Ember Inns Festival

Ember Inns may be a part of the Mitchells and Butlers giant pub company but at least during November they are running a beer festival. Entitled NovEmber the following beers will be available in their pubs:

• Thornbridge Wild Swan white gold pale ale 3.5%
• Stonehenge Old Smokey malty and dark 5%
• Project Green - the freshest beer in the land 4.5%
• Davenport's Fox's Nob deep copper ale 4.4%
• St. Austell Black Prince fruity black mild 4%
• Brewdog Trashy Blonde statuesque fruity ale 4.1%
• Copper Dragon Black Gold a 19th century recipe, 3.7%
• Liberation Ale all the way from Jersey, 4.0%
• Fraoch Heather Ale, with real heather, 5%
• Alton's Pride, Champion at the Great British Beer Festival 3.8%
• Wolf Brewery Granny Wouldn't Like It, fruity and dark red, 4.8%
• Rampant Gryphon, sip gently, 6.2%!

There is a competition running to name the Project Green beer - the green hops were picked by Ember Inns managers last month.
The full tasting notes are available at the bar in a full colour A5 leaflet or as a PDF here.

Unfortunately there are only 2 Ember Inns in South Wales and both are in Cardiff the Old Cottage and the Deri:


View Larger MapOld Cottage, Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane, Cardiff, CF14 0UE



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Deri Inn, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6UH

For thos readers in North Wales the Acton Park in Wrexham is also an Ember Inn

Check out the Ember Inns website for pubs near to you.

Greendown Inn, St George's-super-Ely

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Greendown Inn, St George's-super-Ely, Drope Road, Vale of Glamorgan, CF5 6EP

Open 12-2 (not Monday or Tuesday), 6-11; 12-11 Saturday and Sunday

Situated close to the Westerly suburbs of Cardiff, the Greendown Inn is set in an idyllic village setting in the Vale of Glamorgan, not to far away from the local church of St George-super-Ely. The inn is set in its own grounds with a large car park at the rear.

The Greendown Inn has been extended over the years but still remains single-story and claims to date back to the fifteenth century although the date of 1620 also appears in one of the rooms. Whatever is the date for the building of this Inn it is genuinely old as shown by the blackened beams supporting the low ceiling in one room and an unusual fireplace with a curved wooden beam above it in another. The Greendown Inn was solidly built from rough-hewn local stone and the bare stone walls have borne witness to many passing centuries. There is a choice of drinking and dining areas, decorated with old paintings and chalkboards.

The centrally-placed bar is surrounded by bricks laid into the floor and features an unusual wooden pillar on one corner with the handpumps all on the restaurant side of the Inn. Three handpumps dispense a regular changing guest beer from breweries such as Wickwar, Wye Valley or a Welsh brewery together with a real cider and, more unusually a real perry. Recently ciders have included Bristol Port from the Broadoak Cider Company in Somerset and their award-winning perry as well. The prices are very reasonable with £2 a pint for the beers and ciders. The beer and ciders available are chalked up on a board that hangs on the large chimney breast.

Despite being in a small village, the Greendown Inn is popular with all and the community focus of the pub is shown by the books for sale on the bar and in a small section off the low-ceilinged room, the proceeds of the book sales go towards the restoration fund of the nearby church of St George. Regular events are held at the pub, including a steam rally in the grounds recently. The pub also hosts a weekly quiz night on Saturday nights. There is also a dartboard to one side of the bar as well as a separate restaurant area. The menu is extensive with daily specials being advertised on chalkboards mounted on the exposed stone walls. The Greendown Inn also offers accommodation.

Pub Manager celebrates 30 years with Brains

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A Cardiff pub manager is celebrating 30 years with Wales' biggest real ale brewer. Carol Robins started as a barmaid in the Merrie Harrier in Llandough in October 1980 when beer was only 30p a pint. She then moved to the Clifton 2 years later with her husband Ray and has run it ever since.
Carol said: "I never imagined I’d still be here three decades later. The pub has become my home, and the customers are more like friends. I’ve had a fantastic career so far and if I had my time over again I wouldn’t change a thing."
Peter Wilson, Head of Retail Operations at Brains, was on hand to present her with flowers, Champagne and a voucher for a special weekend away. He said: "Three decades in the same pub is a fantastic achievement and makes Carol our longest serving manager. The Clifton is a very popular and successfully run community pub and we are delighted that Carol has been at its heart for such a long time."

Meet the brewer - Penarth this Saturday

One of Wales' oldest established micro-brewers, Bullmastiff, will be holding a meet the brewer session from midday this Saturday (6th November) at the Bear's Head in Penarth.
The Bear's Head has, in the last few years, established itself as the brewery tap for brewing brothers Bob and Paul Jenkins' award-winning beers.
Bob will be taking customers on a beery experience with a tutored tasting of his 'Special Reserve' beer, a 6.5% creation, brewed with Goldings and Willamette hop varities and described as:
A beer that's got the lot. A powerful mix of malt and hops leading to a lasting bitter aftertaste with an almost buttescotch aftertaste.

Also on the bar will be Bullmastiff favourites such as Son of Bitch and Old Snarler. A perfect accompaniment to get everyone in the mood for the Wales win later in the day.

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Brains Pub Awards 2010

Seem to have missed these when they came out recently:
Managers of the Year 2010
Dave and Angela Lewis of the Lamb & Flag in Abergavenny.

According to Philip Lay, Retail Director at Brains, "Angela and Dave were competing against managers from more than 110 Brains pubs for the title Manager of the Year, so to win was a huge achievement. They’ve worked hard to grow the business and the award is richly deserved. Matthew is equally hard working and, as his double award win shows, is also hugely talented."

Chef of the Year 2010
Mathew Lewis son of the managers of the Lamb & Flag!


Food Pub of the Year
Maltsters in Llandaff, Cardiff
Best community Pub
Pumphouse in Swansea

Best customer Service
Red Dragon in Bridgend and the title of Employee of the Year was claimed by Maureen Roberts from the same pub.

Artisan this Saturday

Artisan Brewery of Cardiff will be playing host to one of their regular beer festivals this Saturday, 6th November, at their Kings Road location.
With music from 1400hrs including:
Waking Life
Inc.A
The Idol Rich
The Alex Sedgemond Duo
Dewi Griffiths
Thoby Davis

Free entry, beer from 1200, burgers and bands from 1400hrs.
183A Kings Road, Canton, Cardiff, CF11 9DF
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Chilean Miners get Pride

From Brew Wales Well done to the PM David Cameron for presenting the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera with 33 bottles and glasses of Fullers London Pride for him to pass onto to the rescued miners. It's good to see politicians supporting our national drink and dishing it out around the world. However, this little gem popped up on my RSS feed from CAMRA: Real Ale for Chilean Miners  19 October 2010 By Louise Ashworth How gratifying was it to see that David Cameron presented the Chilean President Sebastian Piñera yesterday with 33 bottles of real ale? Mr Piñera on his visit to the UK had given the Prime Minister a piece of rock from the collapsed Chilean mine. In return Mr Cameron provided bottles of real ale for each of the miners to enjoy as a gift from the UK. For years CAMRA has been calling on both local and national politicians to use our national drink for celebrations and we've usually been ignored so it was great news to see Mr Cameron taking some pride in real ale and presenting it to Mr Piñera. Well done Mr Cameron, you've finally got the message.  Now as any real ale drinker or Fullers fan will tell you, bottled London Pride is not a real ale as it contains no yeast in the bottle and is brewery-conditioned, ie, filtered and pasteurised. Still, let's not have facts get in the way of a good story! The Grauniad refer to 'Bottles of British beer'. El Beebo refer to 'Bottles of London Pride'

Big brewery with a good idea

It's not often that I find myself agreeing with the boss of Molson Coors but here he is quoted in the Morning Advertiser calling for pubs to provide beer menus.
Addressing fellow brewery bosses at the 2010 International Brewing Convention, Mark Hunter, UK
gave an impassioned plea for “beer champions” to breathe new life into a sector that has declined by 18% between 2005 and 2010. He also said that Britain’s love affair with beer is in “serious jeopardy”.

“Today I call on all of those in leadership positions within the beer industry to step up to their obligation to lead for the growth of our category.
“I put it to you that we are at a watershed, a real tipping point for our industry and the need to champion our industry with one voice has never been clearer.”
Hunter called for the whole industry to “unite and educate by celebrating the diversity of beers available”.

Crucial to this is beer menus, he said, citing the impact that these have had in Spain.

“Today I invite the Beer Academy to lay down a clear and consistent set of beer descriptors with universal appeal and which talk to drinkers in an engaging, motivating way. At Molson Coors we will adopt these and I would challenge everyone here today to commit to the use of consistent language and the introduction of beer menus into every on premise outlet across the UK.”
He added: “How many restaurants ask their customers to guess what’s available when they are seated?”

Okay, beer menus may be a bit too much work for pubs such as the Rake where I seem to spend ages just looking at the selection, lost in a dreamy beery haze and spoilt for choice but for other pubs why not?
Last year, a landlord of a local pub I drink regularly in, asked me what he could do to get more people drrinking real ale in the pub. I suggested using the chalkboards to advertise the beers on and those waiting to come on. The pub has plenty of chalkboards about the place, most of them advertising drinks that have not been on sale for over 5 years! Landlord thought this was a good idea but well over a year later nothing has changed. One of the problems with the trade at the moment is their lack of willingness to get anything done. In countless pubs I hear the landlord moan about the lack of customers yet small things like this and basic cleanliness will get the customers drinking more and telling others what a great boozer it is. Little things can make a difference so why not give them a go?

Crown Inn, Llantwit Fardre

Photo courtesy of Dave Jones from RATS

Crown Inn, Main Road, Llantwit Fardre, CF38 2HL

open 11-11

The Crown is large and imposing corner pub on the A473 between Treforest and Talbot Green. With a bus stop outside, numbers 100 and 400, this is an easy pub to reach, alternatively there is a large car park to the rear. The Crown Inn dates from at least 1851 and the new owners have improved the pub no end with an attractive refurbishment of the interior, the addition of a quality menu and by being adventurous in their beer range.

The interior of the Crown is open-plan for the most part with a dinning area to the left and a more traditional pub seating area to the right with wall-backed bench seating. Towards the rear is a wooden-beamed area with comfortable couches and there is also a separate function room. Outside, adjacent to the car park is a patio area for when the weather becomes a bit warmer.

The large bar area has 4 handpumps mounted on it, serving real ales such as Hancock's HB and guest beers from local breweries such as the Otley Brewery. Behind the bar are a collection of pumpclips this pub has served recently with breweries from across the country being well-represented including Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf, Fuller's London Pride, Brain's Rev James and Hook Norton. Also on handpump is Happy Daze, a local cider made by Gwynt Y Ddraig, the Welsh Cider and Perry Company, whose farm is situated on the hill behind the pub. The Crown also offers some bottles ciders from Gwynt y Ddraig including their Autumn Magic – a cider blended with blackcurrants and Orchard Gold.

A good range of food is available 12-2 and 6-9, the menu featuring lasagne, chilli, omelettes made with free-range eggs and hand-cut chips. In addition to the menu on the tables there is also a separate specials board.

The Crown features regular live music on Friday nights as well as quiz nights on Sundays, all help to make this a real community pub, along with the signs saying “Families Welcome”. The welcome even extends to well behaved dogs on leads in this pub.

Latest on the bar:

Wickwar Coopers 3.5%

Box Steam Brewery Chuffin Ale 4%

Gwynt y Ddraig Happy Daze 4.5%

In the cellar:

Wickwar Long John Silver    4.2%

20p off a pint for card-carrying CAMRA members!

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Hop and Apple Festival at the White Cross

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The White Cross Inn at Groeswen, Caerphilly will be holding a 'Hop and Apple Festival' this weekend (October 23rd-24th). With ciders from Gwynt Y Ddraig and Blaengawny and the following list of beers it looks like a good weekend.
Moors (Somerset)
Revival 3.8%
A hoppy and refreshing bitter, light in colour but not in flavour

Woodlands (Nantwich)
Bees Knees 4.5%
A nutty, tan coloured beer influenced by the taste of Acacia honey

Vale of Glamorgan (Barry)
Wheats Occurring 5%
Refreshingly dry clear wheat beer, delicately flavoured with fine saaz hops

Box Steam (Wiltshire)
Chuffin Ale 4%
A traditional best, dark amber in colour light fragrant nose and pleasing hoppy character

Bullmastiff (Cardiff)
Special reserve 6.5%
A powerful ruby strong ale, well hopped with after taste of Butterscotch

Heart of Wales (Llanwrtyd Wells)
Welsh Black 4.4%
A fine Champion stout, full of liquorice flavour

Cotswold Spring (Gloucester)
Honey Bear 5.2%
A honey Wheat beer, smooth finish with honey aroma and taste

Goffs (Cheltenham)
Merlin 4.3%
Straw coloured hoppy ale

White Cross Inn
Groeswen
Caerphilly
CF15 7UT
From 12 Noon Till Late
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Wife-beater goes tres froid

 That famous Belgium brand Steal-a-Tortoise, though marketed as French and brewed here in Wales is now available in a choice of cold or extra cold. Commonly referred to as wife-beater by the chavs who drink it in Newport, the great unwashed now have a choice of which lager to drink, Froid (cold) or if that has too much flavour for them, Tres Froid (very cold). The new fonts even feature thermometers on them to show the temperature.
For years the members of Gwent CAMRA have paid respect to the lager factory in Magor when returning home on the train from Bristol or London by making a donation in the train toilet and flushing it whilst the train goes through the Severn Tunnel. The Magor factory is supplied by water taken from the Severn Tunnel. I think you can work out the rest for yourself.
So if you want to drink the results of my imbibing Fullers in London or Bristol then I suggest Tres Froid may be the best one to go for.
Good to see the extra cold lager put in a pub just in time for the winter.

Catching up with the Moose

For those readers in North Wales, Purple Moose Brewery will be at the Conwy Beer tent later this month as part of the Conwy Feast. This will  see the appearance of the Myrtle Stout.

23-24 October - Conwy Feast (Plus Friday night for the Beer Festival)

Other chances to get your hands on their award-winning beers will be:

26-28 November - Glynllifon, near Caernarfon

27-28 November - Craflwyn, near Beddgelert

11 December - The first Porthmadog Farmer's Market (In the Ganolfan)

Ode to Brains SA

From Welsh Icons News site where their Art Director Norris Nuvo has penned this piece of pintly prose:

Ode to Brains SA

I like drinking beer; it makes me feel a man
From barrels bottles and glasses, even from a can
It wets more than my whistle, it puts my brain in gear
I get so very horny when I think of beer

When I say beer I mean bitter, not girly larger brew
And not that black and inky stuff that tastes like Irish stew.
Brains SA’s my favourite, made here in the ‘diff
Poured straight from the barrel and necked down in a jiff

Years ago there was little choice, and most beer was appalling
As fizz and keg became the norm, the standard kept on falling
Double-bloody-Diamond and Worthington bloody E
Tasted like old scrotum sweat laced with stagnant pee

Now my da he liked ‘Albright’, but it left you feeling foul
There was no taste and it was weak, and it turned my bowel
Now Dark is fine for old men or blokes with beards and pipe
And as for Welsh Bitter, well it just tastes like rancid tripe

There are now a lot of ‘real ale’ brews all across the land
With silly names like Badgers Snout or Vicar’s Shaky Hand
Or Bishops Cock and Benders Fudge and even Bowel Thunder.
But they don’t agree with me and make me want to chunder

I tried a larger once, it made me sad for it was devoid of flavour
For I like a pint to have some taste, something I can savour
So, Brains SA is the beer for me, It’s my favourite tipple
Brought up on it I was, on tap from my mam’s nipple

If you want to listen to the poem - check out this link to the Welsh Icon's site where it is available to download and be used as a ringtone if you wish! 

Buster and Breconshire Brewery go Baroque!

Award-winning brewer Justin 'Buster' Grant of Breconshire Brewery has taken a look back into the history books with his latest seasonal brew for the Autumn.

Baroque Ale is a 4.0% abv dark tawny-brown ale brewed in the style of the table ales that would have graced Georgian Britain. Sweet juicy malt flavours and a complex pallet are complimented by the gentle floral bitterness of Goldings hops, with Fuggles (both being some of the earliest cultivated hop varieties in the UK) providing a soft, grassy almost minty aroma.

This rich, dark ale is brewed with water drawn from under the hills of the surrounding Brecon Beacons National Park, and blend of pale, wheat and chocolate malts, all from Warminster’s traditional Floor Maltings, which give this beer its dark tawny-brown colouring and sweet malty flavours. Goldings and Fuggles provide the counterpoint of this extravagantly complex brew, which would have been one of the safest and most nutritious food sources of its time.

Brecon as a town is rightly famed for its beautiful selection of Georgian architecture, which has also inspired a highly acclaimed annual musicfestival, which takes place every October. During the Baroque period, (roughly 1600 - 1750 AD), European culture developed some of its most extravagant and complex expressions - in music, art, dance, architecture and some might even say politics.

Casks of this beer will be available throughout the Autumn, either direct from the brewery, from selected wholesalers or by telephoning the Brewery on 01874 623 731.

Council Jobsworth threatens pub

From Brew Wales

The King's Arms in Abergavenny is one of the best pubs in Wales. Rescued from near dereliction by new owner Ben Jones, the pub has been carefully restored and is once again one of the delights of visiting Abergavenny. At the recent food festival the beer was so good there and very reasonable at only £2 a pint that a few of us stayed sitting outside the pub, drinking their locally-brewed Tudor ales and watching the firework display rather than go for a pint elsewhere. An excellent pub which even features a cinema in the former Delafield's Brewery building towards the rear.
So what is wrong here?
Step forward a jobsworth employed by Monmouthshire Council........

.......who has decided the benches opposite the pub are a hazard and should be removed!
Well during the Abergavenny food festival which attracted around 40,000 people to the market town how many people were injured by this "hazard"? None. So instead of picking on local business why don't Monmouthshire Council actually get behind local businesses and support them!
Oh and if you are in Abergavenny get to the pub and sign the petition and have a pint or two of the local brew from Tudor Brewery!