Assuming it's still one of Wetherspoons "house" ales, draught Hopback Summer Lightning is easily available and very quaffable for the real ale novice Dave. Shepherd Neame Whitstable bay organic ale is another one that you can get in bottles and tastes good from the fridge...
What Ales would you recommend to lager drinkers then mate?
I'm a stella drinker and apart from the occasional old wallop down bangers (although it's been a while) never even look at ale so, where would be a good start?
Dave - not sure where you are, but a favourite of mine is Meantime London Pale Ale - can put it in the fridge, great taste and a nice step on from lager... You can order online, buy at the brewery shop or if you're in SE10, a lot of the pubs serve it on tap.... Enjoy.
Personally I find IPA a bit wishy-washy but I guess that would make it ideal for a lager drinker. I think a big issue for a lot of lager drinkers is that they are accustomed to drinking their beer cold. The 11° of a pub real ale or 20° of a typical bottle at home can come as a bit of a shock. For that reason I'd recommend breaking yourself in gently with something that you can put in the fridge. Perhaps a Sierra Nevada pale ale, an Old Speckled Hen or even a Marsden's Pedigree. Alternatively (and it's not really the best time of year to start) why not try a nice summer ale? Something like Brewers Gold, Exmoor Gold or just about anything else with 'gold' in its name. There are loads of great beers out there Dave, it's fantastic that you're prepared to give some a go.
Wishey washey?!
India Pale Ale is about as hoppy and flavoursome as you can get!
If you saw some of the porters, winter ales and brews that are best tackled with a knife and fork that I choose to partake in, you'd know why I think IPAs are wishy washy ;-)
Then again there's IPA and IPA. The Meantime one that comes in a bottle with a champagne-style cork is absolutely fantastic; full-bodied and full-of flavour, it's one of my favourite beers. At least, it would be if I could afford to drink it. Some of the house IPAs that you find in chain pubs, Greene King for instance, make a bottle of Peckham Spring taste flavoursome.
If you saw some of the porters, winter ales and brews that are best tackled with a knife and fork that I choose to partake in, you'd know why I think IPAs are wishy washy ;-)
Then again there's IPA and IPA. The Meantime one that comes in a bottle with a champagne-style cork is absolutely fantastic; full-bodied and full-of flavour, it's one of my favourite beers. At least, it would be if I could afford to drink it. Some of the house IPAs that you find in chain pubs, Greene King for instance, make a bottle of Peckham Spring taste flavoursome.
Actually that is a fair point! There are some not worthy of the name
Mostly my beers of choice are Kent Pale and one called Rockin Robbin RPA. Love a Goachers Gold Star and Jaipur (dangerous stuff). Have tried the meantime IPA which is v good.
My footballing / beer / gig buddy is much more into the porters and winter ales, which I do drink occasionally and can see where you are coming from!
Did an evening of green hopped pales recently - too much! Also developing a taste for mild.
What Ales would you recommend to lager drinkers then mate?
I'm a stella drinker and apart from the occasional old wallop down bangers (although it's been a while) never even look at ale so, where would be a good start?
Dave - not sure where you are, but a favourite of mine is Meantime London Pale Ale - can put it in the fridge, great taste and a nice step on from lager... You can order online, buy at the brewery shop or if you're in SE10, a lot of the pubs serve it on tap.... Enjoy.
What Ales would you recommend to lager drinkers then mate?
I'm a stella drinker and apart from the occasional old wallop down bangers (although it's been a while) never even look at ale so, where would be a good start?
Dave - not sure where you are, but a favourite of mine is Meantime London Pale Ale - can put it in the fridge, great taste and a nice step on from lager... You can order online, buy at the brewery shop or if you're in SE10, a lot of the pubs serve it on tap.... Enjoy.
And all this, a mere £5.00 a pint.
Buy a case from the brewery shop and you can half that price.
Best thing to do Dave is to just try them! Ask the bar staff if you can try a drop of each, explain you don't know much about ales but you'd like to learn. If they've been trained properly they should let you have a taste no problem.
Thanks mate, im in the railway at Liverpool street and was considering the IPA but its green king.
they have Railway or Abbot, are either of these any good?
You posted ½ hour ago, so you may well know the answer by now. Personally I love Abbott. Not familiar with Railway.
Well I succumbed to the call of Stella (the girls behind the bar said that "ipa was popular" but apart from that they couldn't recommend anything)
I will go straight for the Abbot tomorrow and report back.
Had a pint of abbot today, followed by two pints of Stella.
absolutely nothing wrong with the beer, but i think that i'm so used to drinking lager, id have to really be in the mood for an ale to drink more than 1.
Thanks mate, im in the railway at Liverpool street and was considering the IPA but its green king.
they have Railway or Abbot, are either of these any good?
The Railway - my work local
Where do you work PL54?
I am pretty sure I met you early Summer in The Red Lion - you work with a mate of mine (M.O'C). This was at about 4pm though and I think you were just shy of 10 pints in.
Thanks mate, im in the railway at Liverpool street and was considering the IPA but its green king.
they have Railway or Abbot, are either of these any good?
The Railway - my work local
Where do you work PL54?
I am pretty sure I met you early Summer in The Red Lion - you work with a mate of mine (M.O'C). This was at about 4pm though and I think and you were just shy of 10 pints in.
Haha yes, i know M O'C and that day (ish)!
I do love an afternoon in the lion rouge!
Let me know next time you fancy a beer and i'll turn up sober.
i had the misfortune to meet up with someone at the "hole in the wall" at waterloo on friday evening ...back in the 70s it was a lovely real ale pub with fullers,waddingtons,theakstones etc on tap ...now its a hell hole ...why and where did it all go wrong ?
Style and Winch Ltd. Brewers: does this name mean anything to any oldies? I've just watched a fifties John Mills film on TV which was partly filmed in and around Gravesend. A couple of shots on the marshes show a Style & Winch pub called 'The Lord Nelson'. I started my drinking career in and around Gravesend in 1963/64 but don't recall supping this beer . Anyone remember it at all?
Style and Winch Ltd. Brewers: does this name mean anything to any oldies? I've just watched a fifties John Mills film on TV which was partly filmed in and around Gravesend. A couple of shots on the marshes show a Style & Winch pub called 'The Lord Nelson'. I started my drinking career in and around Gravesend in 1963/64 but don't recall supping this beer . Anyone remember it at all?
Style & Winch brewed in Maidstone and had 600 pubs when the business was bought by Barclay Perkins of Southwark in 1929; S&W beers continued to be brewed until 1956, when Barclays merged with Courage. The Man of Kent in Rochester - which serves a range of local beers and ciders - still has a splendid Style & Winch tiled exterior.
i had the misfortune to meet up with someone at the "hole in the wall" at waterloo on friday evening ...back in the 70s it was a lovely real ale pub with fullers,waddingtons,theakstones etc on tap ...now its a hell hole ...why and where did it all go wrong ?
In the 70s.....40 or so years ago?
Lots of things did well in the 70s - miners, Jimmy Savile, Liverpool FC.
Comments
I'm a stella drinker and apart from the occasional old wallop down bangers (although it's been a while) never even look at ale so, where would be a good start?
Dave - not sure where you are, but a favourite of mine is Meantime London Pale Ale - can put it in the fridge, great taste and a nice step on from lager... You can order online, buy at the brewery shop or if you're in SE10, a lot of the pubs serve it on tap.... Enjoy.
India Pale Ale is about as hoppy and flavoursome as you can get!
Then again there's IPA and IPA. The Meantime one that comes in a bottle with a champagne-style cork is absolutely fantastic; full-bodied and full-of flavour, it's one of my favourite beers. At least, it would be if I could afford to drink it. Some of the house IPAs that you find in chain pubs, Greene King for instance, make a bottle of Peckham Spring taste flavoursome.
Mostly my beers of choice are Kent Pale and one called Rockin Robbin RPA. Love a Goachers Gold Star and Jaipur (dangerous stuff). Have tried the meantime IPA which is v good.
My footballing / beer / gig buddy is much more into the porters and winter ales, which I do drink occasionally and can see where you are coming from!
Did an evening of green hopped pales recently - too much! Also developing a taste for mild.
And all this, a mere £5.00 a pint.
Buy a case from the brewery shop and you can half that price.
What price quality anyway? ;-)
No actually, it is shit.
they have Railway or Abbot, are either of these any good?
I will go straight for the Abbot tomorrow and report back.
absolutely nothing wrong with the beer, but i think that i'm so used to drinking lager, id have to really be in the mood for an ale to drink more than 1.
Will try again on another day.
I do love an afternoon in the lion rouge!
Let me know next time you fancy a beer and i'll turn up sober.
are you old pals with M or s it through work?
Sorry to hear of its decline like so much else, sadly, in 21st Century Britain.
Yesterday, at the Brussels Beer Challenge, more than 740 beers were tasted in different categories. Americans took 53 medals home, Belgium 43 but the best overall beer was ... English : Triple C !
Lots of things did well in the 70s - miners, Jimmy Savile, Liverpool FC.
All long gone.