The Good Beer Guide 2018 - from a different angle

The Good Beer Guide 2018, was officially launched last Thursday, and is celebrating its 45th edition. Unlike last year’s disastrous press-launch, which saw the MSM latching on to the “story” about the use of fish-derived finings as a means of clarifying cask beer, this year’s press releases saw CAMRA playing it safe.

The main focus was a reflection on the massive changes which have occurred within the beer industry, since the first guide was published in 1974, and contrasting them with the situation today. The most significant change  has been huge rise in the number of breweries and the massive increase in  the range of beers now available to today’s beer drinkers.

I still have a well-thumbed, and rather dog-eared, copy of that first edition Good Beer Guide. It was just 96 pages in length and listed around 1,500 pubs. The brewery section, covered just two pages at the rear and listed a mere 105 brewing companies. The beer range available in 1974 primarily consisted of milds and bitters, with the occasional smattering of winter and Christmas ales. This is in sharp contrast to today’s Guide which lists 1704 breweries, producing more than 7,500 beers (as part of their core range) in more than 14 styles.

Another news worthy item is the highlighting of  the five pubs which have appeared in every edition of the Guide, thereby demonstrating a consistent high standard of quality beers served in a fantastic setting. As I intend to write a separate post on this, I won’t go into too much detail here, but for the curious, this link will tell all you need to know. For my part, having visited three of these survivors, I want to write a more personal piece, based on my own experiences.

The 2018 edition also sees the departure of  long-serving editor Roger Protz, who is standing down this year after editing 24 editions of the Good Beer Guide . Roger served two stints in the editor’s chair, from 1978 to 1983 and more recently from 2000 to the present day, and helped the Guide become the leading “go-to” publication for anyone interested in good beer and good places in which to drink it. In short, the Guide remains an indispensable travelling companion for anyone journeying around the UK.

I haven’t rushed out to buy a copy, certainly not in physical form; in fact the last GBG I bought was the 40^th edition, which appeared in 2013. Up until then I had a full set, but 40 year’s worth of guides gathering dust on the shelves was enough for me to call it a day, and I have not bought a copy since.

The Breweries Section 1974

The Guide has grown in size since that first 96 page edition it’s is not the easiest thing to carry around. For many years I have been saying it is time to drop the Breweries Section which, in the 2013 edition, took up 250 pages, equivalent to 27% of the total guide. Whilst this section was certainly relevant 45 years ago, today it is almost totally superfluous, as anyone interested in discovering more about a particular brewery and its beers, can easily find the information they are looking for on line. Perhaps this will happen, now that Roger is stepping down; it would certainly make sense.

Instead, we could either have a slimmer and much more user friendly guide, or the number of pubs could be expanded. If CAMRA feel there is still a market for what is effectively a list of breweries and their beers, they could publish a separate book, spice it up a bit with photos, illustrations, detailed tasting notes and more details of brewery taps, take out etc. However, given the numerous changes which occur each year, within the brewing industry, the chances of this happening are realistically, zero.

One way round the weight/size problem is to purchase the electronic version. I am not normally a fan of digital books,  as I much prefer the printed  “real thing.” However, as someone who is only likely to refer to the Guide on odd occasions, buying it in electronic form may be the best option for me.

The electronic version is said to come with regular updates, but looking on the Google Play Store there seem to be a couple of conflicting Apps, with poor ratings. CAMRA’s own website seems to indicate that the Good Beer Guide is only available as an App for iPhone users, which is very puzzling.

If this is correct then it is bad form from an organisation which has been trying, for some time now, to switch members away from traditional printed paper forms of “What’s Brewing” and “Beer” magazine, and onto electronic, downloadable versions.

The fact this switch is being pushed through in order “to save CAMRA money,” does make me wonder whether the printed Good Beer Guide generates far more dosh than an App-based version does.

If so, CAMRA needs to make its mind up as to whether it wants to keep its publications in traditional print form, or whether it wants to ditch paper, in favour of downloadable electronic versions. At the moment it appears to be cherry-picking, and this is unacceptable whichever side of the paper versus digital debate you happen to be on.

Seeking inspiration

Just under three years ago, I published a post entitled “Getting the juices flowing.” A more apt title would have been “Getting the CREATIVE juices flowing,” as the post was really about the part played by alcohol in getting one's “creative juices” flowing, especially when it comes to writing.

I used the example of American writer, Ernest Hemingway, as the perfect illustration of this, and the experiences he recounted of the time he spent in Paris, during the years 1921-1926, when he was a young, penniless and virtually unknown writer. Hemingway recalled a world of boozy and leisurely lunches and long café nights, and of hanging around in bookstores to escape the cold and windswept streets outside and of writing long into the night.

Drink, and often rather a lot of drink, played a significant part in the lives of Hemingway and many of  the writers and artists who were his contemporaries, during his time in the French capital, and I commented that I too, find my creative juices are at their most abundant after a drink or two. No more than a couple of glasses of beer, otherwise I start losing focus on what I am trying to say, but I am certainly of the opinion that a beer or two really does help me to focus and knock out the odd article.

If proof of this were needed, my written output over the past 10 days or so had been somewhat subdued. I mentioned about having had a tooth extracted, and  have been quite surprised how much this relatively simple procedure has knocked me for six. I bounced back pretty quickly after having my wisdom teeth removed, but that was 40 years ago, so perhaps my body is trying to tell me to slow down a little.

Feeling under the weather has also put me off my beer, so  I don’t know whether that is the cause of my current lack of inspiration for something to write about. On the other hand it could just be a combination of working too hard and trying to cram too much other stuff in.

I really need to get my mojo back so now, more than ever,  I feel a longing for that nice cool mug of beer, consumed in that warm, sunny Bavarian beer garden, over-looking the River Danube. Only another 12 days to go!!

Some goodies from Belgium

It’s useful knowing people from abroad, especially when they can supply you with beer from time to time.

One member of my team has a friend who lives in West Flanders. They both share a love of VW Camper Vans, computer games and stuff relating to World War II. Living in Belgium, John has grown up with an obvious appreciation of beer, and good beer at that.

He has brought goodies over for me before, and last week he brought some more. He and my colleague, were heading off to Busfest; one of the largest gatherings of VW Bus owners in Europe, if not the world.

Held over three days at the Three Counties Showground, in the shadow of the Malvern Hills, Busfest is all things VW, and much more besides. My colleague was back at work today and he brought with him a fine selection of beers from the St Bernardus Brewery in Watou, which I had pre-ordered via Belgian John.

They were all a little shaken up, so will need a week or three to settle. No matter, as I shan’t be drinking them in a hurry, especially as strong beer needs to be treated with respect.

With the exception of the strong, dark 10% St Bernardus  Christmas Ale, I have all of the beers brewed under the St Bernardus range, and what’s more I’ve got two bottles of each! The beers are:

·  St. Bernardus Tripel (8% ABV)

·  St. Bernardus Extra 4 (4.8% ABV)

·  St. Bernardus Pater 6 (6.7% ABV)

·  St. Bernardus Prior 8 (8% ABV)

·  St. Bernardus Abt 12 (10.0% ABV)

·  St. Bernardus Witbier (5.5% ABV)

The St. Bernardus range is considered a close match in recipe and style to the beers from the Abbey of St. Sixtus, at Westvleteren, a brewery whose beers are held in high regard by many beer drinkers. Westvleteren beers can be hard to obtain outside their immediate area, so I may ask my Belgian contact to pick some up for me, next time.

Not the best start to the month

Iain - sadly departed and much missed

We're already a quarter of the way into September,  and it hasn’t exactly been the best start to the month so far. Let us trust things will start getting better as time goes on.

September began with family, friends and colleagues bidding a final  goodbye to our recently retired branch chairman and long-standing committee member Iain Dalgleish, who was known affectionately as the “Kentish Scot.”

Iain succumbed to an illness which he’d fought off a decade ago, but which unfortunately returned last year. Despite a brave battle, second time around, he sadly passed away in the middle of last month, leaving a grieving widow and many equally lamenting friends, of whom I am one.

West Kent CAMRA will certainly feel his loss, as for many years he was a tireless driving force behind the branch playing a pivotal role in the successful beer festival we run in conjunction with local Heritage Group, Spa Valley Railway. His computer skills and knowledge of data bases came into their own with the publication of the award-winning Gateway to Kent Guide; a joint venture with Maidstone & Mid-Kent, plus Gravesend CAMRA branches. His spreadsheets and data interpretation abilities were also to the fore at GBG selection time, particularly when it came to analysing the NBSS scores submitted to WhatPub.

It is his personal qualities that we will miss the most though, as Iain was an amiable, good-natured and kindly person who lived life to the full, never missing the opportunity for one last drink, or a sneaky visit to the pub on the way home from work.

Gateway Guide award - Isle of Man 2010

A true "bon-viveur" would be an apt description, and that is how we remembered him as we said farewell, in a manner which I’m sure he would have appreciated, at the Royal Oak, Tunbridge Wells, last Friday, immediately after his cremation. A packed gathering at the funeral service, and afterwards at the wake, was a measure of the esteem in which Iain was held, by all who knew him.

The presence of several licensees, as well as a couple of brewers, showed just how highly regarded he was by the licensed trade, and the donation of two casks of beer; one from Kent Brewery and the other from Pig & Porter, made sure the afternoon went swimmingly and passed off in more than a slight alcoholic haze.

The start to the working week  was pretty straight forward, but on Tuesday I had the remaining bottom right molar removed from my jaw; a procedure which wasn’t helped by the tooth fracturing into three pieces during the extraction. It is only today (Saturday), that I have felt anything like my normal self as, although returning to work the day after the extraction, I was popping pain-killers at the appropriate  times and generally feeling under the weather. As an indication of this, I have not had a drop of beer since Monday evening, although I intend to rectify this later this evening.

Windmill - beer selection

The weather too has not been good recently, and certainly not conducive to enjoying the great outdoors. There is a CAMRA social tomorrow, at the Windmill in Sevenoaks Weald.  There is the possibility of walking there, but with squally showers forecast later in the day, it might be a case of a walk there and then the bus back.

The Windmill, of course was branch Pub of the Year for three years on the trot, and only narrowly missed winning the award for a record fourth time this year. There will be plenty to look forward to beer-wise, at this tastefully renovated village pub, and it will be good to catch up with landlord Matt under happier circumstances, as the last time I saw him was at Iain’s funeral, last week.

Regensburg - old town

Finally, we have the prospect of a family holiday to look forward to in a few weeks time, and a return trip to the lovely city of Regensburg, in eastern Bavaria, should help lift all our spirits. With four breweries, plus a brew-pub, operating in the city, there should be plenty to keep us entertained on the beer front, and if the weather turns out the same as last year, it should provide a much better end to the month than September has been so far.

The only way is up!

Here’s a news story that has been all over radio and TV these last couple of days, and it concerns a subject close to every beer lover’s heart. 

According to the recently published Good Pub Guide 2018 (not to be confused with CAMRA’s Good beer Guide), London is no longer the most expensive place to buy a pint. For the first time, Surrey has overtaken the capital as the most expensive area of the country, with the average pint costing £4.40. This is 20p more than what they would expect to pay for a beer in London. Apparently, this is the only time since the Good Pub Guide first appeared, in 1982 that the average price in the capital has not been the highest in Britain.

By way of contrast, Herefordshire and Yorkshire have the cheapest beer, with a pint costing just £3.31. Other cheaper counties where drinkers have a reason celebrate, include Shropshire at £3.33 a pint, Derbyshire at £3.36 and Cumbria and Worcestershire, both at £3.38.

The difference in price for a pint of beer is now more than £1 across the country, with the average glass costing £3.60 - up by 13p on 2016’s prices. I haven’t seen any figures for Kent, but in neighbouring Sussex, drinkers can expect to pay an average of £3.82, while Hertfordshire comes in at £3.81.
 
Whilst the figures are broadly indicative of differing prices across the country, they should be viewed with a little caution, as there are many factors which determine average prices. Not least amongst these are variations in earnings in  different parts of the country and that favourite topic of conversation at middle-class dinner parties; house prices.

Some might argue that this story was nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt to promote the Good Pub Guide ahead of its launch. The fact that this guide has hit the bookshelves a week before the official launch of CAMRA’s own Good Beer Guide, might lend a grain of truth to this idea, but I’ve no doubt the Campaign for Real Ale will have a few good publicity stories of its own, come September 14^th.

Whatever your take though, the continuing upward creep of the price of a pint is surely a concern for all those who appreciate good beer in good pubs; and if you happen to live in Surrey do you just grin and bear it, do you move to a cheaper area, or do you start brewing your own?

A walk in the park

I would like to share one of my favourite places with you; a place where I really feel good and at peace with the world. That place is the Englischer Garten (English Garden) in Munich and it is the largest urban park in Germany, and one of the most pleasant centrally-located green spaces of any city in the world. The name Englischer Garten  refers to its informal “English-style” of landscaping; a form of outdoor design which became popular in England from the mid-18^th to the early 19^th Centuries. 

I became enthralled by the Englischer Garten during my first visit to the Bavarian capital in 2005, and  ever since I have made a point of spending at least a day there whenever I visit the city. I just love strolling along one of its many paths, walking at times through mature woodland, before emerging again into areas of parkland, brightly lit by the warm summer sun. What is more, unlike London’s Hyde Park where it is often difficult to escape the noise of the traffic, in the Englischer Garten it is hard to believe that one is in the middle of a large metropolitan city.

Despite its name, the Englischer Garten was conceived by an American called Benjamin Thompson. Thompson had sided with the British during the American  War of Independence, and had been forced to flee his homeland when the war ended. He ended up in the service of Prince Karl Theodor, the recently appointed Elector of Bavaria, who was keen to carry out improvements to his new home city. This was partly to court favour with his new subjects thereby avoiding the fate of his contemporary, Louis XVI of France. Theodor commissioned Thompson to come up with ideas that would endear him to the people of Munich, in order to head off any thoughts of rebellion they might harbour.

Thompson worked on a number of  projects, but his best idea was in persuading the prince to set aside a portion of the Royal Game Reserve on the outskirts of Munich, along with an area of swamp along side the banks of the River Isar. The swamp was to be drained and the whole area developed into a large public park. The site was landscaped and laid out in the natural English style, rather than the more formal French style of landscaping. Although the park was Thompson’s idea, it was designed and laid out by the Royal Gardener, Ludwig von Sckell and the man who was to become Thompson’s successor, Baron von Werneck. It is considered a prime example of a classical landscape park.

The Englischer Garten was officially opened in 1792, and was an immediate success with the local population. The Prince awarded Thompson the title Count von Rumford and the Bavarians even named a soup after him, (Rumsfordsuppe). In 1836, a mock Greek temple, called the Monopteros, was built on an artificial hill.

Today the park occupies an area of 922 acres (373 hectares), and is three miles long and just over half a mile across at its widest point. There are three streams flowing through it, in addition to the Isar which forms the eastern boundary of the park. On hot summer days it seems as though half of Munich has decamped here to soak up the sun, jog or cycle along its many paths, or to bathe in the streams.

As I said earlier, I fell in love with the place during my first trip to Munich. This was a short visit in the summer of 2005, and was a welcome and much needed break from the pressures of running a busy off-licence, which was open seven days a week. I packed quite a lot into my three day stay, but it was on my first full day in the city that I found my way to the Englischer Garten and was delighted with what I found.

The other great delights that the park has to offer are its beer gardens, of which there are several. Probably the best known is the Chinesischer Turm, so-called because the 7,000 odd seats are arranged in front of a 50 foot, multi-tiered, wooden pagoda. This structure acts as the stage for a Bavarian oom-pah band on weekend afternoons. All Munich life seems to gather here, and it is a fascinating place to spend a summer’s afternoon. The beer is from Hofbräu, one of Munich’s, and one of my favourite breweries.

Back in 2005, the Chinesischer Turm  provided my first experience of a German beer garden, and the rituals involved with the buying beer and food at the self-service kiosks. It was also just really good, sitting at one of the wooden benches, enjoying a nice cool mug of beer and people watching. Beer gardens are great levellers, and people of all ages and from all walks of life are all equal there.

A bit further into the park is Seehaus im Englischen Garten , which overlooks the idyllic Kleinhesselohe Lake. Boats can be hired from the nearby boat-house, and are an ideal way of working up a thirst prior to visiting the beer garden. The beer here is from Paulaner, one of Munich’s largest breweries. There are two other beer gardens slightly to the north of the Kleinhesselohe Lake. They are Osterwald Garten ( Spatenbräu) and Hirschau (Löwenbräu ). Three years ago, on my last summer visit to Munich, I finally managed to visit these two establishments as well.  

On that particular trip we also visited the Chinesischer Turm twice. Our first visit, which was on a Friday evening, found the place heaving. Many people had just finished work and were starting to wind down for the weekend. Things were a little more relaxed on our second visit, which was early in the afternoon, but it was a baking hot day and we were glad to find a shady spot under one of the many chestnut trees. As we wandered through the Englischer Garten that day, people were pick-nicking, bathing in the streams or just soaking up the sun (some completely naked!). Others were cycling, walking their dogs or strolling through the grounds. At the southern entrance to the park, some hardy souls were surfing in the rapids where the streams converge.

Of course Munich is much more than just the Englischer Garten, and the city is well worth a visit in its own right. Not only is it Germany’s third largest city, it is the city where most Germans say they would like to live. Munich is sometimes described as “Italy’s northernmost city”, and the city’s architecture and relaxed lifestyle certainly match this description. The Alps are only 30 miles away and there are numerous lakes and picturesque villages that are just a short drive away.

Munich though is also a city of culture. For over 900 years it was the capital of Bavaria; once a proud and independent kingdom, and a place which still describes itself as the “Free State of Bavaria”. Over the course of this period Bavaria’s ruler’s amassed treasures, collected fine works of art and constructed magnificent palaces and castles in which to house and display their collections. It is also a beery centre of culture, and can justifiably claim to be the “Beer Capital of the World”.

Go there and enjoy yourself, but when you do, make certain to spend some time in  the Englischer Garten.

Fleur de Lis - Leigh

I’ve said it before (probably several times), and I’ll say it again,  but in the quest for that perfect pint in the perfect pub, it’s often all too easy to overlook what is right in front of you. I realised this today when I decided to get my bike out and go for a ride.

On a whim, I decided to make for the Fleur de Lis pub, which is situated in the village of Leigh, just a few miles to the west of Tonbridge. I drive past the Fleur everyday, on my way home from work, and until I altered my route into work in the morning, I used to drive past it on the way in as well.

It is an attractive mid 19^th Century building sited a short distance from the village centre, on the junction of the road which leads down to the station. Like much of Leigh the Fleur is built in a particular style, and this is due to the influence of two wealthy families who constructed many of the distinctive buildings present today. The stately pile of Hall Place, is the best known, but there are others which include the East and Old Lodges, Forge Square and the  School Master's House.

The Fleur De Lis was originally built as cottages in 1855, by Thomas Baily; one of the wealthy benefactors referred to above. It was bought by, Bartrum and Company, in 1870, who were a local brewery, based in Tonbridge. When I first became acquainted with the area, the Fleur was a Courage pub, but today it is owned by Greene King. Since the closure of the Bat & Ball, several years ago, the Fleur De Lis is now the only pub in Leigh itself; although the Plough Inn is located to the east of the village in Powder Mill Lane.

Have bike, will travel

I can’t honestly remember the last  time I had set foot in the Fleur, although I was obviously aware that it had undergone some substantial renovations and alterations several years ago. It was a conversation with one of my son’s friends, in Fuggles the other week, which persuaded me that a visit was long overdue. As I said earlier, deciding to go for a bike ride provided  the perfect excuse for a visit, especially as much of the route would be off road.

We are fortunate in Tonbridge to have a large expanse of public space behind the town, know as the Sports-ground. There is also a cycle route running around the periphery, which leads to Hayesden Country Park; another open space. My route from home, took me along the River Medway and around the Sports-ground, before turning off along a tarmac path which leads to Leigh Powder Mills. From there, it is a relatively quiet stretch by country road, under the A21 flyover, and then into Leigh.

I stopped for a short while at the village green, pausing to take in the quintessentially English view across the cricket pitch, to the Parish Church of St Mary’s, which is purported to occupy the highest point in the village, before continuing past the school and Post Office to the Fleur de Lis.

The pub had been altered since my last visit. The two bar layout had been opened out into two distinct areas, one offering dining around an open fire while the other smaller bar (originally the Public Bar), is more for drinking and socialising. I grabbed one of the comfy armchairs by the window, having first ordered myself a beer.

I opted for a pint of Taylor’s Landlord; good at 3.0 NBSS, but expensive at £4.40. I overheard the landlord talking to one of the regulars sitting at the bar. The former mentioned that Larkin’s would be the next beer on, which pleased the customer as he said the local beer would be cheaper. “No,” said the landlord, who went on to explain he has to buy all his guest ales through Greene King, even though Larkin’s are situated just a few miles up the road!

Also on at the bar, were Pearl of Kent from Whitstable Brewery and Grasshopper from Westerham, alongside the ubiquitous GK IPA. The pub was busy with diners, which included several family groups, but like me there were a few people just relaxing and enjoying a drink.

It was all very pleasant, but I wasn’t tempted to stay for another. Rain had been forecast for later in the afternoon, and it had been raining slightly in the wind during my outward journey. Not only didn’t I wish to get wet, but I also had a few items of shopping to pick up in Tonbridge, before the shops shut at 4pm.

I cycled back following pretty much the same route, managing by and large to avoid the rain, and arriving home shortly before 4pm. According to the app on my phone I had cycled a distance of 8.5 miles and burned off 851 calories. I’m not sure about the latter, but I certainly knew that I’d cycled those miles!