Micropubs of Thanet (Keep Cask Alive pt 4) | The Craft Beer Channel

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Alright then cask lovers - what's the best pub you've ever been to? Or perhaps the most unusual?

[@neilbowers6956]

There are two in Norwich that I think serve cask beers incredibly well. - The Fat Cat which has won numerous awards and has a fine selection. - The Brewery Tap home of the Fat Cat Brewery and always has a great selection. Outside of Norwich I'd say The Golden Fleece in York. I don't think I've ever had a finer pint of Theakston's Old Perculiar anywhere else than there. I'm not sure how they do it but my word it's good.

[@musiclistener542]

The Brunswick Inn, Derby. They make their own really good beers.

[@nyebanfield2623]

Prince of Greenwich! In... Greenwich. Museum in a pub, serves great cask ale and unbelievable Italian food.

[@jacksonkeeler]

Favorite pub ever - brasserie dieu du ciel (technically a brewery) in Montreal, Canada

[@HOLDSWATH]

@@jacksonkeeler agreed with that! I live near Godspeed brewery (one of the brewers from dieu du ciel started it a few years ago) wish we had more cask ale in Canada. We do, but nothing like Britain.

[@sirah1311]

Hadn’t heard much - or anything - about cask ale before watching this series. Inspired me to look for it in the area & as lady fortune would have it, one of the few breweries to specialize in cask ale in the US & the only one specializing in it in Colorado is right dow the street: Hogshead Brewery. Awesome micropub, delicious beer, endearing style. Thanks for the pearl of inspiration, ya’ll 🍻

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Amazing to hear! Welcome to the world of cask ale!

[@notforwantoftrying1]

Nice to see Brad leading a video, and I can't think of anyone better to interview such an eccentric guy like this

[@Chrillofthehill]

This series is absolutely fantastic so far. Well done lads.

[@widdowjism83]

Glad to see Margate doing well. Last time I went was for a friends wedding several years ago and it was a dump. It’s revival seems to line up with their divorce which is understandable, she was a fun sponge.

[@ronrunsthecity]

'fun sponge' ... stealing that one.

[@kimsturdavant2349]

As a California brewer, I must say, Eddie made my favorite beer in my travels through Europe in 2019. He's a brilliant brewer. He also took me to Margate one day and we drank at Fez. Man, this video brings back some great memories. Cheers!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

A great brewer and a good man fighting for cask!

[@GavM]

Few mates and I are heading to Margate today for a weekend of micro pubs purely because of this video. Thanks fellas!

[@BanjoStu]

Fantastic. The world needs more Eddie's. He makes some amazing beers. Never had Margate down on my list of places to visit, it is now.

[@tjewald32]

Most Americans secretly want to be British. The people, places and yes, the ale featured in this video demonstrate why. Love this series!

[@robinjones6999]

That guy at the fez is amazing- great video

[@jsfourdirections]

Man I'm now feeling incredibly inspired to open a quirky little hole-in-the-wall micro pub! Love the series gents keep it up

[@andrefecteau]

you should, I worked in one where 3 guys with zero experience started a very successful one...good beer, food and entertainment is always a winner

[@squidshackstudios]

You totally should! We filmed a bunch of new micropub owners as they set on their journey and although it isn't always easy with the council permission - it depends what council you speak to and whether they understand what a micropub is or not - the feeling of being your own boss and revitalising a community through beer and conversation is the dream right?

[@timwise116]

Brilliant video and Brad I have to say you look the most relaxed in front of the camera I've ever seen, great presenting 👍

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Amen to that (from Jonny)

[@cybercrimesound]

Back for a second viewing to make notes ahead of a curated pub crawl with my wife and dog thanks to Jonny & Brad this weekend 🙏

[@leehaseley2164]

It's truly heartwarming to see cask ale be such an integral part of a lively community.

[@carlgregory2531]

Cool, Margate/Broadstairs was our last jaunt pre COVID, lots of excellent Micropubs.

[@chrisroberts2266]

Not a fan of Margate, but my wife and I have been to the Harbour Arms Pub and it is sooo nice, the owners are lovely and we had a great night there!

[@noahcarver6072]

It's not my personal wheel house, but this is a beautiful, delicious scene that I can fully enjoy vicariously by the dedication of each of you and your hard work.

[@redband1000]

Love the Fez & the old fashioned record player in the corner, You can go crate digging then play them in there while you have a Beer. Lovely. Spent many a summer afternoon sitting outside The Harbour Arms (Sunburnt & a slight wobble back to hotel)

[@neilboulton9813]

Thanet is indeed an amazing place for micro pubs. I can heartily recommend combing a visit to several of them (based in Deal) using the railway between the individual towns mentioned, which we did quite a few years ago. We combined it with the Planet Thanet beer festival at the atmospheric Winter Gardens in Margate, which hopefully is still going on post COVID.

[@mattmcleary739]

loving the series boys! I've mentioned a few times but you need to come up to Edinburgh and visit the Bellfield Brewery boys, just won gold for best lager, plus they sell a bit of their stock on cask at their Bar. Looking forward to the next one!

[@davidellis6468]

This makes me want to own a micro pub! Excellent investigative journalism gents, this needs to be shared broadly to make this evolution happen everywhere.

[@johntrott1872]

It’s so cool to watch the micro brewery in the Uk,in Seattle we are blessed but I wish the brewers here will cask soon

[@ATL-xi7lo]

Well done gents! Bravo!

[@kevinpayne3482]

OMG would give anything to be at the fez right now. Looks awesome! 👍🏻🍻

[@havarfjerdingen1695]

Great video. Makes me want to go there straight away. Such a good presentation of cask ale

[@Jaap-Relou]

Hats of to you lads!! Enjoying this the right way 🍻🥳

[@robertprice5039]

Like the Margate Micro Pubs and there odd spaces, I will be drinking at the Relic Brewery tonight in Plainville Connecticut, which was an old machine shop.

[@notanyone1206]

Great film lads, brilliantly shot. Good stuff from Brad. Really enjoyed it. 👍🏻

[@hardyardsbrewers1225]

So cool Guys what a journey so far, and the next 1 is seeing Fullers brew Vintage Ale 😃 yes! Those micro pubs looked great, you could spend hours looking at the pictures and checking out the art or just sitting watching the sea checking out a beautiful setting.. thanks for sharing these Guys looking forward to the last 1, cheers Mike 🍻🍻😎

[@petrcizek7721]

Guys, you made my day again! I hope you have another 100 episodes for next 100 Wednesdays!

[@tomwightman8124]

Think this might be your best ever piece

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks Tom!

[@paulgaunt2986]

I used to occasionally hang around in Margate in the late 90s and, despite the landscape, it was pretty grim (much like Dover where I lived at the time). It's great to see the place doing well now. It makes me want to visit Margate again. I really enjoyed this video! Great work guys!

[@anjinbeats]

Great episode. I live near Thanet and visit Margate often but never heard of the Fez so definitely going there! I'd also like to shoutout to Xylo Brew although I believe it's only keg beer its a great microbrewery. And in nearby Canterbury you have the Foundry - Canterbury Brewers Brewpub with fresh cask and keg beers on tap.

[@davec4955]

A great episode guys, and very interested to see you at gadds brewery. I've been homebrewing for over 30 years, and back in the day you could get a beer kit,( Bruce's dogbolter), and very nice too. Bruce's had a chain of brewpubs, and one of their beers was dogbolter ! And I believe they're head brewer now works for Gadds. I live on the other side of Kent in Bexley, and we are very lucky to have quite a lot of micro pubs and a great local brewery which opened in 2014 (Bexley brewery). They also have micropub near barnehurst station called the Bird and barrel.

[@gregsheehan3541]

Absolutely loving this. I want MORE episodes.

[@Jextoid]

Wow guys, knocking it out of the park with this series. Great interviews by you both, I really have to go visit the UK soon.

[@dejjag]

Really, really love this series lads! thank you for everything you do for the craft of beer. It really makes me want to come visit the UK and all the beautiful pubs and places you show on the channel. PS. that intro with Brad was 10/10 benissimo!

[@squidshackstudios]

Wow! We're so glad to see you guys focusing on micropubs too! Some great interviews and we love the focus on Thanet and Margate. Not sure if you've seen our micropub and craft beer feature documentary but we love micropubs too!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We haven't seen the full thing. Is it on here?

[@squidshackstudios]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel We can't seem to share the link in the comments but it's not on youtube. If you check our ABOUT section on our channel, you'll see a range of options of how and where to watch including Vimeo, Tubi TV and Plex. Would love to know what you think! :)

[@OnEdEcKhk]

Absolutely brilliant series! Can’t wait to get back to England and try every one of these spots!

[@davidmallard8729]

Great series Gents - gasping for a pint of cask ale here in Gothenburg!!

[@jonathandeleyser1782]

Excellent episode… new appreciate for cask and makes me want to visit Thanet

[@robertprice5039]

I must visit Margate the next time I am in the UK. Besides the pubs, some of my grandmother's family lived in that area in the 1700s and 1800s.

[@janerikjacobsen6201]

A fantastic episode of a fantastic series. Makes me wanna jump on the first flight to UK and stumble from pub to pub. Got to get my self to Margate sometime.

[@neilboulton9813]

@Jan Erik Jacobson, get yourself over when you can, and as I said above and shown in the vlog, Margate is just one of number of towns across Thanet and Kent with great micropubs. As I said they are all linked by train, so you can move between them and try a number in different places to demonstrate the variety.

[@stevelewis199]

Loving these episodes!!! The best pub I've been to is a little local of mine called the monks inn. Amazing owners and staff. The beer list changes weekly and once a beer is gone then that's it and time for something different. I went in last night for a couple of pints and ended a 5 hour visit!!! Titanic plum porter is a must when visiting.

[@kw2142]

Never thought I'd ever want to visit Kent or Margate but you've actually made me wanna go now. Hidden gem, well not so hidden anymore......

[@martinruffell4077]

When you're in Kent you have to visit the various hop farms for sure!! Home of the hops!

[@stephenlaw1782]

Cracking episode beautifully put together Cheers 🍺

[@geofflong2004]

I look forward to watching these videos every Wednesday, great work guys. You've also just introduced me to a new destination for my next staycation. I can't wait, thanks again.

[@HollowHandCollective]

That's what I remember of my last trip to Margate. Lots of cider! Think I'd better go back for some cask.....

[@cludoking]

Great series. But I would like to do a bit of a fact check though. The Lifeboat was definitely the first micropub in Margate. Opened 2010 and I spent many a happy evening there.

[@joshuaperraton6748]

Brad is an excellent interviewer

[@FermentationAdventures]

Love this series, and especially this episode. Many years back in the early 00's, I spend a lot of time in Broadstairs, traveling for from the US for work. In many ways, trying real cask ale put me on this craft beer journey... tho I miss real cask ale dearly as we don't have it or craft attempts at it near men. Great to see the innovative pubs in that arena that I grew to love, and have another reason to go back and visit someday!

[@thekentishpilgrim]

Glad I’m moving to Ramsgate then!

[@davidpotter6564]

Fantastic series, and I want to visit all those micropubs (though I'd have to be as merry as you were to bring myself to drink out of one of those Magnet glasses)

[@kevinroome8286]

Really love your shows, I find them very enjoyable. I love Real Ale, And up here where I live in Nottingham we have quite a few micro pubs and small independent brewers. Eg Castle Rock, Magpie Brewery, The Trouble is the Price of a pint, normally I would drink let's say a pint of beer at 5% at you would pay £5, give or take a couple of pence. It's only the price that puts a lot of people of going out drinking anymore. Plus loads of watering holes have gone disappeared.Plus you can get some pretty great beer from the supermarket.4 500ml bottles for £6.😉👍

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks Kevin - pricing is indeed such an issue, especially with supermarkets undercutting it. Shops can't replicate cask though!

[@onecheesey]

Man I need Margete soonest. Excellent vid boys & congrats for bigging up cask 👍👍👍

[@thinreaper]

Hah I'm in this video! XD Great job guys, Thanet truly is the Micropub capital of the world! I'm born and raised in Margate and it's undergone such a food and drink revolution over the last few years, I love it. I think you'd realistically need a full week in Margate to fully experience everything it has to offer. To add to your definition of what a micropub is...I think ethos is, or at least was, a big part of it also. When they first started opening there was almost a set of unwritten rules; no electronic entertainment, so no music or fruit machines which were staples of traditional pubs at the time and an emphasis on conversation and community, hence why books and board games are so common. The small, single room spaces also helped facilitate this. Local produce wherever possible and also strictly no lager! A lot of the pubs don't arbitrarily stick to these "rules" anymore though.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Yes some do still have that feel - but nowt wrong with a record player and a very tasty lager tap!

[@antonymackie4327]

Good work fellas really enjoyed this series. Thanks

[@veronicapittendrigh360]

Thanks guys.

[@RC-pz5jz]

Love this series chaps, just a shame from Durham would take forever

[@neilboulton9813]

The Flowerpot in Derby (which has a lot of good pubs) is pretty special as the beer is amazing and it caters for both the ale crowd and a lively music venue. I am also really partial to The Harp in Covent Garden which again is gem beer wise and little bit tucked away from the west end crowds.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Is the flower pot a micropub? The Harp definitely isnt - it is tied and as trad as it comes! Though a very love place.

[@neilboulton9813]

@Craft Beer Channel - no, The Flower Pot is not and the question posed seem to be your favourite pub in general. So hence The Harp, which as you say is no longer a free house, but it still has a decent selection of different cask ale and a good turnover to ensure it is tip top condition. On my visit to Thanet micro pubs, two which stood out in terms of being true micropubs with no bar and you sat amongst everyone which generated conversation. These were fantastic the first - Just Reproach (Daniel Defoe quote about the town) in Deal and The Conqueror (after a ship) in Ramsgate. I would recommend both to anyone who loves these types of pub or who have not yet experienced them.

[@thescatterbrain123]

Good to see Kent on the map for Cask. Anyone not local to Kent ought to seek out cask beer from Pig & Porter, Goachers, Kent Brewery, Gadd’s, Westerham, and Whitstable. Time & Tide and Floc. do some great craft styles as well.

[@justchilling5448]

Iron Pier Brewery is my go to.

[@stripeyjoe]

Great series, makes me thirsty every time I watch one! We're lucky here in north London to have the Little Green Dragon on Green Lanes in Winchmore Hill/Palmers Green, a micro pub that opened up when Waitrose took over the Green Dragon and converted it to a shop. They usually have 3 or 4 cask ales on plus a similar number of keg beers plus a cider or two. I often think my local area, Southgate, could support a pub that served something other than fizz, we do have a Weatherspoons but I refuse to drink there...

[@squidshackstudios]

You're a regular at The Little Green Dragon micropub - did you see us filming at any point? We filmed Richard for our micropub documentary because of his micropub charity bike ride, and then found about his own micropub venture! We love Richard for carrying on the Green Dragon pub legacy in Winchmore Hill with his micropub.

[@stripeyjoe]

@@squidshackstudios sorry, you were there a night I wasn’t!

[@squidshackstudios]

@@stripeyjoe Ah that's a shame but we're so glad we followed Richard's journey anyway in our documentary, he's a great guy and we love the legacy he's carrying on for the local community.

[@jmay3200]

Love this video when Brad is looking out to sea talking about the micro pub scene - clearly so into it great to see!

[@OpticalTurkey]

Wish I could try some cask ale, but unfortunately I don't think there is any in Perth, WA.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Hey maybe one day! Tell your fav brewery they should do it!

[@stevemiceter07]

Love cask ale

[@antmod1]

I think the solution to saving cask beer is to use keykegs or bag in a box, so that the beer isn't getting oxidised with every poor, that way you could have a cask beer on tap for weeks without any decline in quality

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

There are cask taps that prevent/slow oxidation and don't require the use of one-way kegs. Hoping they become more widespread.

[@coreartalex6708]

I wonder if that’s the first horn that pub owner owns, for sure it isn’t. Cheers 🍻

[@terencedoherty3645]

Loved your feature on Thanet micropubs. Any chance of doing the same for South London? Micropubs opening but a bit patchey

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

If we can find a hook/story we are always up for talking about micro pubs! Brad is a south londoner born and bred.

[@squidshackstudios]

If it's of interest, we filmed a lot of South East micropubs in our micropub documentary? :)

[@karldenning1893]

Probably Sarah Hughes Beacon Hotel in Sedgley West Midland Ruby Red Mild 👍

[@FatherEarth93]

The lack of shots of Brad and Jonny playing 'cask ale drinking games' in this video is disturbing. Would've enjoyed that! But the folk festival was gold! That's the definition of 'love and beer'.

[@alfierobinson9639]

Do you guys know The Fat Cat (Brewery Tap) in Norwich?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We know of it but have sadly never been

[@AdamRossD]

So is "MicroPub" the term for any pub that isn't tied to a brewery? Trying to wrap my head around that as an American... I can stock my bar with whatever beer I want and it'd just be called a "bar". I suppose some establishments more or less get "tied" to a distributor due to location/pricing/customer base, but there's no legal binding.

[@Marceloluizz]

Nice series guys. But subtitles are not available. That's helpful for us from abroad...

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You mean English ones or other languages? The former should be but unfortunately we dont have the resources to produce others.

[@PCoyte]

It’s such a shame you were too late to catch the best micro pub The Black Dog in Whitstable with similarly fantastic artwork as The Fez and owner Mike!

[@Vinnie13]

*starts searching for Thanet airbnbs*

[@TheRogueDM]

Someone sounded a tad plastered at the Magnet lol...

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

All I'll say is it had been a long day!

[@DanKeeley]

Is the thanet micropub revival a factor of an overbearing local brewery holding the ties and brewing terrible beer. Hmm let me think, I wonder where else that happens....

[@Bareego]

Love brewers who embrace classic styles and look for balance. This is why I really dislike IPA, it's out of kilter. A good beer balances the malt with the hops. Classical styles did that with the malts and hops they had locally. The beer brewing is a lot about your process, it's not just about what hops you use, but how much and when you add it during boiling your wort or even dryhopping. It's an art. I've been to a few local "micro breweries" here in Australia, and I feel sorrow for the preponderance of sours and IPAs. There are a lot of classical styles they could brew, and if done right would be a lot better.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

There are plenty of "classic" beer styles that are entirely unbalanced - Imperial Stouts, Barleywines, Berlinerweisse. All lean heavily into one particularly flavour. In our view balance is a slightly overused word in beer - harmony is better. You can have a very, very heavily hopped IPA but if it works in combination with the yeast strain, malt grist and water chemistry it can appear balanced. That said, I too would love more styles to see the attention IPA gets.

[@Rich.Aardvark]

I didn't know Richard Herring like beer so much. It would have been nice to see Stewart but he's obviously one of those Cider 👊💦's

[@verykeen2please]

Its not the ale that's the issue It the pub tie up Got to love these micopubs, but not sure the SE is the centre is best place for ale

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I think it's both! The decline of cask has been pressure from so many angles and making sure the quality, price, consistency and availability is improved is vital. Micropubs are a great way to escape that tie.

[@stespark]

GET OUT THERE AND GET PISSED ON CASK, ITS OUR CULTURE

[@zacharywende1553]

The British thinking their small brewing town is an epicenter of brewing when Germany and America exist is very British.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Not sure where we imply that? This channel has travelled all over the world to pay service to fantastic beer everywhere. This documentary is about cask which is almost exclusive to the UK.