The CAMRA brewery trips I went on were pretty boozy affairs.
At Bateman they put on a lovely cold spread, along with as much Bitter and Mild as you wanted. We got to chat with the brewer and everyone was dead friendly. Then back to the brewery-owned hotel for some more pints.
As we were guests at the hotel, the pints didn’t need to stop at closing time. When I was young, opportunities for pints after 11 PM were as rare as flamingos in Leeds. I never passed them up. Which is a problem when you’ve paced yourself to end at “normal” closing time.
I wasn’t feeling great when I rose after far too few hours’ sleep. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me eating the full English that I’d paid for.
On the way back to Newark, we stopped at a Kimberley pub for a few pints. I was a bit overenthusiastic, as I rarely got to drink their beer. I was already feeling a bit unwell when we picked up the hitchhiker. About 10 minutes later I really needed to spew. Being considerate, I pushed past the hitcher, opened the rear door and puked on the road. What a hero I was.
For some reason, the hitcher decided to get off at the next roundabout.
Anyone else have memories of boozy brewery trips in the 1970s? Let me know.
Not really but interesting you chose Batemans as an example they are still in business.
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No exactly a boozy trip, but an interesting visit, to Gales Horndean brewery in the early 1980's I think. It was a localish, college field trip - presumably related to science or chemistry. I'm not exactly sure of all the details, and was not drinking, because I was driving a mini bus of students, as a volunteer helper. Anyway, I remember walking around a raised gantry, where one could see into the top of the fermentation vessels, in this instance of HSB. From memory, the vats looked to me like massive barrels with metal straps around. Whether or not they were lined, I have no idea. The domed tops were I think metallic of some kind - copper.? Anyway, they had triangular, in shaped compartments, that could be slid open, to allow I assume ventilation. These were in the open position, allowing a wonderful view of massive, gently undulating Krusen - and the scent of lovely beer aromas. It also left the fermenting beer open to the elements as it were. The brew house was rather an antique affair, meaning the beer was exposed to wooden beams, rafters, I think maybe roof tiles, and a huge amount of accumulated dust. I said to our guide, possible one of the brewers, 'mate, surely spinders, wood lice or the like, or even the odd rodent, could fall into the those vats, being open like that'. He's response - 'yep, so what, only adds to the flavour'. Those were the days.? HSB was the first real ale I got the taste for, at 15 years old in 1968. This trip didn't put me off it in the slightest, the beer still tasted fabulous, as it did until somewhat later when - Fullers (much as I love them) actually managed - during various take-overs - to spoil it, probably for ever. Wish I'd known what I know now, and to ask more searching question, and taken some photos. Sev
ReplyDeleteSo it was quite rickety even back then.
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