Pubs Galore Forums - Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ Keep track of all the other interesting pub activity out there. en Fri, 12 Jun 2026 23:25:36 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/images/misc/rss.png Pubs Galore Forums - Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ Retired Martin - A PEARL IN THE PARK HILL FLATS https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48900-Retired-Martin-A-PEARL-IN-THE-PARK-HILL-FLATS&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:49:00 GMT Visit The Retired Martin site

June 2026. Sheffield. I don’t like these days in Sheffield, there’s too much still to see, but with Mrs RM busy curating her blog I need to give her options for local exploration. It’s a while since we explored the Park Hill flats out the back of the station, as these steps don’t get any… Continue reading A PEARL IN THE PARK HILL*FLATS

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48900-Retired-Martin-A-PEARL-IN-THE-PARK-HILL-FLATS Retired Martin - A DESTINATION KENTISH PUB FOR MICHAEL’S 88th https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48898-Retired-Martin-A-DESTINATION-KENTISH-PUB-FOR-MICHAEL’S-88th&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:09:44 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/06/12/a-destination-kentish-pub-for-michaels-88th/)* June 2026. Somewhere near... Visit The Retired Martin site

June 2026. Somewhere near Tonbridge, Kent. In truth, I’d been looking forward to the usual “Meal for Three” from Southborough’s Meows for Michael’s birthday, Mrs Meow is my second favourite lady in the whole world and it’s not even close. But arriving at the door of the in-laws at half-eleven we’re greeted with “Michael needs… Continue reading A DESTINATION KENTISH PUB FOR MICHAEL’S*88th

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48898-Retired-Martin-A-DESTINATION-KENTISH-PUB-FOR-MICHAEL’S-88th <![CDATA[Paul Bailey's Beer Blog - Exploring the pubs of Samuel Palmer's "Valley of Vision"]]> https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48897-Paul-Bailey-s-Beer-Blog-Exploring-the-pubs-of-Samuel-Palmer-s-quot-Valley-of-Vision-quot&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:09:44 GMT Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site

I'm going to Shoreham for the day this Saturday, I told Mrs PBT's, little thinking that my good lady wife was thinking that I meant the seaside town of Shoreham, in West Sussex. I quickly put her right, and explained that I was off to the much smaller and much less well-known Kentish settlement of Shoreham, a delightful village in the idyllic setting of the Darent Valley, which runs in a northerly direction, through the chalk hills of the North Downs, from just north of Sevenoaks to the Dartford Creek Barrier, the point at which the Darent flows into the River Thames. The reason for my visit was a short ramble, along the Darent Valley, towards Shoreham in the company of members of West Kent CAMRA, naturally taking in a few local pubs along the way. The journey, by rail, from Tonbridge involves a change of train at Sevenoaks , and then a short ride up the valley towards Shoreham. There was a dozen or so of us who left the train, except it was the larger settlement of Otford, where we alighted, rather than the next stop of Shoreham.
The idea was to walk from Otford, along a short stretch of the Darent Valley Way, to Shoreham, where we would be meeting up with those members who had decided not to walk. Leaving the train at Otford, meant the chance of calling in at one of two local pubs in the village, and the pub chosen was the Bull, a former coaching inn in the heart of Otford, and the largest pub in the village. Ten years or so ago, the Bull belonged to Scottish & Newcastle, remember them? but the pub is now part of the Whiting & Hamond group, a small, independent chain, based in West Kent, with an estate that also includes, the Little Brown Jug, at Chiddingstone Causeway.
The latter is the small village where my current employer is based, and the Jug, as it's known locally, is just a short 5 minutes walk away from my workplace. Pubs within the group are quite heavily accented towards the food trade, although they normally manage to sustain a healthy wet trade. Quite sensibly, the pubs restrict their cask range to just two or three beers, and these tend to include local favourites, such as Larkin's, or beers from further afield, such as Gun Brewery. Both establishments fit the image of a welcoming country pub blending classic charm, modern food, plus friendly service all enjoyed in a cosy interior, offering a relaxed atmosphere that is perfect for any occasion.
It was time to move on, so after crossing the road opposite the Bull, we skirted the village cricket pitch, before heading into woodland which provided a much welcome chance to escape from the rather oppressive heat. As mentioned earlier, the path followed roughly the route of the Darent Valley Way, although for the pedantic amongst us, the official path is slightly lower down in the valley.
To cut a long story short, we entered Shoreham close to the vineyards, that overlook the easterly slopes of the Downs, before skirting the edge of the village itself. The plan was to enter Shoreham from the north, stop off at the Crown, which is the furthermost pub in the village, and then work our way back towards the station, stopping off at the King's Arms, before finishing at the Samuel Palmer. From there it would be a short, but steep walk back up the lane, towards Shoreham station, and the train home.
Shoreham is unbelievably picturesque, so I was appalled to learn from local CAMRA Branch Chairman, Tony, whom I was walking with, that this picturesque gem, surrounded by some equally beautiful countryside, nearly disappeared beneath the concrete and tarmac of the London Orbital Motorway. The original planned route of the M25 was designed to cut directly through the Darent Valley and straight through Shoreham village, with the planners intending for the motorway to pass right through the landscape made famous by the 19th-century artist Samuel Palmer.
The route change was forced by a massive public outcry, because the proposed motorway would have carved right through the heart of Palmer’s "Earthly Paradise" and spoiled for ever, Shoreham village and its picturesque river valley. Such a horror story, would be unimaginable today, but in Thatcher's Britain, environmental and aesthetic concerns were quite low down on the list of priorities.
Fortunately, the strong protest mounted by environmental and local campaigners succeeded in forcing a change of heart, which led to the authorities diverting the motorway north of the village, and pushing the road roughly a mile to the west of Shoreham. I do vaguely remember the "lucky escape" that Shoreham and the Darent Valley had, from the hands of the planners, but the story serves as a reminder of the need for constant vigilance against the worst excesses of those who would concrete over some of the country's most beautiful locations, in order to make a quick buck.
We arrived, quite suddenly at the northern end of Shoreham, after crossing the Darent by a narrow, wooden footbridge. A short distance in front of us was the second pub of the day, and the first of the village's three remaining pubs. The Crown of Shoreham, as the pub calls itself, is a cornerstone of village life, offering a friendly retreat where locals and visitors connect over great food and drinks in a cosy, inclusive setting. This multi-room pub, spread across two different levels, was busy with walkers - like ourselves, but was also holding a barbecue out in the rear garden.
Thinking, correctly as it happened, that something from the barbecue would be quicker than a full-blown meal from the main kitchen, I ordered a pulled-pork burger, which arrived promptly and filled the appropriate gap in my hunger. There were two cask beers - Dark Star Hophead, plus Young's Ordinary. I opted for the former, as am not a fan of the resurrected Young's beers, which taste nothing like the classic, Wandsworth brews I remember with fondness from three decades or so, ago.
After people had finished their lunch and/or their beer, we headed off, passing on the way the sadly closed Two Brewers in the High Street. This establishment transitioned from a traditional pub, to a food-led restaurant in 2019, before closing its doors permanently in August 2020. You can still see its old name boldly incised on the front wall. The demise of the Two Brewers, reduced the number of pubs in the village down to three, from a highwater point of five, within living memory. The previous closure was that of the Royal Oak, which also in the High Street. The Oak shut up shop in the late 1990's, although I'm not sure that I ever visited that particular hostelry.
We were making for the third pub on our itinerary, the Kings Arms, an attractive, weather boarded pub, close to one of the bridges over the Darent. This is the Shoreham pub that I remember best, but unfortunately, some football match or other, was taking place that afternoon, and with the pub showing it live on TV, the place was packed, both inside and out. I was bringing up the rear, so was more than a little surprised at finding the lead walkers in our party leaving the pub, just as us stragglers, arrived.
They reported that it had been difficult to get served, despite a preponderance of bar staff, most of whom appeared to be "just hanging around". This was a shame as I would have liked to, at least, have had a quick pint there, but there's always another time. Instead, I followed the rest of the group along the relatively short distance to the final pub on the itinerary.
This was the Samuel Palmer, at the southern edge of the village, and just a short stroll down from Shoreham station. After closing in 2020, "Ye Olde George Inn" reopened as the "Samuel Palmer", in April 2022. The pub is named after Samuel Palmer,a 19th Century landscape painter who lived in Shoreham - and the pub is decorated with prints of his work. It is now owned by the nearby, Mount Vineyard, and a substantial amount of money has been spent renewing this historic old inn, but without ruining its essential character. A new courtyard/terrace area has been opened up, at the rear of the building, although as we discovered the majority of the pub's patrons seem to prefer sitting out at the front of the pub.
I visited the Samuel Palmer, a couple of years ago, and wrote about it here, and then, as now I'm pleased to report that the Samuel Palmer remains very much a pub to drop into to for a beer or two, selected from a range of mainly locally-brewed, cask ales. I opted for the Larkin's Traditional and can confirm that it was on top form. The pub was certainly buzzing that Saturday, with lots of customers sitting outside, enjoying the early summer sunshine. This allowed our group to grab a couple of tables inside. The service was quick and professional, so I don't know what went wrong at the Kings Arms, but the pub's loss was the Samuel Palmer's gain.
It was a 20 minute, uphill walk, to Shoreham station, but I allowed plenty of time because with an hourly service (unusual for a Saturday - and possibly due to engineering works, elsewhere) I didn't want to miss the train. For those wishing to duplicate all, or just part of this day out in Shoreham, or at other locations within the Darent Valley, Thameslink operate a half-hourly service from London Victoria, with additional trains during peak hours, from London Blackfriars. For those travelling from Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, or the Kent Coast, it will be necessary to change at Sevenoaks. Whatever your means of getting there, do go and explore Palmer's "Valley of Vision", and as you enjoy a pint or two, in one of Shoreham's surviving three pubs, give thanks that this peaceful and beautiful corner of Kent, escaped being buried under a tide of concrete and tarmac.

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More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48897-Paul-Bailey-s-Beer-Blog-Exploring-the-pubs-of-Samuel-Palmer-s-quot-Valley-of-Vision-quot <![CDATA[Ed's Beer Site - A visit to Bathams brewery]]> https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48896-Ed-s-Beer-Site-A-visit-to-Bathams-brewery&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:06:13 GMT Visit Ed's Beer Site

There was more excitement the day after the BHS AGM. I was going to Bathams! I'd been to a couple of their pubs yesterday bringing my total to 3/12. They're all within a nine mile radius of the brewery so ticking them all now seems a real possibility in a weekend.
Dave behind the mill, Alice Batham in front


They have a four roller mill, which rather surprisingly is on the ground floor. The bagged malt comes from Crisp and is milled into 50kg bags which are hoisted to the top of the brewery.



The mash tun

The cast iron mash tun takes 600kg of malt (four quarters!).




The beer recipes date from the 1960s and were made by current Head Brewer Alice Batham's granddad.





They use mains water. Liquor treatment is Bathams salt mix, which is really optimised for mild, though 95% of production is bitter.


Blocks of invert sugar

They use six blocks of sugar per brew, No. 1 and No. 2 invert. The same wort is used for mild and bitter, but they have different sugars.



Cage for sugar blocks


The copper 30bbl copper is heated by a steam coil and direct fire.

The copper


Alice was kind enough to briefly turn on the gas heater under the copper for us.
Gas burner


Both types of hop are used, Fuggles AND Goldings.


Whole hops of course

The hop back was designed by Alice's dad. It needs to be deep enough that the hops can act as a good filter bed. There was a problem this year as some Goldings were rather poor with low alpha acid, and some were better but the had a high alpha acid, which could cause problems with filtering out the trub.


Hop back at the back, paraflow on the right

The paraflow dates from the 80s.


Hop back CIP set


Having spent a year working with CIP sets that are bigger than the brewing vessels at Bathams I was delighted to see the home made CIP set for the hop back.



The open wooden fermenters are plastic lined. The smallest one is used for mild. Parachutes are used to crop the yeast. Yeast is filtered through cheesecloth. Top heat is 72°F (22°C) and they chill to 55°F (13°C). Fermentation is rapid: a brew from Tuesday can be on chill by Thursday afternoon.





The dual strain yeast originally came from Hansons brewery. They still us 36 gallon barrels for most of the Bitter, and have some 54 gallon hogsheads too! 18 gallon kilderkins are used for the free trade and the mild goes in to 9 gallon firkins.


Look at the size of 'em!


Beer goes in to the racking tank with auxiliary finings and priming sugar the day before racking.


Unsealed cask


The don't seal the cask on filling, adding isinglass and sealing with a wooden shive before delivery. And looking at that picture they dry hop in the cask too. The casks may be conditioned for a week in the pub, but will drop bright within six hours.





The have an external cask washer:




And the inside of the casks is cleaned with steam:





It a fantastic visit, it was amazing to go round two Victorian tower breweries in two days! The midlands are rally growing on me. £3.05 for a pint of mild in the first pub I visited too!


Alice Batham receiving the coveted Brewery History Society certificate






More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48896-Ed-s-Beer-Site-A-visit-to-Bathams-brewery Retired Martin - TAKING YOUR PINT BACK IN A SPOONS https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48895-Retired-Martin-TAKING-YOUR-PINT-BACK-IN-A-SPOONS&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:06:13 GMT Visit The Retired Martin site

June 2026. Royal Tunbridge Wells. I’d left Mrs RM in the cheap Tunbridge Wells Travelodge on Mount Ephraim at 3pm for my dash into West London, and as expected the call about tea came at 17:59 just as I was finishing that pint of Shere Drop in Teddington (yes, I took the call outside). “I… Continue reading TAKING YOUR PINT BACK IN A*SPOONS

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48895-Retired-Martin-TAKING-YOUR-PINT-BACK-IN-A-SPOONS Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Youngs beers in 1940 https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48894-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Youngs-beers-in-1940&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:06:13 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/06/youngs-beers-in-1940.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

A year into the war, what had happened to Youngs beers? To be honest, not very much.

The situation was very dynamic, so it’s worth saying exactly when this snapshot was taken. All these beers were brewed in August 1940, except for XXXX, which is from December.

Things hadn’t yet become so bad that drastic action was required. Just a few tweaks were necessary. That wouldn’t be the case for the whole of the war. For now, there was little change to the beers being brewed. Other than the price.

For example, the cost price of a 36-gallon barrel of X Ale had risen from 49 shillings and 11d in August 1939 to 111 shillings and 9d twelve months later. That more than doubling in price was mostly due to increases in tax.

The most obvious change is a slight reduction in gravities. Most beers lost 1º, the exceptions being A, PAB and XXXX, which were unchanged, and XXX, which fell by 2º.

It’s a similar story with hopping rates. Those for the two Black Beers and the Mild Ales are unchanged. While that of the Pale Ales has been reduced by 1 lb per quarter (336 lbs) of malt.

The rates of attenuation look somewhat higher in this set. I wouldn’t read that much into it, as final gravities varied quite a bit from brew to brew. And even across the different fermenters in a single batch.
Youngs beers in 1940
Beer Style OG FG ABV App. Atten-uation lbs hops/ qtr hops lb/brl
A Mild 1029 1005.5 3.10 80.90% 6.14 0.71
X Mild 1034 1005 3.84 85.34% 5.60 0.81
PAB Pale Ale 1039 1008.3 4.06 78.69% 7.00 1.07
PA Pale Ale 1047 1012.7 4.53 72.89% 7.00 1.29
P Porter 1034 1008.3 3.40 75.56% 7.00 0.99
S Stout 1052 1016.6 4.68 68.04% 7.00 1.52
XXX Strong Ale 1055 1017.2 5.00 68.77% 5.60 1.31
XXXX Strong Ale 1081 1036 5.95 55.54% 6.09 2.00
Source:
Young's brewing record held at Battersea Library, document number YO/RE/1/9.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48894-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Youngs-beers-in-1940 The Beer Nut - Odds on https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48892-The-Beer-Nut-Odds-on&goto=newpost Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:00:05 GMT *Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2026/06/odds-on.html)* Image:... Visit The Beer Nut site

The little bit of Barcelona that is forever Ballyfermot makes a comeback today, with three new beers from Oddity, a Catalonian beer brand which has its production done at Whiplash.

First up is Go On Fool, described as a "Zested WC-IPA" which doesn't make a lot of sense, beyond invoking Grapefruit Sculpin, a popular fruit-flavoured Californian IPA from the long-ago craft beer era. That was 7% ABV while this is a mere 5.5%, though it does list grapefruit zest on the ingredients, along with Saphir and Motueka hops. It's a foggy orange-yellow colour with a decently thick head and plenty of piquant citrus juice in the aroma. The texture is creamy, in a modern New-England way, lacking the sharp edge of Sculpin's California character. So I don't know what they're doing, calling it "WC" IPA: this is very much in the east coast vernacular. For all that, it's not bad, showing some dank resins alongside the sunnier citrus, and keeping everything fresh, clean and unfussily drinkable. The grapefruit element doesn't dominate the flavour, and there's a definite herbal quality from the Motueka perceptible alongside it. As the starter of a three-beer session it works well, and I wouldn't be sad to be offered a second pint of it after the first.

Wildfires is merely a pale ale, but it's stronger, at 6.2% ABV. Simcoe, Strata and Mosaic are the hops and it's unashamedly murky, though pale and translucent rather than resembling eggy batter. The aroma is mildly zesty, humbly suggesting lemon and lime peel, while the flavour is lightly garlicked with peripheral hints of marmalade, lemonade and custard. None of it is terribly loud, and the texture is surprisingly light for the strength. This beer's name is all drama but the liquid itself is rather damp and lacklustre. It's not unpleasant, but doesn't really use the significant gravity and doubtlessly expensive hop charge to make a big impression. This is unfortunately typical of Whiplash's recent offerings: promising full-colour 3D hop zing but not really delivering on it. "A big glass of meh" is a harsh verdict on Wildfires, but unfortunately that's what it is. Hazy pale can be done better than this, and certainly by this brewery.

The one I was looking forward to most was Things We've Done, which is in that most under-represented of styles, double black IPA. It's a whole 8% ABV and is properly dense and weighty with it, the body heavy and slick, despite lots of carbonation and a tall nicotine-stained head of foam. Its aroma is quite roasty and stout-like, with the hops contributing a serious grass and liquorice bitterness to this. The bittering hits hard in the foretaste, mixing super sharp grapefruit rind with an almost plasticky herbal concentration. Sabro, says the can: I might have known. There's Cashmere and Centennial too, but it's extremely on-brand for Sabro to hog the limelight, as it definitely does here. After a second there's a warmer and richer cocoa element, some slightly burnt and sticky treacle and then a colourful zesty citric spritz for the finish. I would never have guessed the strength: the flavour is thoroughly hop dominated with little alcoholic heat. That pithy Sabro does make it a little one-note and not very complex, but if you enjoy what it does, it's an exciting and very boldly-flavoured beer, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a double black IPA.

The slight decline in hop impact of Whiplash's recent beers is somewhat in evidence here, except for the black IPA's total Sabro bug-out. The other two are grand if unspectacular. Oddity shows no sign of brewing for themselves or moving to a different contractor. I'm happy to have them as a slightly exotic contributor to the brewing scene in my home city.

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48892-The-Beer-Nut-Odds-on Retired Martin - A SHERE DROP IN TEDDINGTON https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48891-Retired-Martin-A-SHERE-DROP-IN-TEDDINGTON&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:07:19 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/06/11/a-shere-drop-in-teddington/)* June 2026. Teddington. London. Two cracking... Visit The Retired Martin site

June 2026. Teddington. London. Two cracking London pubs; one edging the beer, the other the “pub”. Back on the train that does the loop from Waterloo and back via Wimbledon, failing to take the killer shot of the Thames due to being on the wrong side of the train. And 20 minutes later off at… Continue reading A SHERE DROP IN*TEDDINGTON

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48891-Retired-Martin-A-SHERE-DROP-IN-TEDDINGTON Retired Martin - AN OTTER IN RICHMOND (LONDON) https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48890-Retired-Martin-AN-OTTER-IN-RICHMOND-(LONDON)&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:40:04 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/06/11/an-otter-in-richmond-london/)* June 2026. London. Another long drive last... Visit The Retired Martin site

June 2026. London. Another long drive last Wednesday; Sheffield to Waterbeach to see Dad (firmly asleep), then down to Tunbridge Wells ahead of Father-in-Law’s 88th birthday (firmly awake and raring to go). There’s some longevity genes in our families. I dropped Mrs RM off at T’Wells Travelodge to blog, and ran for the South-eastern departure… Continue reading AN OTTER IN RICHMOND*(LONDON)

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48890-Retired-Martin-AN-OTTER-IN-RICHMOND-(LONDON) Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Robust Porter https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48889-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Robust-Porter&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:35:36 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/06/robust-porter.html)* Sorry. I was a bit tired of... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Sorry. I was a bit tired of transcribing Young's WW II brewing records. (I'm only up to 19 fucking 42. So much more to go. Just as well I'm no longer working. Sorry, employed. I work at this shit for big chunks of the day.)
A deep dive into one of my favourite styles.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48889-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Robust-Porter Shut up about Barclay Perkins - My travel videos https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48888-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-My-travel-videos&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:33:23 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/06/my-travel-videos.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Does any of you like them? I'm not sure I can be arsed to continue taking video. Maybe I'll continue with the pure beer stuff. Like next week, when I'll be doing some Grodziskie judging in, er, Grodzisk. I can see how that might have some historical value. If I make an effort and interview people.
The more I think about it, that's exactly what I should do. Not just video my breakfast.
Thanks for that. It's really cleared that up in my head. And given me a plan for next week in Grodzisk.
Not been to Poland for 30 years. I'm guessing it might have changed a little bit.


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48888-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-My-travel-videos A Good Beer Blog - The Charming Disarming And Slightly Alarming Beery News Notes For https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48887-A-Good-Beer-Blog-The-Charming-Disarming-And-Slightly-Alarming-Beery-News-Notes-For&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:19:43 GMT *Visit A Good Beer Blog site... Visit A Good Beer Blog site

The nice thing about the youngest kid having a job with shifts that end at 11 pm is a fella like me can stay up late for the NBA Finals, listening to 660 AM every second evening when I am waiting out in the parking lot for the kid’s shift to end.** I am not … Continue reading "The Charming Disarming And Slightly Alarming Beery News Notes For A Thursday In June"

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48887-A-Good-Beer-Blog-The-Charming-Disarming-And-Slightly-Alarming-Beery-News-Notes-For Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Bangkok and Saigon food https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48886-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Bangkok-and-Saigon-food&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:11:31 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/06/bangkok-and-saigon-food.html)* Someone suggested that I... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Someone suggested that I post about the food that I ate in Thailand and Vietnam. Being a lazy git, I've done it in the form of a short video.
I had lots of excellent food in both countries. Mostly local stuff. But who can resist a bacon baguette for breakfast? Or to top up when the meal wasn't quite filling enough.
What I forgot, was to video the banh mi that I had in Vietnam.Excellent stuff. If slightly weird, as they all contained pate. Making it a true fusion dish of French and Vietnamese cuisine.
In Bangkok, once I realised I had to ask for the food "just a little spicy" if I wanted to get it spiced, but not crazily spiced. Every meal I had came with a fried egg. You can never go wrong with a fried egg on top of stuff.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48886-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Bangkok-and-Saigon-food Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Beer in Vietnam https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?48885-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Beer-in-Vietnam&goto=newpost Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:11:31 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/06/beer-in-vietnam.html)* My mate Charles Guerrier... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

My mate Charles Guerrier told me that Vietnam was the best place for beer in Southeast Asia. And Saigon in particular. So I was very optimistic of the beer I would find there.

Which wasn't something I felt in Bangkok. Admittedly, I wasn't really hanging out in beer places. And the choice was limited to the local Lager or stuff imported from Europe. I went for the former. As what's the point in travelling thousands of miles and drinkinmg beer you can get at home?

As I was stopping slap bang in the centre of Saigon, there were beery options close to my hotel. I wasn't going to miss out on those.

The first place I tried was East West Brewing. A brewpub. Sort of. As, due to council restrictions, it no longer brews on site. Despite the shiny equipment at the back. Which is a shame.
East West's beers, wherever they might be brewed, are still pretty good. All very much in mainstream modern styles: Pale Ale, IPA, Hefeweize, Witbier, Lager, Pilsner, Vanilla Porter, Imperial Stout, Belgian Dark and Belgian Blonde. (At least, that's what they had on draught when I was there. I'm sure that it varies somewhat.) A good spread of styles, strengths and colours. Not just twenty types of fucking IPA.

Any guesses what I went for? Imperial Stout, obviously.

I met with Nhi Mai, brewer at East West. A smart young woman, who explained some of the vagaries of brewing Saigon. Such as the council forbidding brewing in the city centre on account of the waste water.
We shared a few beers in both East West and another nearby former brewpub, Pasteur Street, conveniently just 150 metres further along the same street. They also brew quite a few typical styles: Lager, Blonde Ale, Irish Stout, Pale Ale, Jasmine Amber, Session IPA, Pomelo IPA, Jasmine IPA, Double Jasmine IPA, and Imperial Chocolate Stout. Rather more IPA-heavy than East West.

What did I choose? No, it wasn't the Imperial Stout. I was being sensible and just had a Double Jasmine IPA, at a mere 8.5%. (I did, however, try the Imperial Stout when I returned the next day.)
The beers from both breweries were all technically good and pretty decent examples of the styles. Better than some of the beers I've had in Holland or the USA, for example.

I was pretty impressed. And I only scratched the surface. Ho Chi Minh has many more breweries and beer bars. I can heartily recommend it.


East West Brewing
181 Lý Tự Trọng,
Bến Thành,
Hồ Chí Minh.
https://eastwestbrewing.vn/taproom/ho-chi-minh


Pasteur Street Craft Beer
112 Lý Tự Trọng,
Hồ Chí Minh.
https://pasteurstreet.com/



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