The Selsey Arms, Coolham 9th May 2013

Once again I was out with the Broadwood Morris Men and tonight we were in Coolham, near Horsham.  The weather was awful but like true professionals (or idiots, depending on your point of view), the dancers persisted and got soaked to the skin. The musicians were slightly better off as they sheltered in the doorway. The photographer (me) also had to brave the downpour, but not for long.

Thwaites Lancaster Bomber (4.4%): Bit of an odd chemical taste to this strong bitter.
Sharp's Doom Bar (4.0%): Good but not excellent beer.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): At its usual stunning best.

I had a really nice time at this great pub that has somehow passed me by until now.  I don't often eat food in pubs but I'd missed dinner and the jacket potato was immense and delicious.  Chicken and bacon: highly recommended!

There was a good space for a music session (usually called a restaurant I'm guessing) and the staff were great too.  I will be coming back as this pub ticks all the boxes. Apart from being easy to get to.

The Plough, Rusper 1st May 2013

Out again with the morris, this time for May Day. Dancing started in Horsham Carfax then progressed to Rusper church, then to the pubs in Rusper.  We stopped at The Plough for some refreshment.

Sharp's Doom Bar (4.0%): Excellent driving bitter with soft malty undertones.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Very bitter and delicious with that unmistakable Harvey's taste.

Two excellent beers at this lovely old pub.

The Malt Shovel, Horsham 21st April 2013

We were a little premature in celebrating St George's Day two days early, with our favourite local border side, Mythago.

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Great beer in great form.

Sharp's Doom Bar (4.0%): Excellent but just not quite as good as the Harvey's on this occasion.

Fuller's London Pride (4.1%): Crisp and tangy, in a good way. Smashing beer.

Timothy Taylor Landlord (4.3%): Creamy and hoppy, another classic.

Blessed with one of the first sunny days of the year, I could have stayed here all day just checking that the beer quality didn't deteriorate.  At one stage this pub had some issues with lines but clearly that is all in the past as the beer is stunning.  I don't expect to be able to find anything this good anywhere else in Horsham... but it won't stop me looking...

The Black Horse, Amberley 29th May 2011

Another lovely pub in Amberley, this was huge and had an enclosed beer garden which was very pleasant on a summer's day.

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A decent brew, hard to beat.

Hop Back Summer Lightning (5.0%): Pleasant strong beer.

While a sandwich here sets you back almost £6, when it appears it's a large plate of food. The chips were the best I've ever tasted.

The Sportsman, Amberley 29th May 2011

Today it was Black Dragon Morris from Horsham who were out dancing.


Langham Flor Ale (3.8%): Delicious hoppy bronze beer with floral flavour.
Hammerpot Shooting Star (3.8%): Lovely warming malty ale. Tastes a bit darker than it looks.
Langham Hip Hop (4.0%): Sweet hoppy drinkable beer.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A particularly good pint of this great beer.

Four lovely beers at this charming country pub with views of the Downs.  At lunchtime on Sunday they were serving plates and plates of good smelling food. And the dancers were given some free beer.

The White Horse, Maplehurst 25th May 2011

This time I was out to watch Chanctonbury Morris Men at one of my favourite pubs.

Andwell King John (4.2%): An excellent malty beer with a very bitter hop taste. The first time I've tried a beer from this relatively new brewer.
Arundel Sting in the Tail (4.7%): Tastes good if you can get away from the unpleasant smell.
Welton's Pridenjoy (2.8%): Top marks to this stunning light bitter which stands up in flavour to beers twice its strength.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A lovely pint.

Another good night out.

The Plough, Rusper 1st May 2011

Celebrated May Day with the Broadwood Morris Men who danced in Rusper church, then had a drink at the Plough, then danced outside the village shop. They went on to The Star, also in Rusper, and then further afield but I had other commitments so I couldn't follow them any longer.

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A good but not excellent pint of this super beer.

They also had Sharp's Doom Bar Bitter but I didn't get to try it.  These two beers seem to be everywhere at the moment but I'm not complaining because they're hard to beat.  Even though I understand Sharp's has been taken over by Coors. Ho hum.

The Dun Horse, Mannings Heath near Horsham 30th April 2011

Today is May Eve and we chose to kick off this year's dancing season with a meal followed by dancing and drinking at this excellent pub, as it is near where we practise.  Later on we had some tunes and songs and generally welcomed in the summer in morris fashion.

Sharp's Doom Bar Bitter (4.0%): Lovely mellow, well balanced bitter.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Another excellent bitter, with slightly more hop tones.

I love this pub and wish it was my local. Lovely beer, lovely food, lovely staff, nice customers, great atmosphere. What more could you ask for? Cheaper beer I suppose.

The Jolly Tanners, Staplefield 28th April 2011

Came out to see Broadwood Morris Men's first stand of the season and discovered a beer festival.

In the bar:
Golden Valley Kenyon's Original Oatmeal Stout (4.7%): This was off and promptly returned to the bar, where it was easily exchanged for...
Kissingate Akira's Blonde (4.8%): This was the dregs of the barrel but having already changed it, I didn't feel I could do it again.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A lovely pint. Pleased that finally something tasted as it should.

In the beer festival outside:
Elgood's Golden Newt (4.6%): Nutty and astringent decent pale ale.
Hogs Back Royal TEA (5.2%): Fruity and hoppy, a bit strong for the flavour.
Oakham Citra (4.2%): Glorious grapefruit hit. Extremely pale.
Rother Valley Wealden Bitter (3.7%): Stunning session bitter. I wish this were available everywhere.
Skinners Kate Loves Willy (4.2%): Pleasant bitter.
Thornbridge Wild Swan (3.5%): Disappointing weak beer from this usually excellent brewer.

They also had Dark Star Festival and Hop Head, Elgood's Black Dog, Grainstore Rutland Panther, Moorhouse's Black Cat and Woodforde's Wherry available, but since I've definitely tasted these before, I went for the others.

The Anchor Hotel, Horsham 23rd April 2011

This large venue was recently known as "Bar Vin" but has now reverted to its original name, "The Anchor Hotel".

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A super pint of bitter. Kept a bit cold for my normal liking but I was so hot this wasn't a problem.

Young's London Gold (4.5%): Cold, gold and sweet. Very refreshing drunk outside in the soaring heat.

They also had Bombardier available.

The Terminus, Eastbourne 18th April 2009

Was starting to feel the worse for wear by the time we left this pub and I knew there were several more to go. My photography skills were suffering.

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Well kept beer at this bar.

The Hurst Arms, Eastbourne 17th April 2009

I was trying to get to the Star which apparently I was within yards of, but it was extremely dark and raining and I didn't fancy negotiating the adjacent supermarket carpark to find it, so I headed up the hill to the Hurst Arms.

This was a delightful local Harvey's pub, with a good variety of Harvey's beers and a good variety of clientele. Including, of course, a collection of CAMRA members.

Harvey's Dark Mild (3.0%): Tasty mild, very similar in flavour to the Sussex Best Bitter. I think it's the Sussex XX Mild by another name.
Harvey's Hadlow Bitter (3.5%): Just not strong enough to hit the spot, even after starting with the weaker beer.
Harvey's Armada Ale (4.5%): Pleasant bitter, very drinkable with a very bitter taste.

A very friendly and inviting pub. As I walked in the door, the lady behind the bar proffered a piece of kitchen towel to clean my glasses, as they were so steamed up. Exactly what a glasses-wearer needs at that moment! The service couldn't have been better and we happily stayed until closing.

The Lamb, Eastbourne 17th April 2009

I was persuaded to go to the CAMRA Members' Weekend and AGM in Eastbourne, which necessitated doing a little research in the local hostelries.

On the Friday evening it was pouring with rain, but I managed to get to this large pub in the Old Town area.

Harvey's Olympia (4.3%): Pleasant but uninspiring golden ale.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Served a bit cold. Considering how much they must sell here, not quite at it's peak. Fine beer though, one of my favourites.
Harvey's Star of Eastbourne (5.5%): I love Harvey's beers but they tend to suffer from all tasting very similar, and this is no exception. A stronger version of the Sussex Best.

At 9pm on a Friday night, with a ska gig upstairs and seemingly most of the 900 CAMRA members in town for the AGM on its premises, the pub was heaving. Too many people in one place for my liking but most of them seemed to be having a good time.

It took so long to get served that for the first time ever I ordered two rounds at once. I was drinking halves and it took less time to drink one than to order one.

Apologies for the dreadful photo, it was dark and raining heavily.

The Swan, Worthing 21st March 2009

As it was a sunny day and we had use of a car, we drove down to Worthing to see the sea and try some beer at a couple of pubs.

Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Perfectly kept Harvey's, lovely.
Hop Back Summer Lightning (5.0%): Light, hoppy and strong. A bit sweeter than I remember, but great on a sunny afternoon.

A dark, cavernous interior well decorated with horse-brasses and swan ornaments, although the music was a bit loud.

The White Horse, Maplehurst 10th January 2009

My first surprise birthday party, and it was held in the small front bar at this excellent pub.

There were four real ales on so I decided to sample all of them, starting with the weakest and working my way up.


Hogs Back HBB (3.7%): A good standard session bitter.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Not quite as good as earlier in the week, but still a fine pint.
King Old Ale (4.5%): Pleasant old.
Scattor Rock Devonian (4.5%): Sweet and fruity strong bitter, great on a cold winter's evening.

The open fire made the front bar very cozy, and once I got my head around what was happening it was a lovely evening. Lots of food was provided and I got an opportunity to ask for the gingerbread recipe (see post from 5th January). And as most of my close friends are musicians there were some tunes played, as well as fantastic cake.

The White Horse, Maplehurst 5th January 2009

Another regular feature in January is wassailing the apple trees at JB's cider orchard in Maplehurst, followed by beer drinking, music and merriment at the White Horse. All of which the White Horse does exceptionally well.

JB's Dry Cider (8.5%): Well you have to have some when you're wassailing. Mighty fine but dangerously strong. Tends to make you fall over.
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): A perfect pint from a great brewer served at a fine pub.
Hepworth's Pullman's First Class Ale (4.2%): Zesty and fresh with a gorgeous light hoppy aftertaste. Another perfect (but very different) pint.
Ballard's Wild (4.7%): Tasty ale with a rounded caramelly malt flavour - is it a porter? Yet another excellent beer.
Hepworth's Classic Old (4.8%): Well balanced old, fruity without being too sweet.
Hogs Back HBB (3.7%): Slightly more sensible alcohol content in this tasty session bitter.

This year a special mention goes to the gingerbread which appeared part way through the evening. Wow, I've never tasted anything like it. I will be investigating the recipe.

Overall a really good beery evening at one of the best pubs I've ever been to.

The Malt Shovel, Horsham 11th October 2007

This is great time of year to be a real ale drinker in Horsham. First there’s the Horsham Beer Festival, then there’s the Horsham Old beer festival at Welton’s brewery (see various previous posts), then you turn up at the Malt Shovel and starting tomorrow there’s a five week long beer drinking extravaganza, with shirts and glasses on offer if you drink enough different beers. Lovely.

Today I tasted:
Brakspear Bitter (3.4%): Revolting, so I took it back to the bar where I was told there had been a problem with some of the glasses. It was willingly exchanged for more of the same beer in a different glass, and then it was the lovely crisp session bitter I expected.
Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter: (4.0%): A decent pint of this distinctive and hoppy beer.
Hepworth's Iron Horse (4.8%): Tasty strong bitter with a thick hoppy flavour from this Horsham brewer.

As usual I was here for the traditional music session. I even managed to get the musicians to pose for a picture this time!

The Alma Arms, Uckfield 16th September 2007

We originally arrived at this pub early afternoon to find it closed, even though we had been told it didn’t close on Sunday afternoons, but we found our way back to it at the end of the day, and it was open then.

Harvey’s Sussex Pale Ale (3.5%): Tastes just like the Sussex Best Bitter from the same brewer but with a slightly lower alcohol content.

I was very pleased to get the opportunity to taste this beer as I haven’t seen it before.

All in all an excellent weekend where we discovered some good pubs and a few new beers.

The Jolly Boatman, Newhaven 16th September 2007

Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter (4.0%): Tastes a bit metallic and only slightly like it should.

This small, town pub was busy and full of loud people. The man behind the bar was enthusiastic and told us we had to come back, which was friendlier than in a lot of places, and the drunken customers I talked to were jovial. It was a shame that the beer let it down.

The Trevor Arms, Glynde near Lewes 16th September 2007

One bar in this cosy pub was full of people while the rest of the pub appeared empty. The bar staff were friendly and chatty.

Harvey’s Longman IPA (3.5%): An interesting bitter citrus hoppy beer although far too weak to qualify as an IPA in my opinion. Very pleasant with the distinctive Harvey’s taste.

Never having had this beer before I was very pleased to get the chance to taste it.