Marquess Of Anglesey
The pub is a part of the British way of life and the word 'pub' has been adopted all over the world. It is closely linked with hospitality - a place to meet and drink ale - preferably real.
The oldest brewery site in England today has been brewing continuously since Elizabeth I. In 1581 an innkeeper of The Ram started brewing his own beer and now it is owned by Youngs. By the time Youngs bought it, it was a large concern supplying to 80 pubs many of which are Youngs houses to this day. Lovers of real ale can tour this brewery six days a week by calling 020 8874 4128 to sample this living working museum of brewing history.
Even better you can go to the Marquess of Anglesey on Bow Street the only Youngs pub in the area. The 'guvenor' Stephen cares about his pub, the hospitality, the beer and also the food. Here you can get real pub food beautifully cooked on the premises while you enjoy a pint. Traditional fish & chips and pies are all on the menu. If you want to some posher English nosh try the restaurant upstairs which overlooks the Piazza and the Opera House. It certainly is the best of British.
Some Background to your Beer
Drinking ale has been going on since humans discovered brewing. The Egyptians are thought to have supplied beer to the pyramid builders and the Romans kept their armies going on it.
Commercial brewing started in the Middle Ages by monks. Water was not always safe and beer was considered a nutritious drink to have with their meals. The monks were usually limited to a gallon a day each and were also allowed to drink during periods of fasting. They made very good beer.
Since they made much more than they could drink themselves they were given the right to sell it to support the monasteries. The art of brewing developed in Europe and became a respected trade.
When the monarchs found they could tax it they stopped the monks from brewing and even closed them down to start their own profitable private enterprises. In fact King Gambrinus of Flanders endorsed the addition of hops and claimed the recipe as his own - calling himself a 'master brewer' competing with the King of Brabant who claimed to have invented beir.
Hops, malt and pure water was decreed to be the right mixture in 1516. However the `Belgians' and Dutch as well as the many small 'German' states were enthusiastic to discover their own special recipes - flavouring it with herbs and brewing from different grains. This experimentation led to some hallucinations and poisoning which was attributed to 'Brew witches' who were blamed, hunted and the last one burned in 1591. 'Bitter' made with hops emerged as the overall winner due to the clarity, purity and longer shelf life.
In the sixteenth century hops were introduced to Kent which later devoted 30,000 acres to the British institution - Brewing Beer. Now the word 'pub' has been adopted worldwide. It's different from a 'bar' or a 'club' You can hear yourself talk in a traditional pub like the Marquess. The beer is a mellow brew and does what beer is supposed to do - make you feel good.