BEER!

'O' Yes, and its owned by a member of the Theakstons family again. He started the Black sheep brewery and moved next door, sold a lot of beer and bought back Theakstons.

My preference is definitely real ale but if I'm forced I don't mind the odd Peroni or Grolsch (must be from a bottle and imported).

How about a Masham meet. Who's driving

The Lager Rules.

If you ever find yourself in Dublin check out one of the Porterhouse Pubs,
They only sell real ales including their own dark porter (Like Guinness but without the nasty chemicals) their menu lists hundreds of beers from all over the world! Well worth a visit just take a good supply of beer tokens (otherwise known as Euro`s!)

Regards - Pete

Wow, first chance I've had to check the site today. Lot's of beer fans obviously
Some nice suggestions and old favourites of mine been mentioned.

I didn't know that about Old Peculiar. I'll have to try a bottle and see if it's as good as I remember. It's reminded me of another favourite with 'old' in the title.

'Old Speckled Hen' - which has nothing to do with chickens but rather an 'eggcorn' of ‘Owld Speckl’d Un' which refered to an old MG car they used as a factory run around which was covered in speckles of paint.

Now I know what The Dubliners track 'Jar Of Porter' refers to

Old Speckled hen is not as good since it moved from Abingdon imho. But then again nor were MG's

We enjoyed the varieties of "Black stuff" in Ireland last year, though Guinness was bottom of the list.

They do a very respectable steak n ale pie in the Black Sheep brewery

Do you need a driver if you have the pie :

I agree with Gwyn, there are some lovely microbreweries in the states, it isn't all Bud, thankfully. Denver is especially good which is ironic as Coors is based there too.

At a conference reception recently I asked if they had some dark beer. The confused hostess said: "I think we have some Michelob light". I declined! At a different conference last year the hotel had some token dark beers at the reception. Archaeologists are generally into beer and they went in a flash. Shortly later, various hotel staff were seen arriving back with more dark beer purchased from the local supermarket. There was quite a few crates of Bud Light left at the end of the night.

Bad taste joke:
Q: Why is American beer like making love in a canoe?
A: Because it is ******* close to water.

Enough! I am on a beer free diet at the moment.

K.

Snap!! Good stuff. You KNOW when you've been Prided (with apologies to Tango).

Theakston's Old Peculiar is very much still available and to my mind is one of the few beers as good from the bottle as it is from the barrel.

I believe the story behind Black Sheep is that one of the Theakston family who did not get on with the rest of them was referred to as the black sheep of the family. He promptly adopted this identity and set up a rival brewery.

My favourite when I was a student!

You could afford OP as a student?

We used to inhabit cider houses in Plymouth at 17p a pint. Few people got through their second - as much to do with the pH as the alcoholic content.

When I was digging near Newton Abbot I used to drink the cider. Two pints was pretty much my lot.

K.

12 x Tennent's and 2 x Bottles of Buckie, well ye canna whack it

Large Irn-Bru on your flakes in the morning, . . . heaven !!!!