28/05/16 - Stratford-Upon-Avon Pub Crawl

Following on from a walk around Shakespeare's Statford-Upon-Avon - We investigate the most interesting pubs that are on offer.

Our Pub Crawl - Created in the Pubdroid App

Black Swan/Mucky Duck

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "We go to Stratford every July, have always given this pub a miss, as we expected it to be a bit poncey for us"

The only pub in England to be licenced under two names - look carefully at the sign and notice that they are different on either side.

The building dates from 1738 and has a prime spot looking over the river.  My research indicated that this was an Old English Inn.  It may be, but it seems to have been taken over by Greene King.

Sonia wants a quality Euro lager with a dash of Lime, so I order an Estrella Damm, whilst making up my mind.  I ask the barman for a sample of the Dirty Mallard - having never seen it before.  He provides and then heads off to serve someone else.  When I mention that I am using the taster to make up my mind, he says that they often get people asking to just try them.

Must remember this.

So, this is where tasters go wrong.  My smidgen of ale suggests its cold, tasty and with a reasonable head.  I am sold - order a pint.

It quickly becomes flat warm and tasteless.  Check in on Untappd shows its the "House" Greene King beer.  One to be avoided.

Still, the pub garden is lovely.

Other side of the Sign is different

Poor Start - beer wise

Rose and Crown

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "We did eat in here once, don't think would do that again"

Another ancient boozer, tracing its history back to 1596.  It looks great from the outside but investigation proves it to be a horror show of screaming kids, litter strewn and with very bad beer.

Cask Marque - just under what criteria do you allocate your status?

I went for an Immortal - seeing as it is labelled as Stratford's brewery.  How ironic - if I had actually drank this rancid bilge water, I would have probably died.  One look and I complained.  The barmaid asked me what was wrong with it.  I said smell it.

She did and she wished she hadn't.  Swapped for a no risk Peroni.

This is not going well.

The Rose and Crown - Keep walking folks.

Poisonous

Golden Bee

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "Pretty standard 'spoons pub, cheap beer and food, no ambience."

Short commute to the Golden Bee.  It's over the road.  And its a Wetherspoons.

And that's why we didn't go in.  Not prepared to take a risk with the Warwickshire Underclass.

Handsome Building

The Garrick

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "Foul Brummie scum in the front bar again this evening, why these vermin get served I really don't know"

The oldest pub in Stratford, with parts dating back to the 14th Century.  Can this save the day?

Yes it can!

How can you fail to be impressed by a pub that can charts its owners back to before the black death?  It's a wonderful location, with the history dripping off the walls.  Its worth me asking for, and making a fool of myself, to get the Cask Marque logo scanned into my SmartPhone app.  43 to go for the free glass.

I am not prepared to risk a real ale - recognising only more Greene King Ales - so another Peroni and a wonderful Fish Finger Sandwich.

Well worth checking out this place.

Roll of Honour

Beautiful Tudor Buidling

Golden Great

Queens Head

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "the owner seems to have lost interest with this place. expensive and full of billy bozzos"

Things continue to improve when we enter and The Hives "Hate to say I told you so" segways into The Beastie Boys and "Sabotage".  What a fine jukebox.

And the beer was wonderful.

We sit in the outside patio - a lovely sun trap.  The tunes expire.  I hit the jukebox and recreate the soundtrack of Peaky Blinders with liberal helpings of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey.  Just what the Warwickshire locals deserve on a fine sunny afternoon.

Easily, pub of the day.

Queens Head

Not quite a Red Right Hand

The Old Thatch

Beerintheevening Random Quote - "Came back again and still a cracking pub"

Yes, BeerintheEvening has got this one correct.  Wall to wall excellent reviews and well deserved.  Its on the way back to the Station and another Fullers Pub.

With Pride the first decent real ale of the day, a repeat performance was required.

Mrs Mappiman also got her 2nd wind when she discovered that the barman can make up a wicked cocktail.  It has no name, but includes Apple Juice amongst the £6 worth of spirits.

It's a lovely little boozer.  Full of delightful Chesterfields to lounge around on.

If it had indie tunes, it could have given the Queens Head a run for its money.

The Old Thatch - Final Destination

And Pride Saves the Day

What have we learned from our excursion?  The further away from the tourist hordes, the better the pub but can we trust Cask Marque as a sign of quality?