The "legendarish" Butt and Oyster

[Tomahawk]

One of the seemingly lovely things about the Butt is that the beer comes from the row of barrels behind the bar. Proper cask ale you would think... except.
Last time I was in I noticed a sign on one of the barrels:-

DO NOT USE LINES BEING CLEANED

On careful looking, it is clear the so called barrels that once held beer and were properly racked are no more than display fronts for the taps..

 

[Chae_73]

I wonder how many breweries still sell beer in barrels which may be racked and beer drawn off under gravity? I can't recall the last time I was in a pub which was drawing its ale in that way; would be interested to know if there are any.

I do seem to remember that the B&O had real casks when I was there in the late 80s / early 90s.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Quite a number... The Albion in Rowhedge has a rack of barrels in the back...

 

[Black Sheep]

Also the Shipwright's Arms in Hollowshore for gravity feed beer.

And quite a few micropubs around and about.

 

[Chae_73]

Thanks both, a couple of places to visit post lockdown.

 

[DanTribe]

On my first visit to the B & O, I recall that the landlord had a pronounced hand tremor. When he carried my pint from the barrels to the bar I wondered how much beer would be left, but he never spIlled a drop.

 

[Aquaboy]

The proper beer is just drawn from barrels which are up in the air on a rack behind the back wall. It's got aircon in there and is referred to obviously as the cellar. Just easier to manage that way as you can have the next barrel settling in position, just swop the pipe over. The girlsburg etc is gas driven....... which is what you would expect!!

 

[johnalison]

I think the last pubs with barrels behind the bar that I visited were the Ship at Levington and The Ferry Boat Arms at Felixstowe Ferry. I was talking about the matter with a local bar-owner and she said that it was not a good idea because the barrels would draw in tobacco smoke from the bar and taint the beer. This was about twenty years ago, so doesn't apply now, though maybe salt-and-vinegar or perfume are as bad.

 

[Tomahawk]

I wonder how many breweries still sell beer in barrels which may be racked and beer drawn off under gravity? I can't recall the last time I was in a pub which was drawing its ale in that way; would be interested to know if there are any.

I do seem to remember that the B&O had real casks when I was there in the late 80s / early 90s.

The Blue Boar Maldon,
The Rose Tillingham