Saturday 9 October 2021
A pint in the Pilot
Monday 6 September 2021
Former Wetherspoons in Newport closes
Saturday 21 August 2021
Rhymney Brewery to open pub in Newport
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. |
Saturday 6 February 2021
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,
- Tiny Rebel Cardiff (91)
- BrewDog Cardiff (88)
- Hopbunker (87)
- City Arms (Brains) (84)
- Tiny Rebel Newport (83)
- Fire & Ice (81)
- Clytha Arms (80)
- Vinomondo (80)
- Bub's Bar & Kitchen (80)
- Albion Ale House (79)
Although with the pubs being shut that list has not changed since last year
Meanwhile on Untappd:
- Polly's Brew Co DDH Spur
- Polly's Brew Co. DDH Pines
- Polly's Brew Co. DDH Patternist
- Polly's Brew Co. DDH Rosa
- Polly's Brew Co. Birthday Beer
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Super Hero Landing
- Polly's Brew Co. 58 BPM
- Polly's Brew Co. DDH Every Piece Matters
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Salted Caramel Stay Puft
- Polly's Brew Co. DDH Oh My…
- Polly's Brew Co. Nada
- Polly's Brew Co. Everything We Dream Of
- Polly's Brew Co. Acapella
- Polly's Brew Co. Fallow Plans
- Polly's Brew Co. Keeler
- Polly's Brew Co. Rosa
- Polly's Brew Co. Ghost Voices
- Polly's Brew Co.Cahb
- Polly's Brew Co Good Nature
- Polly's Brew Co Lo-Fi
- Polly's Brew Co Spur
- Polly's Brew Co The New Renassaince
- Polly's Brew Co Every Piece Matters
- Tiny Rebel Imperial Chocolate Stay Puft
- Polly's Brew Co Amateur Dance
- Polly's Brew Co Circadian Rhythm
- Polly's Brew Co The Feels Vol 3
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Amplified Imperial Stay Puft
- Polly's Brew Co Farrago
- Polly's Brew Co Naive Melody
- Polly's Brew Co Dream Like Sequence
- Polly's Brew Co Brand New Only
- Polly's Brew Co Does It Matter How Far?
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Stay Puft Imperial Praline Edition
- Polly's Brew Co Mylar
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Irish Cream Stay Puft
- Polly's Brew Co. The One You Can’t Control
- Polly's Brew Co. Humble Clairvoyance
- Polly's Brew Co.Dry Hope
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co Imperial Puft
- Polly's Brew Co Pines
- Polly's Brew Co El Dorado IPA - Deluxe Edition
- Polly's Brew Co Mosaic Simcoe Double IPA
- Polly's Brew Co Bubble Dream
- Polly's Brew Co The Daphne Touch
- Polly's Brew Co Surface Edition
- Polly's Brew Co An Original Mix
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:
- Polly's Brew Co.
- Dog's Window Brewery
- Lucky 7 Beer Co
- Crafty Devil Brewing Co
- Wild Horse Brewing Co
- BeerRiff
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co
- Tenby Brewing Co
- Wilderness Brewery
- PIPES™
- Rival Brewing Co.
- Flowerhorn
- Lines Brew Co.
- The Waen Brewery
- Gwynt y Ddraig
- Cwrw Cader
- Geipel Brewing
- Purple Moose Brewery (Bragdy Mŵs Piws)
- Porthmadog, Gwynedd Wales
- Brew Monster
- Untapped Brewing Company
- Mad Dog Brewing Co
- Gower Brewery
- Cwrw Llŷn
- Glamorgan Brewing Co
- Tenby Harbwr Brewery
- Cwrw Iâl Community Brewing Company
- Hallets
- Hafod Brewing Company
- Bragdy Twt Lol / The Trefforest Brewery
- Lithic Brewing
- Big Hand Brewing Co
- Caffle Brewery
- Snowdon Craft Beer
- Kingstone Brewery
- Bragdy Lleu
- VOG Brewery
- Cold Black Label
- Mumbles Brewery
- Coles Family Brewers
- Conwy Brewery
- Tomos & Lilford
- Bragdy Nant Brewery
- Great Orme Brewery
- Bluestone Brewing Co.
- Tudor Brewery
- Tomos Watkin Brewery
- Brewhouse & Kitchen - Cardiff
- 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:
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Hadouken
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Stay Puft
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. ClwbTropicana
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co.Cali
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Urban IPA
- The Hurns Brewing Co Tomos Watkin's Cwrw Hâf
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Cwtch
- Purple Moose Brewery Dark Side Of The Moose (Ochr Tywyll Y Mws)
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Dirty Stop Out
- Brains Dark
- Felinfoel Brewery Co. Thames Welsh ESB
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co.The Full Nelson
- The Hurns Brewing Co Tomos Watkin Old Style Bitter
- Brains Original Stout
- The Hurns Brewing Co. Tomos Watkin's Cwrw Braf
- Brains Bitter
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. FUBAR
- Brains Craft Brewery Boilermaker
- Purple Moose Brewery Snowdonia Ale (Cwrw Eryri)
- Conwy Brewery Clogwyn Gold
- Brains The Rev. James
- Brains Craft Brewery Barry Island IPA
- Brains SA Gold
- Brains Black
- Brains SA
- Felinfoel Brewery Co. Double Dragon
- Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Frambuzi
- Conwy Brewery Balchder Cymru (Welsh Pride)
Sunday 24 January 2021
British Taverns and the Cross Keys
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