The BeerCast

We’re currently putting together our second BeerCast Edinburgh pub guide, a definitive list of half a dozen or so great Edinburgh boozers. Neatly timed to co-incide with the end of the Festival, we have a few in mind already – but to any of our readers who are familiar with the Athens of the North, which pubs should be included? Any particular gems that the non-Edinburghers on the internet might want to visit if they ever come here and feel thirsty? For example – the overlooked masterpiece that is Kay’s Bar (pictured), which has an interesting and regularly-changed beer selection (not to mention a great view for the designated driver waiting outside).

Leave us comments or emails, and we’ll put up the pub guide as soon as I’ve come up with a suitable shortlist. We’re also planning a London pub guide, and would likewise welcome any suggestions. Cheers!

The BeerCast’s Edinburgh Pub Guide Part 1
The BeerCast’s York Pub Guide

We like to think of ourselves at the BeerCast as being beyond casual stereotyping – but when you deal with ‘real ale’ it can be very hard to avoid. Beer enthusiasts tend to be of a certain demographic, which is why beer festivals can be enlightening when the occasional non-beardy person wanders in. Admittedly, most of us on the panel have sported outrageous facial hair at some point or another*, but on the whole being the achingly cutting edge hipsters that we are, we try and differ from the usual real ale crowd.

But where does the non-real ale crowd hang out? Not in any of our usual locals, that’s for sure. Last weekend, this BeerCaster was forced to go decidedly upmarket and frequent that much loved of institutions – a ’boutique bar’. I’ll not name the particular venue, but readers who are familiar with George Street in Edinburgh will doubtless think of any one of a number of style bars that it could have been. I had a good time – don’t get me wrong – but when someone turned to me halfway through and asked if I like the place we were in…well…

One of the walls in the front bar was completely covered in mirror-ball squares, the other being silver flock wallpaper. You certainly don’t get that at the old men boozers, that’s for sure. And (real) flowers on the bar, something of change from sticky drip trays and yeasty branded barcloths. Getting change given back on a small silver tray is very New Town, rather than a jumble of coins hastily shoved back into the pocket, unchecked (which is how I end up with so many pound coins from Gibraltar).

The staff were glamorous and friendly though, from the striking woman with the clipboard at the door to the Aussie barman who kept referring to me as ‘Boss’. And the toilets…my word. Fresh-smelling, with actual soap and expensive paper towels (I was half expecting fluffy cotton ones). If you read this and think “Well, isn’t that the way toilets are?”, you obviously haven’t been to the ‘proper’ pub I visited afterwards (which I also won’t name), which had buckets under the urinals, blocked sinks, and an aroma that would bring tears to the eyes of a rat.

So would I change my ways, and forsake the humble corner public house for this new lifestyle? Not when I have to resort to Amstel at £3.80 a pint, no.

* I think I account for at least half of them

Summer’s here (supposedly), so our panellists are keen to try a range of drinks designed for the season. Giving short shrift to the prospect of drinking cider with ice, we head straight for the Golden Ales – characteristically British hoppy, biscuity ales best served cold for the summer. We begin our sunny podcast with Wagtail’s King Tut Golden Ale (4.0%abv) from Norfolk, then move to the other side of southern England to Dorset for Badger’s peachtastic Golden Glory (4.5%). Our third beer is back in East Anglia with Suffolk’s St Peter’s Golden Ale (4.7%) – featuring a truly distinctive bottle shape – and we finish on the quintessential golden ale – Hop Back’s multi award-winning Summer Lightning (5.0%), from Salisbury in Wiltshire. On the panel this time – Shovels, Richard and Grooben.

1. King Tut Golden Ale (4.0%abv)
Wagtail Brewery, Old Buckenham, Norfolk.
500ml glass bottle

Egyptologist and discoverer of Tutankhamen’s tomb Howard Carter was born and raised in the East Anglian village of Swaffham, just down the road from the Wagtail Brewery. Their golden ale is apparently infused with Egyptian spices, so takes it’s name from the boy king, and features Tut’s spectacular death mask on the label. Wagtail opened in March 2006 and only produce bottle conditioned beers made with Norfolk malts. Before his grisly early demise, Howard Carter made a great discovery – but will King Tut’s Golden Ale be full of wonderful things?

What They Say – “This golden ale is brewed using genuine Egyptian spices and Branthill Farms famous malted barley.” [Label Tasting Notes]

What We Say…
Richard – Aftertaste of woody straw lingers, not refreshing at all 5
Grooben – Half beer half lager, with none of the qualities of either 4
Shovels – Fizzy, sharp and bitter – not what I was expecting 4

2. Badger Golden Glory (4.5%abv)
Hall & Woodhouse Ltd, Blandford Forum, Dorset.
500ml glass bottle

Founded in 1777, the Hall&Woodhouse brewery is in the hands of the fifth generation of Woodhouses in the Dorset town of Blandford Forum. Under the Badger name they produce commonly-seen beers like Tanglefoot, Fursty Ferret, and Blandford Fly, and in 2002 they acquired the Horsham brewer Kings&Barnes. However, Badger Golden Glory is a golden ale flavoured with an extract of peach blossom, to give it a refreshing summery aroma. Legend has it that the gift of peach blossom brings good fortune to the recipient – will the panel be giving their thanks?

What They Say – “With an absolutely glorious floral blend of aromatic and bitter hops and a delicate peach and melon aroma, Glory is the ideal ale to accompany duck pate or cheesecake.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – Peach right up the nose, it’s practically a fruit beer 7
Richard – Smells so nice, yet maybe tastes a bit too sweet 6½
Shovels – As a summer beer it does exactly the job you want 6

3. St Peter’s Golden Ale (4.7%abv)
St Peter’s Brewery, Bungay, Suffolk.
500ml glass bottle

St Peter’s range of beers are unmistakable on the shelves, as they come in a unique flask-shaped bottle based on a Pennsylvanian original dating from 1770. The brewery was established near the Suffolk village of Bungay in 1996, and concentrate mainly on the bottled side of the business – although recently they have been producing more cask ales. They own a single pub – the 18th Century Jerusalem Tavern in Clerkenwell, central London. Their beers are cold fitered and produced with less carbonation than other breweries, to be less gassy.

What They Say – “Amber-coloured, full-bodied, robust ale. A strong hop bouquet leads to a mix of malt and hops combined with a dry, fruity hoppiness. The malt quickly subsides, leaving a creamy bitterness” [Good Beer Guide]

What We Say…
Shovels – Very refreshing and better the warmer it gets 8
Richard – Dry and hoppy, this is a proper golden ale 8
Grooben – A real beer with the complexity you’d expect 7½

4. Summer Lightning (5.0%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

One of the most famous of all British beers, Hop Back’s Summer Lightning is the quintessential Golden Ale – indeed the section on that style in the Good Beer Guide names it and Exmoor’s Exmoor Gold as the two pioneers of the type. Hop Back also claim Summer Lightning is the most award-winning beer in the UK, with over seventy gongs for quality – a quite astonishing record. The brewery began in the basement of a pub – the Wyndham Arms in Salisbury – and has since expanded to bespoke facilities. Hop Back’s beers are always a good bet for summer, and with labels featuring the Greek god of wine and ale, can they go wrong?

What They Say – “A pleasureable pale bitter with a good, fresh, hoppy aroma and a malty, hoppy flavour. Finely balanced, it has an intense bitterness leading to a long dry finish. Though strong, it tastes like a session ale.” [Good Beer Guide]

What We Say…
Grooben – This is just what I look for in a beer, very nice indeed 9
Richard – Hoppy and bitter but not too much of each – brilliant 9
Shovels – Subtle and light, this is perfect for summer 9

BeerCast panel verdict

Summer Lightning – 27/30
St Peter’s Golden Ale – 23½/30
Badger Golden Glory – 19½/30
King Tut’s Golden Ale – 13/30

Panellists – (from bottom right) Grooben, Richard, Shovels

• Listen to the episode here: BeerCast #19 – Golden Summer
• Subscribe to the podcasts in iTunes or our site feed

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with episode 20, focusing on dark ales from York and Harrogate. Stay tuned for details…and please leave us comments on the blog or iTunes, or emails. Cheers!