Pubs & Pints Part I

When I think of England, I think of pubs. This is probably biased by the fact that my Nana and Granddad ran the Boyton Bell when I was growing up. Over the years, I have visited many types of English pubs, ranging from the traditional village to the tourist pub. Today, the traditional family run, village pubs are closing their doors. Yet at the same time, like in the U.S., craft beer is making a come back. On our recent visit, we visited at least one pub a day and I attempted to sample as many beers as possible.

Craft beer in England can be looked at in two different ways. One is like in the U.S., craft beer and home brewing is on the rise. The other is the resurgence of traditional brewing methods - cask ales.  It was the latter that I was particularly interested.

On tap in most pubs are a range of beers including lagers, ales and stouts. The difference between beers is based on the brewing and serving process. Cask ales (or real ales) are brewed from traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally. The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask. This process creates a natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer taste with more character than standard keg beers. Cask ales are served without extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a hand pump. Britain is the only place where cask-conditioned beer is still commonly available.

Day 1: London

Young's Bitter and a Guinness at the Mulberry Bush

jacket potato with beans & cheese

On the Friday we arrived in London, we went over to the South Bank. We had a snack and a pint at the Mulberry Bush. I had a Young's Bitter. It was my first cask ale of the trip and it was crisp and refreshing. The Mulberry Bush had tasty pub food (I had a jacket potato with beans and cheese - yum! Jay tried the pork and chicken and leek pies). The front is open to the street for good people watching and a relaxed atmosphere.

hanging out on the street at the Jerusalem Tavern

In the evening, we visited two pubs, the Jerusalem Tavern and Ye Olde Mitre in The City. These pubs were highly recommended in the Good Pub Guide (I recommend this guide as a phone app). They were not open on the weekend, so I knew we had to go on our only weekday in London. The tavern is the St Peters brewery pub. You know, that beer in the oval bottles from East Anglia. The pub is tiny with three room with the bar in the center room.  People were packed inside and filled the street. I had the Best Bitter and Jay had their stout (there is a theme here). This pub on Britton Street in Clerkenwell (near the Faddington underground station) is definitely a place to stop.

Ye Olde Mitre

A few streets away is the Ye Olde Mitre, a quaint, bustling pub. Situated in the small alleyway of Ely Court, it is somewhat difficult to find. This old fashioned, wood paneled pub, built in 1546, is straight out of Elizabethan times. Downstairs there is a small room at the front and a larger room at the rear. In the middle is a small bar that serves both rooms. There is also an upstairs bar called the ‘Bishops Room’. Unbeknown to us, May was Mild Month. Once classified as an 'endangered beer style', milds are black to dark brown in color, with a roasty, malty and slightly sweet flavor. We both had a Millwright Mild. It was flavorful and delicious and suited Jay's taste for Guinness. Ye Olde Mitre is located near the Holborn underground station.


Day 2: Bicycling the eastern Thames

The Angel

pints of Samuel Smith

view from The Angel

On our second day in London, we set off on a bicycle ride around the eastern parts of the Thames. On the way, we stopped at The Angel. This pub has great views of the water from its multiple levels. On tap, they draw beers by Samuel Smith. The Old Brewery Bitter tasted all the better for the pedaling.

Later in the afternoon, we stopped at The Prospect of Whitby for a late lunch and a pint. The atmosphere in the old pub is nice and it claims a colorful history and has a great location on the Thames, but the food was mediocre. We opted for fish and chips. It tasted like frozen, pre-packaged fish. This pub was a disappointment.


Day 3.  The train to Ipswich

We set off on the train to East Anglia. We lugged our bicycles through the underground and boarded a train at Liverpool Station. I bought a bottle of London Porter and a prawn and watercress sandwich for the ride. I should have bought two bottles of this malty porter.

Next stop, Ipswich.