Ah but we have to know that the hero of the piece really out drank the villains, or at the very least the lager drinkerOriginally Posted by trainman
Ah but we have to know that the hero of the piece really out drank the villains, or at the very least the lager drinker
Thank you very much, Rex. Nice to know someone appreciates me!
For the record, James & Teemu had a couple of cans before going to the pub. Roger had 2 or 3 pints for breakfast at the George in Wanstead on the way to football, so I guess he won really.
My pleasure Carole. Why doesn't that surprise me!
Hi Carole,
Welcome to the forums. I have to admit your drinking performance on the day would still have left me a few pints behind, Rogers just scare me.
Her presence on this forum scares meHi Carole,
Welcome to the forums. I have to admit your drinking performance on the day would still have left me a few pints behind, Rogers just scare me. I'm gonna have to behave now.
You always behaved roger, no need for you to change.
Well, I certainly won't be waxing as lyrical as Roger but we found ourselves 7-handed in Snorbans yesterday for another fine tour. Thank you Clive for highlighting the attraction of the ascendant Blacksmiths - a new one for me, & well worth the visit.
We went a little 'off-map' as we heard at the meet-pub (White Lion) that The Six Bells had become a proper Freehouse and the news that the venue of the original CAMRA meeting was The Farriers (now unfortunately McMullens only) put that one on the list. The Fighting Cocks appeared on the scenic (lake) route to 6Bells & was added, shame about the modern interior tacked to the right of the entrance of such an old place.
White Lion. Porter (can't recall brewery but, unusually, I had it - v.nice), Hooky, Keltic Majik, Tribute, Jennings Cumberland, Youngs Special. Round (x7) £21.50
Fighting Cocks. Landlord, Doombar, Pride (I think?), Harveys. Round £21.00
Six Bells. Oakham Haka (5.7%, mmm), JHB, Landlord, Abbot Reserve, Draught Cider, a.n.other(?). Round £19.00
Lower Red Lion. Sharps Abbey Christmas, Cottage Polar Express, Oakham Mompesson's Gold, JHB, Doombar. Round £24.00. Queried, gave me print-out from which I see, this morning, that he overcharged by a half (5pts, 4 halves - charged 5&5)
Boot. Saltaire Harvest Pale, Adnams Bitter & Explorer, Hobsons Town Crier, Wharf Bank Campfell, Batemans XXX, Castle Rock Harvest Pale (went). Round £22
Farriers. McMullen Cask, Country, AK. Round £unknown
Waterend Barn. Pride, Hildon Scullions Porter, Garden Brew Liberation, B&T Black Squirrel, Mordue Corriander 1879 ('coming soon'), Ruddles Best, Lion Stout, Adnams Ghost Ship, Titanic Wheat Porter ('coming soon'). Shame the 3 banks of 3 are so spaced - would be better to view as a single bank. Round £unknown, (but presumably cheap)
Blacksmiths. Oakham Citra, Cheddar Valley Cider (how orange is that?), Salopian Golden Thread, BombaReindeer (aarrrggghhh, shame on you Ralph!), Abbeydale Illumination, Elgoods Black Dog, Kelham Island A Little Less Conversation, Grain Winter Spice, Leeds Best, Darkstar Over the Moon. Round £unknown.
Farmers Boy, Mermaid, White Hart Tap fell by the wayside as the more distant travellers could not rely on later train connections, but the last beer was at Euston Tap - new to all but me, no idea what I had there, or who paid, or how.
ps. I knew StA was the 'home' of CAMRA but couldn't find the pub venue of the first meet. What I did find, which surprised me, was that the name originally stood for Campaign for the Revitalisation of Ale
Last edited by trainman; 05-12-2010 at 12:45. Reason: ps.
I'm just itching to go back to St A's and do the ones I missed as well as redo some of those that we did. It is a place I am contemplating for a 50th birthday session in February although there are various options that I am currently mulling over.
I was in the Blacksmiths Arms on Sunday with a similar selection of beers. Avoided the Bombareindeer but tried the Oakham Citrus, Brewers Gold, the Elgoods and and Salopian beers and what will probably be my BotW the Kelham Island A Little Less Conversation. Did you notice the heated Yurt they’ve put up in the beer garden? Fantastic idea, it's for diners only but makes for more room in the pub.
The Cross Keyes is the better of the two Wetherspoons for both range and quality of beer although if you want to eat the Waterend Barn is better.
Seems you did most of the good ones, but the three you mentioned as missing out are worth another trip. Easier if you are coming in to the main train station but less so if you’re using the Abbey Line from Watford which I suspect you were, given that you ended up at Euston.
I've just joined Alcoholics Anonymous - I still drink, just under a different name.
If you do decide on another St Albans trip Roger I’d be happy to act as consultant or local guide. The problem I find is that there’s no natural route for a crawl taking in the best pubs so you end up missing some out.
I've just joined Alcoholics Anonymous - I still drink, just under a different name.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote