The Oxford Drinker a Win for the Bookies! the Old Bookbinders in Charge Three Years Ago
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ISSUE 55 March - April 2009 the Oxford Drinker A win for the Bookies! The Old Bookbinders in charge three years ago. real ale and the aims of Jericho has been crowned CAMRA. Oxford City CAMRA’s Pub Back in December, the of the Year 2008. This branch voted on a shortlist At a social event just quirky back street pub is of six pubs in order to find before Christmas, as he owned by Greene King, but an overall winner. All voters presented Matty and licensees Matty Marren and had to visit the six pubs and Maureen with a certificate Maureen Whelan have have their voting form and congratulated them gained a reputation for the stamped, and once this was and their staff on their quality and range of their completed, they ranked the success, branch chairman beers since they took six pubs in their order of Matt Bullock said, “This is preference. well deserved, and it’s great to see a pub owned Members were by one of the big not just judging breweries winning - beer quality: the proving that this should not fact that the pubs be a barrier to providing had been choice and quality for shortlisted meant customers”. that beer quality was expected to Matty was delighted with be excellent. To the award, commenting, choose between “It’s a tough time for the them, members pub trade but we will were asked to continue to do what we do consider the best - offer a friendly service they welcome for customers, received, the good pub food, and an welcome from the excellent choice of real staff, the ales”. ambience and Continued over atmosphere of the pub, and its inside this issue: commitment to beer festival reports Oxford Branch LocAle the free newsletter of the National Cask Ale Week Oxford City Branch of CAMRA festival and branch diaries www.oxfordcamra.org.uk CAMRA Champion Winter Beer issue 55 The Masons Arms at Headington was the runner- up in the contest, followed by the Harcourt Arms in Jericho. Other shortlisted pubs were the Turf Tavern, the Rose & Crown, and the Kings Arms. After the event, Matty and Maureen said: “We would like to take Want to know all this opportunity to the latest news thank all of those and events? CAMRA members who felt we had done enough, not only be Share information nominated for, but to about what’s be awarded the title of happening in your Oxford CAMRA pub of area? the year 2008. While we have worked hard to achieve the accolade Sign up to our it, the Bookbinders e-mailing list. would not have won if it was not for our Details on the excellent staff and patronage by such a website at: great bunch of punters. www.oxfordcamra.org. Thanks very much .” uk/mailing-lists.php page 2 the Oxford Drinker march 2009 Merton beer festival Neil Hoggarth The postponement of the I think it is fair to say that this Oxford Beer Festival Helper's year's Winter event took place trip (originally scheduled for against the odds. The snow Saturday 7th February) had one and ice in the days leading up notable benefit; it freed up the to the event no doubt made Saturday afternoon of Merton deliveries difficult, and made Winter Beer Festival. John some people reluctant or Mackie and myself braved the hesitant to travel out to the icy conditions to make our event. The bus that John and I biannual pilgrimage to the originally intended to catch Otmoor village. A number of didn't appear to be running, and familiar faces from North Oxon we ended up catching a bus to branch also made it. Bicester and then hiring a taxi to get to Merton. The beer was in excellent condition, as always. There I complemented the organisers were sixteen different ales on on the tidy job of covering over offer, all from smallish the floor that someone had independent brewers, covering done (thinking that it was to a wide range of styles from protect it from people traipsing milds (Nottingham "Rock Mild", snow and salt in from outside), 3.8%, was very good), through only to be told that the wooden bitters (special mention to the parquet flooring had been In the face of this sort of "Pitstop", 3.8%, from wrecked by a flood from a adversity I think it is a great newcomers Silverstone), burst pipe earlier in the week. tribute to the organising golden hoppy beers (such as Beer Festival setup on committee and the volunteers one-off brew "Perle Bear", 4.2% Wednesday apparently took that the event happened as from Oakham), several porters place without the benefit of scheduled, was of the high (Sheffield Porter at 4.4% and electricity. quality that we have come to Hopshackle "Historic Porter" at expect of Merton, and everyone 4.8%), and Hoskins "Old If I hadn't got into conversation was still smiling! To cap it all, Navigation" barley wine at 7% with Fin and Loz about the floor many of the people involved (that will warm you up on a covering I would never have still had the energy to get face- chilly day!). realised anything out of the painted and join in the Morris ordinary had been overcome. dancing ... Mark your diaries - this year's Merton Summer Beer Festival will be on 17th and 18th of July. Should be a bit warmer and easier to travel to! the Oxford Drinker page 3 issue 55 Abingdon news Helene Augar & Dave Cogdell The Old Anchor winter beer fest took place over the last weekend in November. There were a varied selection of ales on tap, both from hand pumps on the bar and in the back room, where temporary stillage had been erected. The festival was well attended including several branch members. Everyone must have enjoyed it as they were running short by the Sunday session. York Breweries Centurion’s Ghost was our beer of the festival, whilst Black Rat just pipped Biddendons Dry in the cider inside – so we live in hope that system to keep the beer at the stakes. There are further it reopen in the near future. ideal temperature. At least one festivals planned for this year. of these pumps will dispense a On a much brighter note the real cider. The event was The Broad Face is, at the time White Horse installed four programmed as part of a of writing, being looked after by more lines in December and branch social on the Saturday the landlord of the Spread are now dispensing seven and many returned for a Eagle on a temporary basis, different ales from them. Three second helping on the Sunday following the sudden departure of these are guests - not GK - afternoon, when Fleximuscle a of the previous landlord. The and all beers are in excellent local band with a excellent pub is available on a new condition. The landlord is brass section, provided the Greene King 15 year lease and hoping to add a real cider on entertainment. Dates for your there appears to be some the eighth line in the near diaries are the 3 rd to 6 th April interest. future. Some of the notable when the Stocks will hold a ales through December and Jazz and Ale Festival. See The Grapes has once again January were Thwaites Good advert in this issue. ceased trading, but it is Elf, a seasonal product, plus available on a 15 or 20-year Old Peculiar, Morrissey Fox The Nags Head , owned by the lease, again from Greene King. and Mordue’s the Mullet. Spirit Group, is now being run by Rob & Kim who recently At the beginning of February More good news - The Stocks achieved Cask Mask The Saxton Arms , on Saxton Bar in The Crown & Thistle accreditation – welcome and Road, a basic but popular held a Winter Beer Fest at the congratulations. They hope to boozer, was closed with the end of January. There were an return this once extremely now familiar Greene King astonishing 32 ales and 9 popular pub to its former glory, ‘Business Opportunity’ sign ciders on offer. Around two serving good food and ale. outside. Thankfully, before we thirds of the ales were sourced Being one of only two pubs on went to press, it had reopened. locally, again showing the Thames in Abingdon, the Let us know how you find it! commitment to LocAle - a other being the Anchor, and Camra initiative to source ales having a large river frontage The Kings Head & Bell is still within a set number of miles and beer garden, we wish shut, with last year’s planning from the pub. The festival them well. On offer at our last notice still on display. coincided with new beer pumps visit was Black Sheep Bitter However, there is a skip coming on line, enabling them and Brains SA, both in good parked outside and there are to serve out of 8 hand pumps, condition. reports of tradesmen working via a new temperature control page 4 decembermarch 20072009 Royal Blenheim Laurence Lustgarten Amidst all the gloom about which supplies its own beers, preparing a range of dishes pubs closing, it is pleasure to plus some from other that are very well priced. Like report a great revival and breweries who feature theirs in the previous managers, they improvement in an old one. return. One Everards brew is are sports lovers and the TV is always on as well. The result is generally tuned to one of the The Royal Blenheim on St no less than 10 - count ‘em - Sky channels, but the sound is Ebbes, right in the centre of real ales on at any one time, down and it never interferes Oxford, has been under new with usually three or four new with conversation.