The Lowlander specializes in Belgian Ales.  Many of the better/more unique beers that I tasted in London were at this location.  I drank some sours, lambics, and some triples.  Unlike the lower alcohol beers that dotted the landscape, the Lowlander had some fairly big beers.  Of course, you are going to pay for them. This is not only due to the fact that more ingredients and time went into the beers but also because many places in Europe base taxation of beers on their alcohol content.

The Museum Pub: It seems to me that this was the name.  Some of the more familiar brands can be found there: Old Speckled Hen, Hobgoblin, and Old Peculiar.  These are beers that defy many of the normal bitters in the surrounding area.  Either way, it is right across the street from the National History Museum in London…you can’t miss it.  Don’t forget to buy a sausage with onions from a street vender before or after a pint or two.

Samuel Smith’s Pubs: There are several Samuel Smith’s pubs in the London area.  The nice thing about these is that you can get a Sam Smith’s Extra Stout, which is a lovely respite from the ubiquitous Guinness (otherwise you might not be able to find another stout).  There is a particular Samuel Smith’s pub location (obviously, it wasn’t a Samuel Smith’s pub then) that Charles Dickens used to visit (it is singularly odd to walk into pubs, with all their tight quarters and old architecture, that are older than the United States as a country.  I think this is one of the great charms about drinking beer in London).  This pub is called The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.  They also carry many of Samuel Smith’s other products, including lagers, pale ales, and ciders…but, sadly, they didn’t have the Taddy Porter.

The Rake: If you are missing the United States, find The Rake.  They specialize in carrying American craft beers.  You can find selections by Left Hand, Hebrew/Schmaltz, and plenty of Stone.  In fact, the only place I’ve had Stone’s Russian Imperial Stout on tap was at the Rake.  It’s worth checking out because of all the interesting choices and the novelty of seeing an “American” watering hole in London.

I hope this will help interested beer drinkers on their way to London.  Two points are worth reiterating: one, explore the beer in London.  Two, don’t simply explore the beer in London.  I hope to write about my experiences elsewhere in Europe before too long.

***One more good tip I can offer is to order half-pints of beer.  If you want to try as many as possible, this is a good way to do it.***

Spread the Word:

We all know how lager dominates the market in America (and sadly starting to elsewhere). It happens that most of the lagers are largely the same with some subtle differences. I’m talking about big brewery lagers and even some “craft” ones. I think the situation is largely the same with a lot of beers in England.  Bitters are the kings of pub-life, so far as I could see. Now they all have some differences, and I don’t want to make English bitters look like American macro lagers–I would drink an English bitter over American swill lager any day. But it is really surprising that the populace at large is drinking beer with less and less character.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the bitters I had in London. However, it is remarkably sad that the land that gave us porter ales has very few in the average pub. I looked and looked but found very few things outside bitters to drink. Some shining anomalies were Brains Dark with its mint tobacco and medicinal qualities, Samuel Smith’s Extra Stout, Meantime’s Belgian Style Ale, and Teakston’s Old Peculiar. There were others, but bitters ruled.

But why is this the case?  I’ll express my opinion on some factors I think may be behind this.  One, people are sometime simply interested in being “pissed” (to use a British equivalent to being drunk). So, it simply doesn’t make sense to try to find a beer that is not a “session” ale (i.e., many can be had without feeling full…talk about real drinkability). Two, taxation. We have the great fortune of paying by the barrel tax in the U.S.  Simply stated, it doesn’t matter if the beer is 2% or 20%, a company pays the same tax on beer. In much of Europe, tax is assessed based on percentage alcohol. Ergo, it is cheaper to make beer that is 3.8% vs. 10%. I think this adds to number one above, but it also explains why it doesn’t behoove a company to spend more money on a beer only to have it taxed more. Three, and saddest of all, people simply are losing their taste for complexity and depth in a beer. One can also see this taking place in the fact that Brits love bland food (that is just a joke on a stereotype).

That seems like a lot of negatives, so let me tell you some positives. Bitters in England are still terrific. When I finish my extreme beer, I think the “bitter” is the next one I’m doing. I’ve been inspired by British bitters. CAMRA, the campaign for real ale, is ensuring that approved beers are of the strictest quality and tradition. So pulled cask ales are also great. Although the culture is trending toward more drinking at home, most of the beer consumed in England is still in the pub. Consequently, the pub is a lively time for a foreigner to see England in all its glory. Another thing is that you can still find a good deal of variety in London if you look. I intend to publish a list of good beer places in London. I also want to note that the English countryside and suburbs is not London. I know that I missed out on plenty of unique beer because I was only in London. I’m merely telling you what I saw in the big city.

So here is my appeal to you. Go to London, drink a lot of bitters (because their ubiquitous), and find some unique ones if you are there. I don’t regret having so many bitters in London but would have loved to see a slight bit more variety…especially porters. So, it really was a bittersweet experience. Cheers!

I’ll be writing more in just a bit.

Spread the Word: