Bier in Egypt

This year Hector and Marg went to the Middle East on our main summer vacation, flying to Sharm El Sheik on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and then travelling up to Taba and across the border to Israel.
Being Hector’s third trip to Egypt there was an expectation of what to expect Bier wise. In 1980 only one Bier “Stella” was being served in the pubs of Cairo. In tall clear bottles you could see exactly what you were getting. It was a 5% Lager Bier, that what about it.


“Sakara” is a more recent addition but is under strength at 4.6%.

In 2008 the Biers of the Luxor brewery were discovered – in Luxor!

There is a Hell, a Stout and a most impressive Weizen. On that trip in a fine Luxor bar, Hector alternated between the Weizen and the draught Heineken. The latter is probably the most available imported Bier. On draught it is superb as it will be ice cold. Sadly in the resorts such as Sharm and Na’ama where too many people are on ‘all-inclusive’ breaks, it is hard to get an ice cold Bier from a hotel bar.
One may conclude that since the locals do not actually touch the stuff, allegedly, they do not really appreciate the need for ice cold Bier. For the connoisseurs who despise the thought of this: if the temperature is in the thirties Celsius at night, Bier becomes warm (and unbearable) faster than most can consume it.

Friday, 8 - 15, The Bon Accord

The Bier after the Village

Our dear host Paul had invited Hector to arrange a surprise party for Jonathan at The Bon Accord (North St, Charing X, Glasgow). Months, literally, after the Volcano’s collateral damage, i.e. only one third of us actually making it to the Augustiner Tap in München on July 17, it became apparent that Jonathan would actually have to be ‘in’ on the surprise. He tells Hector that he had already rumbled a previous ‘surprise’ party. Is that ‘Rumble of the Bailey?’
We have not Blogged our usual Friday night venue before. This was to be a special evening with Jonathan’s specially selected ales and ‘The Voice from the Cellar’ in cahoots providing them. Hector 'particularly enjoyed' the absence of anything from Brewdog, Dark Star American IPA and Thornbridge’s Jaipur. Kelham Island’s Pale Rider was not missed at all. But whose party was it?



This was an evening of two halves. The first was the assembled mass worshipping at the television. Ah, the wonders of technology bringing us live pictures of a football game in South Africa where ‘England expects’ but did not deliver. Yvonne is of the opinion that the photo below should not appear in case we alienate our English readers. Lord Clive was not present. Mr Taylor and Mr Holden are hiding in Leipzig.







The second half was meet the family. They must have been to a better pub before joining us. If they can find a better pub in Glasgow perhaps they will share this knowledge.
The Bon Accord will no doubt wish me to share the knowledge that the rear area is available free of charge for all interested parties and that they will provide a small buffet at no charge at all.

This was an evening of Absolution, courtesy of Abbeydale. When it was time for Thornbridge’s St Petersburg, it was time to go home.

No volcano will stop us...

Only two months and one month late, we gathered at the Bon Accord to celebrate my 40th - you will remember that 11 of us made it to (and from!) Munich for the actual day, all others being prevented from doing so by a volcano.

The beer available, particularly Abbeydale Absolution, Milestone Deliverance and Thornbridge St Petersburg seemed to go down well with the assembled company.

Thanks to Paul, Russell and all who attended for making it a memorable night.

A Tale of Two Bocks

Lord Clive is in Glasgow (again?)

This must mean one thing: there is a Faß !

Indeed today we have two.

Schlenkerla Urbock


The Bier that made Dr Stan swear by text for the first time when Hector and Marg were in Bamberg one October, and stumbled upon the fact that the Bocks are on this early. Kippers in a glass and then the kick of the proverbial goat.


Löwenbräu Buttenheim Bockbier

The partner today was Löwenbräu Buttenheim Bockbier, a Helles style Bier that again will creep up on you. You can read Hector’s comments from his first visit back in 1997 here!

That day was memorable for the Goulash Suppe at the station en route, as well as the Bier and the hospitality. Today the accompaniment would be Yvonne’s Aloo Beef, a Curry-Heute entry.












We were limited to twelve people. The usual suspects were assembled including Paul, Mein Host from the Bon Accord. He held court in the garden of Craig and Yvonne. For once, Dr Stan did the same as Hector and stayed indoors out of the sun. Sun and Bock, not a good combination.
















A BIG thank you to Craig, who claims he did nothing: he was the perfect host. But especially to Yvonne who did all the preparation before retiring, exhausted?.

As for Lord Clive, we are all due to see him next at Hilpoltstein for the Burgfest: will he make it? Should he have given Hector his social diary for the next five years?

The Cask (Pub and Kitchen) at Pimlico, DO NOT GO!

The last Monday in May: The Bank Holiday

Lord Clive organised a splendid travel ticket that would cover the train from Crawley to London, and all forms of transport in the City and our return to Gatwick. This was for a price which makes one wonder why people pay the rip-off return fares from the airport. The rip-off we could not avoid was the left-luggage at Victoria. At £8 per bag, per day, the service could at least be efficient. One chap was decidedly officious.

At Victoria, Marg and Hector said a temporary farewell to The Chaps who were heading off to some famous London pubs. The Cask at Pimlico was to be the focal point of the day.




We did the walk to Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty did not invite us in for a Bier, or even a cuppa’. We then walked through Belgrave Square past many embassies before arriving at Wellington Arch. Somehow instead of Piccadilly, we ended up walking towards its continuation, Knightsbridge. This meant a visit to Harrods.










Afternoon tea at Harrods, how many brownie points can one man earn on one trip?
Traversing back along Piccadilly we revisited the workplace of Lord Clive, and after a mosey along Carnaby St ended up at Oxford Circus.
It had taken us two and a half hours to get there, it took ten minutes on The Tube back to Victoria.



Pimlico here we come : Passports at the ready


It is only a stop beyond Victoria to Pimlico. We found the Cask using Google. It was closed. The chaps did say 16.00. So did the sign on the door. Why would a pub not be open all day?

We went for a long coffee. Back at 15.55 another couple were waiting. They had phoned to verify opening. They had been assured that not only would The Cask be open, it would be open all day.

Misinformation


The Chaps had been there earlier and of course were disappointed to see the opening times.
We were there at 16.00.
A phone call had been made to verify opening.
Not one person involved in the running of The Cask had considered doing the decent thing and put a sign on the door to state that the place would not open, at all.
It was a bank holiday, in a basically residential area. This is simply ridiculous, and exceptional bad manners.

There was a fallback


The Priory Arms (83 Lansdowne Way, SW8 2PB) had been recommended. It was ‘near Vauxhall Station’. Well that was not true. Mr Google took us in the right direction and we achieved what few seldom do in The Big Smoke: we met someone we knew, by chance! Johnny, an ex A Level student.
It was a fifteen minute walk to The Priory. The range of Bier was not as extensive as one had been led to believe. Summer Lightning, again. We left with the intention of making a rendezvous at Victoria; we did not know how long it would take to collect our luggage.

Curry-Heute

The rendezvous was never made; we ended up having Curry-Heute at a restaurant called the Victoria.
On the train to Gatwick we did meet up with Craig and Yvonne. Craig was very emotional about the fact that our afternoon had been ruined by those… at The Cask.
easyJet delayed us by 40 minutes on the flight back to Glasgow. Craig has resolved that he will never fly again internally in the UK.

Brighton Beach Memoirs

The last Sunday in May



After a hearty breakfast of Square Slice Sausage (‘What is that?’ asked a son of Maggie), Tattie Scones and the stunning Stornoway Black Pudding, not to mention yesterday’s rolls (thanks to easyJet), it was time to emerge from the Maison de Maggie.
Most went to see if the bluebells were blue, raise a head of steam, and no doubt put another 5 litres of water in the ‘people carrier’.

Hector and Marg went to Brighton.



This is what Marg enjoys most. Not sitting in a pub all day consuming the best of Bier. Who on Earth would live their lives like that?
The Shopping Lanes were visited and then a walk along the beach before the famous pier.

A very different venue was discovered for lunch: ‘Bill’s produce store @ the depot’. This had benches not out of place from a Deutsche Bierfest, walls lined with food displays and a very original menu of snacks and healthy eating. A month’s supply of brownie points had been accrued by the time we left.




The main event

Hector and Marg were first to arrive at The Evening Star, and it was straight into the American Pale Ale.


The rest arrived and the evening’s festivities began. There was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale available on draught too, so this had to be considered.


Lord Clive had a cunning plan





We were going on to Shoreham-by-Sea where more quality establishments awaited. The Lazy Toad was a major disappointment. Many ales were sitting racked behind the bar. Few were on, and the jackets were linked to no cooling device. Warm Bier? No thank you.
After a fast single fish next door it was back to the best new discovery of the weekend (for us anyway).



The Buckingham Arms went down a storm. There was a ten/twelve ale taps, plus a Helles, Kaltenberg, to make up for the English desire for lukewarm beer. On the wall were themed photos of trams: ah, Bridgeton Cross!









Back to The Swan




And there was more Bier…