Alcohol

[elwyman]

Stand back after lighting touch paper!

[elwyman]

.........or alternatively, what decent pints are available in the Melrose area?

[neptune]

tennent`s

[rpsalmon]

Boatmen on certain parts of the Tweed could cash in on this, smuggling booze across the border to Scotland! Something to do during the winter!

[juststartedagain]

Ahem - to list a few strong ales (unlike the warm water served up South of the border)

Old Jock (around 7%) - by the Broughton Brewery (nr Biggar)
I think they also do one called Ghillie - if not someone else does - its not bad either.

For something with a real kick - try Skullsplitter (from memory - it lives up to its name - 8 or 9% or something silly) - from Orkney!

Also some nice real ales from the Inveralmond brewery in Perthshire...

Cant beat a pint of 80' or IPA at the Diggers in Edinburgh (actually called the Athletic Arms - but across the road form one of the bigger cemetries in Edinburgh hence the name). Used to be a favourite of mine for taking colleagues from South of the Border for a real drink...

anyone for a shandy ;D

[elwyman]

Thanks JSD - think we tried the 80' last year in the Traquair Arms, and it was rather good.

Must confess to being a lager drinker in the summer, but return to beer in the winter. Some of these small brewerys beat the spots off the big boys when it comes to making a good pint.

[elwyman]

neptune said:

tennent`s

Sorry Neptune, can't believe you said Tennents. ;D

[juststartedagain]

Elwyman,

I tend not to drink that much beer at all now (waistline watching) ;D but when I do I always go for one of the house specials/smaller brewary choices (even when Souf of the border) - hate the mass produced stuff..otherwise it's the real amber nectar! Luckily being in Perthshire there is still a great choice of "free - house" pubs/good locals - lots of my old haunts in Edinburgh are now brewery owned/Sky Soccer dumps!

Partial to a drop of good cider in the summer myself..

if you are "over the wall" again - worth noting that most of the bigger Tesco's seem to stock a good selection of bottled real ales from local breweries - I usually stock up for the festive season

[neptune]

thats why the was inserted .when you say decent pint are you comparing it to the southern watered down shandy
why not google scottish beer you`ll be surprised
changing direction here my favourite pint is guinness but i must admit to drinking tennents 70` on odd occassions

[billytheghillie]

stick to your your gin and tonic lamson you sassanach

[juststartedagain]

nothing to beat a slowly poured pint of Guinness in a real out in the sticks (and formerly smokey) pub (usually someones front room) in Ireland....mmmm Guinness !! ;D

BTW - anyone who's been to the Diggers will know that the 80' is poured in the same way as a good pint of Guinness (and BTW last time I was in (it may have changed now) - had only one lager pump)!!

[billytheghillie]

I you have a good point there Lamson. We keep all the good water for drams and fushin! ;D ;D

[elwyman]

Neptune - took your advice, and came across this interestingly named beer:

www.beers-scotland.co.uk/product.asp?numRecordPosition=2&P_ID=139&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=72

Having started off drinking S&N brews in Newcastle in the 70's, I can safely say there are plenty of "watered down shandies" both north & south of the border!

[billytheghillie]

chink, chink

[juniorspey]

used to drink a lot of beer, hardly touch it now, vod and lemonade for me!!

[neptune]

i used to brew my own beer but it is extremely difficult to purchase these kits nowadays
maybe this is a good thing as the ale tasted like washing up liquid but 2 pints & it was velvet only problem was the next morning
the phrase eye of a needle comes to mind.
guinness in bottles from ireland are the dogs..... i had a friend bring some back, the barman that sold them to him said that was the best in the world even better than draught

[juststartedagain]

worst Guinness in a bottle I ever had was in Barbados - brewed locally - texture of 4 year old unchanged engine oil - couldn;t bring myself to taste it....

[Speyducer]

davidjbrown said:

worst Guinness in a bottle I ever had was in Barbados - brewed locally - texture of 4 year old unchanged engine oil - couldn;t bring myself to taste it....

Should have left it in the bottle for another 6 years - would have been vintage Guinness engine oil!

Mike

[sinkingtip]

davidjbrown said:

worst Guinness in a bottle I ever had was in Barbados - brewed locally - texture of 4 year old unchanged engine oil - couldn;t bring myself to taste it....

It wasn't by any chance in Croc's Bar in Sandy Lane ? - should have stuck to the Banks Beer or Mount Gay Rhum - ya man !

[Fruin]

Orkney Dark Island - everything you could ever want from a beer!