September 2025. Cambridge.
Cambridge has gone Bass crazy.
The Kingston started the trend, and now there’s a check-in at a Greene King flagship.
I mean, it’s not their biggest public house, but the Free Press is where I learnt to love Greene King IPA, before CAMRA folk decided it was rubbish (shortly after declaring it the best Bitter in Britain, I think).
CAMRA’s “indie first” mantra also means you’re not supposed to like Bass, of course, so it’s just as well no-one takes any notice of the indie zealots and drinks beer for enjoyment, not performative politics.
Quite an extensive range for a pub that once served three (3) beers if you were unlucky; IPA, Abbot and Mild.
Another glassware fail here, but also another cool, chewy pint (NBSS 3.5+).
And the Free felt a great pub, busy with Madri drinkers discussing, well, what blokes discuss.
Fleetwood Mac and David Gray your edgy soundtrack,
in a pub that felt very “Kite” (ask your Cambridge Professor).
retiredmartin 
Get rid of those interlopers and bring back the mild.
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“Cambridge has gone Bass crazy.”
They heard your London train was cancelled.
“but the Free Press is where I learnt to love Greene King IPA, before CAMRA folk decided it was rubbish (shortly after declaring it the best Bitter in Britain, I think).”
How the mighty are fallen?
“CAMRA’s “indie first” mantra also means you’re not supposed to like Bass,”
Pfft. One of the reasons I slacked off on Untappd was not wanting to try every bleedin’ new beer wherever I went.
“so it’s just as well no-one takes any notice of the indie zealots and drinks beer for enjoyment, not performative politics.”
Hear, hear! 👍
“Quite an extensive range for a pub that once served three (3) beers if you were unlucky”
A baker’s half dozen!
“Another glassware fail here”
It’s coming back to me. You’re big on handles, or dimples* or some such, yes?
* my darling wife is at the stage where she has handles and dimples 😎
“busy with Madri drinkers discussing, well, what blokes discuss.”
Argh! Is Madri a ‘thing’ over there as well? Sheesh.
“in a pub that felt very “Kite” (ask your Cambridge Professor)”
You felt that you were covered with cloth or plastic?
(oh wait, you said Cambridge Professor, not Cambridge dictionary)
Cheers
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