16 Tysoe Street, Clerkenwell, EC1R 4RQ, UK (map)
This was a surprise, and they had a couple of fantastic ales (Sharp’s Doom Bar (ABV: 4.0%) being the tastiest). It’s not your average looking pub, in fact the interior is relatively trendy and makes it seem like you are only going to be able to get generic euro-lagers. [...]

High Street, Sandridge, Hertfordshire, AL4 9DD, UK (map)
This is one of those pubs you would drive past without giving it a second look. In fact, I drive past it everyday after work and have never noticed it. This is definitely a working man’s pub, full of locals looking up from their games of cards and [...]

The Endway, Great Easton, Essex, CM6 2HG, UK (map)

A bit of an all-rounder – Good ales, comfy, and good food. It’s slightly hard to find, and you will probably have to drive – which is a shame. I had good pints of Nethergate, Old Peculiar, and Adnam’s bitter.

Globe Lane, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 2TA, UK (map)
Now this is a real find. A canal-side pub that serves Abbot, Greene King Triumph, and Old Speckled Hen and always has two guest beers. This time they were Smile’s Heritage and Ridley’s Prospect. The Prospect was a great pint, and the Abbott was as good [...]

Keen to ressurrect the twice weekly lunchtime trip to the pub, Brad and I took a trip out to “The Crooked Billet” in Colney Heath (just outside Hatfield).
It is certainly hard to find anywhere to have a beer in Hatfield (apart from the Horse and Groom – featured on our homepage just now) – so [...]

2 High Street, Hunsdon, SG12 8NH, UK (map)
Definitely on the high-end of gastropubs, in fact, more of a restaurant to be honest. The food is fantastic and priced accordingly. We ate at the bar and had a reasonably priced early evening set-menu meal. Anyway. the important thing is that they served a perfect pint of Adnam’s Broadside [...]

I have been giving ale a bit of a rest lately. Mainly due to my growing stomach, but also because I have stacks of wine to get through ! I’ve had the odd pub lunch with Brad – but nothing exciting enough to write about. Until today!
My Italian friend Enrico fancied a pint of Guinness [...]

Feature ales always surface when there is a national event where England are involved. Pubs all over the country start having guest ales like ‘Golden Glory’ – all sporting the England flag on the pump – luring the ale drinker to give it a go. I’ve tried a few myself and haven’t been overly impressed.
Bottled [...]

Last night I took a friend out for an evening drink and some food – and we ventured out to the ‘Marchmont’ in Hemel Hempstead. This place is significant for a few reasons:

It was my first local when I moved to Hemel Hempstead in 1986
It became my local again in 2002 when I started working [...]

For Hatfield, this pub is a brilliant find. It’s right next to the grounds of Hatfield house and is pretty unassuming from the outside. They had five good ales on draught which were well looked after. I had the Adnam’s Broadside and a Ruddles County, but they also had Abbott, Director’s, Greene King I.P.A. and [...]