Ale to the King / CAMRGB Pub Tour of Edinburgh

After an ill omened few days of wind and wetness the sun finally beamed down upon the occasion of the Ale to the King/CamRGB Pub Tour of Edinburgh.

The epic trek was to encompass all ten of the pubs on Ale to the King’s Top 10 Best Pubs in Edinburgh List. An overly ambitious task you think? Well you may just be right about that.

The first pub on the list was the marvellous Teuchtar’s Landing just off The Shore in the upcoming Leith area of the capital. This charming little pub offered up a couple of nice little surprises; two gentlemen who were unexpected and welcome guests, bringing with them their dog and soon to be tour mascot Eddie, and the manager kindly extending the offer of free chips to the group (an offer on top of those already extended by other pubs)!

After a delightful pint of Emanation Pale Alefrom Tempest Brewing Co. (fast becoming one of my favoured breweries) we waited a while longer for others to arrive, accompanied by a cheeky bottle ofCalifornia Common from Knops Beer Company.

Making our way the short distance to the second pub on the list we met the owner of The Roseleaf Café Bar who was kind enough to extend a 10% discount to us on all drinks. My choice was The Rev. James, an English Bitter from Bains. A little tart for my taste, perhaps at that time at least!

The owner of the Roseleaf also managed to help convince one of our non-ale newbies to a Maid in Leith, which I was glad to see continue. A fitting feat for the first pub to host a CAMRA meeting way back when it was the Black Swan.

After this we journeyed on to the Malt & Hops, right on the banks of The Shore, a gloriously old fashioned ale spot. Here I personally enjoyed a lovely X15 by Trystwhich has a refreshing sting to it, while others supped one of Tryst’s Cascade Pale Ales.

After rallying the troops we enjoyed a nice wee jaunt on the bus through sunny scenic Edinburgh to the fine Stockbridge Tap. Another brewery fast climbing up my favourites list is Magic Rock Brewing. TheirHighwire was delicious here while others tucked in to a somewhat disappointingPentland IPA by Stewart Brewing.

Here at the Stockbridge Tap the challenge of what lay ahead began to feel all too real.
Perhaps the full ten pubs was unattainable, perhaps it wouldn’t even be wise to try.

As we strode forth we arrived at the near mythical Kay’s Bar, an establishment that even many Edinburgh born and bred are hard pushed to locate. As usual there was a great selection on tap. As more joined thetour we enjoyed both a Diamond Reign by Castle Rock Brewery and an Inkie Pinkie by The Inveralmond Brewery.

Afterwards we headed off to Dirty Dick’s Bar. As I’d previously spoken to the manager he agreed to extend a 10% discount to our party. Alas the beer selection wasn’t so good that day but a cool, refreshing Bitter and Twisted by Harviestoun Brewery is never an unwelcome drop.

After this we headed to what would ultimately be our journey’s final stop, the Blue Blazer. Here a kind 20% discount offer was extended to us which we used heartily, but by this time more than enough had been drunk. After that amount of strong beer, it was time to retire.

Was attempting to tackle a full ten pubs too much? Yes. It’s a good job things ended when they did. But as the sun shone down upon the gorgeous capital it was actually nice to know that those pubs beyond our reach today simply allowed a reason to head out and explore them on another.

Live Pub Guide to Edinburgh: Plan of ATTK & Discounts

Now comes the time to reveal Ale to the King/CamRGB’s Plan of ATTK for tomorrow’s Live Pub Guide to Edinburgh!

As those of you coming along will already know we are meeting at the Teuchter’s Landing at 11 before continuing in the following order:

• Teuchter’s Landing
• Roseleaf Cafe Bar: 10% Discount on Drinks
• Malt & Hops: Free mugs of chips

A wee bus ride to Stockbridge on the number 36

• The Stockbridge Tap
• Kay’s Bar
• Dirty Dick’s Bar: 20% Discount on Drinks
• Blue Blazer: 20% Discount on Drinks
• The Brauhaus
• Bow Bar
• Brewdog Bar

In case anyone gets lost and for those joining us later into the tour you can locate our current whereabouts by phoning or texting me on:

07903914460.

The aim is to spend just over an hour in each pub; this is clearly going to run over, but that’s why we’ve decided upon such a conservative amount of time. This way no one feels like they should be sprinting a marathon and we should all get into all the pubs!

I, rather embarrassingly, will have a whistle with me. When we are approaching time to leave I will give a little blast on the whistle so people can sup up.

With that said, I’ll see you all at 11 AM tomorrow!

Follow Ale to the King on twitter or share your beer experiences with us onuntappd.

Join us for our first ever event in Edinburgh here.

Pub Tour of Edinburgh: Discounts

Hail!

As the posters around Edinburgh, on the facebook event page and on this very site may have alerted you, there will a special offers afforded to us by several pubs on the route.

Those of you joining us on this journey into ale will be issued with Ale to the Kingcards that will prove to staff at participating pubs that you are entitled to these discounts.

I’ll print off enough for all who have signed up as definitely coming, so you won’t have to be sharing around.

Follow Ale to the King on twitter or share your beer experiences with us on untappd.

Join us for our first ever event in Edinburgh here.

Ale to the King/CamRGB Pub Guide to Edinburgh: Stagger(ered/ing) Eating

Hail!

A quick note regarding eating during Monday’s Ale to the King/CamRGB Live Pub Guide to Edinburgh.

Due to the unexpectedly high turn out for our event (THANK YOU) the charming little pubs on the route have told me they simply don’t have the room to cater for all of us all at once!

Ale to the King knows that, thankfully, people usually don’t want to eat all at the same time, so we’d ask you to eat at whatever pub you like. After all, we’re advising a hearty breakfast and there’ll be free chips early on from the Malt and Hops!

I also ask if you could order your meal with your pint straight away so we can keep on some semblance of a timetable, that would be a gargantuan help to the event!

My thanks, not only in this but to all those who have signed up through the various ways!

I honestly can’t wait for this event and to meet those I haven’t before and be reacquainted with those I have!

Pub Review: The Leith Beer Co., the Shore, Edinburgh

Name: The Leith Beer Co.
Location: 58 The Shore, Edinburgh

Note: This is Ale to the King‘s review of The Leith Beer Co. on its opening night. As pubs do, The Leith Beer Co. may change and grow as it settles into itself.

Beer Selection: The leaflet that popped through the letter box promised “an eclectic draft and bottled drinks range”. True enough there was a good range of bottled beers available, both lagers and ales. You won’t immediately notice them, they’re tucked into the fridges behind the bar. I was actually left a little disappointed upon first arriving; before ordering you’re best to pop your head round the corner to the steps, where a massive blackboard displays all the beers they sell. There’s nothing here that’s particularly new or unusal, but it does cover all the bases. And I do mean all.

That was a relief as I was a tad disappointed by the draft beers on offer. It was the standard range you’d find in any Edinburgh pub that didn’t specialise in ale. The pint of the week was the now ubiquitous Blue Moon from Coors. The only beer I’d not seen before was the Belhaven Black Stout, which was rather tasty, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t particularly regard Belhaven Best.

Atmosphere: Having never visited in its previous incarnation, The Waterline, its impossible for me to compare its atmosphere now to what it once was. On opening night The Leith Beer Co. was bright and airy, if rather subdued and quiet. A thirties crowd seems to frequent this place (with three groups of people talking about Zombies at once oddly).  You’ll easily find somewhere quiet where you can keep yourself to yourself.

Staff: Very helpful and quick to serve. They seem to know a thing or two about beer and are happy to advise and chat. There’s an encouraging air of professionalism here with this welcomeness as well.

Interior/Exterior: This may be hard to judge, since on a morning drive-by people were clearly still putting the finishing touches to the innards. As a result the whole place smelt strongly of B&Q.  It was a very strange experience, to the point it almost interferred with my bottle of Orkney Brewery Dark Isle.

The decoration is very stock, with generic prints of general old-timey-brewy-stuff on the walls and hung on canvas. The chairs are comfortable and the main material used is wood. I don’t know whether its the newness that makes it seem somewhat cheap, only time will tell on that matter.

I can see what they’re going for, a clash of rustic and industrial; the old-timey prints are nicely teamed with ultra-functional looking metal hanging lights, suspended from their most appealing flourish, the solid wooden-planked roof. The Leith Beer Co. seems to be straining for individuality against a tight leash imposed by its owner Belhaven.

There’s a pleasant area out front packed with pub benches where you can watch the ducks and swans on the Water of Leith.

Unfortunately it doesn’t do enough to warrant a near return, especially because its sat so near to three of the ten best ale pubs in Edinburgh.

With a greater range of beers this would have potential to grow into a welcome addition to the Shore, but sadly it falls below what’s already on offer at other pubs.

Follow Ale to the King on twitter or share your beer experiences with us on untappd.

Join us for our first ever event in Edinburgh here.

Ale to the King: A Live Pub Guide to Edinburgh

Date: 04/06/12
Time: 11AM
Place: Teuchter’s Landing, 1C Dock Place, Leith, Edinburgh

“Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies come to life and fade away. What care I how time advances; I am drinking ale today.” – Edgar Allan Poe

Ale to the King in association with CamRGB are staging a royal coup.

This bank holiday may be in honour of one particular woman, but there’s a better reason to celebrate these extra free days. So ready yourselves ale lovers! Join Ale to the King on the 4th of June for a leisurely afternoon of quaffing only the finest real ale in Edinburgh’s most welcoming drinking establishments.

Join us for an afternoon (and, let’s face it, evening) voyaging to some of Ale to the King’s top ten best real ale pubs Edinburgh has to offer. Meet fellow ale lovers, talk ale and try something new – with discounts and special offers along the way.

Have a hearty breakfast then get yourself down to Teuchter’s Landing at the Shore for an 11am kick off. Wear comfy beer boots, because we’ll be taking in lots of the city and remember to bring a mere £1.40 for a bus ride we have planned.
Cider/whisky/gin/whateverthehellyouwanttodrink lovers also welcome, but we think you really should give ale a try – because it’s great.

Just sign-up at the official Facebook Event Page, e-mail us at robertjbayley@gmail.com or give us a Tweet or Direct Message!

While there are discounts on offer from pubs this is a totally free event which Ale to the King, CamRGB and the pubs  have arranged purely in the spirit of promoting great craft beer culture, no matter where its brewed or served.

One final note – remember to pace yourself, you don’t want to miss any of the fun now do you?

It might be Queenie’s big day, but on Monday 4th June we’ll be saying – Ale to the King!

Join us on the day by joining our Facebook Event Page, Tweeting us or e-mailing: robertjbayley@gmail.com

Logos Galore!

Ale to the King’s good friend and visual maestro Martin Kreuch has created these rather excellent logos for this very site. Check out these beauties!

Just in time for our first event too!

Feel free to copy/download these and throw them wherever and whenever you can! Thanks again to Martin Kreuch; you can see examples of his great work at martinkreuch.eu.

Follow Ale to the King on twitter or share your beer experiences with us on untappd.

Join us for our first ever event in Edinburgh here.

Alevengers Assemble

“There was an idea… to bring together a group of remarkable drinkers, so that when we needed them, they could sup the ales that others never could.” ~ Nick Früli.

Tonight details will be unveiled of the very first event brought to you by Ale to the King in association with CamRGB.

On June 4th, let’s celebrate the true royal sovereign of the state.

Ale to the King is now on Untappd!

You can now connect with Ale to the King on Untappd! 

This great social app, which looks to have been around for a year or so, has only just come to my attention, but I can already see myself becoming addicted.

The idea is that of a digital beer log and ranking system. You can connect with friends from all over the world to swap and compare notes on whatever ales you’re supping that very moment. Along the way you can unlock special badges depending on what you drink and special times of the year… at least those are ones I’ve discovered, I’m sure there are plenty more!

So fire up the Android (or Lumia or iphone or Blackberry or…) download the free app and join us for a session of e-drinking.

Ten of the Best Edinburgh Ale Pubs

As the 2nd most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, Ale to the King hasn’t quite managed to tackle every real ale pub and bar in the capital, but a damn good effort is being made.

Below are my favourite spots to go ale hunting at the moment, ranked from 10 to 1 (1 being, predictably, my absolute favourite).

10. Teuchters Landing

1c Dock Place, Leith
A cosy little establishment on the watery edge of Leith, Teuchters Landing seems both fairly modern and contemporary yet linked to the seafaring past of its area. This unique, squat little building houses one of Edinburgh’s best stocked bars, with 14 beers, both macro and micro brewed, on draught and more bottles in the fridge. It also boasts a particularly good selection of whiskys should you choose to chase that Deuchars IPA. A nice warm fire and comfy leather and wood furniture complete this assuredly professional establishment.

9. Blue Blazer

2 Spittal Street, Old Town
For a brief three months I used to live in this area, charmingly known as the ‘pubic triangle’ due to the abundance of strip clubs. Residing literally round the corner this became a well-visited and loved pub. This Pub of the Year winning, traditional ale house is splendidly decorated in the way a proper, old-fashioned, gentile,  boozer should be. On last visit there were six cask ales ready to be drunk in the numerous hideaways and alcoves in this relaxed, well-maintained place. Prepare to make some compromises in personal space; Blue Blazer is becoming alarmingly popular with the young, fashionable professional crowd post-work, especially given the area and craft beer’s increasing prominance.

8. Stockbrige Tap

2 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge
A place that was unusually full of Black Isle is alright in Ale to the King’s books. For an area so erudite and swish Stockbridge Tap brings a needed earthy not to the area, sitting across from Hector’s and thus proffering up something a little less considered, a little more down-to-earth and a little more honest. It has a charming atmosphere and proper pub games while serving up some of the finest quality drinks going. It also plays host to some cracking beer festivals, so make sure you get down to these when they’re on and join the locals in expanding one’s taste horizons.

7. Brauhaus

105 Lauriston Place, Old Town
Rammed to the rafters with dozens of ale varieties, the Brauhaus, situated at the edge of Old Town, near the Meadows, is in a ripe position to take advantage of the upcoming, arty, area it borders. The beer selection really is vast, albeit most of these are in bottles. The ramshackle, mashed-together aesthetic really speaks volumes of what you can drink here, from more common brews like Stewart’s Edinburgh Gold to £10 bottles of the finest Belgian beer, its all under this roof. While I wouldn’t describe it as particularly cosy, and there can be a horrendous draft if you sit too close to the door of this small place, the number of ales on offer make up for everything.

6. Bow Bar

80 West Bow, Old Town
It looks and feels like its as old as St. Giles itself, but was actually only renovated in the 1990s.  Much of the furniture and decoration here was actually reclaimed from other pubs as they were ‘modernised’ giving this place a lived-in yet spruced-up feel. There are always a great selection of craft beers on pump and its somewhere that’s innocuous enough to be frequented by mostly locals, despite its location in tourist-central. With knowledgeable staff its a great place to start an evening or while away an afternoon. A whole day if it takes you, they have a frankly punishing array of craft beer on at any one moment.

5. Dirty Dick’s

159 Rose Street, New Town
If you thought Brauhaus was a collection of oddities wait until you get a load of this place. The dimly lit pub is so crammed full of unusual items, trinkets and decorations it would be almost impossible for a patron to catalogue them all. Believe me, I’ve had some of the most intense games of drunken eye-spy in Dirty Dicks.  However its not just the unique interior which gives this place the thumbs up. There are regularly four cask beers, well poured by the attentive staff. Easily the best pub on Rose Street.

4. Roseleaf Bar Cafe

23/4 Sandport Place, Leith
Another Leith institution, the Roseleaf Cafe Bar is a welcoming place. Situated just by The Shore, its a fine starting point to start a journey round some of the other real ale pubs Leith has to offer. Something, as you might have gathered by now, that scores big points with Ale to the King is great staff who are happy to serve and advise with your purchases. The staff that have served Ale to the King in the past have been great here. They really know what they’re talking about and always seem happy to chat. There’s a very good selection of beers on tap, expanded upon by the numerous bottles behind the bar. If you’re a fan of Williams Brothers Brewery in particular, this place is for you. A vintage style place without the pretentiousness that often comes with it (and old comics as wallpaper in the toilets to boot!). The food here is nothing short of the best I’ve had in a pub.

3. Malt and Hops Freehouse 

45 Shore, Leith.
Hops hang from the ceiling, a reassuring layer of dust sprinkles the less-used corners and a satisfying beery mustiness fills the air in this proper old fashioned ale house. Much like the Blue Blazer, but turned up a notch and taken back a few years, this is something of a nostalgic blast from the past; it take me back to a time before craft beer wasn’t the coolest booze on the block and my fellow regulars were at least 30 years my senior and wore scratty green jumpers over checked shirts. The Malt and Hops Freehouse stands resolute against the tide of craft beer’s and the Shore’s rising popularity and mainstream attention. At last visit there were a very respectable six casks and the rotation is regular. This is a lovely, cosy, relaxing place to absorb an evening and enjoy the warm fire.

2. Brewdog Bar

143 Cowgate, Cowgate
The Cowgate area of Edinburgh is often undeservedly written off. But amongst the less than reputable drinking establishments, its home to two of the best rock and metal clubs in Edinburgh as well as the quite excellent rock and ale pub venue Bannermans. Ale to the King has already given this place a review worthy of this place on the list, but in brief this exemplifies what it took to get the craft beer revolution into full swing. Offering a great range of Brewdog’s own beers as well as a great selection on others bottled and on tap, this cool bar has a modern, minimal style that is a far cry from the sedate, dank, remote pubs from craft beer’s history. Attracting a crowd that like to stay on top of the newest thing as well as veteran ale drinkers, Brewdog Bar is a refreshing place to spend a Saturday. Careful though, your quest to ‘try just one more’ may leave you crawling instead of walking back home. Or falling into drumkits at Bannermans. Take your pick.

1. Kay’s Bar

39 Jamaica Street, New Town.
Ale to the King has been to many pubs in the capital in a quest for the ultimate ale pub, but none has surpassed Kay’s Bar. This has everything an ale drinker would wish of a bar to a tee. A mighty seven ale pumps often stand ready to dispense barley-pop  and slake even the mightiest of thirsts. The atmosphere is at times  cramped, but the surroundings are so ship-shaped and resolutely, jovially British that this Victorian pub forces this to be nothing less than convivial. There is a games room stocked with games that, shock-horror, have all their pieces. There is a wonderfully warm fire. There are dogs running around your feet, always the friendly kind, looking to say hello. The patrons are uniformly friendly and chatty. There’s the staff, who know more about beer than the staff of anywhere I’ve been and are really nice characters (he’s called Fraser. You’ll know the one I’m talking about). And there’s that one thing that seasoned public house patrons will know; seasoned patrons who go to proper pubs and for whom stepping into a Weatherspoon’s, Varsity or Walkabout is an alien, unfortunate experience; a staircase you’re not sure if you’re allowed to go up or not. If you enjoy going out for a drink in Auld Reekie, you owe it to yourself to go to Kay’s Bar.

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