https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ Keep track of all the other interesting pub activity out there. en Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:37:36 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/images/misc/rss.png https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/ https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49320-Retired-Martin-BATEMAN-XXB-AT-THE-VINE-THE-ALTERNATIVE-SKEGNESS&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Aug 2026 21:54:07 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/09/bateman-xxb-at-the-vine-the-alternative-skegness/)* August 2026. Skegness.... Visit The Retired Martin site

August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. We stayed at The Vine, as we did back in 1999 when our 6 month old cried through Roger Protz’s dinner in the oak panelled dining room. A week later we found out James had a hernia, bless him. I’m not sure if this Best Western even is the smartest place… Continue reading BATEMAN XXB AT THE VINE. THE ALTERNATIVE*SKEGNESS

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49320-Retired-Martin-BATEMAN-XXB-AT-THE-VINE-THE-ALTERNATIVE-SKEGNESS https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49318-Retired-Martin-VIVA-SKEG-VEGAS&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Aug 2026 18:28:54 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/09/viva-skeg-vegas/)* August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. Obviously Skegness... Visit The Retired Martin site

August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire. Obviously Skegness isn’t the most newsworthy east coast seaside resort this week, what with alien bins* competing for our attention, but I was genuinely keen to discover why the trains from Sheffield and buses from Lincoln seemed so packed in Summer. Previous visits I remember had been Autumn ’94, Winter ’99… Continue reading VIVA SKEG VEGAS

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49318-Retired-Martin-VIVA-SKEG-VEGAS https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49316-Retired-Martin-THE-JOLLY-FISHERMAN&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Aug 2026 09:15:45 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/09/the-jolly-fisherman/)* August 2026. Skegness. A Sunday night in Skegness, my... Visit The Retired Martin site

August 2026. Skegness. A Sunday night in Skegness, my first Summer visit, so no better time to see the real heart of the seaside choice of the entire East Midlands. I’d been looking at a train from Sheffield but a) it’s £54 before railcard, b) takes over 3 hours, c) the carriages are more crowded… Continue reading THE JOLLY FISHERMAN

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49316-Retired-Martin-THE-JOLLY-FISHERMAN https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49315-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Ottawa-relaxing&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Aug 2026 07:13:54 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/08/ottawa-relaxing.html)* I rise at 8:40. Have a shave and... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

I rise at 8:40. Have a shave and start writing. As I do every morning. If I don't write things up the next day, I get all confused and forget stuff. That's what us oldie people are like. Minds like sieves.

Alexei turns up at about 10.

"Is Andrew up yet?" I ask. Expecting the answer no.

“Yes. But he isn't feeling well. He has trouble with his stomach.”

Andrew turns up 10 minutes later, looking very pale. Well, even paler than usual. We decide to drop by the chemist opposite to get him a sports drink. Not sure why.

"Parlez-vous Francais?" A customer asks an assistant.

"No." Is the curt reply.

I thought it was the Frech speakers who were funny about speaking English?

“There’s a washroom in the Mall.” The assistant keeps saying. In English. It’s a bizarre interaction.

We get an Uber to the Elgin Street Diner. For breakfast, obviously. It's another classic diner. One that never closes. Literally.

I order the blue-plate breakfast. It's enormous. With about a kilo of poutine. I feel like Beard meats food.

"I've never seen poutine on a breakfast before." I remark.

Alexei has a normal-sized breakfast. And a milk shake. Andrew just has toast. Now there’s a surprise.

"Would you live in Canada, Dad?" Alexei asks.

“Only in Vancouver. It gets far too fucking cold everywhere else.”

I eat all the meat and eggs on my breakfast. But there's no way I'm getting through all that poutine. I pass my plate to Alexei. Who polishes it off.

Andrew suggests we go for a beer in an English-style pub he noticed on our way down. Sounds fine by me. I spotted it, too.

It turns out Andrew had seen a different place to me. The Sir John A. Looking at the menu outside, I see that it has quite a range of beer. 26 beers described as craft, plus 8 domestic and 14 international. Not bad for somewhere that isn’t billing itself as a specialist beer bar.

It has a reasonably pubby feel. With a long bar running almost the whole length of one wall. I suppose they need plenty of room for all those beer taps.

I kick off with a Bicycle Velocipide IPA. Which is a bit sludgy. Andrew has a Lager. And Alexei, a diet cola. As he's feeling rather stuffed. I’m not surprised after all that poutine.

We have a couple of rounds. With me switching to Muskoka Mad Tom IPA, a West Coast style IPA. Which is more my style.

“Let's continue on to the pub I spotted. I think it was called the Lord Clyde.”

Andrew looks for it on his phone and can't find it. I suggest he just looks on a map.

“There, that's it." I say, pointing to a pub.

“It's not called the Lord Clyde. It's Deacon Brodies.”

“I knew it was something Scottish.”

“Completely different from what you said, though.”

“But something Scottish.”

“You really are going senile, Dad.”

It is, indeed, very Scottish. There's tartan everywhere and the barmaid is wearing a kilt. You can’t get much more Scottish than that. There’s a fairly short bar counter, with a bar back crammed with bottles of various whiskies. They’re really running with the Scottish theme.

They only have a dozen craft draughts here. I get Dominion City Sunsplit NEIPA. Another sludge IPA. Andrew has a house Lager.

"Is that diacetyl." He asks.

I try his beer. "Yep. That's diacetyl. Well spotted." I’ve taught him well.

We order some breaded prawns to share. Which are pretty nice.

I get a shot of Glenfiddich 14 year Bourbon Cask, this week’s single malt special. It’s full of alcoholly goodness.

“On the whisky again, eh, Dad.” Alexei remarks.

“I’ve had enough sludge beer for the day. All that crap isn’t good for my stomach.”

“Unlike whisky, eh?”

“I am on holiday.”

“That’s your excuse for everything.”

“A reason, not an excuse.”

“It’s always a reason with you, isn’t it, Dad?”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“I was taking the piss.”

On the way back we nip into an LCBO and pick up a bottle of Reifel Rye and a few cans of a Trailer Park Boys themed alcopop.

After a short rest in our hotel, we walk up to have a look at the parliament buildings. Which are impressive in a gothic way.

"It's all very Hogwarts." I remark.

"Very true." Alexei replies.

We jump in an Uber to take us to Tooth and Nail, a brewpub a little out of town. Located in a rather residential area. Where we're meeting Philip Kochanke, brewer at Braumeister Brewing.

Phil is there to greet us on entry and we grab a table on the patio. I start off with Fortitude, a 5.4% ABV Stout. The kids opt for Vim & Vigour, a Pilsner.

The evening rushes by as we chat, drink and snack a little. I switch to Rabble Rouser, a West Coast style IPA. A type which seems to be a rarity in Canada, with most IPAs being of the sludge variety.

On a trip to the bogs, one of the owners grabs hold of me and gives me a little impromptu tour of the brewery. Which is pretty compact.

Back in the hotel, I try out the Reifel Rye. Purely for medicinal purposes. It puts me to sleep a treat.


Elgin Street Diner
374 Elgin St,
Ottawa, ON K2P 1N1.
http://www.elginstreetdiner.com/


Sir John A Pub
284 Elgin St,
Ottawa, ON K2P 1M3
https://www.sirjohna.ca/


Deacon Brodies Pub
247 Elgin St,
Ottawa, ON K2P 0G1
https://www.deaconbrodies.ca/


Tooth and Nail Brewing Company
3 Irving Ave,
Ottawa, ON K1Y 1Z9.
https://toothandnailbeer.com/


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49315-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Ottawa-relaxing https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49312-Ed-s-Beer-Site-Going-Medieval&goto=newpost Sat, 08 Aug 2026 09:15:37 GMT Visit Ed's Beer Site

This week I made a last minute decision to attend an event at Brewers' Hall. I hadn't been planning to go but I had an urgent need to gossip it's good to network, so I decided to go. It's a long while since I'd been the Brewers' Hall, the building of the medieval part of British brewing.
The event was put on by Heriot-Watt university, so not exculsively an event for brewers, but brewing was definitely the focus. ICBD big cheese Dawn Maskell give on report on the plans for the Centre for Advanced Brewing and Distilling before being joined by a student to talk about the latest Natural Selection beer, Alba Wild.

Jacob and Dawn

It's flavoured with camomile, corriander and heather. Which did get my usual reaction to botanical beers, it could do with some hops! Pleasant enough though, I did get a second glass! The vice chancellor was also there to say some words, but he speaks with a forked tongue so I'll move on to the surprise scene stealer: the rug! Just look at it!

Beats any 'Spoons carpet, an it would look great in my living room. Except it's probably bigger than my living room. Then it was on to The Globe, a Nicholson's pub.

I was delighted to see they had Harvey's Best on. This meant I could raise a glass filled with appropriate beer to the brewing team at Harvey's, who all levelled up this week. In fact I had two pints. There were several people from supply companies there, who usually have no trouble putting beer on expenses. Two was more than enought though, so then it was time to head home.


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49312-Ed-s-Beer-Site-Going-Medieval https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49311-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Let-s-Brew-1832-Barclay-Perkins-TT&goto=newpost Sat, 08 Aug 2026 07:10:45 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/08/lets-brew-1832-barclay-perkins-tt.html)* Image:... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

This is a very typical Porter recipe from the early 19th century. Brewed by what was, at the time, the largest brewery in London and, therefore, the largest brewery in the world.

The grists of Porter changed quite a bit over the years. They started off 100% brown malt, then, at the end of the 18th century, switched to 60% pale malt, 40% brown malt. After the introduction of black malt, grists changed again. Becoming a combination of pale, brown and black malts. Though, with quite a small percentage of black malt, the colour was dark brown rather than black. As the century progressed the percentage of black malt increased, as di the colour.

Two type of Mid-Kent hops were employed, from the 1826 and 1831 harvests. With almost 75% from the earlier year. Using very old hops was pretty common back then. I’ve reduced the quantities in the recipe to take the age of many of the hops into account.

This was Barclay Perkins Running Porter and would not have been aged.

1832 Barclay Perkins TT
pale malt	11.25 lb	83.33%
brown malt	2.00 lb	14.81%
black malt	0.25 lb	1.85%
Goldings 120 mins	1.50 oz
Goldings 90 mins	1.50 oz
Goldings 30 mins	1.50 oz
Goldings dry hops	0.50 oz
OG	1057
FG	1016.5
ABV	5.36
Apparent attenuation	71.05%
IBU	58
SRM	19
Mash at	152º F
Sparge at	178º F
Boil time	120 minutes
pitching temp	68º F
Yeast	Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49311-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Let-s-Brew-1832-Barclay-Perkins-TT https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49310-Paul-Bailey-s-Beer-Blog-Wrexham-Lager-s-comebak&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Aug 2026 21:11:31 GMT Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site

Wrexham Lager’s name and brewery have been revived, and the story is a rather fascinating one. The revival began in 2011, when the Roberts family brought thehistoric brand back to life after its original brewery closed in 2000 and production ceasedentirely in 2002. Thehistoric Wrexham Lager namewas rescued, the brewery rebuilt, and production restarted using originalrecipes. But what about the history of the original Wrexham Lager Brewery, andits pioneering beer?Wrexham Lager isn’t just a local beer; it’s a piece ofBritish brewing history. It wasfounded in 1881, by German immigrants Ivan Levinstein and Otto Isler, and was Britain’s first lager brewery.In the beginning, the pair attempted traditional cold‑fermentation techniques,using ice banks, but early batches suffered because temperatures couldn’t bekept low enough. Then a chance partnership with German engineer Robert Graesser, introduced mechanical refrigeration,solving the temperature problem and enabling consistent lager production.
Graesser was a German‑bornindustrialist living in North Wales in the late 19th century.He owned a chemical works in Acrefair,Denbighshire, and was known for his engineering expertise —particularly mechanical refrigeration,which was cutting‑edge technology at the time. His background made him uniquelypositioned to solve the technical problems that plagued early lager brewing inBritain. He was not one of the original founders, but without him,Wrexham Lager would almost certainly have disappeared in the 1880's. Graesser met Levinstein by chance, reportedly ona train from Liverpool, and realised his industrial refrigeration systemcould fix the problems being experienced by Levinstein and Isler

Graesser’s innovations enabledWrexham Lager to be brewed properly for the first time and led to Wrexham Lagerbecoming the first commercially successful lager brewery in Britain. Helater took a major share in the company in exchange for the technologyand gained full ownership after the original company collapsed in1886–1892. At the time Wrexham was home to aroundnineteen breweries, but the Ace of Clubs brand, with its distinctive symbolbecame the most famous, and was recognised far beyond Wales. The beer wasexported across the British Empire and was reportedly the only lager served on the Titanic.There are accounts of Wrexham Lager being consumedby British troops overseas, including during the Siege of Khartoum(1884–85). These stories highlight how the beer travelled with soldiers acrossimperial postings.

The brand's exports decreased during World War II, leadingto its purchase by Ind Coope, and later Carlsberg-Tetley, after a series of convolutedmergers and takeovers. In 2000, the original brewery was closed by Carlsberg – abrewery that definitely doesn’t brew the best beer in the world! Then in 2011, formerMP Martyn Jones,once a microbiologist at the brewery, acquired the rights to the brand, forjust £1, a sum that shows how little the Danes regarded the heritage of WrexhamLager. The brand itself was revived by the Roberts family, using a recipe fromthe Wrexham archives.Local businessmen Mark andVaughan Roberts rebuilt the brewery, using older recipes andoriginal ingredients to recreate the classic lager. As part of this exercise, theyconsulted former Wrexham brewing staff and used archival brewing notes to ensureauthenticity. The revival restored abrand with deep cultural ties to Wrexham AFC,local pubs, and Welsh brewing heritage. The revived brewery is located in Bangor-on-Dee, near Wrexham,and not at the original Central Road site, which was demolished and replaced bya retail park. However, the originalbrewhouse survives as a Grade II listed building.
Wrexham Lager is historicallysignificant because it is:
Britain’s first lager brewery
A pioneering user of mechanicalrefrigeration
A major Victorian exportbrand
A cultural symbol of Wrexhamand Welsh brewing heritage
A rare example of a historicbeer brand successfully revived after total closure.

The other week I picked up a4-pack of Wrexham Lager cans, at our local branch of Home Bargains. Regrettably,despite all the history, the pedigree and the kudos associated with the relaunchedbrand, I found the beer lacking in bitterness, and at just 4.0% ABV, the beerwas rather weak for my tastes. However, seeing as the revivedbrand is based on a recipe that is over half a century old, it might well be thatWrexham Lager 2026 is very much the authentic taste, of the cold-fermentedbeers that were being brewed in the UK, at the end of the last century, so do give thebeer a try and let me know what you think.
Finally, although AI played a rolein the research for this post, the narrative is very much my own!
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More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49310-Paul-Bailey-s-Beer-Blog-Wrexham-Lager-s-comebak https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49307-Retired-Martin-LINCOLNSHIRE-HAS-FALLEN&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:02:09 GMT Visit The Retired Martin site

August 2026. Skegness. Lincolnshire As you’ll know I’m not intending to complete the Beer Guide again, once in a lifetime is scary enough, as David Byrne sang. But I still like visiting the new GBG pubs, and colouring in the maps, and a lone micro had prevented me licking Lincolnshire for too long. So, after… Continue reading LINCOLNSHIRE HAS FALLEN

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49307-Retired-Martin-LINCOLNSHIRE-HAS-FALLEN https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49306-The-Beer-Nut-The-Queens-of-Hungary&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:20:33 GMT *Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-queens-of-hungary.html)* Image:... Visit The Beer Nut site

I have some tripartite brand extendery for you today. The three beers are from Horizont of Budapest, who made one beer, and then tried to sell tweaked versions of it to idiots who just want new, slightly different, beers to satisfy their weird cravings. Fancy that!

Our basis point is Hazy Queen, an IPA in the New England sub-style; 6% ABV and a bright and sunny opaque orange colour in the glass. The can says it's juicy and it certainly looks like juice. There's a sweetly citric quality to the aroma which helps it keep that promise, and the flavour balances biting hop acidity with softer fruit flesh very nicely. It stays on the citric side, threatening tropical without ever quite delivering it, and is deliciously clean with lots of refreshing zing. I assume it's something of a flagship, because it tastes like a beer that has been finely honed and deftly refined to be accessible and enjoyable to all. I could ding it for a lack of distinguishing features, but that would be churlish. It is, in the most complimentary sense of the word, daycent. The citizens of Budapest should be glad to have it as a regular. So how has the brewery managed to trash its rep by making other versions of it?

Well, the first take on that I have for you is Hazy Queen: Kohia Nelson Edition. It's the same strength and pretty much the same colour, if maybe a tiny bit paler. The aroma adds a dry huskiness to the pithy fruit, which is a little worrying. It's similarly smooth, and still citrus first, but the newcomer Kiwi hops don't really transform it. Yes, there's a tiny bit of lychee, white plum and whatnot, bringing a slightly more exotic fruit element, but it doesn't significantly alter the beer from its base, nor bring any significant improvement. If I liked it more, it's because I got to drink a full 44cl of it. It's just as clean, exactly as (not very) juicy, and a jolly fun time. But we're still merely in daycent territory and nothing fancier.

Never mind the hops, then, feel the gravity. We finish on Hazy Double Queen, the original beer, dialled up to 8% ABV. There's no difference to the appearance, but the aroma does seem brighter and ballsier, suggesting biteable fleshy citrus. Yum. On tasting it's definitely heavier and hotter, which is its own kind of fun, but I had been hoping that the hops would be brighter and more colourful. That doesn't happen. Instead, we're back to the nets of satsumas and mandarins, just given a bit of extra malt poke. There's a breadish chewiness and a little boozy heat, though honestly it's not hugely different from the baseline. No marks off, and all is I'm sure as the brewer intended; I'm not awestruck by the presence of double royalty, however.

If there are props to be given, it's because they didn't do anything silly or unpleasant with the variants. They're largely as good as the original, and very worthy of the name. The question, then, is why bother with the minor edge-tinkering? Hazy Queen fans may feel aggrieved that the brewery is making a play for more of their pocket money without doing enough to justify it. Poor show, lads.

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49306-The-Beer-Nut-The-Queens-of-Hungary https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49305-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Off-to-Ottawa&goto=newpost Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:06:25 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/08/off-to-ottawa.html)* I rise at 8:25 like the good boy... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

I rise at 8:25 like the good boy that I am. And do some more of my writing thing.

We do our best to finish off the drinks we have left. A bit of a bottle of wine and a can of Boneshaker IPA. We just about manage before 11, when we check out.

Our train isn't until 14:23. What to do until then?

"What about having a coffee here?" I say, pointing at Dark Horse.

"OK." The kids agree. That was easy.

I grab some seats while the kids queue up to order. Cafe latte for me, iced coffee for Alexei, can of Bellwoods Isar Pilsner for Andrew. They also sell bottles of wine.

"It must be easy to get a licence here." I remark.

“Civilised, I call it.” Andrew says.

“You’re not wrong there.” I reply.

After a while of hanging around, we get an Uber to the station. It's still 2 hours before our train. But, as we have business-class tickets, we can wait in the lounge.

It's quite grand, as is the rest of the building. Along with the comfy seats, there's free coffee and soft drinks. And apples. It's a relaxing place to wait. And it has nice bogs.

Our carriage is right at the front of the train. Our seats are around a table in almost a little compartment.

While we're still making our way through the Toronto suburbs, the steward comes around with bags of nuts and drinks. I get a gin and tonic, the kids cans of Steam Whistle beer.

"This is very civilised." I say, sipping on my drink. It really is.

The train has WIFI and Alexei finds somewhere that's streaming the World Cup final. It lags badly, freezing every couple of seconds. Alexei tries a few other sites, but none of them are any better. I'm following the game on the Guardian website.

“It doesn't look like we're missing much." I remark. "I predict Spain win with a scrawpy goal in the 85th minute.”

"I don't care as long as Argentina lose." Andrew hasn't forgiven them for the semi-final against England.

The train is chuntering along at a decent whack: mostly over 100 kph, sometimes as high as 150 kph.

"That's about the same as in Holland." Andrew says.

"Yes, but Holland's a much smaller country." I reply.

The game is taking forever, what with the stupid "hydration" (advertising) breaks and the ludicrous half-time show.

"I hope they drop all this bollocks at the next World Cup." I say bitterly.

"Not much chance of that, Dad." Alexei opines pessimistically.

“You’re probably right. If anything, it’s likely to get worse.”

It's announced that we're running 20 minutes late. Oh well. We don't have any plans for the evening.

The steward brings around our meals, which come with a glass of wine. And afterwards there are more drinks: whisky for me, Steam Whistle again for the kids. Amazingly, Andrew eats all his meal.

“I’ll note this down in my diary:’ Andrew ate a whole meal.’” I quip.

“Very funny, Dad. And you don’t have a diary.” Andrew responds.

“My blog is a sort of diary.”

“A very untruthful one, from what I’ve read.”

“True in spirit.”

“But not in actual facts,”

“It’s all a matter of interpretation.”

“And making stuff up.”

“Being flexible in my reporting.”

“Making stuff up.”

“That’s what creative writing is all about.”

“But isn’t your blog supposed to be non-fiction?”

“Not the travel reports.”

“I suppose you’ll be lying about this, too.”

“Coming up with a flexible interpretation of events.”

“Making stuff up.”

“If you insist.”

“Thank you. You’ve finally admitted your lies.”

We arrive in Ottawa 40 minutes late. Impressive for a journey that was only due to take two hours. We jump on the light rail that takes us pretty much directly to our hotel in the city centre.

We quickly check in, then go in search of refreshments. It’s Sunday and getting quite late. Lots of places aren’t open or about to close.

After some wandering around we find a convenience store that sells beer and wine. Which makes the kids happy. Andrew was worried he might have an evening without beer.

On our wandering we spotted two pubs called the Royal Oak. Both open. We go to the nearest one. Which will still be open for a few hours. It’s pretty quiet. Just a couple of people sitting at the bar.

There's quite prominent Fullers branding on the outside. And some posters inside. But no sign of any Fullers beers. Have they really stopped exporting to North America?

I get myself a Mill Street hazy IPA. While the kids go for their Organic Lager.

"Shall we order some food, Dad?" Alexei always has a healthy appetite. Unlike Andrew.

“OK, let's get some starters and sides.”

We kick off with onion rings and poutine. Which are pretty good. After the first round I switch to whisky. I've had enough of hazy IPA.

"All the IPAs seem to be sludgy here in Canada." I say forlornly.

"That's what the kids want nowadays." Andrew replies.

“They could have at least one normal IPA for oldies like me.”

"Any excuse to switch to whisky, eh, Dad." Alexei remarks cynically.

“It’s their fault for an uninspiring beer selection.”

“Not yours for being a pisshead?” Alexei asks.

“Fuck off.”

“That’s always your response when you lose an argument.”

After a couple more rounds and some quesidillas for Alexei, we wend our weary way back to the hotel. Where the kids have a couple of beers and I drink some Ontario wine.

We turn in quite late: 02:30. After arranging to meet in my room at 10:30 tomorrow.

I'm asleep in seconds.



Dark Horse Espresso Bar
416 Front St E,
Toronto, ON M5A 0H8.
https://darkhorseespresso.com/


The Royal Oak - Kent at Slater
180 Kent St,
Ottawa, ON K1P 0B6.
http://royaloakpubs.com/
 


More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49305-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-Off-to-Ottawa https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49304-Retired-Martin-A-SAWTRY-REDEMPTION&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Aug 2026 22:47:12 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/06/a-sawtry-redemption/)* August 2026. Sawtry. Near Huntingdon. This was the... Visit The Retired Martin site

August 2026. Sawtry. Near Huntingdon. This was the view from our motel window last Saturday, near the lowest pub in the country*. Redwings Lodge, on the B1043 (Ermine Street) alongside the A1(M) at Sawtry, was the only place (well) under a hundred quid we could stay near Dad last Saturday night. This weekend is actually… Continue reading A SAWTRY REDEMPTION

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49304-Retired-Martin-A-SAWTRY-REDEMPTION https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49303-Retired-Martin-JULY-’26-STOCKTAKE-AUGUST-PREVIEW&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:14:24 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/06/july-26-stocktake-august-preview/)* A belated highlights package for July,... Visit The Retired Martin site

A belated highlights package for July, the stand-out of course being the English demolition of the French in Miami. No-cared about the final. With Mrs RM taking a break from exploring the Caucasus, there’s a bit more local travel in July, even a trip (sort of) west to Whitchurch. Sixty-two different pubs in thirty-one days… Continue reading JULY ’26 STOCKTAKE + AUGUST*PREVIEW

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49303-Retired-Martin-JULY-’26-STOCKTAKE-AUGUST-PREVIEW https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49302-Retired-Martin-IS-CHESTERFIELD-A-LOW-ALCOHOL-BEER-HAVEN&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:12:37 GMT *Visit The Retired Martin site (https://retiredmartin.com/2026/08/06/is-chesterfield-a-low-alcohol-beer-haven/)* July 2026. Chesterfield. An... Visit The Retired Martin site

July 2026. Chesterfield. An aimless afternoon in Chesterfield, and there’s nothing wrong with aimless. Those two pints in the Rutland Arms and Royal Oak saw a town in rude health, and once it gets that museum open this year it’ll warrant a revisit. The pubs around the market looked particularly lovely with their hanging baskets;… Continue reading IS CHESTERFIELD A LOW-ALCOHOL BEER HAVEN*?

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49302-Retired-Martin-IS-CHESTERFIELD-A-LOW-ALCOHOL-BEER-HAVEN https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49298-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Sixty-Shilling-part-two&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:51:26 GMT *Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2026/08/this-is-sixty-shilling-part-two.html)* Another of my... Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site

Another of my little videos. In this one, I discuss my recipe for 1940 Drybrough P 60/. It's one I recently published on the blog.



More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49298-Shut-up-about-Barclay-Perkins-This-is-Sixty-Shilling-part-two https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49297-A-Good-Beer-Blog-The-Perhaps-Abbreviated-“Who’s-That-In-The-Kitchen-”-Edition-Of-Yo&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:48:51 GMT *Visit A Good Beer Blog site... Visit A Good Beer Blog site

You know how it goes. August means guests. So I have not been as idle as it relates to the beer reading and the beer writing. These are pastimes which demand a special type of slacking. One cannot succeed as a dedicated beer scribbler without setting aside the time to be inordinately idle, what in … Continue reading "The Perhaps Abbreviated “Who’s That In The Kitchen?” Edition Of Your Beery News Notes"

More... ]]> Blog Tracker Blog Tracker https://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?49297-A-Good-Beer-Blog-The-Perhaps-Abbreviated-“Who’s-That-In-The-Kitchen-”-Edition-Of-Yo