Pubs of 2014

Right, here we go...... The purpose of this blog is to log all the pubs that I have visited and consumed an alcoholic beverage in during 2014. The rules are quite simple, the establishment needs to be a public house, it sounds straightforward but it may get complicated for example things that wouldn't count are a visit to the bar at the cricket, a pre gig drink in a concert venue, a drink at the Birmingham German market etc. As judge and jury my decision is final, and if I'm in any doubt I won't count it.



My prediction as at the start of the year is that the final number will be somewhere around the 200 mark though I won't go to pubs just to get the numbers up, it will be a true reflection of my pub visting year.



My posts will include information about the pub, the ambience of the surroundings, the choice and quality of the beer, any interesting or amusing anecdotes about my visit and, where possible, photographic evidence.



I will try and keep the information as accurate as possible noting that alcohol consumption means that at times this may prove difficult !!



The format of the posts is simple, the first visit to the pub will be the blog entry and that post will be updated for any subsequent visit.



Hope you enjoy it...



Cheers

UPDATE January 2015

Right, that's it, it's finally finished, some 259 pubs later !! It's been hard work but it's nice being able to look back and relive the drinking experiences of 2014.

I am pleased with the final result and whilst I've been reviewing it, I have actually laughed a few times at my own jokes !!

A word of warning, it does start off a bit slow (some of my posts from Bath are a bit dull) but stick with it. In hindsight the format of posting repeat visits to a pub on the original post at times doesn't work very well when reading the blog in its' entirety but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I hope that you enjoy it.

I have stated this in the blog but I will say it again, thanks to anyone that I have had a beer with in 2014 and special thanks to Shelley for her patience !!







Tuesday, 10 June 2014

The Brasshouse

Back in the day The Brasshouse used to be one of THE places on Broad Street. You would generally need to queue to get in, and bouncers could afford to be quite choosy about who they let in such was the popularity of the place.

I seem to recall being knocked back a few times from the place by the bouncers usually for one of the following reasons ; 'too many lads in already', 'couples only', or, the very irritating 'sorry mate, can't help ya'. I didn't want help, I just wanted a pint !!

We managed to get in during our post holiday Brum pub crawl and I was delighted that we did, there were a staggering six real ales on offer. Sometimes a big choice isn't a good thing, the bloke next to me was the sort of individual that gives us real ale drinkers a bad name. Dressed in an anorak, he requested (in a Mr Bean style voice) samples of each of the ales on offer. He was a right pain.

I ordered (in a manly voice) a pint of Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, and we took up residence by the bar..



As good as the pub undoubtedly was I was irritated by a couple of things pub goers now have to contend with. Firstly we had trouble finding a seat due to the fact that a large area of the pub had been reserved, this is a relatively new phenomenon. It is particularly annoying, and appears more commonplace, after work on a Friday or during a major sporting event when 'football fans' come out to watch the match. In my day if you wanted a particular area or table in a pub you got there early. That is why Shelley and her mates used to queue outside Sam Wellers on a Sunday so they could guarantee their favourite pitch.

The area had been reserved for a work's do, and real ale nerd was part of that crowd, unsurprisingly he was sat on his own !!

My second annoyance (am I turning into a grumpy old man?!) occurred when I was at the bar getting another pint in. There was a young German girl ahead of me who firstly asked as to the minimum spend on a debit card then requested cash back !! I thought I was in a pub not a bank !!

We had our second pint, Purity Mad Goose in my case, and went for a romantic meal at Pizza Express.

UPDATE 10th September

As a rule leaving work at 7.10pm and working through my lunch isn't generally a cause for celebration, however my bad day in the office ended up working out quite well for me. Shelley was meeting her friend Marie for something to eat and was driving past where I work on her way home so kindly offered to pick me up outside The Brasshouse. Result !!

I called in for a Billy no mates pint and promptly ordered a pint of Ringwood Best Bitter from the pub's fine offering of real ales. £3.20 seemed a bit steep but I think I am a bit out of touch regarding the Broad St pricing policy.

In all honesty it was a fairly routine visit, the pub was nicely busy considering it was early Wednesday evening, with the rolling news on the pub's numerous TV's showing interviews with Alex Salmond ahead of the impending vote on Scottish independence. Now there's a face you'd never tire of punching !!

I didn't get to the pub until 7.30pm yet I got the call at 7.40pm that Shelley was twenty minutes away, I'd only drunk half a pint !! No wonder I look so glum on this dark, unflattering selfie...



I had a choice to make, do I nurse my remaining half or race down a pint and a half?.....

Another pint please landlord !!
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