14/03/17 - The Wokingham Pub Crawl

Pubs - 5
Distance - about a mile

I feel I should know Wokingham.  After all, I have been to Binfield.  Finding myself working in the area, I consult the bible and see there are two town centre Good Beer Guide Entries.  It's worth a visit, even if a 2.5 mile cab ride costs £8.

My taxi whisks me away from the Alpine hell that is the Coppid Beech Hotel.  I can live without Abba tribute bands in Bierkeller cellars.  My driver engages in chat, determining my plans for the evening and comes up with the classic - "Wokingham has more pubs per head of population than any other town".   I hear this up and down the country.   I'm sure it was Preston that last made that claim.

Start off at the GBG Entry, The Crispin.

The Crispin, 45 Denmark Street, Hogsback TEA

Random Beerintheevening Quote - "A good selection of ales but no cooked food and poor quality toilets."

Dodgy Photo

Hogsback TEA

The pub was in keeping with the quaint town.  It wore its age well on the outside.  On the inside, a few too many flags for my liking.  I spotted TEA and my mate who lives in Berkshire swears by it.  I've had it before and enjoyed it, but here it was slightly metallic, dull looking and the picture is the last I saw of the head.    This is something that can be leveled at most of the beers consumed tonight.

Normally, I would have stayed for a second, but there is much work to do.

The Roebuck, the Market Place, More TEA

Random BeerintheEvening Quote - "Outside not looking very good. Most of lettering now missing."

Formerly, the Square Bar.  May explain the lack of letters.

TEA in a Landlord Glass

My cabbie told me this was the best real ale pub in town.  He was wrong.

It was the Real Ale lantern that lured me in but I should have spun straight round when two of the three pumps were turned the wrong way.   The one that remained was more TEA.  This looked brighter but the head lasted less time and actually tasted worse than at the Crispin.

I stayed until Leicester went 1-0 up.

The Ship Inn, Peach Street, Fullers ESB

Random BeerintheEvening Quote "used to be my local,but not anymoor far too expensive.better pubs in nam"

Only Fullers can save the Day

Pint of the Night

This place was noticed on the cab journey in.  Its a very handsome Fullers place and worth the short walk out of town to investigate.

Leicester are holding onto their lead.  The locals are enjoying it.

ESB is a favourite of mine and it was presented as well as anywhere here.  Quality pint.  I failed to notice the price.

The Queen's Head, The Terrace, Binghams Brewery Twyfords Tipple 

Random BeerintheEvening Quote - "I understand that this is now one of Greene King's "Local Heroes" pubs which as well as having GK beers can now offer local beers as well"

Four pubs and a never tried before Ale

The 2nd of the town's Good Beer Guide Entries.   This is a handsome little pub at the far end of town, reached after passing some interesting tudor architecture.  No outdoor photo of the pub, as there were smokers outside on my entry and exit.

I was initially skeptical, as it is a Greene King, but as the other reviewer has commented, it allowed guest ales and I tried a Bingham Brewery Twyford Tipple, after being offered a sample by a very genial landlady.  It tasted fine but once again, I was left frothless by the time I had attempted the Daily Mail crossword.

No way of knowing how Leicester are doing now.

The Broad Street Tavern, Broad Street, Wadworth Bishops Tipple

Random BeerintheEvening Quote - "Great pub, great staff, although "fools" are not suffered gladly ..."

Apt description - it was quiz night.  I learned which breed of terrier is the biggest.

Pub of the Night

All the gang are here

If the Ship Inn provided the pint of the night, this was easily the pub of the night.

The Untappd App might be a touch annoying for my Twitter Followers, who I am sure are uninterested that I have reached "Wheels of Style Level 3" but it is handy for telling me that I have previously tasted Bishops Tipple just the once before.

I like Wadworths brews.  I need to go to Devizes.  I'll try and do it before 2017 is out.

The pub quiz kept me entertained, not least because of the quiz masters inability to pronounce most of the words in the questions.

Of course, its an Airedale.