Happy Ēostre!

By Steve the Beermeister 

 

Happy Ēostre, or Easter, well, nearly there, and schoolchildren are on Easter holiday, but my first Easter ale of 2023, maybe my only one? Ēostre was the Pagan/Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring and Renewal, the festival celebrating her was 'Christianised' following Pope Gregory setting forth a mission in the late 6th century to convert Pagans to Christians, later superimposing Christian festivals onto Pagan festivals (thefield). 

Anyway, onto the ale itself, imbibed at the Dolphin Inn, Kent (website) Ēostre (4.2%), an uber Citra ale really, hops that you like or don't, I do like them indeed! Citra is a hop from the USA, but with a complicated heritage, used by many brewers nowadays, but brought into Britain first by Oakham Brewery, and sometimes very difficult to get hold of because of its popularity. The hop's heritage includes Hallertau Mittelfruh, Tettnanger, Brewers Gold and East Kent Goldings (Hopslist). 

The ale certainly has a very fruity aroma and taste, primarily citrus, but with a hint of forest fruits too, very pale golden colour and clear, with a refreshing crisp dry bitter finish, I love it!

Cheers and Happy Easter! 

CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017

By Steve the Beermeister:

Congratulations must go to Louisa and her colleagues up at The Tower, 251 London Road, for, yet again, winning the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) South East Sussex Pub of the Year, and who was presented with her award yesterday evening. In Hastings we are blessed with a great number of public houses and bars that sell good quality real ales, yet Lou's pub has managed to stand out with CAMRA assessors for three years in a row, and her great range of well-conditioned, good value, 6 real ales (most usually from local brewers) and a similar number of ciders and perry support this award. 

I drank at the Tower very recently and the price of ales started at £2.90 for their regular session ale, East Sussex brewer Dark Star's Hophead (3.8%) at £2.90 a pint, to £3.20 a pint for the strongest that day. Also from Dark Star is the other excellent regular ale American Pale Ale (APA 4.7%) at £3.00 a pint. Other ales came from the up and coming local brewers from Brede, the single-hopped Three Legs Columbus Pale Ale (4.9% and thus the strongest at £3.20), Yorkshire brewer Vocation Bread & Butter (3.9%), Welsh brewer VOG Dark Matters (4.4%), and the excellent Peterborough brewer Oakham, whose 4.2% Citra, another single hopped ale, I couldn't resist drinking!

Nice one Lou, cheers, again!