Top Stuff Of The Year

Its not been a particularly prolific year for me in beer and pub terms but its been ok, here are just a few of my highlights of the past year.

                                             Best Local(ish) Pub

The Alfred Free House,

A bit more than a walk for me but visited at least once a week, It’s very much a traditional locals pub with with five beers across across the spectrum, four of them ever changing and rare if not unseen beers for the area.

Best Non- Local Pub

The Wonston Arms

Landlord Matt Todd has worked miracles in turning this pub from a practically derelict boozer into the current Camra National Pub Of The Year in just five years, a little bit of an unorthodox take on a traditional pub but a great place and top bloke with time to always come and chat to the punters, local or not.

Best New Visited Pub Of The Year

The North Star 

A brilliant two room traditional pub in the backstreets of Leytonstone, another locals pub but with the bonus for me of a forward thinking up to date beer lineup.

Brewery Of The Year

Vibrant Forest, the beer won’t be to everyone’s taste, much of it is unfined uber hopped murk. but so tasty . I’ve said it before ,”don’t drink with your eyes”.

Beer Of The Year

Obvious or not  its from the above stable, Vibrant Forest Oxymoron, hoppy, juicy and just wow. The one in the picture below was enjoyed in The Old Bike Store in Worthing (a kind of posh micropub)last August.

Blog Of The Year

Has to go to Beerleeds,co.uk , a very informative and on the button read about pubs and the brewing scene. Unfortunately the last post on the 27th of June is the very final one, the author Richard Coldwell sadly and unexpectedly passed away the next day. Although I had only met him in person a handful of times over the last couple of years , the last time being a mini pub crawl in Lymington last May, I counted him as a friend and still do, a great bloke passionate about beer and life in general. Below is a picture of him alongside Mudgie to his left, both in work mode, in the Paul Pry in Worcester some 14 months ago.

Fond memories.