Micro-pubs

I have a confession to make; until last Friday’s excursion to Thanet, I had never set foot inside a Micro-pub. For someone living in the county where the Micro-pub concept was established, this is not a good thing to admit to, but it is nevertheless a fact. Having now visited, and drunk, in a few I can safely say I’m sold on the idea, but for the benefit of those not familiar with the concept, what exactly is a micro-pub?

According to the Micro-pub Association, which was established in 2012, “A Micro-pub is a small free-house which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks”.

The passing of the 2003 Licensing Act, which became effective in 2005, made it much easier to set up a small independent public house, so it is no coincidence that the same year the Butchers Arms Micro-pub  was opened by Martyn Hillier, in Herne, Kent. This original Micro-pub is the winner of numerous CAMRA and other industry awards, and has become the template upon which all subsequent micro-pubs have been based.

In 2009, Martyn gave a presentation to the Campaign for Real Ale AGM, held that year in Eastbourne, showing the simplicity of the 'Micro-pub' model and encouraging other people to follow his lead. It proved to be a catalyst with the opening of the Rat Race Ale House in Hartlepool six months later, and the Just Beer Micro-pub in Newark-on-Trent, which started trading in August 2010. These two were followed soon after by the Conqueror Alehouse in Ramsgate, which opened later the same year.

Since then, there has been a flurry of Micro-pubs opening, and the number now stands at 68! I am pleased to report that 25 of these are in Kent, which can therefore truly proclaim itself as “Home of the Micro-pub”. There may be differences between the pubs; they may or may not have a bar, they might serve beer straight from the cask or through hand pumps, but they are united in one philosophy - a simple pub with the focus on cask beer and conversation for entertainment.

Having been in a few micro-pubs now, I can certainly vouch for them being real community locals, attracting a range of like-minded individuals, drawn from a wide cross-section of the local neighbourhood. All the establishments visited on Friday were places where conversation ruled, or where during less busy times, customers can come and sit and read the paper, or a good novel, whilst enjoying a well-kept pint.

The latter is obviously of high importance, and the fact that all the pubs we visited kept their beer in a temperature-controlled area, and dispensed it straight from the cask, shows a commitment to maintaining the high standards of quality which many of their macro counterparts could do with copying.

The Micropub Association website lists all 68 Micro-pubs in chronological order of their opening, along with brief details of each establishment and links to various reviews plus, where applicable, links to the pub’s own website. The association also offers lots of practical advice for people wanting to open their very own Micro-pub; in fact they say “Open a Micro-pub in your town before somebody else does!” 

Footnote: Tonbridge has been promised its very own Micro-pub. Planning permission has been obtained for the conversion of a former tattoo parlour into a Micro-pub, which will be called the Two Pigs.

Down to Margate

Margate seafront

“Down to Margate”, sang Chas n’ Dave in the classic Only Fools and Horses special, “The Jolly Boys Outing”. I was reminded of this song on Friday, when a group of us travelled to the Kent seaside town to enjoy the last of the summer sunshine and to take in a few of the micro-pubs which have sprung up in the Thanet area over the past few years.

 

The person behind the trip was a friend and fellow CAMRA member who was celebrating a significant birthday. He has requested that I don’t mention him by name, so I’ll refrain from doing so, but the trip involved a group of 15 friends and acquaintances travelling by train to Ramsgate, where we were met by Sean, our driver from Galvers Micropub Tours, and his comfortable 15 seater mini-bus. Sean then transported us around Thanet on a tour taking in six micro-pubs and one brewery – Gadds.

Although I grew up in East Kent, I have spent the majority of my adult life living in the west of the county. Consequently the far-flung Isle of  Thanet is a part of Kent I have only visited infrequently as, even as a child, this was an area my parents rarely took my sister and I to, preferring instead the beaches of Greatstone, Littlestone and St Mary’s Bay which border Romney Marsh.

The majority of the Thanet coast is built-up; with the best known towns, such as Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate gradually merging into one another. Further inland are villages, such as Minster and St Peters, but the whole island is quite compact and it is quite easy to travel around it in a day. During Roman times Thanet was separated from the rest of Kent by the Wantsum Channel, which was up to 2,000 feet wide in places. However, over the centuries, the channel gradually silted up, and by the mid-18^th Century, Thanet was no longer an island.

The Hovelling Boat,  Ramsgate

Well that’s enough geography and history for now, and without further ado on with the narrative. It was a glorious sunny day when we arrived in Ramsgate, and our mini-bus took us down towards the seafront and past the harbour, before stopping in a narrow lane. Sandwiched in between two shops is the Hovelling Boat, the first micro-pub on our tour. Its L-shaped interior was bright and breezy, with a room towards the rear where the beer was racked, and a door leading to a small beer garden right at the back. The bare brick walls were decorated with various bits of brewery memorabilia, including several items from Tomson & Wotton; a former Ramsgate brewery taken over in the 1960’s and closed, like many others, by Whitbread.

There were three beers on draught, plus a couple of draught ciders. I went for the Wolf Edith Cavell, a pleasant 3.7% pale ale, followed by Eclipse Porter, a 4.2% brew from Blindman’s Brewery, who are based in Somerset. Both were served in excellent condition, and were nice and cool.

It was then back into the mini-bus and off to our next stop; the shop belonging to the Ramsgate Brewery. The Ramsgate Brewery is situated on an industrial estate outside the town. It is often referred to as Gadd’s, after its founder, owner and head brewer, Eddie Gadd. Eddie was a former Firkin Brewer, who set up on his own after the closure and sale of the Firkin chain. He acquired the rights to the name Dogbolter; the company’s best known and most iconic beer. Dogbolter Porter is brewed all year round, but I have only ever come across it in cask form, at beer festivals. I bought a bottle from the shop, as none was available on draught there either, but there was quite a range of beers on tap, including Gadds’ No 3 and No 5, Seasider, Green Hop Ale and Rye Pale Ale. I opted for the latter; a 4.0% pale ale brewed from malted Rye and Kentish Bramling Cross hops. It was so good I was tempted to have another, but I wanted to pace myself as there were still a further five pubs to go, so I resisted. By way of compensation I bought a Green Hop T-shirt, plus a bottle of the 12% Imperial Russian Stout – that one’s being saved for Christmas!

From Gadds we headed north across the island towards Margate; the original English seaside town. Several years ago Margate was very much down on its luck, but following the opening of the much-criticised Turner Contemporary Gallery, on the seafront and the injection of cash from a variety of sources, the town seems to be recovering some of its former pride and spirit. As we drove along the seafront, towards the harbour, there were lots of people sitting at tables outside the various pubs, soaking up the autumn sun.

Tomson & Wotton panel

Our destination, the Harbour Arms, is situated  in a blockhouse along the harbour wall, and faces back across the beach, towards the town. It is a tiny little place and was quite full. We decided to take advantage of the good weather and sat at one of the outside tables. It was here that I was specifically reminded of Chas n’ Dave’s song, as there was scene in the Jolly Boys’ Outing where the Trotters walk along the harbour wall and bump into Trigger, with an inflatable plastic dolphin tucked under his arm. As if on cue, a couple of blokes, dressed exactly like Chas n’ Dave, came out of the wine bar, a little further along the wall and, guess what, one was carrying an inflatable dolphin! You just couldn’t have made it up, but we later discovered the real Chas n’ Dave were playing a gig that evening, at Margate’s Winter Gardens.

Pig & Porter, Strangely Brown Green-Hop Porter 4.4% was my choice of beer at the Harbour Arms, but there were a couple of other ales on as well. Some of the party were tempted by a slice of Homitty Pie; an old English dish consisting of a pie filled with boiled potatoes, bound together by a mixture of egg and cheese.

Interior of the Yard of Ale, St Peter's

Leaving Margate we headed inland towards the village of St Peter’s, home of the Yard of Ale; the third micro-pub on our tour, and the newest one in Thanet. Housed in a converted stables in the yard of Nobles Funeral Directors (hence the name), the pub opened for business back in April. There are two partners involved in the running of the pub; one of whom is the person behind Galvers Micropub Tours.

Without doubt this was the most atmospheric pub on the tour, with the original brick floor and the flint-built walls all left exposed. The beers were kept in, and dispensed from a chilled cabinet at the far end of the pub, which ensured they were served in tip-top condition. Keeping the beers in a chilled area, and serving them by gravity, seemed a common feature in all the micro-pubs we visited. With no beer lines to clean, and no wastage, it makes perfect sense. I enjoyed both the Gadds Green Hop 4.8% and the Dark Star Hylder Blonde 4.2%, in this gem of a pub before moving on to our next port of call.

The Four Candles, at the other end of St Peter’s looks like a pub with its prominent corner position, but I understand the premises used to be a grocer’s shop. It is named, of course, after the famous Two Ronnie’s sketch, and a poster in the pub explains the local connection between Ronnie Corbett’s nearby holiday home and a local ironmonger’s shop which Ronnie Barker used as the basis for the comedy sketch.

Four Candles, St Peter's

With the early Friday evening crowd of regulars in attendance, it was quite crowded inside the pub, so several of our party slipped outside to enjoy their beer. I went for the Maben, a flavoursome, 4.3% amber-coloured bitter from the Derventio Brewery in Derbyshire (a new one on me!). Plans are underway to construct a one-barrel micro-brewery in the pub’s cellar, so watch this space!

We headed back into Margate for the penultimate pub. I imagine the zigzagging here and there was due to the opening times of the various pubs, but as I wasn’t in charge I was quite happy just to go with the flow. Ales of the Unexpected was my least favourite pub on the tour. Situated on the busy main road out of town, this converted shop seemed incomplete. It was almost like a pub of two halves, with a dimly-lit and distinctly gloomy front section, and a room at the rear with a bar area. Beers were again dispensed by gravity from a separate room, but the choice of Otter Bitter and Morlands Old Nutty Hen seemed rather strange. Still, as one member of our party pointed out, if these are the sorts of beers the locals like to drink, who are we to complain?

The aptly named Hare of the Dog was the last pub of the day. Situated in the village of Minster, this recently-converted, former hair salon has a bright and airy feel to it, plus a friendly welcome from the proprietors. Beers and ciders are served on gravity dispense from a cooled room accessed via a door behind the small bar counter.

Beer & cider menu, Hare of the Dog, Minster

The added bonus, so far as most of us were concerned, was the pub allows customers to eat a fish and chip supper in the pub. The fish fryer across the road certainly served up some excellent cod and chips, and we all enjoyed washing our food down with a pint or two of the pub’s equally excellent beer. I went for the 4.5% Canterbury Green Hop “Seriously Saison” and followed it with a glass of Mad Cat Brewery EKG Rye PA 4.0%. This was a good beer to end what had been a most enjoyable day’s sampling.

Once we had managed to marshal everyone out of the pub, our driver transported us back to Ramsgate station, from where we caught the train back to West Kent. It had been an excellent day out, made all the more enjoyable by good organisation, some real little pub gems, the splendid weather, good company and plenty of equally good beer.

Saving The Best For Last

Anyone reading my posts on our summer holiday in Munich could be forgiven for assuming it was a complete washout. This wasn’t the case, as despite two days of heavy rain, plus another spent dodging the showers, on balance there were more dry days, and a reasonable amount of sunshine. The main complaint was that temperatures were a lot cooler than they normally are at this time of year; so it wasn't quite the shorts, sandals and T-shirt weather we had been hoping for.

Osterwald

The best day in fact happened to be the last full one of our holiday, (typical!) and we were determined to make the most of it. So on a warm and sunny Sunday, with hardly a cloud in the sky, what better way to spend it than by doing what many Müncheners do, and head for one of  my favourite parts of the city; the Englischer Garten. I have written in the past about this vast area of open parkland, which acts as a green lung for the city, so after a leisurely breakfast my son and I took the U-Bahn to Münchener Freiheit, and then walked the short distance through a very select-looking area to the edge of the Englischer Garten and the Osterwald Beer House.

Kleinhesselohe See

This was our first visit to this establishment, and compared to many of the people sitting out in the small beer garden in front of the pub we were late in getting there. We still managed to find a table but, given its rather upmarket nature, decided just to have the one drink there; a pleasant and refreshing glass of Späten. Leaving Osterwald, we headed into the Englischer Garten in a roughly north-easterly direction. Skirting the large boating lake that is the Kleinhesselohe See we reached the busy Isarring dual-carriageway which we crossed via a pedestrian footbridge, and from there it was just a short hop to Hirschau.

Sunday lunchtime crowd at Hirschau

We hadn't been in this northern section of the Englischer Garten before, but it's not dissimilar to the more popular southern section, closer to the city centre. Hirschau too was a new beer garden for us, but we were both really pleased that we found it. Large, but not as overwhelming as Chinesischer Turm or Hirschgarten, we heard the sounds of a traditional jazz band playing as we walked through the entrance. After finding our way to the self-service area we grabbed a free table, followed by a couple of beers; a glass of delicious Löwenbräu – Dunkles for me and Helles for the boy. After listening to the band for a while and just watching the comings and goings, we decided that something more solid would be in order, so I went and grabbed us a plate each of Schweinebraten (roast pork, complete with some nice crisp crackling), with potato salad and gravy. To wash it down I went for an Urtyp-Hell, whilst Matt stuck with the ordinary Helles.

Lunch - Schweinebraten

We could quite happily have stayed there all afternoon, as I have to say it was a really efficiently run establishment, with friendly and helpful staff at the various serving hatches, plus good food and drink. Being a Sunday there was a family atmosphere about the place, with a separate play area for the kids, and people from all walks of life and backgrounds sitting there socialising over a Maβ or two of the excellent beer or, like us, getting stuck into the equally good food. Many of them had arrived by bike, as evidenced by the masses of bikes parked at the bike-racks close to the entrance.

HIrschau

The Englischer Garten is especially popular with cyclists, and given the size of this idyllic landscaped park, two wheels are definitely the best way of getting around. We were passed by loads of cyclists as we left Hirschau, retracing our footsteps over the footbridge. This time though we skirted the opposite shore of the boating lake, passing See Hof – another well-known beer garden. Our plan was to catch either a tram or a bus back to the city centre, and I knew there was a stop close to the Chinesischer Turm beer garden.

We had a brief look in at the latter, which was absolutely heaving with Müncheners, all out enjoying the sunshine which had sadly been so lacking for most of the previous week. I was tempted to stop for another glass of beer myself as, after all, Chinesischer Turm was the very first German beer garden I visited, but we needed to get some packing done, along with sorting out how we were going to spend our last evening in the city.

We caught a bus part of the way, before switching to a tram which dropped us close to our hotel. The packing took less time than we thought, and after freshening up, we were soon heading back out again.; destination Perlach, the home of Forschungsbrauerei.

Forschungs

I have written at some length about this well-respected brewery, so I won’t repeat any of that here. What I will say is we spent a very pleasant evening at Forschungs, sitting outside in the small, but perfectly adequate beer garden in front of the pub-cum-brewery complex. The garden was quite crowded when we arrived, but as the evening wore on and the sun began to sink, the crowds gradually melted away, and by the time we left, there was just a handful of people left. The temperature dropped quite dramatically and the two waitresses were no doubt glad of the cardigans they had slipped on over their Dirndl!

Given our liquid intake at lunchtime, and the fact we had a flight to catch the next day, we restricted our beer intake to just the two. I went for the excellent Pilsissimus Export, followed by a Dunkles; which is a new beer in the Forschungs' portfolio. Matt stuck with a couple of Helles; another recently launched beer, which is available from May to October.

Obatz'n

Looking back it wasn't so much our desire to remain relatively sober which restricted our beer intake, but more a case of our rather filling evening meal. Obatz'n is a traditional Bavarian dish, and is a mix of Camembert-type cheese, paprika, herbs and finely chopped onion. Served with traditional knotted Brezn, we has intended it as an evening snack, rather than a full-blown meal, but it came in such large portions that we struggled to finish it. It was a good accompaniment to the beer, but one portion between the two of us would have been better!

Never mind, it still made for a fitting end to our last full day in Munich, and a good finale to our holiday in the Bavarian capital.

Missing Out

Unfortunately, due to too many things happening at once plus an extremely busy work schedule, I will have to miss this year’s “Canterbury

Food & Drink Festival”. Like last year, the event will be hosting the launch of “Kent Green Hop Fortnight”, and as well as giving visitors the chance to sample a Green-Hopped beer from every Kentish brewer that has produced one, there will be a vast array of produce stalls offering all kinds of local goodies. If last year’s event is anything to go by, these will range from local cheeses, seafood, home-baked pies, preserves, hand-made chocolates, to more exotic offerings such as venison burgers. There should even be stalls selling locally produced Kentish cider, fruit juices and even things like flavoured vodkas and other liqueurs. The festival kicks off this Friday in Canterbury’s Dane John Gardens, and for further details please click here.

Four of us attended the festival last year, and a similar number will be going this year; I’m only sorry I won’t be amongst them, especially as the weather is set fair. It was sunglasses weather last year, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon sitting in front of the bandstand, soaking up the autumn sunshine whilst listening to a couple of the live bands performing there. We also made regular forays to the beer tent, and also to some of the food stalls, slowly working our way through some of the goodies on offer. The Green Hopped Beers were housed in a marquee at the far end of the gardens, and like at most CAMRA festivals, the beers were served direct from the cask.

Nearly every brewery in Kent takes part in Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight, making one or more brews with un-dried, freshly-picked hops which are rushed straight from bine to brewhouse in under 12 hours; or in some cases under 30 minutes!

I won’t be the only person missing the festival though. I’ve just been sent a press release stating that none other than Eddie Gadd; founder, owner and head brewer of Ramsgate Brewery, and a leading light in, and prime mover of “Kent Green Hop Fortnight” is unable to attend either. 

All a bit strange until you read that Eddie has been invited to supply Kent Green Hop Beer to the 6th Borefts Beer Festival held at the De Molen Brewery in Bodegraven, about 30 miles south west of Amsterdam.

The Borefts Festival is one of the most talked about festivals in the beer lover’s calendar attracting dedicated beer drinkers keen to taste some of the best brews around - not to mention a variety of limited edition beers made especially for the festival.

Eddie will therefore miss the official launch of Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight, on Friday 26th September in Canterbury, in order to go to the Netherlands.

He said, "I've been invited to bring beer to Borefts a couple of times but I've always said no because of the overlap with the start of Kent Green Hop Beer Fortnight  But now the time seems right to take Kent Green Hop Beer on tour! I'm really hoping that by taking it to this festival it'll spread the word to those who consider themselves craft beer drinkers - and that next year they'll be making sure to visit Kent during the Fortnight so they can trying all the other fantastic Green Hop Beers that are made."

The Kent Green Hop Beers destined for Borefts are a cask of Gadds' Green Hop Ale (4.8%) - a pale ale hopped with fresh East Kent Goldings, and a keg of Green Hop Radler (2.4%) - a craft version of shandy made from green hopped pale ale and limeade. They will be served alongside brews from host brewery De Molen, fellow UK brewers such as Burning Sky and The Kernel, and a dozens of others from across Europe.

 

For further information, please contact Kent Green Hop Beer PR Manager, Sophie Atherton on 07946 112 025 or via sophieatherton@btinternet.com

The 6th Borefts Beer Festival takes place at Brouwerij de Molen, Bodegraven on September 26th and 27th 2014. Entry is free but drinkers need to buy a festival glass to try the beers. €20 buys a glass, six beer tokens and a festival programme

Post-Holiday Goodies

I narrowly avoided an excess baggage charge for this little lot!

Last night I polished off the last of the bottled beers I brought back from my recent visit to Munich. There were 11 of them in total and, as my suitcase was right on the limit for an excess baggage charge, I don’t think I could have brought any more home than that.

Beer is cheap in Germany, but only when purchased from a supermarket. Pub prices are on the whole, similar to what one expects to pay in the UK, and the same applies to much of the rest of Europe, (Scandinavian countries excepted of course!). Beer is also cheap when bought direct from the brewery, and many German breweries, particularly in the more rural areas, sell their beer at the brewery gate – but normally, only by the crate. This is fine if you live locally and have a car, but not much use for visitors relying solely on public transport. Some though are more accommodating, and on a visit to Bamberg, during the depths of winter, I was able to purchase a selection of different bottles from both the Mahrs and the Schlenkerla breweries.

On the recent Munich trip I bought the majority of the bottles from supermarkets, and was pleasantly surprised at managing to find some less common brews amongst the more usual Munich “Big Six” offerings. Beers from Arcobräu, Chiemgauer and Kloster Scheyern are not the sort of brews I would expect to see in a large supermarket, particularly in view of the very localised nature of the German beer market, and the marked conservative attitude of many German drinkers.

The market is obviously changing, but I have to say I quite like the structure of the fragmented German market, and the fact one has to travel to the home town or village in order to sample those beers with a limited or restricted availability. This is a situation which reminds me very much of the UK beer market back in the mid-1970’s, which was when I first became interest in tracking down and sampling different beers.

A localised market is still much in evidence in the Federal Republic; as proved by us having to travel to places like Ettal and Mittenwald in order to sample the beers brewed there.

Anyway, being quite an organised individual (well sometimes), I have got into the habit of making brief tasting notes of  beers I have drunk at home. So for those who like this sort of thing, here are my notes for the goodies I brought back from Munich:

Chiemgauer Brauhaus – Chiemseer Hell 4.8% - A pale golden Helles from Chiemgauer of Rosenheim. Has a slight floral hoppy nose, and is medium bodied, reasonably well-hopped and refreshing. The beer is described as a typical Bavarian Helles, full of character, it is pale gold in colour, easily digested, fresh and pleasantly mild in taste.(Direct translation from German description)

It would be nice to sample this beer on its home turf, over-looking the shores of Lake Chiemsee, a large and picturesque lake, situated roughly halfway between Munich and Salzburg.

Chiemgauer Brauhaus – Braustoff 5.6% - A very pale golden coloured beer, with quite a malty nose. Pours with a nice firm head, and has a pleasant, refreshing taste which belies its 5.6% strength. Another good beer from this south Bavarian based local brewer. It would certainly be good to make that trip to Lake Chiemsee, to sample this one at source.

 

Ettaler Klosterbrauerei – Kloster Dunkel 5.0% - Dark brown in colour, rather than jet black, this full-bodied Dunkel pours with a nice contrasting white lacy head. It tastes extremely good with toffee and caramel flavours off-set by just the right amount of hopping. Brewed using pure mountain spring water, and the finest malting barely and hops, this beer from the Benedictine monks of Kloster Ettal is a definite winner.

Ettaler Klosterbrauerei – Curator Dunkler Doppelbock 7.0% - a thick, rich, dark strong beer with roast malt flavours to the fore. Pours dark brown in colour, with virtually no head, but a tremendous amount of flavour is squeezed into this full strength, strong dark beer. An ideal nightcap.

Ettaler Klosterbrauerei – Heller Bock 7.2%  - a pale bock beer, deep golden in colour with a rich, biscuit maltiness balanced by just the right amount of bitterness. Dangerously drinkable for a beer of this strength, as despite its high gravity the cloying overtly sweet taste often associated with high abv beers, is thankfully missing.

The attractive label depicts a goat (the traditional symbol associated with Bock beers), in front of the imposing abbey church of Kloster Ettal.

Giesinger Bräu– Naturtrübes Kellerbier 5.2% - I picked this one up direct from the brewery  last month. Situated halfway down a back street, close to Munich's Max Weber Platz underground station, Giesinger Bräu have been turning out some interesting beers, from a converted double-garage, since 2006. The company are in the process of constructing a new brewery and Bräustüberl, which should be opening in October this year.

Unfiltered, so naturally cloudy, the beer is pale yellow in colour with an almost lemon-like flavour present. A pleasant summer beer, probably best drunk from a ceramic stoneware mug.

Gräfliches Brauhaus – Arcobräu Urfass 5.2% - A very pale coloured, Helles style beer from Arcobräu of Moos, in lower Bavaria. Quite sweet in character, and malt-driven, rather than overtly hopped, with the malt quite evident on the nose. The brewery describes URFASS PREMIUM HELL as a lager beer, which is fragrant in flavour with a pronounced spiciness

Arcobräu is a brewery with royal connections, which is now quite a large, regional concern, with its headquarters at the Schlossbrauerei Moos. The company title came about when Count Ulrich Philip von und zu Arco-Zinneberg combined all breweries owned by the his family under the name of Arcobräu.

Kloster Scheyern – Kloster Export Dunkel 5.0% - Dark brown in colour, with lots of interesting toffee, chewy malt. Some roast malt also evident in the beer. Another good example of a traditional Bavarian Dunkles.

Brewed at the abbey of Kloster Scheyern which dates back to 1119. Brewing recommenced at Scheyern in a brand new brew-house, in May 2006. Previously the beers had been brewed under license by a brewery in Augsburg.

Kloster Scheyern – Kloster – Gold Hell 5.4% - Another beer from the abbey of Kloster Scheyern; this time a pale golden Helles. Pours with a nice fluffy head, full-bodied and quite sweet tasting, with a pleasant hop aroma and a nice refreshing bite. It would be nice to try this beer within the confines of the abbey itself.

Mittenwalder Berg Gold Export 5.2% - Like its name suggests, gold in colour, and darker than the Helles we drank on draught in Mittenwald itself. Lots of sweet juicy malt, with a delicate floral hoppy nose. Not particularly challenging, but a very pleasant and enjoyable beer nevertheless.

Mittenwalder Jager Dunkel 5.2% - A really full-bodied Dunkel, with lots of mouth-feel. Notes of toffee with plenty of chewy malt present in the beer. Like the Ettal example, dark brown in colour, rather than black. A really satisfying example of a south Bavarian Dunkel; perfect for a chilly night in the mountains.

Both beers are brewed by Brauerei Mittenwald; the highest privately owned brewery in Germany. 

 

Which beers were my favourites? Definitely the Dunkles (dark beers). The examples from Kloster Ettal and Mittenwalder being particularly good. Out of the Helles (pale lagers), the two offerings from Chiemgauer Brauhaus really shone out.

Heavenly Brew - Part One

Kloster Weltenburg's spectacular setting, on the Danube

Whenever there is talk of monastery brewing, one country always springs to mind, especially in the minds of beer lovers. Belgium of course, has a rich tradition of monastic brewing, particularly as the country is home to six of the seven Trappist monasteries. It is also a country where so-called “Abbey Ales” (beers produced in a secular brewery under licence from a monastery), are relatively common. However, neighbouring Germany also has a heritage of monastic brewing which, despite being less well known, in many cases pre-dates that of Belgium.

During my travels in southern Germany over the past 10 years I have come across quite a number of largely unknown breweries either directly attached to a monastery or with still visible former links to one. Their relative obscurity may well be due to the fact that they haven’t marketed themselves as vigorously as their Trappist brethren; with most of their production destined mainly  local consumption, and precious little in the way of bottles finding their way into overseas export markets. Also, unlike the Trappist Breweries in the Low Countries, there is no umbrella organisation to look after their interests, fight their corner or to promote their wares as a whole. This however, makes tracking them down all the more exciting and rewarding.

A glass of monastery-brewed beer

One fairly obvious clue when it comes to looking for monastery breweries in Germany is the use of the word “Kloster” in the brewery name. Similar to the English word "cloister” the word means monastery or convent. However, as in Belgium, there are quite a number of breweries which style themselves as “Kloster”, but closer inspection reveals either a very tenuous link with a monastery or abbey, or even a link which may have existed in the past, but which is no longer there. Most surviving monasteries whether brewing or not, are located within the state of Bavaria. This is hardly surprising when one considers that this part of Germany is a staunchly Catholic region. However, even here many monasteries were secularised during the early 19^th Century, partly as a result of the Napoleonic wars and the determination of Bonaparte to stamp his authority on territories that he’d conquered. Even when these institutions were handed back to their rightful owners, any tradition of brewing which may had existed had often been lost during the intervening years, and in many cases  did not resume.

For the purpose of this post though I am including all those German breweries which use the name “Kloster” in their title, as in the vast majority of cases brewing still takes place in the original monastery buildings irrespective of whether there are monks, or nuns, living there now!

The Bräustüberl at Kloster Andechs

Kloster Andechs is almost certainly the best known and most widely available German monastic brewery, and to anyone who has been to Munich requires little in the way of introduction. Having undergone considerable expansion in recent years, Andechs beers are now available in other parts of Germany – they have a flagship pub in Nuremberg and I have drunk them in Berlin. Their website states they are now available in the United States. 

Andechs brew a wide range of pretty decent beers, but to me they never taste as good as they do at the monastery itself, on top of the Holy Mountain, over-looking the Ammersee Lake, just outside the town of Herrsching. My first visit there, back in 2005 was the most memorable, probably because it was all new to me and I didn’t know what to expect. The ride out from central Munich to the end of the S-5 Line was pleasant enough, but apart from reading that there was a footpath up to Andechs, I had no idea of where it started from.  Fortunately the local Tourist Information office put me on the right track, providing me with a photo-copied map, and before long I was leaving the town behind and heading up through the woods to the Holy Mountain. The walk, which was steadily uphill for most of the way, took around an hour, and I was certainly building up a thirst. On the way I had passed a few other walkers, but hadn’t really seen that many other people. When I arrived at Andechs though I just couldn’t believe how busy it was; where had all these other thirsty punters come from?

Enjoying a beer in the sun at Kloster Andechs

The answer of course, was they came by road; either by bus or car, and since that first trip all subsequent visits we have made to Andechs have also been by bus. However, to get that true monastery experience and to really feel like a pilgrim, make the journey on foot so that you really appreciate your beer!

If journeying by foot appeals to the pilgrim within you, then how about arriving at a monastery by boat? This is exactly how my son and I arrived at the next monastic brewery on the list. Kloster Weltenburg is sited on a bend on the gorge carved by the River Danube as it makes is way north towards the ancient city of Regensburg. The setting for this centuries old monastery must rank amongst the most spectacular in the world, and given this water-side setting journeying here by boat makes perfect sense. Pleasure boats cruise down to Weltenburg along the Danube on a daily basis; certainly in summer when there are several return services each day. 

Sailing down the Danube Gorge towards Kloster Weltenburg

The boats depart from the small town of Kelheim, home to the world-famous wheat beer brewers, Georg Schneider & Co. In order to make the trip, Matt and I travelled to Kelheim, from where we were staying in Regensburg, via train and then bus and, after locating the waterside departure point, booked ourselves a return ticket. The boats which ply up and down the river are similar to the ones on the Thames. Being a pleasant June day, we sat outside on the top deck in order to make the most of the scenery which we would soon be passing through. This being Germany, we could have had a beer or two as we travelled down, but it was rather too early in the morning for me and, besides, we’d had a pretty heavy session the night before! Our journey took us past the  impressive Walhalla Monument, before we approached the entrance to the steep-sided Danube Gorge. The boat made slow, but steady progress against the fast flowing river, and before long we were surrounded on both sides by high limestone cliffs, topped with trees. It wasn’t quite the “Lost World” but it certainly felt like we were cut off from civilisation. 

We witnessed some rather rash local youths jumping off the rocks and then swimming back to shore; it all looked rather risky given the swiftly moving current, but presumably they knew what they were doing. Then, as we rounded a bend we could see Kloster Weltenburg ahead on the left-hand bank. The ship’s captain slowed our vessel down to enable us to approach the landing stage and moorings, which were a few hundred yards away from the monastery, and a five minute walk. Making a careful note of the departure times, we made our way to the monastery which sits on a spit of land made up of fine white pebbles, which juts out into the river. Being sited in such a picturesque setting is not without perils though, as was demonstrated in 2005 when the monastery was inundated by the disastrous floods which occurred on the Danube that autumn. Weltenburg's flood defences were also severely tested in 2011.

Monastery church - Kloster Weltenburg

The monastery itself is constructed in Baroque style, but there has been a monastic community based here since the 11^thCentury, and a continuous tradition of brewing ever since In fact Kloster Weltenburg lays claim to being the oldest monastery brewery in the world. These days, in order to meet increased demand, the brewing of Weltenburg’s paler beers is contracted out to the Bischofshof Brewery in nearby Regensburg, and the company also provide technical and sales assistance to the brothers. Weltenburg’s darker beers though, such as Barock Dunkles and Anno 1050 are still brewed at the monastery. We were able to sample a few of their draught offerings in the shaded, courtyard beer garden, where we joined quite a throng of people enjoying their lunch. We sat and chatted over our lunch of Leberkaas and potato salad, with a group of cyclists who had travelled all the way from Bonn.

Beer garden - Kloster Weltenburg

Afterwards I had a brief look inside the impressive monastery church, which has ceiling frescoes painted by the renowned Asam Brothers, before catching the mid-afternoon boat back to Kelheim. The return journey took half the time of the outward one, as we were now travelling with the swiftly moving current; rather than fighting against it.

To be continued....................

Old Family Brewers of Britain. Part Six - Timothy Taylor & Co. of Keighley.

Timothy Taylor's Championship Beers

Timothy Taylor’s are an old-established regional brewer, based in the West Yorkshire town of Keighley. The company was founded in 1858 by Timothy Taylor, at Cook Lane, Keighley, but moved to larger premises in 1863 at Knowle Spring, where they remain to this day. The company operates 28 tied pubs, mainly within a tightly confined area of West Yorkshire, but over the last couple of decades have expanded into the free trade in a big way.

This expansion has been largely driven by their premium bitter, draught Landlord; a full-flavoured and well-hopped pale ale which had won a proverbial "barrel full" of medals, and caught the public imagination in a big way. At one stage Landlord was reported to be singer, Madonna’s favourite beer, back in the day when she was still married to film maker, Guy Ritchie and enthralled with all things English.

Five to ten years ago Timothy Taylor’s Landlord was one of the most widely available cask beers in the country, and was stocked by several pubs in my home town of Tonbridge, along with many others in the surrounding area. Since then the brewery seem to have pulled back somewhat, perhaps stung by criticism that Landlord had lost some of is character, and had changed from the beautifully balanced, delectably hopped, multi-faceted ale it once was to a much more one-dimensional beer, albeit still a “must stock” brand for many pubs.

Despite this recent apparent retraction, it is hard to believe that the company’s prize-winning, "Championship Beers" were at one stage confined to a small area of West Yorkshire. As proof of this, during the mid 1970’s, when I was a student living in Greater Manchester, just 40 miles away from Taylor’s home town of Keighley, their beers were unobtainable. It was therefore necessary to travel across the Pennines in order to sample these excellent beers; a journey which I undertook on a couple of occasions.

My introduction to Timothy Taylor's took place in 1975, and followed a recommendation to visit a pub called the Hare and Hounds at Lanes End, Chisley, high up in the Pennine Hills overlooking the town of Hebden Bridge. The recommendation came from a student friend and fellow housemate. Nick was a keen cyclist and used his bike as a means of transport to and from the university. He also enjoyed exploring further a field, and on one such expedition had visited the Hare and Hounds. Nick returned from his trip, enthusing about this wonderful pub, miles from anywhere, which sold superb Timothy Taylor's beer. He even brought me back a bottle of Landlord to prove his point

According to the 1975 Good Beer Guide, the Hare and Hounds was the sole outlet for draught Landlord. This was a “premium strength” Best Bitter, normally available only as a bottled beer. I personally have my doubts regarding that GBG statement, as I find it hard to believe that a brewery would go to the trouble of making a beer available in cask form for just one pub. Checking back through my collection of GBG’s, I noted that the following year, a number of pubs were listed as selling Landlord on draught; a fact which I feel proves my point.

According to the map, the Hare and Hounds was just about the nearest Timothy Taylor's pub to Manchester, and the opportunity for me to visit it arose a few months later when Nick and I, together with a group of fellow beer enthusiasts, organised a trip to the pub. For transport we made use of one of the students’ union mini-buses, and having found ourselves a driver for the evening, and bribed him to remain sober, we collected sufficient interested people and money to fill and pay for the mini-bus.

It was quite a journey to Hebden Bridge; our journey took us via the M62 and along the winding A6033, via Littleborough and Todmorden. By the time we reached Hebden Bridge it was just starting to get dark, but fortunately Nick remembered the way and after turning onto a narrow, twisting road we began to climb high into the Pennine Hills. Forty years is a long time, but I can still recall the spectacular view we had of the town of Hebden Bridge, far below us, lit up by the last rays of the sun as it disappeared behind one of the looming peaks, away to our west. By the time we arrived at the pub it was more or less dark.

First taste of  Taylor's beers at the Hare & Hounds, 1975

When one has been used to living in a big city for any length of time, one starts to get used to the noise of the traffic. This applies even to folk, such as me, brought up in the peace and quiet of a small village. It therefore came as something of a shock (albeit a pleasant one!) to arrive at this unspoilt pub, miles from anywhere, where the only sounds were those of our own voices. It was much more of a shock though, to discover that the pub was closed!

We knocked on the door and waited, but nothing happened. We peered through the windows but could see no signs of life. Deciding that we had perhaps arrived too early, we went for a short stroll up the road. By the time we got back the pub was just opening its doors, much to our relief.

The inside of the pub was both comfortable and cosy; the decor being of a style that was fairly typical of north-country pubs of the time. So far as the beer was concerned, the Hare and Hounds had three Timothy Taylor’s beers on tap, namely Golden Best (a light mild), Best Bitter and the beer we were all itching to try, Landlord. Most of us did the sensible thing and worked our way up, starting off with the Golden Best and ending up on Landlord. I can safely say that all the beers were superb.

The guvnor made us feel very welcome, whilst his wife was quite happy to provide us with pie and peas. The latter acted as welcome solid sustenance to soak up the excellent ale. The beer though was beginning to slip down just a shade too well, and even those of us who had tried to pace our drinking were caught out by the fact that mine host did not call time at the allotted hour. As our driver had no objections to stopping a while longer, we somewhat foolishly decided to carry on drinking. When we did eventually manage to drag ourselves away, I regret that the cold night air had an unfortunate effect on several members of the party, so it was perhaps just as well that we did not make any return visits to the Hare and Hounds!

Long-haired layabouts at the Hare & Hounds. Can you spot your's truly?

It was to be a long time before I drank Timothy Taylor’s ales again. I vaguely remember sampling one of their beers at a beer festival in Blackpool, but it was not until I attended the 1982 CAMRA AGM, held that particular year in Bradford, that I had the opportunity of enjoying the company's excellent beers once more.

Again a trip out to Taylor’s home territory was necessary, but fortunately this time it only involved a short bus ride. Myself, plus two fellow delegates from Kent, caught the bus from Bradford to Keighley for an evening's drinking, having spent the day listening to various and rather tedious, AGM motions being discussed. We had arranged to meet our respective wives and girlfriends there; the ladies having had more sense than to spend the day sitting in a stuffy hall day listening to a load of boring debates! Instead they had spent the day visiting Howarth, with its Bronte Museum, and had also been for a ride on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

We visited several pubs in Keighley that night but, unfortunately to my mind at least, none of them sold Landlord. The Golden Best and Best Bitter that they did sell though were extremely palatable, and we spent a very pleasant evening sampling these beers, before catching the bus back to Bradford.

During the late 1980's and early 1990’s Timothy Taylor’s ales began to make a somewhat infrequent, but nevertheless very welcome appearance as guest ales in the south-east. Certainly in Tonbridge Taylor’s Landlord was seen, and enjoyed, quite a few times in Uncle Tom's Cabin, (now known as the New Drum). Soon after this another Tonbridge pub, The Stag’s Head, began selling Timothy Taylor's on a regular basis. Somewhat unusually, the beer on offer at this former market pub was the Best Bitter, rather than the Landlord which hitherto had been the only one of the company's beers to feature in the free trade. For the best part of a decade the Stag’s Head continued to offer Taylor's Best, but following the relocation of the Saturday market to the other end of town, the pub lost a lot of its trade, and sadly closed a few years later.

As I stated at the beginning of this post, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord was quite widely available in West Kent, but now I can only think of a couple of local pubs that still sell it. However, the company have been back in the news recently, after their Boltmaker was crowned Champion Beer of Britain at this year’s CAMRA Great British Beer Festival, held at Olympia, London. This is the fifth time that Timothy Taylor’s have been awarded the champion beer title; the previous four awards having been for landlord.

Boltmaker is Taylor’s Best Biter re-badged. It is similar in style and taste to Landlord, but at 4.0% is slightly weaker in strength. Following last month’s award, the brewery expects to be running at full capacity to keep up with demand for the beer, so watch out for it in pubs and bars locally.

Before finishing, mention should be made of  Taylor’s Havercake Ale. Normally a bottled beer, I enjoyed this robust 4.7% Yorkshire Ale on draught last year, at the Punch & Judy in Tonbridge.  It was originally brewed to honour the soldiers of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, affectionately nicknamed 'The Havercake Lads'. The name is derived from the oatmeal breadcake that was the staple food of the Yorkshire Pennine towns and villages where most of the soldiers lived.

I feel quite privileged to have discovered Taylor’s Landlord all those years ago, and despite its recent perceived loss of character, am still proud to regard it as one of my all time favourite beers.