Yes, some dickhead really did mansplain that to his other half. I’d have photographed him but I’ve never mastered selfies.
When I arrived just before 7, Mrs RM was already in the BrewDog on Castlegate, opposite the flagship Spoons.
A bit like when you say you’re going to America people want to know if you’re going to the Bud factory, loads of folk had asked about my plans to visit BrewDog on home soil (nearly).
I was never going to NOT visit them, GBG or not, but it’s hard to know quite what to say that you can’t deduce yourself by a trip to Norwich or Leeds or Shoreditch.
First things first. No (Live) real ale, nor in any of the BDs in Aberdeen. That experiment didn’t last long, did it ?
Castlegate was certainly busy, and Mrs RM had inadvertently nabbed a table with a sticker saying “Reserved for Archie from 7“. She’d bought herself a cutting-edge collaborative brew (OK, she’d brought the strongest one on the list) and she wasn’t going anywhere.
If it was in the Guide I suspect BRAPA may have enjoyed the fuss if “Archie” had turned up 5 minutes late and Mrs RM had claimed forfeiture of his seat.
What can I say ? I only had a sip (not dregs) of the Juicy IPA, quite nice (QN 3).
But it was too busy, everyone was aged 21-25, we were going to have to wait an hour for chips, “Archie” might be scary, etc etc, so we cut our losses and headed for BD2, the original (thanks Leon), round the corner from the majestic misty Marischal.
A quieter Dog, lacking that spicy salad we like but with decent pizza. But frankly, we could have been in Frankie & Benny’s. Given the soundtrack was Ocean Colour Scene and Supergrass (“Alright”) it could have been a Frankie & Benny’s from 1996.
I quite like consistency of range in a brewery’s pubs, which is just as well as the BrewDog list is looking a tad samey these days.
I think I may have followed the Dead Pony Club and Elvis Juice with the barley wine, probably illegally. We’ll see if she gets it through expenses.
You’ll remember my job was to protect Mrs RM from the perils of excess BrewDog, so we didn’t stay for the board games.
BrewDog seemed to be doing quite well on a wet Wednesday in March. A third outlet in the indoor shopping centre was also busy and had a greeter at the door handing out menus, which tells you where they’ve pitched that one. Their food is their strong point, oddly.
They were just about to open a “branch” in Inverurie, which is a bit like Cloudwater launching in Marple. And their new Draft House, which I wasn’t allowed into the soft launch of cos I’m not an awesome influencer, promises cask.
One thing stands in their way. Price. You can get a superior pint of Punk for £2.99 in the Spoons in town. And lets face it, Spoons are more fun.
retiredmartin 
Punk is £3.99 in the central Manchester Spoons.
LikeLike
This comment was added to the “Inverurie” post. Apologies for repeating it but it might never be picked up on that old thread….
I do not understand why RM pours bad beer into the plant pots.
First off, this scenario can easily be avoided by asking for a “taste”. I am never phased by doing this.
I always “pretend” (when in a new, to me, pub) that I am a novice drinker. So, even with a beer I know, I still need to taste it on that particular day in that particular pub. A thimble in Spoons gives me a chance to smell it and taste it. Some pubs give as much as a generous tenth of a pint !
Why pay £4 for a drink you may end up pouring away.
Secondly, return the crap product to the bar. And tell them why. I won’t slink away having watered the plants. You haven’t “got one over them” by doing that. You have simply lost £4 and potentially gained gutrot
This is as important to me as asking for a top up.
LikeLike
If I’m not sure what a beer will be like that’s when I might remember about half pint glasses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“THEY INVENTED CRAFT, YOU KNOW”
“You know” at the end of a few words is proof they’re talking codswallop.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think Mrs RM knows I’m always talking codswallop after five pints.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It takes 5 pints ….?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Speak for yourself Prof….
How’s the abstinence going by the way?
LikeLike
It’s not always, if it introduces a topic, Paul, viz:
“I’m Irish, you know”
“Oh really?”
“No. O’ Reilly”
(Sorry, I’ve used that before.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The abstinence is tickety-boo.Five weeks down and three to go.
And my first-ever diet has proved easier than I thought – 1,000 calories a day – so as of today I’m 21lbs down on when I started.
I can’t wait to smash a load of G&T’s on the flight to Mexico however.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great statement. I laughed out loud.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I’d have photographed him but I’ve never mastered selfies.”
(slow golf clap)
And there goes your attempt to try and act sober. 🙂
“(OK, she’d brought the strongest one on the list)”
The Mallow Mafia?
“New York, London, Paris, Moray Firth”
Tsk, tsk. Obviously, from the sign at the back, the sequence is A,B,B… so what follows next has to all begin with C. 😉
“round the corner from the majestic misty Marischal.”
Crikey. That photo below looks like a coup waiting to happen.
“A quieter Dog”
Did it try to lick your shoes? 😉
“That’s us”
That game can be brutal with enough beer (you don’t even have to play; just watch… and listen). 🙂
“And lets face it, Spoons are more fun.”
I prefer forking myself. 😉
Cheers
LikeLike
Is it just me, or does that sound rather rude?
Or maybe just the argument-ending term, “Oh go fork yourself!”?
(Possibly a comma after the word ‘forking’ would redeem it?)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Canadians 😕
LikeLike
Blimey; never looked at it that way. 😉
LikeLike
What is “craft beer”? Is Stella craft, is Fosters craft? To me its just another word for over priced keg.
LikeLike
Craft is whatever Wetherspoons says it is on their little beer menu they leave on the table. I take it to be anything served from a white tiled back wall, Mrs RM considers it anything above 7% I think.
LikeLike
Best opening paragraph of the year, there.
I’m sure someone will come along and correct you regarding Castlegate being the original BD bar, but it won’t be me.
LikeLike
Thanks Leon.
Ah right, just assumed their first one was the most central one. You can tell I’m “pubs” not “beer”. I will correct it before Russ wakes up. Glad we have an Official BrewDog Historian reading this ;-0
LikeLike
I was on my way to Pittodrie for a Europa League Qualifier. I can’t remember the opponents but I do remember the BrewDog and 6 degrees North on the way to the ground.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cards Against Humanity is a great/fun game!
LikeLike
I thought craft was invented in Yorkshire like everything else? You’re spot on re spoons being more fun and seeling good Punk though
LikeLiked by 1 person
And it’s purely volume, nothing magical 😉
LikeLike
“New York,London,Paris, Moray Firth”
They all look the same wherever you are, even Reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person