To celebrate my 42nd birthday at the weekend, Brad and I bought up nearly all the ales in Tesco. Among the selection was Tesco Finest Belgian Wheat Beer. Although I have sworn allegiance to Ocado you clearly can’t buy this beer from them – so sorry guys – please don’t fire me! Label headlines tell [...]

Mug, originally uploaded by LondonBrad. This is not what Tony calls me, but for the international of you, it’s a kind of mug that’s–depressingly–less common in British pubs these days. Whilst I love the way they look, they are a little ungainly and really don’t look right unless you’re smoking a pipe. Quite a few [...]

St Austell Admiral Ale won Supreme Champion in the International Beer Challenge 2008. This ale celebrates Nelson’s 200th anniversary at Trafalgar in 1805. Apparently ‘… it was St Austell’s Blue Anchor Inn that the King’s messenger carrying news of the bottle, first stopped for refreshment on his long journey from Cornwall to London’. Anyway, this [...]

Whenever I am in a Fullers pub I usually go straight for the draught ESB and drink it until I can drink no more. ESB has been winning award for years – twice voted World Champion Bitter, three times voted Champion Beer of Britain, and is acknowledged around the world as a one of the [...]

Hook Norton Haymaker is a 5.0% Pale Ale. Headlining as a ‘… distinctive pale ale’, this ale is brewed with Goldings Hops is one of those that sits in the ‘take it or leave it’ category for me. This isn’t dissimilar to having a Cobra or another of those beers you get in an Indian [...]

I’ve always steered clear of Discovery when I’ve been in a Fullers pub. Obvious reasons are usually the alternatives – one being ESB – but also my ale snobbery makes me not want to drink something that looks like lager. Discovery is a Blonde ale head-lining simply as ‘Refreshing’. Bottle notes tell us ‘…this superb [...]

Drinking ale at home, originally uploaded by aleFinder. Essential equipment for drinking at home. Ales just don’t taste right out of anything but a pint glass (or mug). Personally, I really don’t like the metallic taste of pewter tankards either.

Sunday and still sunny and – I know a lot of people aren’t – but I am loving the lack of aeroplanes in the sky. I can listen to music and garden without comstant background noise. Today’s first bottle is Fullers 1845. 1845 headlines as ‘… matured to perfection for 100 days’. 1845 is pretty [...]

Bottle Three today is Fullers Organic Honeydew. Honeydew is a ‘… refreshing golden beer’ and is 5%. Bottle notes say ‘… this award winning premium beer is delightfully sweet, golden and refreshing’. Apparently it is ‘… the UKs leading organically produced ale’. Honeydew is brewed ‘ …using English malts and the finest honey to give [...]

I know it seems like I am drinking a lot lately – but gardening and DIY is thirsty work and the weather just right for ale. Another St Austell – this time Tribute – headlines as ‘… The South West’s favourite’. and ‘… a delicious beer that captures the essential character of Cornwall’. I’ve not [...]