Titan yer tummy
No meatings b4 dinner!
- Location
- Beckenham, SE London
This thread is not really about beer at all, although I suspect that it may stray into that territory occasionally.
No, this is actually about the other beverages of the title – particularly my favourite: tea.
But first beer: in my (not very humble) opinion the best beer in the world bar none is Fullers London Pride. As I no longer drink alcohol it is many years since I tasted this wondrous liquid, but the memory of this divine brew is burned deep into my soul. I think it is something to do with the London water. Absolutely hopeless for most things – washing bikes being about the best I can think of, and even that is dubious, but London water makes wonderful, mouth-watering, delicious, bitter beer. And the best of those hails from the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick. BTW I am not a shareholder ;-). If you have not tried this hedonistic offering then I suggest you add it to your list of things to do before you die. At 4.1 ABV Pride packs a punch, so don’t take the bike; cycling and beer drinking are not exactly ideal partners anyway and one pint is never enough.
Now back to tea. I will start by saying that I am no expert on the subject (I expect other members of this site are far more knowledgeable than me) but I do know what I like and I would also be interested to know what you like, so I can try it, in case I am missing out on something.
I am only here talking of what is officially referred to as ‘Black Tea’ ie. those fragments of oxidised dried leaves sold either loose or in semi transparent sealed paper (tea) bags. The uniquely satisfying flavour released by adding boiling water, brewing for moments and serving with a little semi-skimmed milk really defies description. It is hard to think of something more enjoyable that isn’t either best kept to the bedroom or illegal.
But here is the rub for us Londoners. The local H2O, so good for making the above described Fullers London Pride, is absolutely useless for making that deliciously satisfying cuppa. In my youth I did not realise that the quality of the water could have such an impact on the flavour of this drink. It always seemed that when I visited other areas of the country the tea was so much more enjoyable and I could never understand why.
For many years I flip-flopped between Typhoo and PG Tips – both very nice teas – but always spoiled by the quality (ie hardness) of London’s water. I then discovered Taylor’s of Harrogate who made some nice loose teas, which were very acceptable and this remained my chosen brew until I was introduced to a tea specially blended for hard water areas also by Taylor’s of Harrogate. This is my favoured tea of today. This beautifully flavoured nectar is the perfect lift after a highly enjoyable bike ride. And in the absence of any better suggestions, which I am hoping you might make, this will be my selected infusion.
Tea - nectar for the gods (and tired cyclists).
TyT
No, this is actually about the other beverages of the title – particularly my favourite: tea.
But first beer: in my (not very humble) opinion the best beer in the world bar none is Fullers London Pride. As I no longer drink alcohol it is many years since I tasted this wondrous liquid, but the memory of this divine brew is burned deep into my soul. I think it is something to do with the London water. Absolutely hopeless for most things – washing bikes being about the best I can think of, and even that is dubious, but London water makes wonderful, mouth-watering, delicious, bitter beer. And the best of those hails from the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick. BTW I am not a shareholder ;-). If you have not tried this hedonistic offering then I suggest you add it to your list of things to do before you die. At 4.1 ABV Pride packs a punch, so don’t take the bike; cycling and beer drinking are not exactly ideal partners anyway and one pint is never enough.
Now back to tea. I will start by saying that I am no expert on the subject (I expect other members of this site are far more knowledgeable than me) but I do know what I like and I would also be interested to know what you like, so I can try it, in case I am missing out on something.
I am only here talking of what is officially referred to as ‘Black Tea’ ie. those fragments of oxidised dried leaves sold either loose or in semi transparent sealed paper (tea) bags. The uniquely satisfying flavour released by adding boiling water, brewing for moments and serving with a little semi-skimmed milk really defies description. It is hard to think of something more enjoyable that isn’t either best kept to the bedroom or illegal.
But here is the rub for us Londoners. The local H2O, so good for making the above described Fullers London Pride, is absolutely useless for making that deliciously satisfying cuppa. In my youth I did not realise that the quality of the water could have such an impact on the flavour of this drink. It always seemed that when I visited other areas of the country the tea was so much more enjoyable and I could never understand why.
For many years I flip-flopped between Typhoo and PG Tips – both very nice teas – but always spoiled by the quality (ie hardness) of London’s water. I then discovered Taylor’s of Harrogate who made some nice loose teas, which were very acceptable and this remained my chosen brew until I was introduced to a tea specially blended for hard water areas also by Taylor’s of Harrogate. This is my favoured tea of today. This beautifully flavoured nectar is the perfect lift after a highly enjoyable bike ride. And in the absence of any better suggestions, which I am hoping you might make, this will be my selected infusion.
Tea - nectar for the gods (and tired cyclists).
TyT
