You may be surprised to hear this, but I didn’t know William Bass came from Hinckley. I’d always assumed he was born in Milton Keynes General. So the local CAMRA branch had already increased my vital beer knowledge from a quick read of Half Pint in the Elbow Room.
There seemed to be 15 pubs on that trail offering Bass, Worthy or Brew XI. Which is 15 more than in the whole of Cambridgeshire (I think).
One of those was the Pestle & Mortar, the inevitable new micro pub, (No.7 on the map).
That meant an entertaining walk through a town centre looking more old-fashioned than ever since the developments round the Crescent. After the gloss of the new, it was back to traditional alleyways, shops and a hotel that may beat the Premier Inn for adventure.
If Dick and Dave do stay in the Kase Hotel on their next UK visit I’ll pop by and buy them a Bud.
They’d enjoy the architecture, even if some of the businesses behind the facades are dead;
And the pubs were lively, perhaps busier than Leicester. From out of the Bounty came the strains of “Nice’n’Sleazy“, an accurate description of the area between the new “entertainment” centre and pedestrianised Castle Street.
The overall effect is a bit like Haverhill, a Suffolk town looking to become self-sufficient with modern shopping and entertainment facilities, leaving the old centre looking fairly gritty. My sort of town.
No Bass in Haverhill, though. The Pestle & Mortar is a little Bass shrine.
I get a bit fed up with pubs who lay the Bass memorabilia on thick but don’t give it a go on the pumps.
Here you get the Bass in pride of place.
“Pint of Bass, please”
“We’ve got other beers on the board if you want them”
“You don’t come to Hinckley to not drink Bass”
“You certainly don’t”
The landlady took pride in her beers; the cobs looked great too.
At 4.30 it was packed with Old Boys, tradesmen (mainly electricians with complex probems) and other beer drinkers. But the talk was of skittles, not beer.
It’s a simple formula really.
And worth a trip just for the very functional loos.
I really should have revisited the very trad New Plough and Queen’s Head, but they can wait for my inevitable beer and curry night here.
Hinckley looked a picture on the walk back to the station.
I chased the sunset, all the way to the Hungry Horse, and nipped in to use their loos.
And I nearly succumbed to the Starry, Starry Night. But you know who brews that, don’t you ?
retiredmartin 
What a great crawl. We may take you up on the Bud. How long does this celebration go?
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The Bass trail finished in September, come back for the 2018 one !
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Hinkley definitely looks better at sunset than during the day.
“But you know who brews that, don’t you ?”
Not sure but I’m willing to give it a *cough* go(gh). 😉
Cheers
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Very good. You should write for BRAPA.
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Bass in a micropub/new-wave bar! And is M&B Brew XI still a thing? I’d certainly try that if I spotted it.
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Brew X! has popped up a handful of times over the last year (brewed by Brains now I think). May have been an Ember. Shamefully, I didn’t try it !
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You must have the knowledge to churn out the Good Bass Guide by now, fella, the number of pubs you punt yourself around?
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Once Mudgie and Wickingman cough up the £10k I’m looking to crowdfund I can roll the printing presses.
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Currently doing a tour of the village defibrillators at the thought of parting with money. This Bass stuff you mention, is it a new craft thing?
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Although the Kase probably received fewer stars than checks for the Bass, it looks right up my alley. What was the Bass rating?
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NBSS 3.5 Dick. Very good, though I prefer the tighter head of the Black Lion in Leighton Buzzard. Trust that’s sufficient detail !
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This Bass you’re drinking, is it the proper stuff, brewed in the original Bass brewery in Burton using the Burton Union system? Or is it a pale imitation brewed by some mega brewer for one of the even bigger brewing giants?
Starry, starry night
Bass Mirrors hung in empty pubs
Name-less pumps in nameless bars
With eyes that watch the triangle and can’t forget
😄
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I like mega breweries. As long as they pay their taxes, I don’t care who makes it or where. Stuff your terroir.
I believe Bass was all brewed in one go in 1777, kept in a giant well in Shobnall, and drawn out by machines at regular intervals to fill metal casks.
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There used to be a pub in York that was originally called The Tiger,but then changed its name to The William Bass,went in it under both names,sadly long closed,i have got a good picture of it on the Pubs Galore site.
On another note my brother came round and gave me some stuff to read,in Novembers Whats Brewing,there are three pubs deleted from the 2018 GBG and it is not even 2018 yet.
I hope you have done them Martin.
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The Bass and sunset look absolutely fantastic! GK brew it and the flashing pump clip attacted a few of my pals in Nottingham recently once they had warmed up! I assume that Hotel comes in the ‘budget’ range?
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Ah, I knew someone had mentioned it. Knew it was GK, though you wouldn’t from the clip. Not that I care about that sort of thing; it’s only beer !
Yes that hotel designed for contractors, it says. Hinckley short of town centre options, most places along the A5.
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