Archive for March, 2010
Is Harvey’s Best The New Young’s Ordinary?
Mar 22nd, 2010 |
Some years ago there were beers that seemed to be everywhere in London – Wadworths 6X, Fuller’s london Pride and Young’s Ordinary (Bitter) for example. Assuming you liked those beers they were always a good fallback if there was nothing else available.
But, quality could vary. Whereas 6X and London Pride were fairly presentable in most places, Young’s Ordinary actually never seemed to live up to its Wandsworth promise when drunk in no-Young’s pubs
Now, Wadworths 6X is rare in London and although London Pride and Young’s Ordinary are still available in Fuller’s and Young’s pubs, other beers taken their place in other pubs – including Harvey’s Sussex Best.
Now Harvey’s Best is a particular favourite of mine, so whenever it’s available I’m tempted to try it. But after some recent disappointments I’m being more careful.
The Lewes Benchmark
On our recent trip to Lewes (where Harvey’s brewery is located), Jon and I found that Harvey’s Best was available in practically every pub we visited – and generally it was pretty good. With the brewery so close, non-Harvey’s pubs in Lewes presumably work hard to keep it well so they stand a chance of selling it.
London
In London pubs, Harvey’s Best falls into 3 groups:
1) The Royal Oak in Borough
This pub is Harvey’s only London pub and the beer quality is always superb. You’d hope they would get it right here.
2) The Harp in Covent Garden, The Dispensary in Aldgate
Two superb pubs that carry Harvey’s Best nearly all the time. The taste is up there, but it is still distinguishable from the Royal Oak.
This grouping could also include the Bell at Cannon Street and the Peacock in Aldgate when it’s available.
3) The Rest
Do these pubs carry Harvey’s Best because it plays well with beer drinkers – are they trading on the name? But perhaps without the commitment to keep it well?
Harvey’s Best is a distinctive bitter and can easily be done wrong – just like Young’s Ordinary many years ago in all those non-Young’s pubs. If contemplating a Harvey’s Best now in a pub I’m not familiar with I’d always want to taste it first.
The Pembury Tavern, Hackney
Mar 12th, 2010 |
The Pembury Tavern, Hackney
Hackney in north-east London isn’t my normal stomping ground, but I was recently in that area for a business meeting and stumbled upon the Pembury Tavern.
The Pembury Tavern is close to Hackney Downs railway station on a busy crossroads. My visit coincided with the start of the rush hour, and the traffic outside was getting nowhere fast.
The outside of the pub is impressive but looks grey on a grey winter’s day. But the inside is open and welcoming despite being sparsely decorated.
There are 16 handpumps on the bar – mostly serving beer from the Milton Brewery. Apparently they are located on the outskirts of Cambridge but I must admit I’d never heard of them before. As well as the Milton beers there were a couple from the Milestone Brewery and one or two others, as well as at least one real cider.
On my visit I had two pints. Firstly the Milton Sparta – a hoppy beer in the Hophead spectrum, but nowhere near as lively.
The second pint was Milton Nero – a dark and complex stout. It tasted thick and oaty with some significant sweetness. I don’t think I could drink much than a pint of that one.
Pump Clips at The Pembury Tavern
Other attractions in the pub include a pool table and a bar-billiards table. One end of the pub seems to be like an office – many people using their laptops. There is a wi-fi hotspot which I believe is free.
My visit was relatively brief, but it’s enough to convince me I should come back for longer. With the trains into Liverpool Street so close and frequent it’s certainly easy to get to.
Beer Festival at the Pembury Tavern
Since I first drafted this post a couple of weeks ago I have been back to the Pembury Tavern again on March 10th – once again for a brief visit. There is currently a beer festival on – with a rack of casks set up opposite the bar. I think there were another 8 beers on with a couple of real ciders too. I tried the Skinners Spriggan which was very good.
I think the beer festival runs until Sunday 14th March.
The Pembury Tavern has its own website.