A pint in the Pilot

The Mumbles Mile pub crawl is one of those historic crawls that is better left to history than attempted, apparently there were 26 pubs when the pub crawl was first put around in the 1960s, far less today but at least there are no Watney Brewery pubs left. Probably about 13 pubs now, although the line blurs between "eatery" and "pub". A few of the pubs are food only so are actually restaurants, others are hardly open, The George for example but that may have to do with the Brains sale of their pubs. Anyway, any serious attempt at the Mumbles Mile faces  serious problems in that the beers in the Pilot brew pub and the nearby micropub Ty Cwrw, Welsh for Beer House, are far better than in the other pubs/restaurants along the way. Mumbles is worth a visit just for those 2 pubs. 

Former Wetherspoons in Newport closes

As if the rows of closed shops in the centre of Newport isn't depressing enough, the former Wetherspoons pub, the Tom Toya Lewis has shut it's doors. Wetherspoons put the pub on the market back in 2017 and sold it in mid-2018 with planning permission to convert the unused upstairs into 8 two-bedroomed apartments. The pub was bought by Warrington-based Close Community Ltd, who, according to Companies House run "sports clubs". Anyway, their accounts are overdue at Companies House and even when the pub was open under the new ownership their were supply problems with beer and food.

The pub was named after Tom Toya Lewis, a young hero of the 1909 Alexandra docks disaster and was originally built as the YMCA in 1909, although by the 1980s the downstairs had become a tailor's shop, Bollingtons I believe?

Elsewhere in Newport, 'Spoons have also sold the Queen's Hotel, which has become a members-only club, ending 157 years of being a public house.

Rhymney Brewery to open pub in Newport

A stroll down Commercial Street in Newport revealed a lot of closed and borded up shops but this former bank has a notice in the window, applying for planning permission for change of use to a pub. The Blaenavon-based Rhymney Brewery are looking to convert this building into a pub to fit in with their portfolio of pubs in Merthyr (The Winchester), Pontypridd (The Wonky Bar), Cardiff, Aberdare and Maesteg. Good to see a brewery doing something positive in the City Centre.

The address, 32-33 Commercial Street was formerly a branch of the RBS, 
1948 the National Bank had chambers here
1938 National Bank
1914 Hodder,  Henry & Co Ltd,  chemists were here
1897   32,  Oliver,  Geo,  bootmaker
              -   Davies,  D,  manager, Geo Oliver
           33,  Garrett,  & Atkins,  chemists
            -   Atkins,  & Lockyear,  photographic artists
1876: 

32 Phillips H. W. clothier
33 Adams John, pork butcher
33 Jacobs Samuel, watchmaker. &c. 1848 Lewis, David, Builder and Valuer, 32, Commercial street. Harden, Charles, Baker, Grocer and Confectioner, 33, Commercial street.

Update 28.08.21: Newport Council have yet to make a decision on this

Best Beers in Wales

Time for the annual review of websites to find the Best Beer in Wales
 First up is the Anheuser-Busch Inbev subsidiary of Ratebeer:

1              Mabinogion Mead / Superstition 'Hounds of Annwn' Strawberry vanilla 2              Polly's Brew DDH Oh My               

3              Polly's Brew Fallow Plans              

4              Tiny Rebel Imperial Puft                

5              Loka Polly Souvenirs       

6              Polly's Brew India Pale Ale El Dorado Deluxe Edition         

7              Polly's Brew Farrago       

8              Loka Polly Rosa                

9              Loka Polly Spur 3.79        

10           Polly's Brew Lo-Fi            

11           Polly’s Brew Every Piece Matters             

12           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Chocolate                

13           Tiny Rebel / Siren Dark Cherry & Chocolate Barley Wine                 

14           Polly's Brew Livewire      

15           Mabinogion Mead Transformation to Eagle        

16           Polly's Brew Fickle         

17           Loka Polly Double IPA Mosaic Simcoe     

18           Polly's Brew DDH Pines 

19           Polly's Brew DDH Rosa   

20           Polly's Brew Rock The Bit            

21           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Praline      

22           Polly's Brew Mylar           

23           Polly's Brew Avery           

24           Polly's Brew Double IPA Azacca Mosaic  

25           Polly's Brew What Did You Feel IPA          

26           Polly's Brew DDH Spur   

27           Polly's Brew Patternist   

28           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Espresso Martini  

29           Tiny Rebel / Arbor Bonsai            

30           Polly's Brew Naive Melody          

31           Polly's Brew Discount Jazz Hour                 

32           Polly's Brew Cahb            

33           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Salted Caramel       

34           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Amplified Imperial               

35           Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Irish Cream              

36           Polly's Brew India Pale Ale Simcoe Mosaic           

37           Tiny Rebel Dodge, Dip, Duck, Dive and Dulce       

38           Tiny Rebel / Deya NEIPA               

39           Loka Polly Petal                 

40           Polly's Brew An Original Mix       

41           Polly's Brew Ghost Voices            

42           Polly's Brew DDH Patternist        

43           Polly's Brew Nada            

44           Tiny Rebel What's Cooler Than Being Cool           

45           Polly's Brew Like A Ghost            

46           Tiny Rebel / Siren Didgeridank   

47           Tiny Rebel / Brewdog Swansea Super Hero Landing         

48           Polly's Brew On & On & On         

49           Polly's Brew Here We Are, Again               

50           Loka Polly Stout Citra Columbus                

Once again, the Ratebeer list is dominated by Tiny Rebel and Polly's/Loka Polly (they had to change their name due to legal threats from another producer)

Ratebeer also offers their list of top places their members drink in,

1. Tiny Rebel Cardiff (91)
2. BrewDog Cardiff (88)
3. Hopbunker (87)
4. City Arms (Brains) (84)
5. Tiny Rebel Newport (83)
6. Fire & Ice (81)
7. Clytha Arms (80)
8. Vinomondo (80)
9. Bub's Bar & Kitchen (80)
10. Albion Ale House (79)

Although with the pubs being shut that list has not changed since last year

Meanwhile on Untappd:

1. Polly's Brew Co DDH Spur
2. Polly's Brew Co. DDH Pines
3. Polly's Brew Co. DDH Patternist
4. Polly's Brew Co. DDH Rosa
5. Polly's Brew Co. Birthday Beer
6. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Super Hero Landing
7. Polly's Brew Co. 58 BPM
8. Polly's Brew Co. DDH Every Piece Matters
9. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Salted Caramel Stay Puft
10. Polly's Brew Co. DDH Oh My…
11. Polly's Brew Co. Nada
12. Polly's Brew Co. Everything We Dream Of
13. Polly's Brew Co. Acapella
14. Polly's Brew Co. Fallow Plans
15. Polly's Brew Co. Keeler
16. Polly's Brew Co. Rosa
17. Polly's Brew Co. Ghost Voices
18. Polly's Brew Co.Cahb
19. Polly's Brew Co Good Nature
20. Polly's Brew Co Lo-Fi
21. Polly's Brew Co Spur
22. Polly's Brew Co  The New Renassaince
23. Polly's Brew Co Every Piece Matters
24. Tiny Rebel Imperial Chocolate Stay Puft
25. Polly's Brew Co Amateur Dance
26. Polly's Brew Co Circadian Rhythm
27. Polly's Brew Co The Feels Vol 3
28. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Amplified Imperial Stay Puft
29. Polly's Brew Co Farrago
30. Polly's Brew Co Naive Melody
31. Polly's Brew Co Dream Like Sequence
32. Polly's Brew Co Brand New Only
33. Polly's Brew Co Does It Matter How Far?
34. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Stay Puft Imperial Praline Edition
35. Polly's Brew Co Mylar
36. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Irish Cream Stay Puft
37. Polly's Brew Co. The One You Can’t Control
38. Polly's Brew Co. Humble Clairvoyance
39.  Polly's Brew Co.Dry Hope
40. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Puft
41. Polly's Brew Co Pines
42. Polly's Brew Co El Dorado IPA - Deluxe Edition
43. Polly's Brew Co Mosaic Simcoe Double IPA
44. Polly's Brew Co Bubble Dream
45. Polly's Brew Co The Daphne Touch
46. Polly's Brew Co Surface Edition
47. Polly's Brew Co An Original Mix

Polly's dominating the list there and between them and Tiny Rebel, there are no other contenders! 

According to Untapped "The list shows the top beers, based on our weighted average formula, which effectively rates all beers against each-other. A beer must have 150 ratings or more to qualify for this list. For more information on our rating system, please view our ratings explainer."

Untapped is by far my favourite way of rating beers, the app is easy to use and easy to share beers around social media. The editor has been on Untapped for over 10 years now!

Untapped also produce a list of top breweries in Wales, according to them "A brewery must have at least 1,000 ratings and at least 5 beers in their portfolio to qualify for this list." Their top Welsh breweries are:

1. Polly's Brew Co.
2. Dog's Window Brewery
3. Lucky 7 Beer Co
4. Crafty Devil Brewing Co
5. Wild Horse Brewing Co
6. BeerRiff
7. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co
8. Tenby Brewing Co
9. Wilderness Brewery
10. PIPES™
11. Rival Brewing Co.
12. Flowerhorn
13. Lines Brew Co.
14. The Waen Brewery
15. Gwynt y Ddraig
16. Cwrw Cader
17. Geipel Brewing
18. Purple Moose Brewery (Bragdy Mŵs Piws)
19. Porthmadog, Gwynedd Wales
20. Brew Monster
21. Untapped Brewing Company
22. Mad Dog Brewing Co
23. Gower Brewery
24. Cwrw Llŷn
25.  Mantle
26. Glamorgan Brewing Co
27. Tenby Harbwr Brewery
28. Cwrw Iâl Community Brewing Company
29. Hallets
30. Hafod Brewing Company
31. Bragdy Twt Lol / The Trefforest Brewery
32. Lithic Brewing
33. Big Hand Brewing Co
34. Caffle Brewery
35. Snowdon Craft Beer
36. Kingstone Brewery
37. Bragdy Lleu
38. VOG Brewery
39. Cold Black Label
40. Mumbles Brewery
41.  Coles Family Brewers
42. Conwy Brewery
43. Tomos & Lilford
44. Bragdy Nant Brewery
45. Great Orme Brewery
46.  Bluestone Brewing Co.
47. Tudor Brewery
48. Tomos Watkin Brewery
49.  Brewhouse & Kitchen - Cardiff
50. Gwaun Valley Brewery

Once again, over at Beer Advocate, no Welsh beers make it into the top 100 but for the second year they do now have a top list of Welsh beers:

1. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Hadouken
2. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Stay Puft
3. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. ClwbTropicana
4. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co.Cali
5. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Urban IPA
6. The Hurns Brewing Co Tomos Watkin's Cwrw Hâf
7. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Cwtch
8. Purple Moose Brewery Dark Side Of The Moose (Ochr Tywyll Y Mws)
9. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Dirty Stop Out
10. Brains Dark
11. Felinfoel Brewery Co. Thames Welsh ESB
12. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co.The Full Nelson
13. The Hurns Brewing Co Tomos Watkin Old Style Bitter
14. Brains Original Stout
15. The Hurns Brewing Co. Tomos Watkin's Cwrw Braf
16. Brains Bitter
17. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. FUBAR
18. Brains Craft Brewery Boilermaker
19. Purple Moose Brewery Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri)
20. Conwy Brewery Clogwyn Gold
21. Brains The Rev. James
22. Brains Craft Brewery Barry Island IPA
23. Brains SA Gold
24. Brains Black
25. Brains SA
26. Felinfoel Brewery Co. Double Dragon
27. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Frambuzi
28. Conwy Brewery Balchder Cymru (Welsh Pride) 

A few odd ones in that list, Otley have not brewed for 5 years and Felinfoel Thames ESB is only made for export.

No awards from CAMRA due to beer festivals cancelled due to COVID

Once again, beers from the Llandeilo Village Idiot failed to get a mention in any of the lists

British Taverns and the Cross Keys

I recently purchased a copy of "British Taverns, Their History and Laws", published in 1928 and written by a Lord Askwith. The first page, reproduced below, mentions a Cross Keys pub near Caerleon, which made me wonder where this pub was situated? 

A look at the 1901 Kelly's Directory reveals 5 pubs of that name in the County of Monmouthshire

The Cross Keys in Usk and Cross Keys are still with us and Blaenavon is hardly near Caerleon so that leaves us with Llansoy, a village famous for, well, not much really, apart from an Iron-age hill fort. The pub can be found on an old OS map
 

Picture taken from Google Street view as the former Cross Keys looks today

Llansoy is hardly "near Caerleon" but this pub seems to be the one in question as the roads give it no where to expand to. In the following pages, Lord Askwith takes us on his presumed history of the pub, from the time of the Roman Conquest to the time it loses it's license. Quite a bit of poetic license is taken in that story as the building is probably only a couple of hundred years old and only became licensed after the Beerhouse Act of 1830. About a mile away, the Star, Llanfihangel-Tor-y-Mynydd claims to have sixteenth century origins. Oh well, back to the book!