports "Apps" and have no intention of getting one.

[oldboots]

Cards only


Is that not illegal?

Certainly makes no business sense.

[NickDavies]

Is that not illegal?

Certainly makes no business sense.

Avert your eyes if you don't want to look at the Daily Mail but

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3490675/Restaurant-cash-menu-Tossed-chain-accept-payments-card-mobile-apps.html

[Farway]

Avert your eyes if you don't want to look at the Daily Mail but

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3490675/Restaurant-cash-menu-Tossed-chain-accept-payments-card-mobile-apps.html

Like the DM article, and the cards only "pub" it may work in London for the metrosexuals and gullible, but can't see it working in most places, especially for those of us that are classed "despicable" by the metropolitan elite
I give it a few months until cash is King again

[rpadam]

Like the DM article, and the cards only "pub" it may work in London for the metrosexuals and gullible, but can't see it working in most places, especially for those of us that are classed "despicable" by the metropolitan elite
I give it a few months until cash is King again
Can't really get excited by this, as it will resolve itself - one way or the other - over time, but most of the younger people that I know (and not just those others may describe as "metrosexuals and gullible") hardly know what cash is these days as they do everything with their smartphone and/or a contactless card...

[Wittenden]

Can't really get excited by this, as it will resolve itself - one way or the other - over time, but most of the younger people that I know (and not just those others may describe as "metrosexuals and gullible") hardly know what cash is these days as they do everything with their smartphone and/or a contactless card...

I know-we had to lend our potential son in law cash for the No 12 bus -but I don't really want my bank manager/algorithm to know what I spend on beer.

[NickDavies]

Not a London No 12 then, no cash taken for some time now.

[Aqualung]

I don't really want my bank manager/algorithm to know what I spend on beer.

Good point! If the details were passed on to my GP they would probably ask me to go to another surgery.

[NickDavies]

I would add that out of laziness I use contactless far more than my conscience tells me to. The banks would love to get rid of cash. They don't get a rake off and it costs them to process it. But they get a nice fee for every card transaction. And rather more people than I am comfortable with get to know where I am and what I am doing.

As the advert went, American Express says more about you than any other... Well, cash says nothing about you.

[Wittenden]

Not a London No 12 then, no cash taken for some time now.
No, what was Maidstone and District. Arriva?

[Aqualung]

As the advert went, American Express says more about you than any other... Well, cash says nothing about you.

Dead right. I use a Tesco almost exclusively now since a convenient new one opened a few years ago. I won't get a club card and pay in cash 99% plus of the time.

[london calling]

[Craft QUOTE=london calling;85758]
Siren-bourbon coffee broken dream £4.80 cask Holborn Whippet
Siren -bourbon coffee broken dream £6.65 keg Craft beer co islington

[Mobyduck]

[Craft QUOTE=london calling;85758]
Siren-bourbon coffee broken dream £4.80 cask Holborn Whippet
Siren -bourbon coffee broken dream £6.65 keg Craft beer co islington

Were they good?

[Rex_Rattus]

A couple of my youngish neighbours (a Russian and an American as it happens) wanted to visit a few traditional pubs, so off we set to London. As one of the pubs I planned to take them to was The Nag's Head in Kinnerton St I had the foresight before we went in to ask if either of them had any cash, as I speculated that it was the sort of pub where they might not have the equipment to process a card payment. I didn't know for sure as I had obviously never tried to use a card in there. It transpired that neither of them had a penny on them, and as we couldn't find a cashpoint in Belgravia we had to find a shop where they could buy something so that they could get something called "cashback". This seemed to work to their satisfaction using something called "contactless", whereupon they discarded the bits of paper they were given, presumably trusting the bank to get it all right. They didn't strike me as the sort of people who would check their bank statements anyway. I now realise that I live in a different world to most people, but I think I'll stay in it for as long as I can.

[Aqualung]

I now realise that I live in a different world to most people, but I think I'll stay in it for as long as I can.

Welcome to my world!

[london calling]

Were they good?

Only tried the cask one and it was superb.Only reason I went to the Whippet as I saw on twitter that they had this version.

[bcfczuluarmy]

I've just been stung for £5.75 for a Bobby Brown minging hoppy lager after last pub in Cheltenham charged me £5 quid for the same shit. Ok the buildings are nice but there is no need to try and out price London for river water.

[london calling]

I've just been stung for £5.75 for a Bobby Brown minging hoppy lager after last pub in Cheltenham charged me £5 quid for the same shit. Ok the buildings are nice but there is no need to try and out price London for river water.

Ahh hoppy lager. Now that would be craft beer.Hence the price.Welcome to my world.

[sheffield hatter]

£4.20 for a half here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84907/).

[Farway]

£4.20 for a half here (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/84907/).

Gulp, just read the review, includes optional service charge,, way out of my league, even for rotten nuts in mini bucket

[london calling]

Gulp, just read the review, includes optional service charge,, way out of my league, even for rotten nuts in mini bucket
Got caught for £4.70 for a pint of Hop Stuff -fusilier ipa in the Lamb on sat night.I think Tris paid £4.80 for his pint.Robbers still abound in London.

[Aqualung]

Got caught for £4.70 for a pint of Hop Stuff -fusilier ipa in the Lamb on sat night.I think Tris paid £4.80 for his pint.Robbers still abound in London.

Especially in Central London and I think I've only ever tried Fusilier in JDWs. Young's pubs are a joke today. I've been to the Lamb loads of time in the past but wouldn't go near it now or any other of their outlets.

[london calling]

Especially in Central London and I think I've only ever tried Fusilier in JDWs. Young's pubs are a joke today. I've been to the Lamb loads of time in the past but wouldn't go near it now or any other of their outlets.
Wise man.

[Aqualung]

Wise man.

The annoying thing is that when I first started drinking real ale Young's was a revered name. In the E5 Prince of Wales people used to come from all over North and East London for the beer. It was an absolute gold mine. The Lamb was similar but not as extreme. John Young when he could was always fighting against the "modernisers". I've walked past many a Young's or Fuller's house in recent years that are new to me but refuse to go in them.

[Wittenden]

The annoying thing is that when I first started drinking real ale Young's was a revered name. .

Me too. I used to travel up from Kent,ostensibly to visit a mad, elderly cousin in Wandsworth. Naturally much Ordinary and Winter Warmer was sampled.Fuller Smith and Turner were more recondite,but I eventually ventured further West for the delights of ESB. Somehow, things were simpler then!

[Mobyduck]

Just paid £2.55 for a 1/2 of a very average Trumans Runner in the Bishop, East Dulwich. :eek:

[Bucking Fastard]

Just paid £2.55 for a 1/2 of a very average Trumans Runner in the Bishop, East Dulwich. :eek:

That's enough to make you want to bash the bishop ;)

[Pubsignman]

£6.00 for a pint of Reunion Ales Talwar - a 4.5% cask ale all the way from Twickenham - in The Horseshoe (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23752/), Hampstead. (I went for the marginally more acceptable Haresfoot Lock Keeper' - 4.0% and also on cask - a steal at just £5.50 a pint). Ugh!

[Mobyduck]

That's enough to make you want to bash the bishop ;)

In fact I took off to The Actress (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23978/). :whistle:

[Blackthorn]

£11.20 for a pint and a G&T in https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/85153/ although I didn't note the actual price of the pint. Most expensive drink though, whilst not really comparable as it's not beer, was £36 for two cocktails in the Gong bar at the Shard.

Went in http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/85095/ last night and noticed they had Wiper & True's Hard Shake at £10.50 per pint...

[Mobyduck]

Siren Craft Bourbon Milkshake 11.0% ABV, I paid £3.40 for a third on keykeg in the Nags Head Reading today, it was worth every penny, one of the most amazing beers I have ever tasted. Needless to say a 1/3 was good enough, any more would spell disaster.

[london calling]

Siren Craft Bourbon Milkshake 11.0% ABV, I paid £3.40 for a third on keykeg in the Nags Head Reading today, it was worth every penny, one of the most amazing beers I have ever tasted. Needless to say a 1/3 was good enough, any more would spell disaster.
I read all the beer blogs and quite a few of the older bloggers think that craft brewers just stick any old shit in beer and sell it too us mugs.I have in the last 3 years had so many amazing but expensive beers. One of my fav brewers so if I see it around I will try it.(if I haven't already.)

[london calling]

I read all the beer blogs and quite a few of the older bloggers think that craft brewers just stick any old shit in beer and sell it too us mugs.I have in the last 3 years had so many amazing but expensive beers. One of my fav brewers so if I see it around I will try it.(if I haven't already.)
Just checked had Bourbon coffee broken dream. Superb

[Aqualung]

As an antidote to the largely doom and gloom on this thread I had a pint of RCH Goldbine yesterday for £1.39 and it was fine. Other than that I didn't think much of this place (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/41953/).

[Mobyduck]

Siren Craft Bourbon Milkshake 11.0% ABV, I paid £3.40 for a third on keykeg in the Nags Head Reading today, it was worth every penny, one of the most amazing beers I have ever tasted. Needless to say a 1/3 was good enough, any more would spell disaster.

Siren Acid Jam 9.7%, £4.45 a third in the Craft at Aldgate yesterday, lovely.

[london calling]

Siren Acid Jam 9.7%, £4.45 a third in the Craft at Aldgate yesterday, lovely.
You do like your Siren.Won the lottery recently?

[Mobyduck]

You do like your Siren.Won the lottery recently?
That would help.

[Komakino]

Paid a Sam Smith's-like £1.20 for a half of Woodforde's Wherry The Wheeltapper (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/37247/) in Rugby last week.

[sheffield hatter]

In the Lake District recently I was in an old favourite of mine, the Britannia at Elterwater (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54836/). This is a tourist pub par excellence, but they always have half a dozen real ales on the go and I've never had a bad pint there. I usually go in winter when it's relatively quiet, but it's nice to go at this time of year before the summer holidays get going. Anyway, I fancied a Sneck Lifter to finish off the evening. All the other beers had their prices written on a card attached to the hand pump and they were all £3.70. The Sneck Lifter's card was slightly hidden by a charity box or something, so when I was presented with my pint it came as quite a shock to be told it was £4.80.

Earlier the same day I'd stopped in Coniston. I was surprised to see a banner stating that the Yewdale (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/6127/) had been awarded Camra's regional pub of the year 2016/17. I went in and had a beer - this is not even the best pub in Coniston village, never mind in the Camra region. (See this (http://www.camra.org.uk/branch-pub-of-the-year) from the Camra website - I can't find any support from Google for the Yewdale.)I didn't have time to go to the Sun or the Crown, but the Black Bull (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/56193/) is just across the road. I was struggling to get a view of the pump clips through the crowd at the bar, but finally I spotted No9 Barley Wine (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/flash/flashcontainer.php?photoid=314777&maxwidth=974&maxheight=647&photowidth=1920&photoheight=1275) 8.5%. I had a half, though I was cycling so really shouldn't. Absolute nectar. And a snip at £2.75 for a half. One of the locals asked the barman for a taste - cheeky bugger! He got a third of a glass, which by my reckoning comes to about 90p of free beer.

[london calling]

Had a pint of Oakham -bishops farewell for £1.85 in Wetherspoons yesterday.My kind of price. Not related but everytime I see the Bree Liouse as north Londons best pub I cringe.

[oldboots]

Not related but everytime I see the Bree Liouse as north London's best pub I cringe.

you are not alone.

[Mobyduck]

you are not alone.

Indeed he is not.

[Aqualung]

Everytime I see the Bree Liouse as north Londons best pub I cringe.

I've only been to it as the Watney Jolly Gardeners!

[london calling]

I've only been to it as the Watney Jolly Gardeners!

You obviously tried it when it had decent beer then.

[Aqualung]

You obviously tried it when it had decent beer then.

:):):)

Like most of the pubs to the North of Euston Road it was a basic boozer. It was the early 70s so I'm pretty sure there was no real ale but the dreaded Watneys Red.
This last week will have given an object lesson as to why places like this and micropubs without a proper cold room are such a bad idea.

[london calling]

I have been in 13 pubs this week and only two had warm beer.They were both Camra GBG pubs. I asked for 4 ice cubes for my pint of Redwell -stout to make it drinkable.

[Bucking Fastard]

There I was in The Rake (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55175/) ,admiring their new colourful screen listing the beer selection,when I notice keg Cloudwater NW DIPA 9% listed at £6.70 a half ,or £13.40 a pint.:eek:

It maybe an Imperial IPA but at that price I didn't partake.

[Mobyduck]

There I was in The Rake (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55175/) ,admiring their new colourful screen listing the beer selection,when I notice keg Cloudwater NW DIPA 9% listed at £6.70 a half ,or £13.40 a pint.:eek:

It maybe an Imperial IPA but at that price I didn't partake.

Definitely beyond the pale.

[hondo]

There I was in The Rake (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55175/) ,admiring their new colourful screen listing the beer selection,when I notice keg Cloudwater NW DIPA 9% listed at £6.70 a half ,or £13.40 a pint.:eek:

It maybe an Imperial IPA but at that price I didn't partake.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/London-pub-defends-13.40-price-of-pint

[sheffield hatter]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/London-pub-defends-13.40-price-of-pint

"Being charged £130+ for a 20l keg by the distributor [means] we are always going to struggle to keep the price down..."

£130+ for 20 litres works out at around £3.70 for a pint. So their "mark up" is £9.70 on top of that?

[oldboots]

"Being charged £130+ for a 20l keg by the distributor [means] we are always going to struggle to keep the price down..."

£130+ for 20 litres works out at around £3.70 for a pint. So their "mark up" is £9.70 on top of that?

but it's AWESOME

[Aqualung]

"Being charged £130+ for a 20l keg by the distributor [means] we are always going to struggle to keep the price down..."

£130+ for 20 litres works out at around £3.70 for a pint. So their "mark up" is £9.70 on top of that?

There is £2.68 of VAT on that £13.40 (assuming I've calculated it correctly which I probably haven't). They've got their own brewery in Stratford, why don't they brew it themselves? I blame the tickers!!
I went in a couple of Holt's pubs today, the mild was £2.22 and the bitter £2.28. One big gripe is that one of them had Doom Bore on. I didn't bother to ask how much it was.

[london calling]

"Being charged £130+ for a 20l keg by the distributor [means] we are always going to struggle to keep the price down..."

£130+ for 20 litres works out at around £3.70 for a pint. So their "mark up" is £9.70 on top of that?
I was in the Rake last night and Cloudwater beer has sold out but they did have verdant/northern monk-noibu 5.5 at £9.00 a pint.Seemed a bargain to me. Had 2 halves of superbly conditioned cask beer at probably £4.50.

[london calling]

I was in the Rake last night and Cloudwater beer has sold out but they did have verdant/northern monk-noibu 5.5 at £9.00 a pint.Seemed a bargain to me. Had 2 halves of superbly conditioned cask beer at probably £4.50.

By the way -no shortage of customers last night so the bad publicity hasn't hurt their trade.As yet.

[Komakino]

A half of Sharp's Doom Bar in The Dovecote (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/31941/) in Minster Lovell, near Witney (in essence an Indian restaurant with a functioning bar), was a staggering £2.75 a half. I enquired how much a pint was to be told £4.50. Got to be the biggest disparity between half-pint and pint pricing I've ever come across...

[Aqualung]

I was in the Rake last night and Cloudwater beer has sold out but they did have verdant/northern monk-noibu 5.5 at £9.00 a pint.Seemed a bargain to me. Had 2 halves of superbly conditioned cask beer at probably £4.50.

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't risen to the bait on this post!

[hondo]

There I was in The Rake (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/55175/) ,admiring their new colourful screen listing the beer selection,when I notice keg Cloudwater NW DIPA 9% listed at £6.70 a half ,or £13.40 a pint.:eek:

It maybe an Imperial IPA but at that price I didn't partake.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/Cloudwater-boss-defends-craft-beer-prices-after-13-a-pint-uproar

[Bucking Fastard]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/Cloudwater-boss-defends-craft-beer-prices-after-13-a-pint-uproar

"Methinks thou dost protest too much " ;)

[Mobyduck]

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/Cloudwater-boss-defends-craft-beer-prices-after-13-a-pint-uproar

A fine ginger beard.

[Wittenden]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41183028

Ah, Surrey...

[AlanH]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41183028

Ah, Surrey...

...........with a sting on top!

[sheffield hatter]

In Manchester yesterday, a round of three pints of mild came to £12.15 here (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/26122/), a Nicholsons pub. The next pub visited was this one (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/26061/), where four halves came to £9.80. Two of them were Marble Piwakawaka 6.2% (https://www.marblebeers.com/product/piwakawaka/) which was priced at £3.80 for 2/3rds, or £5.70 a pint, so the other two halves were around £4 a pint on average. Fortunately the day's other pubs were more normal, with most rounds of four halves coming in at around £7.20 to £7.60. One of my drinking companions, who usually complains about the prices in the Sheffield Tap, commented over a final half that it was quite reasonable in there, really!

[Mobyduck]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41183028

Ah, Surrey...

Comes as no surprise to me.

[bcfczuluarmy]

Chard in Somerset on Tuesday 3 pubs, 3 pints of Carling £8.70 in total I was more than happy.

[london calling]

I was charged an average of £4.45 a pint last night in the six pubs I visited locally.
fullers -£4.20
gk leased-4.60
nicolsons -£4.60
micro pub -£4.40
brewpub -£4.60
irish pub -£4.30
I could have brought the average down in Wetherspoons but went for a Sambrookes imperial stout 10.4 for £3.75 a bottle.
I am looking to buy a house in Surrey so may be out of the frying pan and into the fire for me beer wise.

[london calling]

Chard in Somerset on Tuesday 3 pubs, 3 pints of Carling £8.70 in total I was more than happy.

You got Chard I got burnt.!

[Aqualung]

I am looking to buy a house in Surrey so may be out of the frying pan and into the fire for me beer wise.

I'm pretty sure you will be! I think Moby knows more than I do. I got a pint of Big Bog Quagmire for £1.49 in the excellent Merseyside suburban Frank Hornby this week. It's not a great beer but it is 6.0% ABV.

[Mobyduck]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/man-launches-kickstarter-campaign-to-buy-himself-a-pint-20151211104652

[sheffield hatter]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/man-launches-kickstarter-campaign-to-buy-himself-a-pint-20151211104652

:)

[Mobyduck]

Cronx Nectar 4.5% , £4.80 in the Blue Anchor (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22654/) in Hammersmith, average pint and a complete piss take.

[Aqualung]

The Blue Bell (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/58482/) in Hemsworth has a standard guest price of £1.75. I had a pint of Bishops Finger there for that price despite it being a premium guest. It's not one of my favourite beers but at that price it tasted great. It's only been open three years so you have to wonder if this will become one of their disposals. The food prices were about or just above average. It's a pub that was owned by Scottish & Newcastle.

[london calling]

The Blue Bell (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/58482/) in Hemsworth has a standard guest price of £1.75. I had a pint of Bishops Finger there for that price despite it being a premium guest. It's not one of my favourite beers but at that price it tasted great. It's only been open three years so you have to wonder if this will become one of their disposals. The food prices were about or just above average. It's a pub that was owned by Scottish & Newcastle.

That's a ridiculous price.

[london calling]

After all the bad publicity for the scandalous price of the Cloudwater beer the Rake continues to be busy and tonight had
Siren -Kentucky tickle monster at £21.60 a pint
the same beer on at the Earl of Esssex is £ 14 a pint.

[Aqualung]

Siren -Kentucky tickle monster at £21.60 a pint




That's a ridiculous price.





The same beer on at the Earl of Esssex is £ 14 a pint.



That's a ridiculous price.

[Komakino]

That's a ridiculous price.

That's a ridiculous price.

At 16.3% ABV, it's hardly a beer...

[Tris39]

The other day I paid £3.00 for a half of Lagunitas IPA keg. Not just a fortune but a king's ransom for this area.

The culprit? Halliford House (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54275/)

[Tris39]

Indeed he is not.

Agree.

I think https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/22805/ is one of the worst pubs I've ever visited. What wasn't mentioned in my review was my last visit when I was given a pint, topped up from being around a quarter full, which had been sitting on the slops tray. I also neglected to mention the rude service: 'Yeah? What d'ya want?' Does CAMRA receive Little Brown Envelopes from this pub to praise it so highly? :whistle:

[oldboots]

I think https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/22805/ is one of the worst pubs I've ever visited. ....... Does CAMRA receive Little Brown Envelopes from this pub to praise it so highly? :whistle:

Hear hear, utterly dreadful place, I can't understand why London Camra is so enthralled with a dump that sells carp beer.

On the subject of prices Pedro Broon, well known Camra basher, has an article in the Morning Advertiser defending high prices (before the slagging off starts),

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/10/04/Pete-Brown-asks-What-price-a-good-pint?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=05-Oct-2017&c=obIuLVBWTYln8PLAbj7G9sgsljv7gZGq&p2=

[rpadam]

Hear hear, utterly dreadful place, I can't understand why London Camra is so enthralled with a dump that sells carp beer.
Carp beer - now that explains a lot about the Bree Louise!

[london calling]

Definitely something fishy going on.

[london calling]

Agree.

I think https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/22805/ is one of the worst pubs I've ever visited. What wasn't mentioned in my review was my last visit when I was given a pint, topped up from being around a quarter full, which had been sitting on the slops tray. I also neglected to mention the rude service: 'Yeah? What d'ya want?' Does CAMRA receive Little Brown Envelopes from this pub to praise it so highly? :whistle:
According to North London Camra reacting to criticism of their best pub they said they awarded it on the beer ratings of their local members.So there you have it.Good beer.

[london calling]

The Wetherspoons at Victoria station has started the beer fest early.£3.55 a pint though.

[Komakino]

Not sure if mentioned previously but the Cock Tavern (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/25052/) offered an Imperial Stout by "Howling Hops" on draught tonight for £4.00 a third. Before you turn in your graves, this monster was 11.5% and was a rich, complex, dark chocolate beaut and there was more than enough served in the measure it was served in. Yes, a pint would set you back £12, but there's no way you'd want to drink a pint of this (and then carry on drinking!)

[Mobyduck]

Not sure if mentioned previously but the Cock Tavern (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/25052/) offered an Imperial Stout by "Howling Hops" on draught tonight for £4.00 a third. Before you turn in your graves, this monster was 11.5% and was a rich, complex, dark chocolate beaut and there was more than enough served in the measure it was served in. Yes, a pint would set you back £12, but there's no way you'd want to drink a pint of this (and then carry on drinking!)

Sounds reasonable to me.

[NickDavies]

Sounds reasonable to me.

Indeed a similar sized glass of cheap pub wine will cost you that so it seems fair enough.

[Aqualung]

Indeed a similar sized glass of cheap pub wine will cost you that so it seems fair enough.

Surely that isn't a valid comparison? Wines and spirits have their own rates of duty (which I don't actually know the details of) and wine is stored for longer than beer making it more expensive to produce.
The Salopian brewery tap sell their 7.0% ABV Automaton on keg for £3.40. To keep things simple let's just double that to get £6.80 for the equivalent of a 14% abv pint. If we added the cost of a cask 5% or 4.5% abv pint there then it would be the same equivalent abv at just 20p over half the cost. That doesn't make Howling Hops look reasonable to me in any way. This is a company that won't sell pint measures at their brewery tap in Hackney Wick. Why? To make the rip off prices look better value of course!

[london calling]

Surely that isn't a valid comparison? Wines and spirits have their own rates of duty (which I don't actually know the details of) and wine is stored for longer than beer making it more expensive to produce.
The Salopian brewery tap sell their 7.0% ABV Automaton on keg for £3.40. To keep things simple let's just double that to get £6.80 for the equivalent of a 14% abv pint. If we added the cost of a cask 5% or 4.5% abv pint there then it would be the same equivalent abv at just 20p over half the cost. That doesn't make Howling Hops look reasonable to me in any way. This is a company that won't sell pint measures at their brewery tap in Hackney Wick. Why? To make the rip off prices look better value of course!
The Cock is quite happy to sell cask beer for £4 a pint and making £3 gross profit.They probably bought that beer for £3 a pint so should sell for £6 a pint add on a £1 for extra vat so £7.No that's too simple and unprofitable.

[oldboots]

The Cock is quite happy to sell cask beer for £4 a pint and making £3 gross profit.They probably bought that beer for £3 a pint so should sell for £6 a pint add on a £1 for extra vat so £7.No that's too simple and unprofitable.

Standard Gross Margin in pubs is 60% so that's £7.50 plus VAT (if the £3 is ex-VAT), making £9 retail.

However average strength cask wholesales at £70-90 ex VAT per nine gallons or £0.98 to £1.25 a pint (not including wastage). That's a retail price of £3.75 at 60% GM, I have no idea of the wholesale price of stuff like Clearwater or other pricey beers

As someone once said beer is just a mix of commodity grains, weeds and fungus so shouldn't cost that much :evilgrin:.

[Aqualung]

I paid £1.89 (festival price) for a pint of the 7.2% Adnams Tally Ho in this (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54449/) Greater London JDW yesterday. This is the only Southern JDW I can think of with a standard guest ale price under two quid.

[Mobyduck]

I paid £1.89 (festival price) for a pint of the 7.2% Adnams Tally Ho in this (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54449/) Greater London JDW yesterday. This is the only Southern JDW I can think of with a standard guest ale price under two quid.

Was the beer any good?

[Aqualung]

Was the beer any good?

Yes it was fine, as was the second one I had in Wanstead later at an outrageous £2.19! It's probably meant to be their winter ale.

[Wittenden]

Yes it was fine, as was the second one I had in Wanstead later at an outrageous £2.19! It's probably meant to be their winter ale.

Dunno if you are a homebrewer,but Ron Pattinson has been featuring 19th Century recipes for TallyHo on is blog. I've never had it from the cask, but was impressed years back by the bottled version.Mind you,I'm often impressed by Adnams.

[Aqualung]

Dunno if you are a homebrewer,but Ron Pattinson has been featuring 19th Century recipes for TallyHo on is blog. I've never had it from the cask, but was impressed years back by the bottled version.Mind you,I'm often impressed by Adnams.
I hadn't tried it for donkey's years, so long I can't even remember where or when. It may well have been from a cask on the bar, a practice which has thankfully died out.
The ONLY Adnams beers I don't care for are Broadside and Old which they have changed to what tastes to me like a watered down Broadside. They are one of the few old regionals that haven't completely lost the plot, sold out, put TVs in all their pubs or priced themselves so high that they aren't worth bothering with.

[Wittenden]

The ONLY Adnams beers I don't care for are Broadside and Old which they have changed to what tastes to me like a watered down Broadside.

Certainly the Old isn't a patch on what it once was. Given the choice, I'd go for Harveys or Long Man.

[london calling]

Yes it was fine, as was the second one I had in Wanstead later at an outrageous £2.19! It's probably meant to be their winter ale.
I have had it a couple of times at the White Horse parsons green old ale fest.Last time about 5 years ago and didn't like it.Really tasted strongly of alcohol and would have been £8 or £9 a pint (I wasn't paying for it)Rare beer apparently and sought after but now on sale at £2.19 or could this be a different version.I am sure it had a year on it so possibly barrel aged.

[Aqualung]

I have had it a couple of times at the White Horse parsons green old ale fest.Last time about 5 years ago and didn't like it.Really tasted strongly of alcohol and would have been £8 or £9 a pint (I wasn't paying for it)Rare beer apparently and sought after but now on sale at £2.19 or could this be a different version.I am sure it had a year on it so possibly barrel aged.

I wouldn't be surprised if they or the brewery had stored it. I came across it again today in Harrogate which is an expensive town and full of Bloody Tourists (not the LP).

[Mobyduck]

London prices are getting sillier and sillier, I thought Camden Town was bad enough the other day, but today in Shoreditch I paid £4.70 for a pint of Dark Star Hophead here, (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23394/) that sort of money for a 3.8% cask beer is quite frankly ridiculous, a downer in a pub I otherwise quite liked.

[Bucking Fastard]

London prices are getting sillier and sillier, I thought Camden Town was bad enough the other day, but today in Shoreditch I paid £4.70 for a pint of Dark Star Hophead here, (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23394/) that sort of money for a 3.8% cask beer is quite frankly ridiculous, a downer in a pub I otherwise quite liked.

Ale was a lot cheaper in Stockport ;)

[Aqualung]

London prices are getting sillier and sillier, I thought Camden Town was bad enough the other day, but today in Shoreditch I paid £4.70 for a pint of Dark Star Hophead here, (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23394/) that sort of money for a 3.8% cask beer is quite frankly ridiculous, a downer in a pub I otherwise quite liked.

I know that pub from way back in the 1970s. A group of us were searching for real ale outlets for the first edition of Real Beer In London . It was a run down Whitbread pub that I think had one of their beers on gravity. Being a Sunday night the place was empty. I'm not sure but the beer MAY have been from their Chiswell Street brewery. Only a bit later it became one of the early CAMRA orientated Free Houses along with the Anglesea Arms in SW7 and the Carpenters Arms near Marble Arch, plus a few others that I've forgotten. It used to sell Abbot and Ruddles County when 5% beers were rare. It wasn't particularily cheap then but it was pre Wetherspoon days.
I last went in over 25 years ago and thought it was rubbish. I can't think of any good reason to visit that area today.

[NickDavies]

Not listed in my 1975 edition. As you say it moved on, in 1981 we have "six bitters and one mild always on handpump from a total range of about 50 different beers." I surprised they could, without huge effort, source 50 different beers back then.

[Aqualung]

Not listed in my 1975 edition. As you say it moved on, in 1981 we have "six bitters and one mild always on handpump from a total range of about 50 different beers." I surprised they could, without huge effort, source 50 different beers back then.
Two or three beers from each brewery would mean trading with around twenty different breweries. Assuming a few came from the Big Six that would be quite feasible. I remember they once did a mild festival with around a dozen milds. Some of the new brewers were running by then, Ringwood and Exmoor I'm sure.

[Mobyduck]

An excellent pint of beer, but £5.00 for a pint of Five Points Railway Porter, here (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24954/), is beyond the pale, so to speak.

[Aqualung]

I paid £3.00 for a pint of Holden's Old Ale in this (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/38298/) tied house yesterday. It's 7.2%, a proper Xmas drink.

[london calling]

For the last 10 years I have been given a bottle of Fullers -Vintage ale by my daughter in law who works for Fullers .Not this year.Lovely beer Vintage ale.She paid between £4-£6 pound out of her brewery allowance so about £50 in total. If you fancy drinking wot I drank Fullers can still accommodate you.They are still on sale for £646 for the 10 I have had.Enjoy

[Tris39]

Thats shocking, really like the pub and the beer, but that's out of order, paying £ 4.00 in my local( Hampshire) and have been told its £3.75 in The Partridge , Darkstars own pub in Sussex.

This is an increasingly expensive area - look at the glamorous high-rises going up along City Road in what was once a wasteland. £5.00 for a 6.5% ABV ale in an area like this is sadly the norm. The way things are going in London, the ABV is increasingly the same as the price!

[trainman]

For the last 10 years I have been given a bottle of Fullers -Vintage ale by my daughter in law who works for Fullers .Not this year.Lovely beer Vintage ale.She paid between £4-£6 pound out of her brewery allowance so about £50 in total. If you fancy drinking wot I drank Fullers can still accommodate you.They are still on sale for £646 for the 10 I have had.Enjoy

Or £515 for one bottle of the original 1997 vintage..!
https://shop.fullers.co.uk/collections/vintage-ale/products/vintage-ale-1997-rare

[hondo]

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/02/21/Craft-beer-pricing-out-poorer-consumers-claims-community-pub-owner

[NickDavies]

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/02/21/Craft-beer-pricing-out-poorer-consumers-claims-community-pub-owner

I'm not sure what his point is, if he has one. If his punters won't pay for craft beer, there's obviously no reason why he should want to sell it. If the only thing his punters will drink is craft beer, but can't afford it, he needs to find a pub somewhere else.

[Mobyduck]

I'm not sure what his point is, if he has one. If his punters won't pay for craft beer, there's obviously no reason why he should want to sell it. If the only thing his punters will drink is craft beer, but can't afford it, he needs to find a pub somewhere else.

I make that right, sell to your customer base.

[london calling]

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/02/21/Craft-beer-pricing-out-poorer-consumers-claims-community-pub-owner
What a nobhead.My wife cant afford a Gucci handbag and I cant afford a Rolls Royce so we don't buy them.Drink what you can afford .
His is the only pub on his estate serving 18,000 people .Must get busy at the bar.

[london calling]

How much.The Draft Hse last night had Founders -All Day ipa at £5.95 a pint.(not bad price unless you live on an estate in Brighton)but I got 6 x 355ml bottles at B&m stores on Saturday for £4.50.result.

[Tris39]

The Somers Town Coffee House (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22842/) - Paid £5.05 for a pint of Charles' Wells Extra Golden Ale (4.3%) two days ago.

The Bull & Gate (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23770/) - Paid £5.05 for a pint of Young's Special yesterday.

The Gipsy Queen (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54424/) - Paid £3.00 for a half of Purity's Mad Goose yesterday.

The Somers Town Coffee House and Gipsy Queen are in areas that are in no way affluent and Kentish Town is a mixed area but it's not Mayfair. Perhaps the staff think that everyone around here is as loaded as local residents Benedict Cumberbatch or Damien Lewis?

I've worked out that drinking in some of London's most expensive residential areas is a good way to save money. :whistle:

[Mobyduck]

I've worked out that drinking in some of London's most expensive residential areas is a good way to save money. :whistle:

Agree , there seems to be little rhyme or reason.

[london calling]

I was in 2 of the pubs last night that Tris reviewed today
royal oak -£2.40 for a half of 4.9 cask
thornbury castle -£2.50 for half of 4.3 cask
then
draft hse charlotte
3 thirds of keg 4.2+4.9 +5.1 for £5
soon I will not be able to afford cask ..Have to stick to craft keg.

[Mobyduck]

£4.95 for a pint of cask Adnams Mosaic in The Ship (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24659/) , I thought was stretching things a bit far.

[NickDavies]

I was in 2 of the pubs last night that Tris reviewed today
royal oak -£2.40 for a half of 4.9 cask
thornbury castle -£2.50 for half of 4.3 cask
then
draft hse charlotte
3 thirds of keg 4.2+4.9 +5.1 for £5
soon I will not be able to afford cask ..Have to stick to craft keg.

Were some of those £2.50 halves pro rata for a pint? The second nearest pub to me, 90 odd miles from London, charges £4 for pints and £2.50 for halves, a disparity which once upon a time would have been outrageous (indeed you'd get people huffing and puffing about complaining to weights and measures if a half was rounded up to the nearest 5p) but seems to be par for the course now in a lot of places.

[london calling]

Were some of those £2.50 halves pro rata for a pint? The second nearest pub to me, 90 odd miles from London, charges £4 for pints and £2.50 for halves, a disparity which once upon a time would have been outrageous (indeed you'd get people huffing and puffing about complaining to weights and measures if a half was rounded up to the nearest 5p) but seems to be par for the course now in a lot of places.
Hi Nick,i only drink halves so don't know but was charged in consecutive pubs for cask 2.40-2.50 -2.40-2.50 -2.50 -2.20 and then 1.60 for Sam Smiths tastless bitter.My last was a keg beer at 3.25 so keg still dearer on the night

[london calling]

Hi Nick,i only drink halves so don't know but was charged in consecutive pubs for cask 2.40-2.50 -2.40-2.50 -2.50 -2.20 and then 1.60 for Sam Smiths tastless bitter.My last was a keg beer at 3.25 so keg still dearer on the night
Also had 3 halves in Craft Beer Co who do not charge extra and they were all £2.40.

[NickDavies]

Cask Beer: solving the problem of price

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/03/12/Cask-Beer-solving-the-problem-of-price

[Bucking Fastard]

Cask Beer: solving the problem of price

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/03/12/Cask-Beer-solving-the-problem-of-price


Thanks for posting that article,a very thoughful piece.Maybe there needs to be a wider range of price points for cask ale ,which would also be more understandable if the variation was both around ABV ,and ingedient costs.

[Mobyduck]

New BrewDog Reading, White Hag Black Boar, a 10.5% stout, only £5.55 a third, although intrigued I passed on this one, should have asked for a taster.

[sheffield hatter]

New BrewDog Reading, White Hag Black Boar, a 10.5% stout, only £5.55 a third, although intrigued I passed on this one, should have asked for a taster.

I don't know which is cheekier - them asking that much for a third of a pint, or you asking for a taster. In your favour, at least you held yourself back.

[london calling]

The Knights Templar had Oakham -attilla 7.5 for £3.50 a pint and Doombar for £3.75 a pint.
Madness surely.

[Aqualung]

The Knights Templar had Oakham -attilla 7.5 for £3.50 a pint and Doombar for £3.75 a pint.
Madness surely.

The Attila would have been left over from the March beer fest, hardly an issue at that strength. Doom Bore varies enormously in price between JDWs. I've noticed several outlets in the North and Scotland don't even sell it as the punters up there are clearly less gullible. I wouldn't even drink the rubbish at a quid a pint.
I'll be going to my first Spoons since March 1st this week, almost entirely new ones.

[Tris39]

£4.95 for a pint of cask Adnams Mosaic in The Ship (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24659/) , I thought was stretching things a bit far.

A pint of Adnam's Ghost Ship in The Prince Alfred (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22729/) last night at £5.20.

[Tris39]

Hoxley & Porter (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54229/)

£3.30 for a half of Lagunitas IPA two nights ago.

[Mobyduck]

Hoxley & Porter (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54229/)

£3.30 for a half of Lagunitas IPA two nights ago.

Pushing things too far by far.

[london calling]

Paid £4.85 for 2/3 of Siren -ten dollar milk shake ipa 6.6 last night .Works out at near enough 9.5 dollars a pint.Did I get a bargain.

[Spinko]

£3.70 for two thirds of the Tiny Rebel/Siren collab Didgeridank in the Roper Hall Preston. An 8.4% double IPA that could block the sun with a millimetre or two.

[bcfczuluarmy]

Not sure if it's the most expensive in this thread but it is and strong.. £10 a 1/2 13% Found https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/newpubs/32840/ today.

1645

[london calling]

Not sure if it's the most expensive in this thread but it is and strong.. £10 a 1/2 13% Found https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/newpubs/32840/ today.

1645
That is the dearest beer I has seen or heard about.That is a ridiculous price.

[Gann]

To take us back to the original post, I also got charged £5 for a pint in the Wenlock last Thursday...

But then it was the Redemption Victorian Mild at 6%...

[Aqualung]

I was shocked to find last Thursday that the Best in the King Arthur in Hagley and the New Inn at Wordsley has risen to a staggering £2.85 a pint. The Mild at the King Arthur remains at £2.45 but at the start of the year the Best was £2.75. Heaven knows what the XXX will be this December!

[Brainypool]

spotted a £6 pint in the Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool. in fact I couldn't find a pint under £4 anywhere, a night out there is a great way to empty your pockets fast.

[Tris39]

spotted a £6 pint in the Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool. in fact I couldn't find a pint under £4 anywhere, a night out there is a great way to empty your pockets fast.

Got charged £5.75 for a pint of keg Wild Beer Co.'s Bibble in The Elgin (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/22739/) last night. You can get it on cask for not much more than four quid at the Jugged Hare (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23334/) , which caters for a far more affluent client base.

[RealAleRobUK]

I recently got caught out paying £10 for two half pints of Soup by Garage at P L Y (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/83092/) in Manchester.

I had heard people rave about Soup so I wanted to know what the fuss was about and saw they had it on here so made the plunge. There is a big menu and price list at the bar but in small letters at the bottom it advises that the prices are per 2/3 pint, so when I asked for two halves it cost more than I expected. I appreciate that the beer was imported which will no doubt add to the cost, but it was only 6% so still seemed a bit overboard really. You expect a big price for a 12% imperial stout but this was a bit of a shocker and to top it off I didn't think the Soup was anything special really. Nice enough but not £10 a pint nice.

[Tris39]

Got charged £5 for a pint of cask Darkstar-green hop ipa 6.5 in the Wenlock last night.Got charges £5 for my second pint of it as well.Stunning beer but sad that a pub like the Wenlock which was known for reasonable priced beer resorts to this sort of pricing.Added to my boycott list.

Interesting. I got charged £2.10 for a half of Purity's Longhorn IPA in the Wenlock two nights ago which isn't bad. I paid £3.00 for a pint of Thornbridge's Peverel in The George & Monkey (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23321/) a couple of nights ago!

[Tris39]

Was charged £6.00 in The Belrose (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23740/) last night. I know it's a 6.2% keg beer, but this is still an obscene price.

[Mobyduck]

Was charged £6.00 in The Belrose (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23740/) last night. I know it's a 6.2% keg beer, but this is still an obscene price.

I missed this pub somehow on a crawl four and a half years ago when visiting The Sir Richard Steele, a good miss by the sounds of it.

[Tris39]

I missed this pub somehow on a crawl four and a half years ago when visiting The Sir Richard Steele, a good miss by the sounds of it.

You should see what they've done to the Steele's after a seven-month refurb; prepare yourself for a shock!

[london calling]

Was charged £6.00 in The Belrose (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23740/) last night. I know it's a 6.2% keg beer, but this is still an obscene price.
Last time I was in that pub to get the Haverstock brewery (brewed in the basement ) I paid £4.00 for a pint and £50 for a parking ticket. Not a great tick by any means.

[Spinko]

Fairly sure I saw a 6%+ pint for £1.99 in the Stockton Wetherspoons, but was sticking to Shipyard before I saw some throughput. That was standard price too - maybe we should have a "how cheap?" topic!

I used to think Elland 1872 Porter was cheap at £2.99 in Paramount Wetherspoons in manc...

[Aqualung]

Fairly sure I saw a 6%+ pint for £1.99 in the Stockton Wetherspoons, but was sticking to Shipyard before I saw some throughput.


Quite feasible. A lot of outlets don't bother with the "Standard", "Premium" etc guest ale categories and just charge the standard price.



I used to think Elland 1872 Porter was cheap at £2.99 in Paramount Wetherspoons in manc...

Central Manchester Spoons aren't all that cheap. I don't think any of the NE ones are expensive.




maybe we should have a "how cheap?" topic!

I've been using this one!

[Al Bundy]

Fairly sure I saw a 6%+ pint for £1.99 in the Stockton Wetherspoons, but was sticking to Shipyard before I saw some throughput. That was standard price too - maybe we should have a "how cheap?" topic!

I used to think Elland 1872 Porter was cheap at £2.99 in Paramount Wetherspoons in manc...

Big Bog Quagmire 6% for £1.55 a pint in Gold Cape Wethers, Mold. Yes please.

[aleandhearty]

It's your round, I'm afraid...


https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/britains-most-expensive-pint-hipster-13145934

[Aqualung]

It's your round, I'm afraid...


https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/britains-most-expensive-pint-hipster-13145934

How annoying that the Daily Mirror uses the US spelling of draught. In Newcastle Under Lyme the owner of the Hopwater Cellar (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/83797/) was showing me some spirit strength beers produced by freezing rather than distillation so still technically beers. I din't remember any figures but these were many times more expensive than this.
How ironic that the pub involved was a Watney's pub called the Glue Pot aka the Glue Sniffer.

[london calling]

Tried 2 Fullers and Friends collab beers on cask in The Admiralty £5.45 a pint.Tourist trap or justifiable due to the view over Trafalgar Square?
Both flat and not very good.With friends like these who needs enemies

[london calling]

Wetherspoons Kingston

1 pint of oakham -green devil keg
2 pints -oakham -black hole cask
1 pint -oakham -attilla cask
1 500ml bottle brains -atlantic white
1/2 -hoogartden keg
1 330 ml tin yeasty boys -ipa
1 tin 330 ml -innis and gun -mangoes on the run
cost £19.80

the Ram Kingston

4 pints Fourpure -shapeshifter ipa keg
cost £24

[AlanH]

As stated in my recent review, the cask beer at The Crown Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/51922/) had just ran out so I ordered half of Guinness. While it was settling, the barmaid came over and said "£3 please". I questioned the price and she assured me that it had always been £3. Asking the price of a pint, I was told £3.60. I said I would have a pint instead. She poured my pint fresh from the tap and gave the half away to a regular for free!

[RealAleRobUK]

As stated in my recent review, the cask beer at The Crown Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/51922/) had just ran out so I ordered half of Guinness. While it was settling, the barmaid came over and said "£3 please". I questioned the price and she assured me that it had always been £3. Asking the price of a pint, I was told £3.60. I said I would have a pint instead. She poured my pint fresh from the tap and gave the half away to a regular for free!

This is a pet hate of mine! I see no valid reason to overcharge for a half, other than rounding to the nearest 10p for round figures. Some places just take the proverbial.

[trainman]

As stated in my recent review, the cask beer at The Crown Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/51922/) had just ran out so I ordered half of Guinness. While it was settling, the barmaid came over and said "£3 please". I questioned the price and she assured me that it had always been £3. Asking the price of a pint, I was told £3.60. I said I would have a pint instead. She poured my pint fresh from the tap and gave the half away to a regular for free!

Staggering!!

[Mobyduck]

Staggering!!

£3.60 a pint is staggering. :D

[NickDavies]

This is a pet hate of mine! I see no valid reason to overcharge for a half, other than rounding to the nearest 10p for round figures. Some places just take the proverbial.

Out of interest, what's your view on the widespread practice of offering a double measure of spirits for, say, a quid more than a single? And wine by the glass is seldom pro-rata the bottle price. Then there's free refills of soft drinks or coffee.

The valid reason is the cost of service is at least equal to the cost of the ingredients, and you are paying the marginal cost for the other half pint or shot of gin or whatever.

Be that as it may, I agree, it does seem to grate more with beer than anything else, possibly thanks to an older, now largely forgotten tradition, of posting prices by the half.

[Brainypool]

If they want to overcharge for a half that's up to them (though a bit daft I reckon) - probably good etiquette to alert the customer to that before pouring the drink though. Can't imagine many wouldn't just go for a pint once they're told the relative prices. At least she didn't make you cough up for it though!

[RealAleRobUK]

Out of interest, what's your view on the widespread practice of offering a double measure of spirits for, say, a quid more than a single? And wine by the glass is seldom pro-rata the bottle price. Then there's free refills of soft drinks or coffee.

The valid reason is the cost of service is at least equal to the cost of the ingredients, and you are paying the marginal cost for the other half pint or shot of gin or whatever.

Be that as it may, I agree, it does seem to grate more with beer than anything else, possibly thanks to an older, now largely forgotten tradition, of posting prices by the half.

I can see where you are coming from, but taking wine for example, it is priced by the glass so there is the implication that you are getting a discount if you buy a full bottle rather than three individual glasses.

For beer, usually priced by the pint, it feels the opposite is true in that the pint is the starting price and then you are potentially penalised for buying a half pint.

I accept that if in theory I buy two pints it is cheaper to service me than if I buy four half pints. I'm going back to the bar half as often and using half the number of clean glasses that will need to be washed. A small premium for buying a half, in my opinion, is acceptable, though many places choose not to do this and that is obviously great for the customer. But charging £3 for a half when a pint is priced at £3.60 is ridiculous. And what did it achieve? In this example the customer probably felt a bit ripped off (not good for business) and the extra half pint that was originally poured was given away for free to a regular (also not good for business). Anything that pisses off your customer is not a good business model.

[london calling]

I think its okay to charge slightly more for a 1/2 pint and until recently I only drank 1/2 pints but in a craft bar in Richmond recently I pointed out to staff that two of their beers were dearer by the pint than 2 halves.Youngsters cant count.

[Aqualung]

As I only drink pints I really couldn't care less what a half costs but given the situation with wine and spirits mentioned above I don't see how half pint drinkers have any right to complain. What really annoys me is places that just sell all or some beers only in measures other than a a pint. I'd generally prefger not to visit that sort of place. Even the illustrious Beacon Hotel in Sedgley is guilty as they only sell Snowflake in halves which means I have to transfer two of them to a STRAIGHT pint glass! I've had pints of it without question in the Kinver Constitutional Club, Codsall Station and the Great Western.

[Aqualung]

Purple Moose are more old school than crafty but their pub the Australia in Porthmadog has three of their beers on keg to supplement the five cask ones. The three cask beers I tried were £3.25 twice and £3.40. The keg ones were £3.30 twice and £3.40. If this place can sell keg beers at roughly the same price as cask then why is keg so overpriced almost everywhere else? The two £3.40 ones were the Elderflower cask and the stronger Antlered IPA on keg.

[rpadam]

...then why is keg so overpriced almost everywhere else?
Supply and demand, like everything else!

[Aqualung]

Supply and demand, like everything else!

I'm not sure about that, the hipster types don't seem to care what the price is. I think there is also the "reassuringly expensive" angle as used by wife beater some years ago and which Guinness have always followed backed up by heavy advertising. It does illustrate that if a pub is doing the same beer on cask and keg then a significant difference in price is just a rip off.

[london calling]

I'm not sure about that, the hipster types don't seem to care what the price is. I think there is also the "reassuringly expensive" angle as used by wife beater some years ago and which Guinness have always followed backed up by heavy advertising. It does illustrate that if a pub is doing the same beer on cask and keg then a significant difference in price is just a rip off.
But do they sell it to the trade at the same price for cask and keg.

[london calling]

I'm not sure about that, the hipster types don't seem to care what the price is. I think there is also the "reassuringly expensive" angle as used by wife beater some years ago and which Guinness have always followed backed up by heavy advertising. It does illustrate that if a pub is doing the same beer on cask and keg then a significant difference in price is just a rip off.
Hipsters do care about price but they relate it to their income so it seems reasonable to them.

[Aqualung]

But do they sell it to the trade at the same price for cask and keg.

I've no idea as I've never seen any of their kegs before. One of the pubs I went to did Great Orme Snowdon Lager at £3.10 as opposed to £3.00 for their cask offerings which were all English.

[rpadam]

Hipsters do care about price but they relate it to their income so it seems reasonable to them.
Quite so, and if that means hipsters happy to pay more for their craft keg and the same pubs then being able to afford slimmer margins for quality cask then who am I to complain?

[NickDavies]

Hipsters do care about price but they relate it to their income so it seems reasonable to them.

You only care deeply about the price of beer if you spend a lot your income on beer. If you drink 40 pints a week price is going to be an issue even if you're on quite a good income. A pound a pint extra is a couple of grand a year. If you drink eight or ten pints a week on a similar income you're not going to get so excited if some of them cost £6 rather than £4.

[london calling]

I remember paying 10p a pint so when my1/2 of craft keg costs £4 I am aware that I could have had 40 pints of Dryboroughs -heavy for that price. when I first started drinking in 1969.

[Aqualung]

I remember paying 10p a pint so when my1/2 of craft keg costs £4 I am aware that I could have had 40 pints of Dryboroughs -heavy for that price. when I first started drinking in 1969.

You're wrong there, it would have been two shillings in 1969! In the same year that was the cheapest pint I ever had and it was Greenall's at the Swallow Falls Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/44730/). It was cheaper than the keg Tartan or "E" in the London student union bar which cost two shillings and four pennies.
About 4 years later Young's pubs were on the agenda and Special was 14p a pint in their cheapest Public Bars.

[london calling]

You're wrong there, it would have been two shillings in 1969! In the same year that was the cheapest pint I ever had and it was Greenall's at the Swallow Falls Hotel (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/44730/). It was cheaper than the keg Tartan or "E" in the London student union bar which cost two shillings and four pennies.
About 4 years later Young's pubs were on the agenda and Special was 14p a pint in their cheapest Public Bars.
You are right about 2 shillings .In 1971 when decimalisation came in the beer jumped over night from 2 shillings and tuppence to 12.5 p or even 13p in a pub my dad drank in.Scandalous. when I moved to Brentford in 1976 I am sure a pint of Chiswick bitter was 29p

[Mobyduck]

when I moved to Brentford in 1976 I am sure a pint of Chiswick bitter was 29p

Fullers always were expensive.

[Rex_Rattus]

I remember being an impoverished civil servant working in Holborn when decimal currency was introduced, and with a couple of similarly impoverished colleagues had our local as the White Hart in Theobalds Rd where Watneys Special (I think that's what it was called - it had a yellow tap front, and was cheaper than Red Barrel) at 10p a pint, and their vegetable pie was also 10p. I'm sure that three pints of Watneys Special and veggie pie had no effect whatsoever on our productivity in the afternoon. The White Hart's listed on here but was demolished years ago.

[Aqualung]

I remember being an impoverished civil servant working in Holborn when decimal currency was introduced, and with a couple of similarly impoverished colleagues had our local as the White Hart in Theobalds Rd where Watneys Special (I think that's what it was called - it had a yellow tap front, and was cheaper than Red Barrel) at 10p a pint, and their vegetable pie was also 10p. I'm sure that three pints of Watneys Special and veggie pie had no effect whatsoever on our productivity in the afternoon. The White Hart's listed on here but was demolished years ago.

It certainly was Watney's Special. I too was an uncivil servant in Holborn back in the mid 1970s. Soon after the Sun in Lambs Conduit Street had opened with two Brakspear, two Young's and two Greene King beers. It was a great place until they started doing so many different beers that none of them were any good.

[NickDavies]

. It was a great place until they started doing so many different beers that none of them were any good.

Indeed, in 1981 the roster (from Real Ale In London) was:

Bateman - XB and XXXB
Brain's SA
Brakspears Bitter
Chudley - Bitter, Lords
Devenish - Bitter, Wessex Best
Everard - Beacon, Old Original
Felinfoel Double Dragon
Fuller's London Pride
Gibbs Mew - Bishop's Tipple
Jenning's Bitter
Marston's - Pedigree, Merrie Monk
Theakstons - Best, OP
Tolly Cobbold Original
Tower Bitter
Wadworth's 6X

I make that 21 beers. There were people who made a thing of going round the pumps.

I don't remember ever having a decent pint in there and it wasn't in the GBG by then.

It was a popular area for pub crawls. The Princess Louise,round the corner, in its pre-Sam's days, set itself up in competition and posted 17 beers, and there were various other pubs with large ranges locally, though none as ridiculous as those two.

[Tris39]

Bridge House (https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54685/) - £6.25 for a pint of keg Lagunitas IPA two nights ago.