Andover Tap Beer Club – News

Andover Tap Beer Club – 250 beers, loads of fun and £500 for charity.

The idea came out of a sad occasion, the passing of a local history expert, brass band enthusiast and beer and cider legend Pete Yarlett, a regular visitor to the Andover Tap and a friend of many within the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Pete Yarlett RIP

At his wake, held at the Eagle in Abbotts Ann, some of his memorabilia was made available amongst which were many beers collected over the years which if left might have gone in a skip.

Amongst them were a selection of Fullers Vintage Ales, dating back to 1998 and an idea was born – a tasting in his memory starting with those beers.

Thus the Beer Club was launched.
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Vintage Ales enjoyed

Over the last year the sharing, tasting, banter, camaraderie has continued, with a Vintage Ale opened at the start of each meet and a toast made to Pete. Now those Ales have all been enjoyed and the Andover Tap Beer Club continues with brews brought along by 'members'.

Simplicity Rules
Anyone can attend; the rules are simple.
Just bring along a beer, any will do, bottle, can, even home-brew; put a small donation in the charity pot, and buy a beer in the pub from the wonderful staff who allow and help this 'Club' to take place. It might be a beer from travels, a brew picked up from a local shop, or even something found in the back of the shed – our oldest to date has been 44 years old – and it tasted fine – anything goes.

250 beers and £500 raised
To date, 250 different brews have been shared, with almost every style imaginable sampled with breweries across the world represented, while the donation pot has recently passed the £500 figure which goes to the pub's annual charity, currently Andover Young Carers.

It seems to be a win win all round.

2026 Good Beer Guide published

The latest edition of the Good Beer Guide has been published this week and a number of local venues have been included. These entries would not have reached this status without the hard work and commitment they give to their customers.

The book, now in its 53rd edition, is completely independent and compiled by local members of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale using an ongoing quality Beer Scoring system, where members report on the beer quality throughout the year. 

Pubs in the north western area of the Test valley that are listed in the 2026 Good Beer Guide are:

Town Mills, Andover:

Andover Tap at the Lamb, Andover:

The Eagle, Abbotts Ann:

The Welcome Stranger, Kimpton:

The Kings Arms, Whitchurch:

The Prince Regent, Whitchurch:

The Three Cups, Stockbridge:

The Guide, which contains 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK, is the definitive beer drinker’s guide for those seeking the best pints in the nation’s hostelries. 

Meanwhile the 'CAMRA WhatPub' website lists all pubs in the area (and UK) which can be accessed here:
https://whatpub.com/

To purchase the Good Beer Guide
The 2026 Good Beer Guide can be purchased online here:
https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/good-beer-guide-2026/ 

Handpump Hijack

While supporting ALL good beer there are many people who especially enjoy a good pint of traditional beer served from a handpump that has been conditioned in the cask in the pub's cellar.

But a twist in dispense methods had appeared. There is a new kid on the block that may mislead.

Unfortunately some 'brewery conditioned' beer is being served through handpumps that may mislead some customers. Unlike cask ale, where the beer continues to brew in the cask due to the presence of yeast, brewery conditioned fresh ale has the yeast removed. The conditioning is finalised in the brewery in the same way as keg beer.

Currently Wainwright Gold, Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA are sold in this way and the only way to tell them apart from traditionally conditioned cask ales is a small sign on the bottom of the pump clip.

So, if in doubt ask "is it cask?"

Beer Festival in Andover

A beer festival featuring a wide range of traditional cask beers, flavoursome keg beers and a selection of real ciders is to be held over three days in March.

Click to enlarge

A joint initiative
The Andover Tap at the Lamb is hosting this special joint venture with the North Hampshire Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale over the weekend of Friday 8th March to Sunday 10th March. 

A leading beer venue
The 'Tap', in Winchester Street, is the town's leading venue for beers from local and regional independent breweries and always has a range of styles from traditional bitters, IPAs and craft lagers through to stouts, porters, and even sour ales. 

Beers are served from cask, keg or in cans and bottles. In addition there is a range of various ciders with differing tastes from traditional hazy styles to fruity varieties.

The Campaign for Real Ale
CAMRA is one of the most successful consumer organisations, dating back to 1971 and has Branches throughout the country.
This Festival will see members of the North Hampshire Branch providing an increased selection of traditional beers which will be served direct from the cask, ie by gravity, supplementing the Tap's range, making this an event not to miss.
Around eight beers will be served this way with others on handpump and craft keg fonts.

A full range
There is also a full bar available including top quality gins from the neighbouring on-site distillery of Wessex Spirit's Gin Palace as well as some food to supplement the drinks.

The doors open at 11.00am on both Friday and Saturday and the event runs to 10.30pm each day, while on Sunday it opens at noon and continues through to around 6.00pm, although the beers on gravity dispense may finish before or around mid-afternoon.

This will be a weekend to savour all those wonderful tastes and enjoy the hospitality and friendship of this community pub.

Entry is FREE – just turn up. 😄

 

Beer Tasting in the Whitchurch Silk Mill

Longdog Brewery is a small family run independent brewer on the edge of Basingstoke and has been a regular attendee to events around the area including farmers markets and food fairs.

On Saturday 24th February they visit the historic Whitchurch Silk Mill on the River Test and hold a convivial evening of beer tastings and food. 

Longdog Brewery produces a range of traditional hand-crafted cask and bottled beers including golden pale ales, bitters, porters and IPAs as well as a number of seasonal specials. 

The award-winning micro-brewery was established in 2011 and came under the ownership of Rod and Jenny in 2019 who have continued the local traditions all with a focus on using local ingredients. Only last month did they take Silver in the Regional round of the Champion Beer of Britain for their Lamplight Porter (*see below for presentation).

The Silk Mill is a fantastic venue for this event being a 19th century water mill that weaves English silk fabrics using original 19th century machinery. It is a Grade II* Listed Building and one of Hampshire's hidden gems of industrial heritage, once employing 108 staff including 39 children under 13 years of age. It is now owned by Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust and open to the public.

All tickets for this event must be booked in advance.
In aid of Living Weaving Heritage at the Mill

Tickets from:
BEER TASTING WITH LONGDOG BREWERY

* A presentation to Longdog Brewery for taking Silver in the Champion Beer of Britain Regional Round is being made at 1.00pm on Saturday 9th December 2023 at their brewery on the Moniton Estate, Worting, Basingstoke, RG22 6NQ. (Buses serve the White Hart, just a short walk away). 

The Brewery Tap Room will be open from 10:00am until 1:00pm for drinks. 

All are welcome.