Legion Friday - Hyde's Tightrope and Wadworth 6X.
Golf club Saturday - Dales Golden Daffodil & Brains Up and Over:
Today's "Your Life" insert in the P & J featured a review of the Tor-na-Coille Hotel, and the one of the photos of the bar seemed to show a hand pump, so I scurried up there after lunch today, and, sure enough, there it is - Stag:
They claim to have had the hand pump in since the new owners took over in August, but I had checked it out in November and there was no sign of anything - Rob had reported that he had managed to get some bottled Deeside ales in, but that was all. Anyway, it seems they now have a regular supply from Cairngorm and they rotate their beers there.
The Tor-na-Coille Hotel was one of the very first outlets in Deeside to sell real ale back in the early 80's - initially it was Dixie's Devanha (remember that?), but, later on it was mostly Caley 80/-. That was until the previous owner then set about a systematic programme of getting rid of all her local custom, until they were left with no business and they then set about trying to convert it into flats - a move which met with much local opposition. They failed in that move and had to sell the hotel as a going concern to Charlie Anderson (Andergauge and the Drumtochty Hotel) last year. He didn't exactly endear himself to us either when the first thing he did - without consultation or discussion - was knock down the squash courts.
However, they seem to have plans to bring the hotel back up to standard. The place is still very quiet however and I feared that the beer would not be up to much, but, in fact, it was in very good condition, so I'll be checking it out regularly from now on - it's only 100 yards or so from my house!
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