Dark Beer Weekend at the Nelson

  The recent Dark Beer Weekend, held at the Nelson Arms in Tonbridge, was a roaring success, with over a dozen dark beers on sale, on a rotating basis. The beers ranged from dark milds old ales, porters, stouts, milk stouts, and even an imperial stout. The selection included a number of old favourites as well as several new ones, and amongst the former, was Harvey’s XXXX Old Ale, a well-rounded, dark, and very moreish seasonal ale. Also, present was Ebony Moon, a porter from Tonbridge Brewery. At the lower end of the strength scale, were Harvey’s Dark Mild, Marble Brewery Mild, and Watling Street Mild from Gravesend’s Iron Pier Brewery.

At the other end of the spectrum was Harvey’s Prince of Denmark, a 7.5% strong, dark, ale, described as an imperial stout. There was plenty to enjoy in between, but with just six pumps available (more than enough for most pubs), not all of the selection was on sale at any one time. When one beer was finished, another took its place, and I have it on good authority that all those on the programme, sold out by the time the weekend was over. 

This selection rotation meant I missed out on the likes of Gadd’s Black Pearl, a black and rather luscious stout, and Abbeydale Deception, a chocolate, and hazelnut stout. The latter beer was still on tap, but I’d ran out of drinking capacity by then. Also on sale, were a couple of offerings from Downlands and Lakeland.  

The Dark Beer Weekend started on Thursday, but it wasn't until the following evening that I managed to make my way down to the pub, braving the unexpected drop in temperature. With luck though, the colder weather will spell the end of the incessant rain that has plagued the whole country for the past month or so. I knew quite a few of those present in the pub, some were obviously local CAMRA members, whilst others were people I know from other areas of my life, including one of our local councillors.

I joined the seven strong CAMRA table when I arrived, and my first pint was a rather tasty dark mild from Manchester’s Marble Brewery. Last June, during a visit to the city, I was fortunate to not only visit the excellent Marble Arch pub but enjoy a very nice lunch there of burger and chips there, and all this in the company of pub ticking legend Retired Martin. The Marble Dark Mild in the Nelson was equally good, so I wasn't surprised when it became the first beer to sell out that evening. Afterwards I moved on to my longtime favourite, Harvey’s Old Ale, a beer which, so far this season, has proven quite hard to come by. I've only had a couple of pints of it, this winter, but I’m pleased I ordered when I did, because by the time I'd finished my pint, the Old had also run out.

As the evening progressed, I moved on to halves as I didn't want to have too much of a head the following morning. One beer I enjoyed was the Fairytale of Brew York, an unashamed tribute to the Christmas hit by recently departed, Shane McGowan and also the late Kirsty MacColl, who died tragically after being hit by a speedboat while scuba diving in Mexico with her two sons. The beer itself was a full bodied 4.9%, milk stout, and a fitting tribute to both Shane and Kirsty.

The next, and final beer was the 7.5% Harvey's Prince of Denmark, a strong dark beer of great complexity and depth that does exactly what it says on the label. Brewed using brown, amber, black, and pale malts, which give this beer its colouring and aroma, Prince of Denmark is described by the brewery as an “Imperial Stout Nouveau.” I've enjoyed this beer in bottle on a few occasions, but I think this was only the second time that I've drank tried the beer in cask form. For the record, the first time was on a visit, back in March 2019, to the brewery itself.

On the social side, the evening provided the perfect opportunity of catching up with friends, most of whom I hadn't seen since way before Christmas. One pal in particular had been struck down by the same bug as Mrs PBT's and I. He too had been laid up for much of December and had only just received the all clear. Another friend had contracted COVID over Christmas. Unlike me, that was his first encounter with the virus! It ended up being quite a late evening, and it was quarter past 11 by the time I left the pub, and after walking back part of the way with a friend, I arrived home just after midnight.

The event had been a tremendous success, and it was confirmed on one of the CAMRA Whats App groups that that all the dark beers sold out over the course of the weekend – as hinted at earlier. For someone like me, who really enjoys dark beers, it was like being a kid in a sweet shop. The event demonstrated that there is a demand for these beers, especially amongst beer connoisseurs, providing the right promotion is put into such an event.

Nelson landlord, Matthew Rudd made certain of this by printing some concise, but informative handbills, which were left around the pub so that people knew what to expect from each beer in advance, before ordering. I'm sure this relatively low-key, and relatively inexpensive approach is the way to go, especially as some drinkers seem to have a phobia about anything that's darker than a pint of bitter. I'm confident that as the winter progresses, this won't be the last we will see of these superlative dark ales, even though their presence in many pubs remains sketchy at best, and non-existent in most cases.

I'm wondering whether, given the success of last week’s event, Matthew might even consider repeating the event before the advent of spring. It’s certainly a thought worth hanging onto, that there might be another chance to enjoy a few more of these dark and delicious ales.  There is one dark ale though, that I normally get to enjoy at this time of year but given my “confined to quarters” status for much of December, I haven't managed to track it down yet.  

I'm talking here about Larkin’s Porter, a real belter of a dark and luscious beer, but again one that is hard to come by, as there aren't that many outlets brave enough to stock it. Crazy really, as those that do make room for the beer on the bar, find that it literally flies out the door. So, look out for it folks, and if you come across it, then please let me know.

 

Forget "Dry January" - and go to the pub instead!

I’ve written, at length, about Dry January, on several occasions in the past, with particular regard to the deleterious effect that abstaining from alcohol has on the nation’s pubs. Apologies then if you’ve heard these arguments before, but whilst I might be repeating myself, the truth remains that so-called Dry January is causing serious damage to the licensed trade. With Christmas behind us, and pubs experiencing the usual post-festive fall in footfall, January is the worst month possible for people to abstain from drinking. Worse still January is often the month which breaks a publican’s business, by undermining all the hard work of the year before and, the ones prior to that as well.

Anyone with experience of the licensed trade knows this, and the effects of a poor January often run over into February and March, providing proof that the first quarter of the year can often be the most testing time for many pubs. A combination of post-Christmas blues, poor weather and customers reassessing their leisure budget, clashes head on with licensees paying the same overheads, and struggling to keep their businesses open while.  The last thing the trade needs is Dry January, suppressing their trade even further, and with so many obstacles to overcome, sadly, some pubs do not manage to stay afloat, and find themselves going under.

Because of this effect, a growing number of publicans are suggesting that Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind the January abstinence campaign, should find a better way to raise money without hitting local businesses, but with over five million people in the UK reportedly going without a drink during this month, this virtuous, “look at me” stance is having a disastrous effect on an already struggling hospitality sector.

Alcohol Change UK was formed from a merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK, both well-known, anti-alcohol campaign groups, and neither exactly friends of the licensed trade, or the drinks industry as a whole. Amongst their aims is an outright ban on alcohol advertising, and tighter restrictions for the trade, such as minimum pricing, plus restrictions on alcohol promotions within stores. Dry January should therefore be viewed as a cynical ploy by this anti-alcohol group to damage the drinks trade by persuading people that they will benefit from stopping drinking, using evidence that lacks proper scientific scrutiny.

Unless, one has a serious drink problem, there is no proven health benefit from giving up alcohol completely, but this is not the message Alcohol Change UK are putting across, and it is not the one being received by well-meaning, but rather naïve people who think they are doing the right thing. This New Year is starting off from a position that is even lower than previous years, with many pubs, and even breweries, struggling to cope with an unsustainable dip in trade.

There is nothing wrong with people who, for genuine health or indeed personal reasons, wish to abstain from drink for a period of time, if it genuinely makes them feel good, but why choose the worst time of year possible for the pub trade and inflict even more damage on hard-pressed local businesses? Even worse are those self-satisfied, smug individuals who feel the need to plaster their “achievement” all over social media. So, rather than look at the downside of the drinks trade - as Alcohol Change UK would have us do, why not consider the many positive aspects that pubs, in particular, contribute to social cohesion and a well-balanced society, particularly from a mental health point of view.

Pubs are one of the few remaining places where people can meet in a relaxed, social environment outside of the home, thereby taking an important role in tackling loneliness and isolation. Loneliness can affect anyone at any time in their life, and many people experienced the pain of isolation for the first-time during the lock-downs caused by the pandemic. Since that unfortunate time, a national conversation around loneliness has opened up, like never before. Pubs have always been places of refuge, where licensees and their staff provide stability and regular conversation for many who experience loneliness and social isolation.

They also provide a vital hub for locals to get together as a community, and this is particularly evident in rural settings, where pubs are stepping in to fulfill services, such as post office and library facilities, that may be lacking in the local area. In some instances, the local pub has even doubled up as the village shop, going way beyond the act of just pouring pints. More than ever pubs find themselves, at the heart of the local community, and whether you plan to catch up with an old friend or get to know someone new, there’s no better venue than your local pub or social club.

A similar situation applies in urban areas too, with High Streets across the UK changing, as more and more services and transactions take place online. Opportunities for social interaction have lessened and shared public spaces increasingly lost. This trend was apparent even before the advent of COVID-19, although control measures such as lock-down and social distancing, accelerated it further. This is why it’s more important than ever that we continue to campaign to protect, support and celebrate the local pub.

So, if you really care about pubs, January is definitely NOT the month to be going dry, and whilst I don’t always get out to pubs as much as I used to, or indeed would like to, there is still nothing finer than, “A pint amongst friends.”

 

Early on New Year's Eve

On New Year’s Eve I finally managed to escape the confines of the house to take a wander down into Tonbridge. It wasn’t my first venture outside of the house, as I had been out three days before, primarily to drop my unwell car off at Halfords, for a diagnostic check, after the engine started misfiring and running erratically. It was a virtual re-run of the problem I experienced back in September, when Matthew and I were driving back from a visit to Dorking.

On that occasion we had to be recovered from Clackets Lane services, but the second time around, I managed to limp the vehicle back home.  Matthew was with me again, and we were on our way back from the Tesco Superstore at Riverhead. The way the car was handling suggested a repeat of September’s breakdown, namely a faulty fuel injector, and this was confirmed via a phone call, from Halfords, whilst I was sitting in the cafe in Waitrose, enjoying a flat white and a cookie.

Replacing an injector was a job which Halfords were unable to do, so after collecting my vehicle, and limping it back to Bailey Towers, I headed off to the station and boarded a train to High Brooms. I had pre-booked a look, plus a test drive at the local Skoda dealer, and to cut a long story short, I ended up placing a deposit on a much newer, and shinier SUV. The vehicle is now parked on my drive, after I collected it yesterday afternoon, but this isn’t a post for petrol-heads, but rather is some general background information as to why I was out and about on the last day of the year.

Although mis-named, and over exaggerated, the 100-day cough that had been doing a tour of the UK left Mrs PBT’s and I decidedly under the weather - Eileen rather more so than me. Son Matthew also copped a dose as well, although being younger than his parents (I shan’t say fitter), he bounced back a lot quicker than we did. I took a slightly different route into the town, following a path that led me through the maze of newish apartment blocks that have sprung up over the past couple of decades, on land either close to, or actually overlooking the River Medway.  

This area represents the town’s largest piece of development land, and additional space for building has recently become available following the demolition and removal of two large gasholders. These relics of from a bygone age were something of a local landmark, and their removal upset quite a few local people. I remember spotting them from the air, whilst on a flight coming in towards Gatwick, but now they are no more, a substantial piece of development land has been created. Nice as these new dwellings are, very few, if any of them are within the reach of first-time buyers. This is a real bug bear, as far as I am concerned, and I know I’m not the only local person who feels this way. I digress, but with a son unable to get onto the housing ladder, and still living at home, you can perhaps understand my frustration.

Moving swiftly on, I had another reason for visiting the town centre, apart from wishing to escape a spot of cabin fever, and that was to visit a local hostelry. Mrs PBT’s had probably guessed as much, but then after nearly 40 years of marriage, she knows me only too well. I walked along the towpath into the centre of Tonbridge, and crossed the river by the "Big Bridge", as this Victorian structure is known to the local townsfolk. I then made my way along to Fuggles Beer Café, which looked busier than I thought it would be – although it was New Year’s Eve.

I made my way inside, and fortunately despite the crowds, there were still a number of empty chairs and free tables. I spotted a familiar face sat at one of the tables, so after buying myself a pint I walked over and said hello to Keith and asked if I could join him. Keith lives within walking distance of Fuggles and often brings his two dogs with hm, along to the pub, for an afternoon pint or two, so surprised to see just one hound lying under the table, I asked where the other one was. Sadly, one of the dogs had died, although Keith advised that the animal didn’t suffer.

A choice of three cask ales was on offertory tempt the enthusiast, and I started off with an excellent pint of Jarl, from Fyne Ales. Extremely pale in colour, this single hop, session, blonde ale is the brewery’s flagship beer, and I was really tempted to have another. Also on sale was High Contrast, an American Pale Ale from Downlands Brewery. Keith bought himself a pint, and I followed suit, shortly after. It was a decent enough beer, but not really a patch on the Jarl. The third cask offering was the ubiquitous Plum Porter, from Titanic Brewery which, as its name suggests, is a plum-infused porter. There are people who rave over this beer, but neither of us fancied drinking, even just a half of it. Looking back, the last time I sampled this Titanic brew, was in Birmingham, back in April, at the legendary Barton’s Arms. My notes tell me that I only had a half on that occasion.

As I said earlier, Fuggles was ticking over nicely, but without being overcrowded. The management were obviously expecting an influx of people later on, as there were plenty of staff lined up behind the bar, all eager to pull pints for the cafes thirsty customers. The latter were made partly of small groups, interspersed with several large ones. With several women, holding very small babies that were probably just a few weeks old, the term “yummy mummy” sprang to mind, although perhaps Mumsnet would be a better description. Babies were passed around, not so much amongst admirers, but probably because mum fancied a break, but the various infants were all well behaved, so much so that you wouldn’t have known they were there.

I had a brief chat at the bar with one, thankfully child free lady, who was raving about the glass of Bruges Zot she’d just ordered. I didn’t have the heart to say it wasn’t amongst my favourites, although I did tell her I’d visited the Brouwerij De Halve Maan, where the beer is brewed, on my last visit to the city. Fuggles is that sort of place, where people are genuinely interested in trying different beers, and long may this continue. Two pints were sufficient for me and Keith, who'd had a head start on me, was ready to leave too, and get his dog back home. Those beers in Fuggles, represented my first pints in a pub since bidding farewell to the two Mudgies at the Wharf in Macclesfield, at the beginning of December. I’m not sure whether it was a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, but they didn’t half taste good!