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Inside... ... Loads of beer, brewery and pub news ... A Pontypridd and Treforest pub crawl ... Publicans celebrate 25 great years ... and CAMRA ­ where next? Welcome CAMRA - Where next? CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, was think CAMRA should actively campaign for other founded in 1 971 . Things were grim then for high-quality beers, with only 20% disagreeing. lovers of good beer. Local beers were Of course, that raises the question of what is a disappearing at an alarming rate, being “high-quality beer” and a definition is now being replaced by nationally marketed keg brands. worked on. This sounds easy but in fact will be And these were awful. Carbon dioxide is very difficult. "High-quality" is very much a naturally found in beer but it was being forced subjective term about which people have many into keg beers under great pressure making the varying opinions. Yet somehow CAMRA will beers terribly gassy. Furthermore, the carbon need to come up with a sufficiently objective and dioxide was dissolving in the liquid to produce a tightly-drawn definition for it to be metallic flavour. understandable and enforceable. Even many cask beers had carbon dioxide The issue is likely to be hotly debated when forced into them producing the same effect. CAMRA members gather for their annual In response to this, CAMRA agreed a conference next April but it looks as though it will definition of “real ale”, which is now widely be a further year before a decision is finally accepted, and resolved to fight the fizzy taken. menace. Over the years, things have improved. Even Contents mainstream keg beers are now more palatable than before as pure carbon dioxide has been Page replaced by mixed gasses. These include a Regular Features high proportion of nitrogen, which does not Pub News................................................... 4 have the same effect. What's Fermenting - brewery news............ 7 In recent times, a new wave of craft breweries CAMRA events........................................... 8 have been set up producing keg beers of high Letters to Beer Necessities........................ 1 8 quality. In fact, even many CAMRA members Special Features admit that many so-called craft keg beers are CAMRA - Where next?............................... 3 very good and can be better than some real A Pontypridd and Treforest pub crawl........ 1 4 ales. Publicans celebrate 25 great years............ 20 This has prompted CAMRA to carry out a fundamental review of its objectives. A number Plus page after page of news of surveys have been carried out and seminars held throughout Britain to discuss issues. Front cover: Images from the Given that the definition of real ale is widely recent Great Welsh Beer and Cider accepted and appears in most dictionaries, Festival. there is little chance of that changing. However, it has been suggested that CAMRA Beer Necessities Issue 3 is due out might campaign for things in addition to real ale. in April. Most think CAMRA should campaign for real cider and perry, which it already does, but Contact us at almost 60% of members in a recent survey [email protected]. 3 Pub News Abergavenny for sale. BrewDog, the craft keg bar in The Swan Hotel, which closed in August, is due Westgate Street, is now selling Live Dead Pony to be converted into a bistro, with offices above. Club, which the company claims is a real ale Bargoed version of their Dead Pony Club Beer – at a A new pub, the Square Royale, opened in typical BrewDog price. August. Cardiff – Grangetown Caerleon, Newport The Grange, closed for a year, is set to reopen The Bell, which closed in August, reopened in in early 201 7. It has been acquired by the September with the same manager in charge. owners of the Lansdowne, who plan a similar The King's Arms, which reopened a year ago operation at the Grange. following several years' closure, closed again Cardiff – Plasnewydd before re-emerging as a tapas and wine bar. Former Greene King Pub, the Poets Corner in Caerphilly City Road, following a period of closure has now The Irish Tymes in Station Terrace, badly been demolished to make way for student flats. damaged by fire in July 201 5, is being rebuilt Chepstow and is reopening as an Enterprise Inns The Chepstow Castle Inn, which had been managed house called the Caerphilly Cwtch. expected to be converted into a bar, coffee Cardiff – Cardiff Bay shop and restaurant, has remained open as an The Wharf, Brains’ flagship pub when it was orthodox pub after all. The Green Dragon, built less than 30 years ago, has been closed two decades ago, has been reborn as demolished to make way for a mixed the Greenman (sic) Backpackers, selling real development that could include a small bar or ale and providing cheap accommodation. café. Culverhouse Cross, Vale of Glamorgan Cardiff – Cathays The Traherne Arms on the Tumble Hill towards The Flora in Cathays Terrace reopened in St Nicholas has reopened as The Longhouse September following a refurbishment and now and serves real ales, currently from Vale of boasts five handpumps. Glamorgan and Grey Trees Breweries. Cardiff – City centre Gilwern, Monmouthshire The Duke of Wellington in The Hayes was Scaffolding was seen erected around the closed for several weeks for refurbishment, Bridgend Inn in September. The scaffolders reopening in Mid-October. Gravity Station, did not know if it was for a refurbishment or for reported in the last issue of BN as having conversion to an alternative use. relocated to the Moon Club in Womanby Street, Glascoed. Monmouthshire remains open but no longer serves real ale. The Glascoed, in the premises of the former Nearby, the Urban Tap House is now called ROF Social Club, opened in June. Three Tiny Rebel. In Church Street Small Beer has handpumps were observed, one with real ale, opened bringing even more choice to the one with a cider and one with a pump-clip drinkers of Cardiff (see picture on Page 22). turned around. The Hopbunker in Kingsway has increased its Llanbradach, Caerphilly range of traditional ciders/perries to ten. The The De Winton is expected to close. Central Bar in Windsor Place is one of five Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan further pubs that J D Wetherspoon announced The Fox and Hounds is now under new at the end of September they would be offering ownership. 4 Beer Necessities Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff Pontypridd There are hopes that the Wheatsheaf will The Bunch of Grapes in Ynysangharad Road reopen as a craft beer bar. was named as serving the best roast dinner in Llanwern, Newport Britain in a competition organised by Unilever Marston’s opened a new pub, the Llanwern Food Solutions. Bull, some monthe ago. Porthcawl Merthyr Tydfil The New Brogden Hotel in Porthcawl has The Anchor in High Street recently reopened recently reopened, with no real ale. and was reported selling Grey Trees and Sully, Vale of Glamorgan Glamorgan Brewing Company beers. The Sully Inn has reopened. Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taff Taffs Well, Rhondda Cynon Taff The closed Cross Keys has been converted to Fagins Ale & Chop House in Glan-y-llyn has offices. The exterior has been clad leaving no been refurbished with the bar and restaurant evidence it was ever a pub. now combined. The front remains traditional Newport – Christchurch but the rear is now an attractive The Greyhound reopened in September after lounge/restaurant. a major refurbishment, having closed earlier in Usk 201 6. The White Hart has now become a crèche. Newport – Maindee Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan The Hereford Arms, which The Wenvoe Arms has reopened. closed some years ago, has reopened - real ale status unknown. Newport – St Julians The St Julians pub is celebrating 25 consecutive years in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide. Pencoed, Bridgend The licensee in the Little Penybont Arms has extended into the former Post Office next door and opened a restaurant with an increased number of beers. Peterstone-super-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan The Three Horseshoes reopened in November under new management following its refurbishment. Pontypool – Sebastopol The Open Hearth, which closed in August, was undergoing maintenance work as we went to press and was due to reopen in late November. Pontypool – Town centre The former Wetherspoon John Capel Hanbury, was reopened by Amber Taverns as the Iron Duke in September, selling three real ales mainly from Welsh breweries. What's Fermenting Brewery news What's Fermenting Brewery news Artisan Brewery (Pipes), Cardiff Lines Brew Company, Caerphilly Has been experimenting with single-hop beers A new business risen from the ashes of the using hops grown locally in Cardiff. closed Celt Experience Brewery. It is producing keg and bottled beers using the former Baa, Chepstow brewery’s plant. It had to happen! Baa is launching Baa Humbug, a new beer for the festive season. Mad Dog, Goytre, Monmouthshire Two more staff were taken on in June, a brewer Bang-on, North Cornelly and a new head of sales, and the premises are A new brewery expected to open in December expanding again, with a unit adjacent to the (see article on Page 23). existing brewery being used for warehousing. A new 6 barrel (1 ,000 litre) brew system was Beardface & Bines (see Crafty Devil) introduced at the beginning of May and fermenting capacity increased from 2,000 to Brains, Cardiff 5,000 litres. The brewery is currently running at The writing could be on the wall for the brewery maximum capacity and has plans to expand to a in Crawshay Street where brewing has 20 barrel plant soon. The former Handmade continued for most of the past 1 32 years (see Brewery company of Carmarthen is renamed article on Page 1 0).

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