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Brains are upping their marketing this year with this great promotional tool to get people to taste their cask ales, what you mean there are people in Kardiff not tasted a Brains Dark, shame on you.

I can’t see this going down well in all their houses (Vulcan, Cottage & City Arms) but in the posher pubs in their portfolio I think the Beerati may lap it up…

Anyway I want one of these for my shedpub…

Welsh brewer Brains is going continental.…

We visited Cheddar in Somerset, to look at the gorge as today the weather was so nice.

I have not been there for about 18 years, that was with my mate Will (who was brought up in nearby Axbridge) and I could remember Cheddar was great village with some great pubs and too much cider.

We were not a big fan of the village now its gone a bit trashy with the tourism and trinket shops taking over the place.

But the upside was the Beer and Cider.

Firstly…

M & S have got a good selection of British bottled ales.

• 4 Cornish IPA A pale gold, refreshingly full flavoured, beer with citrus aromas and a light malt finish with a hint of resinous pine.
• 4 Norfolk Bitter Malty, with a fruity character and a dry finish.
• 4 Scottish Cairngorm Ale Smooth, malty, full bodied thistle ale.
• 4 Sussex Golden Ale Delivers a refreshing flavour and a traditional Sussex ‘hoppy nose’.
• 4 Yorkshire Bitter Smooth, with a subtle hint of citrus

…

We went to the Wales V France Games Last night.

Had a couple of pints before the game

At the Goat Major great pint of Hydes Berry Good Ale

AT the Central Bar (a spoons pub) Rhymney Export but at 2.95 a pint

But the worse pint of the night was at the stadium £3.50 a pint of Brains Bitter in a plastic glass, Iam sure they had pored it before from their super fast poring system and left it for a while, it was cold…

We need help finding great UK pubs for What’s On Tap.

If you have a 2 mins enter your fave 5 here

The five on my list that I would go to again in a flash are..

1) The Goat Major In Cardiff
2) The Black Boy Pub in Winchester
3) The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, Liverpool
4) The Volunteer, London
5) Otley Arms/Bunch of Grapes Treforest/Pontypridd

of course the Welsh ones I go to quite often.

What’s On Tap is…

The Western Mail report that a chapel in Merthyr is proving pints to men if they come and pray.

Ministers Tony Graham and Gareth Lloyd are bringing a radical approach to spreading the gospel to Hope Chapel in Pontmorlais.

“It’s great to be part of something here. We’re putting sofas and bar stools in the basement to have a relaxing evening and learn what the Bible’s about.

“Drinking isn’t a sin, but people from other

…

Well I never get any accolades for writing my drivel about beer, until now that is (well sort of)

I have apparently entered the top 40 of the Wine and Beer category over at wikio, which is nice as this blog is not just about beer, but to put it into perspective there are 39 great blogs about beer above me.

Including well know beer know all and my occasional drinking buddy Arfur Daley (who is in the top 20)

Now…

I have been drinking on and off at The Otley Arms for the last 15 years.. and a few years ago its was my permanent local for about 18 months…where people know your name sort of place, even though I only live 4 miles away now – as the bus drives, I don’t visit this pub enough, but nothings changed apart from the bar maids hair colour.

The Otley arms does not pull any punches it serves quality real ale and all the favorite keg beers to an audience…

I had a nice day in London on Tuesday meeting some people about something to do with shed week, can’t say anymore

I did have a few hours to spare so here are my random shots from various pubs around London (Soho mainly)

I went to the Duke of Argyll & John Snow both Sam Smiths houses – nice extra stout, The John Snow had a great Glass half door..

Also went to the Wonderfull De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar Soho and…

The wonderful Oasis in Cardiff that is the Goat Major is having a mini beer festival this week, you would not know it as nothing on the Brains website I had a tip off from ArfurD

Beers on today include Brewseters Red Hop Lover, DangleBeery & Brains own Bread of Heaven.

Later in the Week (or when the have gone ) they have the Lovely Brew Dog Trashy Blonde

If you are in Cardiff this week it’s worth popping over the Goat (which is near…