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Hot Finish for Mild Month.

Saturday 30th May saw the last official Mild Trail for 2009 and was a great finish to a superb month of Mild’s. This trail was unusual as it started at some of the country pubs of South Gloucester, and involved a lot of Bus journeys between pubs.
The trail started at noon from the Lamb Inn at Iron Acton where Cotswold Spring’s Old Sodbury Mild (3.7%) was offered. A one and a half mile walk across the fields brought us to the New Inn at Mayshill for lunch, where Landlord Dave McKillop had three Milds on tap. This pub is justifiably Bristol CAMRA’s Pub of the Year with Cottage Black Prince (4.0%), Severn Vale Monumentale (4.5) and Old Sodbury Mild. Nic Milo from Cotswold Spring Brewery joined us at the pub for the rest of the trail.
Henry Davies was trail boss and soon had us on a bus to Winterbourne Down, where we then had a 20 minute walk through the desert in temperatures reaching 500C to reach the Cross Hands. Luckily they had Theakston’s Mild (3.5%) and Three Castles Mad Spring Mild (4.7%) on this hot afternoon.
The walk back to the Bus Stop seemed just as far (strange that), but the bus soon arrived and whisked us off to the Oak at Staple Hill, a Wetherspoons pub managed by Helen Bull and serving Wickwar’s Penny Black (3.9%). Just down the road was the Van Dyke Forum, another Wetherspoons pub, where Ricky Mahoney had Cotleigh Nutcracker (3.4%) to offer.
Yet another bus trip took us to the Miners Arms in St.Werburghs, a Dawkins Tavern managed by Alex Hill. Several more Trailers joined us here for the Moor Milly’s Mild (3.9%), Arbor Ales Mild West (3.6%) and Timothy Taylor Golden Best, a 3.5% light coloured, refreshing, traditional, Pennine mild with a malty hop taste.
Next stop was the Chelsea Inn in Easton for Jennings Dark Mild (3.1%), before walking to the Old Stillage in Redfield, where Arbor Ales had brewed two special beers for the occasion. Landlord Namaya Reynolds and Arbor Ales brewer Jon Comer welcomed us with the Mild Fest (5.2%), which we had first encountered in March at the Bristol Beer Festival.  The second was ‘10 minute Mild’ a malty mild which contained no bittering hops at all just some aroma hops and was a superbly warming 7.6%, what a great way to finish off a very enjoyable day. Many thanks to publicans and brewers and the twenty or so Mild drinkers that joined in the Trail.

Dawkins Taverns Mild Month Review (from Glen Dawkins)
May saw our Mild Month Festival Trail (as part of CAMRA's Mild Month) Trail which proved to be nearly twice as popular as last year; despite the trail reward of a printed mug needing visits to five pubs against last years’ three.
We promised 30 different mild ales across the pubs; in fact we did nearer forty as stocks ran low and the landlords ordered more stock in. This surely shows there is a ready market for these rare ales.
Many thanks for the support of local CAMRA and especially the BADRAG subgroup. We’re looking forward to next year already, but in the meantime, if you come across a mild in a pub-usually dark, deliciously smooth and less hoppy than bitters- then do try it!
Of our pubs, The Hillgrove, Victoria and Portcullis always have a dark beer on, and the Green Man will be able to do the same when we increase the range later.
For more information see www.dawkins-taverns.co.uk

Nottingham Trail 21st - 24th May
Ten intrepid Mild Trailers enjoyed joining the Nottingham Area Mild trail, some staying the weekend and others joining in on the Saturday.

Weston-Super-Mare
On Wednesday the 20th, the mild trail hit Weston. Happily it was a dry evening conducive to a pub crawl. The evening began at the Raglan, Upper Church Road, where Freddie the landlord was waiting with the very dark and very tasty Milly¹s (3.9%) from the Moor Brewery, Ashcott. Naturally everyone went for this beer, although having done his duty to the mild, Robin “Born to be Wild” indulged in some extra-curricular with the RCH PG Steam.
We made the arduous ten-second journey across the road to the Criterion, where Paul Sprackman had Mild Cheddar (3.6%) from Cheddar Ales served straight from the cask. A slightly lighter mild this one and much enjoyed by all.
Moving on to the Regency in Lower Church Road, Theakston Mild (3.5%) had made the long trip from Masham, North Yorkshire. Mark Pullen and the team were having a busy evening hosting a birthday party. Our gathering now numbered around 20, including some organizers of the Weston Lions Real Ale and Cider Festival to be held July 23rd to the 26th. Anyone reading this should make a note in their diary and support this festival. It was very good last year and promises to be even better this year.
A short walk to the White Hart, tucked away in Palmer Row. Our choice here was Church End Grave Diggers Ale (3.8%) from Nuneaton. Lou often gets beers from this excellent Midlands brewery and this is one of their best. As with the Moor Milly’s, the breweries seem to have made a conscious decision note to include the word “mild” in the name of the beer. Mild: the beer that dare not speak it’s name!
Some of us made a diversion to the Dragon Inn, where we had to be strong in ignoring the eight excellent other real ales on offer and sticking loyally to the mild. In this case it was Moor Milly¹s again and very nice too ­ my personal favourite of the evening.
The final stop for the evening, inevitably, was Off The Rails. A fine end to the evening with the ever-present Mark serving up the multi-award winning Rudgate Ruby Mild (4.4%) from Tockwith, North Yorkshire. Another fine mild crawl much enjoyed by a good crowd.

Kingsdown to Temple Meads
On Saturday May 16th thirty people enjoyed either part or all of an eight-pub Kingsdown and Temple Meads Mild Ales Trail, led by Laurie Gibney. There was a last-minute panic when it was thought a couple of pubs would not be open, but they did us proud and the trail went exceedingly well.
The trail started at noon from the Robin Hood in St Michael’s Hill, where manager Dorian Gallimore, who took over only six days before, laid on Wadworth¹s Maypole Mild (3.3%), a new mild for 2009.
Next we braved the only rainy walk of the day to the Green Man in Alfred Place, where Helen Clarke greeted us behind the bar with two organic milds, Butts Mild Surprise (4.5%), a one-off cask especially brewed for the Green Man and held back for our trail day, plus Spectrum Dark Fantastic (3.8%).
Over twenty trailers then made their way to the Hillgrove Porter Stores where Doreen Ashley was behind the bar to greet us with Timothy Taylor Dark Mild (3.5%). This was a rich, creamy dark mild and soon ran out just as the last trailer was served. The other mild on the bar was an equally enjoyable Moorhouses Black Cat (3.4%).
Colston Yard was then reached via the recently re-opened Terrell Street behind the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and as well as enjoying Cains Dark Mild (3.2%) a number of trailers took the opportunity to eat well from the interesting menu.
Zerodegrees was next on the trail with a 4% Dark Mild. Then followed a trek down Christmas Steps, up Broad Street and across Bristol Bridge.
The Seven Stars off Victoria Street, runner-up Bristol & District Pub of the Year, had the delightful Arbor Ales Mild West (3.6%) at a special trail price of £2 per pint, with live music laid on by licensees Stephen Niven and Katie Hardwick. Sixteen trailers went into the Seven Stars but only five were seen again ­ maybe they are still there? Geoff at the Wetherspoon’s Knights Templar did us proud with Banks & Taylor Black Dragon Mild (4.3%) and, from Pewsey, Three Castles Mad Spring Mild (4.7%).
The Cornubia had Arbor Ales Mild West (3.6%) and the lovely Arbor Ales old ale Slumberjack (6.9%) which our trail leader couldn’t resist! Finally we arrived at the Commercial Rooms for Marston¹s Merrie Monk Mild (4.5%) and Cotleigh Nutcracker (3.4%).