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My local Londis store, on the world famous Penny Lane itself, stocks a good selection of German bottled beers which are not the sort you see in the supermarkets. It does a 3 bottles for £11 offer, which is far too good to turn down.
It is a bit hit and miss but I have had some good beers. I particularly like the dunkel and bock styles.
Currently supping a pint of Theakstons Old Peculier for “free” in my local pub. It has a loyalty card scheme, whereby after you have bought eight pints you get the ninth for “free”.
They charge £4.40 a pint on the cask beers, irrespective of ABV. That is slightly more pricey than standard strength beers cost around here, so I suppose the “free” offer has to be seen in that light. But it is still not bad.
I’m currently on Young’s “Ram and Spesh”. £6.05, but I live in Surrey. And, as I am a regular, my “half” of Special is nearer a full pint.
Wonderful stuff. Cheers!
I assume that is a bottle of Ramrod poured into a “half” of Special?
When I lived in London, I often used to see people in Youngs pubs pouring a bottle of Light Ale into Special.
I lived in Putney, just down the road from the Ram Brewery. A pint of Youngs Ordinary on a summer’s day down by the river was heavenly.
It was a sad day when the brewery closed. On the same day Sir John Young died, if memory serves.
“I assume that is a bottle of Ramrod poured into a “half” of Special?”
It is indeed. Divine.
Young’s used to do a Christmas ale called Bauble; a “half” of that and a bottle of Ramrod was known as a “Ramble”.
Carnage.
Currently supping a pint of Theakstons Old Peculier for “free” in my local pub. It has a loyalty card scheme, whereby after you have bought eight pints you get the ninth for “free”.
Nine pints and no typos, blimey
It’s draught Veltins I’ve downed. A couple of pubs in York sell it, notably the rather splendid York Tap at the railway station. Dunno if it’s also bottled.
This thread is a pleasant diversion from all things Starmer, Farage and Trump
I’m sipping a premium Orange juice , very nice it is to
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Yes it is a nice distraction Drone. I know it all feels a bit ‘first world problems’ but there’s not much we can do about it all so we may as well all have a pint, be that ale or orange juice
“the rather splendid York Tap”.
I always round off a trip to York and the Knavesmire in there. It must have about 16 cask lines. On my last visit, it had all the Timothy Taylor beers on.
York has to be one of England’s best cities for pubs. I particularly like the Swan, the Golden Ball and the Blue Bell.
I checked in on the CAMRA forum earlier and BrewDog is getting a proper kicking..
Theakstons OP. Those were the days. 6 percent og if memory serves me right. Used to try to go through the bar at a local that served this. Remember them having a beer called Wobbly Bob also which made me wobble.
Another beer I remember which was fairly strong was Ruddles County. I wasn’t that keen on the normal Ruddles Bitter but the County I enjoyed.
Wobbly Bob is still going strong, brewed by the Phoenix Brewery near Rochdale.
The Swan in Liverpool has sold it for many years, although it can never be a quiet pint given that it is a pub for hard rocking, heavy metal devotees.
More recently, it has become a staple in some of the Liverpool Wetherspoons.
I checked in on the CAMRA forum earlier and BrewDog is getting a proper kicking..
And so it should be:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd70zjvwjpdo
As ever it’s the innocent hard working folk at the bottom who suffer, and the taxpayer is being asked to pick up some of the tab for good measure.
One of the company’s big problems was trading on its ‘punk’ image which perhaps in the early days had some truth to it but it quickly became apparent that it soon turned into something that was anything but. Personally I think they’ll struggle to turn the brand around, its image is seriously tarnished and there’s no shortage of alternatives.
In fairness to them, they probably did do a fair bit to help popularise that type of beer but the fact is they’ve blown it.
York has to be one of England’s best cities for pubs. I particularly like the Swan, the Golden Ball and the Blue Bell.
All fine, traditional pubs largely unchanged since being built, and all Grade II Listed. The Golden Ball has been a community-owned cooperative for several years and is thriving.
The Blue Bell is tiny and the only time a seat can be guaranteed is around opening time on a weekday morning.
Right on cue, here’s an article from today’s Graun.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/mar/03/influencers-celebrate-save-britain-proper-boozers-pubs
I’ve visited many good pubs in The Smoke over the years but not the ones mentioned. Anyone know them?
“The Blue Bell is tiny and the only time a seat can be guaranteed is around opening time on a weekday morning.”
That is when I go to it, usually before heading to the Knavesmire.
I have been to the Calthorpe Arms once but it was a very long time ago. It must have been through several owners since, so I don’t know what it is like now.
The Viaduct Tavern is a good place. It is often glimpsed on news reports because it is just across the road from the Old Bailey. It has an interesting clientele, partly made up from families of people up before the beak and Fleet Street’s finest, drinking themselves under the table on expenses. All of them waiting for someone to come in and say the jury has reached a verdict, when there is a mass exodus.
I have heard many good reports about the Dog And Bell in Deptford but have never got around to visiting.
I didn’t read that article at first, Drone, as anything with the word “influencer” is an immediate turn-off.
Having now read it, I am pleased that I did so: it’s a very handy list of pubs to avoid at all costs.
Trendified pubs full of bearded hipsters braying loudly while taking selfies, what’s not to like?
The Guardian’s Lifestyle (ghastly word) section is generally to be avoided at all costs, or dipped into only after partaking of a decent quantity of Old Peculier or Young’s Special.
The Viaduct Tavern is a good place. It is often glimpsed on news reports because it is just across the road from the Old Bailey
I might have been in there as my usual hotel in London is the Strand Palace just down the road, and when younger and dafter I was prone to crawling from Strand to the bottom of Fleet Street and back. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is the only pub name I can recall.
“The Guardian’s Lifestyle (ghastly word) section is generally to be avoided at all costs”
Whilst I broadly agree, there is the odd gem of an article in the Lifestyle section, such as this:
The “Dining Across The Divide” series is always worth a look, too.
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