What do real ale and dogging have in common? More than you might imagine.
"My wife and I have many hobbies, including real ale, non-league football and dogging. What they all have in common is great camaraderie and terrific banter."
Well, walking the dog is a well-known euphemism for going down (to) the pub (why do Britons omit the to?), so it's all connected...
Hey Ron or Zak, ever hear of Batham's?
http://www.bathams.co.uk/history.php
I thought I knew of every old-established brewery in England but, until yesterday, I had never heard of Batham. I found out about it when re-reading the excellent mid-1970's beer guide, Beers of Britain by Conal Gregory and Warren Knock.
With all the closures over 35 years, I'd have thought Batham's long gone but no, it is still active in the Black Country and have about 12 tied pubs.
Tonight I will walk my (imaginative) dog to one of those pubs (more imagination needed) and check out Batham's bitter, it sounds excellent. Maybe the XXX Christmas ale is out!
Gary - I think I have a bottle of barley wine lurking in the cellar that was brewed for the Fine Ale Club by Batham's. I'm sure I've met their brewster too, although if I have the gender wrong, then I clearly haven't.
If ever their was a pub to visit before you die,it would probably be the "Vine" or bull and bladder as the locals know it.Home of Bathams.only two beers, decor that my grandad would have been at home with,and I myself am very old!friendly locals.Ah Bathams!
I love the line in that NYT story that says: "the police tend to tread lightly in public sex environments" - well, you'd have to, you never know what you might be treading on next … as Jackie Wilson said, Stop Dogging Me Around.
Blog post of the year! And not just this blog, but all beer blogs, everywhere.
ReplyDeleteErrr - Good Lord. What exactly does "dogging" mean to you on that side of the Atlantic?
ReplyDeleteAlan, taking the dog for a walk, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteOne for the Guild, this post
ReplyDeletefor our American cousins:-
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dogging
Ron, from the videos I've seen, yes, in a matter of speaking, it does.
ReplyDeleteWell, walking the dog is a well-known euphemism for going down (to) the pub (why do Britons omit the to?), so it's all connected...
ReplyDeleteHey Ron or Zak, ever hear of Batham's?
http://www.bathams.co.uk/history.php
I thought I knew of every old-established brewery in England but, until yesterday, I had never heard of Batham. I found out about it when re-reading the excellent mid-1970's beer guide, Beers of Britain by Conal Gregory and Warren Knock.
With all the closures over 35 years, I'd have thought Batham's long gone but no, it is still active in the Black Country and have about 12 tied pubs.
Tonight I will walk my (imaginative) dog to one of those pubs (more imagination needed) and check out Batham's bitter, it sounds excellent. Maybe the XXX Christmas ale is out!
Gary
Gary, I have happy memories of the Swan Inn in Chaddesley Corbett, a Batham's pub.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! It's all connected indeed. :)
ReplyDeleteGary
Gary - I think I have a bottle of barley wine lurking in the cellar that was brewed for the Fine Ale Club by Batham's. I'm sure I've met their brewster too, although if I have the gender wrong, then I clearly haven't.
ReplyDelete"going down (to) the pub (why do Britons omit the to?)"
ReplyDeleteThe same could be said of our American cousins who insist on "writing someone" rather than "writing to someone".
If ever their was a pub to visit before you die,it would probably be the "Vine" or bull and bladder as the locals know it.Home of Bathams.only two beers, decor that my grandad would have been at home with,and I myself am very old!friendly locals.Ah Bathams!
ReplyDeleteBathams Bitter is one of my all time favourite beers. It is truly wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the barley wine produced by their brewster - as far as I know they have never made a barley wine nor employed a brewster.
Off now - the Bokbier Fesival beckons.
Oh, it doesn't mean the same thing. In my parlance it means being lazy - usually in the workplace - based on a euphemism for copulating with a canine.
ReplyDeleteYou have made me feel very knowledgeable today, Ron! I just learned about Dogging recently in the New York Times!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/world/europe/08puttenham.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=dogging&st=cse
(I consider myself a true scholar, in some subjects at least.)
I love the line in that NYT story that says: "the police tend to tread lightly in public sex environments" - well, you'd have to, you never know what you might be treading on next … as Jackie Wilson said, Stop Dogging Me Around.
ReplyDeleteNearly spat my coffee across the desk!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zak. Post of the year!!!