We didn't mean to go to Oktoberfest!

We didn’t originally plan to go to Oktoberfest, in fact it happened virtually by accident; not that many people actually believe this statement! Both family and work colleagues thought I had arranged our holiday deliberately to coincide with the "grand-daddy" of all beer festivals, and the best known and most famous event of its kind in the world. This was not the case, as I am about to point out.

When choosing our holiday, and planning the travel arrangements, I originally wanted to visit somewhere else in Germany, for what would be my fourth trip to the Federal Republic in a year. I settled on Heidelberg; a city which had all the attributes I was looking for – historic buildings, attractive setting, a good general ambience, plus some good places in which to enjoy a few beers.

The last attribute could apply to almost anywhere in Germany, but Heidelberg seemed both desirable and relatively easy to get to. My wife however, had other ideas, and expressed a strong desire to return to Regensburg; the attractive medieval city, on the banks of the River Danube, which we had visited last year. I was not averse to the idea, so being the dutiful and at times compliant husband, I agreed and set about making the travel arrangements and booking the accommodation.

Last year we flew to Nuremberg from Stansted, using Ryan Air, and then took the train to Regensburg. There is only one flight a day in each direction and whilst this worked out well in 2016, the timings this year necessitated either a very early start, or an overnight stop. The family also expressed a wish not to fly back on a Sunday, as they wanted a day to recuperate from the holiday, before returning to work (light-weights!).

Son Matthew had left it late to book his leave, meaning we were looking at the last week in September, rather than my preferred option of the first week. This was the same week as last year, and also happened to coincide with the last week of Oktoberfest. Because of this clash I at first, deliberately steered clear of Munich as our point of entry because I thought (wrongly as it turned out) that flights and accommodation would be expensive.

Something happened to make me change my mind, and that was Eileen having to go into work on the Monday to sort out the men’s wages and pay various contractors. She works, on a self-employed basis, for a firm of scaffolders, and is responsible for the admin and office side of the operation. She has no deputy, and although I’d suggested her sorting out these financial matters the day before, this was not practical.  

Not paying the workforce was obviously out of the question, but what was possible was her going in for the morning and us to then take a flight later in the day. As it happened, there was a suitable, early-evening flight from Gatwick with Easy Jet, and what’s more it was dirt cheap. All that was needed was somewhere to stay for the night in the city. I found a decent hotel, offering rooms at a fairly reasonable rate, close to the main station. Matt’s friend had stayed there a couple of times, and we had met up with him there on our last visit to Munich,  back in February.

I booked us in for the night, and then booked a four night stay in Regensburg, at the same well-appointed hotel, right in the heart of the old town, where we had stayed the previous year. With a late evening flight back booked for the Saturday evening, the stage as set for three and a half days in Regensburg, sandwiched between two half days in the Bavarian capital. All that was left then was to think of something to do in Munich for late Tuesday morning/early afternoon.

I thought of a bit of sight-seeing, followed by some shopping, before rounding things off with lunch (plus a few beers at one of the city’s excellent beer-gardens). I was looking at a tram-ride out to the Englischer Garten when the brainwave struck; why not call in at Oktoberfest instead?

The festival site, or Theresienwiese (Wiesn), was only about 15 minutes walk from the hotel, and a similar distance from the station. We could leave our bags at the hotel and then nip along to Oktoberfest. We were in town, we were close by, it was the perfect opportunity and, as the saying goes, “It would be rude not to!”.

I spent a few weeks genning up on all things Oktoberfest, and in this I was ably assisted by the excellent “Meet me in Munich” – “A Beer Lover’s Guide to Oktoberfest”, by Moses Wolff. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone contemplating a visit to Oktoberfest, as not only is it packed with just about everything you need to know, it is written with care, devotion plus just the right amount of humour, by a native of Munich, who still lives in the city and is a regular (and frequent), visitor to Oktoberfest.

The book changed my perception of the event from something I thought of as just a glorified “piss-up”, to what it really is, namely the world’s largest folk festival, travelling fun-fair and a celebration of all things Bavarian. Of course beer features highly on the agenda,  and the event wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without it, but I soon discovered there are plenty of other things to see and do, besides necking back Maβ Krug’s of high-octane beer, and it was this which helped me sell our proposed visit to the family.

Matt  didn’t need much persuasion, although as he later confided he was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not just a crowd of mainly blokes, sitting in an enormous beer hall, swilling litre-sized mugs of beer. Eileen too enjoyed the experience and was quite taken aback to learn I hadn’t been before. “I didn’t realise you were an Oktoberfest virgin”, she told me as we wandered down to the Wiesn, “We’d better get along there quick, and lose our virginity before anyone catches on.”

 

And that’s where, for the time being at least, we will leave this narrative about the world’s biggest beer festival. Next time I describe our experience of this slightly crazy, but fun-filled event, along with some useful tips and practical information for other would be first time visitors, keen to lose their “Oktoberfest virginity”.

Longevity awards

The Dovecote - 25 years in the GBG

Last month I posted an article about the five pubs which have appeared in every edition of CAMRA’s best-selling Good Beer Guide. That’s 45 editions and 45 years continuous entry.

Now that takes some doing, and is one hell of an achievement, but here in West Kent we have a few longstanding entries of our own, and earlier in the week, the local branch awarded certificates to two of them. I was amongst those present when the awards were handed over, and here is my report.

First up, and celebrating 20 consecutive years in the Guide, was the Dovecote at Capel. Now Capel is little more than a row of houses, the odd farm plus a 13^th Century church, close to the village of Five Oak Green, three miles to the east of Tonbridge. The Dovecote forms part of the aforementioned row of houses and, whilst little is know about its history, is a fine country pub.

 

With very few chimney pots in the immediate vicinity, the Dovecote has to offer something special to attract custom, and it does this by stocking a range of up to six cask ales, alongside what it describes as “good traditional, locally-sourced homely food, in a cosy atmosphere”.

I have known the pub for the past 30 years, and little has changed apart from the installation of an ingenious system for serving cask-beer by gravity. This was devised by a former landlord, and it involves the casks being kept in a temperature-controlled room, immediately behind the bar. Extra-long cask taps protrude through the dividing wall, and out through false barrel ends, made out of wood, set into the wall. The result, beer kept at just the right temperature, and served in the most natural way possible – straight from the cask.

 

Harvey’s Sussex Best and Gales HSB (now brewed by Fuller’s, of course), are the two regular beers, alongside something from Tonbridge Brewery. When we called in on Tuesday evening, Old Dairy Copper Top and Fuller’s Oliver’s Island were also on sale. I opted for the latter, and can report it was in excellent condition (3.5 NBSS). This was my first taste of this beer on cask; although I am pretty certain I have tried it in bottled-form.

For those of us still working, (not many amongst a branch of mainly retirees), it was rather a rush getting to the Dovecote for the 7pm presentation, but a non-working friend, very kindly gave me a lift. We joined half dozen or so other members who’d arrived ahead of us, also by car.

Charlie, the landlord had been tipped off about our visit, but I think that even he was unsure that the pub had clocked up that many years in the guide. The bar was still fairly quiet, so branch chairman Craig, went ahead with the presentation, along with the usual congratulatory speech. Charlie was thrilled with the award, and thanked us for coming. We would have liked to have stayed longer, but we had another presentation to make that evening; this time to a back-street local in Tunbridge Wells.

We set off, in two cars, and made our way to Mount Sion; a short distance up from the town’s High Street. This is an area of narrow and in places part cobbled streets, with a mix of substantial early Victorian houses and charming, cosy cottages, which is often referred to as the “Village” area of Tunbridge Wells. Despite the obvious parking problems, it is a very desirable, but rather expensive, part of the town in which to live.

We made our way to the Grove Tavern, in Little Mount Sion; a tiny and cosy “L”-shaped pub which is a contender for the title of the oldest pub in Tunbridge Wells. The Grove is a drinkers and a sports enthusiast’s pub, which  attracts its own loyal crowd of regulars, but with an open fire in winter, and some lively conversation at the bar, visitors are soon made to feel at home here.

Grove Tavern - 15 years in the GBG

The pub is ably run by landlord Steve Baxter, with help from wife Jane and sometimes their daughter as well. The Grove is celebrating its 15^th year in the Good Beer Guide, and once again it fell to chairman Craig to make the presentation. There was a much larger CAMRA contingent present, than there had been at the Dovecote; unsurprisingly really given the pub’s central location. There was also a good crowd of regulars in the bar as well.

The Grove stocks Harvey’s Sussex Best and Taylor’s Landlord as its regular beers, with a couple of guest ales normally on sale alongside. On Tuesday these were Templar, from Pilgrim Brewery, plus a 4.2% Green Hop Ale from Wantsum Brewery. I made the mistake of choosing the latter, which was foolish, given that I have never been a fan of Wantsum beers.

My instincts were correct, and the beer had a peculiar “woody” taste which at first I put down to the green hops, before recognising this undesirable, off-tasting characteristic. I wasn’t the only person who was unimpressed with this beer, but the excellent pint of Landlord I had after, made up for it.

As mentioned it was a good turn-out and Steve was obviously pleased with his well-deserved award. I didn’t stay too much longer, as I took advantage of my friend’s offer of a lift back to Tonbridge. It was a “school-night” after all, so I was quite pleased to be home, shortly before 10.30 pm.

It had been an enjoyable evening though, and it was particularly good to see two quite diverse pubs, which are almost polar opposites, doing so well.

On your bike!

Yesterday (Sunday), I achieved a minor ambition by cycling from my home in Tonbridge, to the village of Sevenoaks Weald. Now this isn’t a particularly long ride, and neither is it that arduous.

Three and a half decades ago, I would have thought nothing of covering that sort of distance, as most weekends I regularly went for much longer cycle rides. That was when I was living in south London, and even back then there was a beer-related purpose behind jumping onto the saddle and heading off into the Surrey, or even sometimes the Kent countryside.

Cycling out to a country pub, with the possibility of a new beer on offer, was not only a great way of exploring new places, but was a great way of escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city.

That was then, and this is now and despite giving my bike a complete overhaul, and treating it to new tyres and new inner tubes, I really haven’t been out on it as much as I would have liked this summer. The lousy weather in July and August didn’t help, and there was plenty to do in both house and garden, but sometimes you just have to say, “Sod it, these things can wait”, and bite the bullet.

I already had the route to Weald, mapped out in my mind’s eye, and after checking the distance on Google Maps (6.5 miles), and seeing that the estimated journey time by bike, was just 38 minutes, off I went.

Sixty minutes later I rode into Weald village, and five minutes after that I was propping my bike up against the wall of the Windmill pub and hurrying inside for a well-earned pint. In case you hadn’t already guessed, the Windmill was my intended destination all along, and it was a pint of Larkin’s Green-Hopped Best Bitter I was after.

 

I was to be disappointed in that particular quest as it had all sold out, but by way of compensation there was a pint of Kent Brewery Session Pale 3.7% with my name on it, waiting to be pulled at the bar. After paying for my pint, I went back outside to drink it. I hadn’t locked the bike up, so wanted to keep an eye on it, but more importantly I was rather warm after my exertions, and wanted to cool down.

Matt the landlord followed me out, mainly to say hello. I told him I had cycled over from Tonbridge and he remarked that such a feat was worthy of at least two pints! In the end I only had a pint and a half. The Session Pale was excellent, pale in colour, and absolutely bursting with citrus hops.

I was tempted to go for the Green-Hop offering from the same brewery, but at 6.0%, the  Green Giant IPA would not have been a good idea  on two wheels, and narrow roads to navigate. Instead I opted for Brew York,  a 4.9% American Pale Ale from York-based, Brew York. It was darker than the Kent Brewery beer, and much maltier in character.

I bought a packet of Piper’s Sea Salt Crisps to go with my beer and was in crisp heaven. I rarely see crisps from this king of crisp manufacturers, but when I do I never overlook them. I sat back outside again. The pub was busy inside, mainly with diners, although there were a handful of serious drinkers clustered around the bar.

And so to the return journey. I retraced my route back along Scabharbour Road, before turning off down the intriguingly named Egg Pie Lane. This is a route my friends and I have often taken on foot, as it leads back towards Hildenborough station. It is quite a narrow lane and there are some impressive looking houses scattered at intervals along its length.

I was able to free-wheel for much of the way. I hadn’t really noticed the steady climb on the outward journey (apart from the last section), so this was a real  bonus for me. Much of the ride back down through Hildenborough, and into Tonbridge, was also downhill as well. This is one of several roads in the area where there is a dedicated cycle lane, sharing the pavement with pedestrians, so I really flew back along this part of the route.

I was back in Tonbridge in time to pick up a few bits of shopping, before arriving back home. I pushed my bike up the hill on the last stretch, but 13 miles wasn’t a bad run for someone who hasn’t done a lot of cycling recently. Next time I do the ride, I will persuade my old walking friend Eric to accompany me, as I’m sure he’ll enjoy both the ride and the destination.

One final thing. I am a reluctant convert to cycle helmets. I never liked the thought of wearing one; preferring instead to feel the wind rushing through my hair. I was given one for Christmas, so thought I ought to wear it. I know it makes sense, and I know that in the event of a tumble a helmet could make all the difference. I am not as young either as I was when I set off on those rides out of London, three and a half decades ago, and I doubt my reflexes are quite as sharp as they were then.

I still don’t like wearing one though, as despite helmets being vented, my head still feels very hot with one on, but c’est la vie!

World’s Best Beers

I first came across the work of Ben Mc Farland and Tom Sandham when I purchased the "Good Beer Guide to West Coast USA". Published by CAMRA in 2008, the book acted as a beacon which sparked a desire to visit California, Oregon and Washington State, and experience the amazing beer scene there. Rather tardily, I have not yet achieved this desire, but I certainly intend to.

Ben and Tom’s easy-going, but highly informative, style was one of the driving forces behind my desire to “Go West,” so after being contacted by publishers Jacqui Small and asked if I would like to review a copy of the duo’s latest title, I of course jumped at the chance.

Their new book is titled the “World’s Best Beers,” and having now had the chance to cast my eye over this handsomely illustrated, hardback book, here are a few of my thoughts.

The first point to note is the book’s sub-title of “1,000 Un-missable Brews from Portland to Prague.” With that amount of different beers to get through, Ben and Tom certainly had their work cut out. However, the pair describe themselves as “the thinking drinkers”, with a philosophy of “drinking less but drinking better”, and it is this which has enabled them to work their way through such a amazing line-up of beers, and live to tell the tale.

The second point is this is actually the second edition of this title; the first having appeared in 2009. With over 500 new beers, there has been a lot of changes, so I have to wonder which ones have fallen by the wayside.

Now down to the nitty-gritty, and the real substance of the book. As the title suggests, this is truly a global guide, so the main bulk is  divided first into continents (Europe, the Americas,  Australia & New Zealand, and finally Asia & the rest of the World), and then into countries.

Ben and Tom

All the world’s great brewing nations and their beers are described, and this is where the authors’ prowess comes into play, by selecting what they regard as the best each country/region has to offer in terms of great beers.

Each chosen beer is annotated by a photo of the relevant bottle, and sometimes by one of the beer in a glass as well. The location of the brewery concerned is given, in terms of city/town/state/area, plus a succinct write-up, which tells the reader all he or she needs to know about each beer. There are also sections on brewing, beer-styles, drinking vessels plus informative guides to storing and pouring beer, where to drink it and what to eat with it.

This latter section is particularly noteworthy as  it starts off by examining the principles behind beer and food matching, before moving on to pairings such as beer and cheese, beer and chocolate plus beer and burgers. It then looks at beer with certain types of national cuisine, including Scandinavian, Mexican and Spanish. Finally it looks at the vexed problem of what types of beer work best with desserts.

The book is broken up by a number of in-depth profiles of some of the breweries, plus some rather more obvious pages, such as introductions to each country. So is it a coffee-table book, or a serious treatise on beer?

My money is on the latter, and with 1,000 different beers to choose from, there is certainly something for everyone. I haven’t had time to check right through yet, but there are many of my own personal favourites amongst those listed. I therefore feel the book is pitched at just the  right level;  challenging and technical enough to draw in those new to the world of beer and brewing, but not so basic as to put off the real beer enthusiasts.

So, if I had not been sent a copy of this book to review, would I buy it? This is a difficult question to answer, as I really like it and know, that even though I've read countless books on the subject, I would still learn things from this one.

And there lies the problem; I already have shelves full of books about beer, and the £25 cover price sounds a bit steep. However, perhaps I am a little out of touch with regard to book prices, and whilst I don’t really want to be pushing business the way of a certain on-line retailing giant, I’m sure that with a little initiative, the book can be obtained for less than the published cover price.

So, as I am now the proud owner of this informative guide, the question is rather immaterial. If I had not received a copy though, the “World’s Best Beers” would certainly be on my Christmas present list, and if a friend or family member had decided to buy it for me for me, then I would have been extremely grateful.

I can't say fairer than that, and if I've whetted your appetite and you fancy getting hold of a copy, the details are opposite:

Disclaimer: I was approached by the publishers Jacqui Small, and asked if I would review this book. For doing so I received a complimentary copy, but did not allow this to influence my review in any way.

Old Dairy at the Old Fire Station

Tucked away in the maze of streets behind Tonbridge’s imposing 13th Century castle, the Old Fire Station saw its last fire engine depart back in 1986, when the Fire & Rescue Service moved to a modern and purpose-built facility on the town’s industrial estate. After standing empty for three decades, and following extensive renovation work, the iconic building was given a new lease of life.

Two years ago, virtually to the day, the sensitively restored building opened its doors for the first time, and launched itself as the town's pop-up and event space. Since that day back in 2015, the venue has hosted various events, including fine dining evenings, its own cider festival and numerous “tap-takeovers.”

Rather fittingly Tonbridge Old Fire Station (TOFS), played host to Old Dairy Brewery this weekend, for a “tap-takeover” which showcased the best of the brewery’s beers. Friday evening was also a friend’s birthday, so half-dozen or so of us met up in the ground floor bar to help him celebrate.

A number of Old Dairy beers are on regular sale at TOFS, but in keg form only. On this occasion the brewery’s cask ales were highlighted alongside offerings from Old Dairy’s “craft range.” The latter beers have recently been launched under the name of the “Cattle-Shed Brewery,” a move which could be viewed as either a clever marketing trick, or just jumping on the craft-beer band wagon.

I stuck with cask, especially as Old Dairy had brought along three of their “Green Hop” ales. I was keen to get stuck into the latter, as having been away for the first half of “Kent Green-Hop Fortnight,” and also not attending this year’s Canterbury Food & Drink Festival – where virtually all of Kent’s Green-Hop Ales are exhibited, I felt I had missed out on my “Green Hop” fix.

There were two beers brewed at 4.0%, plus an additional one at 6.5%. All were brewed to showcase a particular variety of hop. I started with the Challenger, before moving onto the slightly more “earthy” Bullion. Both were really good, well-balanced as well as refreshing. They certainly slipped down a treat.

The bar area was relatively crowded, with the sort of discerning people one has begun to expect at these events, and most were getting stuck into the excellent beers. The majority of our party had arrived earlier than me, so they’d been able to grab a table. It was good to catch up with friends, and to swap tales of recent holidays as well as discussing arrangements for the forthcoming Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival; an event most of us are involved with in one form or another.

After two very good pints of hoppy, resinous beer it was time to move onto the Green Horn IPA. At 6.5% it was perhaps a little risky going for a full pint, but I was glad I did, as the beer was excellent. It was well-hopped and this was balanced by sweet, chewy malt, combined with thick resinous hop oils which coated the inside of the mouth. Priced, like all the beers, at £3.50 a pint or £2 a half, this superb Green Hop beer represented real value for money.

As mentioned earlier I stuck with the cask, and that was the advice a couple of my friends said they would pass on to Old Dairy. There was a feeling that whilst the brewery “do” cask extremely well, the same could not be said of their Cattle-Shed range. I didn’t try any of them, so can't really comment, but it might be that the brewery are still finding their feet when it comes to "craft-beer".

Towards the end of the evening,  most of our group drifted off to Fuggles. Two of us stayed though, thinking that Fuggles would be crowded and noisy. We both had things we wanted to do the following morning, so we wisely decided that one more beer at TOFS would be a better idea than several more strong ones at Fuggles. I restricted myself to a half of that old favourite from Old Dairy, the 4.8% Blue Top IPA.

I called back to the Old Fire Station briefly this afternoon, primarily because I wanted to take some photos in daylight, but also to grab a rather nice cup of coffee. Mid-afternoon, the place was rather quiet, but I suspect things will lived up this evening.

The “tap takeover” ends later tonight and I’m sure it has been a great success for both “oldies.” We can no doubt look forward to many similar events; such is the beauty and appeal of this flexible "pop-up" and event space.

Regensburg in late September

Our holiday in Regensburg, at the end of last month, was the third visit to the city for my son and I, and the second for my wife. The lad and I made our first visit back in 2008. Matt was only just legally old enough to drink beer in Germany; sixteen being the age when citizens can enjoy a beer for the first time, with the full blessing of the law.

I look back on that trip with fondness, as left to our own devices we managed to pack one hell of a lot of beer exploration into the week we spent in Regensburg, managing  to sample beers from all of the city’s four breweries, as well as visiting a fair number of its pubs. One day, if only for the sake of completeness, I will write up the beery experiences of that first holiday.

A hectic schedule like that is not really possible with a non-drinking wife in tow, as it would not really be fair dragging her around all those pubs and beer gardens, but we still managed to visit a fair number of places, and to enjoy some really good beers. We were, after all in Bavaria, where good beer, hearty food and a friendly welcome go hand in hand and where, even in the most basic café, it is possible to get a decent glass of beer.

The brewery whose beers are the most widely available in Regensburg is Bishofshof. The brewery itself is situated in the suburbs, a mile or so to the south-west of the city centre. The lad and I walked out there, on that first trip, and sat out in the small beer garden which forms part of the brewery tap. Unless you are a fully paid-up beer geek, there is no need for such dedication, given the widespread availability of Bischofshof beers in the city; although people obviously visit the Braustuben attached to the brewery to enjoy an out of town drink.

Bischofshof produce a wide range of beers, but as with many German breweries, some of these beers are quite hard to distinguish from others in the range. On the last two trips, we have drunk the company’s beers mainly in bottled form, and the brew which seems most widely available; certainly within the Altstadt, is Zoigl.

Those who know anything about German beer styles, will realise that a beer produced by a commercial brewery is not a true “Zoigl,” but the name seems to have been appropriated for any un-filtered, hazy beer, which is drawn fresh form the cellar tanks. The Bischofshof Zoigl was on the cloudy side of hazy, but nevertheless was a refreshing and tasty beer.

Beers from Brauerei Kneitinger can also be found all over Regensburg. Their brewery is on the edge of the pedestrianised Altstadt, just off Arnulfsplatz, and virtually next door to the recently restored Velodrome. The company have a pub fronting on to Arnulfsplatz at the front of the brewery. Matt and I went in on a couple of occasions, during our 2008 visit, but have not been back subsequently. From memory it was slightly on the basic side, and very much a locals’ place, but none the worst for that.

Alte Linde

Kneitinger also have a beer garden in the form of the Kneitinger Keller, on the other side of town, to the south of the station, which again remains un-frequented by members of the Bailey family; at least since that first visit. This time around though we enjoyed Kneitinger beer in the beer garden of the much more refined Alte Linde; which I mentioned in my introductory post.

Alte Linde was a real gem of a place, plus a real find, and with its shady beer garden directly over-looking the main branch of the Danube, I can think of few better places to spend a sunny, early afternoon. All three of us chose what turned out to be a rather filling Schnitzel which, at just €7.95 a throw, was also excellent value. The lad and I also had a couple of refreshing glasses of Kneitinger Edel-Pils, whilst Mrs PBT’s had a bottled Alkoholfreibier.

We took a look inside, on the way back from using the facilities. As in many German pubs, these were downstairs, but at Alte Linde there is a spacious dining room on the lower ground floor.  I imagine this extensively glazed and south-facing room is a real sun-trap during the winter months. Combine this with the views of Regensburg just across the river, and you have your own little bit of heaven.

Next on the list is St Katharinen Spital Brauerei (usually known as Spital Brau), who are the oldest brewery by far in Regensburg, with a history dating back to 1226. I wrote about the brewery and its lovely beer garden last year, and also described their new range of English-style beers, such as Pale Ale, IPA and  Chocolate Stout, which are sold under the Regensburger Spital Manufaktur brand.

My son and I called in at Spitalgarten on the Friday afternoon, for a spot of late lunch. This was prior to walking round to the Brewery Shop to pick up some more Spital Manufaktur bottles. The garden was the quietest I've seen it, but this may have been due to the renovation work taking place at the brewery and adjacent beer hall complex. The Spital Helles was as  good as we both remembered it, but the only new bottle I picked up was a 2.8% Summer Ale, which I've yet to sample.

This time around we didn't manage a visit to the Regensburger Weissebräuhaus;  a brew-pub close to the main shopping area. We also missed sampling beers from Thurn und Taxis who, up until 1996, were the fourth major brewery in Regensburg. 

The Thurn und Taxis dynasty were were once Germany's richest and most profligate feudal aristocratic family. Their fortune was built on the private postal service which they operated, as a virtual monopoly, across much of central Europe. The postal service ended in 1867, but the family had many other interests, including forest, banks and South American cattle ranches.

Death duties, following the death of the 11th Prinz von Thurn und Taxis, along with other debts, forced the sale of a number of assets, including the Thurn und Taxis beer brands. These were acquired by Paulaner of Munich in 1996, who continued production of the Thurn und Taxis beers. The company's  Regensburg brewery closed, and I remember seeing it, all sad and forlorn, in its location overlooking the Kneitinger Keller.

Now here comes the strange part. Several months ago, on my last visit to Beers of Europe at Kings Lynn, I picked up a couple of bottles of Thurn und Taxis Pilsner. The address on bottle was given as Fürstliche Brauerei, Am Kreuzhof 5, 93055 Regensburg. A look on Google Maps reveals this as an industrial location to the east of the city centre.

It is unclear as to whether  the building shown on the map is a brewery, or just a distribution centre, but it would be good news if Thurn und Taxis beers were once again being brewed in in Regensburg.

Whatever the situation, this brief summary of Regensburg's brewing scene, should point the thirsty traveller in the right direction, and  assist the beer lover to track down the best the city has to offer.

Monday night in Tonbridge

Photo by Jon Collins - West Kent CAMRA

I wasn’t really expecting to be going out pubbing the night after returning from holiday, and the night of my first day back at work, but things sometimes have a habit of turning out differently to what's been planned.

A couple of WhatsApp messages from my local CAMRA branch alerted me to a hastily arranged night out in Tonbridge, so keen to catch up with a few of my friends I decided to bite the bullet and show my face.

It was an early start, but I assured my wife that an early kick-off would mean an early return home. As I walked towards the front door she had that look which said “I don’t believe you.” She obviously knows me rather too well, which is hardly surprising after 32 years of marriage, but she also knows that I am unlikely to arrive back home three sheets to the wind; especially on a “school night.” I told her I would see her later, and headed off towards the Forester’s Arms; our pre-arranged meeting point.

Forester's Arms

The early start meant a 7pm meet-up; far too early for someone like me who doesn’t leave off work until 5pm, and then likes to enjoy and digest his dinner in peace, but it was for a good cause, as the branch was due to present an award to the Forester's for the season’s "Most highly commended pub."

This is a new award, which recognises the work and enthusiasm put in by licensees in order to improve the pubs in their charge, throughout the West Kent CAMRA branch area. In the Forester’s case, landlord Tyson Marshall has turned around what was once a pub to be avoided. In the space of just over a year he has transformed the pub into a very pleasant place to drink in and socialise at.

I was the second to last of our group to arrive, and I found the rest of the party sat at a long table in front of the window. I ordered myself a pint of Whitstable Bay Pale and went over to join them. Not long afterwards Tyson came over with a couple of delicious-looking,  pizzas for us to share. I reluctantly declined, having just had a quite filling meal, but I was sorely tempted.

I think Tyson knew we were coming, but wasn’t aware of his award, as come presentation time he'd disappeared upstairs, and had to be called back down by one of his bar staff. Branch chairman, Craig Beesom handed over the certificate to Tyson, and outlined the reasons why the Forester's had been the first pub chosen to receive this award. Tyson was genuinely pleased to see his efforts and hard work rewarded in this way, and after posing for the obligatory photo shoots, stayed to chat with us for a while.

The pub was reasonably busy, with a good mixed crowd, and for a Monday night this was good to see. The beer too was in good condition and I was particularly impressed with the Whitstable Bay Pale; scoring it at 3.5 NBSS. For those who fancied something a little different, Spitfire Gold and Woodforde’s Wherry were also on sale.

At around 8.15 pm we moved on to the second pub of the evening; the Gate House, at the other end of Tonbridge High Street. This lively outlet was holding a “Meet the Brewer” evening, which is why it had caught our attention. The brewer in question was from Kent Brewery, and there were a couple of the company's beers on sale.

I gave the 4.0% Black Gold a miss, as I am not a fan of Black IPA's, but can report that the 4.5% Citra Single-hop Ale was excellent, pale in colour and bursting with flavours from this wonderful aromatic hop (3.0 NBSS). I didn't get to chat to the brewer, who had driven over specially from West Malling,  but several members did.

Fuggles - Tonbridge

Apart from the eight CAMRA members making up our group, there didn't seem to be much interest amongst the pub's other customers. This was a shame, considering the lengths the Gate House had gone to in order to host the meeting, but perhaps it was asking a bit too much for a Monday night?

A group of us moved on to Fuggles after, but I only stayed for one beer; a 3.6% Green- Hop Ale called Thirteen Pale Ale, from Downlands Brewery. I  left shortly after 10pm, and true to my word was back indoors by 10.30pm. Despite my early homecoming, Mrs PBT’s still hadn’t waited up for me and instead was tucked up fast asleep in bed.