I was invited (along with all of our CAMRA Branch members) to the launch of JDW's Spring Beer Festival at the Art Picture House, one of two in Bury. JDWs that is, not Art Picture Houses. Now this proved to be a good day out, though involving as it did that drinking leg end Tyson, it lasted a lot longer and was more intense than I intended. In addition to the beers on the bar, we had the bonus of "Meet the Brewer" thrice. Hawkshead, Naylors and Titanic all showed up and to the delight of the assembled throng, dished out copious free third pint samples. This greatly pleased Archimedes and Pythagoras, but the Whitefield Holts Bandit disdainfully eschewed the freebies, while Pineapple Pete, as usual, concentrated on the free grub. Tyson and I, veterans of such largesse and aware of the Bury public's propensity for free ale, had no such scruples and just elbowed the coffin dodgers aside to park ourselves in front of the nine of Windermere Pale (Tyson) and Titanic Plum Porter (me). I did have a constructive chat with the Titanic operative, who advised that the plum essence was made by a local sweet manufacturer after using real plums failed to deliver any plum flavour at all. Nature isn't always best it seems.
Now free beer to such men of the world as Tyson and me has limited appeal. There is a great big world of beer out there - even in Bury - and thus it was that I found myself drinking a half of keg Outstanding White, which could best be described as a curious crossover between a German Weisse Bier and a Belgian White. Odd, but pleasant. The Robert Peel, JDW's other Bury outfit failed to deliver on choice and Hydes Owd Oak mild made you think a new brewery can't come soon enough. Tyson suggested the long trek next door to the Two Tubs. He was gutted to find no Triple C in this Thwaites house, but we settled for the hugely chocolatey Egg Roller, an Easter beer - and what a great beer it was too. More chocolate than a Belgian airport duty free shop, a luscious body and while at first it seemed one would be enough, it wasn't. (As an aside can you imagine how miserable this beer would seem without a sparkler?)So back to the Art where handpumped Titanic Plum Porter finished us off. Literally. We did have the bonus of seeing Joe Stalin and of course, Don Ricardo who had joined the mayhem earlier. I dashed for the 163 and the long toilet-less trek home, while Tyson remained to observe the ever keen Don in pursuit (unwisely in this case I can assure you) of the carnal.
Our thanks to JDW's Lisa for the butties and the sausages and to the brewers for their free beer.
15 comments:
Free beer, free butties. That is a win.
Not all bad eh?
Additives in real ale?? I can feel a motion coming on ;-)
Butties aren't an additive but an accompaniment. An easy mistake to make!
I also felt a motion coming on later but I put that down to all the yeast ingested during the day.
I've been in the Robert Peel and the Two Tubs, but the Picture House sounds though it might be an interesting building. What's it like?
Nev. See photo. And even nicer inside.
JDW's do like the tried and tested method of attempted bribery of noted CAMRA bods. It has served them well in the past. :)
Rubbish you cynic.
I wrote a review of our Wetherspoons and Lloyds in Southport more than 2 years ago and, despite the tokens, rubbished both of them. I'm pleased to say both are very good nowadays, although I doubt my review was the cause!
The bribe, if it be such, is good beer, not cheap beer.
Funnily enough, TM, I had seen the picture (my contact lenses are excellent). I was wondering whether it had kept any of the architecture, fixtures and fittings from its picture house days.
Sounds like an excellent session!
RedNev
It does retain many original features and all in all is rather a splendid place.
Paul
It was. I think I'm more or less over it now.
After reading your piece we called in the Two Tubs on Saturday and yes, the Egg Roller is luscious. Don't think I could drink it all day though, too rich!
Pity I didn't arrive in town earlier that day or I could've observed the mayhem myself. Would've liked to have had some Windermere Pale. As it was, Robbies was present at the Paramount, so I got a couple of free thirds of their fest beers.
On preservatives. I was told by nice young punters at the Leeds CAMRA fest that I didn't have to worry about getting hungover drinking as much as I wanted at the fest because the fest beers are brewed to be drunk fresh, withOUT the preservatives the brewers normally put in their ales.
And on fruity porter. Weyermann Versuchsbrauerei here in Bamberg have done a raspberry porter, something that Oregonians do well IME. Thing is, Oregonians use fresh fruit, whereas Weyermann use some sort of horrible stewed purée or summat. Perhaps it gives a stronger flavour, but it's fecking horrid.
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