Pubs Galore Forums - Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ Keep track of all the other interesting pub activity out there. en Tue, 14 Jul 2026 06:13:02 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/images/misc/rss.png Pubs Galore Forums - Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ Retired Martin - TOO HOT FOR PUB GARDENS, TOO HOT FOR CASK ? https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49124-Retired-Martin-TOO-HOT-FOR-PUB-GARDENS-TOO-HOT-FOR-CASK&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 22:49:24 GMT Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Sheffield. It’s that time of year again, when local newspapers, even the subscription ones without clickbait, send reporters out to find your city’s top beer gardens, and invite comments from folk who like to reminisce about “The Good Old Days“. I subscribe to Sheffield’s Tribune, which has good if often grim journalism, and… Continue reading TOO HOT FOR PUB GARDENS, TOO HOT FOR CASK*?

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49124-Retired-Martin-TOO-HOT-FOR-PUB-GARDENS-TOO-HOT-FOR-CASK Appellation Beer - One link, one paragraph https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49122-Appellation-Beer-One-link-one-paragraph&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:27:01 GMT *Visit The Appellation Beer site (https://appellationbeer.com/blog/one-link-one-paragraph-25/)* The link. The paragraph: “If we called it DC Brau... Visit The Appellation Beer site

The link. The paragraph: “If we called it DC Brau Light Lager, it’s not going to sell, because I’ve learned that there’s automatically a bias against craft beer in a large part of the population,” (CEO Brandon) Skall said.

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49122-Appellation-Beer-One-link-one-paragraph The Beer Nut - Soft scoops https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49120-The-Beer-Nut-Soft-scoops&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:15:57 GMT *Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2026/07/soft-scoops.html)* Image:... Visit The Beer Nut site

Tuesday last saw the eagerly-awaited soft opening of The Christchurch, the newest addition to the specialist beer side of Dublin's licensed trade, such as it is. The premises on High Street was Galway Bay's The Beer Market in a previous incarnation, then became the more tourist-orientated Christchurch Inn, though despite its location on the well-trodden path between the city centre and the Guinness Storehouse, doesn't seem to have become the moneyspinner that more central pubs have turned into. Now it's back in the craft game, this time under the aegis of prolific Dublin microbrewery Third Barrel. Not everything they serve is from Third Barrel, but everything new to me on day one was.

"Two More Weeks!" was a running joke about the prospective opening date, so was a fitting name for an IPA launched on the day, albeit without a printed tap badge. It professes to be in the west coast style, but wears the designation lightly. Both the hop bitterness and malt weight are less than full-on, despite the full 6% ABV. It is properly clear, however: a bright golden shade, and the hops are oily and resinous, delivering a clean herbal dankness first, before some sparks of lime and grapefruit peel. The strength becomes a little more apparent as it warms, but it's best enjoyed when cool and refreshing. Dangerously sessionable, as they say in all the best beer bars.

Reflecting the location of the pub, we also got Liberties Dublin lager. Both Guinness and Five Lamps have used their association with the neighbourhood to call beers after it, but I don't think either is currently in production, so Third Barrel can claim it now. It's 4.5% ABV, and its main job that summer evening was providing refreshment, which it did, impressively. The brewery does good lager in general, and this one was flawlessly crisp and clean, though they don't seem to have claimed any particular style for it. I would lean towards Italian pilsner, because after the initial cracker bite, there arises a floral hop note, suggesting lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle to me. As a house lager, this didn't really need to have much by way of complexity, but they've put plenty in anyway. Maybe it could get a little sickly after several pints, but I'll need to research that further.

Presumably because the red tram line runs further up the street, and continues out past the brewery in suburban Bluebell, there's a red ale called Red Line. This was on nitro which didn't do it any justice, I thought, though I'm sure there will be Kilkenny-pilled drinkers who appreciate its gloopy, gunky texture. That might not be so bad if it were as bland as Kilkenny, but there's lots going on in the flavour. It's another very floral one, this time concentrated into perfume. That contrasts with a harsh tannic dry side: stewed tea, building to an almost leathery acidity. The seasoning of peppery spice, wherever it came from, was the only lightening note, and greatly helps the drinkability. So it's fun, of a sort, but highly unorthodox. I'm not sure what the three people who still drink red ale will think of it, but I'm sure they'll tell us in due course.

Finally, Hopsicle Haus of Fionn 20.0, the latest in a series of hazy pale ales brewed at Third Barrel for Cork pubs Fionnbarra and The Bierhaus, marking two decades in business for the latter -- congratulations, Dave! It's a party animal at 6.26% ABV and hopped with Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Citra and Mosaic. That ought to induce fireworks but I found it a little on the plain side, emphasising haze's unfortunate vanilla tendency. There's a minor bite of lime and some more engaging resinous bitterness in the aroma, and it's at least clean and appropriately soft-textured. It's unexciting, however; just another glass of lightly sweet cloudiness that fails to give its hops a suitable platform. West coast is the way, boys. I thought everyone in the trade knew that by now.

It will be nice getting more draught offerings onto these pages, and it would be nicer if The Christchurch became as destinational for the beer-loving crowd as UnderDog was. Anyway, don't take my word for it, pop along. Opening hours will be Wednesday to Sunday from 3pm, for the next, oh, two weeks at least.


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49120-The-Beer-Nut-Soft-scoops Retired Martin - I (STILL) MISS THE JOLLY ANGLER https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49119-Retired-Martin-I-(STILL)-MISS-THE-JOLLY-ANGLER&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:15:57 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/13/i-still-miss-the-jolly-angler/)* July 2026. Manchester. I drove into... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Manchester. I drove into Manchester on the hottest day of the year to help him clear his Piccadilly flat (mainly a guitar and early editions of Kerrang!), a month after his move to the Promised Land of Stockport. I could have parked opposite the flat at CitiPark, but saved £7 by stopping on… Continue reading I (STILL) MISS THE JOLLY*ANGLER

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49119-Retired-Martin-I-(STILL)-MISS-THE-JOLLY-ANGLER Shut up about Barclay Perkins - This is Eighty Shilling part two https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49118-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Eighty-Shilling-part-two&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:15:57 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/07/this-is-eighty-shilling-part-two.html)* I explain the... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

I explain the recipe of 1913 William Younger 80/-. Yum. All those grits!



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49118-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Eighty-Shilling-part-two Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Largest Lager breweries worldwide in 1890 https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49115-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Largest-Lager-breweries-worldwide-in-1890&goto=newpost Mon, 13 Jul 2026 07:13:22 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/07/largest-lager-breweries-worldwide-in.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Even towards the end of the 19th century, the largest Lager breweries were still quite modestly-sized compared to the big producers in the UK.

The biggest two producers, both in the USA, made only about three -quarters of a million hectolitres. Which was only around a third of what Guinness was churning out each year. And the largest on continental Europe, Spaten, wasn’t even making half a million hectolitres.

It’s a demonstration of how far industrialisation of brewing had gone in the UK compared to the rest of the world. The process had started way back in the middle of the 18th century with the big Porter brewers.

Note that two of the original London Porter brewers, Barclay Perkins and Truman, remained amongst the largest breweries in the world. With Barclays still double the size of Spaten.
Largest Lager breweries year ending April 30, 1890
brewery location hl
Anheuser-Busch St. Louis 746,552
Pabst Brewing Company Milwaukee 725,255
Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company Milwaukee 499,418
George Ehret New York 363,237
Spatenbrauerei Munich 466,752
Lowen Munich 430,288
Anton Dreher Vienna 417,918
St. Marx Brauerei Vienna 275,974
Source:
The Abbeville press and banner, (Abbeville, S.C.), 19 Nov. 1890.

Largest breweries in the UK in 1884
brewery location hl
Guinness Dublin 2,127,570
Bass Burton 1,636,592
Allsopp Burton 1,391,104
Barclay London 900,126
Watney London 736,467
Truman London 736,467
Source:
Document ACC/2305/8/246 part of the Courage archive held at the London Metropolitan Archive.







More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49115-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Largest-Lager-breweries-worldwide-in-1890 Retired Martin - VISITING THE CORN DOLLY JUST TO PLAY BOB AND OLIVIA https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49114-Retired-Martin-VISITING-THE-CORN-DOLLY-JUST-TO-PLAY-BOB-AND-OLIVIA&goto=newpost Sun, 12 Jul 2026 23:46:08 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/12/visiting-the-corn-dolly-just-to-play-bob-and-olivia/)* July 2026. Bradford.... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Bradford. Back from the Ginger Goose, Mrs RM said she didn’t want anything to eat, which I took as instruction to head out immediately and come back with a healthy tea. I headed out into Little Germany, a part of Bradford with unrealised potential, expecting to find a dozen pizza/kebab places on the… Continue reading VISITING THE CORN DOLLY JUST TO PLAY BOB AND*OLIVIA

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49114-Retired-Martin-VISITING-THE-CORN-DOLLY-JUST-TO-PLAY-BOB-AND-OLIVIA Retired Martin - YOUNG (AND OLD) HEARTS RUN FREE AT THE GINGER GOOSE https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49113-Retired-Martin-YOUNG-(AND-OLD)-HEARTS-RUN-FREE-AT-THE-GINGER-GOOSE&goto=newpost Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:15:57 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/12/young-and-old-hearts-run-free-at-the-ginger-goose/)* July 2026. Bradford.... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Bradford. Back from Bingley at half-five last Monday, Bradford looked a little too quiet. The 10 minutes walk from Forster Square Station to Holiday Inn Express is a row of “value” pubs, one of them offering sandwich, crisps and a pint for a fiver. As I walk past the Ginger Goose I hear… Continue reading YOUNG (AND OLD) HEARTS RUN FREE AT THE GINGER*GOOSE

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49113-Retired-Martin-YOUNG-(AND-OLD)-HEARTS-RUN-FREE-AT-THE-GINGER-GOOSE Retired Martin - BINGLEY, AFTER THE DRUID’S WALK https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49112-Retired-Martin-BINGLEY-AFTER-THE-DRUID’S-WALK&goto=newpost Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:11:00 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/12/bingley-after-the-druids-walk/)* July 2026. Bingley. Day 5 of the Cask... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Bingley. Day 5 of the Cask Camino, and we’d postponed Bingley’s canalside highlights in favour of a bracing walk to the Druid’s Altar, with the promise of a pint on the way back to the station. Mrs RM will be looking for some middle-class pub recommendations for her own blog, and you won’t… Continue reading BINGLEY, AFTER THE DRUID’S*WALK

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49112-Retired-Martin-BINGLEY-AFTER-THE-DRUID’S-WALK Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Beery suggestions for Canada https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49111-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Beery-suggestions-for-Canada&goto=newpost Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:05:25 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/07/beery-suggestions-for-canada.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Next week I'm off to Canada with the kids. Two weeks of North American fun.I've been rather busy and haven't done much in the way of research about what we're going to do when we're there. I say I've been busy. That's true. But I've also been a lazy git.
Any pubs and brewpubs you could recommend would be most appreciated. This is our schedule so you'll know where we'll be:
15th-18th July Toronto
19th-20th July Ottawa
21st-24th July Montreal
25th-27th July Quebec City
I've only been to Toronto before so I'm totally clueless about the other three cities.
If you fancy meeting up and buying me some beer, get in touch. I',m a sociable fellow and always enjoy meeting new people.
Hopefully, it's not going to be too warm in Canada. Andrew really doesn't cope with heat well. When we were in Japan a few years back, several times I thought he was going to drop dead.


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49111-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Beery-suggestions-for-Canada Retired Martin - CASK CAMINO DAY 5 – SALT MILL TO BINGLEY https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49110-Retired-Martin-CASK-CAMINO-DAY-5-–-SALT-MILL-TO-BINGLEY&goto=newpost Sat, 11 Jul 2026 17:09:36 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/11/cask-camino-day-5-salt-mill-to-bingley/)* July 2026. Saltaire to Bingley. A... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Saltaire to Bingley. A late (9:30) start to Day 5 of the Cask Camino on Monday morning meant we missed the best of the Holiday Inn Express (i.e. the scrambled eggs), which came as a shock after missing breakfasts in Armenia because they didn’t start till 9am. We resume at Saltaire station, the… Continue reading CASK CAMINO DAY 5 – SALT MILL TO*BINGLEY

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49110-Retired-Martin-CASK-CAMINO-DAY-5-–-SALT-MILL-TO-BINGLEY Retired Martin - CULTURE ? I’LL SHOW YOU CULTURE, SAYS BRADFORD https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49108-Retired-Martin-CULTURE-I’LL-SHOW-YOU-CULTURE-SAYS-BRADFORD&goto=newpost Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:53:11 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/11/culture-ill-show-you-culture-says-bradford/)* July 2026. Bradford. I see... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Bradford. I see Corby has been shortlisted for UK Town of Culture 2028, and rightly so. Who could deny a place with “hot piping action” ? It faces tough competition from Basildon and the lesser lights highlighted by the BBC in a typical sneery article. I can recommend ALL of those places, particularly… Continue reading CULTURE ? I’LL SHOW YOU CULTURE, SAYS*BRADFORD

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49108-Retired-Martin-CULTURE-I’LL-SHOW-YOU-CULTURE-SAYS-BRADFORD Retired Martin - SALT. THEN MORE SALT https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49106-Retired-Martin-SALT-THEN-MORE-SALT&goto=newpost Sat, 11 Jul 2026 09:47:29 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/07/11/salt-then-more-salt/)* July 2026. Saltaire. Mrs RM had scoured the internet... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Saltaire. Mrs RM had scoured the internet for advice on what to do in Saltaire at the end of our (very short) leg of the Cask Camino and found 1) Salt Mill and Hockney galleries, 2) Roberts Park, 3) SALT Beer Factory. Not much mention of the characterful grid of cobbled streets built… Continue reading SALT. THEN MORE*SALT

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49106-Retired-Martin-SALT-THEN-MORE-SALT Shut up about Barclay Perkins - This is Eighty Shilling - a recipe https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49105-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Eighty-Shilling-a-recipe&goto=newpost Sat, 11 Jul 2026 09:47:29 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/07/this-is-eighty-shilling-recipe.html)* As a follow-up to... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

As a follow-up to What is Eighty Shilling, I explain a recipe for 1851 William Younger 80/-. A Shilling Ale version of 80/-.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49105-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Eighty-Shilling-a-recipe <![CDATA[Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Let's Brew - 1885 Thomas Usher 60/- B]]> https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49104-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Let-s-Brew-1885-Thomas-Usher-60-B&goto=newpost Sat, 11 Jul 2026 07:09:40 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/07/lets-brew-1885-thomas-usher-60-b.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

If you’ve looked at my YouTube video on Sixty Shilling, you’ll know that this beer has no relationship with the modern type. This being a Shilling Ale. The older type of Scottish Ale that was roughly equivalent to an English Mild. While modern 60/- is a type of Pale Ale.

The recipe is pretty simple: just base malt and sugar. With not the slightest indication of what that type of sugar might be. I’ve gone for cane sugar. It could also have been some sort of invert. There really was just a single type of base malt. What’s more surprising is that it was Scottish.

At just 5 lbs per quarter (336 lbs) of malt, the hopping rate is pretty low. A lot lower than Usher’s Pale ales, which received 98 lbs per quarter. There were two types of hops: Californian from the1883 harvest and Alsace from 1884.
1885 Thomas Usher 60/- B
pale malt 8.00 lb 88.89%
cane sugar 1.00 lb 11.11%
Cluster 90 min 0.75 oz
Cluster 60 min 0.75 oz
Strisselspalt 30 min 0.50 oz
OG 1041.5
FG 1015
ABV 3.51
Apparent attenuation 63.86%
IBU 39
SRM 4
Mash at 155º F
Sparge at 175º F
Boil time 120 minutes
pitching temp 59º F
Yeast WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

For those who missed it, this is my short video on 60/-.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49104-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Let-s-Brew-1885-Thomas-Usher-60-B