It has become very apparent in recent weeks that we have a number of Real Ale fans who are supporters of the Dons - note the number of recent thread drifts (of which I am as much at fault as anyone else).

I thought therefore it might be a good idea to start a thread where this seemingly popular topic can be discussed.

To start the ball rolling, I thought I would let everyone know about an excellent beer I discovered last Saturday at the Kelham Island Tavern in Sheffield. The beer in question is called Mowdie Catcher, a Chestnut Bitter from the Marston Moor Brewery in Kirk Hammerton near York. I have to say it's the best pint of bitter that I have tasted in many weeks.

Anyone else got a recent favourite to recommend?

I had two very decent pints at the George and Dragon, Wentworth on Valentine's Evening. Idle Brewery's Idle Landlord and Abbeydale Deception, the Landlord is a very palatable maltier beer with treacly notes and the Deception is very light in colour, hoppy with citrusy notes ( as us geeky CAMRA-types like to describe beers ) I would have thought Brother Grimshaw would look favourably on the former and Brother Stand-Offish, on the latter.

Incidentally, the Idle Brewery is only just down the road from us at West Stockwith, near Gainsborough . Their brewery tap, the White Hart on Main Street has about five on at any one time, all prefixed Idle and all very different. Well worth a visit but it's very difficult to get there by public transport. Either train to Gainsborough and the 96 bus or the train to Retford and the 96 bus going in the opposite direction.



Very friendly local. Been in there a couple of times and haven't had the "three heads" treatment yet

Had a cracking Fullers ESB at the Mad Bishop and Bear on Paddington Station at the weekend.

You did well - on our route from Wood Green to the Stadium and back by an alternative route, the best I managed was a pint of Greene King IPA Smooth.

A fantastic Pub, been there on many occasions as a mate of mine only lives a about a mile away. Had my first pint of both Red McGregor and Skullsplitter there (fond memories)

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[listReal Dons fans drink Real Ale.[/list:u



In a wine glass though?

I had occasion to go to Donny today.
I popped into Wetherspoons.
There it was the ale that is a perfect combination of malty and hoppy.
No prizes for guessing it was Abbot Ale from the Greene-King brewery at Bury-St-Edmunds.
A 5% ale at £1.49 on a Wednesday.
Now come on beat that.
And it was in perfect condition.
I could and did play Lord of the Rings to my heart's content.

Mass produced ale from a brewery that is slowly loosing (if not lost)its independent tag. Wildly available now at a lot of outlets and becoming the John Smiths of the real ale world. Obviously the draw is the price and some folk will supp anything while the smaller independents struggle to keep level at those prices. Weatherspoons also have a habit of keeping their real ale at a temperature that masks the flavours (too cold)

























Stands back for the wind up

Can get a decent pint of Black Sheep, hand pulled tetleys &john smiths in the Windmill in Thorne .

Old Mill in the Punchbowl.

Black sheep in the Canal Tavern also .

Heard good things about the Windmill in Thorne - is it worth the visit ?

i think so .
Go to the Punchbowl & try the Old Mill then to the Windmill.

Wouldn't it be great if we could get the Windmill serving a (very) locally produced real ale.

Wilf.
I had you down as a balanced character, and not one to buy into the anti-Wetherspoons calumny.
As for Abbot it comes as no surprise to see its proliferation. It's good, simple as. Please don't compare it to the vile p/ss that is John's.
As for temperatures, if Wetherspoons don't know about the optimum temperatures for serving beers and lagers, then excuse me.
I'll repeat it. NOBODY has won more casque mark awards than Wetherspoons. So get real.
And nobody has offered so many different ales to this region.
Your turn.

The entire posting was devoted to the bottom line. I win.

As for Weatherspoons, excellent job, but they are not all the same and some are downright scruffy and should be avoided even at £1.49.

Your turn

I saw the wind-up bit.
But I felt wound-up nervertheless.
Don't damn the entire Wetherspoons chain because some are sh/tholes and serve sh/t ale.
Why, I know many a pub that does that, but I wouldn't say that all non-Wetherspoons pubs are sh/te as a consequence.

On a recent visit to Derby, I visited the Babington Arms (Weatherspoons) - 18 handpumps each with a different Real Ale. Pity we were on a Real Ale trail and only had time for a couple in there!

A real little gem on the bus route from Doncaster to Barnsley is the Hickleton Village Hall and Social Club. Members only, £1 a year, for six ever-changing guest beers, constantly rotating, all kept as real ale should be.

Gary Im sure I saw something about a Beer Festival in Harrogate coming soon. Enjoy your pint.

Been looking at the beer list for the Festival at the Hub at the end of March. Some cracking stuff for sampling. If Foxfield Pale Ale (Cumbria) is on (yet to be confirmed) I can recommend it. It was my favourite at last weekends Oakwood Festival at Rotherham.

28 Feb to 1 Mar 2008.

Good call. The Prince of Wales at Foxfield is on the Barrow-Millom/Carlisle railway line and the train stops right outside the pub ( if you tell the guard you want to get off! ) ! Could well be incorporated into the Barrow awayday?
PS What won beer of festival, Wilf?

Not sure (only had 19 half pints on the Friday) so I may have missed 181

. Understand that Barnsley Bitter (Acorn) won The Yorks title. Thats why I like the Plough on West laith Gate( Next to The Tut) Excellent pint of BB kept by Rod & Val.

You can remember a specific beer after 9.1/2 pints?!? I'm very impressed!



Noticed on your location you're into Bateman's beers.

At the Aldi in Rotherham they're selling bottled XXXB and some other speciality ones, one prefixed Autumn whose second name escapes me, Combined Harvest and Spring Goddess. All quality beers for £1.29 for a 500ml bottle.

Might be worth paying your local Aldi a visit.

Mrs Grimshaw returned from the Aldi last weekend with 12 Batemans XXX pale ales and 12 Wychwood Organic pale ales.

. Batemans have a brewery trip open 7 days from 1100 - 1500 out at Wainfleet. They have a bar and then an eating area with award winning pies etc. Not been yet but it has to be done I suppose

Love the idea of the Barrow trip. Do they do B&B at that establishment?

The good news is ,yes they do but as far as p.t is. concerned, Foxfield appears to be shut down on Sundays after 5.

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