No Bier in Wales, some left in Chester

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Hector

I am not a Number, I am a Free Man!

The plan today was to visit Portmeirion in North Wales. Only one thing was certain, we would be having Curry-Heute. Only two things were certain, we would be returning to the Pied Bull for the end of their UK v USA Beer Festival. Nobody expected Portmeirion to be a ninety minute drive from Chester, the plan was binned but Wales was not.

Colwyn Bay was deemed to be within an acceptable number of kilometres to drive and sufficiently far from England to be considered Welsh.

Just how many branches of a certain US Burger Franchise the people of North Wales require cannot be verified, however they appeared to be ubiquitous on our drive along the A55. We passed two castles which could justify a visit, the seeds of a return visit?

Taking the turn off for Colwyn Bay we managed to find the road along the coastline which meant we missed the town altogether – We missed the town. – and ending up stopping in Rhos on Sea.

Rhos on Sea is not the centre of the Universe, most of the visible populous appeared to be trying to escape given the number on the edge of the beach. Beach? Yet another seaside town, a la Blackpool, where the beach is only visible at low tide.

Back into the car and few more Kilometres along the road to the West lay Llandudno. This was a first. Lying in a textbook Bay between the two Ormes Headlands the town was as pristine as Leamington Spa. Graeme and Marion went off to do their own thing, Marg and I could see the End of the Pier, we had to go. Smaller than Brighton as one would expect, it did have a mini-version of the English End of Pier entertainments. This was thoroughly pleasant.

Wandering back through town I popped into a few Pubs to see if any Bier would call us in, nothing! No Bier in Wales? There was a Curry House.

The road up the Great Orme Headland is a Toll Road, fair enough, it is in a Nature Reserve. That we had to pay to park at the top was just a rip-off. Still the alternatives – The Tram – or the Cable-Car would no doubt have set us back even more. Again this was worth the visit. The Limestone gave a Mediterranean feel to the area; and the view, Snowdonia and Anglesey in the distance.

Llandudno has the atmosphere Marg and I both enjoy, Caernarvon and Anglesey beckon, we shall be back.

After the Chester Curry we walked the short distance to the Kash Tap Rooms. This is an ambitious Pub selling Craft Style Beer. The Green Hop Harvest, a 3.8% Ale from the Blueball Brewery (Runcorn, Cheshire) was a disappointment. Served far too cold and by a dubious dispensing method making it feel like Cask, we decided one Bier here would be enough. The Ale had no distinguishing flavour at all, so much for the Hops.

The venue was pleasant enough and the Chap behind the Bar was happy to discuss the Beer on offer, even accepting our Two-for-one Token. Cheap night so far.

And  Finally..

It had to be back to the Pied Bull. The English Ale had all but gone from the Festival Bar, Hector was more interested in the US Beer. Surprisingly so was Graeme. The Ladies stuck to Soft Drinks, good, the Healthy Option.

Brooklyn (no other name visible) was the choice to get the night going properly. This 5.2% Dark Gold Beer from the Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, New York, USA), verged towards the Amber, it was Cheek Suckingly Dry, excellent. Marg, shall we cross over to Brooklyn when we visit New York next year?

Time was against the Chaps, the Ladies were wilting, time to squeeze in a final Ale. Hopageddon at 7.0% was definitely the Night Cap. Brewed within the City Walls, this Pied Bull (Chester, Cheshire) Ale was Seriously Dry, very easy to drink despite the high abv. Fear not, we were home soon.

Now Chester feels like the sort of venue The Friends of Hector would enjoy for a Weekend Trip, or even a future New Year? The Travelodge gives the impression of being the best place to stay.

The Brewery Taps visited today:

The Kash Tap Rooms – 121 Brook St., Chester, CH1 3DU

The Pied Bull – 57 Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 2HQ

 

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Chester Zoo, and Bier too!

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Hector

Chester was resplendent in the autumn sunshine. After a Full English Breakfast we headed into town centre with its unique covered walkways. Pre-Elizabethan in parts it is the closest thing that England has to the traditional German Altstadt with which Hector is more familiar.

Having seen the shops we headed down to the banks of the River Dee via a park full of tame squirrels which kept Marg amused. Add to this Graeme armed with binoculars to spot birds, and this would be a different sort of day for the Curry Hound.

At least there were the Roman sites off the River Bank to give Hector some sense of Kultur before he was whisked off into the Chester Hinterland and The Zoo.

Hector likes Penguins, Meercats of the animated variety are interesting, that’s about it. Having sat on the neck of an Elephant in Sri Lanka in a National Park, watching them in a pen is not interesting. Animals that hide from the paying public should be dealt with, rations withheld… The Lions and Tigers were reluctant to appear, another cat simply did not. Even our close cousins – the Orangutan were indifferent. We went to a Tropical House full of birds, I took photos of the foliage. A Bird gave Marion a present, she then wanted out. The Penguins were fun, of course.

Meanwhile back in the Clean World

Dinner was booked in a Pub – The Bear and Billet. They were having an Ersatz Oktoberfest. This meant the staff were dressed in Bayerische costumes. Posters advertised Deutsche Bier, most of it third rate. At least there was some Schlenkerla (Heller, Bamberg, Bayern) but bizarrely this was the Weizen. I had to have it. Poured in a normal pint glass is not the way to drink a Weissbier. Still, I knew I would be getting the full Smoke/Rauch experience. Being used to the Urbock, this still felt a bit thin.

The Ladies drank non-Bier related items and so do not appear much in this saga. Graeme would always choose something at the lower end of the abv range on offer. Roosters (Harrogate) was a favourite Brewery in the late 1990s. Their Roosters, Cream and Yankee were all superb. Either the palate has moved on or they are not made to the same standard as in the halcyon days. Londinium (Roosters, Harrogate, Yorkshire) a 5.5% Porter felt like a fitting choice in this Roman Town. It would also complement the dark Schlenkerla. This Coffee Porter was Dry thankfully a fine Ale indeed.

To accompany all this I had a double bacon burger – of the home-made variety. This was an excellent feast, way more satisfying than Graeme’s small steak.

Spitting Feathers

Having completed a daytime survey of the three main Bier outlets on Northgate, The Brewery Tap, aka Spitting Feathers, stood out above all. Reminiscent of a Great Hall, the interior had a very inviting atmosphere. The menu was also superior to that of the Bear and Billet, but having booked our table at the latter we stuck with it.

Woodlands’ (Woodlands, Nantwich, Cheshire) Super IPA at 6.4% was way above what Graeme would tackle. This was within the comfort zone for Hector, just. This Gold Ale was very pleasant and did not drink at its given strength. It had the body but was lacking a significant flavour, a pity.

Back Home

We had to return to the Pied Bull to try some of the American Craft Beer. The Classic Pale Ale at 5.5% (Flying Dog, USA) was a beautiful Amber and well-balanced Beer. It was Dry with a hint of Malt, a very pleasant experience. Graeme had only ever tried one US Beer before and had not enjoyed, he stuck with the domestic.  These were starting to run out.

Somehow it was time to call it a day. Hector was just getting warmed up, the Ladies must learn to pace themselves.

The Brewery Taps and Pub visited today:

The Bear and Billet  –  94 Lower Bridge Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 1RU

Spitting Feathers : The  Brewery Tap   –  52-54 Lower Bridge Street, Chester, CH1 1RU

The Pied Bull  –  57 Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 2HQ

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Chester – It’s in Cheshire…

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Hector

The previous  Biennial Weekend with Graeme and Marion pre-dates Bier-Traveller.com, that was York. This year it was our turn to chose the venue. I have dropped in to Chester twice in my life and been more than impressed by the ambience, to stay a long weekend, well…

Arriving just before 20.00 we were in time for dinner at the Brookside Hotel, our sleeping quarters for the next three nights. Dinner had to be commenced by 20.30.  This is the British Way!  The Brookside Hotel was a late choice, our original venue, the Bull & Stirrup, letting us down very late on.

Dinner was nothing special, the Ale was Bottled and Warm, time to get out of here. Given that time was passing, Graeme suggested the nearby George and Dragon. Robin has not educated me in Ale all these years to go to  a Pub that sells only Greene King Ales. We passed it by and the Bull & Stirrup which had no Ales at all. The Pied Bull was our next place for inspection..

Serendipity Strikes Again!

Now on our very first Weekend Away together as a Foursome, Marg did not believe that it was chance that we met Clive in Keighley as we headed for the train back to Haworth. It was also pure chance that the KWVR Ale Festival was on that particular weekend. The Pied Bull had a Festival on too! It was advertised as UK v USA. In the excitement of seeing a dozen Hand-pull Taps set up on a Temporary Bar, I failed to notice a smaller one opposite with the American Craft Beers being dispensed.

When I finally got served I had to ask for advice, many new names. I was told that a Brewer was around, but we never met up. His choice of Ale was also Hop and Citrus and so it was suggested I start with a Salopian (Shrewsbury, Shropshire) 4.5% – er, Hop Twister. I have enjoyed their Ales over the years but of late have not been so impressed. The Hop Twister felt a bit Thin, nothing special at all.

Next up was a local Ale, the Redwillow (Macclesfield, Cheshire). At 5.9% this should have hit the spot, again I found it to be a disappointment. The Dark Gold Body was certainly full, however I hoped for something more in my face.

It was getting late, a final Ale was negotiated. The Brewery within the City Walls of Chester who takes its name from these very premises – The Pied Bull (Chester, Cheshire) – had potentially the best Ale of the evening. A boldly named Matador at 5.0% had Citrus and Hops to the fore, but Malt too?

Chester has other places to visit, two more Brewery Taps within the City Walls, at least. However, I felt a strong urge to return here, there is still the USA Craft Beer to consider…

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The Lost Weekend – This is The End

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Hector

A Tale of One Ale

Rain was forecast for today. It was raining, seriously raining. Even with the Umbrella in hand, the trousers were soaked by the time Clive and Hector reached Crawley station for our planned sojourn to Brighton.

The Evening Star thankfully is only a short hop from Brighton Station. Yes, it was worth coming all the way down to the South Coast to visit this pub on a Sunday lunchtime, Magic Rock’s (Magic Rock Brewing, Huddersfield, Yorkshire) Highwire was on offer. The Chaps back home have been leading a Merry Dance this very weekend trying to track it down, even going as far as… Edinburgh… Here it was in a quiet Pub, a Cask, all for me… Clive had some too, there was no going back. Cool, Dry and Cheek Suckingly wonderful, this is the style of Ale we crave, and here it was in perfect condition.

The rain continued to pour down, we couldn’t leave, but eventually there was a gap in the clouds and Clive took me on a Tour of Brighton. This was not his aim but Google maps do not always convey an accurate representation of what is out there.

Our next port of call was the Craft Beer Co, Brighton Branch. There was an array of Taps and at one end, a Tap for… Magic Rock Highwire! The Tap looked dubious, was it Keg? The Chap insisted it was Cask and the Ale was pumped using a method by which Air does not come in contact with the Beer. So, why was it so different from what we had just consumed a few blocks away? This version took an age to drink and was nowhere near as pleasant. I tried some Draught Kriek, they had Boon!, but very little of it. Delightfully, Tart, perhaps a first time for Hector on draught.

Time to move on, it is dry. As soon as we left the Pub the heavens opened again.

Somebody had described the Heart & Hand to Clive as being the best Pub in Brighton – The Swan relocated. They had one Ale we could drink, Harveys Best (Lewes, West Sussex). This compared poorly to the Highwire.  A return to the Evening Star would facilitate the return to Crawley with ease. The quality of the Highwire was again assured, this is the best I have tasted it. And there was so much of it available…

This was the end of the Bier Drinking for the weekend. Maggie was waiting for us back in Brighton, she was keen to go for a Curry. We tried a new place I had spotted – The Desi Grill and Karahi House. We had an early night, some had work in the morning, Hector had to be at Gatwick for an 07.00 flight.

The Lost Weekend – Conclusion

The App may have gone and returned, however, there’s more. Where are the photos for Brighton?

Update

Found them…

The Pubs visited today:

The Evening Star – 55-56 Surrey Street, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3PB

Craft Beer Co. – 22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 3FG

The Heart & Hand – 75 North Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1YD

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The Lost Weekend – The Middle

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Hector

A Tale of Two Ales

Hector has heard Clive and Maggie refer to the Burgess Hill Beer Festival, today he would experience it for himself. The short hop on the train from Crawley, via Three Bridges as ever, saw us walk down the hill from the Station to Martlets Hall. Curved Air have played here, a long time ago. Ah, the Stage where Sonja once stood, in her prime… Did I mention Colin was with us? Perhaps I should, why bother?

En route we passed a Charity Shop whose fundraising was devoted to raising money for Donkeys in Palestine.

This must be the smallest Beer Festival Hector has ever attended. Racked against part of one wall stood the 20 Barrels. The choice was not therefore extensive but at least there was the opperchancity to try a couple of new Dark Star (Partridge Green, West Sussex) Brews.

The App came back

There it was, the Icon sitting on the screen as if nothing had happened. Well nothing had since last evening. We were told that the Kiwi at 4% was being released here before it reached the local Pubs, a good chance to annoy the Folks back Home. We love Kiwi Hops.

Somewhat frustratingly there was the obvious flavour that Kiwi Hops must generate,but very little of it. The low abv and thin texture made for disappointment.

The venue remained quiet, Day 2 of their Festival. By this evening one assumes very little would be left, there was very little to start with. Maggie was making a Command Decision, we would not be staying long. Despite the fact that a Curry was arranged for the Jai Ho in Horley this evening in the company of Debs and Jim, Maggie fancied a Lunchtime Curry too. The effects of having been to India recently? Time for another Ale? The token system was dubious. A single sheet subdivided into 10p and 20p tokens. £5.00 bought more than one Bier, but not two. There was haggling over the odd Half Pint.

The Hylder Blond at 4.2% had been recommended by Colin, he has his uses. There was an instant blast of Hops, Elderflowers were in there too I was assured.

One had hoped that Dark Star’s Revelation or American IPA would have been offer, alas not. Hector was not throwing the Toys out of The Pram when we left mysteriously early.

No Curry House wished to feed us after 14.00 on a Saturday and so The Downsman was the next Pub to be visited. No Bier would be consumed in this outlet, The Downsman may be a Pub but it is more renowned for the quality of the Curry served than the Bier.

There was a Pre-Curry-Heute rendezvous with Jim and Debs at The White Hart.  One dare not criticise Harveys (Lewes, Sussex) Ales, however, their Harveys Best tastes no more than an ordinary English Bitter to this commentator…

There was a Gap

After the consumption of Copious Curry Clive and Hector retired to the Swan. More Hophead. Neil (who is not in this photo) was on the premises, this encouraged me to try a Traditional Cider, but this is not a Cider Blog.

The Beer Festival and Pubs visited today:

Burgess Hill Beer Festival  –  Civic Way,  Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9NN

The Downsman  –  Wakehurst Drive, Southgate, London, RH10 6DH

The White Hart  –  65 High Street,  Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1BQ

The Swan  –  1 Horsham R,d  Crawley, RH11 7AY

Posted in Burgess Hill, Crawley | 1 Comment

The Lost Weekend – The Beginning

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Hector

The Glasgow September Weekend has long been one of Hector’s favourites, the first respite after the start of the new session. München has been visited for Oktoberfests, more recently the equivalent in Stuttgart. This year Hector finds himself resident in Crawley staying at the mighty Castle of Lord Clive and Lady Maggie. Marg is not in tow, a planned Hockey Tournament released Hector to do as he pleased. What he planned was to hijack Lord Clive for a couple of days and enjoy some English Ale, at Source, well as near as…

Flying down to Gatwick yesterday, Thursday, September 20, Hector was rushed to a Curry House in Horley. Clive and Maggie were pleased to see me, it has been four days since Wolf. Thereafter Clive and I retired for a light refreshment at the Swan. Hector likes the Swan as a Pub, it sells Ale, but the only one I ever seem to get is the Hophead at 3.8% from Dark Star (Partridge Green, West Sussex). Still, not a bad way to start the long weekend.

Today would take a while to get going

Clive had work to go to. Hector had Brick Lane Curry on his mind. The planned lunchtime rendezvous was delayed considerably as I found my way from Brick Lane to Liverpool St Station – by chance as much as design. I recognised the Pineapple, sorry Gherkin.

I was instructed to alight at Farringdon, the Mainline Station which links Central London to Three Bridges. The exit was blocked and so Clive failed to make the planned rendezvous which was quickly relocated to the Craft Beer Co up beside Hatton Garden. Deliberately wearing a Bon Accord Travel Club shirt, the Manager recognised me as being from his Homeland, he had worked in Glasgow’s Blackfriars, a Pub I find myself visiting with increasing regularity.

With an array of Cask Ale on offer as well as Craft Beer from the USA and European Bier on draught, one would assume choice, and lots of it. However this was not to be. Yellow Wood at 5.1% from the Wood St. Brewery (Sheffield, Yorkshire) was neither yellow, dry or wonderful. This was not a great start to the day.

Clive returned to work, Hector went off on an above ground sojourn in search of the Euston Tap. In the 1980s I got to know my way around Central London quite well both above and below ground. Today I was coming from a different angle. Fact – the area to the East of Euston does not need any more Pret a Porter franchises. The area does need shoe shops, I did not encounter a single Shoe Shop after I left Brick Lane.

The Euston Tap has been mentioned in dispatches for some years. The Sheffield Tap is well known to us for all the correct reasons, I walked out of the York equivalent some two years ago – they had virtually no Bier. I found the wrong Gatehouse first, this presumably sold Cider, The Cider Tap. I found the Tap directly across the road. It had an array of Ales and Bier dispensed by dubious methods.

Kill Your Darlings a 5% Dark Copper Ale from Thornbridge (Bakewell, Derbyshire) is a far cry from the preferred intake of Dry, Hoppy, Yellow Ales. But then the Ales Thornbridge currently produce a far cry from what they used to. The Friends of Hector made regular visits to Sheffield a few years back just to spend the afternoon at Dronfield and drink Jaipur – or Guypoor – as some now call it. I never considered the possibility of choosing a Thornbridge Ale which would be a Dark Copper colour and taste as Sweet as a Mainstream UK Ale.

As for the Euston Tap, the spiral metal staircase to the Upper Room makes one question the accessibility to the toilets, or should this reference be a singularity? Wi-fi was at least available. I will not be in a hurry to return here, especially when the next port of call was only half a block away.

Clive had now finished work, it was time to go for a serious Bier, or two.

The Bree Louise is a traditional London Pub with the added bonus of selling a range of Ales on Gravity. That the Ale is dispensed as flat as tea is off-putting, it was a bit on the warm side too. We like this? Ross joined us and drank some cold yellow, fizzy, domestic lager. The Son of Lord Clive has much to learn if he is to inherit his Father’s Peerage.

Why The Lost Weekend? A partial answer lies in the fact that the trusty HTC let Hector down at this point. The App with the Bier Database simply disappeared off my phone taking all records since time began with it. Something from Yorkshire is all I can recall.

This was a very busy Pub initially, but became quieter as people went home, very strange. We sat at a large table with a couple of Chaps, one of whom was a Queens Park fan. He has the intention of coming up to Hampden Park to see his team play soon. I fail to understand why the Scottish Third Division has taken on such importance of late. Has the Honourable League not always been so? I advised him to get his ticket early, Hampden Park may well be full that day, and very noisy.

We bade farewell to Ross and Clive took me on a tour of the London Underground. Victoria via Camden Town? Camden Town and no visit to Nando’s?

We retired once more to The Swan in Crawley. After the customary pint of Hophead it was time to try something completely different. Jabberwocky a 5% American Black IPA (Triple FFF Brewery, Alton, Hampshire) was full of Malt flavours, Chocolate and Liquorice. So much for Pale, Yellow and Hoppy. There comes a time when one returns to one’s roots, Hector began his Real Ale adventures with Old Peculier (Theakston, Masham, Yorkshire) after all.

Time for bed – said Zebedee.

Pubs visited today:

The Craft Beer Co. – 82 Leather Lane, London, Greater London EC1N 7TR

The Euston Tap – 190 Euston Road, London, NW1 2EF

The Bree Louise  –  69 Cobourg Street,  London, Greater London, NW1 2HH

The Swan – 1 Horsham Road, West Green, Crawley, RH11 7AY

 

Posted in London, Crawley | 1 Comment

Wine at Wolf Strassenfest – 2012, and Bier in Traben-Trarbach

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Hector

The Breakfast at the Hotel Austria in Mainz was impressive. Clive and I both remarked on the quality of the Scrambled Eggs. The Nürnberg Sausages were also excellent. The 08.30 RB to Koblenz would stop twenty times, Clive chose this train. Paying double the €10 fare to Traben-Trabach now felt like a better option.  Still, it is not every day one goes down the Rhine Gorge.  The clouds were low, not the best of mornings.

Changing at Koblenz and Bullay, we arrived at T-T bang on schedule at 11.40. Jonathan and Kari were sitting outside the Stork Stütze having Coffee, they were anticipating our imminent arrival, [Stan.TC] had watched us cross the Mosel from the vantage point that is the Bruckenschänke. It was now 32.5 hours since Hector began his journey to T-T.

Frank gave us the key for Room 1, a room that is actually two, the dividing door would provide the necessary privacy for The Couple. There was a feeling of deja vu, all over again. [Stan.TC] appeared on the stairs and we headed out to what was once upon a time Rolf’s – the Schlossbergschänke. These premises were closed at Easter when Marg and I were here. The memory of Rolf lives on, however the place has been totally redesigned inside as a restaurant and is now renamed the Schlossbergstübchen. As the first customers of the day at 12.15 they were happy to serve us Gaffel Kölsch.

How do we get to Wolf?

Had Steve been with us he would no doubt have walked. The Tractor was not visible, a Boat was leaving at 13.30, in five minutes time. €5 each for the short journey to Wolf. Sitting on the rear deck in the breeze was still comfortable. The Tractor overtook us halfway.

Arriving by Boat takes one to the wrong end of the Wolf Strassenfest, so we walked back along the river then up to the Tractor Stop. €8 for a Bottle of Trocken Weissewein, €12 Pfand for six glasses. And so The Party began. Two years ago Clive and Maggie missed Wolf when they managed to have a Barge Holiday in the English Midlands instead, Unglaublich!  Jonathan has been a few times now, normally en route to München for the Oktoberfest. This is how [Stan.TC] first came to be sold on a Wine Festival. This year neither is heading on to München, they are both here for Wolf!

Jonathan’s sister – Kari – was making her Wolf Debut, a last minute addition to the Trip, and lucky to get a bed as every hotel in the Valley is booked out for this weekend. We like Kari. Hector was under instruction to write this. She is Kirstie’s Twin, we still like Kirstie.

Maggie was hungry, she returned with an impressive lump of Pork which Clive had to help her finish.  Life can be this difficult.

Wine Stop #2 was full, a band were playing, people were sitting watching and not drinking, a disgrace. At Wine Stop #3 we took a table at the top of the steps outside the toilet block, a handy place. This is also where the best Food Stall in Wolf is located. The Garlic Prawns are a sensation. The Hirsch Gulasch with Noodles and Beeren Sauce is also now a ritual. We like Wolf.  Maggie was hungry again.

Another Band came and took their position on the stairs. The three Trombone Players stood at the very top outside the toilet entrance, this gave us a perfect sound balance. The Lead Trumpet astonished us with his playing on one particular tune. Was it any surprise that Hector tracked him down later on and had a photo taken with him?

Maggie decided that her eyelids were too heavy to keep open and so laid her head on her bag. That was Maggie for the rest of the afternoon. Clive had to help her out and ensure that her glass was empty each time we moved on.

Hector picked out a Bottle for Kari when it was her turn to supply the Liquid. Starting on the right side of the Menu with Price, Trocken and Burgunder, it was only when Jonathan and [Stan.TC] caught up that is pointed out that on the left side the Wine was listed as Red. A Rotwein was planned, this was it, ahead of schedule. [Stan.TC] later managed to replicate a Wine had previously, then it was time for Sekt.

Das Ritual

It is written, the number of bottles of Sekt purchased shall equal the number of people present. The Sekt stall at the corner of the L-shape that is the Wolf Strassenfest had moved slightly. The seating was also enclosed in a Gazebo where the stall would normally be. This is when the day really kicks off. As Kari remarked we had been drinking glasses with a little over 0.1l per serving. It had taken hours to consume very little.

At the halfway stage [Stan.TC] wondered if the Six Bottles of Sekt would be achievable, silly man. Maggie continued to rest her eyes, Kari kept disappearing to make herself unhealthy.

Clive, Hector and Jonathan kept up the pace. A blast of cold air came down the valley, two years ago we were frozen out and had to take refuge indoors. The freak wind ceased, all was normal.

Recognition

Having been a visitor to T-T for ten years it is customary to at least be recognised at Wolf. Fred-The-Hero was here in company. He stopped to say – Hi!

The scores from the Honourable League were secured, another Honourable Draw away from home. We were all in remarkably good condition at the ante-conclusion. The Sun had set. Time to turn the corner and walk down to the river. The Spinning Steaks were in their customary location, one day we will try one. Venison Frikadelle may win out if we expand our food intake.

Two mature ladies had to budge up to let us on a table. In the darkness the town of Wolf was now buzzing. Jonathan became involved in conversation with a Dutch couple behind me. I was invited to join in, or did I just make this up? They spoke English, I insisted on speaking some German. They Couple were from Friesland, not Holland. Piet and Marian kept us amused for what felt like an hour. I suspect we amused them too. My German is way better when I don’t have to think about it, German comes. Piet and Marian were camping on the river bank, their first time at Wolf. Maggie was now wide awake, I changed tables. Piet and Marian were far more interesting, Maggie I had seen already. The conversation turned to the Scottish Parliament and we told how the system was set up so that no single Party could ever hold a majority, until it actually happened. Piet related how Proportional Representation works in the Nederlands. The Over 50s have three seats, I suggested they could hold the balance of power in the years to come given the changing demographics across Northern Europe.

Fond Farewells were given and details exchanged, until next year at Wolf.

How do we get back to Traben-Trarbach?

We expect to go by Taxi, Tractor or Boat, the return is always an adventure. Will the Tractor still be running? How big will the queue be? The Boats will have finished. A Taxi? Where from? Which queue? Do we wait or hijack one?

Arriving at the Tractor Stop there was a Bus, a first? The Destination made no sense, I asked the Driver – T-T? Genau! €2 each back to Traben-Trabach and once more we met Fred-The-Hero and his company. This could have easily been the 62 heading along Argyle St, how wonderful that the Powers that be provided this Chariot.

Time for a Bier

Wine is fine, Bier is better. [Stan.TC] and Maggie headed back to the Altstadt Cafe to see Frank. Clive joined Jonathan, Kari and Hector at Hami’s, Gisela was on duty. Altbier felt more demanding on the taste buds than a fizzy Kölsch. Kari produced her iPad and copied my photos. Jonathan was convinced that I would see the need for one, I am happy to stick with the trusty Samsung Netbook.

Back to Frank’s

There were only two customers not from our group enjoying the Reissdorf Kölsch at the Altstadt Cafe. Jonathan, [Stan.TC] and Kari were soon to call it a night. Maggie wished to do so too, but where was the key? I checked my pockets, Maggie emptied her bag, Clive stated he had no room key. But there it was, in his jacket, just where Maggie had put it. Women and keys.  Jonathan claims he was still here at this point, the Camera never lies…

He is a Bad Influence

Clive stayed up to put the World to Rights as is our custom, he too disappeared. I was left once again with Frank calling up the finest of Music via his Laptop.

Spot the Bass Player

Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore in various guises, Weather Report, even Turning Point. The Jazz did not impress Frank, he likes his music Loud and Heavy. Somehow Tangerine Dream was the last Music of the night.  Frank reminded me that ten years ago Klaus Schulze, original Tangerine Dream member, and composer of many albums in the Hector Schallplatten/CD/DVD Collection stayed at the Altstadt Cafe.  Ten years ago so did Hector!

Another year at Wolf.

Now for the journey home.

Restaurant and bars visited today:

Altstadt-Cafe – Mittelstraße 12, 56841, Traben-Trarbach

Schlossbergstübchen, Mosel Strasse 4, 56841 Traben-Trarbach

Hami’s Pils Stübchen – Weiherstrasse, 56841, Traben-Trarbach

Posted in Mainz, Traben-Trarbach, Wolf | 1 Comment

Finally – A Night out in Mainz

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Hector

Hector has been passing through Mainz for years but has never stayed over. Mainz is the nearest place to the so called Frankfurt Hahn that the Bus connects with a train to the East. This evening somehow I managed to get from Helensburgh at 15.25 to connect with a Lufthansa Flight to Frankfurt am Main from Edinburgh leaving at 18.30. It was tight and I had to finesse my way to the front of the Security Queue. Edinburgh, the only direct flight to anywhere German from Glasgow is the easyJet flight to Berlin. The only Friday evening flight to anywhere German is this flight to Frankfurt am Main, all the more ironic as the intended destination is Traben-Trarbach, twelve minutes by taxi from Hahn. But Mr. O’Leary in his infinite wisdom has confiscated Weekend Trips to T-T. Hector had to cash in some Avios to make this Trip affordable. The Wolf Strassenfest cannot be missed. The Travel may be considered to be questionable, it is always worth it.

There were no Hotel Rooms to be found in Frankfurt this evening that anyone not on expenses could afford. Mainz, some twenty five minutes from Frankfurt Flughafen was a necessary fall back.

Touching down at the Airport well ahead of schedule, the pilot drove the last 200 km from the runway to the terminal. The walk from the gate to the Station was another lengthy one. Clive and Maggie having sussed the insanity that is the layout of this Airport, were waiting for Hector at the ticket machine. €4 was the modest damage to Mainz, the Hotel Austria would put us up for still a silly amount of money, but this was the only realistic option in the region.

It is seven years since Clive and Hector last set foot in the Eisgrub Brauhaus. The Bier was not that wonderful, but as Karlsberg Pils dominates this part of Deutschland, again a necessary compromise. We found what appeared to be an abandoned table. The remnants of a Tower and a half empty glass lay on a table covered in spillage. Hopefully a Bert would come and clear the mess.

We were ignored by Bert twice. Eventually Doris came and asked us to vacate the table, the Chaps were outside and were returning after their unhealthy ritual. We found a table in the rear in the much cooler Tank Room, again Bert ignored us. How does one get a Bier?

Eventually Bert served us what turned out to be a very good Weizen. Being the first Bier in six days, Hector had demolished #1 before Maggie and Clive had taken the top off theirs. The Doris then re-appeared and this time spoke in English, apologising for having moved us. All was well, good Bier and service, eventually.

This was the eve of a wedding that was destined never to be.  It was therefore a great pity that on this of all evenings Maggie finally found a suitable hat.

When one’s Friday night starts at 23.00, the party is not going to be a long one. A hailed taxi took us back to the hotel, we could have walked, but Turtles are not the only entities with short legs just for walking.

The Hausbrauerei visited today:

Eisgrub-Brau  –  Weißliliengasse 1a,  55116, Mainz,

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The CAMRA Branch Meeting at Fyne Ales

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Hector

Fresh from the Glasgow CAMRA AGM a couple of weeks back, Hector found himself on an official outing. Many had eschewed the opperchancity to visit the Fyne Ales Festival at the Brewery at the end of the Summer, it did not feel good value. Today we had our own Bus organised by [Stan.TC] and a worthwhile Deal which included Ale and Food.

On my last outing to Fyne Ales the People were wonderful, the Food outstanding, and the Ale…. well the Ale was poor in those days. But not any more.

The rendezvous was at the Bon Accord, Hector’s Local. A Group of 15 had become 20 which was good for the Branch who had no doubt taken on the burden of hiring the Mini-Coach. Tim was picked up en route in Dumbarton. Only Robin knows why he came into Glasgow rather than be picked up in his dwelling place. The drive up Loch Lomond had a familiar ring, I do it every day, but not this far up. The junction at Tarbert takes one off to Loch Long and up through the Rest and be Thankful – a magnificent landscape and scene of many Landslides of late. Just over an hour after the start we saw Loch Fyne come into view.

On the last visit I was able to pour my own, such has been the investment at the Brewery, there is now a proper Bar and outside Seating Area. Jonathan went straight for the Cloud Burst, a Copper Ale at 4.6%. Somehow this has escaped, I have had notes for twelve different Brews from this establishment for this year already. To have the excellent Jarl at Source was the perfect start for me. A light refreshing Golden Ale with the much loved Citrus Blast and packing more Flavour than a thousand UK Ales. At only 3.8% this punches way above its weight. It could be a long day, this was a safe start.

Stepping out to he rear courtyard a Chap came up to me and said – You’re Hector! This was Kenny, whom [Stan.TC] insists he introduced me to last year in the Three Judges, but who recognised me having spent two hours reading Curry-Heute. It is always a pleasure to meet one’s Audience, especially when the complements are forthcoming.

Dr Robin in The Chair got the Meeting under way. His promise of it being over in twenty minutes was broken. The second Ale was calling – Avalanche, the Ale I consider to be Fyne Ale’s Signature Brew was the delight that was anticipated. At 4.6% this is approaching our preferred ABV, however this once again ticks all our flavour boxes. The arrival of these two Ales on the Bier Map has really impressed, Hurricane Jack was the first of their Ales which I took seriously.

The Rain was threatening by the time it finished forty minutes later, and more importantly, the Food was ready. Some had sussed this earlier. Mr Boyd had a Pie which I believe contained Steak in addition to the Venison Burger and Venison Sausage Roll that I was able to secure. A Venison Sausage Roll, now I wish to eat no other. The Venison Burger in a Roll with Bits was again a joy. Tracey was too late and pointed out to the Food Doris that there was nothing left for her. The extra Mouths had caught them out. More Food was brought out and the Eating process begun again. Still I did not get one of the Pies, but I had been given sufficient Food that all plans for Curry-Heute were shelved for today.

It was time for the Cloud Burst, we were all indoors by now except Howard and Tracey, anticipating more showers. This Ale was seriously Dry, but without the preferred Citrus. Robin and Jonathan appeared to be sticking with this. There was a final Joker to be played – the Zombier.

Once a departure time was sorted I counted backwards before ordering this 6.9% Monster. The Ale was Dark and Strong. There was the expected Sweetness but not so that it was dominating. Quaffable became my worrying observation.

The Staff once again were wonderful. Worryingly it was announced by Will, The Brewer, that he is leaving to go South at the end of the month. It is his insight and Brewing Skill that has seen us devour the various incarnations of Daavar over the Summer. This will be another Brewery’s gain, and a major loss to Fyne Ales.

Luss

Inverdarroch, the actual location where much of the long running TV Soap – Take the High Road was filmed was the Pit Stop on the way home. The Loch Lomond Hotel is a redevelopment of the original hotel on this site.

Twenty of us walked in, the place was quite full with people dining. Two Ales were on offer, both from the deservedly maligned Loch Lomond Brewery (Alexandria). Not being served first was a distinct advantage £3.50 please. For a 3.8% Ale? Come on! Four of us walked out. There is nothing this Brewery makes that would follow what we had been treated to this afternoon.

Back to Glasgow

Hector has balked at writing epistles about the local Ale scene. Friendships made over many years could be strained. Needless to say there was nothing on the Bon Accord Board to tempt me. Jonathan and I both had bottles of Augustiner’s (München, Bayern) Edelstoff. With Augustiner and Andechs to choose from, something wonderful is guaranteed.

[Stan.TC] had disappeared off to the Three Judges where the Gents toilet had reportedly been brought into the Twenty First Century having missed out on the Twentieth. Jonathan and I followed on. Please use the Ladies. The Ale was no better, time to meet up with Marg.

Brewery and Pubs visited today:

The Bon Accord Ale House – 153 North St, G3 7DA

Fyne Ales Brewery – Achadunan, Cairndow, Argyll and Bute, PA26 8BJ

The Loch Lomond Hotel – Luss, Argyll and Bute, G83 8PA

The Three Judges – 141 Dumbarton Rd, Partick X, Glasgow, G11 6PR

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A Brief Stop at The Fat Cat

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Hector

On the way to Rotherham-Maltby to see the recently reformed Grey Lady Down, Hector stopped off for a Quick Half at The Fat Cat, Kelham Island.  Until Pale Rider won the Best Beer of Britain award this indeed was a wonderful Ale.  By 2007 the Brewer had moved on to Ossett, and the Sheffield Flood did no favours.  This Ale is a Pale Shadow of its former self.

In Glasgow none of The Friends of Hector will touch it, this along with Jaipur (Thornbridge, Bakewell, Derbyshire) are simply not what they were, imposters!

The Fat Cat remains a great Pub, with a fine array of Bier and Ale, there  is little to mock.  It is not their fault that the adjacent Brewery on Alma St can no longer produce what they once did.  I tried the Pale Rider, last time at SOURCE it was still a decent tasting Ale, today it could have been antiseptic, dreadful.

Meanwhile Kelham Island, the former industrial heart of Sheffield is unrecognisable compared to how it was when Hector first set foot here in 1996.  The numerous flats have encroached right on to the perimeter of the Brewery,  new clientele, pity about the Beer.

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