Sunday 19 April 2009

An unhackneyed lager in Hackney


Alex's birthday took us to Hackney's beer ground zero - The Pembury Tavern, part of the Milton Brewery empire. Milton Brewery is based in Cambridge, so I'm familiar with its excellent brews - my favourites are Pegasus (4.1%), a maltier, fuller-bodied London Pride, and Nero (5.0%), a pitch black stout with a solid punch and vanilla finish.

On the right, regrettably, is the only photographic evidence of a terrific night on the tiles. Some 'amusing' Kanye West sunglasses brought along for the ride and a necklace cadged from Alex's girlfriend succeed in casting jesusjohn as the ubiquitous Shoreditch/Hackney media twat in the Nathan Barley mould.

The only redeeming factor of this sorry business is that I'm seen clearly drinking Taddington Brewery's unpasteurised lager Moravka, which Jeffrey Bell wrote about beautifully here. It is the UK's best lager for certain - malty and satisfying while retaining the necessary thirst quenching drinkability. I think it's a hot contender amongst the very best of its style brewed anywhere.

9 comments:

Bailey said...

Moravka is great. I asked the barmaid at the Pembury to serve it with a huge head last time and that made it even more authentically Czech/Franconian tasting.

Don't pretend you weren't wearing those clothes anyway, though, or that that's not how you smile normally.

John West said...

I'm deeply hurt at such an accusation! (Though it's a fair cop on the t-shirt...)

Moravka has one other property worthy of note - two pints improved my pool playing no end. Perhaps, on reflection, I ought not to have admitted that lest the ASA crack down on Taddington...

Paul Garrard said...

Not sure I agree with you on the Milton Brewery front. Sadly apart from one experience I've always found their beers disappointing. I do keep trying though - gluton for punishment!

Anonymous said...

The Moravka was delicious.

John West said...

Paul - I'm not sold on all their beers but the Pegasus and Nero I stand by as terrific when on form.

Mammon is very special and their recent rauchbier (featured at the Cambridge Winter Beer Festival) was absolutely first class.

Alex said...

You're a cock you're a cock you're a cock.

Stonch said...

Yeah, I should have made a ton of money out of getting Moravka into the Milton pubs and the Jerusalem. Thanks to the people I was working with going into insolvency, those twats from Cave Direct are coining it in! Still, it was good to promote a great product and make a very nice man's business a little better.

John West said...

Thanks Alex - once again, happy birthday.

Jeffrey: But you do it all for the love, right?

Mark Dredge said...

Cracking pub this. I've been a few times. The last was after the Pigs Ear beer fest so went for something weak to prolongue the drinking. In retrospect I should've gone for a Nero because that stuff rocks!

And that Moravka is a lovely drop.