The Brewery Tap in Ock Street, Abingdon is holding a Cider festival this weekend (Friday 25th June – Sunday 27th June).

It will feature 21 different ciders, including a rare breed of ciders from local sources and CAMRA award winners.

The full list of ciders and perrys along with tasting notes can be downloaded here

There will also be a selection of world beers, and a selection of interestingly flavoured sausages that have been very popular at the previous beer festivals.

Sunday afternoon should be good, watching England beat Germany whilst drinking some traditionally made real English ciders.

They are currently serving Morlands Original, Olde Trip and GK IPA and awaiting new guest beer.

They will be holding a Beer Festival from May 27th to June 6th.

I haven’t visited yet since the new management took over, but previously it has been a pleasant place to visit in the summer with a large beer garden (With a well at the bottom), children’s outside play area and situated in the unspoilt village of Sunningwell which is easily reached by walking or cycling from Abingdon along the footpath heading north from Dunmore Road.

You can get more info about the pub from their web site at www.theflowingwell.co.uk

They expect to be offering a range of approximately 30 ales and ciders.

You can get more info from their facebook page or main website at www.crownandthistle.com

The Stocks Bar is at the Crown & Thistle Hotel, 18 Bridge Street, Abingdon, OX14 3HS

In recent months following changes of bar management the Stocks Bar has been up and down regarding its beer range, but recently it seems back on track again with a good range of beers including local beers from Witney based Brakspear, Wychwood and Grove based Pitstop, as well as guest beers from further afield such as Jennings. So let’s hope that this beer festival goes well and is a sign of good things to come.

The List of beers is:

• Snecklifter 5.1%
• Cockerhoop 4.6%
• Mans Bitter 3.9%
• Old Empire 5.7%
• Fortyniner 4.9%
• Old Thumper 5.6%
• Marstons EPA 3.6%
• Hobgoblin 4.5%
• Oxford Blue 4.0%
• Brakspear Bitter 3.4%
• Dragon Tale 4.5%
• Boondoggle 4.2%
• Oxford Gold 4.0%
• Stickle Pike 3.8%
• Normans Conquest 7%
• Golden Arrow 4.5%
• Grumpling 4.6%
• SaracenIPA 4.5%
• Dragon Hill 4.2%
• Bitumen 10%
• IPA Indianapolis 7%
• Star 3.8%
• Jumping Jack Flash 3.9%
• Dr Hectors Healer 5.0%
• Mags Mild 3.8%
• Gravitas 4.8%
• Old Father Thames 3.4%
• Tom Fool 4.0%

The Oxford CAMRA branch’s newsletter for Feb/March 2010 has now been published. It includes news, articles and information about pubs and breweries in the Oxford and White Horse branch areas.

Free copies can be found in most real ale pubs. In Abingdon this includes Brewery Tap, Stocks Bar, Punchbowl, King’s Head & Bell, Spread Eagle, Nags Head, Broad Face, White Horse, Plough, The Anchor, Cross Keys.

You can also read it online as a PDF at www.oxfordcamra.org.uk/drinker/

The Kings Head and Bell reopened on 30th October. This is everything I expected it to be, good beer, reasonably priced food. It has retained the traditional feel to it, but is more welcoming than previously. Judging by its popularity over the last couple of weeks it fits in with what many people want in a pub. Beers are mainly from Hook Norton and Adnams and Fullers London Pride arrived this week. It is good to see a regular outlet for Hook Norton in Abingdon. Hook Norton is Oxfordshire’s oldest brewery and has recently been winning lots of awards

The Brewery Tap has had a 6th hand pump fitted, and has a lot of beers from local breweries including West Berkshire Brewery, Hook Norton, White Horse Brewery, Vale Brewery. The list of beers on last week were:

• Maggs mild
• Morland original
• Hardy’s and Hanson Bitter
• Hook Norton’s Flagship
• White horse Wayland smithy
• vale Brewery Grumpling ale

They are having a Winter ‘Beer, Cider & Sausage’ festival between 4th-6th December. Featuring 30 different cask ales, 5 real ciders and live music from Big Boys Blues Band on the Sunday from 4pm.

Morland’s Old Speckled Hen recently celebrated its 30th birthday. I’m sure most people already know its history. For more info see this article in the Oxford Times and this youtube video of Ode To Joy being performed on Speckled Hen bottles.

The Old Anchor has a charity event on 5th December in aid of stroke survivors. The main event is sold out. However there will be live music at 9pm to which people will be admitted for a £3 entrance fee.

The Nags Head is continuing to maintain a good variety of real ales which change on a regular basis, although I understand that Fullers London Pride may become a permanent offering.

The Broad Face has a new sign depicting a broad faced man’s head more in keeping to how it was few years ago. They are serving a guest beer alongside the regular Morland Original and Abott Ale

The Stocks Bar is continuing to maintain a good range of real ales, and has just some refurbishment including new flooring in the bar. They also now have a facebook page

White Horse has a good range of beers and live music most Saturdays.

The Cross Keys has a good program of live music and serving good beer including St. Austell’s Proper Job.

Punch Bowl had a Morris Dancing folk music jam session last Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Boar appears to be having some interior refurbishment going on

The Plough is serving a reasonable pint of beer, serves lunchtime food and has live music most weeks

The Black Swan has had some outside refurbishment, but seems the same inside

A large banner is hanging across the front of the pub proudly proclaiming that it will reopen on October 30th.

It looks like there is still a lot of work to do, but there has been a huge effort of activity from builders, plasterers, electricians and other tradesmen over the last month or two. A new extension has been built at the back going into the courtyard.

I am looking forward to the reopening of the pub and wish it’s new owners Foundation Inns the best success.

You can read more details on Greene King’s Run a Pub blog

More details about the Head Brewer’s Club can be found at www.headbrewersclub.co.uk

Other pubs in Abingdon and surrounding area who are also members of the Head Brewer’s Club include:

• The Old Anchor – The Wharf, Abingdon
• Spread Eagle – Northcourt Road, Abingdon: (This is well worth a visit for its unusual food menu and well served beer)
• Punchbowl – Market Place, Abingdon
• Black Horse – Gozzards Ford
• Merry Miller – Dry Sandford
• Plough – Appleton

• White Horse – Wayland Smithy
• West Berkshire – Maggs mild. If there is enough support this may become permanently available
• Highgate – Highland whiskey ale
• Clarks – Westgate gold.

They are also examining the possibility of installing another 2 hand pumps which will bring the selection of ales up to 7 pumps.

The Brewery Tap has been in the guide for several years being known for consistent good beer quality and a traditional pub environment. The stocks is a well deserving newcomer this year having introduced a large range of real ales and being one of the first pubs in the area to be awarded Camra LocAle status.

The Cherry Tree in Steventon which is about 3 miles South of Abingdon has also made the grade. I’m afraid I don’t get down to Steventon often enough so can’t really comment on this.

Congratulations to them. Entry into the Good Beer Guide can only be achieved by being a good pub that serves good beer.

There were several other pubs in Abingdon on the shortlist this year, but unfortunately the book only has a finite size and the Oxford branch is only allowed a set number of entries for its area. For more information on other pubs in Abingdon, I recommend picking up a copy of the Oxford Drinker (for free at most good pubs in the area) or downloading it from the Oxford Camra web site, which has been doing a series of articles surveying every pub in Abingdon over the last 3 issues.

To find out more details then buy the Good Beer Guide 2010. I have seen copies in Mostly Books [please support your local shops], or it can be bought directly from Camra, or you can buy it at the Oxford Beer Festival between October 15th-17th.

The Good Beer Guide is an annual publication by Camra (Campaign For Real Ale), which was set up to prevent British Beer heritage from being destroyed in the 1970′s by large brewers replacing real ale with bland low quality keg beer and global lager brands. This campaign has been a success, with Britain now having more breweries than any other country, and real ale consumption seeing an increase in an otherwise declining industry and economy.

Entries in the Good Beer Guide are decided by local Camra branch members. A short list is made based upon ratings of beer quality during the year. Camra members can enter ratings for any pubs they visit during the year. The final choice for pubs from the Oxford area are made by a vote from Camra members at one of the monthly Oxford Camra branch meetings. To be in the guide requires a consistent quality of beer throughout the year.

If you want to help influence what pubs go into next year’s edition, then consider joining Camra. If you are already a member then please come along to branch meetings or social events.

The Brewery Tap has always been known for its quality of ale, and was the only pub in Abingdon to appear in the Camra 2009 Good Beer Guide and has been Cask Marque accredited every year since it started. However as it is a Greene King pub it has been restricted in its choice of beers.

The improvements are due to Kane who previously managed the Stocks bar, and has now moved to the Brewery Tap. Whilst at the Stocks bar, he was responsible for dramatic improvements to the beer range and quality, turning it into one of the top pubs in the Oxford area for real ale drinkers.

There are plans to hold a beer festival at the Brewery Tap at the beginning of December, and to try to obtain Camra LocAle status by permanently stocking beers from the White Horse Brewery.

This is good news for Abingdon, which over the last few years has seen a big improvement to the quality and range of beers.