The Search for the Perfect Pint

Wot No Beer?

Right, let me put one thing straight before I start. I don't have a problem with Jersey - in fact I worked there for three summers from 1983 and I love the place. The only problem is trying to find a really good REAL ale. In the 80's there were two breweries that I recall, Mary Ann and Randalls. Mary Ann has now changed to Jersey brewery and although the beer tastes okay, it's not as I remember it. I remember (or not) many a night on Mary Ann Special which used to blow my head off as a 20 something year old, but alas, it is no more. For all that though, we did manage to find some pubs that sold cask ale although it most of it seems to have been imported from the South of England rather than brewed on the rock. The local CAMRA site advises that some pubs promote locally brewed real ale. They are The Halkett, The Lamplighter, The Post Horn, ha'penny Bridge, Farmers Inn, Cock & Bottle, Bellini's Blue Note Bar, Trinity Arms, The Star, St Mary's Country Inn.

The Lamplighter - 9 Mulcaster Street, St Helier

I don't remember this pub being there in the 80's, but it certainly was in the late summer of 2010. They had a good selection of around 7 cask ales and a cider from Jersey. Prices are dearer than we are used to in the North of England (around £3 a pint at the time) and certainly dearer than 25 years ago when the beer was between 38 and 50 pence a pint (half the price of the UK then). It's a pity that the pub has no outside seating area and that it doesn't overlook the sea because even though it has the best choice of beer on the island, this would improve it 100%.

Trinity Arms - La Rue Es Picots, Trinity

This is a pub that's worth a visit, close to Jersey zoo and the ale and food was good. It's a two bar pub with plenty of outside seating (and parking)and a kid's playground. Liberation Ale and Liberation Blond were available and were good. JP again took a fancy to the local cider and rated it highly. Surrounded by fields (full of courgettes when we were there), it's a great location.
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Cock and Bottle - Royal Square St. Helier

Located in the Royal Square this pub serves good food as well as Jersey (Mary Ann) beers and the cask conditioned Liberation ales. 

Priory Inn - (Devils Hole) - St John

I didn't realise that this pub wasn't called The Devils Hole until 2010. For the last 25 years if somebody asked had I ever been to the Priory Inn I said 'never heard of it'. Well I have because I've been there a number of times and it's a perfect location on a summers day. Following a shipwreck in 1851, when's a ship's figurehead washed up in the Devil's Hole, a statue of a devil adapted from the figurehead was set up above the Hole. The wooden statue was replaced by a succession of modern versions in the 20th century.

The Devil’s Hole is a natural crater in the solid cliff measuring about 100ft across and plunging 200ft down. It has been caused by the sea gradually eroding the roof of what was once a cave, until it collapsed and formed a crater.

The name ‘Devil’s Hole’ is a dramatic one but only invented in the nineteenth century. Formerly it was called ‘Le Creux de Vis’, ‘Le Creux de la Touraille’ or Spiral Cave. One possible derivation for its modern name is connected with the shipwreck of a French boat in 1851. Its figurehead was thrust by the tide straight into the hole and someone had the idea of getting a local sculptor to transform the torso into a wooden devil, complete with horns. Today this devil’s metal replica stands in a pool on the way down to the crater, to lend atmosphere to the winding – and in one place quite steep – path down to the Devil’s Hole itself. The hole can be peered down into from two safe vantage points.

Access to the Devil’s Hole is through the grounds of the Priory Inn, which are open all year round. The Priory can be reached via La Grande Rue or Le Chemin des Hougues for those who are not walking to Devil’s Hole along the cliff path.

Prince of Wales - Grève de Lecq.

The Prince of Wales is situated on the north coast of the island and overlooks on of Jersey's most idyllic sandy bays of Grève de Lecq. The view is great but I'm afraid we only found the beer to be average (it is Randalls after all).
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La Mare Wine Estate - La Route de Hogue Mauger St Mary

Not a pub, but a vineyard selling Jersey wines, ciders and brandy. One of the most unexpected finds in the Jersey countryside is a working vineyard and distillery. La Mare Wine Estates can be found in a quiet corner in the north of the Island where fields of vines and apple trees surround a traditional, 18th century, Jersey granite farmhouse. The estate has twenty one acres of vineyards producing 40,000 bottles of wine per annum and recently achieved international recognition by winning three awards for its wines at the International Wines and Spirits Competition. Jersey enjoys a mild climate so is very suitable for making wine, especially sparkling wines. Wine production includes two quality sparkling wines Cuvee de La Mare (white) and Lillie (pink) two white still wines, Domaine de La Mare - a dry oak fermented white wine and Clos de La Mare - off dry, crisp and full of fruit flavours. A red wine called ‘Bailiwick’ is also made and includes the famous Pinot Noir grape.
We didn't try the wines but managed to buy a couple of bottles of Branchage- Medium Reserve Cider and VSOP Jersey Apple Brandy. The brandy was particularly good. Le Mare Jersey Apple Brandy is distilled in the estate's traditional copper pot still. The Brandy is then matured in oak casks that are selected for their richness and character. This results in a mellow and rare apple brandy with soft apple flavour. However is was almost £30 a bottle which is a bit steep. The cider is made from a selection of cider apple varieties from the orchards in the parish of St Mary, including Dabinette, Harry Master Jersey and Yarlington Mill, all grown without the use of pesticides, Branchage is a wonderful premium cider that has incredible finesse. Not too bad for just under £4 a bottle.