On a walking trip to the Lake District last weekend, we managed to cram in a few pub visits and some ales. We started off at the Glenridding Hotel near Patterdale and they were featuring what I thought were 2 fairly bland beers from Tirrill - 1823 and Ullswater Pale Ale.
The nearby Ramblers bar stocked Jenning's, including a house ale - Striding Edge.
The next couple of nights were spent in lovely Grasmere and there was a distinct improvement in the beers on offer there. Our hotel (Red Lion) had some of the Hawkshead ales on - and they were terrific - Bitter and Pale Ale. We didn't have time to visit the brewery - our schedule was pretty packed - but it looks like a place to go next time, judging by the ale quality and if their brochures are any indication:
We tracked down a wider selection of ale in Tweedies, which proudly boasted that it was the only GBG listed pub in Grasmere. This was the selection there:
We spotted what must have been the wordiest - and weirdest - pump clip we'd ever seen:
Littered with spelling and grammatical errors, we wondered who had drafted and approved this?
This was also one of the few places I've seen in this country that actually promoted my favourite American habit of sampler trays:
Walking is thirsty business but fortunately, in the Lake District, there's always a pub serving real ale just around the next bend, or over the next hill. Nearby Ambleside's Tavern had Thwaites Sunshine and Lollihops - a little strong when you're thirsty, however.
Just outside Grasmere is the old Swan hotel, which is now part of the Macdonalds' chain, but they had a reasonable selection of beers, including some fine Banks' Sunbeam.
We'd heard about the Barngates microbrewery (http://barngatesbrewery.co.uk/) at the well-known Drunken Duck, out in the middle of nowhere, but we didn't realise how up-market it had become - no bar meals at all on Saturday nights - reservations in the restaurant only. Nowt else we could do but sup some of their finest ale - Taglag and Chester in particular - before walking a mile down the road to the Outgate Inn, where we had Robinson's GB and some food.
Moving on to Keswick, we stayed overnight at the Skiddaw Hotel and it, too, had a house ale brewed by Jenning's - Skiddaw, a 3.6% blonde beer. The hot spot for ale in Keswick is undoubtedly the Dog and Gun, where the blackboard not only supplies abv's, but also colour coding for the beers:
Back home again, I've been distributing Nor-Sea Ales and LocAle packs (where appropriate) round Deeside - and the Broch. The Learney Arms in Torphins has recently been stocking Harviestoun's Indian Summer and the Potarch has had Sharp's Doombar on for a while now - both are pubs that traditionally have taken beer from Cairngorm in the past, but with only one handpump in operation in each, and good deals available from suppliers, it's no surprise when changes are made.
The Boat Inn, Aboyne certainly qualifies under LocAle criteria - it advertises itself as supplying only Scottish ales and there's usually at least 2 on from Cairngorm, Inveralmond or Deeside. Likewise, the Alexandra in Ballater, which has 2 Cairngorm beers - and probably the Glenaden, which usually has Burnside beers on.
In Tarland, the Aberdeen Arms only sources from Inveralmond, so it would qualify under LocAle too, but I made the mistake of going there on a Monday, when they're closed, so wasn't able to hand over the packs.
One other pub I dropped off North Sea Ales at is the Mill of Mundurno - a place I only visit 4-5 times a year, but each time, it disappoints. I can't remember the last time it had any drinkable ale on - often, like tonight, it has none - and even when it's on, it's poor, in my experience. Tonight was no different - two handpumps, both with Hobgoblin badges on, but both turned round - nothing available. Ironically, prominently propped up on the bar are promotional materials for Wadworth's Farmer's Glory at £2.95 a pint - but there wasn't a sign of the ale itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment