A Few Local Beer Festivals

 

The majority of Charlton fans I know also have good taste when it comes to their choice of libation so I thought it worth giving a short plug for two local beer & cider festivals taking place in and around London.

The first, which is currently taking place is the London Drinker festival.  Over half of the real ales on tap are from London breweries, although there is also a good selection of casks and bottles from overseas too.  Full details and a list of beers can be found here :-

www.northlondon.camra.org.uk/viewnode.php?id=772












The second is the Kidbrooke Beer and Cider Festival which takes place from 30 April to 2 May this year.  I went to last year's inaugural event with a group from the sadly now closed Old Loyal Britons pub in Greenwich.  It's too early for the beer line up to be announced but there were some cracking pints at last year's festival.
http://sel.camra.org.uk/diary/festivals/

It would be good to see some of you there to support this local event and secure its place on the beer festival calendar.

Alt Bier, The hidden gem in Dusseldorf

Various events led me to end up in Dusseldorf last week.  Although I didn't have a lot of time for relaxing it would have been remiss of me if I did not take a little time out to explore a hidden gem in the German beer scene that is Alt bier. 

Brewery Fresh!

Most people are familiar with the many pilsner style lagers brewed in Germany.  Whilst lagers are generally cool bottom fermenting beers, Dusseldorf's Alt bier (which literally translates as "old beer"), like a real ale is top fermented in a warm environment.  You can buy the beer on tap or in bottles from other outlets but for the real deal you should make the visit to the breweries that make the beer itself.  There are five breweries in the city still plying this fine tradition and they are all within a short distance of each other. The frontage of each is just like a normal pub or Gasthaus while the brewing process takes place in the back.

If you've been to a food festival this summer you may have seen Meantime Breweries offering what they call Brewery Fresh Lager from their truck.  Well Alt bier is even more fresh.  A wooden barrel is filled directly from the brewery vat and literally rolled from the brewery in the back and propped up on the bar at the front and a brass tap banged in ready to dispense.  Its only served in 0.2 litre servings to ensure that your glass of beer remains fresh.  Don't worry about queueing up for another.  The waiters bring trays around regularly to top you up, just order an "Alt", they know its a beer!  They keep a tally of the number of beers dispensed by marking your beer mat and you pay once you've had enough.  How civilised can you get?

Brauerei zum Schlussel

While the real connoisseurs might disagree with me, I thought that they were all fairly similar in style and taste.  Its has a distinctive brown colour much like a Yorkshire bitter, perhaps a shade darker, but has the frothiness of a German lager which captures the malty aroma of the beer.  The alcohol content is around 4.8% and like a decent bitter the head does dissipate.  The taste is almost all on the front half of the tongue with no lingering after taste at the back of the throat.  All in all it’s a very pleasant beer.

Schlussel Alt Bier

 I know that in Britain we all have a habit of propping ourselves up at the bar.  Well in Dusseldorf they have bar benches, basically high tables to prop yourself up on.  No-one sits at the bar as that’s where the drinks are dispensed.  No need to go to the bar as the waiters will come to you, although at busy times some of the Gasthauses have an outdoor service area where you can get a beer rather than waiting for someone to come over to you.  Food at all these places is good.  Some have a full menu while others just have lots of bar food which in Germany means sausage dishes, or fresh bread rolls with pickles and a choice of cheese, cold meats, pate or even steak tartar – no crisps or pork scratchings here.

Brauerei Uerige

 
All the breweries are clearly marked on the local tourist maps so you’ll have no problem in finding them.   Three of them can be found right in the middle of the Alt Stadt or old town where all the night life can be found (just follow the noise).

We start with Brauerei Schlussel who have been brewing for over 150 years.  Although on the busiest street in the district there’s plenty of room for everyone outside and in, including a handy walled garden right opposite the pub and you should get a seat if you want one.  The food is excellent and I would highly recommend the whole grilled pork knuckles if you have a serious appetite.

Eurige Alt

Brauerei Uerige can be found further down near the Rhine on Rheinstrasse, you’ll probably go past it heading from the tourist office to catch a river cruise.  If you like your schnapps then don’t forget to check out the shop opposite selling Killepitsch which is the local version of Jaegermeister but more potent so I’m told.

 

One street away from Schlussel is Brauerei Kurzer which a much more recent brewery maintaining the tradition of Alt bier with a more contemporary environment and as such attracts a younger crowd.  The small brewery set up in the picture is modern and the traditional wooden barrel on the bar is replaced by a glass contraption into which the beer is poured.  The menu is also has an alternative appeal to the German food offering which is otherwise pretty much standard across all the other breweries.

Schumacher Alt Bier: No Relation

For a more quiet drink, I recommend Schumachers which is based about a kilometre away in Oststraße, although If you don’t fancy the walk or want to enjoy the buzz of the Alt Stadt then they have a nice gasthouse serving their produce almost next to Schlussel but its worth going to the original brewery.  Their website has a handy explanation of the brewing process for those of you interested.  I'm afraid its only in German but it gives you a good idea of what goes on. 
www.schumacher-alt.de/brauerei/brauprozess

Brauerei Fuchschen

 
If you're after a balance between atmosphere and civility then I would recommend Brauerei Fuchschen (Foxes brewery) which is on the outskirts of the Alt Stadt a couple of blocks away from the centre.  The service was more attentive, with patrons just having to stick their fingers in the air to indicate the number of beers they want (use your finger and thumb for two beers in Germany – see the film Inglorious B*stards for further information on this!).  If you think the Germans don’t have a sense of humour then check out the toilets where the cigarette machine has a fox dressed as death saying “I’ll see you soon” and the condom machine, well you’ll just have to visit to find out what that says!

Fuchschen Alt

Dusseldorf Humour

With the good weather and great availability of outside seating (or propping) its easy not to ever enter the bars themselves but you should, just to see how extensive they are.  They look deceptively small from the outside but open up like a Tardis inside (remember there is a brewery stuck in the back of these somewhere!)  Most are beautiful examples of old German style pubs with plenty of thick wooden beams on the ceilings and wood panelling adorned with scenes of old Düsseldorf and the Rhine or decked with historic brewing implements.

Kurzer:relatively new Brewery

For those that don’t find Alt bier to their taste remember, with the exception of one place that also brewed its own Weiss bier this is the only beer these breweries serve so go elsewhere for a pilsner.  The usual suspects such as Krombacher, Warsteiner and Bitburger can be readily found but I would recommend pubs serving Konig Pilsner or Jever (look for the signs outside).

Kurzer Alt

I did notice in one bar that they had a lager that was cheaper than all the others.  My German wasn't good enough to understand what it said but the translated menu described it as “self drafting”.  When I asked for a glass they politely told me it was cheaper because I had to go down to the cellar bar and pour it myself!

If anyone is asking, there are four Irish pubs in Dusseldorf, I'm told the Guinness is decent and ranges from four to six Euros a half litre and no I didn't go to one, but it seems that our younger German friends like a drop of stout just as much as we do.

Cask on the Bar at Kurzer

If you enjoyed this write up and want more in a similar vein can I recommend fellow Blogger Hungry Ted's excellent guide to beer in Copenhagen.  While I only had the chance of a whistle stop tour he specifically went there to sample the beers and has a great indepth blog on his trip here:-

hungryted.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/craft-beer-in-copenhagen.html
 
Saturday sees us play away at Watford and it will be my first away game of the season.  As always I'm waiting for Charlton's Ian Cartwright to publish his away day guide as he always includes a good selection of decent pubs, but if anyone has recommendations for a local serving decent ales please do let me know.

Acknowledgements

I have to thank the following website for pointing me in the right direction and making a few recommendations

www.europeanbeerguide.net/dusspubs.htm

I’m afraid all the brewery websites are in German but google translate gets you pretty idea of what’s going on if you want to check them out.

So Many Beers, So little time : Review of Great British Beer Festival 2013

Armed with beard, beer belly and drinking hat it was off to Olympia for the Great British Beer Festival 2013.  The evenings are usually rammed and the beers do tend to run out at an alarming rate so I always try and make a day of it when it’s more relaxed and the volunteers behind the stand have a chance to talk to you about the beers they have sampled.

Great summer beer

I had quite a few beers in mind already from various recommendations on Twitter and the Champion beer awards so it was good to see that the third of a pint offering is pretty much standard at all these festivals now.  I was also pleased to see that the festival is all on one floor now, with the organisers having  abandoned the upstairs part of the hall in favour of the second hall next door.  It meant more room to move around and no bottle necks on the stairway.

My first beer was Buntingford Brewery’s Twitchell which picked up the Silver in this year’s Champion Beer of Britain in judging the day before.  I’m glad I did as it had sold out within the hour.  It’s a nice unassuming delicate floral session beer with gentle undertones of hops playing on the back of the tongue.  One might expect the judges to overlook such an understated beer but it’s to their credit that they took notice and the award is richly justified.

Keeping it local

Next on to a couple of London beers at the Old Empire Bar.  I know they are supposed to be local but I haven’t come across them in cask form so this was a good opportunity to catch up with them and just for the day avoid the keg/craft beers that currently seem to be all the rage.  Moncado’s Notting Hill Summer was a light unfined blond and cloudy beer with slight acidic notes ideal for hot summer afternoons.  At 3.2% it was a good follow up to the Twitchell before moving on to the heavier ales.  East London Brewing’s Foundations Bitter was also served hazy.  I’d describe it as a classic bitter with extre emphasis on the bitterness.  This crisp beer and is definitely worth a follow up.

It was good to see a number of old favourites still popping up at the festival including Adnam’s Ghost Ship, Hook Norton’s Old Hooky and Hopback’s Summer Lightning but today was a day for sampling beers I hadn’t tried before.

 

From here on I was joined by a few friends so the choice of beers started to come down to whatever caught our eye.  I passed on the Lymestone Stone Cutter which was described as a sulphuric aroma leading to a caramel sweet start and pleasing hop and fruit balance and went for the Moor Revival which had won a Silver in the bitter category.  My drinking buddy was braver and confirmed the description with the aroma caught in the foam head thoroughly pleasing once it hit the mouth.

 

The Revival, like the Moncado and Foundation Bitter was hazy but went down extremely well – one to look out for in the future.  The bronze in this category was awarded to Glaslyn Ale from the Purple Moose Brewery in Wales so it only seemed fair to complete the medal table and we weren’t disappointed.  This brewery also does a lot to support the Ffestiniog Railway and had a great display of a working steam engine and beer cart in the main hall.

As it was getting close to the end of the day and I had got round to most of the beers I’d wanted to try it was time to stick the toe into the water and try a few different things.  This part of the session is always a hit or miss but that’s what beer festivals are all about.

The An Gof strong Cornish Ale from Lizard Ales caught my eye as it must be the only beer brewed in a former nuclear bunker and the beer itself lives up to its abode with a robust malty and smokey taste dominating.  The Blond Volupta from Oldeshaw beers had to be tried just for the name and at 5% was one of the stronger blond ales that I tried on the day.  It was rather complex and difficult to decipher what was going on and I probably would have enjoyed it more earlier on in the day. 

Next to the bottle stand where my drinking buddy and I each chose something to tickle the taste buds.  We decided to stick with the pale ales and my bottle of St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale (6.5%) and his Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA at 6.9% went down a treat.  The bottles were all cooled and made a refreshing change from the cask beer but the peachiness of the ale still punched through.

Mixing things up we then threw in a few dry ciders including a straw pressed one from Venton Cider of Devon.  I think we misjudged our palette and should have gone for slightly sweeter variations but it was good to see the strong demand at this bar for the real thing rather than the mass market muck thats being peddled these days.

Grapefruit surprise

The surprising success of the day was St Peters Brewery’s Grapefruit beer.  I thought I knew their selection of beer pretty well but had never seen this one before.  It was not overpowering or acidic but an amazing essence of grapefruit permeated the taste and aroma with amazing subtlety even after all the other beers I’d tried.  My friend would disagree with this choice and went with an excellent Kissingate Black Cherry mild brewed with real black cherries in Muscovado.

One I missed out on

The American Cask selection with names such as Tricerahops at 8.8% and Molotov Hoptail at 8.6% were inventive and strong but did not seem to put off the punters and the casks were emptying fast.  My last beer of the day was from this stand and I went with a St George Brewing English Style IPA which at 5.5% was one of the weakest but a good example without being outrageous.

Regrets of the day – I missed out on the Twickenham Daisy Cutter and Brains' Aporkalypse oatmeal bacon stout and I should have tried a few of the excellent stouts on offer including Tillingbourne’s Black Troll at a light 3.7% (described as initial roast notes giving way to citrus hops!) and the strong Wessex Russian Stoat at 9% described as dark strong and obvious! Oh well, there's always next year!!

Charlton to Greenwich pub crawl

I've been promising myself to be a bit more energetic and with the glorious sunshine over the past few weekends a post match pub crawl back to Greenwich provided the perfect incentive to get walking and hopefully introduce a few fellow Charlton supporters and friends to some of South East London's hidden gems.  It was this or writing about another loss to Middlesbrough so it was an easy decision.

Anchor & Hope

I start with the Anchor & Hope, right on the Thames, appropriately enough down the lane of the same name, just North of the Valley.  It looks like a dead end until you get down to the end where the road turns left. There it stands in a desolated spot along with a few news houses, behind a Sainsburys' depot but don't let that put you off . It has a spacious riverside patio with views from the O2 and the cable car all the way to the Thames barrier and the planes descending into City Airport and is ideal if you want to watch the boats trawl the river.

The pub is understated on the outside but cosy on the inside with polite and friendly service. If you like your Thames history, the side room has a fascinating series of pictures depicting working Tug boats on the river.  On my latest visit they had Doombar and London Pride on tap and they were well looked after.

From there we take a stroll down Woolwich Road past the usual suspects such as the Rose of Denmark, the Pickwick and the Angerstein Hotel.  I purposely haven't included these as I am sure that many Charlton fans are familiar with them and they are easy to find.  Besides I'd be pickled before I'd got a third of the way back to Greenwich!

While not a pub, the Theatre of Wine at 75 Trafalgar Road is a handy stopping point on the way back to stock up on take away supplies for home consumption.  While concentrating on wines they have a superb supply of bottled beer that is well worth a second look if you are after something a bit unusual.  The British supply is heavily weighted towards London breweries such as Camden, Partizan,  and Kernel as well as Greenwich's own Meantime and there is always something interesting to tickle the taste buds.

Pelton Arms

Pelton Beer Garden

A right turn down Pelton Street finds the Pelton Arms, on a corner nestled amongst the houses.  Its easy to spot from the abundance of floral displays from the hanging baskets.  I would class this place as a proper local, not too smart inside, but with comfortable old leather sofas and a friendly feel to the place.  With eight cask beers on tap (yes eight!) they have a good revolving supply of ales that will suit all tastes.  My last trip there they had Old Growlers Gladness (made in collaboration with the band Madness) and Windsor & Eaton's Cot to name but two.  They have a smashing beer garden with plenty of tables amongst the myriad of  planted pots and flower beds.

Cutty Sark

 If you can prise yourself away, its a short walk to the Thames and the Cutty Sark pub nestled alongside some beautiful mews houses, and its style is in keeping with the surroundings.  It's a Youngs pub with their full range on display as well as a decent supply of kegs on tap from Meantime Brewing.  Again there is plenty of outside seating, along the Thames and its easy to while the whole afternoon away here.

 

The Yacht

The Bar at the Yacht

If you continue to follow the Thames into Greenwich the footpath will take you past the old power station and alms houses and then go slightly inland and you will pass The Yacht on the right hand side.  It's a Taylor Walker pub with a great range of beers.  On my visit they had three ales, with a further two keg beers and craft ciders racked up on the bar.  A fridge of bottled craft beers from the USA, Australia and Cambodia completed the selection.  There is no outside area but that shouldn't put you off as the large windows overlooking the Thames are left open during the summer and again afford a great view of the river and the Isle of Dogs opposite.

Plume of Feathers

Plume Beer Garden

As you come out of the Yacht it's a few paces from the passage way to the Naval College and it's tempting to turn right and pop into the Trafalgar next door.  While I have nothing against it, they have plenty of passing trade from the tourists visiting the Naval College and health and safety demands you drink from plastic glasses if you want to sit outside, so I would encourage you to instead take a left and head up towards Greenwich Park and visit the Plume of Feathers instead.

Old Brewery Beer Garden

Again, like the Pelton this has the feel of a local rather than catering to the tourists.  The scarves displayed behind the bar show the Land Lady's allegiances to Selhurst Park but please don't hold that against visiting a superb pub.  The inside of the pub is the traditional wood and horse brass look and like the Pelton Arms the Plume takes great pride in their floral display both outside the pub and in the beer garden. There are two regular and two guest beers on tap and the Sunday roasts looked superb! 

Finally, if you still have a thirst then the Old Brewery, owned by Meantime Brewing, in the grounds of the Naval College has something for everyone.  They have a wonderful walled garden to sit outside while the full range of Meantime beers, a few guest cask ales and the most comprehensive collection of weird and wonderful bottled beers from around the world that I have seen.

If you want more variety than this, can I suggest you get a ticket for the Great British Beer Festival which runs from the 13-17th August at Olympia.  More details can be found at www.gbbf.org.uk

How to Survive a Beer Festival

Well with the football season , almost out of the way, I’m looking forward to concentrating on another great British tradition, the beer festival.  The first ever London's Brewing organised by the London Brewers' Alliance (londonsbrewing.co.uk) took place over the weekend of 3-5 May and first reports sound encouraging although apparently a bit more organisation was required.   

Then of course there is the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) at Olympia (gbbf.org.uk) in August which is a must.

Now of course it does in part depend on what your aim is, but any enjoyable festival trip will usually leave you a tad sozzled. If your aim is to sample some new beers and remember them for the future I hope the following will help.

1. Book your tickets in advance and do a little homework

This will save you queueing on arrival and immediately get down to the job in hand.  If you know in advance the layout of the festival, you'll know what they have on offer and where it is so that you won't miss out on anything. 

2. Arrive early

Its not the most fashionable thing to do these days but its worth it.  Less queues, less danger of beers running out and you'll avoid the scrums of sozzled people all vying for a sample.  You will also avoid the after work hoards

3. Graze and snack.  Its very easy to fill up on the beer

4. Try and order your drinks according to some sort of strength

Start with the lighter pale ales and session beers and them finish off with the crazy stuff.  If you immediately dive into the strong beers your palate will be ruined and anything else after that will just taste like water. 

A friend of mine did this at a recent event starting with a German rauchbier (smoke beer) at 8%.  After that all of his drinks tasted like a barbecue in his mouth.

Alternatively, I sometimes just stick to one style of beer during the whole session.

Lovely drop of Ale at GBBF

5. Use your smart phone

If like me you wish to impart your experience in a blog, it’s pretty difficult to keep tabs on all the beers you tried so just take a photo of each of them.  This will also give you a chronological order  The photo shown is one I took at last year’s GBBF .  You could use your electronic note pad or email to write notes or just stick your thumb up or down in the picture to indicate your approval of said beer.

6. Ask!

Beer festivals are usually staffed by volunteers but some of the specialist stands or larger breweries will have staff from the breweries on hand.  Many will have had an opportunity to sample or will have had feedback from other festival goers and it doesn’t do any harm to get an idea of a beer's characteristics before you buy from the person manning the pumps.

7. Its not about the volume

The introduction of the third of a pint measure is a recent but thoroughly sensible innovation that has appeared at beer festivals.  You don’t even have to stick with a third pint glass as the full pint glasses have third and half pint markers down the side of them.  Remember, if you like a beer you can always come back for more.  It may be sacrilege in some people's books but don’t be afraid to throw away drinks you don’t like them, or even better share them with a friend. 

8. Have fun!

The most important rule which goes without saying and if it means throwing all this guidance out the window then I say go for it !!