Hammersmith rendezvous

Originally planned for Shoreditch, a rendezvous with Martin Taylor, to hand over copies of the winter Ullage magazine, was switched to Hammersmith to minimise travel. A first visit to the new Mikkeller and Goose Island bars in Shoreditch will now be the subject of a future post.

Old Suffolk Punch

From the Hammersmith roundabout, the Old Suffolk Punch is a short walk south along the busy Fulham Palace Road, a damp prospect on Wednesday 5 December.

Arriving before Martin, and being familiar with the cask ales from West Berkshire Brewery, I ordered Watneys The Cosmo and looked for a table that was not occupied or reserved by Tash for the weekly AdVenture quiz night.
When Martin arrived he ordered West Berkshire Brewery's flagship Good Old Boy bitter and joined me. I am grateful that he could find space in his bag for some copies of Ullage to distribute to fellow pub bloggers and perhaps even feature in his own retiredmartin blog posts and @NHS_Martin tweets. (Ullage magazine regularly includes Boak & Bailey and Curmudgeon columns.)

The pub was tastefully decorated for the Christmas season, mainly around the entrance, near our table. With large windows at the front and south side, this part of the pub might be compared to a goldfish bow. A tip for anyone requiring seating with less external distractions would be to head towards the deep red wall of the lower level rear section.

At 5pm, staff distributed menus to the tables. The left side of the menu has various chip based dishes. Veg, meat and fish main dishes occupy the centre. On the right are details of live music on Fridays, Saturday brunch and Sunday roast (with unlimited gravy).
After discussing the White Horse, Parsons Green, as a possible next stop we decided on a closer alternative, within walking distance, the Dove.

 Dove

After a stop for coffee at a branch of Leon in the Broadway shopping centre above Hammersmith station, we headed under the Hammersmith Flyover and along Hammersmith Bridge Road, towards the river Thames..

Shadows playing on the curved white walls of the Hammersmith Bridge Road Surgery merited a quick photo. Heading west along Lower Mall, on the north bank of the Thames, we passed The Blue Anchor and the Rutland Arms before reaching the Dove on Upper Mall, just beyond Furnivall Gardens.

After the damp walk it was pleasantly warm inside the bar area of the Fuller's pub but all the seats were taken. The handpumps are on a section of the bar that serves a small front room but the pumpclips are angled to be visible. Martin was pleasantly surprised to receive change from £10 for his round which included Martin's Bengal Lancer and my pint of Fuller's Off Piste IPA.

This was my first taste of the pale gold IPA brewed using lager malt and wheat and hopped with Saaz, Chinook and Citra. Although brewed for the winter I hope it will become a permanent fixture and made widely available as it matches my style and taste preferences.
An effort to find a table in the dining area of the pub, up a few steps from the bar area, was thwarted by a staff member who denied us access unless we were dining. We retreated and propped up the bar for a while.

We were then granted temporary access to a table in the dining area which was not busy at this early part of the eveing. The beamed ceiling, framed pictures, subdued lighting and log fire made this area feel rather cosy and sophisticated.

Plough & Harrow

After crossing the Great West Road, we walked to King Street and entered the Plough & Harrow, a Wetherspoons located underneath the Holiday Inn Express. This was a complete contrast to the Dove, with a busy clientele of mainly older men and some animated conversations. My round was much cheaper than Martin's as the £2.15 pint for cask ale was discounted by 50p by using a 50p CAMRA voucher. Here I enjoyed Enefeld London Pale Ale from Enfield Brewery. Most of the seating was stools and high tables so we settled for an elevated view.

My only photo here was to log the unique pattern of the carpet, one of the distinctive features of Wetherspoon pubs that can add some interest to a first visit. Like the Dove, the Plough & Harrow is also listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2019.
It would soon be time to say goodbye to Martin whose permanent exploration of places, pubs, people and new music would now take him to the End of the Road festival Christmas party at Corsica Studios, Elephant & Castle.

William Morris

As there was time for another beer, before I headed to Paddington for the fast 20.03 train back to Newbury, I left Martin on King Street, near the Lyric Hammersmith, and entered the William Morris.

The Wetherspoon pub is named after the designer who lived at Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, from 1878 until his death in 1896. This pub was also busy but with a more varied clientele, including  women and younger drinkers.

Happily, a pint of cask ale could again be purchased for £2.15. It was nice to find Razzle Dazzle, a seasonal golden ale hopped with Cascade, from Loddon Brewery on the bar.

From my stool at a high table by the bar I could see a blackboard at the side of the bar mentioning that 2,313 pints of real ale were sold in the previous week. This equates to 32 casks of ale and might explain why my pint was in good condition.

Before leaving to catch a Circle Line train from Hammersmith to Paddington, a visit downstairs to the Gents, involved passing an interesting artwork - 'Six Seconds' by Thomas Winstanley. In my view, it's always good to see artists' original work featured in pubs.

Cheers! to Martin for guidance around Hammersmith and for suggesting that a blog post to commemorate the evening would be worthwhile.

 

Destination Deptford

An invitation to view Robert Fitzmaurice's Companion Pieces show provided an opportunity to visit the Hop Stuff Brewery Taproom SE8 and Villages Brewery Taproom in Deptford afterwards.

Canada Water Library

A Jubilee line tube ride to Canada Water followed by a 47 bus to Deptford Fire Station and then a walk to No Format Gallery, housed in a railway arch, was my approach to Deptford on Friday 12 October, 2018.

Robert Fitzmaurice

Robert's artworks, including prints, paintings and ceramic pieces were well displayed in the gallery space.

The Albany

My route to Deptford High Street, after crossing to the south side of the railwal line to Greenwich, allowed a stop for coffee at The Albany, Douglas Way. The new theatre / arts centre was opened in 1982 four years after a fire destroyed The Albany Empire in 1978.

Market stalls in a space next to the Albany were being put away as I passed.

One approach to Deptford Market Yard is signed with a huge red arrow mural visible from Deptford High Street.

The wide access also leads to the Carriage Ramp that curves around towards Deptford station. The ramp was built in 1835 and restored in 2015.

Some of the arches under the ramp are now used for independent shops and cafes.

Taproom SE8, the second taproom to be opened by Hop Stuff Brewery, which started out in Woolwich Arsenal in 2013, is on the corner of a new development that faces east and south towards the Carriage Ramp.

Inside, a board lists the Hop Stuff and guest brewery beers available from the 14 taps. On my visit other South London breweries like Anspach & Hobday, Gipsy Hill and Brick were featured as was well as Lost + Found from Horsham and Harry Masters cider from Cidersmiths of Hoxton.

I ordered a pint of Hop Stuff DDH Pale from tap 1 and the first taste of the 5.7% ABV double dry hopped pale ale confirmed this was the right choice for my palate.

The taproom has plenty of seating and tables. From my table, furnished with a zinc plant pot and a glass 'candle' holder, there was a view of the timber fronted bar with metal stools for additional seating.

After finishing my pint, I walked to Villages Brewery taproom at 21-22 Resolution Way, passing The Job Centre (a cafe / bar) at 120 Deptford High Street.
Simon Everitt (on a mission to visit every pub in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide) identifies the Job Centre as an Antic pub in his October 2018 BRAPA blog post featuring interior photos and which also describes his visits to the Dog & Bell and the Brookmill in Deptford. Follow Simey BRAPA Everitt on Twitter to keep up with his progress.

Resolution Way is a narrow road on the south side of the railway line to Greenwich.

The Villages Brewery taproom occupies arch 22.

The simple bar, at the far end, is in front of a tap wall with a board listing the available beers.

My first beer was a half pint of draught Rafiki (4.3% ABV Session IPA / £2) which was not bitter and had a flavour that exceeded my expectations. The beer menu describes it as 'Generously dry-hopped with juicy tropical fruit hops and balanced with notes of pine on a sweet biscuit malt base'. Rafiki is hopped with Falconer's Flight 7C's and Mosaic.

Before leaving I would buy some cans to take home from the well stocked fridge! (£2.30 or 6 for £12).

I could have taken a seat inside or outside the taproom but preferred to stand at the bar and chat with Greg who had served me.

My second draught Villages beer was Rodeo, a 4.6% ABV Pale Ale with grapefruit notes, always a flavour that I appreciate in beer. The American hops used are Cascade, Citra and Amarillo.

Greg explained that installing a new vessel in the brewery, visible through the gap to the adjacent arch, was taking longer than expected. It was obvious that the Villages brewery has been well planned with a quality floor and new equipment.

Although there were only five beers on tap, they were all pale beers and unlike the situation in most taprooms and craft beer bars with a more varied range, at this taproom I would have liked to try every beer available. However, with time for only one more beer, I chose Zinzan, meaning that Gecko (Little Beer) and Whistle (Pilsner) were missed out on this occasion. (The sixth tap, on the right, is for Prosecco!)

The tasting notes on the clipboard for Zinzan, 5% ABV New Zealand Pale Ale read 'A juicy, hazy, full-bodied pale ale. Melon, grape and pineapple on the tongue buds.' Zinzan is hopped with Motueka, Pacifica and Wai-iti. The malt bill is Golden Promise, Carapils and Wheat and it is fermented with Windsor yeast. As this was a seasonal / special beer it was more expensive at £2.50 half pint.
This was the third delicious beer I enjoyed at Villages taproom which makes the brewery one that I will be recommending to anyone who enjoys pale ales.

Archie and Louis Village are the two brothers behind Villages brewery. It was nice to chat briefly with Louis about Zinzan and agree about the white grape and melon flavours.
I showed Louis a Wild  Weather Ales advertisement in a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine and suggested that a collaboration brew with Wild Weather Ales might be something to try in the future.

Cumbia music was playing on the sound system during my visit and subsequent research revealed that 'Disco with a generous serving of jazz' is the Village brothers' secret ingredient in creating a successful brew (in a story by Julia Jarvis for Hole & Corner magazine).

On the way back to Deptford station, I passed the Deptford branch of Hop, Burns & Black, the beer and hot sauce retailer, in an archway under the station but did not have time to go inside before catching the train to London Bridge.

Deptford station

Villages Brewery
21-22 Resolution Way, Deptford, London SE8 4NT
Website:
Facebook @villagesbrewery 
Twitter @VillagesBrewery
Taproom opening hours (check before visiting)
Friday     5-11pm
Saturday noon-11pm
Sunday   noon-8pm

Taproom SE8
Unit 2, St Paul’s House, 3 Market Yard, Deptford SE8 4BX
Website
Twitter @TaproomSE8
Taproom opening hours
Mon to Thurs 4pm-11pm
Fri to Sat 12-11pm
Sun 12-10pm

Skaal, Copenhagen

Recent trips to Copenhagen have usually included a (free) visit to the Davids Samling / The David Collection, Kronprinsessegade 30-32, overlooking the green space of Kongens Have.

As well as the Islamic art which the gallery is renowned for, there is an inner room with paintings by Vilhelm Hammershøi that should not be missed.

On Friday 14 September, I was also able to view 'The Hippie Trail' an exhibition of slides and photos by Torben Huss, who first set off eastwards to Afghanistan from Copenhagen in the 1960s.

Leaving after 3pm, with time to fill before Bicycle Brewing opened at 4pm, left me with a choice between revisiting a favourite - Charlie's Bar (one minute by bike) or a first visit to Skaal Beer & Food, which opened on 21 September 2017 (two minutes by bike).

Feeling adventurous, I decided to visit Skaal, on the corner of a square, near Nørreport station, at Kultorvet 11. The Skaal tables in the square were fairly busy.

However, there were only a few customers inside when I entered the bar on the first floor.

'Good to see you!'

A welcome sign gives a good first impression.

At the top of the stairs a diagram explains the brewing process.

There are 48 draught beers to choose from with details on the screens behind the bar.
I ordered a 25cl glass of k:rlek 12, the 12th edition of Mikkeller's hazy pale ale, brewed with Mosaic hops, costing 42 Dkr (£5).

From my stool at a table in the dim interior of the bar, there was a view towards the tables by the windows which overlook the square.

Another room provides seating away from the main bar with specially commissioned artwork.

There is a mural on the opposite wall and fridges filled with bottles of beer at the far end.
By now it was after 4pm and Skaal was getting busier so I left to retrieve my parked bicycle and pedal to Bicycle Brewing in Østerbro, which would seem tiny in comparison to Skaal!

This visit to Skaal satisfied my curiosity but my current recommendation for a bar in this part of Copenhagen would be to visit Charlie's which is more like a pub, has cheaper prices and even serves cask ale from the UK!

Charlie's Bar, Pilestræde 33, Copenhagen

Skaal Beer & Food, Kultorvet 11, Copenhagen

Bicycle Brewing, Ålborggade 20, Copenhagen