British Real Ale Lovers - Happy Christmas from Villa Market

[GrantSmith]

To join the Craft Beer Club simply send us an email with your name and contact information to sip @ seekbeervana. We’ll respond with a confirmation and payment instructions (Paypal or Bank Transfer). That’s it. Feel free to check out our BOTTLE SHOP and place your first order right away!

• 20-25% discount from retail on our entire lineup
• Free delivery on orders over THB 2,000 within Bangkok metro

Unfortunately, Wishbeer doesn't have the same stock that Beervana has.

So I guess the question is, is Beervana still doing home delivery orders, and if so, how do you order with them?

I'm pretty sure you can't order directly from the website like you can with Wishbeer.

As I understand it you email them (Beervana) your order and go from there...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Ahh Jlelouer, I now see you're right about that...

In looking at the Wishbeer website under any particular country, it looks like it by default only shows 10 beers to a page...and I hadn't noticed the multiple pages reference/link there.

But when I change the setting to 20 or 40 or 60 items per page, then all the other choices show up... And I can now see the beers that, before, I didn't think they had.

I was busy looking at the beer choices, and didn't see the page navigator button.

Thanks.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's just kind of odd that there are no prices listed anywhere on the Beervana website, so I'm not sure how you'd email an order with no idea of the price of your order.

[GrantSmith]

It's just kind of odd that there are no prices listed anywhere on the Beervana website, so I'm not sure how you'd email an order with no idea of the price of your order.

Sign up to the sip club and you'll find out the answers to your questions

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[draftvader]

Top 5...hmmm...MUCH tougher than this used to be...thanks to Wishbeer and Villa Market

If sticking to British brews then here goes....

Sambrooks Junction
St Austell Proper Job

Hook Norton Haymaker
Sambrooks Wandle (tough between that and Tribute!)
Greene King IPA (export strength)

I know I missed out the Tribute but the Wandle is so similar...just marginally better quality for me. Hooky Gold is another honorable mention.

Anyway, who cares? More importantly, who thought we'd even be having this conversation 12 months ago?

[Ace of Pop]

DoYou Beer Guys drink Real Ale cold or Brit Style,luke warm.?.

[draftvader]

DoYou Beer Guys drink Real Ale cold or Brit Style,luke warm.?.

Depends on the beer. Some of the offerings here served well "chilled" (i.e. not 10 hours in the fridge). Some of these are:

Hooky Gold

Sambrooks Wandle

St Austell Tribute

Others will be compromised by chilling, for example:

Sambrooks Junction

Hook Norton Haymaker

Some of the labels will even suggest chilling.

[BestBitterPhuket]

It's just kind of odd that there are no prices listed anywhere on the Beervana website, so I'm not sure how you'd email an order with no idea of the price of your order.

Central was not pricing their Shepherd's Neame ales on the shelf either, and I got an unpleasant surprise when having to pay 329bht for a bottle.

[balo]

Have you tried going through Wishbeer? I didn't think you could order online through the beervana website...

Re Beervana, that's a good question. As I said, I've never ordered with them, period, as yet. But their website certainly gives that kind of appearance:

To join the Craft Beer Club simply send us an email with your name and contact information to sip @ seekbeervana. We’ll respond with a confirmation and payment instructions (Paypal or Bank Transfer). That’s it. Feel free to check out our BOTTLE SHOP and place your first order right away!

• 20-25% discount from retail on our entire lineup
• Free delivery on orders over THB 2,000 within Bangkok metro

Unfortunately, Wishbeer doesn't have the same stock that Beervana has.

So I guess the question is, is Beervana still doing home delivery orders, and if so, how do you order with them?

Yes you can send an email with the order to Beervana, they delivered to me before Christmas so normally they should respond quickly.

Maybe you should try to give them a call ?

Sent from my SM-P601 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BestBitterPhuket]

I noticed that Wishbeer now got the excellent a Fuller's Winter Warmer back in stock. Even though it feels more right for Christmas, it is an excellent beer any time of the year. Also I noticed that they are now selling beers from the Japanese brewery, Baird. These are good, too.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's just kind of odd that there are no prices listed anywhere on the Beervana website, so I'm not sure how you'd email an order with no idea of the price of your order.

Sign up to the sip club and you'll find out the answers to your questions

As I mentioned above, I sent them an email message via their website along those lines... Days have passed. No response.

It would seem they're more focused on their wholesale trade with pubs and restaurants, and not very focused on individual customers.

[BestBitterPhuket]

It's just kind of odd that there are no prices listed anywhere on the Beervana website, so I'm not sure how you'd email an order with no idea of the price of your order.

Sign up to the sip club and you'll find out the answers to your questions

As I mentioned above, I sent them an email message via their website along those lines... Days have passed. No response.

It would seem they're more focused on their wholesale trade with pubs and restaurants, and not very focused on individual customers.

Try Wishbeer instead, if they have the same beers. At least they have a solid e-commerce platform and the follow up is good too. I have used them a few times, but you need to go above 4000bht to get the 10% discount.

[Taggart]

I haven't been back to Thailand with my wife since a year ago, and this is now my third day here. So what have I had in regards to beer so far? The same old, same old. One small bottle of Leo for each of first two evenings along with my dinner. Tonight it will be a small bottle of Singha. Have checked the local 7-eleven and Tops Supermarket and just the standard Thai lagers to choose from. I'm not staying anywhere near these exotic stores mentioned above, like Villa Supermarket, so I just buy what I can get around the area.

The taxi driver who at 68 is only a few years older than myself, mentioned offhand to my wife that he just has one beer a night. His favourite is Beer Chang, the poor man's beer as he calls it.

Anyhow, getting back to British beers, another one that I don't think has been mentioned, but is worth a try at least once is Box Steam Funnel Blower, a porter that you're either going to like the taste of, or never ever want to see it again. Quite unusual flavour, and I think you'll understand what I'm saying, if you have the opportunity to give it a chance.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Had a 200b pint of draught Guinness this afternoon along with a 200b plate of so-called Magner's Stew, which is a really quite good mix of very tender beef chunks in a very savory gravy with onions and a bit of carrot, along with sides of mashed potatoes and firm green peas.

Both part of BeerVault on Suk Soi 15's ongoing St. Patrick's Day celebration, which runs daily through Monday starting at 3 pm.

Also had their so-called Guinness Pie a few days ago, which wasn't much to my liking. Very heavy and thick on the pastry crust, light on the beef inside, and just a bit of what appeared to be egg. Though washed it down with another pint of Guinness itself, which always hits the spot.

On Monday, St. Patty's Day itself only, Roadhouse BBQ down by Saladaeng BTS is having their own Guinness and corned beef special.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I have once again sampled the too honey ales, Well's Waggle Dance and Fuller's Honey Dew, side by side. Last time I did it, about a year ago, I liked Well's slightly better, but this time I felt Fuller's was better by a comfortable margin.

[draftvader]

Just popped in to TOPS in Chaeng Wattana to find Fullers ESB and London Porter on the shelves at B169 per bottle. I hope this is the start of a price war! I like both of those but would be VERY keen to see Villa price their offerings sub B200!

[BestBitterPhuket]

Just popped in to TOPS in Chaeng Wattana to find Fullers ESB and London Porter on the shelves at B169 per bottle. I hope this is the start of a price war! I like both of those but would be VERY keen to see Villa price their offerings sub B200!

Tesco in Phuket selling those for 159bht. It used to be 139bht when they were introduced, but good times seldom last long.

[BestBitterPhuket]

In singapore for a business trip now. Just dropped by Old Empire Bar on River Valley Road. Used to be a place with a bit of Marston's, Breakspear and a few other English beers in bottles, but only the boring lagers on tap. Fast forward two years, now they have 15 beers on tap and numerous on bottle. They have Sambrook's Pumphouse Ale and Sambrook's Porter on tap, and the porter is much better in tap than bottle. Incredible. I also had St Austell's Proper Job on tap. Wow! Not the same as cask in UK, but still..

[Taggart]

I was much more impressed by the craft beer selection I found at two Tops Supermarkets in Chiang Mai compared to the one I went to in Bangkok. A number of choices from across Europe.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I was much more impressed by the craft beer selection I found at two Tops Supermarkets in Chiang Mai compared to the one I went to in Bangkok. A number of choices from across Europe.

Which beers do they have?

[draftvader]

In singapore for a business trip now. Just dropped by Old Empire Bar on River Valley Road. Used to be a place with a bit of Marston's, Breakspear and a few other English beers in bottles, but only the boring lagers on tap. Fast forward two years, now they have 15 beers on tap and numerous on bottle. They have Sambrook's Pumphouse Ale and Sambrook's Porter on tap, and the porter is much better in tap than bottle. Incredible. I also had St Austell's Proper Job on tap. Wow! Not the same as cask in UK, but still..

and to think, I live on Chaeng Wattana just 5km from Don Muang. Can fly to Singapore and be there in 3 hours.....

[Taggart]

I was much more impressed by the craft beer selection I found at two Tops Supermarkets in Chiang Mai compared to the one I went to in Bangkok. A number of choices from across Europe.

Which beers do they have?

I didn't write them down, so it's all from memory which isn't all that great.

Fuller's India Pale Ale

Fuller's London Porter

A couple of different brews from Shepherd Neame - Bishop's Finger may have been one, but don't quote me on that. Just remember the price was about 319 baht for each.

I saw Hoegaarden from Belgium along with a few other lesser known brews.

One from Holland.

Germany was represented with both Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier and Hefeweissbier Dunkel.

Coopers Best Extra Stout from Australia.

There were others as well.

[Taggart]

Oh yeah. One other great tasting German beer I forgot to mention found at Tops in Chiang mai was Paulaner Salvator.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Tried my first ever 500 ML bottle tonight of Shepherd Neame's Spitfire Ale, purchased for 299b from Central World market in BKK.

With the admission upfront that I'm not a Brit, I thought it was OK, but nothing to get overly excited about, or that I'd go out of my way to buy in the future.

Meanwhile, I was in my local Tops market in Central BKK the other day, perused their beer section as now I have the habit of doing, and noticed that apart from the normal regulars they stock, they had one brand I hadn't noticed/seen here before.

Several varieties of Oranjeboom, the Danish brew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oranjeboom

Dunno if that's a good thing or not!

[draftvader]

Tried my first ever 500 ML bottle tonight of Shepherd Neame's Spitfire Ale, purchased for 299b from Central World market in BKK.

With the admission upfront that I'm not a Brit, I thought it was OK, but nothing to get overly excited about, or that I'd go out of my way to buy in the future.

Spitfire Ale-CenWorld-299b a.jpg

Meanwhile, I was in my local Tops market in Central BKK the other day, perused their beer section as now I have the habit of doing, and noticed that apart from the normal regulars they stock, they had one brand I hadn't noticed/seen here before.

Several varieties of Oranjeboom, the Danish brew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oranjeboom

Dunno if that's a good thing or not!

Villa. Sambrooke Junction or Hook Norton Haymaker then get back to us.

I worked in a SN pub years ago so have an emotional attachment to Spitfire but I would never touch it in a real ale environment. It serves its purpose helping us Ale drinkers survive lager pubs.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have a cabinet full of very nice Double Chocolate Stouts from Villa at home...waiting for my attentions.

But meanwhile, I thought I'd give a sample of some of the other ones I picked up to try... At $10 a bottle, Spitfire here just isn't worth it, IMHO.

The other one I have at home waiting to try is a bottle of Proper Job... But I'm thinking I'm going to need to knock back a couple of the Chocolate Stouts first.

[draftvader]

I have a cabinet full of very nice Double Chocolate Stouts from Villa at home...waiting for my attentions.

But meanwhile, I thought I'd give a sample of some of the other ones I picked up to try... At $10 a bottle, Spitfire here just isn't worth it, IMHO.

The other one I have at home waiting to try is a bottle of Proper Job... But I'm thinking I'm going to need to knock back a couple of the Chocolate Stouts first.

Proper Job is the most aptly named beer I know. It really is the.....

Sent from my HTC Desire using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BestBitterPhuket]

Bought some Yona Yona beer in Singapore, together with a new beer from Whychwood

Brewery, their Imperial Red, which was very nice.

Had some great American ales there too. Especially noteworthy were Mad River Steelhead's porter and golden ales. Also a surprise from Maui Brewery awaited, their Coconut Porter, which was stunningly good. Had good beers from Stone, Rogue, Firestone Walker (especially their DBA), Ballastpoint etc.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Check out the beer list from Brewer's Craft in Singapore. I missed out on this one.

http://www.brewerscraft.com.sg/brewerscraft/Beers.html

[Taggart]

I'm much the same regarding Shepherd Neame Spitfire. I've tried it a couple of times, and I see nothing great about it. My standby's for British beers are still Fullers ESB and London Porter, with the occasional Innis & Gunn Rum Finish and Caledonia 80 shilling thrown in. I used to like Newcastle Brown Ale back in the 70's, but either it's changed or I have. Now I find I can get far better tasting brown ales brewed locally near where I live.