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Pub related stuff

The preamble to the My Pubs page was getting a bit out of hand so I've moved it all here:

Take a look at Tom Cannavan's Beer Pages.  It's an excellent site.

Trusted Places

I've discovered a rather brilliant new Website where you can read, and write, recommendations about pubs, clubs and restaurants throughout the UK. It's driven by what users say, not by adverts placed by the establishments, so should be as fair and unbiased as it can be (within the bounds of human nature of course!).

Their site says: Trustedplaces is a community of real people, like you and me, who all have opinions on places they have experienced in their daily lives. By being part of the community you can share your opinions on places that you know, trust and recommend - or even avoid - with all of your friends and their friends too. Discovering great new places is both fun and easy as you tap into all the recommendations shared by the community - it is also great value as you enjoy special offers from participating businesses.

I've signed up (it's free) and posted a fair few reviews already. Why not have a look and see what you think. In fact, if you follow any of the links in this blurb, and then sign up, you will automatically be added as my friend on the site.

Give it a look, you can always choose not to sign up if you don't like it! You've nothing to lose!

So what is Real Ale?

'Real ale', also called 'cask-conditioned' ale or beer, is brewed from traditional natural ingredients, essentially hops, yeast, water and 'malted' barley (barley that has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, releasing its sugars, and then heated both to stop the germination, and also depending on extent of heating, to affect flavour, colour and 'body' of the beer). Other additional ingredients can be used for different beer types and flavours, and to aid the brewing process. Yeast, hops and the type of water also significantly affect the flavour and nature of the beer, as does brewing time, temperature, and vessels and equipment used.

There are two main myths about cask ale. The first is that all real ale is strong, the second is that it is always served warm. In fact, cask ale comes in many forms, from a low strength Mild of around 3.2 per cent alcohol by volume, a Bitter of 3.5 to 3.8 per cent, a Best or Special Bitter of 4 to 4.5 per cent, an Extra Special Bitter of 5 per cent or more, and then even more powerful Old Ales, Barley Wines and Winter Warmers that can reach as high as 10 or 11 per cent. Cask-conditioned beer, by its very nature and method of production, is cellared and served at a higher temperature than lager and is normally stored and served at around 12 degrees C/57 degrees F, not warm, and it is this temperature that best expresses the skill of the brewer in developing rich, ripe and tempting aromas and flavours in his brews. Warm beer has unpleasant tastes, while real ale that is served too cold loses those rich malt and hop aromas the brewer has created. Cask-conditioned ale is one of the wonders of the beer world. No other style can offer such depth and complexity.

On a very much related topic, I am a member of a mailing list for Cathedral Lay Clerks and one of the main interests of many members is beer, particularly real ale.  One of the members, Richard Shakeshaft from Lichfield, has created a Website which lists and maps all the pubs regularly used by UK Cathedral choirs, and it can be found here.  It's well worth a look, especially as it now includes Cathedral Choir favoured curry houses too!

And on another connected topic, visit this site where once you register (free) you can keep a (private) tally of exactly how much you drink.  It automatically adds up the calories and units of alcohol.  It makes for VERY interesting reading!

The Value of a Drink

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams . If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
~ Jack Handy

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties.

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. "
~Frank Sinatra

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."
~ Henny Youngman

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not."
~ Stephen Wright

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"
~ Brian O'Rourke

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
~ Benjamin Franklin

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard.

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
~ Dave Barry

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

To some ! it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can!
~ Dave Howell

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

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