Old Speckled Hen Beer Where To Buy?

Do they still make Old Speckled Hen?

ABV Update – You may have seen we’ve made a slight change to our Old Speckled Hen bottles and cans’ ABV (alcohol by volume), reducing it from 5% to 4.8%. Rest assured, despite this small reduction in ABV we are still delivering the same full flavour and refreshing taste of Old Speckled Hen.

• We are extremely proud of our brewers for achieving this and extensive testing has shown that customers still enjoyed the same quality and taste and rated it just as enjoyable with a 0.2% ABV reduction.
• Events of the past few years have significantly increased costs for all brewers, from the price of energy needed for the brewing process, through to the price of malt, as well as the glass, cardboard, and aluminium we need for our packaging.

As we face these financial challenges, Greene King continues to look at ways we can absorb those increasing costs to ensure we continue to offer our customers the same great value and taste of Old Speckled Hen. Reducing the ABV is one way we can do this, as it lowers the duty we pay without noticeably affecting the beer’s flavour, and helps offset some of the rising cost of brewing our beers.

What beer is similar to Old Speckled Hen?

Beers Similar To Old Speckled Hen? Become A Brewing Expert! Old Speckled Hen is a classic British ale known for its distinctive malty taste, smooth texture, and rich amber color. Originally brewed by the Morland Brewery in Abingdon, England, and now produced by Greene King, this popular beer has become a favorite among ale enthusiasts worldwide.

But what if you’re in the mood for something a bit different? Fear not, fellow beer lover, for I have personally tasted and compiled a list of five fantastic alternatives to Old Speckled Hen that will surely satisfy your craving for a unique and delicious ale. These beers include: 1. Fuller’s London Pride2.

Hobgoblin Ruby Ale3. Theakston Old Peculier4. Adnams Broadside 5. Shepherd Neame Spitfire So grab a pint and let’s dive into the wonderful world of British ales! Fuller’s London Pride is a flagship ale from Fuller, Smith & Turner, a historic brewery located in Chiswick, London. London Pride is brewed using 100% British ingredients, including Northdown, Challenger, and Target hops, as well as crystal malt. The result is a well-balanced, complex ale with a beautiful copper hue. Upon taking my first sip of London Pride, I was immediately struck by its smooth, malty backbone, which is complemented by a subtle hop bitterness.

1. The ale has a rich, biscuity flavor, with notes of caramel and toffee shining through.
2. The aroma is similarly delightful, with a pleasant blend of fruity esters and earthy hop notes.
3. Overall, London Pride is an excellent alternative to Old Speckled Hen for those who enjoy a well-rounded, flavorful ale.

Hobgoblin Ruby Ale is a creation of Wychwood Brewery, based in Witney, Oxfordshire. Founded in 1983, Wychwood has gained a reputation for its whimsical branding and innovative beer styles. Hobgoblin is brewed using a blend of Chocolate and Crystal malts, as well as Fuggle and Styrian Golding hops, which contribute to its distinctive ruby hue and complex flavor profile.

The moment this ruby ale touched my lips, I was greeted with a rich, malty sweetness that was quickly followed by a moderate hop bitterness. Flavors of chocolate, caramel, and dark fruits are prominent, while the aroma is characterized by a delightful mix of fruitcake and hoppy earthiness. Hobgoblin Ruby Ale is a delicious choice for those seeking an alternative to Old Speckled Hen that offers a slightly darker, richer experience.

Theakston Old Peculier is a legendary ale hailing from the Theakston Brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire. Established in 1827, the brewery has a long tradition of crafting high-quality, distinctive ales. Old Peculier is brewed using a unique blend of Fuggle, Golding, and Challenger hops, as well as pale, crystal, and roasted barley malts.

This combination results in a dark, rich, and complex beer that has stood the test of time. As I took a sip of Old Peculier, I was immediately captivated by its full-bodied, velvety texture and deep, malty flavors. Notes of chocolate, toffee, and dark fruit abound, while the hop bitterness is gentle yet assertive.

Old Speckled Hen 🇬🇧 – Review

The aroma is a harmonious blend of fruity esters, roasted malts, and a touch of licorice. If you’re looking for an alternative to Old Speckled Hen with a bit more depth and intensity, Old Peculier is an excellent choice. Adnams Broadside is a beloved ale from the Adnams Brewery, located in Southwold, Suffolk.

• Founded in 1872, Adnams has a rich history of brewing exceptional beers with a focus on sustainability and innovation.
• Broadside is brewed with a variety of malts, including pale ale, chocolate, and crystal, as well as First Gold and Northdown hops.
• This combination results in a strong, dark, and flavorful ale that is sure to please.

Upon tasting Broadside, I was struck by its intense, malty flavors and robust hop bitterness. Notes of dried fruit, caramel, and toasted bread dominate the palate, while the aroma is a delightful mix of figs, raisins, and earthy hops. The full-bodied mouthfeel and warming alcohol presence make this beer a perfect alternative to Old Speckled Hen for those seeking a more robust and hearty ale.

Shepherd Neame Spitfire is a classic British ale from the Shepherd Neame Brewery, the oldest continually operating brewery in the United Kingdom, established in 1698. Located in Faversham, Kent, Shepherd Neame is renowned for producing high-quality, traditional beers. Spitfire is brewed using Kentish hops, including East Kent Goldings, and a blend of malts to create a well-balanced, flavorful ale.

As I savored my first sip of Spitfire, I was met with a delicate balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness. The ale boasts flavors of biscuit, caramel, and a hint of citrus, while the aroma is characterized by a pleasant mix of floral hops and sweet malt.

• Spitfire is a fantastic alternative to Old Speckled Hen for those who prefer a lighter, more refreshing ale.
• In conclusion, there is a wealth of fantastic British ales available to those seeking an alternative to Old Speckled Hen.
• From the well-rounded Fuller’s London Pride to the dark and intense Theakston Old Peculier, each beer offers a unique and satisfying experience for the discerning palate.

While each of these alternatives is exceptional in its own right, my personal recommendation would have to be Adnams Broadside for its robust flavor and warming, full-bodied character. Cheers to exploring new and exciting ales! Old Speckled Hen is a beer that is best enjoyed slightly chilled, rather than warm.

1. Serving it at a temperature between 45-50°F (7-10°C) allows the flavors to be more pronounced and the aromas to be more noticeable.
2. However, personal preferences may vary, so feel free to experiment and find the temperature that suits your taste.
3. Old Speckled Hen beer is a classic English ale known for its rich and malty flavor profile.

It has a smooth and slightly sweet taste with notes of caramel, toffee, and biscuit. The beer also has a subtle fruitiness and a hint of hop bitterness, creating a well-balanced and satisfying drinking experience. Old Speckled Hen beer has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5%.

Speckled Hen is a style of beer known as English Pale Ale. It is characterized by its amber color, rich maltiness, and balanced hop bitterness. Yes, Old Speckled Hen has undergone some changes over the years. Originally brewed in 1979, it has seen some modifications in its recipe and production process.

While the core characteristics of the beer have remained consistent, there have been minor adjustments to meet changing consumer tastes and preferences. Speckled Hen is a popular beer brand produced by the Greene King Brewery. It is a English Pale Ale with an alcohol content of 5%.

A lot of people think of beer as being made from barley, hops, water, and yeast. But have you ever thought about brewing beer with rice? Brewing beer with rice Introduction: The Rising Popularity of Sour Beers In recent years, the craft beer scene has exploded with a wide range of styles and flavors, and among them, sour beers have The Brewing Process Understanding the Basics The brewing process for sour beers is similar to that of other beer styles, but with a few key differences. The primary distinction lies

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we will earn a small affiliate commission if you click through the link and finish a purchase. This helps support the site – thanks! : Beers Similar To Old Speckled Hen?

Who drinks Old Speckled Hen?

drink curious Old Speckled Hen is popular with ale drinkers up and down the country and renowned for its unique character and consistent quality. The great British ale was first brewed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Should Old Speckled Hen be cold or warm?

Hop-forward beer ​ – “Old Speckled Hen delivers on both, as a beer that is best enjoyed cold yet packed with malty characteristics. Light on hops, but full on malt, it is moreishly drinkable, in contrast to some of the challenging hop-forward beers in the market.” The brand, according to the brewer, has grown in strength 12-fold since 2000 thanks to the personality of its mascot Henry the Fox.

What type of beer do Millennials drink?

IPAs May Be King But Most Age Groups Prefer Other Beer Styles Though India pale ales have taken the craft beer world by storm, only millennials say IPA is their favorite style, a new survey shows. The online survey of 548 beer drinkers by market research company finds that millennials (respondents 26-40 years old) prefer IPAs, while Gen X (41-57 years old) and Baby Boomer (58 years and older) beer drinkers say lager is their favorite beer style.

Gen Z (21-25 years old) drinkers’ top choice is ale but not an IPA, according to the survey, which was conducted in August. Vendors annually pour beer at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the world’s largest beer, competition. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) Copyright 2010 AP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Besides millennials, women and beer drinkers with an annual household income of more than $100,000 prefer IPAs, the survey finds. Lager beers are favored by beer drinkers earning less than $25,000 yearly. “Luckily for consumers and the beer industry, there seems to be an endless number of combinations among beer styles and popular flavors that’s appealing for either at-home consumption or the drink menu at a restaurant or bar,” says Mark Brandau, Datassential’s associate director of research and insights.

“Beer varieties exist on a spectrum from chocolate porters to mango wheat ales and everything in between, making beer more versatile than most types of wine or spirits.” Besides the 548 beer drinkers who responded to survey questions about preferred style and flavors, the survey sampled 2,283 others who are at least 21 years old and drink alcohol.

Other survey conclusions were: *Two-thirds of drinking-age adults have drunk a beer in the past month, and 58% of beer drinkers consume one or more beers weekly. *Citrus ranks first as the preferred flavor in beer. Berry flavors rank second, followed by apple and pear.

1. Nearly 4 of every 5 respondents say they prefer beer brewed in the USA.
2. Beers from Mexico are preferred by 17% of respondents, and beers from Germany are preferred by 15%.
3. Seven of every 10 respondents say they prefer to be served a beer from a can or a bottle, while 24% say they prefer a draught beer.

*Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents consider themselves beer connoisseurs, which was defined as people who have expert knowledge about high-quality beer and where to get it. : IPAs May Be King But Most Age Groups Prefer Other Beer Styles

What is the most popular delirium beer?

Delirium Tremens Accounts For 40 Percent Of Huyghe’s Production. – Delirium Tremens is the best-selling exported Belgian specialty beer and is by far the most popular brew Huyghe produces. The brand garnered international acclaim after winning global competitions a decade after being released.

How much sugar is in speckled hen?

Ingredients and nutrition

	Per 100ml
Energy (kcal)	36.1kcal
Fats
Carbohydrates	1.7g
– of which sugars

Do you put Old Speckled Hen in the fridge?

“Real Ale” (Old Speckled Hen) Saturday 23rd April 2005 As a change to the usual lager, I have just bought some Old Speckled Hen to try. At great risk of showing of my complete cluelessness, can anyone tell me whether this should be served chilled or at room temperature? Saturday 23rd April 2005 Definitely not chilled! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Slightly cooler than room temp. Saturday 23rd April 2005 Ale should never be chilled – treat it as opposed to lager like you would red wine as opposed to white – store it in a cool, dry place and drink it from a glass. Chilling it in the fridge smothers the taste and the bottle has that glass tang to it – not good. Enjoy! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Show it to the fridge, no more. Saturday 23rd April 2005 Another top tip – Get the bloody stuff drunk instead of asking on here Saturday 23rd April 2005 sainsburys have some interesting beers in at the mo.£5 for 4 small bottles, but very tasty. Personally, I go for the imported Stella at £3.75 for 4 x 500ml treats. For some reason Speckled Hen just doesn’t work from bottle / cans IMO. One of those beers that needs to be on draught. Cracking pint though. Saturday 23rd April 2005 keep it in the dark! Beer stored in light undergoes a photochemical reaction to make 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol, and you only need 1ng/L of beer of this compound to make the beer undrinkable ! thats 0.00000001g/L, Isohumulones are oxidised by photochemically excited flavins to make this compound. see K Huvaere et al, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2004 Saturday 23rd April 2005 anyone got any info on the ‘OLD speckled un’ that this beer is named for? google just isnt finding anything at the mo. and i always thought it was sposed to be warm when you drank it? gordon edit to correct speeling >> Edited by anhamgrimmar on Saturday 23 April 19:43 Saturday 23rd April 2005 Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) Saturday 23rd April 2005 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? Saturday 23rd April 2005 Why is it that so many pubs correctly serve lager freezing cold, and then do the same with ale? A pub near me used to serve a great pint of Bass, then they had a makeover and now it is refrigerated and served frozen. Still, it could be worse, it could be from an aerosol and full of esters to make it creamy. Saturday 23rd April 2005 anhamgrimmar said: 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? Dunno, but it’s probably owned by the Chinese! Saturday 23rd April 2005,From the same people that bring you Old Speckled Hen, I find that Tanner’s Jack is a better Ale going on flavour alone. BTW, on the lager/pilsner front – we are finally able to get Stella and Kronenbourg 1664 here in the States. Sampled my first taste of the latter last night and found it very refreshing. Can’t wait for Bar-B-Q season to get into full swing with that available. ErnestM Saturday 23rd April 2005 anhamgrimmar said: 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? I may be (very) wrong as I am remembering this from an article in a mag that I read over a year ago and don’t have to hand, but: I think ‘Old Speckled ‘un’ was an MG trials special (hence ‘speckled’ in mud). Some web site said: Old Speckled Hen was first brewed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory. But why “Old Speckled Hen”? Well, the name is actually derived from the name “owld speckled ‘un”, a term used to describe an old MG car used as a factory run-around. I’m not so sure though, IIRC it was some sort of MG race car that was beige and splattered in oil. Saturday 23rd April 2005 andygo said: sainsburys have some interesting beers in at the mo.£5 for 4 small bottles, but very tasty. Personally, I go for the imported Stella at £3.75 for 4 x 500ml treats. Got my OSH from Sainsburys, £3.50 for 2 750 ml bottles. Just quaffed my first pint, and it’s pretty good. Thought it had a bit of a cider taste to it initially, but that was probably because I’d just eaten an apple turnover. Expected it to be flat as a pancake, but it’s got a slight fizz to it. Any other recommendations along similar lines? Apparently Spitfire is a good pint? Next time I go to the pub with my old man, I’ll have to order a pint of bitter, the look on his face will be priceless! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Ale should be served slightly cooler than room temp – which is slightly warmer than the room temp the french talk about which is cellar (or cave as it was (badly) translated to me)temp. – The black sheep brewery (Paul Theakston of Theakstons fame) reccommend 13 degrees c for their ales – and I reckon that’s just about right, after much experimentation and experience (Just liberated the beer fridge of a nice cold Hoegarten and next a Warsteiner!) Cheers Paul mxdi 13,993 posts 240 months Saturday 23rd April 2005 Potent stuff but Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What’s New | My Stuff Posting Rules

What does an ESB beer taste like?

Final Flavor – The final ESB beer will have fruity tones and aromas that are readily recognizable to the experienced nose. The beer balances nicely between hop bitterness, malt toast taste, and fruit, with the sweetness coming through mid-palate before drying to a clean and pleasing hoppy finish.

Does Old Speckled Hen contain wheat?

Contains: Barley. Smooth & refreshing. Twin malt four hop brew. Creating beers of distinction. Gluten free.

Are Rhode Island Reds aggressive?

Disadvantages – The biggest drawback to having a brood of Rhode island reds is their naturally aggressive nature. There’s no hiding the fact that they are one of the more aggressive breeds, and they definitely don’t like to be handled by humans too much.

While the hens can occasionally be laidback, most of the roosters are going to give you quite a hard time. This means that if you have children, you’ll want to avoid keeping Rhode island red roosters. In fact, this chicken breed is best known for being used in cockfighting. This means that they are bred to be bullies, and can even turn on one another at times as well.

They’re great outdoor birds, and great if you have a lot of space to deal with them in. However, if you don’t, then you might want to consider another breed that isn’t so troublesome when talking about their behavior.

How cold is too cold for Rhode Island Reds?

Climate Hardiness – Rhode Island Reds are a northern breed. They handle temperatures below 0 F. They are robust and hardy in both heat and cold. Their ideal temperature is 45 to 65 F. However, their combs are vulnerable to frostbite, making them a less than ideal choice for the coldest climates.

Eep the birds dry during the winter. Moisture is the biggest culprit for frostbite. Of course, insulate your coop, and fill in gaps where drafts may seep in. Also, the deep litter method causes heat from the decomposing litter. The more chickens you have, the more BTUs or tiny heat generators you have.

As long as you have a grouping of chickens that can gather to warm up, and the chickens have some time to acclimate gradually to the changing weather, your birds should be fine. Worse stories abound about a heated coop losing electricity during the middle of the night with a dramatic loss of the entire coop or a fire destroying a henhouse resulting from a heat lamp spark.

1. In extreme cases, if you live where the temperatures go down to -40 F, consider running a flat panel heater.
2. Heat lamps are considered a fire hazard with many combustible materials like dry hay and straw lying around.
3. Also, if you get a sudden cold snap with the temperatures fluctuating wildly 20 degrees colder than the previous day, you might consider supplementing with some heat.

Rhode Island Red chickens are not as fluffy as some other breeds ( Plymouth Rock or Orpington), so they tend to tolerate heat. But, they still need cold water on hot days and a lot of deep shade during sweltering days.

Are Rhode Island Reds friendly?

Rhode Island Red Chickens in the Pecking Order –

• Reds will sit relatively high in the pecking order.
• Despite their friendly disposition, they’ll be a mid to high level bird when it comes to flock hierarchy.
• That’s not to say they’ll be mean birds, but they have been known to pick on very docile breeds from time to time.
• You’ll need to be careful welcoming a Rhode Island Red into your flock if you already have breeds such as Silkies and Polish hens.

What alcohol is Gen Z drinking?

The spirits share of alcohol consumption is also amongst the lowest for Gen Z consumers out of all age groups in the United States. Gen Zers are some of the biggest consumers of ready-to-drink alcohol, comprising the largest share of cider, and seltzer buyers.

Who is the best beer drinker ever?

The Greatest Drunk on Earth: Andre the Giant Some amazing man or woman, past or present, who stands colossus-like atop the Big Keg, the ground below littered with crushed empties and the blacked-out carcasses of lesser beings? A verging demigod, whose prowess with a bottle leaves you shaking your head in pop-eyed adoration? Lots of us do.

1. In addition to their wrist-raising abilities, we deify great drinkers because they indulge their lust for intoxication while simultaneously operating at the peak of their powers in whatever their chosen profession.
2. In other words, great drunks are also great writers, actors, athletes, scientists, statesmen, philosophers, and so on.

I have a favorite drunkard. He was an athlete—a professional wrestler in fact—but he was also a gifted entertainer and a true artist. His parents named him Andre Rene Rousimoff, but we knew him as The Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant. For two decades, from the late 1960s through the mid 1980s, Andre the Giant was the highest paid professional wrestler in the business and a household name across the globe.

1. Promoters fought tooth and nail to book Andre, as his presence on a card all but guaranteed a sell-out.
2. Fans cheered his every move, and mobbed him on the street as if he were a great big Beatle.
3. For proof of his drawing power, look no further than Wrestlemania III in 1987.
4. The main event was Andre vs.

Hulk Hogan. The show drew the first million-dollar gate in wrestling history, set a pay-per-view record that lasted a decade, and set the all-time indoor attendance record for any live event ever —78,000+ butts in seats at the Pontiac Silver Dome in Detroit—destroying the previous record set by some rock band called the Rolling Stones. While it can be argued that a miniscule handful of professional wrestlers matched Andre’s in-ring achievements (Gorgeous George back in the ‘40s and ‘50s, perhaps; Dusty Rhodes in the ‘70s, and Hulk Hogan, without a doubt, in the ‘80s), no other wrestler ever matched his exploits as a drunkard.

• In fact, no other human has ever matched Andre as a drinker.
• He is the zenith.
• He is the Mount Everest of inebriation.
• As far as great drunkards go, there is Andre the Giant, and then there is everyone else.
• The big man loved two things: wrestling and booze—mostly booze—and his appetites were of mythic proportion.

First, consider the number 7,000. It’s an important number, and a rather scary one considering its context, which is this—it has been estimated that Andre the Giant drank 7,000 calories worth of booze every day. The figure doesn’t include food. Just booze.7,000 calories.

1. Every day.
2. I don’t know about you, but it makes my brain turn somersaults.
3. Hell, it makes my brain perform an entire floor routine, complete with colored ribbons.
4. When Andre arrived in New York to begin his long working relationship with the McMahon family, his reputation as both a serious student of the nightlife and an extravagant spender was already a topic of speculation and wonder among East Coast wrestlers and promoters.

Andre might make $15,000-$20,000 for a single appearance at Madison Square Garden, and a substantial amount of that went to settling the bar tabs he piled up as he boozed his way up and down Manhattan until sunrise. Andre’s generosity matched his size.

• He often invited a gang of fellow wrestlers along for the ride, as he disliked drinking alone, and picked up some truly staggering tabs.
• Andre was going to have a good time and went out of his way to make sure everyone else did too.
• Worried about his headliner, Vince McMahon Sr.
• Assigned a “handler” to the Giant—long-time wrestler, manager, and road agent, Arnold Skaaland, whose only job when Andre was in town was to keep him out of serious trouble and get him to the arena in time to wrestle.

Skaaland was an old-school drinker in his own right, but Andre blew his mind. On one occasion he could only watch goggle-eyed as Andre went about demolishing a dozen or so quarts of beer as a “warm-up” for a match. With Skaaland on the job, Vince Sr. knew Andre was in capable hands, but the promoter still worried about how the Giant would cope with the insane amount of travel required of a wrestling superstar.

Andre loathed flying—no commercial airliner could accommodate such a massive man without resorting to the luggage compartment—and his opinion of most cars wasn’t much sunnier, because aspects of his disease caused intense pain in his knees, hips and lower back when he remained too long in a cramped position.

When a tight schedule left a plane or car as the only option, Andre eased his discomfort by getting good and hammered. Vince Sr. pondered the situation and arrived at a novel solution. He wanted to keep the big man happy, so he bought a trailer and had it customized just for Andre.

With plenty of room to spread out and relax, Andre could now travel in a semblance of comfort, which allowed him to do some serious boozing. During trips Andre consumed beer at the incredible rate of a case every ninety minutes, with bottles of vodka or top-rate French wine thrown in for variety. Sadly, the trailer wasn’t available outside the WWWF territory; Vince Sr.

wasn’t about to do the competition any favors. Andre didn’t expect other promoters to pony up a trailer just for him, so he commissioned a customized Lincoln Continental. With the front seat now positioned about where the back seat would normally be, Andre had a little leg room.

• He carried his luggage and wrestling gear in the trunk and towed his necessities in a trailer.
• Lined with plastic tarps, the rickety trailer was filled with ice and cases of Budweiser tallboys.
• As he cruised the nation’s highways, Andre kept a case on the seat beside him, stopping only for food, more ice, and another case or two if he ran low.

As famous as Andre was in this country, he was even bigger in Japan. He spent a few months out of every year over there, where he was treated like a living god and pocketed five-figure payoffs for a single night’s work. That being said, Andre didn’t really like Japan.

Everything was too small. Hotel beds were like bassinets and it was all but impossible for him to shower or go to the bathroom in their Lilliputian facilities. He was known to rip the door off his hotel bathroom and make use of the toilet by sitting sideways with his legs sticking out into the main room.

Getting from show to show presented its own problems. Japanese promoters preferred to transport the gaijin wrestlers by bus, vehicles which steadfastly refused to house giants. In order to placate their star import, promoters removed several rows of seats from the back of the bus, creating something of a private cabin for Andre, a place spacious enough for him to stretch out or catch a nap.

Mostly, though, Andre used the space as a comfortable spot to do his drinking. A very green rookie wrestler named Hulk Hogan toured Japan several times with Andre and witnessed the Giant’s alcohol consumption first hand. According to Hogan, Andre drank, at a minimum, a case of tall boys during each bus ride.

When he finished a can Andre would belch, crush the can in his dinner-platter-sized hand, and bounce the empty off the back of Hogan’s head. Hogan learned to count each thunk, so he could anticipate when Andre was running low. Whenever the bus stopped, it was Hogan’s job to scamper off to the nearest store, buy as many cases of beer as he could carry, and make it back before the bus departed, a sight that never failed to make Andre roar his bassoon-like laugh.

• On one tour, Andre’s Japanese sponsors rewarded him with a case of expensive plum wine.
• Andre settled down in the back of the bus and started drinking.
• Four hours later, the bus arrived at the next venue, and Andre was polishing off the last bottle of wine.
• Sixteen bottles of wine in four hours is a considerable feat, but it gets better.

Andre proceeded straight to the ring and wrestled three matches, including a twenty-man battle royal. The 16 bottles of plum wine had no discernible effect on Andre’s in-ring ability. By the end of the evening, Andre had sweated off the wine and found himself growing cranky.

He dispatched Hogan for a few cases of beer. Hogan hurried to do as Andre asked, knowing from painful experience that a drunken Giant was a happy Giant, and a happy Giant was less likely to fracture some vital part of an opponent’s anatomy in a fit of grumpiness. In 1977, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes wrestled Andre at Madison Square Garden.

Afterwards, the old friends went out on the town. They adjourned to one of Andre’s favorite watering holes and took stools at the bar (Andre occupied two). Several hours and some 100 beers later (around 75 of them were Andre’s), they decided to head back to their hotel.

Andre looked at taxis with the same scorn as most other conveyances and announced that he and Dusty would walk, which was problem because Dusty was having trouble maintaining a vertical position. Andre studied the situation, and a twinkling grin blossomed across his huge face. People who spent any time with the big man quickly learned to watch for that grin.

It was a harbinger of danger. It meant that Andre was contemplating something risky, something with potential legal ramifications, but also, most assuredly, something fun. A moment later, the two huge wrestlers attacked a pair of horse-drawn carriages.

Dusty threw a handful of paper money at one driver while Andre hauled the other from his seat with one hand. While one driver cursed and the other scrabbled around on the ground collecting his windfall, Andre and Dusty thundered off in the carriages. They raced through the Manhattan streets, dodging cars and pedestrians for fifteen blocks before ditching the carriages and lathered horses a block from their hotel.

By the time the cops arrived, Andre and Dusty were enjoying snifters of brandy in the hotel bar, appearing as innocent as angels. The next day, they main-evented another card at the Garden. Another sell-out. Two pros at the top of their games. Another time, in the ‘70s, Andre was holding court at a beach-front bar in the Carolinas, boozing it up with fellow wrestlers Blackjack Mulligan, Dick Murdoch, and the inimitable Ric Flair.

They’d been drinking with gusto for hours when Flair goaded Mulligan and Murdoch into some slap-boxing with Andre, who had poured over 60 beers down his gullet. One of the two “accidentally” sucker-punched Andre. The Giant became enraged, grabbed both Mulligan (6’5″, 250 lbs.) and Murdoch (6’3″, 240 lbs.) and dragged them into the ocean, one in each hand, where he proceeded to hold them under water.

Flair intervened, and Andre released the men, assuring them he was only playing around. Murdoch and Mulligan, who had nearly drowned, weren’t so sure, but neither messed with Andre the Giant again. They also picked up the tab. On another occasion, Andre was touring the Kansas City territory and went out for drinks after a show with Bobby Heenan and several other wrestlers.

• When the bartender hollered last call, Andre, slightly annoyed, announced that he didn’t care to leave.
• Rather than risk an altercation with his hulking customer, the bartender told Andre he could stay only if he was drinking, imagining, surely, that he would soon be rid of the big fella.
• Andre thanked the man, and proceeded to order 40 vodka tonics.

He sat there drinking them, one after another, finishing the last at just after five in the morning. When ill health forced Andre to largely quit wrestling in the late ‘80s, he accepted the role of Fezzik in Rob Reiner’s movie The Princess Bride. Everyone on the set loved the big man, with the possible exception of Reiner himself.

• Ever the sociable fellow, he kept fellow cast members Mandy Patinkin and Carey Elwes out night after night, drinking and otherwise goofing around.
• The actors were incapable of matching Andre’s intake, but certainly gave it a serious try.
• As a result, they often showed up on set still loaded or suffering from the sort of hangovers that make death seem a pleasant alternative.

Reiner tried to get Andre to leave the actors alone, but Andre could only be Andre, and the other cast members continued to pay the price. The shooting schedule required Andre to be in England for about a month. When his part wrapped, Andre checked out of his suite at the Hyatt in London and flew back to his ranch in North Carolina.

His bar bill for the month-long stay? Just a shade over $40,000. Now, if everything I’ve described so far isn’t proof enough that Andre the Giant was the greatest drunkard who ever lived, these last two stories should set my claim in granite. You won’t find it in the Guinness Book of World Records, but Andre the Giant holds the world record for the largest number of beers consumed in a single sitting.

These were standard 12-ounce bottles of beer, nothing fancy, but during a six-hour period Andre drank 119 of them. It was one of the few times Andre got drunk enough to pass out, which he did in a hallway at his hotel. His companions, quite drunk themselves, couldn’t move the big man.

• Fearing trouble with cops, they stole a piano cover from the lounge and draped it over Andre’s inert form.
• He slept peacefully until morning, unmolested by anyone.
• Perhaps the hotel people thought he was a piece of furniture.
• Think about it: 119 beers in six hours.
• That’s a beer every three minutes, non stop.

That’s beyond epic. It’s beyond the ken of mortal men. It’s god-like. Giants are not made long for this world, and toward the end of his life injuries and health problems caused by the acromegaly caught up with Andre. It became difficult just to walk, let alone wrestle, so he retired to his North Carolina ranch to drink wine and watch the countryside.

• He declined myriad requests for a comeback, despite promises of lavish payoffs.
• He was simply in too much pain to perform at the level he demanded of himself.
• Then he received a call from Vince McMahon Jr.
• McMahon was in the midst of taking his WWF promotion national.
• He’d scored big-time with his Wrestlemania events on pay-per-view, and as Wrestlemania III approached, Vince Jr.

was hot to make it the biggest thing yet. To make that happen, he needed Andre the Giant. Andre was in France visiting his ailing father when the call came. He thanked Vince Jr. but said there was no way he could get back in a ring, even though he very much wanted to.

• Not willing to give up, Vince Jr.
• Flew to France to speak with Andre in person.
• He took Andre to see doctors specializing in back and knee maladies.
• Radical back surgery was proposed.
• If successful, the procedure would lessen Andre’s pain and perhaps make it possible for him to get in the ring for Wrestlemania.

If Andre was game, Vince Jr. agreed to pay for the entire cost of the surgery. The time arrived, and the anesthesiologist was frantic. He had never put a person of Andre’s size under the gas before and had no idea how much to use. Various experts were brought in but no solution presented itself until one of the doctors asked Andre if he was a drinker.

1. Andre responded that, yes, he’d been known to tip a glass from time to time.
2. The doctor then wanted to know how much Andre drank and how much it took to get him drunk.
3. Well,” rumbled the Giant, “It usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside.” And thus was a solution found.
4. The gas-passer was able to extrapolate a correct mixture for Andre by analyzing his alcohol intake.

It was a medical breakthrough, and the system is still used to this day. Five months later, Andre the Giant wrestled a “body-slam” match against Hulk Hogan and brought down the house. Two liters of vodka. Warm and fuzzy. Side by side like that, the two sentences hardly make any sense.

For most of us, two liters of vodka means a one-way ticket to Blackout Island aboard the good ship Regurgitania, After Wrestlemania, Andre retired for good. His beloved father died in 1993 and Andre returned to France to be with his family. He was still there when, on January 26th, 1993, Andre died in his sleep of heart failure at the age of 47.

The key to Andre the Giant is this — even as a youth he knew that his disease would dramatically shorten his life. He knew there was no cure, and lived every day with the understanding that death could shamble around the very next corner. Knowledge of this sort can darken a life.

• It did not darken Andre’s.
• He chose instead to pack his days with as much insane, drunken fun as they could hold.
• Instead of languishing in the darkness, he chose to walk in the sun.
• I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again now.
• Andre the Giant was an inspiration.
• I would pay a fortune for the opportunity to go back in time 30 years to watch such a master practice his craft, in the ring and at the bar.

Andre the Giant was the very embodiment of what being a drunkard is all about. —Richard English (Note: The Author is indebted to the works of Brian Solomon, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Dave Meltzer, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and Hulk Hogan.)

What is the fox’s name on Old Speckled Hen?

Old Speckled Hen ‘Drink curious’ by Isobel Old Speckled Hen launches a new campaign, featuring the brand’s mascot from 1994, Henry the Fox.

Does Old Speckled Hen have a widget?

What beers have a widget? – Though this list is not all-inclusive, some of the most popular beers that have a widget are Old Speckled Hen, Boddingtons Pub Ale, Murphy’s Stout, and Guinness.

Do you put Old Speckled Hen in the fridge?

“Real Ale” (Old Speckled Hen) Saturday 23rd April 2005 As a change to the usual lager, I have just bought some Old Speckled Hen to try. At great risk of showing of my complete cluelessness, can anyone tell me whether this should be served chilled or at room temperature? Saturday 23rd April 2005 Definitely not chilled! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Slightly cooler than room temp. Saturday 23rd April 2005 Ale should never be chilled – treat it as opposed to lager like you would red wine as opposed to white – store it in a cool, dry place and drink it from a glass. Chilling it in the fridge smothers the taste and the bottle has that glass tang to it – not good. Enjoy! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Show it to the fridge, no more. Saturday 23rd April 2005 Another top tip – Get the bloody stuff drunk instead of asking on here Saturday 23rd April 2005 sainsburys have some interesting beers in at the mo.£5 for 4 small bottles, but very tasty. Personally, I go for the imported Stella at £3.75 for 4 x 500ml treats. For some reason Speckled Hen just doesn’t work from bottle / cans IMO. One of those beers that needs to be on draught. Cracking pint though. Saturday 23rd April 2005 keep it in the dark! Beer stored in light undergoes a photochemical reaction to make 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol, and you only need 1ng/L of beer of this compound to make the beer undrinkable ! thats 0.00000001g/L, Isohumulones are oxidised by photochemically excited flavins to make this compound. see K Huvaere et al, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2004 Saturday 23rd April 2005 anyone got any info on the ‘OLD speckled un’ that this beer is named for? google just isnt finding anything at the mo. and i always thought it was sposed to be warm when you drank it? gordon edit to correct speeling >> Edited by anhamgrimmar on Saturday 23 April 19:43 Saturday 23rd April 2005 Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) Saturday 23rd April 2005 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? Saturday 23rd April 2005 Why is it that so many pubs correctly serve lager freezing cold, and then do the same with ale? A pub near me used to serve a great pint of Bass, then they had a makeover and now it is refrigerated and served frozen. Still, it could be worse, it could be from an aerosol and full of esters to make it creamy. Saturday 23rd April 2005 anhamgrimmar said: 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? Dunno, but it’s probably owned by the Chinese! Saturday 23rd April 2005,From the same people that bring you Old Speckled Hen, I find that Tanner’s Jack is a better Ale going on flavour alone. BTW, on the lager/pilsner front – we are finally able to get Stella and Kronenbourg 1664 here in the States. Sampled my first taste of the latter last night and found it very refreshing. Can’t wait for Bar-B-Q season to get into full swing with that available. ErnestM Saturday 23rd April 2005 anhamgrimmar said: 2 Smokin Barrels said: Named after an MG y’know (hence octagonal logo) yeah, but what type was it? old speckled un was a runaround for the factory, but i cant find out what type it is. any ideas? I may be (very) wrong as I am remembering this from an article in a mag that I read over a year ago and don’t have to hand, but: I think ‘Old Speckled ‘un’ was an MG trials special (hence ‘speckled’ in mud). Some web site said: Old Speckled Hen was first brewed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory. But why “Old Speckled Hen”? Well, the name is actually derived from the name “owld speckled ‘un”, a term used to describe an old MG car used as a factory run-around. I’m not so sure though, IIRC it was some sort of MG race car that was beige and splattered in oil. Saturday 23rd April 2005 andygo said: sainsburys have some interesting beers in at the mo.£5 for 4 small bottles, but very tasty. Personally, I go for the imported Stella at £3.75 for 4 x 500ml treats. Got my OSH from Sainsburys, £3.50 for 2 750 ml bottles. Just quaffed my first pint, and it’s pretty good. Thought it had a bit of a cider taste to it initially, but that was probably because I’d just eaten an apple turnover. Expected it to be flat as a pancake, but it’s got a slight fizz to it. Any other recommendations along similar lines? Apparently Spitfire is a good pint? Next time I go to the pub with my old man, I’ll have to order a pint of bitter, the look on his face will be priceless! Saturday 23rd April 2005 Ale should be served slightly cooler than room temp – which is slightly warmer than the room temp the french talk about which is cellar (or cave as it was (badly) translated to me)temp. – The black sheep brewery (Paul Theakston of Theakstons fame) reccommend 13 degrees c for their ales – and I reckon that’s just about right, after much experimentation and experience (Just liberated the beer fridge of a nice cold Hoegarten and next a Warsteiner!) Cheers Paul mxdi 13,993 posts 240 months Saturday 23rd April 2005 Potent stuff but Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What’s New | My Stuff Posting Rules

What are the ingredients in Old Speckled Hen?

A distinctive rich malty taste bursting with toffee character, fruity aroma and deliciously smooth. This great British ale was first brewed in 1979 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic MG car factory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. And what a celebration! Auburn and copper on the eye; malty, toffee notes on the nose; and then a further lovely helping of malt in the taste, with distinctive hints of caramel balanced by a touch of fruit.