SHEPS CHRISTMAS BEER

December 2024. Canterbury.

I left the Two Sawyers, looking rather more charming outside than in,

and wondered what to do next having invested £7.30 on an off-peak return. I’d only just visited Canterbury, done the little church, and a few central pubs, and an aimless walk in drizzle seemed pointless.

Next train back in 10 minutes, then.

But if there’s three things you can rely on, they’re the number of pubs in the Retired Martin Top 100, the declining popularity of Tim Taylor Landlord now it’s No. 1, and the latenesses of your train.

12 minutes. That’s just enough to pop over the footbridge, see that light in the distance,

and decide that the White Hart will do, thanks.

A plainish neighbourhood Sheps pub, all warm and Christmassy,

with an actual festive beer on.

Now, I know a barrel of Master Brew was one of the gifts brought by the 3 kings in 0 AD, but in an unfamiliar pub you should always go for the strongest beer. There’s a logic somewhere. Just a half though.

It was cool and tasty (NBSS 3), the soundtrack suitably festive (Jammin’, more Bob Marley), and a small girl came over to my wave at me. I waved back. It’s Christmas.

“That was nice” I tell the Landlord.

“Want another ?”

I did, but couldn’t. Know your limits.

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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.

11 thoughts on “SHEPS CHRISTMAS BEER”

  3. On the subject of Christmas beers, one could do a lot worse than Bathams XXX that’s 6.3% for £4 in the Bull and Bladder – and just in time with three of them sold in the first quarter hour this lunchtime from the last of their four casks.
    Mrs SP then drove me further down the M5 for BB and SBA from that Cotswold brewer we so love.

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      1. No Paul, It’s only ever on for about a fortnight. That’ll be it for another fifty weeks.
        “When it’s gone, it’s gone” as they so rightly say.
        Yesterday lunchtime on hearing they were on the last cask I asked how many they’d had and she said “one large one and three small ones” though couldn’t properly define “large” and “small”.
        Being Bathams I suspect it’s one hogshead and three kilderkins, and that’s 864 pints or about sixty pints a day

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  4. I shall keep an eye out for Shep’s Christmas Ale. When I first started drinking, back in the mid-70’s, the brewery sold a strong, bottled Christmas Ale, during the festive season. Half pint bottles, mind you, as most brewers’ bottled beers were back then.

    There was no requirement to display how strong the beer was either during those times, but the Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale sold then, was a strong, pale ale, similar to Bishop’s Finger, but with more oomph!

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