An early rise on a Saturday morning, there must be Bier and Travel involved.
News of The Bermondsey Beer Mile has spread north of The Border, The Company are based in Crawley for the weekend. Hector is resident with Lord Clive and Lady Maggie who graciously took us to Partridge Green last evening having gone the extra mile and collected Hector at Gatwick. There would be no cars today, we had to be on the 09.13 to New Cross Gate. Why this train? Why so early? There was another train station much nearer The Den but it did not connect with Crawley. We picked up Martin en route. The walk from New Cross Gate to The Starting Point was not a short one. Jonathan and Robin went in search of a taxi. New Cross Rd leads to Old Kent Rd, I’ve heard of that. London, whatever this concept is, all looks the same. Hang on, there’s an ironing board abandoned mid-pavement, better stop and take a photo. Whilst Hector was sorting the camera, Craig spotted a plaque displaying the record of a famous former resident. Sir Barnes Wallis! Inventor of the Bouncing Bomb! The Dam Busters! Hector Bounces Back! The day was made already and we hadn’t even had breakfast yet.
Breakfast was to be in Zampa Rd outside The Den, home of Millwall FC, it was not a match day. As Clive and Hector, the fittest in The Company entered the Millwall Café, a Chap was sitting, back to door, wearing a Brugs Zote t-shirt. Clive knew him, this was Paul a colleague. Coincidence? Unlikely.
Doris talked Hector through the Breakfast Choices #1, #3# 4… What happened to #2?
Nobody orders that.
I’ll have Breakfast #2. I was not the last to do so.
The Company Hector had met already and so I sat with Paul. A Bradford City and Hibernian fan, there’s Two of Them. Paul had heard of Mr. Holden but fortunately had never met him. Paul would prove to be a welcomed addition to The Company.
Breakfast took a while, Jonathan and Robin were well behind, two buses. The opening time for the Six Craft Breweries along the Bermondsey Mile is 11.00. It was after 11.00. And so we strode off towards the Bermondsey Trading Estate, home of Fourpure. This walk was not a short one either.
Oh look, South Bermondsey train station, whey did we not start here? There is a distinct lack of Curry Houses in this part of Southwark/Bermondsey, why is this?
On entering the Industrial Unit that is Fourpure, people were setting up Food on the right, the Bar was through to the left.
The IPA at 6.5% would be the perfect start, a Session Ale. With Cascade, Citra and Columbus Hops, this was right up our street.
Two Pints of IPA and 2/3 of something non-Hoppy for The Lady.
£15.00 please.
We managed to claim a bench and slowly savoured the Beer. By the time we had all assembled some were ready to move on. Returning the glasses to t’Bar:
Your Beer is excellent, but £5.00 a pint is taking the piss.
As I returned to my seat, Jonathan pointed out it was £6.00 a pint! This day would either be Abstemious or Expensive.
Hector was once asked by a non-Bier Aficionado – What’s the difference between Real Ale and Craft Beer?
About £2.00 a pint.
We came to them, Transport Costs were Nil, for them, and yet they charge Silly Money? Extortion. We don’t have to buy it, We will not.
On leaving around 12.30, the Food was now up and running – Dosa Deli.
What? Curry on sale here and I hadn’t spotted it? After the mass of Very Wet English Breakfast consumed at the Millwall Deli, I did not think I would ever eat again. People eat this?
I would return to Fourpure, for The Curry!
Follow the railway arches – was Clive’s instruction, next stop was Partizan. The advance party took one look. People were already spilled outside. The Beer all had Fruit and/or other strange additives, pass it by. Ironically, this was the only Bermondsey Brewery I had previously heard of courtesy of a Bar Owner in Katowice.
Kernel was next. It shuts at 14.00. We had just over an hour. This is the venue Craig was most looking forward to. Had closing not been imminent, we know he and Yvonne would have encamped. There was a short queue, time to study The Board.
No. 5 – Pale Ale Nelson Sauvin 5.4% sold in 2/3 at £2.80. Quick Maths confirmed this was not OTT. Fourpure, take note. With Nelson Sauvin Hops, how could this Beer fail? It didn’t. Right on the button. We love our Strong, Pale, Hoppy Beers especially those with Hops from The New World.
The Company had split, some stood at a Barrel, those who needed to found a bench. Eventually all bar Clive, Paul and Hector were at the table, we stood adjacent.
Clive managed to secure a round of drinks. Another IPA…… the Pale Ale Citra Chinook at a mere 5.3%. More of the same.
We can stand here and chat, or if we want another Beer we can chat in the queue. And so by the time time we reached the front only the Black IPA was available – in our style – and Hector has never had so many Friends.
Clive did ask the staff why they closed at 14.00
We close at 2pm because we get too busy.
Perhaps someone with a Business Brain may re-evaluate this Marketing Decision.
We were last out. Had they closed at midnight we would have been last out. That’s how wonderful the Beer was here. The staff were also very amenable.
Jonathan had gone ahead to the next place – Brew by Numbers. He was in the queue. Richard had announced his arrival and gone straight there, he had a Beer.
The queue was being marshalled by a Young Chap, but nobody appeared to be gaining entry. Inside was another queue, we heard. I tried to get to the door to clarify the rumours but the Young Jobsworth denied my sojourn. We were expected to queue to join a queue that nobody was monitoring inside? Sod-off! There is more Beer to be had, we don’t need the hassle.
Clive and The Ladies had gone ahead – Not to the Bottleshop – we were assured. Jonathan, Paul and Hector bypassed this and went straight to Anspach and Hobday. Then back to The Bottleshop to find it packed and everyone else in situ. So back to Anspach and Hobday – Oh The Grand Old Duke of York…
The queue at Anspach and Hobday was minimal, as soon as Hector tasted the Beer he had Jonathan, still at the Bar, order more, and we got a bench. The rest of The Company were at The Bottleshop. The India Pale Ale at 6.0% was good enough ot follow what we had enjoyed at Kernel. As a Philospoher once said – There’s no demand for Strong, Pale Hoppy Ales.
Eventually The Company was One and The Ladies were seated. Sour Dry Hop at 4.9% was calling, it had to be tried despite the lesser abv. Stunning! This was a Thin Geuze, the Lambic Flavours were there. More please!
We leave, they closed at 18.00, was it 18.00 already?
Further along Druid St with The Shard looming ominously, the last port of call, The Southwark Brewing Company.
Mein Host was quick to point out that they had Cask Beer, so in keeping with the CAMRA spirit, this had to be sampled. The Harvard American Pale Ale at 5.5% should surley have been better. The Citra Hops were not coming through. After Keg, and Lambic Keg in particular, the taste-buds were not registering anything special.
We had a settee, a bench and a table, in fact there was more space for the public here in comfort than any place visited today. There was also a single toilet with a constant queue. Who asked if there was actually someone inside and opened the door to find…
London Bridge train station was completely unknown to Hector before today. The Shard had been seen only in the distance. Here we were taking the train back to Crawley in half the time it took us to get here.
Maggie, Robin and Jonathan called it a day. Craig, Yvonne, Clive and Hector took a taxi to Clive’s Local – The Downsman, but not for Bier, they sell Curry!
Thereafter another taxi took us back to the Town Centre where Yvonne and Craig retired. Clive and Hector were still going strong. Dark Star’s Revelation at 5.7% was in keeping with what had been consumed earlier. Despite Copious Hoppy Beers and a Curry, the intensity of the Sacred Hop still shone through, astonishing. An excellent Ale.
Something Strange
Clive declared he – was stuffed – and could to put another thing in his body. Time for home, The Bluebell Railway awaits tomorrow.
Interesting Fact about The Bermondsey Beer Mile
Today Hector walked 13.4km. That is many miles.
The Pubs and Brewery Taps visited today:
Fourpure Brewery – 22 Bermondsey Trading Estate, Rotherhide New Road, SE16 3LL
Partizan Brewing : 8 Almond Street, SE16 3LR
Kernel Brewery : Arch 11 Dockley Road Industrial Estate, SE16 3SF
Brew by Numbers : 79 Enid Street, SE16 3RA
Anspach and Hobday Brewery : 118 Druid Street, SE1 2HH
Bottleshop : 118 Druid Street, SE1 2HH
Southwark Brewing Company : 46 Druid Street, London SE1 2EZ
The Downsman : Wakehurst Drive, Crawley RH10 6DH
Brewery Shades : 85 High St, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1BA
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