The award-winning Red Cow in Llwydcoed, situated on the outskirts of Aberdare and home to the Grey Trees Brewery will be launching their Diggers Gold beer through a hop rocket this Thursday, 2nd August. A hop rocket is an ingenious device which clamps to the bar and allows beer to be forced through a cyclinder of hops - the first hop rocket in Wales was recently shown at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival where Tiny Rebel Brewery of Newport used it on their already hop-packed beers.
The first 'Hop-rocket night' at the Red Cow will fetaure American Cascade hops being featured in the hop rocket and Diggers Gold beer receiving the treatment. One for the tickers there I'm sure!
Red Cow, 6 Merthyr Road, Llwydcoed, Aberdare, CF44 0YE,
The official launch of the Grey Trees Brewery at the Mid-Glamorgan CAMRA Pub of the Year, the Red Cow at Llwydcoed in Aberdare will be on the evening of Thursday 17th May 2012 when Welsh rugby legend JPR Williams will be pouring the first pints of a special commemorative ale, JPR's Golden Ale, brewed especially for the event. This golden, hoppy ale of 4.6% ABV has been chosen by CAMRA member JPR himself and there will also be entertianment laid on in the pub.
Red Cow Inn
6 Merthyr Road
Llwydcoed
Aberdare
CF44 0YE
Last year the Red Cow at Llwydcoed, near Aberdare won the Mid-Glamorgan CAMRA Pub of the Year Award, a tribute to the hard work put into this pub by landlord Ray Davies. The Red Cow is the last pub in the village, a village that was once served by 8 pubs. Brew Wales have previously covered the pub here. The Red Cow is the winner of the Mid-Glamorgan Pub of the Year this year as well.
Last year Ray decided to start brewing his own beer at the pub and the Grey Trees Brewery was born, the name coming from the English translation of Llwydcoed.
Three regular beers are brewed by landlord Ray Davies in his one-barrel (280 pint) brew plant.
Rechabites Bitter, 4%
A bronze-coloured bitter brewed with Maris Otter Malt and Challenger and Golding Hops.
Named after a local society that uses the pub.
Diggers Gold, 4%,
Diggers Gold is a golden coloured pale ale with a subtle hop aroma and a brief biscuity flavour followed by a dry and astringent after-taste. The pleasant bitter and hoppy after-taste lingers for quite a while afterwards. Brewed with Maris Otter Malt and Goldings and Challenger hops, Diggers Gold is also dry-hopped with Challenger in the cask to give it its distinctive lasting bitterness.
Ray has said he is still experimenting with this brew and will be using American hops in future.
Ye Olde Drummer Boy, 4.2%
A dark, strong mild, named after former pub regular and Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable.
The winner of the Mid-Glamorgan Pub of the Year 2011, the Red Cow at Llwydcoed in Aberdare, has started to brew its own beer. As well as being the only pub left in the village, the award-winning Red Cow has installed a brewery so that some great beers can be brewed at this hillside venue. The Grey Trees Brewery will be launching their 4 % Diggers Gold beer tonight at the pub. Diggers Gold is a triple-hopped beer, brewed with, amongst others, Chinook hops.
The Red Cow at Llwydcoed, near Aberdare may be the last pub left in the village, out of six that have closed down, but that has not stopped it from winning Mid-Glamorgan Branch of CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011.
The Red Cow is situated on the steep road leading into Aberdare from Merthyr Tydfil and this pub is a haven in an area of closed pubs. The pub is set back from the main road and has its own car park alongside, there is also a bus stop directly outside, the number six from Merthyr to Aberdare runs twice an hour during the day.
The Red Cow was built in the nineteenth century and has been sympathetically altered throughout the centuries. There is a small outside drinking area at the front with tables and benches and a central entrance door leads to the open-plan interior with the bar on the left and a raised seating area to the right. Six shining chrome-plated handpumps dispense real ales from an ever-changing selection of breweries and a local cider from International Cidermaker of the year Gwynt Y Ddraig. Chalkboards both inside and outside the pub inform the customers of which ales are available at the pub, recent guest beers have been from Rhymney, Breconshire, Wychwood, Celt Experience and Hop Back breweries and the landlord has a policy of stocking real ales from Welsh independent breweries wherever possible. Beers are even served in third of a pint glasses to encourage customers to taste beers they might not always order a pint of at the bar. Bottled beers include Marston's Pedigree, Courage Best and Grolsh Weissen.
Regular beer festivals are held in the pub throughout the year, with the next one being held over the weekend of the 29th April with over 30 different reals and ciders being on sale at the event.
To the rear of the pub is a restaurant and function room, this is decorated with a painting of Rorke's Drift and features a wood-burning fire in the winter. The military theme is continued throughout the pub with military insignia and memorabilia hanging up in various parts, a reminder of the landlord's previous career in the Parachute Regiment. The rear room leads out to a conservatory and another outside seating area, offering views over the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Red Cow offers an extensive menu, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible including rare breed pork sausages and organic Welsh beef steaks. Handcut chips and generous portions of food on the plate often leave the customers with no room for something from the desert menu.
The current landlord took over the pub in March 2008 and has steadily increased the real ale range from one handpump to the six that now serve great Welsh beers to the thirsty customers of Llwydcoed and those from further afield. The Red Cow may be the last pub in the village but offering excellent quality real ales and top quality food will insure its survival well into the future.
Above: an old picture of the Red Cow in the days it was owned by Welsh Brewers
Red Cow, 6 Merthyr Road, Llwydcoed, Aberdare, CF44 0YE,
Open Monday 6-12 (no food), Tuesday-Thursday 12-2.30, 6-12 (food 12-2, 6.30-9), Friday, Saturday, Sunday – open all day.
Open Monday 6-12 (no food), Tuesday-Thursday 12-2.30, 6-12 (food 12-2, 6.30-9), Friday, Saturday, Sunday – open all day.
The Red Cow is situated on the steep road leading into Aberdare from Merthyr Tydfil and this pub is a haven in an area of closed pubs. The village of Llwydcoed was once home to six pubs but today the Red Cow is the last one remaining. The pub is set back from the main road and has its own car park alongside, there is also a bus stop directly outside, the number six from Merthyr to Aberdare runs twice an hour during the day. The Red Cow was built in the nineteenth century and has been sympathetically altered throughout the centuries. There is a small outside drinking area at the front with tables and benches and a central entrance door leads to the open-plan interior with the bar on the left and a raised seating area to the right. Six shining chrome-plated handpumps dispense real ales from an ever-changing selection of breweries and a local cider from International Cidermaker of the year Gwynt Y Ddraig. Chalkboards both inside and outside the pub inform the customers of which ales are available at the pub, recent guest beers have been from Rhymney, Breconshire, Wychwood, Celt Experience and Hop Back breweries and the landlord has a policy of stocking real ales from Welsh independent breweries wherever possible. Beers are even served in third of a pint glasses to encourage customers to taste beers they might not always order a pint of at the bar. Over 130 different real ales have been served here this year so far. Bottled beers include Marston's Pedigree, Courage Best and Grolsh Weissen.
Regular beer festivals are held in the pub throughout the year, with the next one being held over the August Bank Holiday weekend with over 30 different reals and ciders being on sale at the event.
To the rear of the pub is a restaurant and function room, this is decorated with a painting of Rorke's Drift and features a wood-burning fire in the winter. The military theme is continued throughout the pub with military insignia and memorabilia hanging up in various parts, a reminder of the landlord's previous career in the Parachute Regiment. The rear room leads out to a conservatory and another outside seating area, offering views over the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Red Cow offers an extensive menu, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible including rare breed pork sausages and organic Welsh beef steaks. Handcut chips and generous portions of food on the plate often leave the customers with no room for something from the desert menu.
The current landlord took over the pub in March 2008 and has steadily increased the real ale range from one handpump to the six that now serve great Welsh beers to the thirsty customers of Llwydcoed and those from further afield. The Red Cow may be the last pub in the village but offering excellent quality real ales and top quality food will insure its survival well into the future.
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Aberdare is a bit of beer desert if you are unfortunate to have ever trapsed the town looking for a decent pint, however on the outskirts, to the east is Llwydcoed and the Red Cow pub where they are holding a beer festival this weekend.
Beers on: London Pride 4.1%
Hobgobin 4.5%
Ramblers Ruin 5% ... Red Dragon 4.8%
Butty Bach 4.5% ... HPA 4%
Columbo 4% ... O1 4%
Snowdonia Ale 3.6% ... Glaslyn Ale 4.2%
Doom Bar 4%
Betty Stogs 4%
Old Hooky 4.6%
A good range there that should suit all tastes, a pity Brew Wales is on the cider this weekend in the Clytha Arms otherwise a trip up to the Red Cow would be in order. The Red Cow Inn
6 Merthyr Road
Llwydcoed
Aberdare
CF44 0FE
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