Well, 25 Festivals! Who’d have thought it possible when we started here in 1995. We were told then that we couldn’t sell Real Ale in Oakengates – a good thing we ignored that advice! Some 9,000 beers later, I’m satisfied that we proved the “experts” wrong. In fact, thanks to a great team here and lots of supportive customers, we have just been awarded “Cask Ale Pub of the Year 2008 East & West Midlands”, as well as being the only pub in the area to be listed in the Good Beer Guide and by Cask Marque.

John Ellis, Crown Inn Landlord

It’s certainly no thanks to our political leaders that we’re still going and I find myself, yet again, ranting and railing at more mad Government interference. It was announced on Wednesday at 10 Downing Street, there is to be a Drinks Industry Committee (DIC). This august body is to be made up of “The Great & The Good” of the do-gooding industry and, apparently, there will be “some industry involvement”. You can bet your bottom dollar that, following “industry involvement”, pubs will be rail-roaded into yet more bureaucracy and interference, just like we were with the Licensing Act and Smoking.

So, who will steer this body to try to subdue the alcohol industry again? I was struggling to find a more likely candidate to be DIC Head than Sir Ian Gilmour, head of the Royal College of
Surgeons. But now there’s a Metropolitan Police Commissioner who needs to be found a well-paid job at public expense. Whoever gets the job, we can be sure that a Government-appointed DIC Head will be poking his nose into our industry before long. The Bill is to be debated in Parliament on 17th October – yes, it really is coming round that fast!

Meanwhile, it’s the beers that you’ve come for and we hope to be serving them for many years to come! Cheers!
John Ellis

BITTERS UPTO 3.9%
Acorn Yorkshire Pride 3.7
Back Yard Shire Oak 3.5
Falstaff Cassandra 3.9
Full Mash Monty’s Whistle 3.8
Hobson’s Best Bitter 3.8
Hook Norton The Jewel in the Crown 3.4
Leyden Gold Top 3.7
Rudgate Top Tipple 3.8
Rudgate Marston Moor’s Fox Hound 3.9
Rudgate Sword Blow 3.9

BITTERS UPTO 4.1%
Bowland Illumination 4.0
Cotleigh Goshawk 4.1
Cottage JT 4.0
Lichfield Silver Jubilee 4.0
Lichfield Saint John the Builder 4.0
Mayfields Trooper’s Gold 4.0
Millstone Royal Oak 4.0
Northumberland Legends of the Wear (2) No.3 Len Ashurst 4.0
Weetwood Cheshire Cat 4.0

BITTERS UPTO 4.3%
Dowbridge Morgan’s B5000 4.3
Falstaff Gallifrey 4.3
Hanby Fruit Fall 4.2
Idle Coopers 4.3
Lichfield Brickdust 4.2
Magpie Best 4.2
Morrissey Fox Blonde Ale 4.2
Morton Essington Ale 4.2
Northumberland Legends of the Tyne (2) No.8 Dave Hilley 4.3
Rudgate Three Card Brag 4.2
Sawbridgeworth Andrew’s Last Case 4.2
Wood Wild Edric 4.3
Wyre Piddle Piddle All Over 4.2
York MM 4.3

BITTERS UPTO 4.6%
Back Yard XXV Celebration Ale 4.4
Back Yard Big Red 4.5
Burton Bridge Captain Kiwi 4.5
Dowbridge Morgan’s Cruel Summer 4.5
Ironbridge Autumn 4.6
Lichfield Saint Giles 4.4
Magpie Monty’s Firkin 4.6
Morton Gregory’s Gold 4.4
Ossett Turning Leaves 4.5
Spinning Dog Autumn Gold 4.4
Teme Valley Amber Export Ale 4.5
Townhouse William Dodd’s Ale 4.4

BITTERS 4.7% and OVER
Ashover All Saint’s (Wheat Beer) 5.5
Cottage H.M.S. Victory 4.7
Full Mash Samhain (Lager) 5.0
Hambleton Yorkshire Lager 5.0
Maypole Buzz Lightbeer 4.7
Slater’s Voortrekker Laager 5.0

MILDS, STOUTS, PORTERS and Dark Beers
Archer’s Black Arrow 5.5
Cambrinus Yardstick 4.0
Coastal Bodmin Beast 5.5
Derventio Barbarian 5.5
Hanby Scorpio Porter S4.4
Hobson’s Mild M3.2
Leeds Gathering Storm 4.4
Spire Winter’s T’Ale 6.6

CIDERS & PERRY
Broad Oak Moonshine Medium Cider 7.5
Broad Oak Perry 7.5
Hecks Medium Cider 6.5
Hecks Kingston Black 7.0