adele

Yep, had some Sam Smiths in Manchester just over a week ago - best value beer in the world!

Great thread, I'm a Yorkshire lass and real ale lover it has made me realise how much I'll miss the selection of English beers when I move! I do remember finding some decent alternatives in Van before though, from Granville Island brewery for example.

I'm off to Sainsbury's in a bit to buy some food for my little birthday gathering tomorrow, might have to get some bottles of beer in as well - only 5 weeks til I leave to need to have some whilst I can! :-)

Yorkshire Bird

after all this talk of ale,,, anyone been to the calgary beer fest

Atlantic Xpat

Decent beer. Sigh. One of the prices of moving of (this part of) Canada was giving up "real ale". Worse still the Newfoundland Liquor Corp carries a very tiny range of decent beer - Old Speckled Hen is about the limit of it and thats not a session beer IMHO.

You folks in ON and NS at least have more choice. In the LCBO Can I commend "St Peter's Organic Ale' brewed in Bungay, Suffolk. I have a bottle from my last trip to TO which sadly I'm saving for Christmas.

I share the popular opinion of John Smiths. Also anyone remember the much that was 'Websters Yorkshire'? Yeuch. I'm a southerner/East Anglian so along with Woodefords Wherry, I mainly miss Adnams. Oh no I really do something rotten. Now I'm all depressed.

BristolUK

I was never aware of any difference in price drinking it in Bristol. Lovely pint, but really no cheaper than decent alternatives.

But beer in Bristol was never cheap. I remember getting a pint and a ploughman's in a pub in Preston in 1980 for less than I was paying for the beer alone in Bristol.

gryphea

Sam Smiths prices according to distance from brewery. All sam smiths pubs are local I think and therefore sell cheap ale.

BristolUK

We had Courages Brewery in Bristol but it was no cheaper than other beers, other than the ordinary Bitter.

Souvenir

As far as I know, yes.

LotteW

I graduated in 94 (so 91-94)... did Animal Physiology and Nutrition. I have fond memories of the Original Oak too, and also the Packhorse.

misplacedheidi

I grew up in Bradford and spent many an evening in the pub.
Bingley was a good night out too - Smiths (Sam), Tetley (I like it!), Stones (ok now and again) and Timothy Taylors Landlord. Yum yum yum.
Followed of course by a chicken curry and chapatis. Those were the days.
Spent few years around Burton so have fond memories of Bass and Marston's pedigree.
Now (responsibilty/kids kick in), Pedigree in bottles, Speckled Hen and the odd tin of Bass at home in moderation. But I noticed the Bass I had the other night had been beefed up to 5 or 6% - weird! I like my beer as it should be - 4%.

I even like Red beers now.

And beer is so easy to chill - just put them outside for not too long and they are the perfect temperature!

PS Never liked John SMiths either - yuk

sarahandshaun

Hoped it wouldn't but now it's been mentiond, the mighty Websters that is. I seem to remember it resembling a cross between vinegar and drain cleaner but I would still take it over lager. Being a Cumbrian lad, there's a couple of decent ales. Doris 90 being one from Hesket Newmarket.

DaveLovesDee

Happy birthday Adele.

dbd33

You should see the room next to that one, all 1600s stuff; swords, guns, blankets, trading beads - I wondered if I'd get TB.

Anyone near to Oakville should give Cameron's beer a go, that's a quality independent.

PaulandNikki

We seem to have loads of good beers round here, a lot of the pubs brew their own too
Real ales were the one thing I thought I'd miss and so far haven't. I do wish they'd not over-chill some of them though, would improve the flavour.

gryphea

Oh yes. I spent time in the packhorse and the Eldon and the other one beginning with F

gryphea

I know but Sam Smiths is run by Humphrey and he is a sort of old fashioned autocrat. He owns half of Tadcaster and he decided the rules of all things to do with his pubs, eg no music etc. He delivers locally by drey and still has quite old fashioned things like painting apprentices (unusual for a firm of his type) Locals either love him or hate him as he does dictate policay somewhat in Tadcaster, ie he owns most of the shops and he decides whether or not he tenants them based on the kind of shops he wants to see.