More short posts.
With more great Portsmouth backstreet pub tiling,
but unfortunately more slow-selling beer.
A rare Wadworths house in the Beer Guide, it looked irresistible at dusk.
And with the blues playing and a menu starring “lobster or lobster & pulled brisket loaded fries served up truffle alioli”, I thought it might be the place to slump for the evening with a pint of 6X and a large plate of meat.
But the joint wasn’t jumping, as famous local Joe Jackson probably didn’t say.
And Wadworths had inexplicably decided that 6X wasn’t good enough to grace the bar.
You never feel like eating when a place is empty, do you ?
One group of young professionals were drinking the imported lager for which Devizes’s historic brewery is famed, and I overheard at least one classic line;
“She didn’t know the ice cream parlour was in the swimming pool”.
The IPA was pulled through just for my benefit. At 8pm. If it was being pulled through for the first time that way, you’d be worried.
Whatever, it wasn’t great (NBSS 2) but at least they’d kindly provided a pleasing receptacle for the beer I couldn’t drink.
(Only kidding, it went in the urinal)
retiredmartin 
I can’t believe that any Wadworth pub wouldn’t sell 6X. What a sorry state of affairs!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Bit like Marston pubs that don’t sell Pedigree, and there’s a few of them.
LikeLike
In the old days, their pubs in the North-West, especially the more down-to-earth ones, just used to sell Mercian Mild and Burton Bitter.
LikeLike
Did you know, that William Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, worked as an official ale tester?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ye Olde Caske Marque.
LikeLike
No, but I very much doubt if he had a word to say against the local Flowers beers with his son’s portrait as the trade mark.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ye Olde Caske Marquee = an ancient beer tent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
John Shakespeare also insisted on full pints when out drinking with his son.
He matched him measure for measure.
I thang you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They got into a bit of a row about it at Ye Olde Nags Head one night.
But the landlord sorted it by topping up both pints.
Shakespeare Junior said thanks and all’s well that ends well.
LikeLike
His Dad told the landlord not to worry about it as it was much ado about nothing .
LikeLike
William was outside in the smoking area at the time enjoying a Hamlet.
LikeLike
William wasn’t writing many plays at the time because him and dad had been on the piss for nearly a fortnight.
This was the Twelfth Night.
LikeLike
“In the old days, their pubs in the North-West, especially the more down-to-earth ones, just used to sell Mercian Mild and Burton Bitter”. – yes, and that’s still so with the BB as only last month I commented on Hathersage that
“The Scotchmans Pack there sold plenty of Saddle Tank, as I learnt did many other pubs in the area”, er, that’s if you accept that the northern part of Derbyshire is ‘North-west’ rather than Midlands.
LikeLike
John and son William should have realised that ‘The Shakespeare’ would make a good pub name, registered it and thenceforth made easier money from it than by writing plays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful exterior, shame it is so empty.
LikeLiked by 2 people
MW,
Yes, and back then the drinks sold could be built into the ’tiling’ across the front of the pub
So very different from the blackboard in a ‘poxy’ little micropub.
LikeLike
Ahem, poky.
Sorry, poxy is right.
LikeLike
Wadsworth beer is never going to attract many people to a pub with or without 6x
LikeLike
I accept that jocko. The market for Wadworths or Arkells or Ringwoods enthusiasts is limited. But 6X is a much more recognisable pint than Swordfish or whatever.
And go to the Anchor at High Offley, THE place to sample 6X.
LikeLike
Jacko,
But there’s been times you couldn’t get a seat in the anchor at High Offley.
LikeLike
Had a superb half of 6X 10 minutes after opening time in Ellon yesterday. Surprised me as well.
LikeLike
Are BrewDog making Wadworths beers now, then?
LikeLike
Probably self ironic enough
LikeLiked by 1 person
Citra and myself went into a Wadworth’s pub in Lymington last Monday and, sadly, it was shite. I’d been in with Mrs C a couple of nights before and they tried selling us Sarson’s instead of beer. It wasn’t 6X but even that was old stale when myself, and later Mick, tried it. We only met up there because it was near the station.
A sad tale with many of these, once renowned, established brewers and their pubs. When I lived in Bristol we used to seek out 6X pubs, it was so good.
LikeLike
That’s disappointing – but what was the barstaff’s attitude on learning of your displeasure ?
LikeLike
We had something else instead, then the barmaid told the landlady who told the landlord who came and pulled through the sour beer and just put another cask on!!!!!!!
LikeLike
And you didn’t have a pint from the ‘fresh’ cask ?
LikeLike
I went in there in March with great expectations of a Waddies pub. Sadly the first pint was vinegary, replaced without argument by the same barman in your photo, but by something that was NBSS 2 at best. The menu looked inviting though. A real anticlimax after the Hole in the Wall.
LikeLike