The Keg is Cloudier Than the Cask!

I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on cask-conditioned ale, but having run a successful real ale off-licence for nearly six years, I’ve looked after, and served, a fair few pints of the stuff. My cellar skills have been further augmented over the years, by looking after cask ales at various beer festivals, and also at parties and other get-togethers. On top of this I was, for many years, an accomplished home-brewer, producing a wide variety of different full-mash beers, and  knowing when to rack the beers off to allow a strong secondary fermentation, alongside being able to bring them into peak condition prior to drinking them, is another set of skills I have acquired over the years.

When it comes to keg beer though, I’m something of an amateur, and where “craft keg” is concerned, then I’m a complete novice. My recent crawl along the famous “Bermondsey Beer Mile” brought his latter point home to me in a number of ways; not that I was in any way involved with the brewing or the serving of these beers. However, I was quite heavily involved in the drinking and appreciation of these beers and when, at two of the breweries, my son Matthew was served a glass of a very “milky” looking beer, questions were beginning to form in my mind, along with a number of quite serious doubts.

My understanding of the whole “craft” scene is that the beers are stored in, and served from containers known as “KeyKegs”. I would imagine this type of container is covered by at least one patent, and that the name is trade-marked, although I may be wrong on these points. I saw quite a few “KeyKegs” stacked up in several of the breweries, and at one at least (Brew by Numbers), I saw beer being dispensed from one, alongside a couple of empty ones. (For the record, beer was being stored in a chilled room, behind a makeshift bar at the aforementioned brewery, and I could see what was going on through the partially opened door).

I’m kicking myself for not having taken a few photos of these “KeyKegs”, or having examined them at close quarters, as there was ample opportunity to have done so. Instead I am relying on memory, plus information I’ve been able to glean on-line. The “KeyKegs” I saw at several breweries were probably a similar size to a standard British steel keg, but were made of rigid plastic with a cardboard outer. Not entirely of these materials though, as the main part of the keg, and the part in which the beer is kept, is basically a collapsible plastic liner, contained inside the robust outer skin. I thought the outers were octagonal in shape, but looking at examples on various websites, I see they are twelve-sided; a do-decahedron?

Obviously the plastic and cardboard outer provides strength and keeps the whole thing rigid, whilst the collapsible plastic liner allows the beer to be dispensed without coming into contact wit the air. Rather like a polypin, or a glorified "wine-box" if you like. Now comes the clever bit; the beer within the inner liner not only never comes into contact with the air, but it also is never touched by the propellant gas. Basically the gas pressure is applied between the inside of the rigid outer container wall and the outside of the inner bag which contains the beer. As the latter is flexible, it collapses as the beer is forced out of the bag by the pressure of applied gas. As the gas does not come into contact with the beer, there is no risk of it becoming too gassy, as with a traditional keg. In addition, low-cost compressed air can be used as the propellant, instead of the much more expensive CO2.

All very clever, and ideal for breweries not wishing to invest in large numbers of traditional, but expensive, steel kegs. However, “KeyKegs” are “one-trip” containers, and whilst the manufacturers are keen to extol their green credentials by boasting that all components are recyclable, they still cost money, and this cost has to be passed on to someone. That someone is usually the consumer, and the popularity of  “KeyKegs” amongst “craft beer” brewers, may explain the inflated price of the final product at the taps.

I mentioned earlier my concerns about the milky-looking beer my son was served with, and whilst this is not a fault of the “KeyKeg” system per se, brewers using these containers to store and dispense their product need to pay a lot more attention to what they are doing, and what they are trying to achieve. As everyone knows, cask-conditioned beer contains a certain amount of live yeast, which allows the beer to undergo a secondary fermentation in the cask. This gives the beer condition and that all important "sparkle", but it also allows undesirable volatile components to be purged from the beer. Finings are added to the beer prior to it leaving the brewery, and these substances cause the yeast cells in the beer to clump together and fall out of suspension, eventually settling at the bottom of the cask. The resultant beer is clear and well-conditioned, and when looked after correctly can represent the very peak of the brewer’s art.

Unfortunately careless handling or poor cellar skills can lead to a pint which is cloudy, flat or both, plus of course, slow turnover will lead to prolonged exposure of the beer to oxygen in the air. This causes oxidation of the beer, making it taste stale and, if this process continues for any length of time, acidification occurs, with that all too familiar vinegar smell and flavour which is indicative of an “off-pint”.

Oxidation is not a problem with “KeyKegs”, but careless handling is, and so is poor formulation or insufficient maturation of the beer in the first place. Now I fully accept that the “craft fraternity” like their beer to be fresh and as natural as possible. This often means the beer is unfiltered and therefore still contains a certain amount of suspended yeast. I don’t have a problem if this suspended yeast is present at sufficient levels to cause a slight haze. I’ve drunk many unfiltered beers over the years, both at home and abroad and have generally enjoyed their fresh taste and slight yeasty background.

What I do have a problem with is beer which contains so much suspended yeast that it looks more like a "banana milk-shake" than a glass of beer, and unfortunately, whether by accident or design, this is what Matthew ended up with in his glass last Saturday afternoon! I didn’t say anything to him, as I didn’t want to cloud his judgement, if you’ll excuse the pun, or to prejudice him against hazy beer in the way that a whole generation of older drinkers has been conditioned to think. A good friend, who is ten years older than me, will often send back a pint which is just slightly hazy; sometimes without even tasting the beer first. This is in the mistaken belief that hazy, or cloudy beer gives people the “sh*ts”, or an unsettled stomach the following morning.

This is an old chestnut and, of course, not true. Matthew certainly suffered no ill-effects from drinking this yeast-laden beer, any more than I have in the past from drinking hazy, unfiltered beers. However, when the beer is as cloudy as described above then should we the customers speak out? 

I suspect I would have got short shrift from the busy bar staff last Saturday, by returning Matthew’s “banana milkshake”, although if it had been my beer which was looking like that then I would perhaps have been bolder. Surely beer isn’t supposed to be excessively yeast-laden like that? Now I suspect one of either two things were occurring. My son was either unlucky enough to be served the dregs from the bottom of the “KeyKeg” OR the yeast count of the beer, prior to racking, was way too high.

The answer could also be that a combination of both factors caused the problem, which opens up a whole can of worms regarding the formulation, maturation, storage and dispensing of “craft keg”, to say nothing of the sometimes eccentric or indeed maverick personalities of the people behind some of these outfits.

Summary 

“KeyKegs” are a good, innovative idea, and I can see why they are really catching on amongst “craft” brewers. They are a God-send for breweries, who are just starting up, as they save having to buy expensive steel kegs, or casks, and as their use increases I’m sure that costs will come down. The fact they allow beer to be stored away from the harmful effects of oxygen in the air, and then enable it to be served without absorbing any of the propellant gas can only help the cause of beer and people’s appreciation of it as the drink of choice.

The problems I have outlined above are not an inherent fault with these containers, but instead are problems of some “craft” brewers making. Great play is made at the moment about drinking the “freshest beer possible”. Unfortunately, fresh often means “immature”; something known in the trade as “green beer”. Green beer can sometimes taste harsh, and it's flavour can also be affected by compounds which would normally disappear as the beer matures.

Racking beer into “KeyKegs” straight from the fermenting vessel is not a good idea. It is an especially bad one if the beer is still heavily-laden with yeast. Whilst I admire the enthusiasm of many of these new wave of brewers, I feel they need to take a few steps back at times, to pause and reflect on exactly what they are doing. With a little more forethought and a little less haste, they could be turning out some absolutely stunning beers, instead of serving up pints of sludge. The choice is therefore yours gentleman (and ladies!).

I’ve rabbited on long enough for now on this perplexing subject, but would be especially interested in hearing other peoples’ thoughts on the matter. I am not knocking innovation or even out and out experimentation in brewing, but I am concerned about being served a glass of beer which contains more yeast than it does malt and hops!

The Bermondsey Beer Mile

Seasoned followers of London’s flourishing “craft beer” scene will no doubt be well aware that the capital now boasts 50 breweries. This huge explosion in the number of breweries over the past five years has provided a massive increase in variety of different beers being brewed in London, but for people like me who have taken their eye off the ball for a while, the choice available to today’s discerning drinker can at times appear bewildering.

One way to familiarise oneself with some of these new brewing pioneers is to have a go at the famous “Bermondsey Beer Mile” (BBM). This is a crawl which takes in five brewery taps, and one newly opened bottle-shop-cum-bar The taps are only open to the public on Saturdays, as the owners are busy brewing all this delicious beer during the rest of the week. The other point to note is that most of the breweries and their taps are located in railway arches, and given the congested rail approaches to London Bridge, there are a fair number of these in this unfashionable part of London.

To those like myself, whose visits to the capital are rather infrequent, this crawl has been something I have wanted to do for some time, but have never quite got round to it. This all changed last Saturday, when son Matthew and I decided to have a crack at this legendary crawl. Our journey, by train from Tonbridge to the big city, took just over half-an-hour, so leaving reasons of time and finances aside for a while, there’s no real excuse not to visit London more often.

There are several on-line guides to the BBM, but we used the one produced by the London Beer Guide. This guide not only includes a handy map, but also gives clear and precise instructions of how to get to each brewery stop on the way. We elected to follow the guide’s advice and to start from South Bermondsey, before working our way  back towards the city.

London Bridge station is undergoing a major re-build, and I hadn’t realised that trains for South Bermondsey depart from the “Surrey side” of the station, but once oriented properly we discovered there is a fairly regular service, with departures leaving roughly every 15 minutes. It’s just one stop and a five minute ride to South Bermondsey station, which itself is just a short stagger from Millwall Football Club’s ground, “The Den”.

The guide has you heading off on the opposite direction though to the first brewery tap on the crawl and the only one not situated in a railway arch. Fourpure Brewing are housed in a modern industrial unit which means they have more room than the other breweries to house the many beer aficionados who take part in this crawl every week.

Fourpure Brewing

This was our first experience of the BBM and our first taste of Fourpure Brewing. We discovered there were six beers available on draught; ranging from a 4.2% Session IPA to an IPA at 6.5%. There was also an Oatmeal Stout at 5.1%, plus a 4.7% Pils. Matthew opted for the latter whilst I, thinking it might be long day, went for the Session IPA. Beers were served in 2/3 pint sampling glasses and cost £3.00 each. We later found this price to be fairly standard amongst all the breweries on the walk.

As I mentioned there was quite a bit of space in Fourpure’s unit, with tables and benches in front of the impressive stainless-steel brewing kit. We had only just sat down to enjoy our beers when a large crowd of what Matthew described as “The Real Ale Twats from Viz” turned up, and suddenly the place became extremely busy. Most were attired in T-shirts advertising a pub in Peterborough, and they were obviously doing the same brewery crawl as us. I had intended to buy a few of the 330ml cans that were on sale, but as the new arrivals were queueing out the door this was our cue to leave. Despite our rapid departure, this group haunted our steps as we progressed around the first half of the tour, popping up at each venue, although we fortunately managed to lose them at Kernel Brewery.

Our next port of call was Partizan Brewing, crammed into a railway arch. As the guide warned, there was precious little space here, but as the rain had stopped we stood outside. There didn’t seem to be as much choice here, so we both plumped for the 4.2% Iced Tea Saison; a pleasant enough beer, with that unmistakable “Saison” taste. However, with the “Real Ale Twats” hot on our heels, we headed off towards Kernel Brewery - the third stop on the BBM.

Brew by Numbers

The Kernel took a bit of finding, and we had a couple of false turns. We bumped into another pair of enthusiasts, who seemed equally lost, despite protestations to the contrary, but after going our separate ways managed to get there before them! The guide had warned that unless one arrived very early, Kernel Brewery was likely to be extremely busy. Given the brewery’s reputation this is hardly surprising, but not having been able to heed the advice, we arrived to find the place absolutely rammed!

Kernel occupies two, inter-linked railway arches, the right hand one of which seems to be given over to storage and drinking. The queue for the latter snaked almost out the door, but there was a much shorter line of people waiting to buy bottles to take out. Grabbing some bottles to drink back at home seemed the most sensible idea, so at some stage I have a bottle of Export India Porter 6.2% and one of Citra-Amarillo India Pale 6.9% to look forward to.

Outside Brew by Numbers

A couple of points to note about Kernel, if you are planning a visit. First you are allowed to bring your own food and enjoy it over a few beers. There is an arch next door selling cheeses, meats and bread if you have come unprepared. Second, and most important to bear in mind; Kernel Brewery closes at 2pm, so it’s doubly important to try and arrive early. (It opens at 9am, should you fancy a beer with your breakfast!).

It is only a few minutes walking to the fourth brewery tap on the Beer Mile, and the one whose beers I liked the most. Brew by Numbers, at Arch 79, had a fantastic 6.5% Traditional Porter on tap. It was so good I could quite easily have had another and I’m kicking myself now for not having bought a few bottles of it. Matthew tried the 5.2% Golden Ale, but this looked a bit too yeasty for my liking. We sat outside, on some pallets enjoying the sunshine and the beer in equal measure, relieved to have finally given the “Real Ale Twats” the slip. Perhaps they are still trying to find the Kernel Brewery?

Anspach & Hobday

It was onwards and upwards to the last two venues; both of which are just an arch or two apart from each other. We called in at the sixth stop first, the brewery and tap room shared by Anspach & Hobday plus the Bullfinch Brewery. I don’t recall seeing any Bullfinch beers on sale, but the 6.0% Smoked Brown from Anspach & Hobday was exceptionally good. Matthew’s Pale, from the same company, was again very yeasty in appearance, and this is something I want to cover in a separate post.

The Bottle Shop

Finally, we retraced our steps to the recently opened Bottle Shop at arch No. 128. The shop is an off-shoot of Canterbury’s famous Bottle Shop which, being housed in the Old Goods’ Shed at Canterbury West station, also has a railway connection. The Bottle Shop doesn’t brew, but does offer a small selection of differing draught beers alongside a myriad of often hard to come-by bottled beers.

Matthew and I both opted for beers from Denmark’s To Ǿl Brewery. He had a bottled 6.0% Smoked Lager, called Stalin’s Organ, whilst I had a draught Pale Ale, the strength of which escapes me. We were served by Andrew Morgan, who I recognised as the owner and founder of the original Bottle Shop in Canterbury.

It was a good place to end the BBM, and after finishing our beer, we followed the directions, and map, given in the guide and made our way to Bermondsey Underground. From here it is just one stop on the Jubilee Line to London Bridge. We ended up at Southwark’s excellent Borough Market where we grabbed a bite or two to eat. Resisting the temptation to call in to the Market Porter, we headed into central London after for a bit of shopping before catching the train home.

A Couple of Well-Earned Beers

A word or two of advice; whilst the BBM comes highly recommended, with the large variety of beers available it is almost inevitable you will feel like a “kid in a sweet shop”. Most of the beers tend towards the strong side, and whilst it is very easy to give in to temptation and try several at each stop, be aware that you will end up more than a little the worse for wear by the time you reach the end. If you can carry the weight, and here a stout rucksack comes in handy, it is far better to supplement the beers you drink on the day by buying a few bottles, or cans, at each stop. That way you will get maximum enjoyment out of the crawl without ending up with a sore head!

Finally, I should point out, the distance between the first and the last breweries on the crawl is just under a mile and a half, but your feet may have told you this by the time you reach the end anyway. As for the name, well the “Bermondsey Beer One and a Half Miles” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, so a bit of journalistic license doesn’t go amiss!

Off the Beaten Track

On my recent visit to Norfolk, I was unable to book overnight accommodation at Bartle’s Lodge, my preferred B&B establishment. Instead I had to look further a field, and after just missing out on a place at a hotel in Swaffham, settled for a pub-cum-restaurant with the unlikely name of the Ugly Bug Inn.

Unlikely and, probably unique, but for someone old enough to remember the song, “Ugly Bug Ball”, sung by the American country singer, Burl Ives a rather strange choice of name for a pub. Never judge a book by its cover though, and after a look at the pub’s website, and reading the many positive reviews regarding both the restaurant and the overnight accommodation, I booked a couple of night’s stay for my son and me. 

The pub is well off the beaten track, on the edge of the tiny village of Colton, to the south of the main A47 road between Norwich and Dereham. It is unusual in having only been a pub since 1992. Prior to this it was a private home called the Ugly Bug Hall, and before that it was an old fruit barn workshop dating back to around 1810. Its current owners, John and Alison, have worked hard to develop the pub, and it is now a thriving village Inn serving good quality local real ales and food with a warm friendly atmosphere.

I hadn’t realised until after I had booked our accommodation, that the Ugly Bug Inn is also in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, and prides itself on only stocking cask beers from local Norfolk breweries. It regularly stocks beers from Beeston and Humpty Dumpty breweries, but at the time of our visit there was a beer from Panther Brewery gracing the bar as well. Panther are based in the village of Reepham, having taken over the plant of the pioneering Reepham Brewery, which closed in 2009.

We arrived in the area at just before 7pm last Saturday evening, and managed to find the pub without any trouble. After checking in and being shown to our comfortable and well-appointed first floor room, we headed back down to the bar and got stuck into the Honey Panther; or at least I did. Son Matthew is a lager drinker, so he went for the Carlsberg. Now I find this rather puzzling. The Ugly Bug’s management pride themselves on supporting local breweries, and yet the pub only stocks international “big name” lagers (Budweiser, Carlsberg, Fosters). Surely there are far better lagers available – Czech Budvar or Pilsner Urquell, to name just two of better tasting, and more ethical brands of lager which the pub could have opted for.

I’m speaking more for myself than my son here, as he was quite happy with his Carlsberg! The pub was heaving, mainly with diners. We had noticed the lack of spaces in the car park when we arrived, but fortunately there is an over-spill car park just across the road. All this bears witness to the pub’s popularity, especially as somewhere to drive out to for a good meal. It obviously has a good reputation, as even my mother had heard of it; and she’s someone who very rarely sets foot in a pub!

Although we hadn’t booked an evening meal, host John managed to squeeze us into the restaurant. This was good of him, given the large numbers of people that night. He told us there would be a bit of a wait for a table, but it was worth it, as the food was first class. We adjourned back to the bar after our meal, for a night cap. This time I opted for the Stirling, a 4.5% reddish beer from Beeston Brewery. It was pleasant enough, but not as good as the Panther.

We both slept well and the following morning treated ourselves to a full English breakfast. We ate elsewhere that evening, my two sisters having arranged a family get together with a meal, plus a few drinks at the Romany Rye, the local Wetherspoon’s outlet in Dereham. It was here that I had the Ruddle’s Best referred to in my previous post. There was still some Honey Panther left when we arrived back, but apart from ourselves, plus one other paying guest, the pub was very quiet.

That an isolated place like the Ugly Bug can thrive in these difficult trading times, says a lot for the dedication and enthusiasm of the pub’s management. Giving people what they really want, in the form of good beer, good food and comfortable and character surroundings, rather than what the Pub Co rep tells you they want, (Sky Sports, karaoke,  discos or themed evenings), speaks volumes for the pub trade today. On the whole, people prefer to make their own amusement in pubs, whether in the form of conversation, a game of darts or pool, and don’t really appreciate having something forced upon them. If to top this, the beer and the food are in tip-top condition, then so much the better.

If you are ever in the area between Norwich and Dereham, then why not call in at the Ugly Bug Inn? You won't be disappointed.

Eating Humble Pie

In my recent post about Ruddles I described how I attended a PR event at the brewery held to publicise the launch of the company’s Best Bitter. This 3.7% abv beer was never going to be a personal favourite, as in my mind at least, Ruddles had sold their soul to the devil, aka Watney’s! Watney pubs were few and far between in the part of West Kent where I lived, so Ruddles Best was not a beer I came across that often anyway, and over the years Ruddles and its beers largely disappeared from my radar.

As I recounted in the article, the brewery and its brands passed through a succession of different owners in the wake of the fall-out from the governments “Beer Orders 1989”; legislation designed to open up the beer market to competition but, as is so often the case with well-intentioned legal rulings, ended up having the opposite effect. Eleven years later Ruddles Langham Brewery had ceased production and the company’s beers had become little more than two of a myriad of different beers produced by Greene King; the new, and current, owner of the Ruddles brand.

I wrote that I would not go out of my way to drink either of the Ruddles beers , especially as Ruddles Best Bitter has had the indignity of becoming Wetherspoon’s “budget brand” bitter, and can be found on sale in most JDW outlets. Well last weekend I was forced to eat my words, as what started out as a “distress purchase” actually turned out to be a pretty good beer, and certainly one that punched well above its 3.7% weight.

There are several reasons why I ended up with a pint of Ruddles Best in front of me last Saturday night, but primarily they were due to my being in Wetherspoon’s Dereham outlet, the Romany Rye with my two sisters and three of our respective off-spring, for a rare sibling get together. We had chosen various dishes from the menu, but on ordering I discovered that my pulled pork sandwich came with a drink included. I am used to my local JDW allowing customers to include one of the “guest ales” as part of the “meal deal” but this particular outlet was more rigid in its application of the rules. If I didn’t want a pint of Strongbow or Carling, then it would have to be Ruddles Best. I decided to give it a go, especially as I would be driving later on and a 3.7% beer would be more sensible than the 5.5% Adnams one which had taken my fancy.

Well, as I said earlier, I was pleasantly surprised, and whilst Ruddles Best is still not a beer I would drink, given the choice, it certainly suited the occasion and my situation at the time. It was full-bodied, with sufficient hops to counter the maltiness, and all in all was a well-balanced and perfectly drinkable pint. So if there is a moral to this tale, then it is not to let preconceptions and blind prejudice cloud one’s judgement. The beer is evidently popular with Wetherspoon’s punters, and whilst price may play some part in this, I am sure taste and balance also count well in its favour.

Festival Fever

With spring rapidly giving way to summer, the trend for pubs to hold their own beer festivals continues un-abated. This weekend sees beer festivals at several local pubs, thereby cleverly avoiding last weeks long Bank Holiday weekend. In addition, our local football team, Tonbridge Angels are again running Angelfest, a weekend of beer, cider and live music, at their Longmead Stadium ground.

This highly successful event is now in its third year, but unfortunately I will have to give both this festival, plus the pub ones a miss, as I am off  to Norfolk for a long weekend. Still it’s not doom and gloom by a long way, as it’s a family get-together with my eldest sister over from her home in the United States.

It’s several years since I last saw her, so it will be good to meet up again. No doubt too we’ll get to visit a local pub or two, and sample some local ale. In the meantime, good luck to anyone (pub, club or other organisation), holding a beer festival this weekend.

For local readers, this weekend’s beer festivals are:

Angelfest – Longmead Stadium, Tonbridge

The Beacon – Tea Garden Lane, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells

Little Brown Jug, Chiddingstone Causeway (opp. Penshurst station)

Apologies to any other local pub, club or other organisation that I haven’t mentioned, who are also running a beer festival this weekend.

Old Family Brewers of Britain. Part Four of an Occasional Series - Ruddles of Rutland

For those of us old enough to remember, Ruddles were one of the early “darlings” of the CAMRA-inspired “Real Ale Revolution”.  During the mid to late 1970’s, their premium beer, Ruddles County, achieved “cult status” amongst real ale drinkers, and rightly so for this full-bodied and heavily-hopped ale was once a yardstick against which other beers were judged.

Now “Ruddles” is just another lacklustre Greene King brand, acquired by the Suffolk giant following a series of take-overs and sell-offs during the 1990’s. Why did things go so disastrously wrong for the Rutland-based company, and what caused their spectacular fall from grace? This article, whilst not providing all the answers, describes how I first became familiar with Ruddles beers and gives some pointers as to why the company lost both its way, and eventually its very existence.

The first time I ever sampled Ruddles was in the legendary Becky's Dive Bar, close to London Bridge Station. The year was 1974 and I was on a crawl of London pubs with an old school friend. Acting as our guide was a copy of the first Guide to Real Ale in London published by CAMRA and the Dive Bar was the fourth pub on our itinerary. I still remember walking down the carpeted stairs leading down to the dimly lit basement bar. The stairs were so rickety that they had an unnatural springiness to them, and once inside our nostrils were met with the mixed odour of dampness and tom cats! Undeterred though, we scanned the bar in order to see what beers were on offer.

According to my friend's guide, Becky's had Thwaites Bitter all the way from Blackburn, on sale, but on enquiring we were told that this particular beer was no longer on sale but they had Ruddles County instead. We opted for a pint each of this revered brew and waited in eager anticipation as our drinks were dispensed from a one of the casks perched up on the bar counter. However, even in the dingy light of the bar the beer looked cloudy. I was somewhat more fortunate than my companion in so much that I chose the first of the two pints dispensed from the cask; mine may well have been cloudy but at least it didn't contain an inch or two of sediment! Despite its cloudy appearance the beer still tasted superb and was certainly a revelation to my young and relatively inexperienced taste-buds (I was 19 at the time). My friend managed  to drink most of his pint but in view of the amount of solid matter in his glass we wisely decided it was  time to move on to our next port of call.

It was to be sometime before I next had the pleasure of sampling Ruddles County, or at least Ruddles County on draught. I say that because not long after our crawl, the company started selling their beers in both canned and bottled form through supermarkets, so for Christmas that year I persuaded my father to get in a good supply of this excellent beer.

I spent most of the next three years as a student living in Greater Manchester, so apart from vacations, plus occasional trips back to Kent, I was busy sampling such delights as Robinsons, Boddingtons, Marstons and Holts (to name but a few). It was therefore some time before I next had the pleasure of enjoying Ruddles in cask-conditioned form, but I have a feeling that my next pint of Ruddles County was enjoyed at either the Anglesea Arms in London's South Kensington, or the Shires Bar at St Pancras Station. Both outlets were pioneers in their own way, although as the Anglesea was a couple of years at least ahead of the Shires in this respect, it is most likely it was there that I next drank Ruddles.

I eventually moved back to the South East, initially to London and then to Kent, but the availability of Ruddles in the area was not that extensive. In the meantime the company had sold off all but one of its tied thirty or so tied houses in order to concentrate on the free trade and sales to supermarkets. Not long after my return, Ruddles entered into a supply deal with Grand Metropolitan (the owners of Watneys), which saw Ruddles County being sold in a substantial number of Watney pubs. As I was living in Maidstone at the time, a part of the country where there were no Watney pubs whatsoever, this deal had no effect so far as I was concerned. More to the point, it was unlikely that I would have ventured into a Watneys pub anyway. I was also somewhat suspicious of the fact that Watneys were storing the beer in converted kegs - having scrapped all their casks when they converted to keg beer during the late 1960's.

In 1986 Grand Metropolitan went a stage further and acquired outright control of Ruddles. Seasoned observers of the trade were not surprised at this turn of events, for having committed a large proportion of their trade to Grand Met, Ruddles were hardly in a position to refuse an outright takeover. It is open to question whether or not Grand Met would have pulled the plug on Ruddles, had they refused, but certainly the Rutland based company now had no pubs of its own to fall back on.

Ruddles chairman, Tony Ruddle was pleased with the deal though and was widely reported at the time as saying that his company's beers were now available to a much wider audience. However, this increased availability was at the expense of many of Watney's local beers, particularly in London and the South East, and when Grand Mets other subsidiary - the London brewers Truman were merged with Watneys into one brewing division, the former's excellent beers also began disappearing in favour of Ruddles. This was a great shame, as the Truman range of cask beers had been launched in a blaze of publicity some five years earlier, and represented a strong commitment to cask beer from a company which had completely abandoned it during the previous decade.

In the February of 1988, just over a year after the Grand Met takeover, I received a phone call from Nigel, an old friend from Maidstone CAMRA, asking if I would like to accompany him on an all expenses paid trip round Ruddles brewery. The only snag was that the trip was scheduled for the following day!  By this time I was living in Tonbridge and working in nearby Tunbridge Wells, but an opportunity like this was too good to miss so I persuaded my boss to allow me the day off, and arranged to meet my friend on the train at Tonbridge the next morning.

On the journey up to London, he was able to fill me in on more of the details as to what the trip was about, why it was free and the reason for it being arranged at such short notice. The people behind the trip were a PR agency handling the launch, on behalf of Grand Met of a new Best Bitter for Ruddles. They had decided to invite along members of CAMRA such as Nigel and I who were involved in the editing or production of Branch Newsletters.

I had edited Maidstone Branch's "Draught Copy" for some four years and had recently been involved in the production of a newsmagazine entitled "Inn View" on behalf of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells CAMRA Branch. Nigel had stepped into my shoes with regard to "Draught Copy" so we both qualified in that respect. All we had to do was obtain receipts for our train journey and the PR agency would re-imburse us.

On the train from Kings Cross we met up with another CAMRA member who performed a similar function to ourselves for the Brighton and Southdowns Branch. Our instructions were to alight at Peterborough in order, I thought, to catch a local train to Oakham, close to where Ruddles brewery is situated. However, PR companies aren’t slow when it comes to throwing other people’s money about, and instead a fleet of taxis had been laid on to convey us the not inconsiderable distance to Oakham and the brewery. After some initial confusion as to who was footing the bill we set off, and after an uneventful journey through the East Midlands countryside, which looked particularly drab during February, we were deposited at the imposing, but attractive Ruddles brewery in the village of Langham - just outside Oakham.

We were led straight to the hospitality centre, situated in converted cellars beneath the brewery, where we were offered our first taste of the new Best Bitter and introduced to the brewery chairman, Tony Ruddle. Following a brief introductory chat, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the new beer, the philosophy behind the launch of the beer was explained. It was intended as a replacement for the old Rutland Bitter, known universally as "Ruddles Blue". The company had decided to go for a stronger beer, with a gravity of 1037, to be called Ruddles Best Bitter. This move would have been fine providing Ruddles had retained the old "Blue", for although this was a relatively weak beer with a gravity of only 1032, it was full of flavour, very refreshing and was an excellent "quaffing bitter".

We were then given a guided tour of the brewery, conducted by a member of the brewing staff. The brewhouse had been extensively modernised - the new parent company having invested substantially in the plant. To their credit, Grand Met had given Ruddles a free hand in the design of the plant which, although modern, was still designed on traditional lines. The copper may have been constructed of stainless steel but it was still a copper. Equally, the sparkling new mash tuns were traditionally designed mash tuns, rather than the more modern Lauter tuns favoured by most European brewers. Ruddles had also been allowed to retain control over the purchase of the raw materials used to brew the beers and, very unusually, they were still using whole hop cones, rather than the hop pellets favoured by many modern brewers.

When the tour was over, we were taken back to the hospitality centre, where a substantial spread of food had been laid on for our benefit. Tony Ruddle acted as "mine host" over lunch, the beer flowing freely from jugs which were replenished as soon as they became empty. The food was excellent, consisting of such local delicacies as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, Red Leicester and Stilton Cheeses, with chunks of freshly baked crusty bread to soak up the beer. The beer too was very good, but I couldn't help feeling that it lacked something. I personally thought it a shame that a unique beer such as the 1032 Rutland Bitter had been replaced by yet another, bog-standard 1037 bitter. Besides, a gravity of this strength is not worthy of the name "Best" anyway!

This aside the brewery chairman answered all our questions; some of which were more difficult and probing than others. He had no qualms about the Grand Met takeover; so far as he was concerned it meant a much wider availability of his beers, and if other beers were being elbowed off the bar then it was because they were not as good as Ruddles. With regard to the loss of the "Blue" he felt that the new beer would appeal to a wider market.

The time for us to depart came all too soon; the fleet of taxis having turned up to whisk us back to Peterborough. Before leaving though, we were each presented with a bag containing a boxed, glass tankard, plus a sweatshirt both emblazoned with the new motif for Ruddles Best Bitter. The return journey was uneventful, although most of us were of the same opinion regarding the new beer. Stopping off in London, en route for Charing Cross, Nigel and I, plus Rob Wells from Reigate and Redhill branch opted for a couple of pints in the Nags Head, Covent Garden; one of the few central London pubs belonging to McMullens of Hertford. Here we enjoyed some excellent Country Bitter and A.K. Mild before making our way home to Kent.

Update:

Ruddles have had a troubled history over the last few decades in the hands of a succession of big brewers. In 1991, as a means of circumventing the government’s Beer Orders 1989 legislation, Grand Met entered into a "pubs for breweries" deal with Courage, whereby control of Grand Met’s breweries passed to Courage in exchange for the latter’s pubs. These were to be administered by a joint company known as "Inntrepeneur Estates".

The outcome of the deal was that the Ruddles brewery rapidly became "surplus to requirements". It was eventually sold to Dutch Lager brewers Grolsch for a sum reputed to be well in excess of £30m. The deal at least secured the future of the Langham site although Tony Ruddle opted for retirement, thus severing the last links with the family after whom the brewery took its name.

Grolsch struggled to make their purchase a success, as despite a multi-million pound marketing campaign, sales of Ruddles beers continued to decline. Just five years after Grolsch acquired the company, the value of the brewery and its brands had dropped to £4.8m, and in it was sold to Morlands of Abingdon. . By this time production at Langham had fallen to just 100,000 barrels a year from a total output capacity of 300,000 barrels. Morlands moved production to Abingdon only for that site to be closed by Greene King when they took over Morlands in 2000.

These days, of course, Ruddles County and Best Bitter are just two of a number of Greene King brands. Both are nothing like the original beers, and whilst they still have their devotees, neither are beers I would go out of my way to drink. Ruddles Best Bitter has had the indignity of becoming Wetherspoon’s “budget brand” bitter, and can be found on sale in most JDW outlets.  

All this is very sad and, somewhat ironically the difficulty in reproducing elsewhere the taste of the beers has led to the premier beer being jocularly referred to as "Ruddles Counterfeit". Perhaps this is appropriate as the local Langham well water was said to give the beer a unique character and quality which enhanced the brewery's reputation..

Rutland bitter is one of only three UK beers to have achieved Protected Geographical Indication Status;  following an application by Ruddles. Since Morlands closed the Langham brewery Greene King, the current owners of the brands, cannot take advantage of the registration. However in 2010 former Ruddles head brewer Tony Davis revived Rutland Bitter, as a beer brewed in Rutland, at his Grainstore Brewery, based in Oakham. He later followed it with a beer called Ten-Fifty - the gravity of the original Ruddle's County.

Late Spring Bank Holiday 2014

The Late Spring Bank Holiday has seen beer festivals a plenty taking place in this small corner of Kent, despite the weather trying to put a dampener on things. The majority of the events were pub festivals, and I managed to get along to a couple on Saturday. The first festival was at the ever popular Halfway House, just outside Brenchley; whilst the second was a smaller, but by no means less interesting festival, held at the Royal Oak in Tunbridge Wells.

We were a bit late getting to the Halfway House. Our original plan had been to walk over from Paddock Wood, but torrential downpours on Saturday morning had put paid to that; instead we caught the bus from Tunbridge Wells. Rather than getting off at the Halfway House though, we alighted a couple of stops earlier, as we had another pub to visit; namely the Hop Bine at Petteridge.

Our reason for calling in at this cosy Hall & Woodhouse pub (still showing its King & Barnes livery), was to say goodbye to long-serving licensees, Mike and Bea Winser, who are retiring after 26 years at the Hop Bine. In these days of pubs changing hands on a regular basis and with licensees coming and going, two and a half decades running the same pub is a real achievement, but in Mike and Bea’s case a highly successful one based on hard work, discipline and the right touch – both behind the bar and in the kitchen.

We had been hoping to have lunch at the Hop Bine, but with the couple due to leave the pub next weekend, operations are being run down, Bea has taken a well-deserved rest from kitchen duties, and the pub has stopped serving food. A great shame, as in her time Bea served up some fantastic food. The beer though, acted by way of compensation; Badger First Gold and Tanglefoot. I stuck with the weaker First Gold, as I knew we had a long day ahead of us.

After saying our farewells, and wishing Mike and Bea all the best in their retirement, we set off for the Halfway House. We had a choice of either walking back up to the top of the lane and catching the bus, or of walking the whole way across the fields. The heavy rain outside made my mind up plus that of a companion, but the other two members of our group decided that having walked earlier from Pembury, they would complete the journey on foot, despite the weather, so we went our separate ways with a view to meeting up at the Halfway House.

There were five other local CAMRA members and friends waiting for us when we arrived at the pub, so after ordering a glass of Goody Ales Dark Mild, I grabbed a beer list and went and joined my companions. The rain had put the dampeners on what was going on outside, although Richard, the licensee of the Halfway, has had some very handy outside shelters constructed, enabling customers to carry on their al fresco drinking in the dry.

The programme stated there were 60 Local and National Real Ales on offer; all at just £3.20 a pint. I know the beer list stated "National Real Ales", but even so I was surprised by the inclusion of the likes of  Ruddles Best, Young’s Bitter and Greene King Abbot in the line-up. However, there were also plenty of interesting local ales from both Kent and Sussex. For me, Goody Ales proved the highlight of the festival, with all four of their beers in fine form. Also well represented were old favourites Rother Valley, Westerham and Old Dairy, along with Kings and Welton’s – both from Horsham in West Sussex.

My consumption was somewhat curtailed though by the several pints of Badger consumed earlier, and by late afternoon most of my companions were feeling the same way. We decided to go for the penultimate bus back to Tunbridge Wells, but not before a member of our party had presented landlord Richard with a certificate as , West Kent CAMRA Pub of the Year Runner-Up 2013. The Halfway House has won the award outright for the previous four years, but recently there has been some strong competition from a couple of relative newcomers. Even so, the result was very close, and I’m certain Richard will do everything in his power to try and reclaim his crown for next year’s award.

Our bus dropped us in Tunbridge Wells, close to the Royal Oak, which just so happened to be holding its own Beer and Music Festival. The pub was packed, although we did manage to secure a table. With a line-up of interesting and unusual beers on the bar, the temptation was to stay. Switching to halves I enjoyed Otley No.3, Great Orme Welsh Black and an interesting smoked stout called “Dirty Stop Out” from Tiny Rebel Brewery. There was some good live music being played at the rear of the pub at a volume which still allowed conversation to take place where we were sitting at the front. Other pubs please take note!

That was me done for the day; pleasantly refreshed, but not overly so! More beer festivals are taking place next weekend, and such events will no doubt continue throughout the summer.