More Lists

Reading Ron's Blog about list got me thinking along the same lines. Since I read a similar thing in Steve Thomas's Good Beer Guide to Germany I've been meaning to compile my own. So for what it's worth here is my opinion on what constitutes excellence in the beer world. If you don't agree with me I don't care these are purely my own favourites as of today, tomorrow you may get a different answer.

Destination

1. Bamberg

A town that has everything. A great buzz to the place, it's pubs and it's beers. All this and it stands on its own as a tourist destination without all the beer.

2. Düsseldorf

What can I say. The four Alt brewpubs of the old town make for one of the best Friday nights imaginable, if you can get a seat that is.

3. York

A bewildering array of great pubs, beers and people. My brother lived in York for years and never tired of it, and why should he. we'll be back there to celebrate his 40th in July.

4. Kreuzberg, Hallerndorf, Franken, Germany

Four great Bierkeller on a wooded hill surrounded by villages with their own breweries, how could you go wrong?

5. Prague

I shouldn't include Prague, but I did inspite of myself, should have picked somewhere clever and unusual like Antwerp (Belgium) or Sedan (France).

Brewery

1. Mahrs, Bamberg

Could almost go in any category and has a good argument for most, there are better beers but there's only one Mahr's.

2. Adnams, Southwold, England

A traditional family run brewery in a small Suffolk seaside town that somehow never left the 1950's. Adnams do just about everything right, except axing Extra!

3. Timothy Taylor, Keighley, Yorkshire

A great range of beers from the best brewer in Yorkshire, how could anyone leave it out.

4. Göller, Zeil am Main, Franken, Germany

Again a great range of beers in some of my favourite styles. It's a winning formula that keeps me buying more

5. Tinkoff, St Petersburg, Russia

The Russians beating the German's at their own game. If only every modern German brewpub was this good. Clinically excellent beers served in a location that even persuades me that modern can be great.

Pubs (As They Are Today)

This was a hard one, some great pubs didn't get included, but these are the five that did.

1. The Chequers, Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire

Small unspoilt village boozer, in the same family for generations and selling Adnams Bitter in perfect condition.

2. Krug, Geisfeld, Franken, Germany

Spookily similar to The Chequers only in a different country. The buildings and the look are completely different but the people and the atmosphere are exactly the same.

3. Zum Schlüssel, Düsseldorf

From one extreme to the other, Schlüssel is a huge multiroomed brewpub, again with one dominant product for sale, Alt. The one pub in Düsseldorf that I've visited twice in one night. Once the Alt is flowing it's difficult to find a reason to leave.

4. Mahr's, Bamberg

The Schwemme in Mahrs is another one of those "public bar" kind of places where the beer and conversation flows and you rarely leave before closing time.

5. The Ferry, Cawood, Yorkshire

My favourite place to drink Taylor's Landlord, always in great condition, in a riverside pub with centuries of history, did I save the best 'til last? Even I can't answer that one.

Pubs (As They Once Were)

1. The Garibaldi, St Albans (1986)

Great Fullers ESB in this great pub of the time. It was a bit of a drain on student funds but we always had a great night, thanks Tim.

2. The New Inn, Appletreewick, Yorkshire (until 2007)

Daleside beers, great lunches and my first experience of a real foreign beer list, thanks John.

3. The Falcon, Arncliffe, Yorkshire (1983)

Great memories of late nights drinking Younger's No. 3 then the long walk back to the campsite. The landlord, who's name I forget was always most helpful in checking that we were "all right for beers" no matter what time it was!

4. The Red Lion, Histon, Cambridgeshire (about 1985)

Always an interesting range of beers including Adnams, in great condition, the landlord and landlady were from New Zealand unfortunately I can't remember their names.

5. The Rose & Crown, March, Cambridgeshire (until 2006)

Doug's beer quality, cellar management and dedication to providing an ever changing range of interesting beers, is something I expect I'll never have the pleasure of enjoying again.

The common theme here seems to be: great landlords make great pubs. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the people factor is so important.

Beer

As for the beers, I think I'll just give you the list without further comment. Again it's hard to decide what to include and what to leave out.

1. Timothy Taylor's Landlord

2. Hummel Kellerbier

3. Spezial Lagerbier

4. Orval, Belgium

5. Adnams Bitter