The Flying Pig - East Dulwich

58-60 East Dulwich Road, London, SE22 9AX

Except for the odd excursion to Streatham or Croydon, I don't have call to explore further south than Clapham. I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot - the Sunday lunch at The Earl Ferrers in St. Reatham is testament to that - but then London is a big place and you can't do everything.

Being invited to sample drinks and dinner at a pub in East Dulwich was a good opportunity to see what the South had to offer. Head down, hands in coat, and marching through the drizzle from the bright lights of Peckham Rye High Street to the seemingly sleepier East Dulwich, I didn't see much in the way of competition for The Flying Pig. A good place to pitch then, as long as the locals bite.

The bar at The 'Pig can't be faulted, at least not by someone with my limited knowledge of beer. This is a self-proclaimed craft beer bar and boasts an extensive range, hugging the tabs, scrawled on the chalk board, and illuminating the fridge. All the colours of the beer rainbow - dark, pale, and everything in between. With so much choice I, of course, went for two of my favourites, rather than risk the embarrassment of ordering something different. Classically English. A pint of Dead Pony Club (3.8%) followed by Gentleman's Wit (4.3%).

The food here is the choice of the trendy. Pulled pork, ribs, and burger. I'm not sick of this holy trinity, not yet anyway, but when it's paraded from pillar to post you yearn for something a bit different. Although I did criticise certain aspects of their food, places like Smokehouse in Islington thrive on innovation, drawing crowds from further than their own doorstep with inventive recipes. With the range of beers on offer at The Flying Pig, I'm sure the punters will more than trickle in, but if the food doesn't get a tad more inventive I don't see people making a special trip.

*Disclaimer: I was invited for an evening at The Flying Pig by www.appearherepr.com - drinks and food were covered, which was very nice of them.

The Craft Beer Social Club - London Fields

2 Tudor Grove, London Fields, E9 7QL

(This review also appears on Hoxton Radio)

(Update: from 27th November, The Craft Beer Social Club will be found at 232 Shoreditch High Street, London, E16PJ)

Craft beer is hitting the big time and, as many hoped, it's shocking the industry. Investors in the US are downgrading the prospects of big beer, while in the UK the market is becoming more competitive with the 'old guard' rushing to jump on the craft trend before it's too late - buying small breweries or creating their own.

The appetite for craft beer clearly exists amongst consumers. People are eager to try new beers, proven by the crowds in BrewDog and Craft Beer Co bars on a Friday night. The problem, if you're lazy, don't know a lot about beer, or in my case both, is that there can be too much choice. Often I'll pick the beer I know, partly because I'm lazy, partly because I'm scared of making a bad choice, and partly because I own shares in BrewDog. 

For those in my position, The Craft Beer Social Club is an excellent proposition. Paying only an entry fee, you sit at a table and are brought glass after glass of different British ales, and round after round of different foreign meats. Detailed tasting notes are also provided, just in case you want to learn a thing or two about what you're drinking. It's all very civil, for the first few glasses, and the large tables encourage you to make new friends. After five or six beers, the tasting notes had been forgotten - as had the names of the new friends - and I couldn't remember if we were eating alpaca or llama. Apparently, there is a way to tell the difference.

Occupying what is possibly a warehouse in London Fields, a short walk from the station, The Craft Beer Social Club is definitely as described - a pop-up bar. Dim lighting, trestle tables, a couple of sofas, a makeshift stage, and a toilet with accompanying bath, toothbrushes, flannels, and towels. Welcome to East London. Although not completely full, the atmosphere was fun, friendly, and full of noise - just as a bar should be at the weekend. There was even a hoedown during the set of Sam Green and the Midnight Heist.

I'd be lying if I said I learnt a huge amount about the beer, but I'll blame the quantity consumed for that, not the quality of what was on offer (although one of the stouts was vile). It would also be fair to say that there were some teething troubles on display - confusion amongst the staff early on, a quarter litre of vodka being served as a drink, and no mixers to be had. I'm sure these will be ironed out and who goes to a craft beer bar and orders spirits anyway?

Open until mid-December, it's worth visiting The Craft Beer Social Club for the evening or even as a starter to a big night. Take a pen if you want to make notes or sit back and just enjoy the almost endless procession of quality beers.

Jumping on the Craft Beer Bandwagon

The rise of craft beer reflects the growth of the discerning drinker - a segment of the market previously reserved for round-stomached, long haired, CAMRA t-shirt wearing 50+ year olds, but now populated by the trendy, young middle classes.

Not to miss out, big brand beers are jumping on the bandwagon fast. Fosters and Kronenbourg are two brands whose focus has shifted towards heritage and provenance.

Even with the vast expense of an Eric Cantona appearance, these campaigns are doomed to fail in attracting their target market. A discerning beer drinker is someone who looks for quality in the detail. Perhaps not to the extremes of knowing hop types and brewing times, but enough to notice the 'Brewed in UK' disclaimer stamped on both of these ads - suggesting that both the claims of heritage and provenance are complete bollocks.

Beers ads generally focus on humour, shock, 'being clever', or a combination of all three. This is because the brand name alone is the only differentiating characteristic between the various yellow swills. The goal of the ad is then to scream the name so loud its bored inside drinkers' heads, and rests on the tip of their tongue waiting to be shouted back at the bar come Saturday night. The people for whom this mass marketing approach work don't care about a product's provenance or heritage. They're the people who buy Magner's, not because it's Irish or made of apples, but because they've been told to do so while watching Coronation Street or the Champions League.

Big beer has lost the plot, falling in to the classic trap of attempting to tap in to a growth market by taking an existing product and twisting the image to fit the square brand peg in the round hole of consumer demand. It's a ridiculous strategy that will never achieve its goal. Any increase in sales will come purely from the increased exposure, not people running to the pub hollering 'it was founded in 1888 dontchaknow!'. However, I'm sure this won't stop them trying to hijack the next trend - organic Foster's anyone?

Oxjam Oxford Takeover 2012 - Oxford

Even though the standard quiz night still seems popular, many pubs and bars are trying novel ways of enticing punters through the door. On Saturday 13th October, the Oxjam Oxford Takeover saw four venues in Oxford host an extensive list of local bands. A charitable event, but for each venue Oxjam brings a larger than usual crowd and the potential to gain some new 'regulars'.

The top floor of the Turl Street Kitchen - another charitable project at the north end of the quintessentially-Oxford Turl Street - is a private function space and makes for an intimate music venue. The ground floor bar set-out like a living room is open day and night, serving coffee to Mac browsing students who then return for something stronger later on. A large selection of whiskey is on offer and there are a couple of ales on tap, including their own Turl Street Stout (4.3%) and Rebellion IPA (3.7%). A good place to visit out of term time.

Next on the list was Modern Art Oxford - tucked down a small side street to the side of the Westgate Shopping Centre. A lively cafe which doubles as a bar, it's much better to visit during the summer months when the covered outdoor space ('The Yard') is set with tables and chairs. They serve beer from local brewers Compass Brewery and The Cotswold Brewing Company. The former offered up Baltic Night Stout (4.8%); a pleasant beer considering that craft stouts are often too strong in flavour. Possibly not one I would have chosen for a basement gig, but then for once I wasn't buying.

The Bear Inn - Oxford

I once ordered a pint of Fuller's London Pride (4.1%) in a New York bar. When presented with some 50 different beers to choose from, and suffering from mild jet-lag, I stuck to what I knew.

Bland brand beer owes it's existence to this phenomenon. People stick to what they know in unfamiliar situations, but also to remove the danger of the unknown - the disappointment of a bad taste or the social stigma from ordering something different. On the same visit to New York, I avoided the Guinness in an Irish bar, only to be served a pint of Blue Moon (5.4%) complete with orange segment. Not the done thing.

When it comes to the post-work drink the same theory applies. There are pubs galore in Oxford: riverside pubs (The Head of the River), suburban pubs (The Victoria), small cosy pubs (The White Horse), and even a vegetarian pub (The Gardners Arm). Over a year's worth of Fridays I could visit every pub in Oxford. But I don't. For the sake of proximity, I choose The Bear Inn - every time.

It's a charming pub. One of Oxford's oldest, it sits aside the historic Christ Church College, just off the High Street. Adorned with cuts from old college ties (a form of payment many years ago, apparently) and featuring an extremely low ceilings, this place attracts the tourists during the day and the office workers in the evening. Consequently, a seat is rare, and when I recently stepped in to find Bill Clinton and his entourage in residence, they were even rarer. The beer on tap is limited to Fuller's, plus one seasonal ale. Of course, I stick to what I know - Fuller's London Pride (4.1%) .

If you're crawling the streets of Oxford, this pub should be in the top 10. If it's raining, don't expect a seat.

BrewDog and the Lass o' Gowrie - Manchester

'On the 6th day, God created Manchester' - so reads the famous inscription outside Afflex's Palace. If true, a large portion of that day was taken up building the cities pubs. The choice in Manchester is over-whelming: stay in the central districts of Piccadilly, Canal Street, or Deansgate; crawl down Oxford Road; or venture out to the suburbs. As expected, dominating the main roads, with their garish fronts and bright lights, the bad stick out; whilst hidden down the many darkened alleys not often ventured, the good tend to hide.

An exception to this rule is BrewDog Manchester. A new arrival in the city, BrewDog sits a short walk from St Peter's Square and the impressive Central Library, directly opposite the site of the infamous Peterloo Massacre. Full glass windows, tall bar stools, and minimalist concrete decor make this a cool, clean spot for a drink. BrewDog - a Scottish brewery - are well known for pushing the delights of high strength ale. However, their crowning achievement has to be their promotion of taste and range in beer - not just ABV. A pint of Dead Pony Club (3.8%) sits alongside the mainstays of Punk IPA (5.6%) and 5am Saint (5.6%), as well as the super strong home-brew and guest ales. Beer is here for every, and any, time of day and occasion. And if you're new to craft beer, a taster menu is a great option.

The idea of a good selection of tasty beers isn't a totally new concept, just one mainstream drinkers have forgotten. Located to the south of the city centre, behind BBC Manchester, the Lass o' Gowrie is an award winning pub - and an institution for many Mancunians. With a strong list of core ales, supplemented by guests, this is as a traditional pub should be. Dark wood, low tables, big screen football, friendly staff, and (seemingly) an event every night of the week. This place is a gem, easily missed by those who don't turn off the Oxford Road or venture from the centre. But at only a fifteen minute walk from Piccadilly, or a couple of quid train ride to Oxford Road Station, 'The Lass' should not be missed.

The Coach and Horses - Norwich

It’s a common misconception that Norwich is flat. The Fens – a seemingly endless stretch of perfectly flat fields – finish some 30 miles west of the city and a train journey from London, via the Olympic Park, Colchester, and Ipswich offers not a glimpse of the famous Anglian dykes and canals. Instead, Norwich City Centre features a number of hills, atop one sits The Coach and Horses – and the Chalk Hill Brewery contained within.

Due east of the station and flanked by offices, The Coach and Horses boasts uninspiring views of the Carrow Road stadium and a retail park from its beer garden. Inside, the pub is steamy on a match day with large-screen TVs and beer served in pitchers. Although Norwich is a strong market for craft beer, the locals seem to opt for the mainstream – Fosters, Carling, etc. It’s a shame. A pint of Brewery Tap (3.6%) dampened the memory of the two overpriced cans of Heinken sipped throughout the 2-hour train journey. Well worth the hill climb.