There are notable and honourable exceptions to this of course, such as the original Little Creatires in Fremantle, but I put to you the general proposition that: Brewpubs are shit.
Good work Merkz Wylam is a great example. In the Netherlands the Jopenkerk in Haarlem is another great one.
Laz can you be clear on what you mean by a brewpub. Do you mean a pub that brews beer on site, a brewery with a tap room on site, a tap room run by a brewery off site or something else?
To me a brewpub is something which is primarily a pub but brews its own beer on site, which typically will not be sold in many other outlets. Little Creatures started out like this although is now more widely available.
Wylam’s a brewery with a tap. I wouldn’t consider the Wylam Tao a brewpub although I accept the line is fine.
Tell you where is a brewpub, or possibly pretends to be as I’m not sure they brew oj site - the Porterhouse in Covent Garden. Ghastly. Their “Chiller” lager is the worst beer known to man. Pubs that obstinately refuse to serve good beer confound me.
Triple F is or was brewed on site at the railway arms in Alton. They do or did some gr7 beers like alton's pride. They also did a really rancid one to a recipe by Gilbert white that tasted like flowery sick.
Isn't Little Creatures supposed to be Chris Hemsworth's favourite?
I'll give you the Porterhouse is rubbish and their beer nothing to write home about. Only ever been there to watch rugby. I think you are right to the extent that if it is a genuine brewpub as you describe (as opposed to a tap attached to a brewery) they are usually a bit more amateurish at the actual brewing.
My parents live near the pub that spawned the S43 brewery (my mother is from the Durham area) and that is actually pretty good and the beer good. The beer was actually decent before they morphed into being S43. Used to go there for sunday lunch occasionally if I was visiting the parents.
Laz on a side note, are you able to buy Kavalan whisky where you are or is it banned on the basis of being from Taiwan?
Actually yes Kavalan is good. Next for me to try is their ex-bourbon cask as I was given a miniature of it for free when I bought some other whisky in Paris last week. FYI La Maison du Whisky in Paris is a great shop. Also Paris is not a great beer town for drinking, but why would anyone think it would be.
I used to go to Zero Degrees when I was living in Cardiff a lot. They’re in Blackheath, Bristol and Reading too.
They had some really good beers there and a great mix of regulars and also guest / small-batch beers. Food was actually surprisingly really good for pizzas and small plates too.
Absolutely fuck all atmosphere unless you go on a Sat night unfortunately though. The massive brewing equipment and slightly odd smell put a lot of people off.
Guy I've said it before but the Sam Smiths bottled organic chocolate stout and the imperial stout are legit good beers. That said I will not enter one of the Smiths pubs as the owner is a bell end with stupid rules from the 50s.
I am a Sam Smiths h88r even though their pubs are often lovely buildings.
The Germans seem likely to be an exception to the Brewpub hoodoo, I agree, although this is partially because most German beer tastes exactly the same and is fairly lightly flavoured, so there’s not that much to get wrong.
Laz given what I have seen of your beer tastes I would have thought the organic choc stout is the sort of thing you would try. An absolute classic of the style and reasonably priced. Just have to get over the company being owned by a massive throbber.
Not all the Firkin pubs were brewpubs, but a lot of them were.
Fun fact - the Firkin pub in Guildford was called the Forger & Firkin and in the mid-90s Jack was occasionally to be found there drinking their product (including “Sick Note”, a fairly powerful stout).
It’s now The Drummond.
Before the inevitable posts, no, I am not Chambers/a Chambers sock puppet.
I agree re choco stout being potentially my thing and, other than one mention by you on here earlier, was previously unaware of the Sam Smiths variety. Next time I have the misfortune to darken their door - I am sure it will inevitably happen again at some point - it shall be my choice. Shame they don’t do it on draft as I am a real hipster these days, draught or can or fuck off (unless ur belgian).
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Wylam tap opening on Saturday. Shame I’ll be on the way to LHR.
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Good work Merkz Wylam is a great example. In the Netherlands the Jopenkerk in Haarlem is another great one.
Laz can you be clear on what you mean by a brewpub. Do you mean a pub that brews beer on site, a brewery with a tap room on site, a tap room run by a brewery off site or something else?
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Brinkburn is another good local one but, like Wylam, is really a brewery tap
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Little Creatures is my fave beer.
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I liked Trillium in Boston (MA)
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I think there’s a fine distinction Tom.
To me a brewpub is something which is primarily a pub but brews its own beer on site, which typically will not be sold in many other outlets. Little Creatures started out like this although is now more widely available.
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Wylam’s a brewery with a tap. I wouldn’t consider the Wylam Tao a brewpub although I accept the line is fine.
Tell you where is a brewpub, or possibly pretends to be as I’m not sure they brew oj site - the Porterhouse in Covent Garden. Ghastly. Their “Chiller” lager is the worst beer known to man. Pubs that obstinately refuse to serve good beer confound me.
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Triple F is or was brewed on site at the railway arms in Alton. They do or did some gr7 beers like alton's pride. They also did a really rancid one to a recipe by Gilbert white that tasted like flowery sick.
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Isn't Little Creatures supposed to be Chris Hemsworth's favourite?
I'll give you the Porterhouse is rubbish and their beer nothing to write home about. Only ever been there to watch rugby. I think you are right to the extent that if it is a genuine brewpub as you describe (as opposed to a tap attached to a brewery) they are usually a bit more amateurish at the actual brewing.
My parents live near the pub that spawned the S43 brewery (my mother is from the Durham area) and that is actually pretty good and the beer good. The beer was actually decent before they morphed into being S43. Used to go there for sunday lunch occasionally if I was visiting the parents.
Laz on a side note, are you able to buy Kavalan whisky where you are or is it banned on the basis of being from Taiwan?
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no you can get Kavalan here, and lots of other Taiwanese stuff; Taiwanese banks do a lot of business in the HK market
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I haven’t had the whisky tho, is it good?
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Actually yes Kavalan is good. Next for me to try is their ex-bourbon cask as I was given a miniature of it for free when I bought some other whisky in Paris last week. FYI La Maison du Whisky in Paris is a great shop. Also Paris is not a great beer town for drinking, but why would anyone think it would be.
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People of ale you prick
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heh! fight me
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Went to a couple of great ones in Freiburg, Germany, decades ago.
Feierling and Martinsbraeu.
There was also a (?) Swabian chain of brewpubs called Barfusser that was decent.
The Firkin pubs were fun but the beer was frequently minging.
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Jack yeah I have seen some great brauhaus action in Germany. I don't recall the Firkin pubs actually brewing on site.
Feebs we all know you worship at the altar of Carling.
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There are good ones and bad ones
no beer is worse than the rat piss they sell in Sam smiths
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I used to go to Zero Degrees when I was living in Cardiff a lot. They’re in Blackheath, Bristol and Reading too.
They had some really good beers there and a great mix of regulars and also guest / small-batch beers. Food was actually surprisingly really good for pizzas and small plates too.
Absolutely fuck all atmosphere unless you go on a Sat night unfortunately though. The massive brewing equipment and slightly odd smell put a lot of people off.
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Guy I've said it before but the Sam Smiths bottled organic chocolate stout and the imperial stout are legit good beers. That said I will not enter one of the Smiths pubs as the owner is a bell end with stupid rules from the 50s.
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Zero degrees in Bristol is a nice building and the food is ok
no idea what the beer is like
I would say the coronation tap is great too but I honestly can't remember because I've ended up slaughtered each time I've been there
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I am a Sam Smiths h88r even though their pubs are often lovely buildings.
The Germans seem likely to be an exception to the Brewpub hoodoo, I agree, although this is partially because most German beer tastes exactly the same and is fairly lightly flavoured, so there’s not that much to get wrong.
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Laz given what I have seen of your beer tastes I would have thought the organic choc stout is the sort of thing you would try. An absolute classic of the style and reasonably priced. Just have to get over the company being owned by a massive throbber.
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Not all the Firkin pubs were brewpubs, but a lot of them were.
Fun fact - the Firkin pub in Guildford was called the Forger & Firkin and in the mid-90s Jack was occasionally to be found there drinking their product (including “Sick Note”, a fairly powerful stout).
It’s now The Drummond.
Before the inevitable posts, no, I am not Chambers/a Chambers sock puppet.
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Tommo, sorry for delayed riposte
I agree re choco stout being potentially my thing and, other than one mention by you on here earlier, was previously unaware of the Sam Smiths variety. Next time I have the misfortune to darken their door - I am sure it will inevitably happen again at some point - it shall be my choice. Shame they don’t do it on draft as I am a real hipster these days, draught or can or fuck off (unless ur belgian).
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The Drummond is immense
I’ve only been once but I remember it well
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Laz don't feel the need to darken a Smith's door, just buy it from a shop or internet site.
One thing I did notice for a stint ex pat in the US is that Smith's beers are weirdly common over there.
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It would be genuinely perverse to get Sam Smiths beer to take away when their only grace is that they own quite nice pubs.
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Nice pubs with no music or sport and where any strong language or phone use gets you told to leave.
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He means nice buildings
everyone agrees they are a haven of c@ntery with a long history of shit beer, with one possible exception that nowhere near makes up for the sins
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