Newsletter for the Tayside Branch

‘let’s keep it flowing’ Tay Ale

Issue Eleven Summer 2013

Pitlochry Brechin

Aberfeldy Forfar Blairgowrie Arbroath Dundee Perth

Kinross Inside This Issue Tayside Pub News Craft Keg: A Complex & Moving Picture Historic Pubs - A Personal View South Road Trip (Branch Outing) Tayside Pubs List Support Your Tom’s Foreign Travel Tips And as always much, much Local more…….

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Atholl Arms Hotel , near , Perthshire, Tel : 01796 481205

There are few more imposing sights in the Scottish Highlands than the superb façade and highland grandeur of the Atholl Arms Hotel in Blair Atholl. In our adjoining ‘Bothy Bar’, locals and visitors alike can un-wind and swop tall- tales in cosy, informal surroundings, where food is available all day alongside fine ales from nearby Moulin Brewery

Moulin Inn & Brewery 11 - 13 Kirkmichael Rd Moulin Perthshire PH13 5EH

Tel: 01796 472196 Four great ales:- Light (3.7%), Brave- Fax: 01796 474098 heart (4%), Ale of Atholl (4.5%) & Old Remedial (5.2%)

A 315 year old former coaching inn full of character in picturesque Moulin village attracting locals and visitors alike. Open 365 days per year serving great food and refreshments all day. Hotel accommodation provides 15 ensuite, clan themed bedrooms plus a 3 bedroom self catering unit. Relax in our peaceful lounge & lounge Winner of numerous awards including bar and dine in our fine restaurant AA Scots Pub of Year 2007 & Tayside overlooking the gardens and Moulin CAMRA Pub of the Year. burn. Recommended in many guides.

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 38 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 3 Tayside CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011 The Cherrybank Inn 210 Glasgow Road, Perth PH2 ONA THE CORN EXCHANGE Booking and Information Market Place Tel: 01738 624349 Fax: 01738 444962 Arbroath The Cherrybank Inn, with its large car park, can be found easily. When entering Perth from the A9 down Tel. 01241 432430 the Glasgow Road, take the 2nd right then immediately Located just off the High Street, this well- left - and there it is! managed Wetherspoon pub occupies a 19th-century former corn exchange. Two guest beers are always available in addition to the two regular offerings. Although largely open plan there are a number of booths offering some privacy. A wide variety of food including some pub classics is served from 8am until 10pm by pleasant, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Children are welcome until 9pm.

Situated at the western entrance to Perth (from the A9), The Cherrybank Inn has been a popular venue for passing travel- lers for over 200 years.

Featuring well appointed rooms with en-suite facilities, good food, excellent staff and a high standard of service, suitable for tourists or business people alike - also ideally situated for golfing parties. The Corn Exchange won the Tayside CAMRA “Pub of the Year” award for We are regularly listed in the Good Beer Guide and always Angus in 2009 and has been a regular entry in CAMRA’s “Good Beer have a minimum of five real ales on draught including several Guide” from the award winning Inveralmond Brewery in Perth. To find out more about our real ale festivals visit : Ample car parking available. www.jdwrealale.co.uk

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 4 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 37 A warm welcome to the latest issue of Tay Ale

Tay Ale's 3 Reasons to be Cheerful

1. The number of real ale establishments in Tayside territory continues to rise... now above 125 for the first time (and other branches are also seeing 13 Wellmeadow, Blairgowrie, PH10 6ND increases). 01250 872469 [email protected] 2. Following CAMRA's success in getting 100,000 signatures, the Beer Duty Tayside’s Premier Real Ale Pub Escalator was dropped by George Osborne... giving some price relief to hard- pressed publicans. Six beers on hand pump plus real cider. 3. The Westminster government is making further noises about forcing the big

brewers and pubcos to give better terms and conditions to their tenants, in Tayside CAMRA Pub of the particular the right to buy outside of the tie. The detail of this will be hard to Year 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, negotiate, but it's worth lobbying your MP to get them to support what is being 2007, 2008 & 2010 attempted. Alan Lawson Tayside CAMRA Branch Chair

This year’s Great British Beer Festival Beer Festivals will take place between 13th – 17th August at London Olympia. Scottish Real Ale Festival, Corn Exchange With over 800 real ales, ciders, perries Edinburgh 11 - 14th July and foreign beers to choose from we are Harley Davidson Weekend, Caledonian Hotel, sure there will be plenty of choice to suit Brechin 12 - 14th July everybody’s taste buds! It is not all about the beer though. There is also plenty of Glen Clova Hotel, Glen Clova 19 - 21st July food, live music and pub games to enjoy. Inn, Bankfoot 1 - 5th August Tickets can be bought by calling 0844 Great British Beer Festial, Olympia London 13 - 17th August 412 4640 or visiting www.gbbf.org.uk/ tickets Alba Real Ale Festival, Royal Tay Yacht Club Dundee 23 - 25 August If you are feeling lucky then visit Alloa Real Ale Festival, Alloa Town Hall 18 - 19th October www.gbbf.org.uk/competitions where For more information about these and other beer festivals there are plenty of great prizes to win. visit our own or CAMRA websites

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 36 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 5 TAYSIDE PUBS NEWS The Bank Bar What Makes a Good Pub? The Phoenix, Dundee, was presented with 7/9 Union Street our POTY award for 2013: long-time DUNDEE “I like a pub with a bit of character, owner Alan Bannerman is pictured with old and with a proper wood burning manageress Shelagh Matthew, with social Tel: 01382 205037 open fire, making you feel welcome Convenor Kenny Smith looking on. right away. In a perfect world there

The Town in Commercial Street, Dundee, will be at least four different real ales has been bought by Park Leisure (Marr with at least one local brew to choose brothers), owners of the Hawkhill from. With a gentle whiff of home Brewery (Discovery Ales). Renamed cooking teasing you to order something Nicoll’s, 3 handpulls are in place, usually 2 with their own beers, plus a guest from the menu, I will feel right at Local Real Ales (often from Burnside). home. To top it all, a good atmosphere Out past Lochee, the Park House Hotel has now got 1 handpull with the Hawkhill Homemade Food Available with some live ceilidh music and the brewery ale. Hawkhill beers are also now available in the Playwright Restaurant *** chance to meet some friendly folk… beside the Rep Theatre. what more can you ask for?” Free Live Music The Capitol (Wetherspoons) in Dundee has recently increased the number of Steve Flack Fridays & Saturdays handpulls substantially, with 6+ different ales on offer during their beerfests. The Star and Garter in Union Street, Dundee (which had been closed for a long “The best pubs are places where the time) has re-opened with real ale on the counter (2 handpulls); it is being bar-staff are willing (and able) to operated by the same owners as the nearby McDaniels. engage with their customers. “ Karen Kennedy, operator of the Osnaburg in Forfar, says that real ale is going Alan Lawson (Branch Chair) well there, having increased the handpulls to 3, and is even thinking about a 4th. The Perth Arms, , were awarded our “When you walk into a pub and being ‘Best Newcomer’ award for 2012: owners A WARM WELCOME TO A SPECIAL surprised by the choice of beer on Ewan & Karen Alcorn are pictured at their HOTEL! offer…then to be served by welcoming bar. A new fire has recently been installed to So much to offer from wonderful meals, and knowledgeable staff.” fine wines, real ales and whiskies. keep customers cosy. Woodlands Bistro Now Open - Extensive Lee Campbell The Losset Inn in has recently added a Menu Using Local Produce handpull in the public bar, complementing the existing handpull in the lounge. For more details of what we can provide to “Good company, good beer, and staff make your visit special, contact:- that passionate about what there are The Old Smiddy in Errol has had a complete makeover, and is now Rattray’s ROYAL DUNKELD HOTEL Restaurant, with 1 handpull in the drinkers’ area; varying beer selection. selling and have a understanding of real Atholl Street, Dunkeld PH8 0AR ale.” The Atholl Arms Hotel in Dunkeld now has 3 handpulls in their bar, and are Tel: 01350 727322 considering quality cider as well. www.royaldunkeld.co.uk Alex Faulds Car Parking Available at Rear of Hotel

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 6 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 35 Real Ale Pubs throughout Forth Valley Trading Standards Offices: For Tay Ale could not be produced www.camra-forth-valley.co.uk issues such as consistent short measures or no price lists, without the support of our If you are travelling around the (listing by town/village, with photos & contact: advertisers many who have country and looking for real ale pubs, notes) the websites of all the Scottish Angus – 01241 435600 Glasgow & West of Scotland continued to support it since CAMRA branches have full listings, Perthshire – 01738 476476 our first issues in 2008 as indicated below. www.glasgowcamra.org.uk Dundee – 01382 434000 Aberdeen Grampian & Northern Isles (list of outlets by sub-area) If you want to raise the www.aberdeencamra.co.uk Highlands & Western Isles profile of your pub, hotel or

(list by sub-area, with short notes on www.highlandcamra.org.uk Advertising - If you would like to brewery amongst Tayside each) (all pubs named from map) place an advert in Tay Ale, contact drinkers why not place an Martin Fox: Ayrshire & Wigtonshire Kingdom of Fife Tel: 01241 870248 advert in our next issue due www.ayrshireandwigtownshirecamra.org www.kingdomoffifecamra.org.uk November 2013? .uk Email: [email protected] (listing by town/village) (list of pubs, by sub-area, with beers You can also contact us via our Renfrewshire branch email address: stocked) www.renfrewshirecamra.org.uk [email protected] Dumfries & Stewartry (listing by town/village, with beer Tay Ale advertising rates have been ROODS BAR www.dumfriescamra.org.uk notes) maintained at the same level for KIRRIEMUIR DD8 4EZ (list of outlets by sub-area) three years despite rising print Tayside costs. To meet these and also TEL: 01575 572640 Edinburgh & South-East Scotland www.taysidecamra.co.uk increase the number of copies www.edinburghcamra.org.uk printed due to growing demand for (listing within sub-areas, with photos, Tay Ale, our rates for Issue 12 due (list of outlets by sub-area) beer-notes and descriptions) November 2013 will be: Inside front / back cover and centre pages only - full page colour £95 or

half page £55. Other pages black & white - full page £70; half page £40; Branch members enjoying quarter page £25. (There is a 10% discount on placement of fourth sunshine drinking at The Barley consecutive advert.) EVER CHANGING GUEST ALES AND A GREAT Bree, , May 25th WHISKY SELECTION Adverts are accepted on condition that inclusion does not necessarily ALL SKY SPORTS SHOWING imply an endorsement or approval of POOL, DARTS & DOMINOS content. ALL WELCOME!!

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 34 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 7 The Good Beer Guide Needs YOU! Tom McLaughlin’s Foreign Travel Tips (Real Ale is out there - you Have your say on which Tayside Pubs get listed in the GBG! just need to know where to look!) The Costa Del Sol has been a favourite holiday destination for many years but We have over 125 CAMRA friendly bars, pubs, and hotels throughout the Tayside region, for real ale lovers it has always meant two weeks without a decent pint! At last but are only allocated enough space in the GBG to list our favourite 30. As CAMRA mem- that is beginning to change thanks to the Saxon Brewery, a micro located in bers it’s important for us all to take part in deciding which drinkeries go on the list. Velez Rubio, Almeria. They use malt and hops mainly sourced from the UK and Nottingham ale yeast and can produce a little over 4000 pints a week. See web CAMRA has developed a beer scoring system which helps keep branches informed about site www.saxonbreweryspain.com. or e-mail the brewers at the quality of beer being served in their respective areas. Please see the table below. [email protected]. One pub stocking Saxon Bitter is the Sports Lounge in SCORE VALUE DESCRIPTION Avenida Bonanza, Benalmadena. The pub has invested in a temperature controlled cool-room in the back yard. The beer is then fed via a python system to a water-

0 No Real Ale No cask-conditioned ale available. You move to the next jacketed hand pump. pub immediately. The pub is the home of Malaga CF British Supporters Club and is an easy walk 1 Poor Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable from the El Pinar or Arroyo de la Miel railway stations on the Malaga to with considerable resentment. You move to the next pub Fuengirola line. See also the Cask Marque site for six other pubs on the coast. after one. Planning a visit to Orlando this year, then visit The Cricketers in Dr. Phillips, less 2 Average Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn't inspire in any than a mile along Sand Lake Road, west of International Drive. It is well worth way. Not worth moving to another pub but you drink the the walk to find several real ales, including some up to 9.2%. beer without really noticing.

3 Good Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay for another pint and may BRANCH DIARY seek out the beer again.

4 Very Good Excellent beer in excellent condition. You cancel plans to move to the next pub halfway down your first pint. You Next Meeting - Monday 19th August at Lochlands want to stay for another couple of pints, and make plans Bar, Arbroath to seek out the beer again.

5 Perfect Probably the best you will ever find. You forget there ev- er was a next pub to go to. You resolve to seek out the Weekday meetings start at 7.30pm but please check What’s Brewing or our beer again as soon as possible. A seasoned drinker will website WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK or contact the branch secretary for award this score very rarely. confirmation.

Please check website, Facebook page or contact Branch Secretary for details It’s really easy to submit your scores. The best way is to do it online- you can even use of meetings for the remainder of 2013 and future social events. your smartphone's internet browser to submit your scores in while still drinking the beer! All Tayside CAMRA members are welcome to attend branch meetings Why not try it now? and social events. Go to www.beerscoring.org.uk (don't forget to bookmark the page for future use). Login using your CAMRA membership number (the six-digit number on your card) and password (which is your postcode). The website will remember you, so you

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 8 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 33 as you walk in, taking us away from the busy lounge. We had Bitter & Twisted (3.8%) from Harviestoun, whilst perusing the menu. When the meals arrived we had our second pint, Have I Tolled You Lately (4.2%), especially brewed for the establishment by Loch Leven. The name provoked some of the party into song!! Fed and watered we headed into where we had three pubs to visit, the first being The Muirs Inn. This is a traditional pub with nice wooden bar and features in the bar, with separate lounge seating areas. The beers on offer were Belhaven Black or Belhaven IPA. After a swift half (and dragging some members away from the rugby on TV), we moved on to The Kirklands. A modern, open-plan establishment with comfy couches that we wedged ourselves in while sampling Ossian (4.1%) from Inveralmond that was on offer. Keeping an eye on the time we moved on to The Green Hotel for another Ossian. Back on the bus for the quick trip to and to The Village Inn: there were 3 handpulls with Deuchars, Ruddles County and Independence. We had more time here so stopped for a couple and got comfortable in our surroundings, taking in the many mirrors on the wall from various defunct breweries and should only need to do this once. distilleries. The conversation flowed and one of our party, Mike, discovered a Complete the (easy to use) scoring form, using this guide to awarding marks (you book from a series he is collecting and persuaded the landlord to sell it to him. can also add a half point to your score if you really can't decide) ; After saying our goodbyes to Richard, we had a bit of a whistle-stop tour taking Click the 'Add Score' Button. in The Hotel and The Famous Bein Inn, before rounding off our Grand It’s as easy as that! Tour at The Crees Inn, Abernethy; as we didn’t have to drop anyone back in

Perth, Geoff allowed us a wee bit extra time. The sight that befell us as we entered would gladden the heart of most real ale drinkers, 6 hand pulls, offering If you want to add your score but don't have internet access; a range of Ale from England. London Pride put a smile on the face of our cockney You can either ask a fellow CAMRA member to submit your score via the website (they member Steve, along with the choice of Southwold Bitter from Adnams, Black can log in as usual, but submit a score under your CAMRA membership number).; OR Sheep Best Bitter, Courage Directors, and two others that have been forgotten You can fill out a National Beer Scoring Scheme card (available from the branch by using through a mixture of ale and time. any of the contact details listed in this edition) and return it to the branch. This was a very successful trip that was enjoyed by all that went on it and Once all the scores are added up we'll have a list of the pubs that our branch are most others are being planned; keep an eye on the website and facebook page for proud of, visitors to our area will be guaranteed a good pint and you'll be able to look at details of any future trips. Don’t be shy, join us! By Lee Campbell the Good Beer Guide and say “I chose that”.

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 32 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 9 Craft Keg: A Complex and Moving Picture CREES INN by Alan Lawson & Richard Barnes MAIN STREET, ABERNETHY PH2 9LA

There has been a lot of discussion and controversy in CAMRA recently regarding Craft Keg beers – beers produced by the cask breweries but processed and sold in keg format. (The term itself has been imported from North America, where beers are commonly sold in this way.) Today’s developments have little in common with what took place in the late 1960s, when Tayside CAMRA Pub of the Year 2009 new, cheap-formula beers were created by Serving 6 hand pulled real ales the big breweries specifically to be sold in kegs. Some of these unloved beers (Double Bar Lunches 12 - 2pm Diamond, Watney’s Red Barrel, Tartan Evening Meals 6 - 8.30pm Special) were unrelated to the cask ales Booking for meals advisable at weekends previously produced by those breweries. But some of the problems of that era were with the existing draught ale brands – Telephone: 01738 850714 e.g., McEwans 80/-; Whitbread Trophy; Tetley Bitter – which could be real ale or Enjoy our ales at home - 4pt Carry Kegs now available to fizzy-keg from the same apparent fount type. These brands tended to be take home your favourite beers ostracised (even in cask-conditioned form) in favour of the no- nonsense beers from the up-and-coming microbreweries. South Perthshire Road Trip The keg products of that time were fully filtered and then re-gassed with CO2, Saturday February 9th was the date chosen for our trip round the far south- usually excessively so. And all that led to the creation of CAMRA in the early western extremes of our empire, Kinross-shire. 1970s, to champion the quality of the cask ales which were being heavily displaced. A large group boarded the bus at Dundee’s Greenmarket at 11am, and we called into Perth to see if there were any members needing uplifted… there were none. The craft keg beers which have started to appear in the last few years come Arriving in Kinross we collected our local member and tour guide Richard, then from real ale breweries, companies which have been at the forefront of the cask headed to the first stop of the day, The Well Inn, . The pub is ale revival of the past 20 years. Yet, despite that revival, there are still many situated on the main road in Scotlandwell and inside was a welcoming real log licensed premises (especially in Scotland) which don’t sell real ale… for a variety fire that we all gathered round and enjoyed a pint of Jaguar (4.5%) from the of reasons, such as low throughput, unsuitable cellar, disinterested customers, Kelburn Brewery. This was followed by a spot of sightseeing visiting the well or lack of staff expertise and/or commitment. Many breweries now want to get after which the town and pub are named. a slice of the action in such premises, mainly using 30-litre kegs with standard easy-to-use, clip-on cellar-fittings. And SIBA (the association of small Geoff, our driver for the day, retraced our route back to Wester Balgedie to brewers) held a craft keg competition at a Festival in Sheffield in February, so the Balgedie Toll Tavern, which was our food stop for the day. We these products are indeed gaining recognition. commandeered the cosy wee snug bar, the oldest part of the pub, on the right

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 10 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 31 good enough pub – and, ironically, has real ale again for the first time in many There are big differences between the old keg beers and craft keg: the years – the interior changes have done away with the atmosphere of the Art pressurised gas used to condition and dispense these beers is now often a Deco Walnut Lounge. mixture of CO2 and Nitrogen (which can be mixed in different proportions for As cities were developed in the late 19th-early 20th centuries, many featured different products); some of the kegged products are fermented under street corner “locals” which often acted as signposts for strangers entering a pressure to contain their own CO2; some of the craft keg beers are not filtered town. This trend was enhanced by local authorities, who, then as now, wished to (or not fully-filtered) before being put into kegs. And within the craft curb illicit and excessive drinking and set about closing back street pubs and breweries, the selection of quality malts and hops (instead of caramel, adjuncts encouraging those on main thoroughfares. One in Dundee which always struck me and extracts) is a significant difference from the past, as is the reduced as such a landmark pub was Frew’s, formerly the Plough, at the Coldside dependence on flash pasteurisation of beer when racking into kegs. Certain Strathmartine Road junction. breweries argue that some of the wide range of different styles of craft keg beer are better served carbonated and a bit colder than real ale. Interestingly, this used to be a shop, described as selling “high class groceries and provisions” which included liquor. After the owner went bankrupt in 1914, it These many differences and processing improvements still leave craft keg as was re-opened as a public house and it retains many features of that era in the “not real ale” in CAMRA’s traditional definition (‘Real Ale must contain at least 1 main bar as well as those of the 1930’s in the Sporting Memories Lounge, which million yeast cells per millilitre’). However, at the 2012 AGM, the following is usually open only at weekends. motion was approved: Its situation highlights a feature of urban Scottish pubs in general, which is This Conference believes that CAMRA policy should recognise that Craft Beer that they are often, like a shop, on the ground floor of tenements rather than is beer with a distinctive flavour brewed by artisans. As a consequence, most free-standing buildings. This is, again, reputedly due to the concern of local real ales are craft beers but not all craft beers are real ale. authorities who thought that there was a greater likelihood of lengthy drinking The Marketing Director, Tony Jerome, added: “We know that denigrating craft sessions if the landlord lived on the premises, as in many other parts of Britain. keg beer is unproductive and can put off people from joining CAMRA… something Returning to personal reminiscence, I have a memory of being taken to a licensed we want to avoid, particularly as CAMRA prides itself on standing for choice.” grocer’s in the east or south east of Glasgow in the 1960’s/70’s where we were So far so reasonable. And it’s worth remembering that CAMRA continue to served what must have been the rare Tennent’s 60/- from a cask! Quite a few nurture some very large continental producers of lager, some indeed producing such establishments used to exist (and still do in Ireland, of course) where drink very good beer! (though rejecting the UK equivalent out of hand). was available for on-premises consumption. I just wish I’d remembered to note The recent controversy has particularly centred around those breweries which the address: it wasn’t strictly a pub, so didn’t go on my “pubs visited” list! are selling some of their beers in both cask and keg formats, under the same By Forbes Browne name; this has led to the charge of “misleading” presentation in pubs, and some CAMRA beerfests (including Larbert 2013) have ‘blacked’ beers from breweries which are doing this. This has caused resentment within the industry, with CAMRA members resigning (or at least threatening to do so), and other brewers bad-mouthing CAMRA in a way not heard for many years. In many pubs it is easy to see which beers are which, with cask ales being dispensed from handpulls, and keg beers from flip-top founts on a T-bar or similar; the T-bars usually have small, eye-shaped badges (lenses), different from the well-known large badges on real ale handpulls. There are, however, some modern-style bars where all beers are dispensed from flip-top or turn-top

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 30 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 11 something about enjoying a good pint in historic surroundings, with artefacts of a bygone age! Mind you, this may be a male thing: I recall female friends feeling out of place and uncomfortable in the Fisherman’s – which welcomed women long before many other Scottish establishments – and the amazing Bell in Aldworth, Berkshire, a gem of a country pub, but with hard wooden benches! Speaking of country pubs in the south, I have fond memories of rural pub-crawls in my youth by foot, bicycle or someone else’s car, in central Buckinghamshire and east Oxfordshire. I discovered some splendid places like the well-known Royal Standard of England, Forty Green, and the Red Lions, Bledlow but also some that were virtually unknown like the Crown, Lacey Green, and the Eagle, Henton. These last were some of my early experiences, rare even in the 1960’s, of beer brought from the cellar to a sitting room – the latter a cosy, well-upholstered place, the former exceeding the contemporary café-bar in minimalist bare boards. Both had welcoming hosts and clientele, and both had undoubtedly catered for farm labourers, though the Crown was closed down when I returned later, and the Eagle was going up-market. These must have been some of the last examples of the original tavern – a private house in which drink and food were served with no bar or advertisement of the purpose of the premises. The nearest I have come to one such in Scotland is the Railway Tavern, Kincardine on Forth, featured in CAMRA’s Scotland’s True Tayside CAMRA Newsletter th Heritage Pubs, which dates from the 18 century when it was used by drovers waiting for the ferry across the river – hence the older name the Ferry Inn. It does have a bar, but no identification other than the tiny plaque on the door lintel bearing the words “J. Dobie, Licensee”. It is a C- listed building, but for some reason it failed to be listed in the late- lamented pub-crawler’s vade mecum, The Scottish Licensed Trade Directory, 1970 (which ceased publication in 1971, I think,) which was why I didn’t discover it until about ten years ago. No real ale, although the uncommon McEwan’s pale Ale wasn’t too bad, and it is worth a visit. The listing system has long protected the exteriors of pubs, but an important development a few years back was when CAMRA and others persuaded Historic Scotland to list impressive and historic interiors. The Speedwell, to give Mennie's its proper name, is one which is unique in the Tayside area, if not in Scotland, in having a virtually unchanged Edwardian décor , and was fortunate in being one of the few bars to have acquired a Category B listed interior. It's a pity the neighbouring Tay Bridge had not been similarly listed, as while it is still a

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 12 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 29 founts; in such places, customers have to rely on the blackboard (if there is one) to see which beers are cask ale and which are craft keg. What is different this time (compared with the 1960s) is that the small breweries are not particularly attempting to con the consumer. However, in developing a craft keg alternative, it will most likely be based on a cask- conditioned forerunner with existing pumpclip badges and other marketing materials. Until craft keg is established, microbreweries cannot afford to commit scarce resources to industry-standard marketing, such as T-bar gantry lenses, let alone a full-blown, new-brand advertising campaign. The craft keg issue was discussed (several motions) at the CAMRA 2013 AGM in Norwich in April: there the matter was remitted back to the National Executive for further consideration. So, to summarise: yes, let’s ask for clear differentiation in pubs (a task for pub- operators as well as breweries), but let’s not rush into battle against the very breweries which have done so much for real ale in recent times... of which there are at least 8 in Scotland now producing craft keg, likely to be followed by others in the near future. CAMRA should stop dragging up the past, decide whether to endorse craft keg, and leave the smaller brewers to brew great beer and then market and sell it the best way they can – including through beer HISTORIC PUBS – A PERSONAL VIEW festivals. What makes a good pub? Looking at an article about the Hanging Bat, a recently opened Edinburgh hostelry with a range of cask and artisan beers and what Tayside CAMRA Facebook Page seemed to be contemporary, minimalist décor, set me wondering. Is it just the quality of the drink (essential for cask beer obviously), the décor, the history, If you're interested in keeping up-to-date with all the latest news from the the company, the food, the welcoming host – or the combination of these things Tayside CAMRA branch, why not "Like" our new Facebook page? We list details that we call ambience? of all the upcoming events and meetings, and it’s a great way to stay in touch While inns or public houses have been around at least since the Romans brought with us. You can find us at; tavernae to Britain to supply their invading armies, most of what we recognise as pubs date from the late 19th – early 20th centuries. We all have personal images http://www.facebook.com/CamraTayside of what pubs should be like: cosy, back-street locals, dazzling gin palaces, flagstoned country bars, smart road-houses, and of course they have developed or scan the QR code. See you there! to meet particular social needs. And if you’re not into Facebook don’t forget our I will confess my bias now, which is towards the older pub – the likes of my branch website: locals, the Fisherman’s Tavern and the Ship in Broughty Ferry, or Mennie’s in the West End of Dundee. http://www.taysidecamra.co.uk/ They can be comfortably upholstered or minimally decorated, but there’s

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 28 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 13 Tayside Branch Contacts (Web address: TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK ) Chair (& webmaster): Alan Lawson - 01382 732613 HAWKHILL BREWERY ( [email protected] ) Vice-Chair: Forbes Browne - 01382 731563 ( [email protected] ) Secretary & Branch Contact: TBC ( [email protected] ) Membership: Richard Barnes ([email protected]) Treasurer: Geoff Yarnell - 01241 872360 ( [email protected] ) Newsletter: Martin Fox - 01241 870248 ( [email protected] or [email protected] ) Calling all Tayside CAMRA members ………….Your branch committee wants to hear from you. We want to see more active members within the Tayside area so if you want to share some information about your local pub or if you would like come along to one of our branch meetings, please contact one of the branch officials for fur- ther details.

To make sure your membership details are correct, please visit the CAMRA website where amendments can be made on-line.

Tayside Real Ale Pubs Brechin Arms, Brechin The following Inns and Hotels are known to Brown Horse, Brechin sell (or to have recently sold) cask- Caledonian Hotel, Brechin conditioned ale. Please let us know about Aboukir Hotel, Carnoustie the quality of real ales on offer (see page 8), particularly if you think Good Beer Dalhousie Hotel, Carnoustie Guide inclusion is merited. We make no Kinloch Arms, Carnoustie claims as to the quality of the beer and you should note that some pubs listed may only Stag’s Head Carnoustie stock real ale on a seasonal basis Station Hotel Carnoustie (annotated S). Finavon Hotel, Finavon Angus Osnaburg, Forfar Corn Exchange, Arbroath Plough Inn, Forfar Corner Bar, Arbroath 31 HAWKHILL, DUNDEE The Stag, Forfar Lochlands Bar, Arbroath

(Continued on page 15)

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Clova Hotel, Glen Clova Inn, Invergowrie

Glenisla Hotel, Kirkton of Glen Isla Landmark Hotel, Invergowrie Ogilvy Bar, Kirriemuir Bell Tree, Panmurefield Roods Bar, Kirriemuir Kinross-shire Drovers Inn, Memus Kirklands Hotel, Kinross Milton Inn, Monifieth Muirs Inn, Kinross George Hotel, Montrose The Green Hotel, Kinross Market Arms, Montrose Village Inn, Milnathort Dundee & District The Well Inn, Scotlandwell Cambustay, Barnhill Balgedie Toll Tavern, Wester Balgedie Anchor, Broughty Ferry Perth City Fisherman’s Tavern, Broughty Ferry Abbotsford Inn, Perth Royal Arch, Broughty Ferry Capital Asset, Perth Ship Inn, Broughty Ferry Cherrybank Inn, Perth Bank Bar, Dundee Christie’s Bar, Perth Braes Bar, Dundee Dickens, Perth Capitol, Dundee Foundry Bar, Perth Clark’s, Dundee Glover Arms, Perth Counting House, Dundee The Green Room, Perth Drouthys, Dundee Greyfriars, Perth Duke’s Corner, Dundee Isle of Skye Hotel, Perth Nether Inn, Dundee Lovat Hotel, Perth Nicoll’s, Dundee Old Ship Inn, Perth Park House Hotel, Dundee The Sandeman, Perth Phoenix, Dundee The Tavern, Perth Pillars, Dundee East Perthshire Speedwell Bar (Mennies), Dundee Losset Inn, Alyth Star & Garter, Dundee The Tavern, Ardler Taybridge Bar, Dundee Macdonald Arms Hotel, Balbeggie Trades House Bar, Dundee (Continued on page 16)

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 26 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 15 The Royal Arch Bar at Birnham Hotel, Birnham Tayside Hotel, Stanley Broughty Ferry Atholl Arms Hotel, Blair Atholl South Perthshire By Dundee Ericht Ale House, Blairgowrie Crees Inn, Abernethy Fair O’Blair, Blairgowrie (opens 11/06/13) Smiddy Haugh Hotel, Tel: 01382 779741 Old Cross Inn, Rattray, By Blairgowrie Craigrossie Hotel, Royal Hotel, Blairgowrie The Niblick, Auchterarder Speedwell Bar (Ma Mennie’s) at Stormont Arms, Blairgowrie Kirkstyle Inn, West End (Perth Road) Dundee Bridge of Cally Hotel, Bridge of Cally The Famous Bein Inn, Glenfarg **** Atholl Arms, Dunkeld Tormaukin Hotel, Glen Devon CASK MARQUE accredited Perth Arms, Dunkeld Glenfarg Hotel, Glenfarg consistently scoring 100% for beer quality CASK MARQUE accredited Royal Dunkeld Hotel, Dunkeld West Perthshire **** **** Taybank, Dunkeld Black Watch, Aberfeldy CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2013 Rattray’s Restaurant, Errol Schiehallion, Aberfeldy (S) Listed in CAMRA’s **** Ballathie House Hotel, Kinclaven Bankfoot Inn, Bankfoot NATIONAL INVENTORY of herit- age pubs Eat Scotland acclaimed for food Kirkmichael Hotel, Kirkmichael Comrie Hotel, Comrie ******* quality Strathardle Inn, Kirkmichael Royal Hotel, Comrie www.mennies.co.uk **** Kinloch Arms, Caledonian Bar, Crieff www.royal-arch.co.uk Hotel, Meikleour Crieff Hotel, Crieff Moulin Inn, Moulin Murraypark Hotel, Crieff pancakes. For the first-time visitor, Podge and Siobhan also run down the main Auld Smiddy, Pitlochry Tower Hotel, Crieff Belgian beer styles, so you can sort your Dubbel from your Tripel and will never Craigvrack Hotel, Pitlochry Hotel, Fortingall mistake an abbey beer for a true Trappist. Festival Theatre, Pitlochry The Tully, As with all Cogan & Mater guides (proprietor Tim Webb of Good Beer Guide Kingfisher (Fishers Hotel), Pitlochry Courtyard Restaurant, Taymouth Mains, Belgium fame), the book is also shot through with a dry and acerbic wit – or witte, if you prefer. It’s excellent value for money and handsomely designed by Golf Bar & Restaurant, Pitlochry Kenmore Dale Tomlinson, who enjoys a glass or two himself. Mackays, Pitlochry Kenmore Hotel, Kenmore Don’t catch Eurostar without it. Old Mill Inn, Pitlochry Ben Hotel, Lawers Roger Protz - Molson Coors Best Beer Writer in National Publications Murrayshall House Hotel, Scone Barley Bree, Muthill Kinnears, Scone Inn, Pitcairngreen British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2012 – www.protzonbeer.co.uk Wheel Inn, Scone Loch Tummel Inn, Strathtummel Dalmunzie Hotel, Ailean an Chraggan,

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 16 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 25 Belgium is world renowned for it’s beers ...this new book offers an insight into Danish Crusade for Beer what Bruges has to offer. The Nordic Food Lab, set up on a houseboat in Copenhagen some years ago to

The definitive guide to drinking in Bruges enable gastronomic experiment, is turning its attention to beer. The Lab was Around Bruges in 80 Beers, Chris Pollard & Siobhan McGinn (Cogan & Mater, founded by Rene Redzepi, who runs the Michelin-starred restaurant Noma, and £9.99) www.booksaboutbeer.com its director, Michael Bonn Frost, is co-operating with Carlsberg's master brewer, Morten Ibsen, to raise the profile of beer. Can there really be 80 outlets for good beer in this tiny town? “Podge” Pollard and Siobhan McGinn have found them in the third edition of their seminal guide. It appears that in Denmark, as in Britain, wine snobbery is rife and beer looked down on, and Frost, a sensory scientist who contributed to a Danish beer They have pounded the pavements, careened over the cobblestones and left no vocabulary guide, welcomed the approach by Carlsberg and told reporters that glass un-emptied in their quest for outlets that serve the finest that Belgian “Beer has been a particular interest of mine for some time”. brewers can offer. The Lab has already experimented with beer as an alternative to brine for It’s a guide that wears its heart on its sleeve: “If it is lager and chips you are pickling, and the collaborative team hopes to raise the profile of beer as an after, put us down and move on, as we will be of no use you,” the duo state firmly accompaniment to fine dining by developing new beers with unusual flavourings. in the introduction. In short, it’s a stellar book but not for Stella drinkers. In Scotland we're familiar with experiments using traditional flavouring As someone who finds it difficult to leave Daisy’s bar, I must make a greater ingredients other than hops – notably the Williams Brothers products including effort on my next trip to follow in Podge’s and Siobhan’s footsteps and take out heather, pine and kelp – and Frosts's team plan to use seaweed in a porter as some of the outlets they have discovered. I use the term “outlets” deliberately, part of a commemoration of the centenary of the famous Little Mermaid statue for this is more than just a pub guide. It covers restaurants, De Halve Maan’s in Copenhagen harbour. brewery and museum, beer shops, hotels, a boat and even a bookshop that sells beer – Waterstone’s take note. As well as seaweed, the team plan to collect a variety of unusual flavourings including herbs, bee larvae and fungi: “Woodruff is used in Berlin to flavour As well as the listings, the guide is beer...In Asia fungi are sometimes used to make saki”. Bee larvae have already helpfully broken down into the different been used by the Lab in granola! All products will be thoroughly tested at the categories of outlets. This means that houseboat and Carlsberg's research centre before marketing. when your stomach rumbles you will know It is aimed to bring out a limited edition beer each year for sale in restaurants, where you can eat as well as drink. On my specialist shops and Carlsberg's Jacobsen store. Jacobsen is a speciality brand recent visit, I passed Bron in whose original Vintage 1 is a barley wine with a 10.5% ABV. Katelijnestraat and had no idea it was a vegetarian restaurant that sells the By Forbes Browne sublime beers from Dupont, including the (Based on an article in the Guardian) impeccable Saison. I shall not make the mistake again. What Makes a Good Pub? Helpfully, the guide lists the main types of “A comfortable and clean environment, coupled with a friendly welcome from dishes you will find in Bruges restaurants – knowledgeable bar staff who are obviously proud to serve a wide and interesting I discover that sea bass is called zeewolf, selection of good quality beer.” which is rather alarming, while monkfish is sea devil: I’ll stick to pannekoeken or filled Kate Pearce

WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 24 WWW.TAYSIDECAMRA.CO.UK 17 Inveralmond Brewery News Event Scotland has confirmed that Inveralmond Brewery will be part of the official partner programme of Homecoming Scotland 2014. The Perth Brewery has created a Homecoming Scotland Beer, described by Head Brewer Ken Duncan as “an exuberant, gleaming golden brew which dances berry sweetness on the palate and enthuses aromatic hoppiness.” The Commonwealth games in Glasgow and Ryder cup at Gleneagles are two of the events taking place in Scotland during 2014 and the brewery plan to use its export and distribution network to augment the PR activities of Visit Scotland across the globe.

Casks come in all sizes! Pin - a cask holding 36 pints or 4.5 gallons Firkin - a cask holding 72 pints or 9 gallons Kilderkin - a cask holding 144 pints or 18 gallons Barrel - rarely used nowadays but holds 288 pints or 36 gallons. (Brewery output is measured in how many barrels of beer produced in one brew.)

Listed in every CAMRA Good Beer guide from 1975 to 2012 Fisherman’s Tavern 10 - 16 Fort Street Broughty Ferry Angus DD5 2AD Tel: 01382 775941

19th century hostelry full of character and boasting many original features in the public bar and snug and with a real coal fire in the lounge Six cask conditioned ales and a fine selection of malt whiskies Excellent home cooked meals served all day - everyday Seafood specials Walled beer garden and pavement terrace En-suite accommodation available all year round Annual beer festival every May in support of the RNLI [email protected]

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Tel: 01350 725264 Tel:01350 Mob: 07747 857908 Mob:07747

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