A PUNK-FUELLED PUB QUIZ IN THE SUN

 

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Worryingly, I’ve become a bit addicted to my local.

First, the Sun introduced Punk IPA.  But while we drank the evil keg, it was noticeable that everyone else was on the cask; 10 pints in a row in the lounge.

Then, last week, this;

If you live in Derby, or Stoke, or even Plymouth, you may wonder what the fuss is about.  But sightings of Draught Bass in Cambridgeshire are rarer than calls to Fenland Mountain Rescue.

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The bell on the bar ought really have been rung to announce the arrival of the sacred liquid (I only live 300 yards away), rather than to summon Landlord Andrew from the public bar.

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It was a good Bass while it lasted, perhaps more in keeping with the tight creamy headed version of south Derbyshire than the flat Bass of my dreams, but still a joy.

The Bass has gone, but I was bullied tempted back last week by the Thursday pub quiz. Mrs RM has been trying to get me to do this for many years, ever since I beat a Weakest Link runner-up at a Mark Warner holiday camp quiz in 2002.  My prize was two pints of Fosters.

We dragged an intelligent friend from Kloppland (Dortmund) along with us, and settled down with pints of Punk and something pale from Pennine (NBSS 3.5).  Plus some hot nuts, of course.

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Obviously, we’d turned up an hour early which meant that a) We got a seat, b) We weren’t at our best when it started.  That’s fine, we had an excuse.

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We also had a name, Ein Kerl ziemlich normaler Proportionen, which we couldn’t usedas it was unfair on the Quizmaster. So DortBeach it is, which is rubbish.

Actually, we weren’t bad, but competing against Post Grad students and professional quizzers from Landbeach, we struggled with questions requiring actual knowledge.

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And then the Punk IPA ran out*. Actually run out, no more barrels. Mrs RM looked very guilty but still had the last half.

Tellingly, the next question was

“Name the two animals in Punch & Judy”

“Sausages !!!”  shouted Mrs RM.

Let that be a warning to you.

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Outdoor Gents, The Sun

 

*We popped in the Sun last night.  The Punk IPA has been replaced with a weaker Black Sheep craft keg wannabe.  Oh dear.

 

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

24 thoughts on “A PUNK-FUELLED PUB QUIZ IN THE SUN”

  2. That one from Penine looks as pale as they come. I wonder why the Punk isn’t similarly displayed in a jam jar? (Come to think of it, other pubs have jars for the cask but not the craft keg. Don’t they deserve a miniature Mason jar or something?)

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    2. Interesting point on the Punk. Mrs RM comes across quite a lot of craft keg in the 5.5 -6.5% range that “taste like BrewDog” and it does. But the me-too efforts available thru Punch, like this Black Sheep, are noticeably less inspiring.

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    2. Me and the wife had a pint and a half of Bass in Seven Stars in Falmouth and most people seemed to be drinking it.
      Falmouth is nice but the Seven Stars was not so good in our eyes,but you may like it as it is a Camra type pub that we seem to dislike.

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      1. I liked the Bass, both the drink and all the old Bass memorabilia, Alan. I know what you mean about the Seven Stars. I guess you didn’t go in Mono and HAND, the craft places ?

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  8. I like to see those small jam jars on bar in front of each pump that most seem to dislike,me and the wife like it because it gives you clue as to what type of drink you are ordering as we never ask for tasters and just go straight in and ask for what takes our fancy,a dark coloured drink is not our tipple in summer,but would be in winter,so the jam jars help us out.

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  9. I would have thought you knew me by now,a week in Falmouth with the wife,we did every drinking place that let us in,Mono had keg Doom Bar on and very uncomfortable seating,it did’nt seem like a craft place to us,more of a posy joint that was empty.
    We also did Hand,a crap craft place with prices to match,we were out of our comfort zone when we saw a sign saying no real ales,i had no idea what to have from a line up of keg craft beers,the one i chose to have was horrible,my wife has just said to me the “worst drink i have ever had”when i do a blog about it you will see a photo of the beer we drunk in there.

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    1. That’s amazing. When I went in those places 18 months ago they both had really good real ale, though my sister said they were on the decline a year ago. No call for real ale among the young !

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  10. I usually embrace plurality, however on this occasion I have to say that Bass is Not Bass unless it has a tight creamy head. If you prefer a flat pint then seek out something like the Fuller’s London Pride that was made to be dispensed flat (dropped straight out of the cask originally).

    Even then, why do the pubs which serve flat beer always have a screw thread on the neck end of the pump? Just have look next time. It’s a bit like running your car without a proper exhaust system.

    Honestly, I do not smirk and snigger with the other customers (and landlord) when an off comed southern ‘un comes in our local and asks for his OBB to be pulled with the sparkler taken off

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    1. You get full marks for the quality of your argument, Richard. I can’t explain why flat Bass works (only from the barrel or jug, mind you).

      OBB would never work without sparkler. Or John Smiths Cask, for that matter.

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