Note: My Worcester notes are making progressively less sense, and the photos don’t help much. Hopefully Pub Curmudgeon will fill in the gaps. Whatever happened to Periscope ? That would have helped.
Before Pub No.8 it was it was time for the traditional Pubs & Beer Forum Group Photo (above). The fresh-faced folk are the ones who’d had the craft.
Onto 3 pubs to the north of town/city, with my sole GBG newbie still to come.
Pub 8 was the Firefly, notable for my having absolutely no recollection of it despite scoring the beer quite highly on a previous visit. It looks a bit “quirky”. Look how blue the sky is. Only four pints can do that.
What do you think when you see Weihenstephan on the wall ?
We were excited by the beer range.
“Oooh look, Siren”
“Oooh look, Mallinsons”
“Pint of Enville”
Yes, the “stylish beer bar with interesting cask, and loads of ads for Vedett“. A sort of Port St Beer House for the shires.
Memory fades, but the lack of notes suggests that a) much rubbish was talked and b) the Mallinsons (what happened to them ?) was decent enough, without actually causing me to say “Mmm, taste this. This is what cask ale is all about” (See Mudgie post).
We pressed on to the Lamb & Flag, an addition to the original itinerary once it appeared in the GBG (belatedly).
Confusingly looking a little like a mini version of the pub of the same name in Oxford, but sadly without the Palmers.
Cosy, narrow, ticking over at 6pm, and with some quirky art.
But with the most confused beer range of the day. Apparently owned by Marstons, but selling Two Crafty Brewers beers (though mainly Wye Valley if we’re honest), and serving Greene King Firebird as a guest.
The beer didn’t stand out, but Mudgie singing along to “Horse with no name” will live long in the memory (if we had one). He may deny that.
Last of the day for folk with trains to go to was the Dragon, one of Worcester’s long standing free houses.
Now run by Church End and with as many pumps as customers. Hoorah ! As you’ll have guessed, the Goat’s Milk didn’t taste like the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain it was last year.
Again, proper looking pub, if not quite a Proper Pub.
Some very low lighting and another attractive pub not quite looking “lived in“. It’s fair to say the BRAPA quotient was a bit low.
We were getting a bit tired emotional now, and trains (delayed), curry houses and Wetherspoons awaited.
But first Charles said;
“Shall we do that Paul Pry then ?”
retiredmartin 
I thought the Church End Beers were the best of the day, by a country mile. So good we went back later.
LikeLike
Mine was a bit thin and dull, though drinking halves never helps. Cask Ale lottery.
LikeLike
To be fair, there weren’t many people in until we arrived, so maybe they hadn’t pulled much through and it was even better later. I’ll get round to posting now I’ve finished next edition of New Full Measure – basically I will be saying apart from Church End and a couple of others we were served some right pish in Worcester.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point, and agree inn the round. Only the beer in Paul Pry was poor (both we had, Charles was livid), but nothing stood out. I think my expectations are different these days. A “competently kept” pint (NBSS 2.5/3) is no longer good enough when there’s craft keg (whether Burning Soul, Beavertown or Punk IPA) on the taps. I don’t want to drink “Competently kept” beer any more, I want great pints. That Doom Bar I rave about was magic.
LikeLike
Wait while you get your hands on the ‘Extra Cool Doom Bar’ – somehow Cool, Doom Bar and Extra don’t marry do they.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s my beer of choice, Richard, draw your own conclusions 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we’ve recently found out that Martin definitely thinks Doom Bar is always Extra Cool.
Almost as cool as Bass.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If “they hadn’t pulled much through” 3½ hours after opening, and that’s a pub not far from the main railway station and town centre, and one has to wait till “later” for it to be “better” then maybe that’s why “craft keg” is gaining ground.
LikeLiked by 2 people
In the Firefly someone must have been standing in front of the pumpclip for the Enville White, a beer I would have preferred to my pineapple murk.
I would very much have liked to use the Dragon again, the obvious pub between trains before Tim’s arrival, but at may age ten pubs is enough for one day.
LikeLike
I did wonder why you plumped for that one as I managed to spot the Enville White. Mind you, the handpumps were in a rather odd position, set well back from the front of the bar and (it seemed) at a lower level.
LikeLike
I went for Mallinsons because I’ve had some impressive beer from them in Manchester and Stockport, though tellingly as they’ve expanded the beer has got less and less striking.
LikeLike
The Church End beers did not stand out for us last May. We stopped at the Dragon on the first night in Worcester but did not return on the second even though we had dinner nearby.
Hearing Mudgie sing would be priceless. He did not entertain us with song in Bradford. We missed out.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“When Mudgie sings, I hear violins…”
LikeLiked by 1 person
You don’t hear enough ABC in pubs these days.
LikeLiked by 2 people
More like the sound of fingernails being scraped down a blackboard 😮
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Hearing Mudgie sing would be priceless” – every Mudgie has his price !
LikeLiked by 1 person