BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY REAL ALE...
BIRMINGHAM AND DERBY REAL ALE CRAWLS – 15.5.07
We went into Birmingham for a crawl for real ale on Tuesday and started at the Anchor in Digbeth where we joined friends before moving on to the Lamp Tavern at Highgate and finishing at the Wellington and Briar Rose in Bennetts Hill.
The Anchor had a Roosters festival the previous weekend, and there were some of the beers still available. We had Outlaw Dead or Alive, and Oak Fermented Pale Ale. Titanic Riveters followed these and Fugelstou Lincolnshire Love Muscle. As a few of us wanted the beer, we had a jug of Neuadd Innstable brought up from the cellar to share. At the Lamp we had Simpson & Simpson Touchstone. On to the Wellington where we had Beowulf Weissbier and West Berks Dr Hexters Healer. Next came Sadlers Seventh Heaven and Newby Wyke Good Ship Leonard. We finished this session with Wear Valley Death by Chocolate and Thornbridge Derby v West Brom? This prediction has proved correct for the playoff final for promotion from the Championship. Ray and I tried the Death by Chocolate when it was being brewed as we visited the brewery in July last year. We called into the Briar Rose and had Hanby Mild Mayhem before going for a curry at the Little Havana in Acocks Green.
On Thursday while Ray was at work I decided to go to Derby to visit the Babbington where a Mild Beer Festival was being held. I called into the Brunswick to buy the tickets for Chesterfield Rail Ale Festival on the Saturday of this week. While there I had Otley OBB. I was in the Babbington in time to get a breakfast, and settled down to drinking and bottling the milds on offer. Those bought were Anglo Dutch Mild Rabarber, Bradfield Masseys Mild, Falstaff Castle & Falcon Mild, Falstaff Tommy Cooper, Full Mash Mambo Mild, Full Mash Ouija, Magpie Dark Secret, North Cotswold Mayfair, Rugby 1823 Dark Mild and Titanic Mild. I also bottled Cottage Mallard IPA.
I thought I might as well look round the other good Derby pubs, and set off for the Flowerpot. Here I had Durham Spring Goddess and bottled Durham Citrus Pale. There were about 12 beers on tap and another 12 from the cellar. On to the Old Silk Works, where I found new landlords had recently taken over and were enthusiastic about real ale. I had Tunnel Sweet Parish Ale here then went on to the Dolphin. Although there were 8 pumps here they were all regular beers so I left and went on to the Smithfield. I sat outside with a Whim Kascade then went on to my final pub, the Alexandra where I had a massive cheese and onion cob while enjoying Burton Bridge Moorish Mild and bottled Bateman Gemini Double Trouble and Castle Rock Hay Rattle. As I passed the Brunswick to get to the station, I decided to pop in and had Brunswick White Feather, and had a quick look down the passage at the brewery.
When I got off the train in Birmingham I decided to see what the Wellington had on, so I had my final beer Hook Norton’s new brew Cotswold Lion before heading off home. I had 10 beers in my bag that we would enjoy on Friday night when we got to Old Brampton where we were staying for the Rail Ale Beer Festival held near Chesterfield
It had been good week for real ales and the trip out had been great.
