The BeerCast

The Bailie 2-4 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge Map
Open: 11am-12am (1am Fri-Sat); 12.30pm-11pm (Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: No
On the corner of St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, The Bailie is a classic Scottish pub. A large central bar with small tables all around leads on to a darker back room with bigger tables for dining. The food here is particularly good, and as a result weekend lunchtimes are some of the busiest. Papers are stacked by the entrance, encouraging the patrons to stay longer, and the ever-changing range of cask beers make sure they want to return. Just a short walk down the hill from town, if you’re exploring Stockbridge it would be criminal not to stop here for a pint - and if you can’t stay for the food, just over the road is the world’s best-named baked potato place - ‘Take it away, Spud’

Blue Blazer corner of Spittal St and Bread St Map
Open: 11am-12am (1am Fri-Sat); 12.30pm-12am (Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes
Edinburgh Pub of the Year 2004, the Blazer also occupies a corner spot, this time near to the Castle. Just down the way from Edinburgh’s ‘pubic triangle’ the two-roomed pub has several guest ales from around Scotland, and a wide selection of whisky and rum. It even caters well for the lager drinker, serving all cold beers in frosty glasses straight from a freezer (or at least it did last time I had one in there). The Blazer also hosts a live music night courtesy of the local legend Peter Michael Schumacher, but woe betide anybody who turns up and speaks during the live acts. His ’ssshhhhhes’ can strip paint at 30yds.

The Bow Bar 80 West Bow, nr Grassmarket Map
Open: 12pm-11:30pm (Mon-Sat); 12.30pm-11pm (Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes
I confess I’ve only ever been here once, but blimey if it isn’t the best pub in Edinburgh - it won the award from the Blue Blazer and has (to my knowledge) kept it ever since. On the downside, it’s tiny - but on the upside, the beer is brilliant, it has about 100 whiskys (as such it is also Edinburgh’s Whisky pub of the year), the staff are friendly, and they are one of the only pubs in the world that still use a traditional air pressure system to serve the beer. It’s also bang in the centre of Victoria Street (the colourful hilly one on all the postcards) - if you call yourself a beer lover and visit Edinburgh, and don’t visit the Bow Bar, we will hunt you down. Don’t believe me? Check out their comprehensive website.

Cask and Barrel 115 Broughton Street Map
Open: 11am-1am (Mon-Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes
Over on the other side of the city centre - and occupying yet another corner location - is the Cask & Barrel. At the bottom of Broughton Street in the east end of Edinburgh it’s very handy for thirsty shoppers, and the large curving bar is often useful in itself (it can get very busy, especially on football days). Fortunately there’s plenty of space to prop yourself up, and large barrels to rest the beer on if the seats are taken. You can even sit outside, which is a treat in a city criminally short of beer gardens. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve managed to sample at least one cask beer I’ve never heard of. Every time BeerCast panellist The Hopmeister has been there, he’s been thrown out. You can draw your own conclusions.

The Cumberland 1 Cumberland St, New Town Map
Open: 11am-1am (Fri-Sat); 12.30pm-1am (Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: No
Did I just say Edinburgh was short of beer gardens? Well trundle down the substantial hill of Dundas Street and come to the Cumberland (turn right onto the street of the same name, and head for the large green tree at the end). There are a few tables directly outside, and a large sunken beer garden to the right. Inside, small rooms and alcoves are decorated with old adverts for beer and medical ointments. If you come at the right time, you can almost have the place to yourself. If you come after work on a Friday, you’ll be squeezing your way in. The beers here are also very good and change often, and if you like observing New Town yuppies in their natural habitat, bring your spotter’s book.

Kay’s Bar 39 Jamaica Street West, New Town Map
Open: 11am-12am (1am Fri-Sat); 12.30pm-11pm (Sun)
Link: bestpubs.co.uk
Good Beer Guide entry: No
John Kay was an Edinburgh wine merchant, and his family traded in the city for 150yrs. When the company went out of business in the 1970’s, the corner cottage was turned into a pub. Kay’s is another classic tiny boozer - you open the door and instantly you’re halfway along the bar having passed several people. The current landlord sports a cracking moustache, and recently caught us looking at an old photo of the street and gave us a ten minute history talk of the area. The real ale and decor here are superb, when you come here it really feels like a pub you don’t want to leave. It’s a beggar to find, although that makes it feel like you’ve found somewhere extra special.

The south of England - historically some of the world’s oldest breweries are found here. The second half of the BeerCast’s English two-parter ventures beyond the Midlands and into the home counties. Three of the region’s giant beer producers make it into the show this time - Greene King, Shepherd Neame, and Fuller’s. Between them, they own several thousand pubs, have many city shareholders, and have been known to absorb the odd smaller brewery here and there. Even in the distant north of Scotland, it’s possible to find many of their beers (bottled if not on draught), so the BeerCast panel sampled three of their flagship brands, respectively - Abbot Ale, Bishop’s Finger, and Organic Honeydew. For this episode - one of the first we recorded - our Edinburgh tasters are joined via the magic of the internet by London-based reporters Andy and Jess. Somehow it managed to work out, as both groups discuss the beers, despite being 331.98 miles apart (give or take).

1. Abbot Ale (5%abv)
Greene King, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk.
500ml glass bottle

East Anglian brewing giants Greene King have been producing beer in Suffolk since 1799. They are now the largest British owned brewery in the UK, and as one of the UK’s largest companies Greene King PLC are a member of the FTSE 250 share index. They own more than 2000 pubs across the South-East, and have an aggressive history of takeovers – Morlands, Ruddles and Ridleys have all been acquired and subsequently closed, and in Scotland Greene King also own Dunbar-based BeerCast favourite Belhaven. Abbot Ale is their flagship beer, and it takes it’s name because the Domesday Book of 1086 recorded the town’s brewers as being in service of the Abbot of the Abbey of St Edmundsbury. Good enough for the clergy - but is is good enough for the panel…?

What They Say - “A full-bodied distinctive beer with a bittersweet aftertaste.” [Good Beer Guide]. “It has masses of ripe fruit character, a malty richness and superb hop balance, followed by an intense bittersweet finish”. [Abbot Ale official website].

What We Say…
Shovels - It’s a fine tipple 8
MrB - I’d be happy drinking this in a pub 7
Richard - It’s a grower 7
Jess - Lovely bitter aftertaste 7
Alison - Once you get past the smell, it’s alright 5
Andy - Smells like an old man’s pub 2

2. Fuller’s Organic Honeydew (5%abv)
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick, London.
500ml glass bottle

The Griffin Brewery has been sited in a leafy corner of Chiswick for over 350yrs. Popular with rowers and boating clubs, the Hounslow location by the Thames is on the site of a late-medieval cheese fair (from which the name Chiswick derives). Fullers - full name ‘Fuller Smith and Turner plc’ are one of London’s success stories, having won the coveted CAMRA Champion beer of Britain award five times in it’s 25 year history. Their flagship brand is London Pride, which is available pretty much everywhere in the south of England. But as part of their range they also produce a summery honey ale, made with full compliance of the Soil Association’s organic requirements. Has all that hard work by the bees paid off…?

What They Say - “A light golden beer, it is a naturally palatable brew, approved by the Soil Association as 100% organic. Served chilled, it is light and refreshing, and has an appeal that reaches out to people who perhaps wouldn’t usually drink beer. It is brewed with English malt and hops and laced with the finest organic honey”. [Fuller's website]

What We Say…
Andy - It’s light, refreshing, and easy on the tongue 8
Richard - I can’t taste the honey, this is middling 5
Shovels - Doesn’t really taste of much 4
Alison - You get a rather sickly aftertaste 4
Jess - It would make me feel sick if I drank a whole pint of this 4
MrB - I don’t like honey, so I really loathe this one 1

3. Bishop’s Finger (5.4%abv)
Shepherd Neame Brewery, Faversham, Kent.
500ml glass bottle

Located in Faversham, five miles west of Canterbury, Shepherd Neame claims to be Britain’s oldest brewer, starting operations in 1698. They still use the same water source today, along with giant Russian teak mash tuns that date from 1914. Bishop’s Finger is brewed only on Fridays by the head brewer, and was awarded ‘Protective Geographic Indicator Status’ by the EU, meaning it’s the only beer in the world that can be called a ‘Kentish strong ale’ - all ingredients used come from within a few miles of the brewery. It takes it’s name from the distinctive signposts that used to point the way to Canterbury for weary pilgrims. When first produced in 1958, Bishop’s Finger was sold for 7.5p a pint. Is it worth the money…?

What They Say - “This ember-warm Kentish ale takes the dense, rich fruit notes of gently roasted malts and mixes them with a profusion of locally grown Kent hops to give a satisfyingly clean, dry, lingering Seville-orange finish” [Andrew Jefford, BBC Radio 4 Food Programme]. “It is Britain’s most distinctive premium ale, with an intense taste that is more challenging than other brands.” [Bishop's Finger official website].

What We Say…
MrB - I do like this, it’s very hoppy 7
Richard - It’s a decent generic aley beer 7
Alison - Quite pleasant but I’m not blown away by it 6
Shovels - Starts alright tastewise, but lingers a little too long 5
Jess - I had this once some time ago, from what I can remember 5
Andy - I’ve never tried it 4

BeerCast panel verdict

Greene King’s Abbot Ale - 36/60
Shepherd Neame’s Bishop’s Finger - 34/60
Fuller’s Organic Honeydew - 26/60

Panellists - (from top left) MrB, Ali, Shovels, Jess, Andy, Richard

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #4 - Southern Delights
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with Episode 5 - our first foray outside the UK. Which country will it be? Our panel of four BeerCasters will reveal all….soon. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!

Greetings,

As John mentioned in his comment, lager has been somewhat under-represented of late so here’s an indication that Americans arent totally clueless when it comes to beer.

In the 1800’s Brooklyn was home to over 45 breweries, producing a wide variety of beers. The onset of Prohibition in 1920 (one of the American governments dafter ideas) put paid to that, but the Brooklyn Brewery, established in 1987, is trying to retain some of the old traditions.

They produce a few different beers but i’m trying the Brooklyn Lager for the purposes of this post. Check out their (very loud) website for more details. Its their original and best-selling beer, an amber lager that displays a firm malt centre supported by a fine bitterness and floral hop aroma (it says here).

I like this, its a good lager - quite dark with pronounced maltiness and real flavour. This is the anti-Budweiser. At 5.2% it packs a decent punch as well. Unlike some of the other North American beers so i’ve tried so far you might even be able to find it in the UK, although i’m not entirely sure of that.

As ever, happy drinking…

Brooklyn Brewery