Lewes - Part One

In this, the first of a two-part article I take a look at an historic town in neighbouring Sussex; a town which is home to an iconic brewery, and a town with traditions going back centuries and which takes its Bonfire Night celebrations very seriously indeed.

I am talking about Lewes, of course, and whilst there is some mention of beer, with particular regard to the town’s celebrated brewery, the post is more about Lewes itself, and how it has grown in my affections over the years.

I have something of a soft spot for Lewes. Nestled in a fold in the South Downs, this historic old town with its narrow twisting streets, and attractive ancient buildings, occupies a fitting role as the county town of East Sussex. Lewes has some deep-rooted traditions, the best known of which are the famous Bonfire Night celebrations that take place every year on November 5th. Then the whole town comes to a standstill, as various local bonfire-societies parade through the town in a variety of colourful costumes (more about that later).

The famous Bonfire Night celebrations

Probably the main reason though why Lewes rate so highly in my affections, is that it is home to my favourite brewery - Harvey & Son Ltd. In addition, but of secondary importance, is the fact that I spent three and a half years working for a company based on the edge of the town. Although I disliked the job I was doing (as well as the long journey each way), I did leave a number of good friends there when I left.

I first became acquainted with the town in 1969, whilst on a Youth-Hostelling holiday.  I was aged 14 at the time, and was with a group of young people on a walk along the South Downs Way. We had begun our journey at Eastbourne, and were heading for Brighton on the second leg of our journey. We stopped off in Lewes for lunch, on the second day of our trip, picnicking in the grounds of the imposing castle in the centre of the town.

Harvey's Brewery - known as the cathedral of Lewes

It was only a fleeting visit, but the memory struck in my mind. It was to be some 12 years before I next visited the town, and by this time I had began to take an interest in beer and breweries. The fact that Harvey’s brewed in Lewes seemed a good enough reason to visit the town, but it was not until the early 1980’s that the chance came about.

During that time I was actively involved with the Maidstone & Mid-Kent Branch of CAMRA, and in the summer of 1982, our social secretary came up with the idea of arranging a bus trip to Lewes. Knowing that a prominent member of the neighbouring Gravesend CAMRA Branch, called Roland Graves, was the co-owner of a vintage double-decker bus, and also the holder of a P.S.V. Licence, was sufficient for our man to get in touch with Roland in order to take things further.

It turned out that Roland was happy to provide the transport for our trip, and also to act as our chauffeur providing the trip could be arranged as a joint venture between our two branches. So on a Saturday evening in late August, a bus full of eager CAMRA members set off in high spirits to make the 40 mile journey to Lewes.

The trip seemed to take an age, due to the bus being limited to a top speed of forty miles per hour, but it gave us time to appreciate the scenic countryside of Kent and Sussex which we passed through en route. When we arrived, Roland parked the bus, and we all set off, eager to explore the town and its pubs.

The odd thing about Lewes pubs is that whilst the town is home to Harvey’s, there are only three tied Harvey’s pubs in the town itself. At the time of our visit, most pubs in Lewes belonged to the firm of Beard & Co. Beards were a pub owning chain which opted out of brewing in 1958. For the next quarter of a century they contracted out the production of their beers to Harvey’s. One reason for them stopping brewing was their cramped, town-centre brewery, in Star Lane, Lewes, was suffering from a yeast infection. Beards felt that by pooling resources with Harvey’s, the future of both companies would be assured. Harvey’s would benefit from the increased capacity, whilst Beards would not have the bother of having to brew the beer themselves.

This arrangement lasted until 1986, when Beards pubs became free to choose from a wide range of different cask ales supplied by the company’s wholesaling division. This side of the business was later sold off; becoming the well-known wholesaling company The Beer Seller. During the early 90’s Beard’s pubs began offering Beards Best Bitter, which was produced exclusively for the company and allegedly to the original recipe, by the Arundel Brewery, based in nearby West Sussex.

The new deal didn’t last long though, as in the summer of 1998, Beard & Co agreed the sale of their entire tied estate to Greene King, and the company to all intents and purposes ceased to exist. It was rumoured that Harvey’s were somewhat put out by this deal, as not only did they lose their remaining supply contract with Beards, but they also lost the chance to buy the company’s pubs. It is believed that Harvey’s, had been under the impression they would get “first refusal” on Beards, should the latter ever come up for sale, although Harvey’s have never openly admitted this.

Lewes Arms - not sure about the old boy in the foreground

To return to the narrative, and that 1982 visit to Lewes; Beards pubs were supplied exclusively with Harvey's range of beers, which were badged as their own.

We split up into smaller groups; the party I was in visited several good pubs that night; all of them belonging to Beards. The most memorable was the unspoilt Lewes Arms, where, the unusual game of Toad-in-the-Hole was played. The latter is a game originally peculiar to Sussex, but is one that has now spread into neighbouring Kent. It involves throwing metal discs at what can only be described as a box with a lid. The object of the game is to try and get the discs to fall through a small, round hole in the lid of the box. The lid has a covering of lead, so the noise made as the discs clunk against it can be imagined! At the end of each round, the discs are retrieved by opening a drawer in the base of the box.

The old Beards Brewery buildings - now used as craft-workshops

Two other pubs stick in my memory from that night; the first was the Black Horse at the top end of the town, which featured some black and white photos showing the old Beards Brewery in its heyday. The other was the Lamb, in Fisher Street, directly opposite the then empty Star Lane Brewery. Today, the attractive old brewery buildings have been converted into craft-workshops. We stopped off at the chip shop just before boarding the bus. The journey back seemed to take even longer, but it was a good night out nevertheless.

My third trip to Lewes was on a hot Saturday in June 1984, when Maidstone CAMRA branch had been invited to tour Harvey’s Brewery. Roland Graves was once again our driver, but this time our mode of transport was a vintage single decker bus, rather than a double decker one. Our guide for the brewery tour was none other than Miles Jenner, head brewer at Harvey’s, although at the time of our visit he was deputy brewer. This was the first of four brewery tours I have made at Harvey’s, and on each occasion I have listened spell-bound to Mile's graphic and fascinating description, not only of the brewing process, but also of the history of Harvey’s, and of brewing in Lewes.

A couple of years later, when I was secretary of the then Tonbridge and Tunbridge WellsBranch of CAMRA, I arranged a further trip to Harvey’s. This time the tour took place on a Friday evening, but myself, plus a couple of friends decided to make a full day of it. Travelling by train, we chose Brighton as our initial destination; our tickets giving us the option of travelling on to Lewes later in the day.

Entrance to Harvey's Brewery

Only one Brighton pub sticks in my memory from that day and that was the Basketmakers Arms, an unspoilt back street local belonging to the late lamented Hampshire independent brewers George Gale & Co Ltd. The Basketmakers served a good lunch, and also gave me the opportunity of trying Gales 5X Winter Ale for the first time.

Most of the other Brighton pubs we visited that day were unremarkable, but nevertheless by the time we arrived at Harvey’s we were slightly the worse for drink. We met up with the rest of our party, just prior to the tour. Miles Jenner was once again our guide, and by the time the talk and trip round the brewery was finished we were ready for some more beer. A generous session in the Harvey’s sampling cellar made up for some of the lacklustre beers we had tried in Brighton; the Harvey’s XXXX Old Ale being particularly welcome on that cold damp winter's evening. We departed in sufficient time to catch the train home to Tonbridge, after a most enjoyable day out.

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

A Dying Tradition?

A few lines on Cooking Lager’s recent blog post “The Puritans are winning”, about a workplace tradition which has fallen by the way side, served to remind me that this is one particular custom I don’t miss. I am talking, of course, about the Friday lunchtime pint; that one time of the week when whole work’s departments would decamp to the pub for a few jars, a quick bite to eat and the chance to let their hair down.

This practice was very much the norm in offices, shops and other workplaces up and down the land. If some of tales I’ve heard are true, it was even quite common amongst people who had no business mixing drink with the safety critical work they were supposed to be carrying out. I also remember, not that long ago (alright  it was actually 20 years ago), when I was “between jobs”, and working as a Christmas casual at the local  Royal Mail sorting office, my amazement on discovering that postmen could walk straight in after their shift and have a quick bottle of brown ale in the bar attached to their restroom.

Times have obviously changed, along with people’s attitudes, and I know Cookie was trying to put this argument across on his blog. No-one in their right minds would disagree that excessive drinking has no place in the modern workplace, but now it seems that many organisations have taken things a whole stage further and banned staff from consuming any alcohol during work time altogether.

An old friend of mine, who is a retired railwayman, used to regale me with tales of horror about five pint lunchtimes, and whilst him and his colleagues were thankfully not employed in “safety critical” roles, he openly admits that they were not exactly giving their best when they returned to their desks on a Friday afternoon.

Matters came to a head on the railways, following a number of fatal incidents where drink and/or drugs had been involved, and the authorities (British Rail in those days), quite rightly clamped down hard in a determined bid to stamp out a culture of drinking which had been endemic in certain parts of the rail industry. A total blanket ban was imposed on staff, prohibiting them from having so much as a shandy whilst at work.

Still the norm for many City workers

The ban applied to all staff irrespective of where they worked or in what role. If you were just sat behind a desk you were still barred from consuming alcohol, in exactly the same way as train, track or signalling crew were. If, for example, someone in your office was celebrating a special occasion; birthday, getting married, retiring etc, it was necessary to book the afternoon off, and take your coat, brief case etc with you to the pub. You were not allowed back in the office/booking hall etc, under any circumstances, that same day.

This policy was obviously sensible, and managed to call time, if you’ll pardon the pun, on an activity which had once been commonplace on the railways. But what about other industries and other areas I hear you ask?

I have spent my entire working life in the private sector, and there I have to report a rather mixed bag. However, even though none of the companies I have worked for over the years expressly forbade employees from having a “swift one” at lunchtime, it would definitely be noticed when people made this a regular occurrence or they overstepped the mark.

It was quite common when I began my career to go for that Friday lunchtime drink. Many workers regarded it as the start of the weekend, and it no exaggeration to say productivity  suffered on  Friday afternoons. In my second job after graduating, I got into the habit of going for a Friday.lunchtime pint with a couple of colleagues from the engineering department.  Except it wasn't just the one pint; three blokes, meant three pints, as we all felt obliged to get a round in, and I honestly can say my work suffered when I got back in the afternoon, and I’m certain my colleagues did as well.

A lunchtime pint whilst walking the South Downs Way

It wasn’t really until the early 90’s, when a forced job relocation saw me working down in Lewes, which was the best part of an hour’s drive from my home in Tonbridge. Thankfully there was far less temptation in my new place of employment, to sneak off to the pub for a quick lunchtime pint. The factory was sited on the edge of town, which meant a drive into Lewes would have been necessary in order to grab a pint. The factory also had a decent canteen, so there was no need to go off site in search of something to eat.

It must have been around this three and a half year period of my working life that I realised I didn’t miss lunchtime drinking, whilst at work.  I could also add I’m not a huge fan of it when I’m not at work either; with the honourable exception of when I am on holiday, or out on a ramble.

There are two pubs within walking distance of where I work now, but I seldom visit either of them. If we have customers visiting, then it’s not unusual to take them for lunch at the larger of the two pubs. This is accepted and nobody bats an eyelid. I also know that should I wish to call in for a swift pint at either of these pubs, no-one would say a word. It would be different if I was to return the worse for drink, but I wouldn’t do it, and in fact don’t like going back to work after just a single pint.

I don’t know if it’s down to advancing years, but I find it difficult enough staying awake after lunch when stone cold sober. A couple of pints therefore would probably find me nodding off in front of my computer screen, so unless there’s a particularly good reason to go for a lunchtime beer (visiting customers, someone retiring etc), it’s nothing stronger than tea for me these days.

As I said above, I don’t miss going out for a lunchtime drink and, without sounding too sanctimonious, I feel my health and definitely my bank-balance are all the better for my abstinence.

Last Night at the Punch

It may not have been the wisest of moves, especially as I am still struggling to shake off this cough and cold, but last night I decided that a stroll down to the pub would do me good. My local West Kent CAMRA Branch were holding an open business meeting at the Punch & Judy in Tonbridge, so I thought I’d go along, get some fresh air and enjoy a pint or two in the company of friends.

It wasn’t too cold out, and after a fifteen minute walk down the hill, I arrived at the Punch; a former Whitbread pub tucked away in a side street at the back of the town’s Police Station. There was a fair mix of customers milling around the bar, and I could see my friends sitting around a couple of tables on the raised area at the rear of the pub. My heart leapt when I spied the pump clip advertising Harvey’s Old, as this rich dark seasonal ale was just what I needed to lift my spirits on a damp January evening.

I ordered myself a pint, and walked over to join my friends. My presence brought the number in attendance up to eight, and I sat listening as the various branch officers went through the salient parts of their reports. I noticed that most of the members sitting round the table were also enjoying the Old; a good choice on a winter’s evening, made all the better by the beer being in excellent condition.

Apart from the various reports, the majority of the discussions centred on the local pub scene, with news of one imminent re-opening and also of an inevitable closure. I won’t give further details of either at the moment, as things could go either way in both cases, but I will say that getting a pub listed as an ACV is no guarantee that it will remain open, and certainly no measure of its viability in remaining as a public house. Changing demographics and social habits will inevitably lead to the loss of more and more pubs which rely solely on their “wet trade”, and many will need to re-think their game if they wish to continue in business.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, although the attendance at branch socials continues to give cause for concern (changing social habits again?). When the meeting ended, the Tunbridge Wells contingent departed; no doubt to continue their drinking on home turf. The three of us remaining ordered more beer and sat chatting, putting the world to right and pouring our scorn on the Chief Medical Officer’s recent report that there is “no safe level of alcohol”.

Two of us are work colleagues and also scientists, so can see through the crooked thinking and manipulation of statistics which characterises this report. On top of this deliberate slanting of the truth, we all agreed the report fails to take any of the health benefits associated with moderate drinking into account. Socialising with one’s fellow human beings, in a relaxed and friendly manner must surely be good for body and soul, and consuming a beverage, brewed from wholesome and natural ingredients, rich in B vitamins and soluble fibre, must also be beneficial.

There were a couple of other beers on sale in the Punch, last night. Local favourite, and “must have” beer, Harvey’s Sussex Best naturally topped the bill, but here was also a new seasonal beer from Tonbridge Brewery in the form of Winter Solstice. This 4.8% chestnut coloured ale, "combines rich malt flavours and subtle cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger notes"; or so says the brewery’s promotional material. I stuck with the Harvey’s Old, but my two companions both gave the beer a go.

It was good to see the pub busy on a Monday evening. Apart from our presence, the numbers were boosted by participants in a local darts match. There were also quite a few people sat at the bar; the main topic of conversation unsurprisingly being the sad and sudden passing of rock legend David Bowie.It was also good to see a pub taking a chance and selling a couple of dark ales. According to the landlord,  both were selling well, thereby proving what most of us already know, that there is a market for dark ales; especially in winter.

I didn’t feel quite so good at work today, and this was nothing to do with the moderate amount of beer I drank. This bug/virus does appear to take some getting over, and apart from work I will not be venturing out again until the weekend, when I plan to attend a social at a former branch favourite pub, situated at the northern extremity of our area. All will be revealed next time.

A Guide to Real Draught Beer in Kent 1975

Well, after yesterday’s rant regarding the latest nonsense from the Ministry of Magic, something a little lighter this afternoon. We’ve been having a bit of a tidy round and sort out at home and, as is normally the case with these purges, a number of unexpected items have come to light.

Foremost amongst them and buried deep at the back of one of the bookcases, is this 1975 “Guide to Real Draught Beer in Kent”. As you will see from the cover, it cost the princely sum of 20p – probably the price of a pint back then! It’s a thin tome with only 16 pages; although it does have a fold-out map of the county at the back.

With only 386 outlets listed as selling “real ale” (plus two late additions), for the whole of Kent, that map was probably jolly handy. The 1975 edition was the first of a series of guides covering the county; the last edition appearing in 1993. My own West Kent CAMRA branch was jointly involved with two neighbouring branches, in producing the award-winning “Gateway to Kent Pub Guide”, which hit the bookshops in 2009 but which only covered the west of the county. Interestingly, that particular guide also contained a fold-out map

It is worth noting that forty years ago there were only two breweries left in Kent; Shepherd Neame Ltd and Whitbread Fremlins – both based in Faversham. This was the result of a series of mergers, takeovers and ultimately closures, carried out primarily by London-based brewers, Whitbread; although Courage and Ind Coope also saw off a few other former independents along the way.

The introduction in this original guide points out, that whilst the majority of Shepherd Neame pubs sold the real thing; the opposite was true with Whitbread Fremlins. Cask-conditioned Trophy Bitter, dispensed without the use of CO2 gas, was a rare sight in Whitbread pubs four decades ago, although bizarrely the Whitbread name has now disappeared completely, not just from Kent, but from the whole of the UK as well.

Other brewers supplying the “real thing” into Kent were Bass Charrington (IPA and Draught Bass), Courage (Best Bitter and very occasionally, Directors) and Ind Coope (Bitter), plus there was also the odd outlet offering either Harvey’s or Young’s. Times have definitely changed for the better, as far as beer choice is concerned, but I wonder how many pubs in that original guide are still trading today?

Unlike today’s highly informative publications, the 1975 edition was nothing more than a list of pubs, sorted by location. Addresses were restricted to just the name of the road or street, and then only in towns. There were no phone numbers, no indication of opening times – although to be fair, pub hours were pretty standard back then. Breweries, and beers were listed in the form of a number of abbreviations and symbols (see photo opposite for an example of this), and heaven help you if you wanted a meal or a room for the night!

Still, for those wishing to seek out a decent drop of ale, served in the traditional manner, this early guide was invaluable, and today it provides a fascinating glimpse of what the beer situation was like in Kent, all those years ago.

Nanny Knows Best

Just one small mug of Butterbeer a day!

As I said in my previous post, the dreaded winter virus has been doing the rounds and has laid both my wife and I rather low. It wasn’t really what either of us wanted on our first week back at work following the Christmas break!

The bug’s been bad enough to keep me off the beer all week, and whilst I’ve no doubt that supporters of Dryanuary, will be pleased, so will the Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies following the publication of new guidelines regarding what constitutes a “safe” level of alcohol.

Apparently there is no safe level, and people will be at increased risk of dying from all sorts of nasty diseases, including cancer, if they so much as look at a bottle of beer, or indeed catch the faintest whiff of the barmaid’s apron!

In a statement, which borders on farcical, this puritanical busy-body claims, “Drinking any level of alcohol regularly carries a health risk for anyone, but if men and women limit their intake to no more than 14 units a week it keeps the risk of illness like cancer and liver disease low.”

“What we are aiming to do with these guidelines is give the public the latest and most up- to-date scientific information so that they can make informed decisions about their own drinking and the level of risk they are prepared to take.”

Yeah right. Talk about patronising! Speaking on BBC Breakfast Dame Sally said: “My job as chief medical officer is to make sure we bring the science together to get experts to help us fashion the best low-risk guidelines.” 

Of course, just about everything reported by the media these days has to be the truth because “experts” say it is! These experts are undoubtedly the descendants of the same experts who categorically stated that the sun revolved around the earth and anyone who dared say otherwise was guilty of heresy.

Harold Macmillan famously said, "We have not overthrown the divine right of kings to fall down for the divine right of experts.", but my personal favourite is this definition which states "An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing."

So is this “latest and most up- to-date scientific information” any different from that put out 20 years ago, when the last guidelines on what constitutes a “safe level of alcohol” were issued? I ask the question because the authors of that report later admitted they had “plucked the figures out of thin air”, because they didn’t really have a clue at where to set the limits. This whole thing would be quite risible, were it not for the fact that significant amounts of public funds have been wasted on coming up with this nonsense.

I shall, of course, completely ignore this latest Nanny State missive and continue to do what I have done for the past 40+ years, which is to enjoy a drink or two in moderation, listen to my body, take regular exercise and stick to a reasonably healthy diet. I do not need self-appointed health fascists dictating what I can or can’t do with my own body, and I especially don’t need them squandering my taxes on scaremongering nonsense such as this.

Further reading:

“Anyone who cares about scientific probity should be outraged by the Chief Medical Officer's behaviour in this report. Casting out decades of research in favour of a single claim from a single study is a shocking abuse of her authority. People have a right to receive honest and accurate information from the government. I would call for her to be sacked but she'd only be replaced by somebody cut from the same corrupt cloth.”

So says writer and researcher Christopher Snowdon in a lengthy, and well-argued post on his blog "Velvet Glove, Iron Fist". He goes on to debunk the report and to expose the pseudo-science and hidden agenda behind it.

Not the Best Start to January

Well it’s not been quite the start to January I was expecting, and certainly not the start I desired. In fact it looks like that, for the moment at least, I have signed up to Dryanuary! Actually, it’s down to a touch of man-flu, although I must admit it has definitely put me off my beer.

I blame my wife, as when I arrived back home from my short trip to Norfolk, exactly a week ago, she had developed a sore throat and a hacking cough. So far, I’m relatively cough-free, but I’ve got the sore throat from hell! The latter feels like sandpaper every time I swallow, but with a full in tray at work it’s the sort of thing I could do without.

So if anyone knows of any beer-related remedies, or even some involving spirits, then would they kindly let me know?

2015 - The Year in Beer

Rather than follow the crowd and go along with the “Golden Pints” thing (reminds me rather too much of boring beers like Bombardier Burning Gold and GK Old Golden Hen etc), I thought I’d take a look back at the beery highlights of 2015. I went through a similar exercise last January, but as there were so many beer-related high points in 2015, I thought I’d change the format around and list what, for me, were the crowning moments of a “Year in Beer”.

It’s worth noting that 2015 saw me undertaking far more overseas trips than I’ve ever done before. Turning sixty last year, was the excuse I offered myself, but really I don’t feel the need to apologise for going off in search of good beer. I had a great time, I visited some fascinating and often beautiful places, I met some interesting people and, most important of all, I drank some great beers. So before launching into the various categories here, in alphabetical order, are the countries, and places I visited.

Austria (Salzburg); Belgium (Brussels & Bruges); Czech Republic (Česky Krumlov, Jihlava, Prague – twice); Germany (Nuremberg).

Best Brewery Visits

I undertook three brewery tours last year, and it’s worth mentioning them all. The first tour (Bernard) was in the Czech Republic; the other two (De Halve Maan & Rodenbach), were in Belgium.

Bernard

Gleaming coppers at Bernard Brewery

The wet and windy late May day I spent  at the Bernard Brewery, which naturally culminated with a tasting of some of the products, was one of the highlights of the late spring  visit I made to the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, as part of a tour organised by MMK CAMRA.

Situated in the small town of Humpolec, Bernard have long been one of my favourite Czech breweries; their beers having an excellent reputation, both at home and abroad. It was good to be able to enjoy them on their home turf.

De Halve Maan

The new at De Halve Maan

And the old

Unlike the other two brewery tours, I haven’t written about my visit to the De Halve Maan Brewery in Bruges. Situated right in the heart of this historic city, the brewery is a strange mix of both old and new, with the state of the art Steinecker Brew-house, contrasting with the much older original brew-house, which now functions as a museum.

Our attractive and informative guide took us all over both plants, culminating in a vertigo-inducing climb to the top of the old brewery, from where we had one of the best views imaginable over the rooftops of Bruges. We also had an excellent lunch, with beers chosen to match, in the brewery restaurant; all this being courtesy of the local “Visit Flanders” tourist agency.

Rodenbach

This tour was also courtesy of “Visit Flanders”, who organised one of the post-European Beer

Historic maturation vats- Rodenbach Brewery

Bloggers Conference excursions. The visit to this fascinating and historic brewery took place after dark, but we had the privilege of being shown round by legendary Brewmaster Rudi Ghequire.

The highlight of the tour was walking through the world-renowned maturation halls, where the beer ages and ripens in a series of massive oak vats or “foeders”. There are 294 of these vessels, and some are 150 years old. As I wrote at the time, “the visit to Rodenbach will certainly live on in my mind as one of the best and most fascinating brewery tours I have been privileged to have been party to.”

Best Beer Festivals

I only attended three beer festivals in 2015 (must be slipping!), and I list them in reverse order; starting with the most recent event.

Spa Valley Railway

West Kent CAMRA branch’s own festival, run in conjunction with Heritage Railway group, Spa Valley Railway is always a good one, albeit a logistical nightmare for those running the event. Although I wasn’t involved on the organisational side this time around, I am pleased to report the festival was a roaring success offering an excellent range of beers, spread over several locations, all linked by vintage trains running through some of the most attractive countryside the south east has to offer.

Kent Beer Festival

The famous cow-shed - home of the Kent Beer Festival

What could be better than a day out on the farm, sampling a fine range of beers which includes examples from every Kentish brewery? No visit to the cow-shed is complete without the obligatory thunderstorm, although this time the rain held off until we were back in Canterbury. The bonus of the festival was bumping into Erlangernick from Franconia, and then joining him on a visit to a couple of excellent pubs in the city.

Fränkische Bierfest

Waiting for the crowds to arrive - Fränkische Bierfest

It had long been an ambition of mine to visit this festival which showcases beers from around 40 of Franconia’s finest breweries. Held in the incomparable setting of the castle moat, against the backdrop of Nuremberg’s massive and imposing Imperial Castle, I spent a most enjoyable day here in the company of the aforementioned Erlangernick who, armed with the knowledge only possessed by locals, acted as my guide.

In over 30° of heat, I drank far too much beer, but I enjoyed soaking up every minute of the fantastic atmosphere which characterises this festival. I enjoyed it so much that I am arranging a return visit; this time taking a group of friends across with me.

Best Beer on Home Turf

A difficult one, as I have drank many excellent home-grown beers over the course of the past year. The one which really stands out is:

Harvey’s XXXX Old Ale

I’ve always been a huge fan of this seasonal dark ale, but because Harvey’s appear to restrict its availability to their own tied estate, I rarely come across it. The vintage coach trip I embarked on with Maidstone

Harvey's Old available here

CAMRA, back in October, took us to the unspoilt Hatch Inn at Coleman’s Hatch, on the edge of Ashdown Forest.

It was here that I drank the first of this winter’s Harvey’s Old, and it was pure nectar! I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a pint in a pub, quite as much as I enjoyed that one. Pure “class in a glass”, and just the thing on a drab, damp late-autumn lunchtime.

 

Best Beers Abroad

Three beers really stand out; the first one is an old favourite, whilst the other two were new to me.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier

Altes Lokal - Schlenkerla, Bamberg

This world classic beer needs little in the way of introduction. I enjoyed a couple of Seidlas (half litre glasses), of this superb coal black beer with its intense smoky aroma and taste, in the timeless surroundings of the lovely old Schlenkerla Tavern, right in the heart of historic Bamberg. What’s more I managed to get a table in the left-hand bar, known in German as the "Altes Lokal". It is here that the beer is served, direct from oak casks, perched up on the bar.

Westvletern Blond

I enjoyed this excellent and refreshing blond, Trappist beer at the In de Vrede café, right opposite the Abbey of St Sixtus where Westvletern beers are brewed. Although over-shadowed by its stronger stable mates, Westvletern 8 and 12, the Blond, at 5.8% was just right for sitting at a table, outside the café in the company of fellow beer Bloggers. I would say it is one of the finest beers of this style I have tasted.

Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln Weinachtsbock

It was third time lucky as on my two previous visits to the legendary Augustiner Bräustübl in Salzburg, the Christmas Bock was unavailable. At 6.5% it is not really a beer for drinking by the half litre, but by God it was good. Rich, malty and strong enough to taste the alcohol this beer doesn’t take many prisoners, but after a walk up to the monastery, on a cold and frosty night, it is just the ticket.

Bucket List

The trip I made with my son, back in October, to Cesky Krumlov, meant I could cross another item off the “bucket list”. I had desired to visit this medieval time-warp town since first reading about it in CAMRA’s first Good Beer Guide to Prague & the Czech Republic. Published in 1996, and written and researched by CAMRA founding member, Graham Lees, this book really wetted my appetite, so when the opportunity for a return visit to the Czech Republic arose, we combined a stay in Prague with a stay of equal length in beautiful Cesky Krumlov.

The town did not disappoint, and I would urge anyone who appreciates great architecture in a spectacular setting, to take a trip to this lovely South Bohemian town.

Best Locations to Enjoy a Beer

Without a doubt, Tunbridge Wells in the UK. A read back through posts I have written over the past year, will reveal just what an excellent choice of beer and drinking establishments this nearby spa town possesses.

Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln

Overseas, Bruges, Cesky Krumlov, Prague and Salzburg, all delivered in terms of fine places to drink in, and in many cases fine beer to be enjoyed there as well. I would have added Bamberg to the list, but my fleeting visit back in June, didn’t really do justice to this lovely old city and its excellent pubs.

Best Days Out

Two superlative days out crown my year in beer, and are days I remember with much pleasure and fond memories. They represent a fitting climax to my beery adventures in 2015.

EBBC Post-Conference West Flanders Excursion

Beer bloggers outside the Hop Museum, Poperinge

There is so much to cram in here that it would be best to refer to the two blog posts I wrote about this post-conference trip. The highlights were lunching at the Belgian Hop Museum in Poperinge. Visiting a working hop farm, complete with its own brewery. Sitting out in the late August sunshine, sampling the legendary Westvleteren Beers at the In de Vrede café, right opposite the Abbey of St Sixtus, and finally the aforementioned visits to both Rodenbach and De Halve Maan.

Visiting a few of Franconia’s finest Bier Kellers

This was definitely the highlight of the year for me; being taken on a tour around the idyllic Franconian countryside, on one of the hottest days of the year, by someone with good local knowledge of the regions best Bier Kellers.

Spargel

Erlangernick was my guide, chauffeur and companion for a wonderful day out, which introduced me to some excellent local beers and some equally fine places in which to drink them. Starting at Roppelt’s Keller, we moved on to the tiny village of Aisch, where we sat out in the small shady beer garden opposite the Rittmayer Brauerei & Gasthaus. It was here that I tried Spargel (white Asparagus), for the first time.

We then visited two Kellers, both perched up on hills overlooking some really attractive rolling countryside. Herrmann Kellerbier from Ampferbach, and Müller Kellerbier from Reundorf, were the beery

delights at these two stops; the latter beer being enjoyed in the grounds of the substantial Schmausenkeller, high on a hill.

This snapshot of some of Franconia’s best beer and drinking establishments really was the highpoint of 2015’s “Year in Beer”, and my grateful thanks are due to Nick for arranging it.

So there we have it; it’s going to be difficult to top that little lot, but who knows what beery delights 2016 may have in store.