Micropubs in Metroland

In recent years there has been a boom in Micropubs across the UK, as of 2024 there were over 500 sites registered across the UK. These small independent establishments offer basic facilities that include snacks, bottle/ can selections and growlers for take-away drinks. Over the past few years, there has been a boom in micropubs opening around Hertfordshire, giving customers the chance to try beers, ciders and perries from small-scale independent producers. Along the Watford branch of the Metropolitan line, there are a number of micropubs along each stop between Rickmansworth and Watford. As it was the centenary year of the branch-line, I thought it would it be a good opportunity not only to ride this route, but also to visit the micropubs along the way.

The first stop on the mini-tour was Wishful Drinking in Rickmansworth; launched in 2019, it is a medium-sized setup with a two-step floor layout, tall chairs and globe lamps on most tables. Although there is no cask available here, it has up to 8 beers and 6 ciders on keg. Moreover, they also function as a bottle shop, offering an extensive range of Belgian and German beers, along with a selection of releases from the more locally based Tring Brewery. They also sell snacks including fresh Pork Scratchings and snacking cheese, its also dog-friendly. Moreover, they hold regular events including quizzes, beer tastings and themed evenings. There were only Pale beers available that day, so I settled for Big Bad Shoe (5.7%), a New England style IPA with bold fruity tropical flavours, laced with a mixture of US hops including Citra, Amarillo and Sabro. The hops make for much of the flavour profile, giving a bitter and grassy undertone. After a lengthy Canalside walk we visited Anchor Tap & Bottle in Croxley, a short walk from the tube station, on the site of a former estate agents, it opened in December 2019, yet due to subsequent lockdown restrictions they operated as a take-away and delivery service, notably selling beer tasting kits to customers. The building is a long one-room bar, they maintain the nautical theme with gunmetal-grey walls and chain-lights, splashes of oak panels are interspersed throughout the room, giving the décor an uplift; there are a mixture of high and low tables along with bar stools, and the pint glasses are notably labelled with their anchor logo. Since introducing indoor service, they have scaled back on their selection of bottles/ cans, although drinks are still available to take-away. A snack tower is curiously sited in the middle of the room, it is also dog and child friendly; moreover, there are fortnightly quiz nights (on Tuesdays), Cheese and Wine evenings, live music and events including cocktail nights and tasting sessions. There’s a good selection of wines and spirits to choose from, along with ten beers on keg and two on cask (both from Tring). I sampled some Tea Kettle Stout (5.2%), it was smooth and chocolaty, with potent coffee and roasted malty flavours; a notable bitterness dominated the background which was offset by a creamy mouthfeel, whilst the strength helped give it depth and warmth. Darkness was setting in when we alighted at our terminus, Two Trees Micro in Watford. Launched in March 2022, it is by very definition a micro-pub, with room for only five tables. A favourite with locals and frequently busy, particularly with football on Watford FC match days at nearby Vicarage Road, they boast multiple awards including Watford Observer Pub of the Year 2022 and CAMRA Watford & District Pub of the Year 2023 respectively. Moreover, they also organise tap-takeovers, beer tasting evenings, quizzes (fortnightly on Thursdays) and themed events, a recent innovation, recent examples include a Burns Night Scottish Beer Festival and a Easter Dark Ales event. There was a small bottle/ can selection behind the bar, and an extensive range of bar snacks. In addition to four keg taps, they sell draught cider and up to four beers on cask, they always endeavour to sell at least one bitter, dark and pale beer depending on stocks. After much deliberation, I went for Extra Shiny Beer (4.5%), an old-school ESB with an amber red hue and off-white head; replete with roasted malt flavours with a fruity tanginess, some spiciness and a floral hoppy bitterness from the use of East Kent Goldings; the malt bill included dark malts and a hint of rye. 

During my journey I visited a fascinating array of micropubs, that reflect a growing culture within Hertfordshire of small independent pubs, devoid of restaurant facilities and large national brands, that dominate most pubs in the county. Each location had its own unique characteristics and features that helped made it stand out. Moreover, these places were no frills establishments where the focus was directly centred on beer, cider and perry, celebrating and promoting the produce of small-scale brewers who’d normally find it very difficult to get their beers sold in pubs, since a large number are owned by PubCo’s where the choice is usually restricted. It is great to see the growing spread of micropubs, as it also helps the independent brewing sector to thrive and increase their profits, which is good news for the brewing industry and a boon for the pub sector, especially pertinent in these difficult financial times when pubs are struggling to cope. These three pubs alone are representative of this burgeoning industry; and in the remoteness and quiet of Metroland, the lure of micropubs attracted people in their droves, back to nature, back to the simple honest pint.   

 

A Drink to Ol' Rabbie

Last Saturday was Burns Night, that annual celebration where people around the world celebrate the poems and songs of Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s best-known poets. To mark the occasion a number of pubs were organising their own events from special meals to poetry readings, yet the most unusual event I discovered locally was a Scottish Mini Beer Festival at Two Trees Micro in Watford. The relatively diminutive pub has been operating in the area since 2022, it offers a frequently rotating selection of four cask ales and keg beers/lagers from independent breweries, along with a good selection of ciders and perries, and for the discerning traveller there are a good selection of bottles and cans to take-away. Due to the size of the place, unlike most pubs it doesn’t offer food, yet snacks are available, although you can bring in food from outside. Since opening the pub has gained a following in the local community, winning a slew of awards including Pub of the Year 2023 (Watford & District CAMRA) and Pub of Year Competition 2022 (Watford Observer) for instance. Their Burns Night event was effectively a (partial) tap takeover with beers appropriately from Scottish breweries available on tap, which the landlord had installed on stillage fresh that very day. 

 

Accompanied by my friend Graham, as we entered we were met with a display of bunting that bared the Scottish flag, and on the tables, there were informative leaflets that gave information on the six Scotland based breweries along with tasting notes for the beers that were available that day, and music from Scottish bands and artists were blaring from the loudspeakers. At the handpumps, there were three Scots ales available on cask, and several further on keg as well Whiskies and Scottish themed snacks, although the latter was a bit misleading as there were only Tunnocks Tea-cakes available, complementary with every drink. There were beers of varying strengths and styles available, so appropriately I went for a lighter ale to start off with Orkney Best (3.6%) from Swannay Brewery based in Birsay, Orkney. A light sessionable bitter, the brewers describe it as a lunchtime beer due to its relatively modest strength. The beer is made with traditional British malts and an unusual hop combination of British, German and Polish hops, and over the years it has become one of their most successful products, winning a slew of awards including Champion Beer of Scotland (2012) for instance. To cut to the chase, it was refreshingly light, and rather malty with a slight nutty bitterness rumbling in the background, along with a dash of hops that helped extenuate its lack of strength, but nonetheless the flavour profile was evenly balanced, meanwhile the mouthfeel was biscuity and dry, though the relative lack of a head did it no favours. Overall, I found it decent for a session level ale, nothing too remarkable on the flavour front, but a decent enough drink to help start off the proceedings. For my next beer, I decided to take it up a notch, and went for Jarl (3.7%) from Fyne Ales, which operate from a converted farmhouse in Argyll. One of the best known beers to come out of Scotland in recent years, markedly it was one of the first Scottish beers to use Citra hops when it came on the scene in 2010 and since its launch it has become of the most successful Scottish beers, winning Champion Beer of Scotland no less than three times (in 2013, 2021 and 2022) and other accolades including Bronze (CBOB 2013), Gold – Golden Ales (CBOB 2013), Gold – Cask Standard Bitters and Pale Ales (SIBA Scotland 2017). It’s hardly any surprise it has become the brewer’s flagship product, and can be regularly seen on handpumps in pubs across the UK. The beer had a fluffy off-white head, which helped energize it luscious and creamy mouthfeel. Despite its low strengths, a circus of flavours was immediately apparent, with notes of citrus fruits and grassiness coming through from the Citra hops, whilst the malt bill of Pale and Torrified Wheat helped ground the flavours, giving off hints of caramel and breadiness.  The mouthfeel was verging on the dry, yet it was evidently refreshing, the thick head helped offset some of the dryness and helped bring the flavours to the fore. Understandably I found the beer quite enjoyable, and despite its relatively low strength, it is evident that the brewers have put in the effort to make it flavourful; and as a beer/ food pairing it particularly went well with the Curried Mutton which I purchased from the Caribbean take-away across the road.  

By this time, there was only one cask beer left on tap that I hadn’t sampled yet. I went for Henok’s Mild (5.3%), a recent collaboration between Edinburgh based Newbarns Brewery and Omnipollo from Sweden. A strong dark mild, I was frankly mystified by its range of favours, on the foreground it was filled to the brim with mulled fruits, with notes of coffee and chocolate coming through from the malt, with just a hint of lactose rumbling away in the background. It had a noteworthy roasted bitterness, without it being too overbearing, and it was rounded off with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Unlike the other beers I tried today which are regularly brewed, and available in both cask and bottle, this beer was only sold in cask and likely to be on limited releases, so it could very well be my only chance to sample this rare beast. The beer’s status as a mild rather frankly confusing, it’s complex array of flavours and mouthfeel veered more towards Porter/ Stout territory and its strength was anything but mild, I enquired the landlord about this, and he stated that mild beers tend to use milder hops, though they can still vary in strength. This throws the entire status of Mild into doubt, and further muddies the already murky waters of dark ales, perhaps a conundrum to solve at a later date? Scotland uniquely has its own beer styles, they are historically based around the Shilling system where the strength of the beer would calculate the price per hogshead, this ranged from Light (60/-), Heavy (70/-), Export (80/-) and Wee Heavy (90/- plus). Scotch ales are another name for strong ales and tend to be over 6% abv, they are similar in character to Burton Ales, Stingo and Barley Wine and have a mature, fully rounded flavour with a kaleidoscope of notes and a warming effect brough on by its high strength. The place was starting to fill up with punters as I sampled was 180 Shilling (12%), a recent collaboration between Holy Goat Brewing of Dundee and Newbarns. Produced alongside a selection of four limited edition Winter releases, it is based on a 17^th century recipe for Scotch Ale, in order extract its strength, it is put through the mash tun twice which helps concentrate the wort and produces a high ABV beer without the need of additional sugars. Adhering to tradition, the brewers utilize Chevalier Malt, a once common variety that was commonplace in most beers during the 19^th century, it was discontinued following the introduction of mechanical harvesting processes in the 1920’s, where the relatively small heights of the stems made it unsuitable for harvest.  It has since been brought back following the efforts of Dr. Chris Ridout from the John Inns Centre (that boasts a large selection of heritage malt varieties) who planted a crop, to see how it would fare in modern brewing. Since 2017, a clutch of breweries have produced small batch beers using this malt, and having never tried sampled a beer made with this malt, I was eager to sample it. Due to its high strength, it was only sold in halves and thirds, so understandably I went for the latter. I was met with a cacophony of flavours, including notes of sherry, whisky, oak, brandy, berry fruits and a whisp of marmalade. There was a notable caramel sweetness flowing in the background, whilst the bitterness was subdued and melded with the other flavours to create a unique tasting experience. The richness from the malt was notable, and its high strength helped complement it, yet although it was on the strong side, it wasn’t too overwhelming as Scotch Ales go, and it was akin to drinking a fine wine or a low strength spirit. This beer was a like a trip back in time, a faithful recreation of the Scotch Ales that propagated pubs during the Victorian Age.

 

In retrospect I found this event to be a success, the range of ales available were carefully selected and thorough researched, it was evident that the staff put their effort in to source the best quality examples from north of the border. I sampled a fine range of ales, from sessionable bitters to popular well-known releases, strong dark milds and a Scotch Ale that provided a window into the past. Each of the beers provided a different and unique drinking experience, furthermore none of them were bland and unassuming in any way. I have tried several Scottish beers in the past, but I’m still relatively vague and naive in my knowledge of Scotland’s brewing industry. So, this mini-beer festival not only offered the opportunity to discover more about Scotland’s illustrious brewing sector, it also gave me the unique and rare chance to try these beers on cask, where they would otherwise be seldom available in England. This event proved to be a popular draw for the micropub, attracting a slew of customers throughout the day, let’s hope that the owners put on more themed events throughout the rest of this year as this could be a potentially worthwhile enterprise, I’d definitely drink to that!