My BF50 Challenge update 3

21 May 2015

Third one was a small pub beer festival at the Happy Man in Englefield Green. A popular pub with local students, this was their end of exams festival.

Not far to go for this one.

Yo can guess which beers I drunk there.

The beer festival was in the garden at thebak of the pub.

My BF50 Challenge update 2

14 May 2015

2nd beer festival visited was the CAMRA festival at Kingston

 

My BF50 Challenge update 1

2 May 2015

I have the first beer festival done (Reading) and Bram has said he will give £100 to Help for Heroes if I complete. I will match that, anyone else want to support me?

see here for more info about Help for Heroes.

It may sound an easy challenge but i do have other interests other than beer festivals to occupy my free time.

Ian.

Quality control at Reading

My 50 Beer Festival Challenge

2 May 2015

Yesterday was my 49th birthday. A friend has challenged me to visit and drink at 50 beer festivals between now and my 50th birthday.

I have accepted his challenge, so the question now is will I succeed?

I will of course update progress here.

First one is easy, am working at Reading Beer Festival and will find time for a beer or two over the next 2 days.

Ealing Park Tavern

8/4/15

Another London brewpub visited. Home of the Long Arm Brewing Co.

Info about the pub is here.

Only one house brewed beer available

This one had just finished

Interesting view at back of pub

The brewery

FV's

Outside the brewery, former stables building

The brewer learned about brewing working at London Fields brewery. Plan is for 3 regular beers plus occasional specials.

The beers will also be available in other pubs also owned by ETM Group, which all seem to be gastropubs.

The beers are still being developed and brew recipes adjusted so that means I will have to make another visit in a few weeks time.

Another good reason for me to go again is that to get there I catch the 65 bus from Kew Bridge, See route map below.

Right by Kew Bridge station is the delightful Express Tavern which usually has interesting beers available. I had 2 beers from the excellent Mallinsons brewery in Hudddersfield.

The Cambridge Blue Winter Beer Festival 2015

26/2/15

An afternoon off work to visit one of my favourite pubs. Been about 18 months since last visit.

one or two guest beers been here

This was the programme of beers, not all all on sale at once though.

Some of the beers available while I was there.

So what were my favourite beers? Not having had any beers from the Three Blind Mice Brewery before I was impressed by their Black Bank Porter and Dirty Goulash, the latter being a rum infused double stout.

A link to the pubs website is here

The Italian Job

2/7/15

A couple of films with the same name, similar story but one a classic British film

With probably Michael Caine's much quoted scene.

But why am I telling you this?

Well, a couple of weeks ago (13/2/15) a little bar opened in Chiswick, West London and it is called The Italian Job. The UK's first Italian craft beer pub apparently.

I decided it would be worth a visit as it is not too far from home.

The clock reveals a former name

The A-board outside

And the bar itself

I was the only customer when I arrived just after opening at 5 o'clock, hence the empty bar. Custom soon picked up though.

12 beers were available on draught, 2 on handpump, 10 on tap.

The pub's website is here

2 handpumps:

and the 5 taps next to it

were all from the Ducato brewery,

the other 5 taps had guest beers

As you might expect, it costs a bit more than your usual beer but averaged about £3 a half on the ones I had.

Will I go back? Yes but at the end of the day I still prefer my British ales.