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Ayrshire & Wigtownshire CAMRA Branch
BEST CAMRA MAGAZINE IN BRITAIN
SUMMER 2016
Ayrs hir e
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Family run village inn located on the harbour in the picturesque fishing village of Isle of Whithorn
F W H IT H O
OUR IN-HOUSE FIVE KINGDOMS BREWERY NOW PRODUCING A RANGE OF QUALITY REAL ALES ⅓ pint beer taster platters available for same price as a pint. Six guest ales always available.
SUMMER OPENING HOURS:
Mon-Sat: 11am-11pm; Sun: 12 noon-11pm
Outside seating area on the harbourside. Children and Dogs Welcome. Lunches 12-2pm. Snack Menu 2-6pm (Fri-Sun). Evening Meals 6.30-9pm. Sunday Carvery, 12-3pm: 3 Courses £12 Thursday Steak Night: Galloway Sirloin £12 Selection of local seafood dishes always available All food freshly prepared on the premises. Daily chef ’s specials using the finest fresh produce and local seafood.
2014/15 Countryfile Magazine Rural Pub of the Year
ACCOMMODATION
Comfortable en suite accommodation overlooking the harbour From £30 pppn B&B. Special accommodation offers to CAMRA members.
For bookings: visit our website, or call Alastair on 01988 500334 Email: steampacketinn@btconnect.com
www.thesteampacketinn.biz 2
Editorial Cheers - we're the Best in Britain
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by Stuart McMahon, Editor
SUMMER 2016
Volume 18, Issue 2 Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA Branch
At CAMRA’s National Members’ Weekend and AGM held in Livepool back in April, “Full Pints” won the prestigious “Best CAMRA Magazine in Britain” award having faced stiff competition from previous winners, the “Nottingham Drinker” and Bristol’s “Pints West”.
Chairman: Graeme Perry Email: chair@awcamra.org.uk Secretary: Kenneth Middleditch Email: secretary@awcamra.org.uk Minutes of Branch Meetings are available to members from the Secretary.
When I took over the Editorship of the magazine back in 2013, I was delighted when we won the ‘Most Improved’ magazine award in 2014. However, I never expected that two years later we would win the overall ‘Best CAMRA Magazine in Britain’ award, as the previous winners have been much bigger publications with lots of local news from the many pubs and breweries in their respective vicinities.
Treasurer: Lindsay Grant Email: treasurer@awcamra.org.uk Editor: Stuart McMahon, 93 Montfode Drive, Ardrossan KA22 7PH Tel: 01294 603848 Email: fullpints@awcamra.org.uk
We also cover news from our local real ale pubs, breweries and festivals, as well as featuring articles on ales and outlets from around the country, but it would be good to receive more news and snippets, no matter how big or small, from all of our local breweries and pubs. Whilst I edit and design the magazine, I must thank all the other volunteers who assist me – from sourcing advertising, providing articles and helping with the distribution – it’s a real team effort. But I must not forget the actual advertisers - without your continued support there would be no "Full Pints". Finally, we are also delighted with the service and quality of the printing we get from Brown Brothers in Irvine.
Advertising: Mike Tomlinson Email: advertising@awcamra.org.uk Advertising Rates (2016): Full Page: £80 ½ Page: £45 Yearly rates (in advance): £290 / £160 Websites: www.awcamra.org.uk www.ayrshirebeerfestival.co.uk
So, let's build on our success by continuing to campaign for, and supporting, real ale in our Branch area.
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Ray Turpie (r) receiving the certificate at the AGM from Jackie Parker (mid). Also pictured is the Bae Ceredigion branch representative receiving the Most Improved Magazine award.
Ray Turpie, Branch Vice-Chairman and CAMRA Scotland and Northern Ireland Director (left) and Graeme Perry (right), Branch Chairman presenting myself with the Best CAMRA Magazine Award.
The next edition of Full Pints will be published in September 2016. Articles, photos and other contributions should be sent to the editor at fullpints@awcamra.org.uk no later than Friday 19th August 2016.
Social Media: Ayrshire & Wigtownshire CAMRA Ayrshire Real Ale Festival @awcamra @troonbeerfest CMYK / .eps
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Full Pints is designed by Montfode Design, www.md93.co.uk and printed by Brown Brothers Printers, Irvine, www.brown-bros.com. At least 2,500 copies are published every 3 months and distributed to all Real Ale outlets in our region. The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the editor or of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd. © Campaign for Real Ale Ltd 3
www.awcamra.org.uk
NEW BRANCH CHAIRMAN - GRAEME PERRY I was asked by our Editor to write something to introduce myself as the new Chairman of the Branch, so here goes. I joined CAMRA back in 1987 and I think I have been a continuous member since then, but may have missed a year in the early days before Direct Debit. My love of real ale started in the Bon Accord, North St, Glasgow, where I held my 18th birthday bash, having drunk there for a wee while before then. I also worked there part time for seven years during the 80s. The Bon Accord remains one of my favourite pubs in the UK and I try and visit every time I am drinking in Glasgow. I joined the then named Ayrshire and Galloway CAMRA Branch when I moved from Glasgow to Troon in 1991. I have remained an active member ever since, holding a couple of Committee posts over the years. One of our continuing successes is the Ayrshire Real Ale Festival, in Troon (very handy for me), which is great fun and our most successful campaigning event. I have had the pleasure, and it has been a pleasure, of being on the organising committee since day one. Roll on 6 - 8 October 2016. Put it in your diary and come along. I was flattered to be nominated and appointed as Branch Chairman and I hope I can help to achieve our campaigning targets. Despite some of the articles coming out of England, I don’t believe Scotland has won the fight for real ale in pubs. We still have too many unenlightened publicans who will not sell such a wonderful product. I hope that during my appointment we will see an increase in the number of real ale pubs in Ayrshire and Wigtownshire – there’s a challenge I’ve set myself. I look forward to my new role and working with the Committee and meeting everyone at branch socials, meetings and beer festivals across the UK. I’m happy to get your thoughts and ideas for promoting real ale in Ayrshire, Wigtownshire and beyond. I’ll see what I can do. Sláinte, Graeme Perry, chairman@awcamra.org.uk
BRANCH AGM Our Branch AGM, held back in March at the Garnock Community Social Club in Kilbirnie was very well attended, and the ales at the club were in very good condition. And it was encourgaing to see several new folk joining our committee. Lindsay Grant stood down as chairman with Graeme Perry taking over the chair. Jon Mansell stood down as treasurer and Lindsay is now taking on that role. Karen Grant stood down as secretary with Kenneth Middleditch taking over. Mike Tomlinson joined the committee as Advertising Manager and Tom Parish joined the committee as Public Transport officer. Since the AGM, Bob Wallace has also stood down as our East Ayrshire social secretary, with this task now being handled by Matt Miller. Many thanks to all for their contributions and support. 4
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BRANCH PUB OF THE YEAR WINNER The Steam Packet Inn in the Isle of Whithorn has won our Branch Pub of the Year (POTY) competition, having been judged against Fanny by Gaslight in Kilmarnock, the Waterside in Largs and Wellington's in Ayr. Congratulations once again to Alastair Scoular and his staff on winning the award. As Full Pints went to print the presentation for winning both Wigtownshire POTY and Branch POTY was due to take place on Saturday 11th June - see page 27 for timings and contact details for late availability. The Steam Packet Inn also recently had a small refurbishment upgrading their bar, dining room and cellar. The pub and restaurant, which is home to the increasingly popular Five Kingdoms Brewery, now has eight shiny new handpumps on their bar, three of which will be serving the in-house brews. The cellar received all new lines, coolers and fonts. Alastair did a grand job varnishing the dining room floor, whilst leaving his wife Donna to order and organise comfy new chairs!
BUTE BREWERY - AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE?
The Bute Brewery recently announced that they would be closing, following a decision by Argyll & Bute Council to renege on a deal to offer the Rothesay-based business larger premises in the town. This meant that, despite investing in new bottling equipment, the brewery business was no longer going to be viable. However, following a public outcry about the Council's decision, a meeting was hastily arranged a few days later to discuss the situation. The outcome from that meeting was thankfully positive, with the brewery having gone from having no options, to a number of possibilities to look in to. Aidan Canavan, the brewery owner, thanked everyone for their support and kind words - the enthusiasm and backing was noticed by many. As such, the brewery remains open for now, and Aidan will provide further updates via his facebook page www.facebook.com/ButeBrewCo when things become clearer. 5
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BRANCH CLUB OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED For the first time, our Branch this year held a Club of the Year competition. Four clubs in our Branch area have real ale available, but the winner was the Garnock Community Social Club in Kilbirnie. Having opened less than two years ago as a non-profit community venture, Ian Martin introduced ale to the club, initially with one handpump. In the beginning they would sell one pin (36 pints) over a weekend. Today, they now have two handpumps and can get through 4 pins over the weekend. The club is open Wednesday evenings (6-10pm), andFriday - Sunday, and has also recently started serving food at the weekends, which is proving popular. Membership is just £5. Pictured above are Ian Martin (left) and Cheryl Asbury (right) receiving their award from Branch Chairman Graeme Perry. The other clubs in the competition were Ardrossan Rugby Club, Cambusdoon Sports Club and Marr Rugby Club.
SUPERMARKET DEALS
Thirteen craft breweries in Scotland, including Kelburn, Jaw and Loch Lomond have landed a major deal to supply a leading supermarket chain. Asda has added 25 new products to its shelves as part of the contract negotiated with Craft Beer Clan Scotland, which is worth more than £850,000 in total. The supermarket's regional buying manager for Scotland, Brian O'Shea, said "The craft beer culture continues to grow, and it's clear customers are trading up to more premium beers, particularly ones which come from local brands.” The breweries involved in the deal are Arran, Deeside, Eden Mill, Jaw, Knops, Lerwick, Stewart, Loch Lomond, WooHa, WEST, Isle of Skye, Kelburn and Loch Ness. A couple of the ales are bottleconditioned. For other bottle-conditioned ales, also keep an eye out for discount retailer ALDI’s biannual Scottish beer festival which usually features several ‘Real Ales in a Bottle”. Other retailers including the Co-op and Waitrose have also introduced an enhanced range of Scottish ales over the past few months. 6
COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUY PROPOSALS The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 brought in a community right to buy buildings (including pubs) and land in rural areas. The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has extended those rights and the reforms were implemented on 15 April 2016. The right to buy provisions now cover the whole country i.e. urban as well as rural areas. The types of community organisation entitled to buy are extended beyond just companies limited by guarantee to include Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations and Community Benefit Societies. The voting requirements in the previous Act have been considerably relaxed (pretty much to the point of nonexistence) and communities now have eight rather than six months to make a purchase.
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NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DISAPPOINTMENT At CAMRA's National AGM, CAMRA Scotland and Northern Ireland Branches Director, and our Branch vice-chairman Ray Turpie, stood for election to the National Executive.
Revitalisation Consultations All CAMRA members should have received a booklet regarding the Revitalisation project looking at who and what the organisation should represent in the future. Over 50 meetings are being held around the country to get direct feedback from the membership. The closest meeting to our Branch will be held in the State Bar, 148 Holland Street, Glasgow on Friday 26th August from 7-9pm.
THE REV
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Unfortunately Ray was unsuccessful on this occasion and didn't get elected.
Before that though there is a meeting in the Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh on 2nd July from 2.30 - 5pm, or in Club Britannia, Carlisle from 1 - 3pm on 9th July.
Ray will also be standing down from his position as Scotland and Northern Ireland Branches Director at the end of the year.
Visit revitalisation.camra.org.uk to book a place at these or any of the other remaining meetings around the country. Once the feedback is gathered in, a formal proposal will be considered at the Members’ Weekend in Eastbourne in 2017.
Inveralmond Takeover Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn has bought the Perth-based Inveralmond brewery in a move its founder claims will "fast-forward growth". The move ends Innis’ plans to build its own brewery. The deal, which was funded using £3.1m raised through the creation of a beer bond, will allow the Edinburgh-based firm to increase production from 80,000 hectolitres to 100,000. It is understood the remainder of the bond capital will be used to roll out new beers and to open two new bars in Scotland following the success of their existing Dundee site. The acquisition of Inveralmond, which was founded in 1997, will allow the company to focus on innovation and experimentation. The brewery will be equipped with a brand new oak barrel maturation warehouse as well as infusion equipment, which in the past has been used by Innis & Gunn to flavour beers with aromas and flavours from oak, bergamot, coffee beans and other artisanal ingredients. The company is also planning to install new dry-hopping equipment to maximise hop aroma in certain beers and is assessing the feasibility of installing a small bottling line in 2017. 7
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WELLINGTONS BAR Traditional Bar ~ Traditional Ales Traditional Music • Basement bar within yards of beautiful Ayr beach • Three handpumps serving quality ales usually from Fyne Ales, Kelburn, Loch Lomond, Harviestoun and Born in the Borders • Renowned for our promotion of traditional music – sessions every Sunday night and monthly Sunday afternoons • Longest running Quiz night every Wednesday • DJ every Saturday • Small parties very welcome • 35ml measures
17 Wellington Square, Ayr KA7 1EZ Tel: 01292 262794 Email: welliesayr@hotmail.co.uk www.welliesbar.weebly.com
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Geordie's Byre celebrates 40th Anniversary Evelyn and Eddie Carden celebrate 40 years in charge of Geordie’s Byre in Ayr this June. It is a former CAMRA Scotland Pub of the Year (1996) and has won the Branch award ten times since then. It first appeared in the GBG in 1991 and has now been in 26 consecutive editions. A special certificate to commemorate this achievement was awarded in 2014 during Scottish Branches’ 40 Year’s celebrations.
The compressed air never comes into contact with the beer and the system is time proven.”
Evelyn says, “It really doesn't feel that 40 years have passed and yet, we are now serving the grandchildren of customers who came here right at the start. Without doubt it’s the clientele that make the pub; plus of course, well cared for beer.”
One of the original local branch members Mick Lee recalls “I was first aware of Geordie's Byre having real ale in February 1990, but I don't know how long it had it before that. I think the first branch meeting was held there on 12th June 1990 and on 10th March 1992 it hosted the branch AGM for the first time.”
The ‘Byre’ is one of the few remaining pubs using traditional Scottish tall founts. According to Eddie “It is the cleanest and most efficient method of dispensing cask beer. It uses compressed air and an American shuttle pump.
Scotland and Northern Ireland Director, Ray Turpie said, “This is my idea of a friendly ‘local’ pub where you can always be guaranteed a good pint. Many happy returns to Evelyn and Eddie on this wonderful achievement.”
SIBA WINS FOR LOCH LOMOND SOUTHERN SUMMIT
At the Society of Independent Brewers Association (SIBA) national BeerX festival held in Sheffield back in March, Loch Lomond Brewery’s Southern Summit 4% pale ale won the overall Champion Beer competition. The light golden ale, hopped with American summit and city hops for a citrus aroma and flavour, proved a big hit with competition judges. Husband and wife team Euan and Fiona MacEacherern from Loch Lomond Brewery said they were overwhelmed on hearing their brewery’s name read out. "It honestly means so much to us that the beer we brew, by hand, has won what we think is the most important award in the UK – it doesn’t get any better than this. It is the pinnacle, after years of growing and growing it’s amazing." said Fiona.
The couple were also keen to extend thanks to the other independent breweries in Scotland, who they say make it feel like ‘we’re one big brewing family – even when we’re competing for the same awards!’ In addition to Southern Summit’s award, Loch Lomond also won a Bronze medal for their 5% ABV Silkie Stout.
won gold for their Pale Ale. Winners in the bottled and kegged beers competitions included both Loch Lomond and Fyne Ales, Drygate, Born in the Borders, Knops and Harviestoun. Congratulations to all for truly putting Scottish breweries on the national map.
Other Scottish brewers also fared well in the cask ales competition. Fyne Ales won gold for Ragnarok (a 7.4% ‘imperial’ version of Jarl) and Bronze for Jarl itself; Swannay 9
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The Waterside Bath Street, Largs Tel: 01475 672224
Two Real Ales from Kelburn available
Mondays - Poker Wednesdays - Poker Fridays - Karaoke
Saturdays - Live Music Sundays - Open Mic Night
Food available every day except Monday 100’s of craft beers, real ales and ciders Home brew supplies Branded glasses Gift packs Local next day delivery
OPEN: Mon-Sat: 10am - 8pm Sun: 12pm-8pm
Beer club New beers arriving every month
Top of the Hops Ltd 49 The Foregate, Kilmarnock. Tel: 01563 257227 www.topofthehopsltd.com 10
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SCOTTISH INDEPENDENT BREWERS HOLD GATHERING AT CLACHAIG INN
If a gathering of lions is referred to as a pride, and a group of baboons is a flange, what then do you think is the collective noun when a collective of Scottish Independent Brewers all find themselves in the same bar? It would have been handy to know as that is exactly what happened at Clachaig Inn, Glencoe in mid April as a dozen of Scotland’s brewers came together for an informal gathering. Organised by the Clachaig Inn, the idea was to bring together businesses who face very similar issues, but who rarely get to meet and chat. There was plenty of time to share ideas and talk about the more serious aspects of their businesses. But, unsurprisingly, there was even more time for frivolous issues, as you might expect from a networking evening with the central theme (and refreshment) being beer.
The main feature of the evening was a blind taste test, with each of the brewers invited to provide one of their brews. Marks were awarded for each beer, with points awarded for appearance, aroma and taste. With the scores totted up, the award for the best beer of the evening was given to The Hector, a smooth sweet stout from An Teallach Ale Co. A special prize (not that special!) was awarded to Carlo from Black Wolf Brewery who was the only person to correctly identify his own beer! Clachaig director, Guy Daynes, also ensured that there was a special wild card played in the blind tasting, by including his own Elderberry Stout. At least it didn’t come last! Everyone was also invited to bring along a few presentation pack samples of their products for a raffle. A fair pile was gathered and with it being a steady night in the bars in midweek April, the chances of winning a prize were high! £210 was raised for Glencoe Mountain Rescue.
The Clachaig kitchen excelled with a smorgasbord of tasters from the menu, whilst the Loch Leven session musicians added to the atmosphere with their repertoire of toe tapping tunes. All told, the Brewers' Gathering was a resounding success. Naturally, everyone was quite glad to have solved all the problems of the industry in one short evening (amazing what tasting a dozen beers can do!). However, the real success of the evening was simply in bringing everyone together for the evening. Businesses represented included: Cairngorm Brewery, The Isle of Skye Brewing Co., The Orkney Brewery, Loch Lomond Brewery, Loch Ness Brewery, River Leven Ales, The Cromarty Brewing Co., Black Wolf Brewery, Thistly Cross Cider, Harviestoun Brewery, Williams Brothers Brewing Co., An Teallach Ale Co., Gordon and Macphail – Whisky Merchants, Letterfinlay Foods and Total Beverage Solutions – Coffee Merchants. 11
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Scottish Real Ale Festival 2016 THURS 7
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12 Noon - 10.30pm each day
Edinburgh Corn Exchange
11 New Market Road, Slateford, EH14 1RJ
GLASGOW REAL ALE FESTIVAL 2016 Over 150 of the best Real Ales, Ciders and foreign beers
• 170+ Scottish real ales plus cider and perry • Live music each night • Great food • Pub games Admission £6 (£4 CAMRA members) • Souvenir glass PAY ONCE ONLY: free re-admission with your 2016 festival glass 4 or 44 bus from New Town / Haymarket Trains to GETTING 34 bus from New Town / Fountainbridge Slateford 35 bus from Royal Mile / Bridges Station THERE MAIN SPONSOR
The Briggait, Glasgow Thursday 23 June 3.30pm – 10.30pm Friday 24 June 12 noon – 10.30pm Saturday 25 June 12 noon – 10.30pm
Entry per session (including festival glass) £6 (£4 for CAMRA members) discounted entry to subsequent sessions with current festival glass
HEARTFELT THANKS TO ALL SPONSORS OF THE 2016 SCOTTISH REAL ALE FESTIVAL
www.glasgowrealalefestival.co.uk
Glasgowrealalefestival
@GlasRealAleFest
Illustrationof ofgiraffe giraffeby byRachel RachelBoyd Boyd Illustration
Thurs 6th Oct
12 noon (CAMRA members’ preview) 2pm – 11pm (Public) Fri 7th / Sat 8th Oct 11am – 11pm
AYRSHIRE REAL ALE FESTIVAL
ADMISSION (over 18’s only): Public: £6 CAMRA: £4
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Two bars featuring over 150 real ales from around the UK plus real cider & perry
Main Festival Sponsor
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Thursday only - under 25’s: £4
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Thurs 6th – Sat 8th October 2016 Troon Concert Hall
Festival Sponsor © Glasgow and and West of Scotland CAMRA 2016 © Glasgow West of Scotland CAMRA 2015
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FORTHCOMING BEER FESTIVALS The number of beer festivals being held around the country has never been higher – it is impossible to visit them all, but it shows there is a real resurgence in people enjoying beer. It would be great to see some of the many younger patrons of these festivals joining CAMRA and encouraging others to enjoy cask ales. Starting in June, and taking place just as Full Pints was due back from the printers, Ayr Cricket Club based at the Cambusdoon Sports Club, Alloway are holding the first Alloway Beer Festival festival on Saturday 4th June from 12 noon till 11pm featuring around 12 ales. FyneFest, 10-12 June, is rapidly becoming one of the largest independent beer festivals in Scotland. Held in the fields beside the Fyne Ales brewery, over 150 beers will be available along with numerous local food suppliers. Weekend camping or day tickets are still available. Last year's festival was a sell-out, so get your ticket as soon as possible from www.fynefest.com. The giraffes will be back for their liquid safari at the Glasgow Real Ale Festival held once again in the Briggait from 23rd - 25th June. The festival opens at 3.30pm on Thursday and 12 noon on Friday and Saturday until 10.30pm.
The Scottish Real Ale Festival showcasing over 170 Scottish Ales is being held at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh from 7th to 9th July from noon - 10.30pm. Also on 9th July, the Kinloch Hotel in Blackwaterfoot, Arran will be holding their annual Blackwaterfoot Beer Festival. There will be around 15 ales, along with cider, wine and a variety of locally made produce. The festival also has musical entertainment throughout the day from some of the many artists and groups on the island. We are planning to have a social trip to this festival. Meet at Ardrossan Harbour for the 0945 ferry. CAMRA’s flagship festival, the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) will be held in Olympia, London from 9-13 August. If you’ve never attended, then it is well worth a visit with over 900 ales and ciders available.
Last year's Arran Food & Drink Festival
The Glen Park Hotel, Ayr will be holding the 2nd Ayr Beer Festival around 2nd/3rd September – same time as the Prestwick Air Show. Around 20 guest ales should be available. Exact times were still to be confirmed as Full Pints went to press. And finally, pencil in our own branch festival, the 17th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival in Troon from 6th - 8th October which will be featuring over 150 ales over two bars. We have a golfing theme this year seeing as Royal Troon is hosting the Open Championship – the second bar in the Walker Hall will be called the ‘Birdie Bar’ featuring appropriately themed ales!
For a comprehensive listing of all Scottish beer festivals, including many privately run, one-day festivals, visit the beer festival calendar hosted by Alesela:
www.alesela.co.uk/blog/?post_type=tribe_events
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THE 4 GIRAFFES VISIT BELGIUM
Compiled by Ian Martin, Andy Cooper, Bob Forrest and Tony Blackburn
The Giraffes’ passion for real ale is supplemented by a keen interest in the Superbowl – the American equivalent of the FA Cup Final. For years the Giraffes have taken it in turns to host the annual ‘Superbowl social’ and in 2016 this honour fell to Giraffe no.4. Fine you say, but he’d only gone and got a job in Belgium hadn’t he?... Wait a minute, isn’t that fair country world famous for its beers? Ryanair could allow us to combine both interests! So a bus to Edinburgh airport and a short flight brought us to Charleroi airport where Giraffe no. 4 greeted us. After a quick visit to his local hostelry to sample some local beer (Westmalle Tripel 9.5% abv and Chimay 9% were stand-outs and surprisingly, neither taste like such high-alcohol beers) and playing a few games of Billiard Bouchon (Bumper Pool for anyone not fluent in French) we returned to our ‘digs’ where our expat host had laid in a wonderful selection of alcoholic refreshments.
To Belgium's claim that the best real ale tour in Wallonia is in the Grand Place! Caught in a dreadful hailstorm leaving the train station (Giraffe no. 4 had thoughtfully organised West of Scotland weather for our visit) we took refuge in – where else – the nearest bar. This was the Bar Leopold and after three beers and one coffee (one giraffe had a delicate tummy) the hailstorm had passed and we headed to the Grand Place.
The next bar on our visit was Les Belges et Vous and by this time we fully understood the Belgian custom of serving beers in 250ml or 330ml measures in goblets or chalice glasses. The Superbowl itself was not a classic game but our enjoyment of it was improved no end by the selection of beers on offer. Thanks Tony!! Next day we caught a rather superior doubledecker train into Mons, the nearest town of any size. Mons has history galore but we reckon its greatest claim to fame is the Good Beer Guide 14
When we ordered 750ml bottles of Saison Dupont and Moinetse Brune the barman, unasked provided 8 glasses so sharing and taste comparisons could commence. Then on to Le Central to sample 1x Liefmanns Fruitesse (dismissed as ‘alcoholic Ribena), 2x Chouffe Blonde and another coffee(!) From here we hoped to plan our route but the Good Beer
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
Guide had been left back at our digs! However a quick bit of internetting by Ian led us to La Cervoise, well known (apparently) for its long narrow bar. In no particular order our ‘beer list’ here was: Peche Mel Bush; Delirium Nocturnum; La Montoise Blonde; Hopus Blonde; Bush Ambree; Goliath; Super des Fagnes; Gouyasse; Quintine Blond; Judas; Cuvee des Trolls; Le Fruit Defendu; Chimay Blonde Tripel; Kasteel and Mardesous.
Bush Ambree is 12% abv and rates as the highest alcohol content beer we sampled on our trip. To put that in context, the tasting notes in the beer menu (seemingly, every Belgian pub has one) referred to one beer as being ‘light and refreshing, with a low alcohol content’. It was 6%! After salad and chips, sorry frites, we headed for the station. It was all going so well until no.4 wandered off muttering ‘I know a shortcut’. The remaining 3 Giraffes made it back on their own to the station, thence to the ‘local’ where no.4 arrived some (considerable) time later.
Monk’s Stout, Lambic Cantillon, Biere de Miel (not as sickly honey-sweet as its name would suggest), Caulier 28 Tripel, Hop Harvest (with a name like that surely a refugee from a UK beer festival?) and Witkrap Stimulo. By this time we were really into the swing so were keen to find the bar with thousands of beers. We knew its name included the word ‘Delirium’ so we wandered into the first bar bearing this name. It turned out to have 400 different vodkas! Beers as well, thankfully so we sampled Kapittel Blond, Moinette Blond, Bon Voeux Ian (appropriate) and La Trappe Quadruppel. While enjoying these we were impressed with the original decorative features and fittings of this ‘old fashioned’ bar. The ‘real’ beer bar was a couple of doors up the street – the so called ‘Delirium Cellar’ where there is a truly astonishing 3,162 different beers to be had. Their beer menu is quite a substantial magazine! Interesting décor, with beer trays decorating almost every square inch of the ceiling.
Brussels beckoned so next day we found ourselves in the Moeder Lambic bar just off the Grand Place sampling Valeir Blond, Guldenberg, Saison Extra and Faro Cantillon. This bar has 40+ draught beers with many, many more available in bottle. Next up was Valeir Extra, La Moederation (brewed by the bar staff – now there’s enthusiasm for you), 15
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Ever since arriving in Belgium, Andy had been keen to try bread beer, made locally from leftover bread. It was one of the 3,000+ beers on offer here and Andy immediately proclaimed it to be his beer of the holiday. The other Giraffes also thought it very good so do look out for it – it’s called ‘Baby Lone’ but pronounced ‘Babylon’. Anything that can make use of discarded food rather than sending it to landfill must be ok! The other beers we tried here were: Dubocq Tripel Moine, Barbar Bok, Blanche de Watou, Hommel Bier, Petrus Aged Pale, Queue Decharrou Rouge and Tripel, Bush Blonde, Saison St Feuillon, Torpah 60 and Buffalo IPA. A most enjoyable day and Brussels’ Town House in the Grand Place looks amazing at night.
If you happen to be in the area (Soignies, just north of Mons) do pop in and say hello to Le Patron, Tony who now has a miniature giraffe hanging behind the bar as a reminder of our visit! So thanks Tony (Giraffe no.4) for his superb hospitality. You may think (hope?) Belgium has seen the last of the other 3 Giraffes, but I’m not so sure... Even at the airport two of the giraffes were still on the lookout for beer!
So to our final day – Coffees (and beers of course) at the ‘local’ – the Debarcadere or Landing Stage. It’s a great wee bar, with the attraction as mentioned earlier of Billiard Bouchon.
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FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
PORTPATRICK BREWERY – ONE YEAR ON After launching in May last year the Portpatrick Brewery has enjoyed an eventful first year of brewing. Starting with two beers, Fog Horn IPA and Dorn Rock bitter, the brewery has since increased it’s range of cask and bottled beers to include Gulf Stream golden ale, 16-21 bitter and Beltie Blonde, all of which relate to local features. During the first few months of brewing it became apparent that to keep up with demand the brewery would need more capacity, therefore, it was increased in size by 50% allowing this demand to be met. In June 2015 the first bottles of Dorn Rock and Fog Horn were produced at the brewery but again demand out-stripped supply. It was decided at this point to outsource the bottling and since September this has been done at a specialist bottling plant, allowing the beers to be bottled in their thousands rather than the hundreds that could be achieved at the brewery. As well as supplying cask beers to a number of local outlets on a regular basis, they have also found their way to Troon, Dumfries, Carlisle, County Durham and even as far as Portsmouth. The Portpatrick Brewery wishes to thank all of their customers for their support over the past 12 months, with special thanks to The Crown in Portpatrick, The Grapes in Stranraer and The Clashwhannon in Drummore whose support has been invaluable. The brewery is to host members of the Wigtownshire CAMRA on Saturday 30th July (see details on page 33) and with the busy summer season ahead they hope that their beers will continue to refresh the Rhins and beyond.
GETTING AROUND
d E an E HIRNSHIR W AYRS TO WIG
Listed below are some useful contact details for transport providers in our Branch area. STAGECOACH WEST SCOTLAND www.stagecoachbus.com Tel: 01294 607007 (Ardrossan) 01292 613500 (Ayr) 01776 704484 (Stranraer) 01770 302000 (Arran) 07736 892253 (Disability Helpdesk) SHUTTLE BUSES Tel: 0800 072 0373
www.shuttlebuses.co.uk
SCOTRAIL Tel: 0344 811 0141
www.scotrail.co.uk
CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE Tel: 0800 066 5000
www.calmac.co.uk
TRAVELINE SCOTLAND
www.travelinescotland.com
TRADING STANDARDS If you have any complaint about your beer, such as poor quality or short measure, or there is no price list displayed, you should remain polite and speak to the management of the pub concerned in the first instance. If you need to pursue the complaint further, contact your local Trading Standards office or Citizen’s Advice Bureau and they will guide you to the next appropriate step.
Full contact information can be found on your local authority website: www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk www.dumgal.gov.uk IRVINE: Tel: 01294 310100 KILMARNOCK: Tel: 01563 576602 AYR: Tel: 01292 616060 STRANRAER: Tel: 03033 333000 17
www.awcamra.org.uk
IGHT AY N M D N MO UIZ 9P Q K LY WEE ALE T GUES ED S E RV F O O DP M D A I L Y 7 TILL
thethreereasonslargs
THE
THREE
REASONS G d Drink, G d F d, G d Times! FREE HOUSE | BAR & DINER
14 GALLOWGATE S TREET, LA RGS KA 30 8LX C AL L: 01475 672330 MAIL: enquiries@thethreereasons.co.uk V ISIT: www.thethreereasons.co.uk
The Golf Inn, Prestwick 154 Main Street, KA9 1PB. Tel: 01292 476711 Two handpumps now serving Real Ale Food Served Daily Weekly Karaoke & Quiz Nights 18
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
GRAND NATIONAL TRIP, 9TH APRIL
On Saturday 9th April around 25 folks enjoyed a bus trip around some of the rural pubs in South & East Ayrshire. First stop was the Sorn Inn which had a lovely pint of Orkney Corncrake, along with some much appreciated nibbles. Next stop was the Stair Inn which had Orkney Raven Ale and Kelburn Jaguar available. Again, the sandwiches were greatly appreciated.
Stair Inn
Then it was on to the Kirkmichael Arms to watch the Grand National, and where Jaguar was also on, along with Ayr Leezie Lundie. Down the road to the relatively new Hunter's Lodge in Crosshill saw us have a choice of Houston Killellan or Tartan Terror. Finally, we reached Souter's Inn in Kirkoswald where we had the choice of Strathaven Witch's Brew and Avondale, again with some complimentary and really tasty snacks. Thanks to all the pubs for their hospitality.
Winners of the Grand National Sweepstake in the Kirkmichael Arms
The HUNTERS LODGE, CROSSHILL will be holding a small beer festival on Sunday 26th June from 12.30-close. Up to 10 ales should be available with the possibility of a hog roast as well.
inning Real A dW r a and bottles les in casks Aw
for more details call us on 01357 520419 or visit our website www.strathavenales.com
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www.awcamra.org.uk
Great food and Real Ales from Arran, Orkney and Kelburn breweries Sundays – Ceilidh band sessions New house ale brewed by Kelburn Brewery
Tel: 01505 850510 www.thecannyman.co.uk
Find us on the A736 Irvine to Barrhead Road, at Lugton
FRASERS BAR Millport
Find us just up the road from the pier
Quality Cask Ales Served All Year Meals Served Every Day 12 noon-2.30pm / 5.30pm-7.30pm
“Island Escape” self-catering 4-star luxury accommodation Book at: www.cottages4u.co.uk Ref: 30200
7 Cardiff Street, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 0AS Tel: 01475 530518 20
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
SUMMER DIARY DATES
Please check www. awcamra.org.uk for up-to-date details of all Branch events.
JUNE Sat 11th
Branch Meeting and Pub of the Year Presentation, Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn. See p27 for details
Thurs 16th
North Ayrshire Social – JG Sharps, Largs, 8pm
Thurs 23rd Sat 25th
CAMRA Glasgow Real Ale Festival (GRAF), The Briggait
Sun 26th
Beer Festival at Hunter's Lodge, Crosshill, 12.30pm-close
Wed 29th
East Ayrshire Social – Goldberry Arms, Kilmarnock, 7.30pm
JULY Thurs 7th Sat 9th
CAMRA Scottish Real Ale Festival (SRAF), Corn Exchange, Slateford, Edinburgh
Sat 9th
South Ayrshire Social to Blackwaterfoot Beer Festival, Kinloch Hotel, Isle of Arran. Meet at Ardrossan Harbour for 0945 ferry. See advert on p26.
Mon 11th
Committee Meeting – Ship Inn, Irvine, 8pm
Sat 16th
East Ayrshire Social – Braehead Bar, Kilmarnock: Summer Real Ale & BBQ Day
Thurs 21st
North Ayrshire Social – Ship Inn, Irvine, 8pm
Sat 23rd
To be confirmed - Branch Brewery of the Year Presentation, Kelburn Brewery, Barrhead
Wed 27th
East Ayrshire Social – Weston Tavern, Kilmaurs, 7.30pm
Sat 30th
Portpatrick Brewery 1st Birthday event - see p33 for details
AUGUST Sat 6th
2-Pub Social, Largs, 3pm. Venues TBC
Thurs 18th
North Ayrshire Social – Village Inn, Fairlie, 8pm
Tues 23rd
Branch Meeting and Beer of the Year Presentation (Rabbie's Porter) - Glen Park Hotel, Ayr, 7.30pm
Fri 26th
CAMRA Revitalisation Meeting, State Bar, Glasgow, 7pm
Sat 27th
CAMRA SNIB Meeting – Geordie's Byre, Ayr, 1pm
Wed 31st
East Ayrshire Social – Brass & Granite, Kilmarnock, 7.30pm
IN BRIEF....
ARDROSSAN ACCIES RUGBY CLUB held their 5th Beer Festival back in March. 14 ales were available, with the majority being sourced via the 4T's Brewery in Warrington, giving an interesting selection of ales from the north west of England. There was a misunderstanding about the heating (or lack of) for the Thursday night CAMRA social - at least the beers weren't in danger of becoming warm! The club was busy on the Saturday with a home game and the 6-Nations games on TV, and a number of folk came back to Ardrossan after the branch AGM in Kilbirnie earlier in the afternoon. Overall, another success.
Happy customers at the Ardrossan Beer Festival
BRANCH EMAILS: Every month we send out a "What's On" email to all CAMRA members via a dedicated Comms tool provided by CAMRA. However, a large number do not appear to be getting opened or delivered. Please check your SPAM folders and add "noreply@camra.org. uk" to your senders list. You can also check your email address is correct and your current CAMRA mailing preferences by logging in to members.camra.org.uk > Member Dashboard > My Membership > Edit Membership > Preferences
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www.awcamra.org.uk
• Real Food • Real Beer • Real Atmosphere 27 Main Street, Kilmaurs, KA3 2RQ Tel: 01563 538805 www.westontavern.co.uk
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We'd love to hear from breweries and pubs with any news snippets, events, awards etc. Send your info to fullpints@awcamra.org.uk
SUMMER 2016
OUTLETS NEWS In Prestwick, the Red Lion has reopened after a refurbishment and initially had Doom Bar available. Reports suggest that a couple of additional handpumps are to be installed, though ale hasn't been available since the initial opening, apparently awaiting some reconfiguring of the bar from Heineken. The former Wigtown Ploughman in Wigtown has reopened as Craft and has two real ales available, along with 'craft beers'. The Golf Inn in Prestwick has added a second handpump, as has the Garnock Community Social Club in Kilbirnie. Food is also now being served in the Garnock club at weekends. Merchant's Yarn in Beith has opened, primarily as a restaurant, but is reported to be selling Caledonian Deuchar's IPA.
Franklin & Sloane in Kilmarnock is reported to have stopped selling real ale. Shortly after the last edition of Full Pints was published, the new Marston’s pub, the Red Squirrel in Stevenston opened. Up to four ales have been available and are usually in very good condition. The food, especially the Carvery, is also very good! Work has finally started in Largs on the proposed Paddle Steamer Wetherspoon’s pub. Signage outside it indicates an opening date of June 28th.
OTHER BREWERY NEWS IN BRIEF . . . Work is continuing in Arran Kilbirnie at the Bowery, but The brewery has bought a bottling plant with an investment of over £130,000 which is due to be delivered and installed at Dreghorn in June 2016. Upgrades at the brewery including new bulk malt handling, milling and more fermentation capacity will be added on Arran. The handle bottling machines will not be scrapped but be moved to the small “Devils Dyke” brewery in Cambridge where they will get a new lease of life and be used to bottle low volume experimental ales. They also have invested in their own beer tanker and will be able to transport 9,000 litres of beer in three tanks which will mean they can pick up beer from other Scottish Brewers for bottling.
no imminent opening. The Arran Brewery name will be appearing on one of the Red Arrows during the 2017 flying season as part of a campaign raising money for the RAF Museum Centenary. More info on getting your name added at www.rafmuseum.org.uk.
Ayr
and Thornhill have been supplied to date. All of the ales are named after lighthouses Alistair's father worked many years ago. Two of the ales, Corsewall Gold and Corsewall Black, were also available at the Fife Beer festival.
Strathaven Ales
Rabbie's Porter is now bottle-conditioned. Plans are progressing to expand the brewery based at the Glen Park Hotel.
A new 5% ale called Teuchter is about to be launched, and is a strong dark ale.
Galloway Lights is a new brewery run by Alistair Bell that is based in Dumfries, although brewing currently takes place in Kendal. Some local outlets in Dumfries, Newton Stewart, Stranraer
The brewery were due to hold their annual beer festival as Full Pints went to print. They are also the main festival sponsor at the Scottish Real Ale festival in Edinburgh this year.
Galloway Lights
Sulwath
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www.awcamra.org.uk by Ray Turpie, Branch Vice Chairman and Scotland & Northern Ireland CAMRA Director
The beer festival season is now well underway and apart from being enjoyable, festivals are important to CAMRA in many respects on the campaigning front. They encourage people to try real ale, some for the first time, some just to experience different tastes and styles. Many members become active by helping out and remain so from then on. Last but not least, all surpluses gained help to fund the campaign. Another aspect which many are not aware of is the heats for the different beer styles which go on behind the scenes in a quiet corner of the festival venue. This is to take advantage of the many beers available in one place which are chosen from suggestions made by our branches in advance. I recently attended the Kingdom of Fife CAMRA Festival in Glenrothes where the Champion Beer of Fife is judged. This year’s winner was Are You With Me from Beath Brewery, another new local start up. The award was presented to brewer Ian McGrath by Jim Leishman, Lord Lieutenant of Fife (pictured below left), so we get some publicity out of this as well. Judging is done by blind tasting and scoring, under a standard system devised by CAMRA
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P
RAY’S ROUND UP
ROUND Y’S U A R
to mark aroma, appearance, taste and after-taste. Winners usually emerge when the scores are added up and they go on to national finals. For Scotland, these are usually held at SRAF with awards being presented on the stage during the event. Every festival has something different to offer. Some include pub games and product stall, others offer tutored beer tasting. Most have a variety of food to choose from whether it is pub grub or curry but every one of them has a good selection of real ale to pick from. Unfortunately, I missed the first festival of the season at Larbert as it was the same weekend as the national Members’ Weekend (pictured below right). The guest speaker this year was Tim Martin, Chairman and founder of JD Wetherspoon in 1979. There are now over 950 outlets throughout the country. Like him or loathe him he is an interesting guy and very amusing too. Liverpool is an interesting city and as well as taking in some of the conference, I managed to have a wander round Albert Docks which
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
has been modernised and reborn. It hosts the Beatles museum and there is a statue to the fab four next to the ferry terminal. Across the road is the famous Liver Building with its dual liver birds perched on top. There are some wonderful pubs to try without walking very far from Lime Street station, the Crown Hotel, Dispensary and Fly in the Loaf to name but a few. Apart from enjoying a few beers in the members’ bar, I particularly liked the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, recently featured in the ‘Hairy Bikers’ Pubs That Built Britain’ programme and which is reputed to have ‘the grandest pub interior in Britain’. Of course, there is also the Roscoe Head which, I am glad to say, has had a reprieve from demolition for the Philharmonic Dining Rooms moment. Opposite the conference venue is Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, a beautiful modern circular building with its multicoloured stained glass lantern. I had a quick walk round on
Sunday morning taking a quiet moment to reflect on how things turned out on the first day. Next year the Members’ Weekend is in Eastbourne from 21-23rd April.
The Fab Four gain an extra member
We also have many events in our own Branch Diary as can be seen in CAMRA Calling which is issued roughly every two months. The main event over the summer is the Revitalisation Seminar is in the Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh on 2nd July and State Bar, Glasgow on 27th August. You can register for these at www.camra.org.uk/revitalisation. This is a chance for you to give your opinion on the way ahead for CAMRA. Be sure to make your views known. Before then, however, I am off to California for a fortnight so I hope to return with the batteries recharged and enthusiasm restored for the battles ahead. In the meantime, enjoy those summer ales.
BRANCH SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Our Branch has Social Groups which meet regularly covering North, South and East Ayrshire, and Wigtownshire. All CAMRA members are encouraged to attend these informal events, but non-CAMRA members are equally welcome to join us for a couple of hours of friendly chat and socialising. For more information, please contact the area coordinators listed below: North Ayrshire - meets 3rd Thursday of every month. Contact Ian Middleditch. Email: vicechair1@awcamra.org.uk South Ayrshire - contact Caroline Munro for details. Email: south-ayrshire@awcamra.org.uk East Ayrshire - meets last Wednesday of every month. *NEW Contact Matt Miller. Email: east-ayrshire@awcamra.org.uk Wigtownshire - contact Malcolm McNeil for details. Email: wigtownshire@awcamra.org.uk
Enjoying a beer in the Sorn Inn
Additionally, the Branch also holds social outings on a regular basis – recent trips have included breweries such as Fyne Ales, Bute, Sulwath, Strathaven and Inveralmond. See www.awcamra. org.uk for details or contact social secretary Donald Clark at social@ awcamra.org.uk
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BEST WESTERN
www.awcamra.org.uk
Isle of Arran
Blackwaterfoot
Beer Festival Saturday 9th July 11.30am until 7pm Real Ales, Whisky, Wine, Champagne, Ciders, Fresh Local Produce & Food Marquees Live Music Throughout the Day
Arran Brass Band, Arran Jazz, The Mad Ferret Band plus more!
Entry £1 per person (child fee include entry to our magic shows at 2pm and 4pm)
Fa ce Pa in tin g, Pl us Ch ild re n’ s Co rn er wi th rb in g pl us Ba llo on M od el lin g, Aq ua Zo be rt so n Cu th Sc ot la nd ’s M ag ic ia n Sc ot t th e Ra bb it! an d sp ec ia l gu es t Sh ad ow BEST WESTERN Kinloch Hotel, Blackwaterfoot, The Isle of Arran www.bw-kinlochhotel.co.uk Tel: 01770 860444 26
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
WhatPub.com, Beer Scoring and the Good Beer Guide In every edition of Full Pints, we make a plea for CAMRA members to score their ales that they drink on www.whatpub.com. So far this year, 43 people have submitted 954 beer scores – but only 32 were Branch members (and we currently have over 580 members!) Despite that, scores have been submitted so far for 67 of our outlets, so a very big thank you for your efforts.
Just because a pub is in a larger town please don’t assume that we’ll get a lot of scores for it, and pubs outwith the big town centres, in our rural areas and islands always need scores. We need a minimum overall total of 6 scores for consideration in the Good Beer Guide.
We say this all the time, we need more scores, particularly if you want your local pub to be considered for a future edition of the Good Beer Guide. By the end of this year, let's try and get over 100 people scoring ales. We have around 80 outlets in our area but are only allocated 27 entries by the GBG publishers, so only the best pubs with the highest average scores get selected – we would love to have more, but that’s not possible due to space limitations.
So why not set yourself a challenge for 2016 to visit some different pubs using public transport. And if you do, consider making a post on our Facebook page to see if anyone wants to join you on the trip - you’ll help to dispel the myth that some publicans hold that there is no demand for real ale! Please remember that a zero score should only ever be used if no ale is available at all.
HOW SHOULD I SCORE THE QUALITY OF THE BEER?
0: 0.5 -1: Poor. 2: Average.
Should only be used if no cask ale is available Beer is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment. Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn’t inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing. Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay 3: Good. for another pint and may seek out the beer again 4: Very Good. Excellent beer in excellent condition. You stay put! 5: Perfect. Probably the best you are ever likely to find. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely.
STEAM PACKET INN TRIP - 11TH JUNE
At the time of going to print there were still a few spaces available on this trip where we'll have a Branch Meeting and a presentation to Alastair Scoular of The Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn for winning both Wigtownshire and overall Branch Pub of the Year. Pickups: Mauchline 1000; Kilmarnock 1015; Prestwick Cross 1035; Ayr Station 1050. 1st Stop: 1115-1200 Hunter's Lodge, Crosshill 2nd Stop: 1330-1630 The Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn 3rd Stop: 1645-1730 Harbour Inn, Garlieston 4th Stop: 1800-1900 Newton Stewart (choice of Creebridge House Hotel, Cree Inn or Galloway Arms Hotel) Return to Ayr approx 2030; Prestwick 2040, Kilmarnock 2055 and Mauchline 2115. Contact Donald Clark for pricing and availability, Mob: 07886 312454, email: social@awcamra.org.uk 27
A Campaign
of Two Halves
Fai www.awcamra.org.uk r 7EZI on dea MXEMR W tax beer l &V4Y FW now !
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Campaigning for Pub Goers & Beer Drinkers
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Enjoying Real Ale & Pubs
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This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay by Direct Debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by The Campaign for Real Ale Ltd or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when The Campaign For Real Ale Ltd asks you to You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society.Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
WIGTOWNSHIRE NEWS Stranraer Beer Festival
The annual Stranraer Beer Festival at the Grapes was held over the weekend of 8th and 9th April. A donation from the event was given to local man Adrian Heron, who was running the London Marathon in aid of The Terence Higgins Trust. Adrian completed the course in 4 hours and 12 minutes. A fine effort. This year, eight ales and two real ciders were on offer and most were consumed over the weekend. The beers were Timothy Taylor Boltmaker; Hawkshead 5Hops; Kelburn Jaguar; Hadrian & Border Tyneside Blonde; Portpatrick Beltie Blonde and three beers from Coniston Brewery – No. 9 Barley Wine, Bluebird and XB. Ciders were Black Rat and Janet's Jungle Juice, packing a hefty punch at 6% and 7% respectively. The Beer of the Festival award went to the Boltmaker, with 5Hops coming a close second. It was good to see a large number of local members supporting the festival. The weekend had been chosen to fit in with the original planned Grand National Coach Trip which unfortunately had to be rescheduled. Several of us headed for Portpatrick and some to the Clashwhannon in Drummore for lunch (and more beer!) before returning to the Grapes to watch the National. Special mention too, to the 4 Ayrshire members who came down by train to join us for the day. Winner of the sweep was Paul Willoughby of Kenmuir Arms, New Luce, with Mick Lee second and Sheila McNeill third. Thanks too, to Billy and Sally of The Grapes who provided CAMRA members with welcome mugs of homemade soup on our return after lunch.
Newton Stewart Social
A good attendance of 15 members met up at Creebridge Country House on Saturday 7th May where we enjoyed 2 good quality ales, namely Atlas 3 Sisters and Belhaven St. Andrews Ale in their comfortable lounge. Steve Donnan also kindly supplied us with a nice complimentary buffet of sausage rolls and sandwiches. Much appreciated. Next stop was the nearby Cree Inn, a relatively new outlet, where the beer on offer was Isle of Skye Gold and which was in particularly good condition. We were made very welcome and enjoyed the Saturday afternoon atmosphere very much – especially those Stranraer FC fans in the company and in the bar! Our final visit of the afternoon was to The Galloway Arms Hotel in the centre of town where we enjoyed a meal in their restaurant and the two local beers on offer namely Sulwath Brewery's Knockendoch and interestingly, a nice pint of Corsewall Gold from Galloway Lights, a new microbrewery based in Dumfries. The day was deemed a great success and well worth repeating next year.
Creebridge House Hotel
Cree Inn
Malcolm McNeil (wigtownshire@awcamra.org.uk) 29 The Galloway Arms Hotel
www.awcamra.org.uk
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FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
SNIB Meeting coming to Geordie's Byre, Ayr The next Scotland and Northern Ireland Branches (SNIB) meeting will be held in Geordie's Byre, Ayr on Saturday 27th August from 1pm. Whilst this is more of a business meeting with updates from the 11 Branches located around the country, anyone is welcome, indeed encouraged, to attend to hear about the varied work and actions that CAMRA are involved in around the country.
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www.awcamra.org.uk
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FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
WIGTOWNSHIRE NEWS contd... House O' Hill Beer & Music Festival
The House O' Hill Hotel at Bargrennan held the Spring leg of their biannual Beer and Music festival on Saturday April 16th. This year it was a new format by Helen and Karen, with all the events happening on Saturday only, and improved music areas both inside and out. The fundraising event was to raise money for the Riverside Centre in Newton Stewart which is under threat from cuts to council funding. There was a music quiz (with Hog Roast first prize) and a raffle by the ladies of The Riverside Centre. There was a good turnout and the weather was kind to all, which helped make the event a success. The beer was racked within the main bar area and attracted much more interest than previous years. The selection was good with Ambers, Blondes and Dark ales on offer. Breweries were Theakstons (including Old Peculier), Old Mill (East Yorks), Marstons, Fullers, Palmers (Dorset), Camerons (Hartlepool), Hop Back (Wiltshire) Yakima Blonde was popular, and Caledonian. In all 10 beers including 2 hand pumps on the bar. The hog roast sold out quickly, but was supplemented with burgers and kebabs and Stephen, the chef, was a busy guy all day. The music started at 2pm until 11pm, with 12 bands scheduled, in the restaurant area (acoustic) and also outside in the marquee (amplified stage). We watched a great local duo Sausage and Egg sing some bluesy numbers inside, whilst The Razorbills, Nathon Jones and the Lewis Hamilton Band were headlining in the Marquee. Zoe Bestel (complete with ukulele) was the main guest inside and is a big attraction in the Borders area. The House O' Hill is a great place to sample some of the area's upcoming talent and we saw a wide selection of music styles which appealed to all. The next event will be held in September - date to be confirmed. Allan Dyson
Forthcoming Wigtownshire Events
Sat 11th June - Branch & Wigtownshire Pub of the Year presentation at the Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn. Bus times are: 1205 Depart Newton Stewart (415 service). Rhins members can catch the 1030 (500 service) from Port Rodie arriving in Newton Stewart at 1115. This will allow a quick visit to the Galloway Arms to meet up with Machars members. Depart Isle of Whithorn at 1605 (415 service) to either visit Craft, Wigtown or Harbour Inn, Garlieston. Dep 1800 Garlieston or 1815 Wigtown (415 service) to Newton Stewart, and finally Dep 1905 to Stranraer (500 service). OTHER PLANNED SOCIALS ARE: Sat 30th July: Portpatrick Brewery 1st Birthday. Meet Ruddicot Hotel, Stranraer at 1215, Grapes 1300, then taxis to brewery for 1400. NOTE: The brewery is located out in the countryside and unfortunately not near a bus route! Sat 3rd September: Portpatrick Folk Festival. 367 bus from Port Rodie at 1240, buses back from 1600. SOME OTHER LOCAL EVENTS WORTHY OF SUPPORT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Sat 11th June, Kirkcolm Gala Day from 12.30pm (real ale at Blue Peter Hotel). Sunday 26th June, Drummore Beach Gala Day from 12 noon (real ale at Clashwhannon). Sat 27th August, Stranraer Lowland Gathering, London Road Playing Fields (real ale at Ruddicot Hotel and Grapes). 33
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ALE’S FINE IN FIFE
by Stuart McMahon
The Kingdom of Fife CAMRA’s 18th beer festival was earlier than usual this year as their venue, the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes was required for a Scottish Election count on the usual dates. This unfortunately meant it clashed with our more local Paisley Beer Festival this year – however, having supported Fife for a few years now I decided to once again travel east by train and sample some of the less commonly seen ales from the other side of Scotland. This year I stayed in Wetherspoon’s Golden Acorn Hotel, which is conveniently situated next to Glenrothes Bus Station and only a 5-minute walk from the Rothes Halls through the shopping mall.
The Golden Acorn, Glenrothes
One big challenge which the Fife branch faces is advertising the festival in the shopping mall – apart from a small display case in the run-up to festival, there are no banners allowed outside to
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tell passing shoppers that the event is on. And it is primarily because of that, that this year there were only 45 ales and 20 ciders available for the three-day festival. But, it has to be said that there did appear to be a larger attendance this year. But, what I hear you cry over an empty glass, were the beers like? Well, the first big surprise was the winner of the Champion Beer of Fife competition – Beath Brewery’s “Are you with me?” a 4.5% red ale, that is more like a bitter. I won’t be surprised if I hear you saying that you’ve never heard of the Beath Brewery
before – not many folk had, let alone tasted their ales, as this new Cowdenbeathbased business only brewed their first commercial beers some six weeks before the festival started! Winning the competition was a fantastic accolade for their first festival. They were up against brews by Eden Mill Brewery (Guardbridge), St Andrew’s Brewing Company and de Brus (Dunfermline).
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
Eden Mill’s Weize Guy came second and St Andrew’s Mocha Porter came third. Beer of the Festival was Fallen Brewing’s Grapevine. Cider of the Festival was Waulkmill Crabbit (with real ginger!) Another new brewery, looking to set up base in Dumfries, but currently brewing in Kendal, was Galloway Lights with their Corsewall Gold and Corsewall Black. The Gold was a nice session ale, but I felt the black was a bit too dry and malty for my taste. The Friday evening entertainment was provided by an excellent trio called “Yard of Ale” who provided a set of mainly, but not exclusively, Scottish folk music. So a great wee festival and one that is worth the effort attending – which is possible to do as a day trip using the bus or train. But, as I was staying overnight, and after a hearty Wetherspoon’s Scottish breakfast, I headed in the morning to Markinch station to do an ‘ale trail’ on my return journey.
The Harbour Bar, Kirkcaldy
First stop was Kirkcaldy, where after a short walk down to and along the promenade you’ll find a former Fife Pub of the year, the Harbour Bar. Here you will find a traditional old pub with 6 handpumps. It also used to be home to the Fyfe Brewing Company which is sadly no longer in production – the 2.5 barrel brewkit is still for sale though if anyone is interested. I managed to have some Fell YOLO and Tryst Peach Pale Ale. Time constraints meant I didn’t have time to visit any of the other outlets in Kirkcaldy.
Crown Tavern, Kinghorn
Back to the station and one stop down the line you’ll come to Kinghorn. A few minutes’ walk from the station in the main street is the Crown Tavern, supplying two real ales on rarely seen electric pumps. When I visited, Morland’s Old Golden Hen and Old Speckled Hen were the guest ales with the Golden Hen being in good condition. 45 minutes later it was back to the station to catch the train to Aberdour – a further two stops down the line. This lovely little village is a former Scotland in Bloom winner, and again, just a few minutes walk from the station is the Foresters Arms, the current Fife CAMRA Pub of the Year. Freshly decorated inside, the pub welcomed me
Foresters Arms, Aberdour
and I ordered a pint of Hyde’s Old Indie. A hearty bowl of homemade soup, along with fish and chips was followed by a pint of Jennings Cocker Hoop. Both ales were in good condition. It was also great to see two (of the six) handpumps with real cider available. They even had their own beer mats and pint glasses - a nice wee touch. Overall, a lovely pub which I look forward to visiting some time in the future. Nice branding in the And so that Foresters Arms ended an enjoyable afternoon in Fife and soon it was time to head back over the Forth Rail Bridge (my first ever time being the previous day!) to Edinburgh Haymarket to change onto a Glasgow-bound train, where I then discovered stations that I never knew existed thanks to the Queen Street diversions currently in place!
Next year’s Fife Beer Festival will be held from 20th – 22nd April 2017. 35
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AYRSHIRE & WIGTOWNSHIRE REAL ALE OUTLETS ISLE OF ARRAN
SOUTH AYRSHIRE
EAST AYRSHIRE
BLACKWATERFOOT Blackwaterfoot Lodge * Kinloch Hotel
ALLOWAY Cambusdoon Sports Club
DUNLOP Merito
STEWARTON The Mill House
BRODICK Brodick Bar Ormidale Hotel Wine Port
KILMAURS Weston Tavern
KILMARNOCK Braehead Bar Brass & Granite Fanny by Gaslight § First Edition Goldberry Arms Hunting Lodge Wheatsheaf Inn
LOCHRANZA Lochranza Hotel
AYR Abbotsford Hotel Ayrshire & Galloway Chestnuts Hotel Geordie’s Byre Glen Park Hotel Harry’s Bar Smoking Goat Tam O’ Shanter Twa Dugs Wellingtons Bar West Kirk
NORTH AYRSHIRE
CROSSHILL Hunters Lodge
ARDROSSAN Ardrossan Rugby Club # Lauriston Hotel
KIRKMICHAEL Kirkmichael Arms
CATACOL Catacol Bay Hotel LAMLASH Drift Inn Pierhead Tavern
BEITH Saracen’s Head Merchant's Yarn FAIRLIE Village Inn § IRVINE Ship Inn The Auld Brig KILBIRNIE Garnock Community Social Club # LARGS J G Sharps Largs Sailing Club # Lounge MacAulays Three Reasons Waterside LUGTON
Canny Man §
MILLPORT Fraser’s Bar SALTCOATS Salt Cot 36
KIRKOSWALD Souter’s Inn PRESTWICK Golf Inn Prestwick Pioneer Red Lion * TROON Bruce’s Well Cheeky Charlie’s Harbour Bar McKay’s Marr Rugby Club #
SORN Sorn Inn STAIR Stair Inn
WIGTOWNSHIRE BARGRENNAN House O’ Hill Hotel BLADNOCH Bladnoch Inn DRUMMORE Clashwhannon GARLIESTON Harbour Inn ISLE OF WHITHORN Steam Packet Inn § KIRKCOLM Blue Peter Hotel NEW LUCE Kenmuir Arms Hotel
NEWTON STEWART Creebridge House Hotel Cree Inn Galloway Arms Hotel PORTPATRICK Crown Hotel Harbour House Hotel SANDHEAD Tigh-na-Mara Hotel STRANRAER Grapes § Ruddicot Hotel WIGTOWN Craft
South Beach Hotel
Every CAMRA member can score ales they drink in their local pub by logging in to the www.whatpub.com website, via a computer or smartphone/tablet. But what are the benefits? Well, all scores go towards whether an outlet is considered for inclusion in the Good Beer Guide, and, if there is a trend of low scores for any outlet, it can alert the committee to possible problems. Scores are continually required for the whole Branch area but, in particular, Arran and outlying pubs in East and South Ayrshire receive very few scores - please take a few moments to score your beers on whatpub.com if you visit them.
Do you know of a pub that sells real ale and isn’t listed? Please let us know by emailing:
pubs@awcamra.org.uk
* CAMRA members have noted that real ale is not always available at these pubs.
§ Special offers for card-carrying CAMRA members # Weekends only
FULLP NTS SUMMER 2016
Bute
Largs
Fairlie
Blackwaterfoot
Drygate
Lugton Dunlop Stewarton Kilmaurs Strathaven Kilmarnock
Kilbirnie
Ardrossan Saltcoats Brodick Irvine Lamlash Troon
Arran
Jaw
Kelburn
Beith
Millport
Lochranza Catacol
Houston
Ayr
Sorn
Prestwick Ayr
Alloway
Lola Rose
Stair
Kirkmichael Kirkoswald
Crosshill
Bargrennan Kirkcolm Stranraer
Sulwath
New Luce
Newton Stewart
Portpatrick Portpatrick
Sandhead
KEY:
Bladnoch
Wigtown Garlieston
Breweries producing cask ale Towns & villages where cask ale is available Not to scale. Reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey Š Crown Copyright 2016
Drummore
Isle of Whithorn Five Kingdoms
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Our range of Award-winning Real Ales includes:
Hand Crafted, Award Winning, Traditional Cask Conditioned Ale Brewed in the Heart of Burns Country All ales are available in Firkins (72 Pints), Pins (36 Pints) and Mini Casks (8.8 Pints) Ayr Brewing Company, 5 Racecourse Road, Ayr KA7 2DG Telephone: 01292 263891 Fax: 01292 830450 Mobile: 07834 922142 www.ayrbrewingcompany.com 38
WHEN IS REAL ALE NOT REAL ALE?
by Stuart McMahon, Editor, Full Pints
Are you sitting comfortably? The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was founded in 1971 to stop the Big Six commercial breweries ditching traditional draught ale in favour of processed, poor quality keg beer. And to this day, that initial core value currently remains – to promote and encourage the adoption of real ale. But what is real ale? In its simplest terms, real ale is a draught beer which has been traditionally brewed and then transferred directly into a cask without any pasteurisation and served usually either via handpump, by gravity direct from the cask or possibly now by ‘keykeg’ – essentially a ‘bag in a box’ solution. Importantly though, no extra gases are added to, or come in contact with the beer to aid dispense. They are living beers with yeast in the bottom of the cask to aid conditioning, with light carbonation happening naturally. Once the beers are ‘tapped’ they need to be sold within 4-5 days otherwise they will become oxidised and taste sour. In the UK, ‘craft’ is simply an undefined marketing term that has become adopted by the majority of suppliers and retailers to aid sales. So-called ‘craft ales' may be real ales, but more commonly they are kegged, pasteurised and filtered beers leaving no yeast in the keg. If the latter they are in effect ‘dead beers’ which will last much longer as no oxygen touches the beer. The dispense will force fizzy Carbon Dioxide into the beer and they will be very chilled (like most lagers). CAMRA is encouraging brewers to ensure that their pump clips are clearly labelled to distinguish between real ale and kegged variants, to avoid misleading the consumer as to what they are being served. The majority of brewers also bottle their ales, and this is where the real confusion steps in. Some beers are bottle-conditioned and are near-identical to their cask-conditioned counterparts – they are living beers with a small amount of yeast in the bottle. If you are lucky the brewery may tell you on the label that they are bottleconditioned or include CAMRA’s ‘Real Ale in a Bottle’ (RAIB) logo. But some don’t. The majority of bottled ales, however, are pasteurised and filtered to aid longevity, and these are the equivalent of the ‘craft’ kegged non-real ales – they are dead beers. And this is where confusion is rife. Pictured below is part of a display from a 'specialist' off-licence retailer, offering “Pick and Mix Real Ales”. But not one of the beers on offer is a true ‘Real Ale’ – none are bottle-conditioned, they are all filtered and pasteurised. So it is false advertising. But who is to blame – the breweries, the retailer, the marketing company, or the unwary consumer?
So, when you’re next out bottle shopping – try and buy a bottleconditioned ale if possible – I’ll guarantee that you’ll struggle to find many, if any, in your local supermarket or off-licence – but there are a few. And as CAMRA goes around the country with its revitalisation project, let your voice be heard and let’s make consumer education as to what comprises a ‘Real Ale’ a high priority, otherwise we may find cask-conditioned ‘Real Ales’ once again under threat only this time from improved quality, pasteurised, filtered , ‘craft’ variants. The nearest Revitalisation Project consultation meeting will be held in the State Bar, Holland Street Glasgow on Friday 26 August from 7-9pm. There are also meetings in Edinburgh on 2nd July and Carlisle on 9th July.
LAST ORDERS
My experience at present would indicate that the average consumer isn’t aware of the difference – they’ve probably drunk some of the ales in their local pub, so assume they’re drinking the same product at home. They’re not. It will be similar, and in many instances almost as enjoyable, but it’s not ‘Real Ale’ as defined by CAMRA.
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At Sulwath Brewery we give you the chance to see the craft of brewing in action, and to taste our real ales at our fully licensed brewery tap visitor centre.
Everybody BREWERY Welcome THE KING STREET OPEN MON-SAT, 10AM-6PM Off-sales also available
CASTLE DOUGLAS DG7 1DT Tel: 01556 504525 www.sulwathbrewers.co.uk