RTW 2019

Date: 21 December 2019                     Round the World

Sampled by:

PV, ROC, KOC, RN, PC, JA & MD

The venue this year was Bethnal Green and for the main group involved negotiating the South Western Trains strike. Trains were only hourly from Aldershot and required a change at Woking onto a packed train with only standing room available. After Waterloo it was plain sailing – the Drain to Bank and a couple of stops down the Central line. JA was waiting for us to emerge at Bethnal Green underground and the short walk to our first venue.

All the prices are for 2/3rd measure.

Pub

Location

Post Code

Mother Kelly’s

251 Paradise Row, Bethnal Green, London

E2 9LE

Comment

As will many of today’s venues, Mother Kelly’s Bottle Shop and Tap Room is located in one of the many railway arches found under the lines emanating out of London Bridge. Just open, we had the individual attention of the barmaid who dispensed our selections from the 20 keg taps lining the far wall. There are numerous fridges line the left hand side of the arch offering an impressive selection of bottled and canned beer. There is no real ale available.

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Lost & Grounded

Check Ignition

5.4

5.70

X

Raspberry & cocoa Porter

North Brewing

House Pale Ale

4.1

5.40
               

It was a short walk along the main shopping street to our next port of call.

Pub

Location

Post Code

Sun Tavern

441 Bethnal Green Road, London

E2 0AN

Comment

Originally a typical corner location Victorian East End boozer, the pub has now been stripped bare to brickwork and remodeled in modern nouveau urban chic shit. Still, with few punters, it was comfortable enough and does offer a fine selection of 10 keg beers as well as a selection of Irish whiskey. No real ale.

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Mondo

Road Soda

4.4

5.40

X

New England Pale Ale

Signature

Roadie

4.3

5.50

X

Session IPA
               

After continuing up the High Street, our next pub was down a side street.

Pub

Location

Post Code

Kings Arms

11a Buckfast Street, Bethnal Green, London

E2 6EY

Comment

After the bare bones of the previous pub, the Kings Arms has been very sympathetically renovated (the owner is a designer) and this corner located boozer remains a proper pub; even to actually having some real ale (much to MD’s delight). The landlord was very knowledgeable on the craft and real available and guided us through 14 keg and 2 cask available. Very pleasant atmosphere and not surprisingly it was the busiest place visited.

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Stone & Wood

Pacific Ale

5.4

5.40

X

Aussie but now brewed in UK

Duration

Turtles All The Way…

5.5

6.2

X

…Down. Hops all the way down
               

It was then into Black Cab land with virtually every other railway arch a taxi repair workshop or garage: and this was the case with our next venue which was sandwiched between two.

Pub

Location

Post Code

Mechanics Brewery

22a Cudworth Street, London

E1 5QU

Comment

The tap had just one other visitor when we arrived, which is a great shame as they have an excellent selection of their beers available plus one guest. The Polish brewster, Olga Zubrzycka, provides an eclectic range of beers and the Lime Stout was the beer of the day. This was most conspicuously a working brewery and the bar rather a crude wooden construction and the furniture just collapsible tables and benches

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Mechanic

Green Diesel Lime Stout

4.9

5.40

X

Lovely stout

Mechanic

Choco Jungle

4.2

5.00

X

Handsome roasted stout

3 Sods

Maelstrom IPA

5.3

5.60

X

Very smooth and rounded
               

Pub

Location

Post Code

Taproom by Bethnal Green

162 Malcolm Place, Bethnal Green, London

E2 0EU

Comment

This was by far the smartest railway arch visited and completely devoid of custom on a Saturday afternoon! On offer were 24 kegs from East London breweries. Warm and comfortable it was well worth a visit. Only one took advantage of trying 4/3rd for the price of 3.

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Neckstamper

Elbow Crooker

4

5.00

X

Good session IPA

Five Points

Jupa

5.5

5.00

X

Reasonable fruity IPA

One Mile End

Bavarian Breakfast

5

X

Wheat beer; awful (PV's view that was the last of a tasting rack of 4 drink), I had a pint and it was very nice!

Deviant & Dandy

Blueberry Pancake

5.2

X

Milk Stout; disappointing
               

We then had an interesting 20 minutes wandering around the block trying to find the Boxcar Brewery and Taproom but could not locate it. Transpires it is closed this Saturday!

Pub

Location

Post Code

Old Street Brewery

Arch 11, Gales Gardens, London

E2 0EJ

Comment

Another brewery, another arch; this one rather more comfortably furnished than the Mechanic taproom. This, together with the very fit barmaid, made it an excellent final venue, even if the beers were not quite up to Olga’s exotic standard. Some beers were served direct from the conditioning tanks at the back of the bar. Most reasonable beer prices of the trip

Brewer

Beer

%

Price

P

Comment

Old Street

Lost in the Forest

7

4.50

X

Dark cherry brown

Old Street

Take the Biscuit

7

4.50

X

Biscuit brown

Old Street

Haze Bros

7.2

4.7

X

New England IPA 
               

With Bethnal Green underground was just round the corner, we had completed our circuit and, after bidding farewell to JA, we headed home. Altogether, a very enjoyable trip and highly recommended place for a beer tour.