Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinks
Devon & Cornwall Breweries
Beer Engine
(
Click here
) Devon microbrewery-cum-pub beside a railway; hence the brews, Rail Ale and Sleeper Heavy.
Blue Anchor Inn
(
www.spingoales.com
;
50 Coinagehall St, Helston) They've been brewing Spingo ale in Helston for six
centuries; ask at the bar to see the vats.
Dartmoor
(
www.dartmoorbrewery.co.uk
)
Set just yards from Dartmoor Prison, it's famous for its sweet-finishing Jail
Ale.
Harbour
(
www.harbourbrewing.com
) North Cornwall-based contemporary craft brewery; try their caramel-meets-toffee
Amber Ale, or the citrusy India Pale.
Keltek
(
www.keltekbrewery.co.uk
)
Cornish offerings include mild Even Keel (3.4%) and superstrong Beheaded (7.6%).
Sharp's
(
www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk
)
This Rock-based brewery produces Doom Bar and ales inspired by Rick Stein's
much-missed terrier: Chalky's Bark and Chalky's Bite.
Rebel
(
www.rebelbrewing.co.uk
)
Artisan real ales from Penryn (near Falmouth) include a dark, cloudy wheat beer,
Nightshade, and the chocolate-vanilla Mexi-Cocoa.
Skinners
(
www.skinnersbrewery.com
)
Truro operation with cheekily named tipples: Cornish Knocker, Ginger Tosser and
Keel Over.
St Austell
(
www.staustellbrewery.co.uk
)
Runs 170 southwest pubs; brews Tribute, Proper Job and Tinners.
The Royal Navy ferried Plymouth Gin around the world in countless officers' messes, helping turn it into a
leading global cocktail brand.
Cider
The southwest is rightly famous for ciders that conjure images of golden summers and hazy
days. Centuries ago no farm would have been without its orchard; apples were pressed and
then fermented to form the 'scrumpy', which was often drunk instead of water; then the
H2O was more toxic than the alcohol. Dazed but delighted labourers were paid partly in
this golden currency - an average four-pint (2.25L) daily allowance increasing to a stagger-
ing eight pints during hay-making.
This deeply flavoured elixir was evocatively dubbed 'wine of wild orchards' by the
writer Laurie Lee. The apple names alone are enough to give you a warm, fuzzy glow:
Slack ma Girdle, Sops in Wine and Quench.
Excellent, small-scale producers include southeast Cornwall-based Cornish Orchards;
south Devon-based Luscombe; and Helford Creek, near Helston.
