Well clearly the world’s in a sad state. Max is upset about climate change and the devastation of global warming. At least the sun’s not zooming in yet Joe. Oh, wait a minute… Best thing is to crack open the ESB and let it all be. There may be a …
When I look at the state of the World and the USA today there is no doubt Drinking alcohol is no longer an option, it is 100% a requirement to keep going. With things like the mass slaughter of innocents in Las Vegas this weekend, frequent hurricanes, incredible talent dying at …
One of the strange things about growing up in the 1960s and 1970s was that the future was so closely associated with the year 2000. Such that it still seems to me to be in the future. Like the space race, jetpacks, and naff typography, the future always seemed wrapped …
So, Max is back on the ESB. It should be 5.5% cask and 5.9% in the bottle. You can’t go hammering these percentages. ‘One over the eight’ was the saying in the 1920s when small beer and mild were the order of the day. If you neck six of these …
Maybe best of all is with the right meal; the right food sets off the right beer to wonderful effect. A few pints, a few sausages; heaven for a simple drinking man.
Heading properly inside the pub, the best setting is in front of the sport. Max may be of a different view here, but a few beers and a few goals is an excellent way to spend an evening.
Second on my list is the country pub at sunset. Watch that fiery ball go down over the rolling hills and dream of far away in space or time. Outside on a summer’s day or inside and much earlier in winter!
So, the perfect pint… the perfect pub… but what about the perfect setting. One of my favourites is undoubtedly the river side. I guess that’s why angling used to be the most popular British sport. Now it’s going to the gym (?!?) Nothing is more hypnotic than water, …
So after a brief 24 hours in Sussex our chauffeur sped us to the heart of old London Town staying at the Waldorf Hotel slap bang in the middle of the West End. What a perfect location and just ten minutes away from Covent Garden where I worked over thirty years …
So there’s no doubt when you hit your fifties you drink less. The body can’t take the abuse, hangovers last longer and hurt more, and typically you have more responsibilities than when you were in your twenties. I really love drinking but think this state of affairs is not all bad. …
So Max can’t get many decent pints over the pond. Fewer great pints, more craft beers. Well, the variety of beers overall is very good in the UK. Traditional pints like Fuller’s Pride, Microbrewery one-offs, local brews, Euro lagers, and American big brands. But to find a craft beer is …
Where was I? Yes, so, anyway, Kentucky and I went back necking the beer in The Swan. Presumably the pub is owned by the Queen. Why? Because it is not a Swan with Two Necks, a common and corrupted pub name. The uncorrupted name is the Swan with Two Nicks, referring …
So it has been about four years since I last posted on a regular basis to this wonderful blog and everything is pretty much ticking along the same. We have a great new look to our website which is a big improvement on the old one, and The Consul will …
So growing up in England once I had a taste for beer it was very common to always “go for the galleon” when we went out drinking, especially on the weekend (which often started on Wednesday). Yes that means 8 British pints of 20 oz each for a sum total …
One of the things I really enjoyed on my trip back to England was the long walks that we took in the beautiful English countryside before we found our pub for the day. There is nothing that screams “Perfect Pint!” more than working up a thirst by walking a swift …
I know The Consul has been working like a dog since I got back and nothing has changed here, but it is hard to forget the wonderful two weeks spent in England just a couple of weeks ago. We drank lots of beer and ate some great British food: bacon …
So stories will be told about the 50th birthday celebration of 2013, but they will not come close to my memory of the fortnight I have just spent in England. My view might be clouded or viewed with rose colored classes, we can even call it “Max’s World”. If I …
So one of the things I miss here in Texas is that I don’t get to drink very often with friends other than my good wife. “Her indoors” is fine, but not quite the same as one of the guys. Tonight I spent 3 great hours with a neighbor of …
So last weekend I took my good wife to stay at the ranch of my old IBM Boss, Micky, from the early ’90’s. It was a three hour journey to his amazing home in Gause, TX. The ranch is 700 acres and made me wonder where I went wrong with …
So sang Billy Bragg, and no doubt this was because his beer was served in the wrong glass. Would you serve red wine in a champagne flute? [the answer is ‘no’] Would you serve brandy in a whisky tumbler? [the answer is probably not]. But what about beer? would you …
So since my last trip to Spec’s in early December I have reduced my beer fridge to almost nothing. Most of this is by design because I wanted to make a special trip before the big fifty. Until this evening I was pretty sure I knew what I’d be picking …
Down the Old Badger we have this week mostly been drinking from the local Wickwar brewery. I am a particular fan of the perfectly nuanced 4.2% Cotswold Way. A smooth, balanced chestnut ale with a terrific hoppy finish, they say. Apparently, it has been an award winning beer of Gloucestershire …
What a great 12 days of Christmas. Reminds me of the days we used to have 4 pints and a beef chow mein with rice all for a fiver, before climbing on Max’s knee amid the streamers and hula girls for a swellegant yuletide party at which Kentucky would get …
Accustomed to passing out in a haze of alcohol at this time of year, I welcomed in 2013 by falling asleep at the dentist. With that bright light beating down like a Caribbean sun, the gurgle of the rinser merging with the gentle hum of the radio, and the soft …
Since last Thursday I haven’t had what Kentucky likes to call an “Alcohol Free Day.” The weekend was here then it was Christmas Eve, then Christmas Day, and finally Boxing Day. How can you stop with all these big Days? I know that the New Year is just around the …
There has been talk again up at the Bear of the ugly Christmas devil. Luckily we have the seasonal ales to ward off the evil spirits. After a few rounds of Howell’s Frosty Bells, we just told him to fork off.
I am really looking forward to visiting the Old Badger with The Consul and Kentucky in April. I understand how the great British Local is dying but at least for a couple of weeks in April 2013 we’ll do our best to prop it up. I notice that in addition …
So when Kentucky and I were in our twenties we would nearly always drink the strongest beers we could find, and often throw in a chaser for good measure. Kentucky would sometimes go further. I have all the opportunity in the world, and many more reasons, to do the same …
So the tickets are booked. And for the first time in my life I’ve shelled out the cash for Business Class all the way. This stroke of genius will double or more the cost of the trip, but I figured this could be my last big chance to see the …
Now Max is a man of the people. That is the only reason I can think of that would explain why we don’t have a ‘tag’ for wine. Or Brandy. Or even whisky. But, no you say. It is is because we are searching for the perfect pint and that …
