Swale Ale Summer 2012

Summer Issue 2012 1

The FREE Magazine of the Swale branch of CAMRA

The Campaign for Real Ale

Swale Ale Vol 4 Issue 3

Hops Glorious Hops

O ne Hop, Six Hop, Hophead; it’s amazing

the number of beers now with hop in

the name or named after hop varieties. We

would all probably recognise Fuggles,

Goldings and Challenger; now we frequently

see Chinook, Cascade, Yakima and especially

popular in the last year ‘Citra’. I even saw a

beer from the Kew Botanist brewery, called

‘Humulus Lupulus’ and wondered, as the beer

used the generic name for the hop, what hop

varieties were used in the making? They

didn’t say.

Humulus lupulus comes from the

family of plants Cannabaceae, genus: humulus

and the species: lupulus; a close relation to

the hemp plant (cannabis). There has been a

wonderful explosion of flavours in some of

the beers currently available, thanks largely to

the increasing number of and the innovative

steps of micro-brewers. In part this is

because new brewers are seeking out

different varieties and sources of hop to brew

something out of the ordinary. Some suggest

that this stems from the craft breweries of

the US, and certainly there are many popular

US hops being used, but there are also many

hops from New Zealand and Australia being

introduced to the British market. Perhaps it is

a result of a cross fertilization of ideas and

communication among the micro-brewers

both here and abroad.

In September we celebrate the harvest

of the Kent hops and perhaps it would be

In this issue… Faversham Hop Festival Pub Guide

Branch and Brewery News

All Within a Day of Swale: our new walking trail

Summer Issue 2012 2

Summer Issue 2012 3

helpful to understand a bit more about the

hop and its use in brewing.

The hop is a perennial climbing vine

requiring good soil, sunshine and protection

from the wind, and the bines produced from

cuttings and cultivated can reach over 30 feet

in length. Only the female plants produce the

flowers that become fruit cones. The plants

usually flower between July and August and

the fruit cones ripen in September. The bines

are harvested by cutting them off at ground

level and then taken away to strip the cones

off the bine. The cones then need to be

dried, 80% of the fresh hop cone is water and

this must be greatly reduced for successful

storage. The cones are dried by hot air being

passed through a perforated floor covered

with the hops. This was the function of the

traditional Oast house, where a kiln

underneath would provide the heat upwards

through the hops, and the cowling on the top

providing some regulation of the drying

process which lasted about 8 hours, after

which the hops were packaged into sacks.

So on to hops in beer. Hops are an

essential ingredient providing flavour, aroma

and preservative qualities. The use of hops

distinguishes beer from ale. There are two

types of hop; bittering hops and aroma hops.

Bittering hops give beer that bitter flavour

and are generally high in alpha acid content.

Large breweries tend towards heavy use of

bittering with high alpha as it is low cost.

Aroma hops give a characteristic hop aroma

which comes largely from the hop oil and

adds flavour to the beer. They have a low to

medium alpha content. If you want to test

for the oils just take a fresh hop and rub it in

your hand. Some hops are versatile and have

both bittering and aroma qualities;

‘Challenger’ which is grown locally is one.

Traditionally the hops were added to

the start of the boiling of the mash in the

brewing kettle and later removed by passing

the boil (wort) through a ‘hop back’, straining

out the spent hop material. The hop back is

not used as much today as there has been a

move over the years to the use of hop pellets

(mechanically processed, compressed and foil

packed) and hop extracts (extract obtained by

solvent passed through the hops). The other

feature of aroma hops is that the oils, and

their aroma, are less apparent when these

hops are added at the start of the boil, so they

are added later to bring out the maximum

aroma and flavour in the beer, hence the term

‘late hopped’. Another way to get more hop

aroma is dry hopping. In this case hops are

added to the cask and as the beer is then cold

the hop oils are very effective in penetrating

the brew. I can recall a brewery that had two

beers at the same gravity and the only

difference was dry hopping, but it was a

marked difference. Try and search out a dry

hopped beer just to see the effect. A good

start might be Fuller’s Chiswick or Harvey’s

Armada.

I said earlier that the focus on hop

variety is a result of the increasing number of

small breweries. I also believe that

pronounced hop flavour is not a new

phenomenon. Anybody who remembers Ind

Coope’s Burton bitter, Young’s Special, when

it was special, or the briefly available King &

Barnes ‘Cornucopia’, will recall the intensity

of hop. Sadly most of the major brewers

moved away from intense hop characteristics

as it probably cost too much or complicated

the production line. However if they are back

then I for one appreciate the added choice

and I am pleased to see our local regional

brewer has produced a special with Boston

Beer Co called ‘Blonde Ambition’, using 50%

English and 50% US hops.

But remember when imbibing that

hops were once used by Christian monks for

their soporific effects.

[JW]

Hops Glorious Hops continued

Summer Issue 2012 4

Swale Ale © Summer 2012

Published by the Swale Branch of the

Campaign for Real Ale Ltd (CAMRA).

Circulation: 1,200

Editorial Committee and Contributors:

Jeff Waller, Gary Holness, Keir Stanley,

Andrew Kitney, Simon Ing, Suzanne

Collins, Malcolm Winskill, Gill Joiner, Keith

Joiner.

Print Liaison: Les Bailey

Advertising: Gary Holness

——————————————–————

All correspondence to:

Les Bailey

58 Wallers Road

Faversham

Kent

ME13 7PL

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01795 538824

———————————————–———

Any opinions expressed within these

pages are those of the individual authors

only and do not represent those of

CAMRA or any of its officials.

The existence of this publication in a

particular outlet does not imply an

endorsement of it by Swale CAMRA .

———————————————–———

Printed by:

Abbey Print, Faversham

———————————————–——

Branch Details

Chairman: Simon Ing

Secretary: Les Bailey

Social Secretary: Gary Holness

Treasurer: Les Bailey

Editorial

Visit our award winning website at

www.camra-swale.org.uk

W elcome to this edition of Swale Ale and

let’s hope that by the time you are

reading this it has stopped raining and warmed

up!! In this issue as well as the usual wide range

of varied articles, you will find a pub guide to the

Faversham Hop Festival which includes a handy

map showing where they all are.

Since CAMRA was founded in 1971 the

number of breweries in the UK has grown

fourfold to over 840* and more are opening all

the time. Unfortunately the number of pubs in

which to drink the beer is declining with the UK

losing on average 12 pubs a week.* So

supporting your local is more important than

ever.

Swale CAMRA are always interested in

hearing about any beer and pub related news so

if you have anything of interest let us know

either electronically (see contact details on

www.camra-swale.org.uk) or better still come along to one of our monthly meetings and tell us

in person. We might even persuade you to join

us!

Cheers. * Source CAMRA

Summer Issue 2012 5

Faversham’s hidden gem The Shipwright’s Arms, Hollowshore,

Faversham

A 17th Century traditional creek side free house. Selling up to five real ales

from Kentish brewers, and serving good food. Take a trip back in time and savour the delights of a truly traditional pub.

Rated by Jamie Oliver as one of the top 100 traditional

pubs in the country.

Please check website or phone to confirm hours of

opening.

Tel: 01795 590088

Web: www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk

Directions: At Davington School turn into Ham Road and follow the signs across the marsh.

T he Hop Festival is here, or is just going to

happen, or I hope you enjoyed yourself at

it. Whichever it is we have a BEER stall. So I will

either see you there or I hope you liked the

beer, cider and perry we had for sale. (I just

hope that there will be a pint or two left for

me.)

On that last note can I ask you a

question: how much did your pint cost? We

know how much we charged you at our beer

stall, but what about the other places you

bought a beer from? Was it the same price as

usual, was it more or was it less than usual?

Whatever the price let CAMRA know.

Is anyone inflating prices just because of the

Hop Festival and the large influx of visitors to

Faversham? We want to know, at least if

nothing else, so we can let people know. It's

then up to the individual where they buy beer

from.

I don't mind paying for a good beer, but I

don't want to feel like I'm paying too much if I

could save some money when buying a drink.

Over the Hop Festival have fun, have

a drink (as we now have to say, please drink

sensibly) and enjoy yourselves. Faversham has

some great pubs to visit, so please do. Yes they

will be busy, so please be patient - the good

food and drink is worth a little wait. Remember

there will be lots of entertainment with music,

street performers and Morris dancing.

One more thing before I let you get

back to your drink. If you take any photos at the

Hop Festival we’d like to see them. E-mail them

to us and you never know we may print them in

the next Swale Ale. To find our contact address

look in this Swale Ale - it's in here somewhere.

Simon Ing

Chairman’s Chat

http://www.theshipwrightsarmspub.co.uk/

Summer Issue 2012 6

Kent Pub and Brewery News

Swale CAMRA Branch Diary Wednesday 8th August:

Branch Business Meeting: 8.00pm, The Plough,

Stalisfield Green.

Saturday 25th August:

Bat and Trap Match: 1.00pm, The Castle Inn,

Oare (details via [email protected]).

Saturday 1st/Sunday 2nd September:

Branch Beer Stall at Hop Festival:

10.30am – 4.00pm, East Street, Faversham,

outside Iceland Store.

Wednesday 12th September:

Branch Business Meeting: 8.00pm, The Plough

and Harrow, Oad Street, nr Sittingbourne.

Saturday 29th September:

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: 7.30pm, The

Elephant, The Mall, Faversham.

Wednesday 10th October:

Branch Business Meeting: 8.00pm, The Anchor,

Abbey Street, Faversham.

Wednesday 14th November:

Branch Business Meeting: 8.00pm, The Three

Tuns, Lower Halstow.

Shepherd Neame:

The Pilot Brewery has recently produced

Champion Ale (4.1%); Four Tennants Ale (4.0%

abv); Kentucky Bluebird (5.0%), which is a an

American Style Pale Ale with four American hop

varieties; Original Whitstable Bay Oyster Stout

(3.7%), brewed for the Oyster Festival and made

with real oysters; Bearded Lady (4.8%) brewed

for the Broadstairs Folk Festival in mid August

and available only at The Royal Albion; and

Torch Bearer (4.55%) brewed for the Olympic

torch relay. The Main Brewery has recently

produced Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Ale

(3.85%); 4-4-2 (4.0%); and Blonde Ambition

(4.5%) using English and American Hops.

Seasonal Ales are currently Whitstable Bay Ale

(4.1%) and Canterbury Jack (3.5%).

Hopdaemon:

Has produced a special beer called Bewitched for the Kent Beer Festival.

Selling:

The Sondes Arms is now reported to be re-

opening in August following unexpected

additional building work.

The White Lion has now re-opened with new

Licensees, Lisa and Anthony Chesterton.

Faversham:

The Leading Light (Wetherspoon) is considering

organising a Kentish Beer Festival in early

August. Has recently had beers from

Hopdaemon, Wantsum, Whitstable, Tunbridge

Wells and Goody’s.

The Windmill which closed in January 2011, is

now being converted to two residential

properties.

The Elephant has had Goody ales, brewed in a

brand new micro brewery in Herne; their beers

are Good Heavens (3.9%), Good Health (3.6%)

and Genesis (3.5%).

We understand the Mechanics in West Street is

still under threat of closure and disposal by Shepherd Neame, while it is also understood

The Anchor is soon to be in need of a new

tenant.

Sittingbourne:

Sad to report that The Golden Ball is no longer;

planning permission for houses has

been agreed.

Summer Issue 2012 7

75 Preston Street, Faversham

01795 591817

The Old Wine Vaults is a 16th century pub set

in the heart of historic Faversham.

FOUR Cask Ales

TWO Cask Ciders Cider Pub of the Year and Third Place Pub of the Year

Faversham Hop Festival, live music all weekend. 3 bars serving the largest selection of cask ales in

Faversham. Hog Roast Saturday, food all weekend.

20p off nominated ale and cask cider

with a valid CAMRA Card

The pub is open Mon-Sat 11am to 11pm and Sundays 12pm

to 10.30pm.

Summer Issue 2012 8

The Railway Hotel

Hop Festival Friday 31st Aug ~ Sunday 2nd September

Band Line-up

Friday Night (8.30pm)

Ben Mills’ Allstars

Saturday (midday ~ 10.00pm)

Shedload of Love

Sur Les Dock

Follia

Hot Rats

Blues Bandits

Jam Sandwich

Sunday (midday ~6.00pm)

Jeff Barker Band

Follia

Sur Les Docks

Strumbums 1

Strumbums II

Hot Food ~ Outside Bar

plus The Railway Hotel’s own, exclusive

Limited Edition hand-crafted cask beer ~

“PLATFORM 5” (3.8%)

Summer Issue 2012 9

What's your tipple?

W hen I had to think about this question, I

thought ‘well that’s simple’. Or is it? For

a start what do we mean - is it your favourite

drink or the one you drink most often? If it's the

latter then in my case the answer is tea, but

even that leads to more questions. You are by

now probably thinking ‘hang on this is in Swale

Ale, what's the madman up to?’ Well stick with

me for a bit longer and if we are both lucky I'll

get to a point.

Now where was I? Ah yes types of tea…

in my case black, English breakfast blend for

preference. Strong. Oh no more questions

loom. MILK? For me yes, milk but only a splash.

SUGAR? Again yes - two spoonfuls (I know it's

not good for me but I like sweet tea). You’re

thinking ‘yes he has gone quite mad, no mention

of beer at all!’

Well do these four ingredients remind

you of anything: malted barley, hops, yeast and water? Yes, BEER! So many varieties of barley,

hops and yeast, and don't even start on what

you can do to make the water taste different by

filtering or adding minerals.

So back to the question at the top of the

page and on to favourite tipple. I like rum, single

malt whisky, good coffee (try getting that, it's

not as easy as you might think) and, as you might

have guessed, tea. But this is about favourite

beer. Well I'm still trying different beers; there

are lots I like but a favourite - I haven't found

that yet. I'm still looking but it is not a bad hobby

to have, after all there is even a club or two you

can join. That may help or may make it harder,

with more suggestions from the friends you

make. So if you too are on a similar quest and

haven't joined CAMRA, think about it (if you are

a member and have got any suggestions about

beers, come along to a meeting and tell me).

Maybe you will make some new friends and find

some new and interesting beers to try. At least

you'll have something in common to talk about

over your pint - beer!

Now I know even CAMRA has its own set

of problems and its politics, but at the end of the

day it's about good beer (real ale), and not

forgetting real cider, perry and of course good

pubs to go to. If we don't use it we lose it and

it's certainly true of pubs. With no pubs what

kind of beer will we all get? I don't know for

sure, but I know it won't taste nice! So join up,

drink good beer in good pubs and make sure, by

campaigning, that we will still have both to

enjoy! And the quest to find my own favourite

beer still goes on.

Oh yes, if you’re still wondering at the

moment I'm favouring …

Golden Braid from Hopdaemon

Hophead from Dark Star

Foundry Man's Gold from Canterbury

Brewers,

Well it is summer, I'll probably choose

something darker in the Autumn.

[SI]

Steam and Beer 2012

T his year we

were very

pleased to see

the return of the

S i t t i n gb ou rne

and Kemsley

Light Railway

Beer Festival.

The 6th April

2012 saw the reopening of the viaduct station,

allowing the Steam and Beer annual beer festival

to return on the 7th and 8th July. With 34

different beers and five different ciders this

festival provided excellent choice on what was a

very wet weekend. My personal highlight of the

festival was Concrete Cow’s Fenny Popper

(4.0%) - a light and zesty ale. [KS]

To find out more about the Sittingbourne and

Kemsley Light Railway Beer Festival contact:

www.sklr.net

Summer Issue 2012 10

OVER 600 OF THE FINEST

ALES SOLD NATIONALLY

AT J D WETHERSPOON

BRITAIN’S NO.1 SUPPORTER

OF MICROBREWERIES

JOIN CAMRA TODAY AND

RECEIVE WETHERSPOON REAL

ALE VOUCHERS WORTH £20 FULL DETAILS ON APPLICATION FORM: WWW.CAMRA.ORG.UK

Why not eat on one of our Club days? Steak Club: Tuesdays noon to 10pm

Curry Club: Thursdays noon to 10 pm

Sunday Club (Roasts): Sundays Noon to 6pm

Club meals include a free drink. See menu for details.

20-22 Preston Street, Faversham, Kent Subject to local licensing restrictions and availability at participating free houses

THE LEADING LIGHT

wetherspoon


The price of your pint

T he beer duty escalator was introduced by the last Government in 2008, and is currently in

place until 2014/15. It means that beer duty is automatically increased by 2% above

inflation every single year. As a result, tax on beer has gone up by over 40% since 2008.

You now pay over a third of your pint on tax. Any more increases in beer duty will increase

the pressure on pubs already struggling to survive and damage the long term ability of the beer

and pub sector to continue contributing over £6 billion a year in duty and VAT, and over £21

billion to the UK’s GDP. CAMRA is calling for the Chancellor to abandon the unfair beer duty

escalator in the next Budget. [SI]

Please sign the e-petition.

Go to the CAMRA website

and you can sign it from

there, even if you are not a

member of CAMRA.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

petitions/29664

For more information on

CAMRA campaigns visit:

www.camra.org.uk


Valid from 2nd January 2012 until 29th February 2012


The difference between a Craft Beer and a

Micro-brew Beer

T here are commonalities when talking

about craft beer and micro-brewed beer

but there are also great differences. The two

terms are interchanged often because they

are so darn confusing. Let us start with the

definitions of a micro-brewery and a craft

brewery.

In the US where craft beer may have

originated as a term a micro-brewery is

classified by the number of beer barrels it

produces in a year, which is a limit of 15,000

beer barrels a year or 460,000 US gallons

(approx. 1 US gallon to 0.83 imperial). At

least 75 percent of that beer must be sold

outside of the brewery. There are no strict

guidelines set on the

t e c h n i q u e s o r

ingredients a micro-

brewery uses to

produce their beer. A

micro-brewery is

classified as such

according to the

amount of beer it

produces annually.

A c r a f t

brewery brews no

more than 2 million

gallons of beer per

year and is owned independently. Unlike a

micro-brewery, in the US a craft brewery has

set limitations on the techniques of its beer

production. A craft brewery's beer must

contain at least 50 percent traditional malt,

rather than others such as oats, barley and

wheat and there lies one distinction. These

ingredients add flavour to the beer. Most craft

beers are of a European style like ales, stouts

and porters. One of the most well known

craft brewers is the maker of Samuel Adams;

The Boston Brewing Company.

The fad of calling low production

breweries craft breweries instead of micro-

breweries is just a common error. The terms

are used erroneously. The terms that should

stand are micro-brewery and macro-brewery

to differentiate a brewery based on

production amount. Craft beer is a product,

and a good one at that, not a measure of size.

This misconception also happens because

some beer drinkers automatically assume that

a micro-brewery uses craft ingredients and

this is not always true.

So to summarise…

….a craft brewery is not always a micro-

brewery and a micro-brewery is only a craft

brewery if it follows craft brewing standards.

Craft beer is beer that

is brewed in batches

with the finest quality

ingredients, and is done

on a limited basis or

may be a seasonal

brew. Many craft

breweries take pride in

n o t o n l y t h e

ingredients used to

make their beer but

also in the equipment

used to produce it.

There is a trend

growing, with a lot of people drinking local

and choosing craft beers. The breweries are

farming out their ingredients locally. Local

ingredients can add to the quality and

distinction of a beer. A number of breweries

operate on this philosophy. They strive to use

environmental practices that achieve a

sustainable and profitable business -

celebrating all things local when possible.

I for one will continue to support both

sides of this story – micro and craft. For me

it’s the way forward when drinking quality

ales from both the UK and across the globe.

[AK]



The Strange Case of the

Poisoned Pale Ale

G reetings gentle reader, tis I Obidiah

Spillage, with another tale from the

rich vein of our brewing heritage. This time

I am going back to the height of the

Victorian age when Burton beers and in

especial India Pale Ale were all the rage. I

will tell a tale that shocked and outraged

the chattering classes of the time, a tale rife

with foul accusations of poisoning and

skulduggery.

We are in the mid 1800s and Burton

beers were revered across the land. Bass

had exhibited their pale Burton beers at no

less than the Paris Exhibition of 1867 at

which they won a silver medal for their

IPA. There was a great rivalry between the

many Burton brewers to see who could

produce the finest IPA. Frequently locking

horns in this contest were two of the titans

of Burton, Bass and Allsopp. Allsopp

claiming that they were the first to invent

IPA for the long journey to India and Bass

countering the claim. Either way the trendy

young blades out on the town could not

get enough of the stuff describing it as ‘a

bright sparkling bitter, the colour of sherry

and the condition of champagne’. (One

laments that the same cannot be said for

some of the beers labelled as IPA today!!)

IPA was called ‘the high fashion beer of the

railway age’. However all this success may

have never have occurred if a certain

accusation by a Frenchman had proved

true.

Before I continue this dastardly tale I

feel a smidgen of background information is

in order here. If you have never tried a true

IPA (shame on you if this is so) one of the

characteristics of this fine brew is the bitter

twang achieved by the addition of hops, and

lots of them. Hops not only give the beer a

sharp, dry, bitter taste but they also act as a

preservative. This helped the beer to

survive the long sea voyage to India. The

next time you visit a brewery have a taste

of the hop, the sensation in the mouth is

quite extraordinary!

Back to the tale: In 1851 the

aforesaid Frenchman, a chemist by the

name of Monsieur Payen, claimed that the

Burton brewers had used strychnine to

achieve the distinctive bitter taste. He

claimed that large quantities of the poison

had been manufactured in Paris and was

bound for a secret destination which he

made clear was Burton. These accusations

were published in The Medical Times and

Gazette which stated ‘the fashionable

longing for bitterness has surpassed the

An account of awful accusations of

adulterated ale


T: 01795530060 M: 07582556022 E: [email protected] W: www.plumbingandgasservicekenk.co.uk


The Strange Case… bitterness of hops and the manufacturers

have apparently been driven to their wits’

end to satisfy the dyspeptic cravings of the

British stomach’. I am not sure about the

dyspeptic cravings of the British stomach

but I do know that the British sense of

outrage is easily aroused and the middle

classes really had something to get their

teeth into. Could this be true!?! Were

those young gentlemen about town putting

themselves at dire risk simply to fuel the

profits of large business? It must be true

mustn’t it after all it has been published and

they would not have done so if it was false,

surely! Can you credit that the press would

publish falsehoods whilst claiming that their

sources were reliable!

Anyway Bass and Al lsopp

immediately forgot their differences and

joined forces to refute this foul slur on their

fine product. Michael Thomas Bass

thundered off a letter to The Times denying

any knowledge of the alleged French

strychnine and making a very fair point by

stating ‘Why, Sir, India would long ago have

been depopulated of its European

inhabitants had there been anything

pernicious in pale ale…’ It is a fair point, as

there seems to me little commercial

advantage in killing off your customers for

the want of a few hops!!

The breweries went on the offensive

to discredit the allegations. They arranged

visits to Burton by a professor from the

Royal College of Chemistry, a

representative from The Lancet and a

German chemist called Baron Justus Liebig

(Unfortunate surname!). However the

Baron was very eminent in the biological

chemistry field (and, by the by, he also

invented Oxo cubes!!). These eminent

fellows carried out a thorough investigation

and the upshot was that the brewers were

completely vindicated which made them

very happy especially as the story was

headlines all over the national press, giving

Burton breweries some welcome free

publicity. The experts found that the

amount of strychnine needed to achieve the

bitterness of hops would have been twice

the fatal dose for a man and to poison all

the beer brewed in Burton would have

required nearly seventeen times the

amount of strychnine produced in the

world in a year!!

So there you have it gentle reader

and if, after an evening’s indulgence of IPA,

you are feeling a little queasy the next

morning you can always blame it on the

strychnine!!

If you want to read more about IPA I

would heartily recommend Pete Brown’s

excellent book Hops and Glory – One

man’s search for the beer that built the

British Empire.

Obidiah Spillage

continued

If you would like to contribute to

Swale Ale please contact:

[email protected]



S wale CAMRA would like to welcome you to the 2012 Faversham

International Hop Festival. This small market town is blessed with a

variety of pubs serving both local and national beers. In addition to these

favourites you may stumble across a number of beers that are being brewed especially for

this event.

Whilst visiting Faversham we recommend that you step outside of the main festival

route to visit some of the other pubs that will also be holding beer festivals and staging live

music during this weekend. We also recommend that you visit our own stall serving a

variety of beers from our local area. You should also consider booking yourself onto one

of Shepherd Neame’s brewery tours.

Albion On the opposite side of Faversham Creek, just 4 minutes form the main

town centre, this waterside pub offers a range of Shepherd Neame beers.

At festival time this pub often offers an outside bar, BBQ and live music.

During the rest of the year the pub provides a menu of Mexican and

English food.

Anchor At the opposite end of Abbey Street to the town centre, by the flourishing

Standard Quay with its historic sailing barges, this 300 year old Shepherd

Neame pub has a large garden which during festival time features live bands

and a BBQ. A wide range of Shepherd Neame beers are served.

Bear This historic Shepherd Neame pub which has recently been sympathetically

renovated has three small bars off a small corridor, each with their own

atmosphere. Three Shepherd Neame beers served including those from

the micro-brewery.

Brents

Tavern

On the opposite side of the creek this local free house is just five minutes

from the town centre.

Bull This oak-beamed Shepherd Neame pub was being built in 1409, and was

visited by both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The pub boasts a large garden

and at festival time often stages live bands.

Chimney Boy Close to the railway station this Shepherd Neame house is located

opposite the Preston Street music stage. A restaurant and beer garden are

accessible to the rear.

Crown &

Anchor

On the quieter side of the station, this Shepherd Neame local is accessible

via the pedestrian underpass.

Faversham Hop Festival


The Brents

Free House

Mechanics Arms Shepherd Neame

The Albion

Shepherd Neame

The Bull

Shepherd Neame

The Three Tuns

Shepherd Neame

Old Wine Vault

Free House

The Sun

Shepherd Neame

Crown & Anchor

Shepherd Neame

The Elephant

Free House

Faversham International Hop Festival Pub Guide: 1st & 2nd September 2012

The Chimney Boy

Shepherd Neame


The Anchor

Shepherd Neame

Swan & Harlequin

Free House

The Phoenix

Free House

The Bear

Shepherd Neame

Market Inn

Shepherd Neame

Leading Light

Wetherspoon

The Railway

Shepherd Neame

CAMRA Beer

Stall

Open Street Map

Faversham

Homebrew Shop

Faversham International Hop Festival Pub Guide: 1st & 2nd September 2012


Elephant As Swale CAMRA Pub of the year since 2007 this local free house is only a

two minute walk from the station via the pedestrian underpass. The five

ever-changing beers include many from local Kentish micro-breweries. In

addition this pub also offers excellent real cider by hand pump. A beautiful

walled garden is to the rear.

Leading

Light

This Wetherspoon pub in Preston Street has a tradition for serving a wide

range of beers, enhancing the chains normal range with many from local

micros.

Market Inn This lively Shepherd Neame pub on East Street offers a good range of

Faversham brewed beers and excellent live music throughout the year. The

Market Inn is just a 3 minute walk from the town centre.

Mechanics

Arms

This small Shepherd Neame local on West Street is just three minutes from

the Market Place on the way to Stonebridge Pond.

Phoenix This ancient pub on Abbey Street is only two minutes from the town

centre. Offering five ever changing beers on hand pump and many more on

gravity including Harveys Best Bitter and other national favourites. At

festival times live music is held in the garden.

The Old

Wine Vaults

This town centre local serves up to four real ales on hand pump and two

real ciders all year round. At festival time they expand this range with an

outside bar in the garden and live music.

Railway

Hotel

A grand Shepherd Neame pub opposite the station with many original

features. The Railway Hotel has an extensive list of music over the festival

weekend and this year will be serving its own festival ale ‘Platform 5’.

The Sun Close to the market square this historic Shepherd Neame house has large

sunny terrace on multiple levels.

Swan &

Harlequin

With its lively music stage and a minimum of 14 real ales the Swan and

Harlequin free house is just behind the Shepherd Neame brewery.

Three Tuns Just five minutes from the Market Place this ancient Shepherd

Neame pub is said to have been visited by Nelson. A large garden is to the

rear.

CAMRA

Stall

The CAMRA stall in East Street will be selling the products of

several small East Kent breweries. We should have beers from the

Hopdaemon, Ramsgate, Canterbury Brewers and Whitstable breweries.

Key

Good Beer Guide 2012 Swale CAMRA Pub of the Year

The above information is intended as a guide and it is given in good faith. Since

going to press it is likely that some items will have changed, especially the beers

offered in each pub.


Busman's holiday

Jolly Boys Plymouth Trip

T he quest for beer began with an early

start at the Three Hats, Milton Regis,

where our intrepid explorers began with a

lovely pint of Caledonian Double Dark

Oatmeal Stout (4.6%), followed by another

Caledonian brew, Over the Bar (4.2%). But as

it was nearly 10am we thought we had better

start the long trek down to Plymouth. Firstly

though we all had to say a prayer that the

rickety old battle bus would get us there! (I

am still unaware as to why it was unanimous

that I could not drive my own bus?)

Thanks to Driver Dave’s fantastic

driving we checked in at our Travelodge at

3.45 pm, first pint at Varsity Bar 3.58pm.

What a terrible first experience of Plymouth!

We ordered Sharps Doom Bar (4.0%) and

Charles Wells Bombardier (4.1%) both £3.25

a pint; it was like drinking iced water! So cold

were our drinks all traces of flavour had been

removed, they resembled browner versions

of the dreaded super chilled F@$ter$!

List of Good Beer Guide pubs in hand

and a couple of texts from a certain Plymouth

Paul we ventured towards the Barbican area

where we found an ale lovers oasis that is the

Dolphin Inn. A proper spit and sawdust pub

with slate floors and wooden seating, situated

opposite the seafront. A tiny bar serviced our

explorers with a brilliant selection of gravity

fed fine ales, St Austell Proper Job (4.5%)

(extremely good), Tribute (4.2%), Skinners

Betty Stoggs (4.0%), Sharps Doom Bar,

Ringwood Otter Ale (4.5%) (stunning),

Exmoor Ale, Abbot, Bass and one other

which is undecipherable from my notes at

£3.25. All were in perfect condition and

dispensed directly from the barrel. The

Dolphin Inn has many interesting little

features including etched windows featuring

Plymouth’s Octagon Brewery.

Reluctantly we moved on to the

Maritime Inn which featured Maritime

Recession Buster (4%) at £2.10! And

Summerskills Indiana Bones (5.6%) at £3.00.

When entering from the Barbican side you

are welcomed by a quiet carpeted area and as

you walk through to the bar you find yourself

in the lively Sutton harbour.

As we returned towards the town

centre our alcoholic constipation set in, we

were unable to pass a pub. Stumbling upon

the Queens Arms, Southside Street, we found

a traditional locals’ pub in the heart of the

tourist area. Plush green carpeting and bench

seating, a Landlady’s warm welcome,

everyone joining in each other’s

conversations, and most of all terrific ale,

Bass and Tribute. The pickled onions and eggs

were great.

After a refuelling stop at the all you

can eat Chinese buffet (don’t have the

mussels - ask our long haired friend) we

found the Brass Monkey, offering 10 different

hand pulls. A very busy late night venue

probably better visited during the day for ales

as by this stage our judgement was like their

beer, cloudy!

And so to bed (or an eighties night

club, and the rest is a blur!)


Bodies

CASK MARK ACCREDITED


Jolly Boys Plymouth Trip Today was the day we had been

waiting for and the excuse for our trip. It was

the big match: Plymouth Argyle FC vs

Gillingham FC. So we started with a 10am

breakfast meeting at Wetherspoon’s Union

Rooms. Great value food washed down with

the first pint of the day, Otter Ale, from a

range of ten, variously priced between £1.49 -

£2.15. Unfortunately by this stage our

numbers had been depleted due to a rogue

mussel from the Chinese the previous night

and sympathetic as we are we thought sod

him and carried on with our exploring!

En route to the ground we popped in

the Britannia Inn, Milehouse. Another pub

from the Wetherspoon chain, providing 7

different ales including Sharps Doom Bar,

Otter Ale, and a fantastic Bays Devon

Dumpling (5.1%). Nice friendly atmosphere

between the locals, Plymouth fans and

Gillingham’s travelling supporters.

Entering Home Park we were guided

to the St Austell Tribute Lounge for a pre-

match meal. Our table overlooking the

pristine playing surface was soon decorated

with five pints of perfect condition Tribute.

Could there be any better way to watch

football? Well apparently there is! After the

meal our party prepared to be escorted to the

away end to enjoy the match, however the

lovely customer rep Jo had other ideas guiding

us to a box on the halfway line. Every ten

minutes we had a knock on the door from

one of the waiters asking if we required any

more Tribute, what a pleasant interruption.

Our experience of Plymouth Argyle FC was

amazing, complemented by a 1-0 win to

Gillingham from a cracking Joe Martin goal and

a string of amazing saves by Paulo Gazzaniga.

Well worth a visit on match days. Our ‘watch

wine & dine’ package was only £45 per head

and included match tickets and a scrumptious

three course meal.

After a swift return trip to the

Britannia Inn for a well kept pint of Doom

Bar we ventured back to our Travelodge to

shower, change and enjoy our final night of

freedom, sorry I meant night in Plymouth.

The next pub we stumbled upon was

The Fishermans Arms hidden down a side

street. Collectively we would implore

anyone in the area to visit this amazing gem

of Plymouth. A St Austell house serving

Tribute, Proper Job and Trelawny at £3.35

pint, stylishly decorated with a relaxed

friendly ambience. The busy friendly staff

were very pleasant and welcoming and

explained that if we wanted to dine they

were unfortunately fully booked and had

been for two weeks, but we were more than

welcome to enjoy a drink at the bar. All the

ales were in top condition, going down

beautifully and rapidly. As we jealously

perused the reasonably priced menu, the fine

dining looked and smelled fantastic.

Reluctantly leaving we headed

towards the Barbican area where we had

been advised to try Admiral McBrides,

serving Doom Bar and Betty Stoggs.

Unfortunately on this occasion the quality of

the beer was only just passable. So we

ventured back to our hotel, stopping off at

the Dolphin Hotel and the Queens Arms

where we once again enjoyed great beer

and lovely ambience.

Next day we headed back to rainy

Milton Regis, disembarking at the Three Hats

for a pint of Robinsons Long Kiss Goodnight.

While enjoying an ale or two before we

headed home our explorers had to decide

which pubs were our favourites so here goes

with the top 4:

Fishermans Arms

Dolphin Hotel

Queens Arms

Britannia Inn. [MW]

continued


All within a day of Swale

O n one of our very many nostalgic

escapades to St Albans in Hertfordshire, it

occurred to us that this place would be ideal

territory for a delightful social day out for Swale

members – especially as it is where CAMRA all

started. We hesitate to label time spent here as

being a virtual ‘pub crawl’ because we envisage

the day (easily adapted as a weekend break)

could surely be much more than that! And here

we attempt to prove our point...

We have devised two separate

suggested itineraries for full day trips here. You

could, however, attempt both tours if you stay a

night or two.

Picking up a fast train to St Pancras from

Faversham or Sittingbourne - as early on a

Saturday as one can drag oneself to the railway

station – is highly recommended for this very

full day. Trains currently run twice hourly from

both stations and it takes about one hour to

reach the busy terminus, where you will have

time to use the station facilities (you could even

grab a take-away to eat en route from the

station’s shops and cafes...recommended if you

want to maximise your shopping or pub visiting

time at St Albans) before changing to the St

Pancras/Bedford line.

Trains depart from the lower level of

the station. But before descending, for culture

seekers, observe the two impressive statues

both on the upper level at the St Pancras Station

Hotel end. There is one under the station clock

standing 30ft high called The Meeting Place, by

Paul Day. This one has caused a great deal of

controversy. The other statue is of the former

Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, by Martin

Jennings. It was created in the poet’s honour as

an acknowledgement to his successful campaign

to save the station from demolition in the 1960s.

Trains to St Albans run very frequently

all day. Even the slow one only takes little over

half an hour. The non stop service will get you

there in only 20 minutes! When you arrive,

don’t be put off by what may at first appear to

many as a very ordinary London suburb – the

very best is yet to come!

Tour One: In order to see the best of

St Albans market, you will need to start there

and the quickest way to reach the market is to

take a bus to the city centre. There are many of

them leaving the station forecourt and the journey will take you about five minutes to St

Peter’s Street, where you will see what appears

to be an everlasting row of market stalls lining

the road. When shopping though, consider the

weight of what you will need to carry around for

the remainder of your time here. If you start

your spree at the war memorial end of the

street (near St Peter’s Church) you can work

your way along the whole length of the market

and the main shops. When you pass to the right

of the Town Hall you will be in Market Place and

ahead you will see that the road divides. To the

right you will see French Row and to the left the

continuation of Market Place. On the right you

Gill and Keith explore several possibilities

for great pub visiting within a day of

Swale...all of which can be adapted or

combined for family enjoyment as well as

possible weekend breaks!

They begin in this issue, with

CAMRA’s (and their own) birthplace -

the Historical City of St Albans

Tour One: For shoppers and those wanting to

absorb themselves in the history of the place

while still making time to visit several of the

renowned pubs in the area.

Tour Two: For the dedicated pub enthusiast.

This tour is available on our website:


Both tours begin at the same starting

point and separate on arrival at St Albans City

Station. We suggest trippers reunite (just prior

to the trip home) at The Waterend Barn

(Wetherspoon’s Lloyds No 1) in St Peter’s

Street - in the heart of the city centre.


19th – 21

st October 2012

Open from 11am - close

The Three Hats

Cornish & Scottish

Beer Festival

93 High Street, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne. Kent ME10 2AR

For all enquiries call Malcolm on 07764 842 478


Ye Old Fighting Cocks

All within a day of Swale will see the Clock Tower (climb it if it’s

open...the view from the top is breathtaking…)

or visit one of the adjacent and popular pubs,

The Boot (listed in 2012 CAMRA Good Beer

Guide and well worth a visit... or try the ancient

pub the Fleur de Lys at the end of French Row!).

Leaving here, we suggest you next cross

the road at the traffic lights ahead and

immediately in front of you, you will see there is

a narrow walkway. This pretty alley will lead

you to the beautiful Abbey/Cathedral and en

route there is a pretty walled garden with a

seating area on the left of the path. Proceed in

the shadow of the Abbey Cathedral, turning

right at Sumpter Yard at the end of the path,

where you will see an ancient cedar tree. Pass

this and the East door and Cathedral shop and

cafe, where a few yards beyond there is a fork

left turn down a footpath leading you across the

grounds. There is a signpost to Verulam Park and Museum.

The museum itself is quite a walk and

there may not be time for you to visit both - but

in less than a quarter of a mile from this spot

you can simply relax or walk around the

picturesque park and lake (with ducks and swans

eager to be fed). Just watch the world go by or

maybe take in the scenery with an ice cream.

Just prior to reaching the lake and the bridge

over the River Ver where in its shadow stands

the old silk mill, you may wish to pause or pose

for another photograph... or visit what is

claimed to be the oldest pub in Great Britain

dating from the 8th century, Ye Olde Fighting

Cocks. Inside, there is a (now sealed) ancient

secret passage which ran underground between

the pub cellar and the Abbey crypt. This was

said to be an escape route for those fearing

religious persecution. From this point, if time is

short and you have spent too much of it

shopping, you can either return by the same

route and head back towards the town centre

and your rendezvous point or, if you are really

adventurous, walk the extra mile or so allocated

to this route... spanning firstly, the length of the

lake and out of the gate at the far side into the

old village of St Michael’s.

A left turn from the gate will take you to

two good pubs, The Rose and Crown and The

Six Bells (the latter is listed in the CAMRA GBG

2012) and you could also see the pretty village

church or the museum, or a right turn when

leaving the park will lead you over another

bridge crossing the River Ver.

If time is fairly limited, we recommend

your taking the right turn rather than the left.

Note the old mill on the left of the bridge, now

a restaurant - and just ahead the pub The Blue

Anchor on the right (this pub has an interesting

and unusual food menu. We enjoyed a good

lunch one Sunday). On the other side of the

street you will see the Black Lion (where there

is accommodation although we have not chosen

to stay here ourselves). Continue along what is

now considered to be one of the most

prestigious and oldest streets in St Albans, namely, Fishpool Street. You will not be

disappointed if you are interested in

architecture or ale.

Only a century ago, this was a mere

slum and a red light district and see if you can

spot where there were pubs previously as

indeed, there were many in this street!

A few hundred yards on you will pass

the St Michael’s Manor, now a good class hotel

continued


All within a day of Swale

and renowned wedding venue. Take note of all

the various styles and ages of property along this

long winding road. Moreover, having travelled

this far, try to make time for a very worthwhile

visit to The Lower Red Lion (the pub is open all

day). This is a free house and always serves a

selection of real ales. Usual beers are Oakham

JHB, Sharp’s Doom Bar, plus four guest ales.

We regard this inn and former coaching house

as one of the area’s best kept secrets (a real

gem!) and we have regularly stayed here for two

or three nights on our frequent visits to St

Albans - in all seasons. The cider is good too.

There are usually two real cider/perry pumps at

any one time. Among those sampled was the

Bristol Port Cider and a very good pear perry.

Excellent fish and chips are served on a Friday

evening (we highly recommend this for weekend

visitors... but book a few hours in advance to

avoid disappointment as supplies are soon exhausted). The area outside the pub is quiet

after closing time (barely any passing traffic) and

breakfast is a generous but informal affair, served

in the bar area. The new management are very

welcoming and made every effort to make our

stay last time a comfortable and enjoyable one.

For an evening out during our stay, as Fishpool

Street continues into George Street, we have

eaten twice at an excellent Thai restaurant (The

Thai Rack) there and also at a very good Indian

restaurant which is tucked behind the main

shops on the opposite side of the road at No 23,

called The Samoji (formerly part of The George

Inn).

But to revert to the final part of our

recommended Route 2, you will need to

continue up Fishpool Street from the Lower Red

Lion for a few hundred yards, taking a left turn

into a little back street called Wellclose Street.

At the end of it you will find the Verulam Arms.

Cross the road into Lower Dagnall Street and

observe The Farriers Arms (where CAMRA

were said to have held their first branch

meeting). Proceed up the steep hill, crossing the

Verulam Road into Upper Dagnall Street which

will take you straight into the town centre

passing at least another couple of pubs on the

way.

In St Peter’s Street, if you are joining

members of your party who have opted to take

the alternative route on our website, you will need to f ind the Waterend Barn

(Wetherspoon’s Lloyds No 1) entrance situated

behind the Post Office. It is ideal as a recovery

stop following an exhausting shopping spree or

for a coffee and sober up before heading off

back down Victoria Street towards the station.

Buses leave frequently from a stop near the Post

Office if you are carrying heavy shopping.

There was a beer festival when we visited The

Waterend Barn in March this year though – so

there was an abundance of excellent beers on

offer with ten on the rack as well as the usual

beers on the pumps and this could be an added

opportunity for the hardened drinker to take a

last beer before departure... but the integral

barn itself is well worth a look. It has a

fascinating history. [GJ & KJ]

Farriers Arms

Route two of this visit to St Albans is

available on the Swale CAMRA website:



Swan &

TRADTIONAL ENGLISH PUB 4 REAL ALES (minimum)

8 EN-SUITE BEDROOMS

BOOKINGS TAKEN NOW FOR OUR

FAMOUS SUNDAY ROAST

WITH 9 FRESH VEGETABLES

£6.50 LINDA’S HOMEMADE DESSERTS (including GYPSY TART)

From £3.50

FOR THREE MONTHS ALL REAL ALES

£2.50 PER PINT* * not hop festival normal prices apply

Harlequin Est.1725


HOP FESTIVAL WEEKEND Minimum 14 real ales

Music Friday Night

Six Bands on Saturday and Sunday

On the Swan and Harlequin Stage

Still No1 Venue

HOG ROAST

SEAFOOD CABIN

BBQ

SUNDAY ROAST

01795 532341

Harlequin Est.1725


THE BOWL INN

Find us on the top of the North Downs above Charing, in an

area of outstanding natural beauty.

Enjoy a pint of real ale or a glass of wine in our large beer garden or heated patio area.

Regular steak nights, curry nights, and live music.

Four Star Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

For ‘what’s on’ please visit our website www.bowl-inn.co.uk

We can also offer bed and breakfast accommodation with 4

en-suite bedrooms, and a garden room which offers full

facilities for disabled guests. We are a 'dog and horse friendly' Inn

Alan and Sue Paine

Egg Hill Road, Charing, Ashford, Kent TN27 OHG

Tel: 01233 712256 email [email protected]

http://www.bowl-inn.co.uk/


North to East London in an Afternoon

F or the past 20 years, working in

London, it has always been a ritual for

a group of us ale followers to go drinking

on Maundy Thursday afternoon. This April

was no different… but where to go this

time to capture good pubs, not too much

travelling and more importantly some fine

real ales? After lots of searching London

guides and maps we had a plan... and what a

good one it was too!

We met at Embankment tube

around midday and took the Northern line

to Camden Town station. From there it

was a 5 minute walk to the BrewDog bar.

Established in 2007 this Scottish

microbrewery has gone from strength to

strength in the Keg craft beer line and the

Camden bar is currently the 4th out of 7 in

the UK serving their excellent range. I

personally think that BrewDog is another

one of those craft beer success stories that

are becoming ever more popular –

especially in London.

Unfortunately after a lovely couple of

pints of Trashy Blonde and Punk IPA it was

time to move on… so a quick one tube

stop on the Northern line to Kentish Town

and then a 10 minute walk up Highgate

Road we find the The Southampton Arms.

A charming place full of character

both inside and out. Here they claim, on

their website, to be the only dedicated ale

and cider house in London to sell from

small independent UK breweries. There

were at least ten ales on tap and almost as

many ciders, all of them stemming from

small micros. You'll find no big breweries

or mass produced lager here. The decor is

simple - lit by bare light bulbs and a real fire

for the winter nights. It's a pub scaled back

to the core elements: good beer, minimal

interior and simple pub food (massive

Scotch eggs, pork pies etc). A small affair,

but a fine one all the same - and it's hard

not to warm to a pub where the music

comes courtesy of a record player behind

the bar. A complete contrast to the

previous pub we visited and definitely one

for future return visits.

From The Southampton Arms you

BrewDog Bar, Camden

Southampton Arms


The Swan Inn

Teynham

Wadworth 6x and Rotating 'locales' Live music Saturdays at 9pm

Karaoke Sundays and Tuesdays from 7pm

Friendly poker every Wednesday at 8pm

Sunday lunch 12-3.30

2 meals for £9

78 London Road, Teynham, Kent ME9 9QH

01795 521 218


have a short walk to Gospel Oak and then

approx. a 30 min journey, on the London

Overground, to Leyton Midland Road. This

gave us some time to reflect on the first

two pubs and to then look forward in

anticipation to the next one – King William

IV Hotel and Bar (Brodies Brewery Tap).

This is one place I have wanted to visit for

a long time but never really had the

opportunity – especially being a fan of all

things Brodies!!!

Brodies was established in 2008,

taking over the abandoned Sweet William

brewery. This family run business has

grown from strength to strength owning

three very well frequented and popular

pubs - all in London. Sixteen different

beers, 10 normally from Brodies, are

served here all at just £1.99 a pint. They

also offer brewery tours on request.

Unfortunately for us we visited two days

early to be part of their annual Easter

Bunny Basher beer festival featuring 40

Brodies beers, some in unique

collaboration brews from Mikkeller and

Kernel breweries. This is certainly a place

to visit when in the area (or even if not and

fancy the travel out of central London).

We didn’t have far to walk for our

forth pub – literally 5 minutes further

down Leytonstone High Road you come to

the Red Lion. Don’t arrive before 16:00 on

weekdays though as it will be closed. Part

of the 25 Antics chain of pubs in London it

boasts ten hand pumps and five keg lines

featuring a good variety of ales from local,

regional and micro-breweries.

Outside huge windows front the

building in a frame of columns; from inside

the windows are even more impressive,

giving light and openness. The ceiling is

high, the floors wooden, the tables are

unmatched and spread around with some

for dining and some for drinking.

There are sofas, board games,

bookcases and lots of little details to keep

you interested and looking for more. My

impression of this place is that in many

ways, this is a template for any new pub. It’s a modern local, the sort that works for

those nearby but also pulls people from

further away. A great place to go after

leaving the Brodies pub.

Our final resting place for this

particular trip would be two stops away

from Leytonstone tube on the Central Line

to Stratford – not surprisingly we were

heading for the Tap East. Conveniently

located in the impressive Westfield

Stratford City shopping complex and, even

better. within seconds of the South Eastern

High Speed train service to Kent. Once

again and with every pub on this particular

crawl a new find for me so I was equally

excited to cross this one of my “to-do”

list.


King William IV Hotel and Bar

continued


37 Station Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3ED

SHEPHERD NEAME ALES SERVED

Mon—Sat 11am—11pm

Sun 12—8:30pm

Thai Restaurant and Takeaway

Tue to Sat 12 noon—2pm & 5—10pm

THE FOUNTAIN SITTINGBOURNE


This brewery-pub offers an

impressive selection of bottled beers with

nearly 150 names to choose from; pale ale,

stouts and experimental beers brewed on

site along with traditional pub food. Up to

17 draught beers are served straight from

the keg and beers from around globe are

constantly updated. Customers drinking

here are even able to see the brewery

from the bar.

Obviously the great plus point with

this place is that we could sample many of

the ales on offer and still keep one eye on

what’s happening with the trains back to

Kent, so for this reason an ideal last point

of call if in this area.

[AK]


Red Lion

continued


Continued

So gather round drinkers where ever you are

and take a trip down to your local bar.

The landlord is friendly, his beer’s always good,

he keeps a good cellar, you know that he

should.

The pint you are served will always be fresh.

For the beers they are a changin’.

There’s bitter and stout available here

And if you don’t like them then try a wheat

beer.

A mild or a porter will bring you good cheer


A light hoppy ale or a barley wine,

pints filled to the brim, you know they’ll be fine,

or try a brown ale from the banks of the Tyne.


A light summer ale, or a dark winter beer, will go down well throughout all the year

and if your favourite is off, then don’t shed a

tear


A strong IPA, or a bottle of light

Or a Belgian lambic with plenty of bite

You won’t taste them all, as try as you might


Come ladies and gents from throughout the land

take a pint of good ale in your right hand

and drink your fill of your chosen brand,


And the beer you have now it will soon be past,;

the glass that you have is emptying fast.

And the first one now will be as good as the last

For the beers they are a changin’

With apologies to Mr Dylan!!

The Beers They

Are A Changin’

Faversham Classic

Car Show

T his year the branch once again had a

beer stall at the car show in Faversham

on Sunday 20th May. We were at our usual

location outside of Iceland supermarket

which is also our pitch for the Hop Festival

(on the 1st & 2nd of September this year).

For our customers to enjoy we had

beer from Hopdaemon, Nelson and The

Foundry from Canterbury. Our ciders were

all locally produced with our draught cider

coming from Kent Cider Company near

Teynham and Dudda’s Tun from

Doddington. We also had bottled cider from

North Kent Cider in Ospringe.

The day was quite successful despite

grey overcast weather which threatened rain

but only produced a tiny shower. Then with

about an hour to go the sun put in an

appearance and trade markedly improved.

Our first sell out was Hopdaemon’s Golden

Braid which was not a surprise as it is an

award winning beer and being a light golden

bitter of 3.7% is a good lunchtime drink. The

first cider to go was K.C.C. Apple & Pear at

6% which was very much enjoyed by all who

tried it.

The stall proved to be an excellent

opportunity for people wanting to know

more about CAMRA and what we do locally

and nationwide, so a good day all round.

[GH]

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The

PHOENIX

TAVERN Abbey Street, FAVERSHAM

01795 591462

REAL ALES from Around the UK and Local

REAL FOOD prepared freshly daily on the premises

REAL ATMOSPHERE lovely garden and open inglenook log

fires

REAL TRADITION - 14th century oak beamed pub

Quality lagers and Quality Wine from Corney and Barrow

Good Beer Guide 2012

The Phoenix Tavern

Faversham

@Phoenixfav

www.thephoenixtavernfaversham.co.uk

ME13 7BH - 01795 591462


Documents

Swale Ale Summer 2012