Your First English Bitter

I had an old speckled hen on cask once. I'd had that out of the bottle before and it did nothing for me. On cask it was something special.

 

Caught it on nitro tap at a local place recently. I know many folks get all twisted up regarding nitro pours, but I thought speckled hen on nitro was damn tasty.

 

There are a bunch of English/British Isles beers I want to try, but they all come in that stupid clear glass. I really like Twistes Thistle when I've had it on tap, and would like to drink it at home, but there's no way I'm buying an IPA in clear glass.

 

fullers ESB - good stuff

 

Ooh cans. That sounds cool. My local English pub recently got Chiswick Bitter on tap from Fuller's, and I enjoy it quite a bit. Any idea what they're releasing in cans?

 

I had a small taste of Old Speckled Hen at a British beer tasting, but I dont really recall it.

I do love Dr. Bartlett's Ordinary Bitter from Bull City Burger and Brewery in Durham. I rememeber ordering it just to try it since I hadnt had it, and was blown away.

 

My first ever was a pint of Black Sheep bitter on cask at the Tap and Spile York - December '90.

There are about 3 or more times as many breweries in the UK since then (now pushing 900) and only a small amount are ever likely to reach the US due to the fact many beers are cask only and not bottled

Before Marquis gets here first, you really need to drink cask to fully appreciate the majority of UK brewed beer. That's not to say you won't get a good beer on nitro or in bottle, but the living beer delivered via cask dispense breathes so much more depth and flavour into beers typically in the 3.5 to 5 % ABV range!

 

And as for rite of passage ... yes I guess it was. I used to hang out with an older crowd, say 3 to 5 years older than me, so drinking pints was old hat for all of my friends.

Guess it did make you feel like one of the lads (growing up etc) holding a pint in your hand for the first time in a pub!

Just glad my mates were into real ale and not crappy lagers !!!

 

I was on my first trip to the UK and had taken the train from London to the Midlands town I was visiting. At the train station I took a local cab to where I was staying. In the cab I asked the driver, "What's the best local bitter?" He replied, "Well, fancy an American wanting to know that," and then proceeded to name his favorite and a pub or two near where I was staying that had it on offer. Later that evening when I entered the pub closest to my lodgings, there was the cab driver and a few of his mates having a pint. He recognized me and invited me to join them. I accepted, got the recommended bitter, and stood a round for the table. I spent that evening drinking multiple pints and learning quite a bit about the local area and about being a cab driver in that area of the UK.

But it was a long way from being my first beer or a beer rite of passage. Rather, it was a nice introduction to the differences between a bar in the US and a pub in the UK.

 

What town was it? See if I can guess the pub or beer !!!

 

Green King bought Belhaven, and they made the change to clear bottles after that. Official reason was it was more cost affective and more environmentally safe what ever. I have nothing against Green King, but when they take over a brewery they use their yeast in everything, and gives all their beers a very similar taste. I have not really enjoyed Belhaven since.

 

Concur fully ... everything just tastes GK and I do having something against them for this very reason !!!

I did actually have a Belhaven (GK) seasonal beer watching the rugby back in the spring - Grand Slam Ale that actually didn't taste too much like GK !!!

 

My first ‘official’ Bitter was Bass Ale on cask at the Crown & Scepter Pub in London (circa 1993). That beer was a thing of beauty!

My story is that over multiple business trips to Britain (mostly London) I fell in love with cask ale. It was always a disappointment to return to the US and drink bottled English Ales; just not the same thing. I once got into a conversation with a co-worker about how I really liked the casks ales in Britain. He responded: “Why don’t you make your own English beer? My girlfriend makes he own beer.” What a revelation! I never heard of homebrewing and I could make my own ‘authentic’ English Bitter Ale!?! I went to the Homebrew store that my co-worker mentioned. I bought a homebrew making kit and ingredients for a kit beer called Munton’s Traditional Bitter. That first batch turned out great! Very, very similar to the cask ales I drank in Britain. That year was 1995 and I have been homebrewing ever since.

Cheers!

P.S. I made a Bitter Ale two months ago. A beer of beauty!!

 

It was in the UK, 25+ years ago, my first and so far only visit. I went to a small pub and said I'd like to try the barman's favorite ale. He told me I'd look like a fool/tourist if I went around asking for ale, and that I should be asking for bitter. I enjoyed the one he drew for me, but have no idea what it was.

 

Why would someone's first pint of bitter be a "rite of passage" more so than any other style?

 

First English bitter?

Probably Young's Bitter almost 25 years ago.