do you fancy a beer?
. . . . . . . . .
this weekend my friend ben and i headed to the wandsworth common beer festival … i’m so glad we made it. in the U.S., craft beer is taken pretty seriously and i love that you can find a good beer on tap almost anywhere. (this also might have to do with the fact that i lived in brooklyn, where every bearded dude brews his own beer at home). people love beer in the U.K. but at many pubs, i am often disappointed in the standard beer selection on tap. i can often find a good bitter (which i really enjoy) but it’s harder to find smaller producers.
the event was held at the royal victoria patriotic building in south london and it was such a cool setting. the weather was crap, but that’s okay — it didn’t stop us from trying a bunch of different beers … IPAs, bitters, a golden ale. my favorite was the sarah hughes dark ruby mild, from the west midlands. it was darker and a bit more complex.
i’d love to hear your suggestions for pubs that serve good beers from local breweries … especially if they are in north or east london.
cheers!
this sounds great, brian :) i could only give suggestions for pubs in vienna – but i can tell you that czech kozel beer is the very best!
CHEERS !
one day i’m going to have a citroen 2cv… (i didn’t say drive it, mind you :)
It was good but why oh why were they so overly optimistic when it came to the weather. Oh because they’re British. Should have been held in some kind of hall.
Tried loads of beer in the US. This place is fun http://www.bigdraft.com/index2.html
I recommend the Southampton Arms near Kentish Town.
Apparently it’s “the only dedicated ale and cider house in London to only sell beers and ciders from independent’ British breweries”. Have a read of the Time Out review: http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/22431.html
You visit the best places. What a life!
That wouldn’t be my old friend Ben Browett now would it?
I can highly recommend The Fox & Anchor in Clerkenwell. They even serve pints in tankards.
If you ever get the opportunity to sample Larkins ale, do. It’s brewed in the village where I grew up in Kent and it’s lovely.
T just came home from the cask beer festival. he tried many english beers. i’ll get his list and pass it on to you.
Try the Junction Tavern on Fortess Road in Kentish Town (it has a beer festival on bank holidays; arrives in barrels and when it’s gone it’s gone). Lovely pub, staff and food too. The Flask in Highgate is pretty lovely too, in terms of beer and location, though rammed on a sunny day…
generally i prefer wine > beer, but i do fancy your photos. especially the light in that last one. :)
xo Alison
Not North or East but South! Try the Meantime Brewery from Greenwich. They have a pub in Greenwich called the Greenwich Union which is worth a visit but they do sell in many other places too! See their website http://www.meantimebrewing.com
I love that 2CV, great colours for a car.
Yes I do fancy a beer…*L* :)
Especially in the UK…in spring.
Ooh, I hadn’t heard of this and it’s so close to where I live – I recognised it from the pictures straight away!
Great photographs ……. really loved the one last one of the window.
Not too keen on the beer, but love that little car.
that looks
amazing.
beer tasting
in england
never looked
so lovely.
wow, I pretty much love your blog and photography. you make random things look somehow different and special. thanks for all this inspiration!
I love the windows. Old windows have stories …
Hi Brian -
Here are a few favourites in London.
+ Cask & Kitchen – Victoria/Pimlico – Currently only permanent Thornbridge pumps (3) in London, 1 permanent Dark Star pump, 3 guest pumps, plus a selection of taps. Focus for bottles is mostly on German, plus some Belgian.
+ White Horse, SW6 – Parsons Green – Always a good selection on tap and pump plus bottles. They are having a beer festival this weekend, where all the beer is sourced from within 40 miles of their pub.
+ The Rake – Borough Market – London’s foremost craft beer – interesting cask/kegs but bottles are the highlight here.