In Pursuit of the Perfect Pint

Sunday in London. We checked out of the hotel and went for a walk to Covent Gardens, a large open-air market that was very similar to Faneuil Hall in Boston. We walked by Westminster Abbey (didn’t quite make the service) and stopped for breakfast. Jenn got the omelet with chips, and was surprised to be served French fries instead of hash browns. The shops were nice, with a mixture of cafes, crafts, and specialty stores. I was disappointed to find out that London has blue laws, and they weren’t supposed to serve beer before noon. However, at the Nag’s Head I was able to buy a pastry and the lovely landlady threw in a pint of McMullen’s Country Bitter on cask for free. Well, I didn’t pay for it.

We headed out of town, and went to a place over in Parson’s Green that was #51 on Beer Advocate’s list. The White Horse was known for its food as well as its beer, and they didn’t disappoint. Jenn got the eggs benedict, but instead of canadien bacon it had thin slices of ham. I had the tomato and coriander soup, and was surprised to find that it was a cold soup. Good, but not what I was expecting. For the beer, I was ecstatic about finding Fraouch Heather Ale and Hook Norton’s Old Hooky on cask. Both were outstanding. I looked at the bottles that they had available to go, and was surprised to see several from Coney Island brewery, brewed in Saratoga Springs, NY, available. I skipped those and bought the Meantime Chocolate and Meantime Raspberry, as well as a Budvar Dark Lager.

What to do next. I have to be honest in that I had rented a car (rather than taking the train) for two purposes. The first to see Stonehenge and the second was to find #119 on the Beer Advocate’s list, a pub called the Bell in the small town of Aldworth. It was off the beaten path, and I questioned whether on making a special trip there, even if it was on the way. The town was so small it seemed disserted, until we turned the corner and saw that the whole town was there. The pub was over 600 years old, and had a huge garden with picnic tables that folks were eating out. Whole families were there, 90 year old grandmothers, 40 year old fathers, down to 2 year old tots. We grabbed a bench and ate a plate of fruit, bread, and really sharp (mature) cheddar cheese. I had the Arkell Best Bitter while Jenn tried the Kingsdown. It was fantastic. Jenn looked around and let me know that she now understood what I meant when I told her that I loved English pubs. It was socializing with everyone in the community, and I can’t think of anything that we have in the US that would be similar. Mahar’s tries to provide that atmosphere, but it often gets overrun by our local colleges.

We drove to Derby via Warwickshire (castle was closed), and checked into the hotel. We went to dinner at a local Indian restaurant called Shalimar, and tried the Kasmir chicken. I had a Worthington Creamy to wash it down, and Jenn and I reflected on our vacation. I had to work the next two days, but I showed Jenn where the mall was (not my best decision) and she said she’d be fine on her own. - 5175

"Beer has long been the prime lubricant in our social intercourse and the sacred throat-anointing fluid that accompanies the ritual of mate ship. To sink a few cold ones with the blokes is both an escape and a confirmation of belonging." – Rennie Ellis