[Drinking] Three new craft beer bars opening soon in Brighton

[Easthill Andy]

Holler stopped brewing

 

[MattBackHome]

Holler stopped brewing

Why? Money?

 

[Springal]

Why? Money?

Apparently the owner was only really in it for the money, financially mismanaged and fell out with the landlord, owed money to HMRC etc

 

[MattBackHome]

Apparently the owner was only really in it for the money, financially mismanaged and fell out with the landlord, owed money to HMRC etc

That's a shame. I saw one of the brewers up at the Dripping Pan on Sunday but didn't really fancy interrogating him (when there was Harveys to be drunk in the sunshine)

 

[theboybilly]

After visiting the Grizzly Bear and Broodsteed the other night with [MENTION=236]Papa Lazarou[/MENTION], we then went to visit the Whiskey Rooms, but it was closed.

Wandering further towards the pedestrianised part of Montague Street we happened across Wax Cactus in a converted butchers shop. The landlord told us he'd been on the lookout for a butchers as it makes for a great micro-pub as the beer can be stored in the butcher's fridge with taps drilled through the wall - and that's exactly what he's done.

He also run the Wax Cactus cafe next door, although it sounds as though he wants to move that on to a dedicated chef to run as they see fit.

They had a decent range of both beers and ciders, including lots of local stuff, and they also specialise in tequila. A nice addition to the west end of town, with the Whiskey Rooms and Anchored both close by.

EDIT: They also have live acts on from time to time, with our very own [MENTION=528]attila[/MENTION] there on the 9th October.

I've just checked out the Wax Cactus bar prices. Personally I think they are taking the proverbial. There was only one cask beer there for a reasonable price - I thought the idea of these sort of bars was lower business rates that would trickle down to lower prices to the customer. Not in this case it would seem

 

[Yes Chef]

Apparently the owner was only really in it for the money, financially mismanaged and fell out with the landlord, owed money to HMRC etc

I went to a Holler 'meet the brewer' at The Hornet in Chichester a few months back, and whilst he didn't say as much, the implication was they were primarily a commercial enterprise.
Contrast that with similar events with Unity and Staggeringly Good breweries when they spoke solely about beer and brewing (and got drunk with us) you could tell who the passionate ones were

 

[Whitechapel]

Was quite looking forward to the Brewhouse & Kitchen opening up in Worthing until I looked at the beer prices at some of their other branches. Up to £6.50 for a pint? Christ on a bike.

 

[Whitechapel]

My local doesn't bleat on about being craft yet has a range of superb ales at reasonable prices. I don't know anywhere else I can get a very decent pint of IPA for £2.29.

Piston?

 

[Questions]

Why is Holler now Unbarred?

Is it because he now behaves himself.

 

[Springal]

Was quite looking forward to the Brewhouse & Kitchen opening up in Worthing until I looked at the beer prices at some of their other branches. Up to £6.50 for a pint? Christ on a bike.

Cost of goods, lack of scale. A lot of these beers have a very high hop content and hops are expensive.

I saw recently on that inside the factory program - Greg Wallace was at Carling who said they use 0.2g per Litre of their beer. Punk IPA uses 16g per litre for example.

 

[Bozza]

I've just checked out the Wax Cactus bar prices. Personally I think they are taking the proverbial. There was only one cask beer there for a reasonable price - I thought the idea of these sort of bars was lower business rates that would trickle down to lower prices to the customer. Not in this case it would seem

Now you come to mention it, I do recall a "how much?" thought when I bought my round of three drinks, which were a Gun something-or-other, a South Downs Cider rhubarb effort and another cider. It was very possibly £16-something, which felt steep compared to my previous round of two pints for £8 in Brooksteed.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

On the subject of prices a German friend met me in Mikkeller on Wednesday. Whilst he purchased a .4 of IPA I recommended he continually moaned about paying €8.50 for it. He refused to stay in the bar, dragging me to an Italian wine bar where he continued his rant with the owner mocking craft beer. ****ing Bavarians.

 

[Jim D]

On the subject of prices a German friend met me in Mikkeller on Wednesday. Whilst he purchased a .4 of IPA I recommended he continually moaned about paying €8.50 for it. He refused to stay in the bar, dragging me to an Italian wine bar where he continued his rant with the owner mocking craft beer. ****ing Bavarians.

I'm pleased to see that prices in Germany are even higher than Greece. €7 for a very nice Septem 7th day IPA (7%) in Athens.

 

[Whitechapel]

Cost of goods, lack of scale. A lot of these beers have a very high hop content and hops are expensive.

I saw recently on that inside the factory program - Greg Wallace was at Carling who said they use 0.2g per Litre of their beer. Punk IPA uses 16g per litre for example.

Yeah that’s fair enough.

The problem is I live in Worthing and most of my mates live in Shoreham or Portslade. It’s hard enough getting them over to Worthing for a drink as it is. We’re all lager drinks mainly; although I’ll drink anything wet, which makes the sell even harder. The fact it’s then not even a cheap piss up makes the sell almost impossible. I mean, even Oranjeboom is pushing the £4.50 mark in their Horsham branch.

Obviously I’m not the target market, but a couple of budget pints help draw people in, and then those try 3 draught beers deals for £5 ween people over to the more expensive “better” beers. I’m not advocating them having fosters on tap but I’ve 100% seen ‘boom much cheaper in other pubs for example. Was just hoping for my own selfish reasons I’d be able to use it as a reason to push Worthing more often as where I live is pretty shit and venturing in to town is always going to result in ‘spoons then whatever Vinters is called this week before ending up in the Warrick until I snap and offer everyone back to mine with a crate so I don’t have to listen to their DJ any longer.

They obviously know what they’re doing and their prices change from location to location so maybe all my worrying is for nothing but we’ll see.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'm pleased to see that prices in Germany are even higher than Greece. €7 for a very nice Septem 7th day IPA (7%) in Athens.

They are German prices. We bought Greece a few years back.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Yeah that’s fair enough.

The problem is I live in Worthing and most of my mates live in Shoreham or Portslade. It’s hard enough getting them over to Worthing for a drink as it is. We’re all lager drinks mainly; although I’ll drink anything wet, which makes the sell even harder. The fact it’s then not even a cheap piss up makes the sell almost impossible. I mean, even Oranjeboom is pushing the £4.50 mark in their Horsham branch.

Obviously I’m not the target market, but a couple of budget pints help draw people in, and then those try 3 draught beers deals for £5 ween people over to the more expensive “better” beers. I’m not advocating them having fosters on tap but I’ve 100% seen ‘boom much cheaper in other pubs for example. Was just hoping for my own selfish reasons I’d be able to use it as a reason to push Worthing more often as where I live is pretty shit and venturing in to town is always going to result in ‘spoons then whatever Vinters is called this week before ending up in the Warrick until I snap and offer everyone back to mine with a crate so I don’t have to listen to their DJ any longer.

They obviously know what they’re doing and their prices change from location to location so maybe all my worrying is for nothing but we’ll see.

There are some great places to drink in Worthing now and I have friends who come over from Brighton because of this. However, the reason they are great is that they are not catering to the mass market - spoons, Warwick, Thieves - but are providing something different. The beer may be more expensive but is better quality and not designed to be thrown down your neck like a cheap pint of Carling. You also don't usually have jukeboxes, TVs, etc so you can actually have a conversation with friends.

They are probably more aimed at an older market who done their time getting hammered on cooking lager while trying to pull the barmaid and now want something a bit more grown up (and realise that the barmaid is not going to be interested in them anyway

 

[Jim D]

They are German prices. We bought Greece a few years back.

And you wonder why people want to leave the EU......

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

The thing with beer prices is that no one bats an eyelid paying a premium for decent wine, whisky, vodka or whatever, but £6 for a pint and people run a mile. We've got to get out the mindset of chucking as much cheap lager down our throats as possible (although there is still a time and place for that) and see that, yes, there is actually some skill and quality ingredients gone in to some of these "new" beers. Admittedly not all will hit the mark, and some venues and brewers are chancing their arm somewhat with "standard" beers dressed up as craft, but that's the same with premium wines, whisky, vodka etc.

 

[theboybilly]

Now you come to mention it, I do recall a "how much?" thought when I bought my round of three drinks, which were a Gun something-or-other, a South Downs Cider rhubarb effort and another cider. It was very possibly £16-something, which felt steep compared to my previous round of two pints for £8 in Brooksteed.

Just looking at their FB photos and the top 2 ales are a 5.5% offering from Holler @ £3.30 for HALF a pint and similarly a 4.5% Downlands ale for £3.00 per half. I am sure I have had both in the Old Star or Watchmakers and not paid much more than £4 for either. Probably less. I love the idea of a micropub so much so that I use them when possible for away matches. But there is nothing to draw me to the Wax Cactus. The Brooksteed and Anchored are the benchmark in Worthing. But nothing locally touches the Watchmakers in Hove