Promises,promises.

I had a brainwave. I would pop out and get a couple of bits for our forthcoming holiday on the Broads. No drinking. I have 40 pints of home brewed bitter and 40 pints of HB stout at home. Well, it was quite warm, and it was my day off so maybe a small one wouldn't do any harm!
I nipped in to the Yarborough Hotel, quite busy for a Monday, and a good selection on.I opted for "Bloddwyn's 1065" a strong beer and weighing in at 5.6%, not a session beer. It tasted good but you could taste its strength. Although enjoyable, I wouldn't rush for a second. After T'other 'arf was released from her labours, we enjoyed a pint of Marstons "Fever Pitch" and a half of Harvistouns "Schiehallion", a real lager.Both were very enjoyable and well worth it.

In this limited session I opted for a "Ubu Purity " an Amber ale at 4.5%. Very nice and very moreish.We had 2!. Well promises made, we will next be drinking in Norfolk. Unless..........................................
Cheers and keep it Real.

England fail, Barton by rail

En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land,
En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-laaand,
Ooops. Somebody should have told those dasterdly South Americans about spoiling the party. We did our bit on Thursday, and walked to The Parity to support the traditional English sport (crying into an empying beer glass) I won't bang on about the game, but I will say that one or two nailed on places need attending to. You cannot buy experience but it usually come with aged legs. Anyway, the Beer.

We started on Titanic "English Glory" an OK beer and punching its weight at 4.5% but the taste was somewhat spoiled by it being served to us in plastic "glasses". Typical H & S rules, I bet they don't serve champagne in plastic at the Crime Commissioners shindigs!! 3 pints of this and a noticable lack of clarity and it was time to move on. The match and the hopes of millions of English were over. Next stop was The Yarborough. A bit quiet obviously, but still a few fans in. So crestfallen, sullen but not in total despair (If Italy beat Costa Rica & Uraguay and ............well you do the maths!) What to choose? Well I asked for a Brazilian and, no, my trousers were not removed and a new downstairs hair style administered. I was given a pint of Bodebrown Brazilian Pale Ale, brewed in conjunction with Adnams by two brewers who run a brewery and brewing school in Curitiba near Sao Paulo. An American style Pale Ale & at 5% one to be respected. Lovely pint with a long finish and very moreish. This was followed by

Batemans "England Expects" A bitter typical in quality to many from this Wainfleet Brewer. Night over, tournament hanging by a thread and The Other Half's Birthday the following day. Can a man take any more?

AND SO A NEW DAWN BREAKS. We decided to take the train to Barton Upon Humber, a place we have visited a couple of times already this year. A good selection of real ale pubs in a smallish town makes it a good day out. We started out with a walk to the Humber Bridge viewing area and, sometimes, you don't realise what a fantastic construction this is. Why do we not promote our industrial and constuction successes with any vigour? When abroad, we will flock to all those advertised piles of concrtete and stone and ooh and aah at them, but ignore those on our own doorstep.After our little walk, we stopped off at The Sloop Inn, 5 minutes from the train station. Always a good selection of Tom Woods' beers are available here but I opted for a beer called, I think, "Doctor Quaff", a good beer with a smooth taste and hoppy finish.

We then wandered up to The George Hotel. Here where we had "We've Blown it". A very familiar taste, we thought. Hmmm interesting. After enjoying our drinks in the sunshine, we popped across to the Wheatsheaf. Lo and behold, the same beer was on here! After asking about it, it was revealed that the Brewers, Bateman's, had supplied the beer with two clips. The other was "England Expects" Good marketing. T'other arf opted for Brain's Summers day. Both beers were excellent.After a quick one in The Old Mill, Marston's Bitter, We popped back to The George for another pint, this time Bombardier, and the best Fish and Chips we have had in ages.On the way back to the station we tried a pint in The White Swan. A good pub with several characters and good beer. A visit to the on-site curiosity shop is an experience. Unfortunately I can't remember what I had but it was in good condition, as always, and  worth it.
All in all, Barton has quite a lot to offer.There are also real ales on at "The Volunteers","Queens" "Coach and Horses" and a few more. Well.no more birthdays or World Cup matches to celebrate.Next stop Norfolk in July.I can't wait.
Cheers and keep it real.

Come on England.....We expect some flavoursome brews

Over the years, I have travelled all over the country watching the Mighty Mariners (Grimsby Town to the uninitiated) Being a football fan, although not as active as I once was, I always look forward to the major international competitions. Although never traveling abroad for any of theses cup, I did manage to get tickets to the Euro 96 games held here. 10 games in all including the final. Marvellous.
As I had the day off yesterday, I decided to take a walk into town and take in the Mexico v Cameroon game, before watching the later games at home. It is usual for most pubs to guest theme related ales for these events, but The Parity were serving 2 ales, not football related but still new and untried by my goodself. I started with "Village Idiot" from the White Horse Brewery in Oxfordshire. I found that it was a little bland for a 4.1%  Golden Ale.The flavours seemed to last a very short time on the pallette. Besides this it wasn't awfull by any means, just plain.Next on the agenda was "William Roscoe" from a new brewer for me, Liverpool Organic. Branded as a floral bitter, it was a very rounded taste and very refreshing and quite light for a 4.3% ale. After the game, a 1-0 win in the pouring rain of Natal for the Mexicans, I popped over to JDW,s Yarborough Hotel. There I opted for a pint of Wychwoods world cup offering."Full Brazillian" A 4.4% Golden Ale which went down very well and was very dry on the finish after the opening hoppiness. Lovely. This was followed by Caledonian "Road to Rio" ( via Scotland???) Another Golden ale but with a vastly different taste. More "wheaty" in flavour I thought but still an excellent brew. After this, the South American theme petered out & I had to be content with "Danish Dynamite" from the Stonehenge Brewery.A Golden Ale of 5% which is very refreshing and extremely drinkable.
Well, time came and went and now we are waiting for the 3 Lions to roar.Good luck to the boys tonight.Let's hope by the 13th of July, we are sampling a celebratory brew or two/three/four....and not eating more humble pie.
Cheers and keep it "real"

A couple of evenings out in Town

With the temperature rising and naff all on the goggle-box, me and she have had a couple of late afternoons in the pub this last week. Nothing special,just a break from work, the allotment and four walls. We visited our usual haunts, predominantly JDW's but also The Parity too. The beers we have quaffed were mostly in good condition. We thought probably the best was "Wheat Street" from the American brewers "Sixpoint". At 5% this tangy wheat beer was firing on all cylinders and is well worth sourcing. It has been exclusively brewed, in conjunction with Adnams, for "Wetherspoon's".
We also tasted "Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell" a premium Dark Mild at 4.8%, "Gunpowder Mild" a smooth offering from The Coach House Brewing Co at 3.8%, and "Rudgate's Ruby Mild" a 4.4% offering from this excellent York brewery.
Grafters of Willingham on Stow's Half Moon pub,near Gainsborough have certainly made inroads into Grimsby and their beers are extremely good. They had "Luvvlie Jubblies" on offer,a golden brew at 4.2% and the stronger and equally moreish "Wobble Gob" at 4.9%. Rudgate's also offered us "Hop and Glory", a Pale ale which would be a good session beer, weighing in at 3.8% ,with Oldershaw's "Blonde Volupta" giving a little oomph to the proceedings with a deceptive 5%.Also seen in Town in the last couple of weeks by this Grantham brewer were the popular "Mowbray's Mash" a satisfying 3.7% Golden ale, and the heavier,but easy drinking 4.7% "Great Expectations".
With the goings-on and one hopes, celebrations happening later this week in Brazil, I don't think we will be venturing too far for a while, but I have started to think about some of the places I have visited over the years, and may get round to collating my experiences "On The Road". Who knows, some of these haunts from the past may still be open!!!!!
Cheers and keep it "real".