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"TheBeerNut":29czh269 wrote: No cask ale serving at all in The Forty Foot yesterday evening. I'm not sure how that happens.[/quote:29czh269]
Did it just have clips with "Available soon" on the pump handles? And a massive sign by the door advertising their cask festival?

The festival taps were showing almost all of the same badges as they were showing last Sunday, with no "coming soon" stickers. Perhaps they just ran out of everything some time during the week.

I had a disappointing trip back out to Wetherspoons yesterday. Dun Laoghaire had 4 taps labelled with Archer, Wee Heavy, Spider Bite and Mojo, and a fifth with the promise that A Pocket Full Of Rye was coming soon. As the Beer Nut had found on Sunday, all of them were actually empty and a notice highlighted that there was in fact no real ale available at all. I ordered a Bath Ales' Darkside Stout from the keg instead. I was taken aback at how cold it was but as it warmed up, the sour taste that emerged from it may have explained its serving temperature. Things were slightly better in Blackrock, which had 2 cask ales on. One of the usual Adnams' beers and O'Dwyer's Irish Stout. They were also doing a couple of 'manager's food specials' and at 3.99 Euro, an 8oz rump steak meal was hard to turn down. What a difference a week makes though. I had sampled 10 festive beers last Monday but with only one now being available between both venues, continuing to advertise a beer festival is a bit of a joke. They did tell me in Blackrock that they were waiting on a delivery to come through. While I'm sure that Paddy's day, Saturday's rugby, and Sunday's Liverpool v Utd match drained their stock; this is their second festival, and the second time that they have run out of festival beers. I would be interested to hear if things pick up later in the week.

I dropped back into both pubs again yesterday and thankfully they have got their festival back on track. Dun Laoghaire had Hightail Ale, Ye Ole Admiral, Spring Challenge, O'Dwyer's Irish Stout, and Merman XXX. Cerveceria Fort's English Style India Pale Ale is due soon. Blackrock had Archer, Boadicea IPA, Shipwreck IPA, Inspired, Spider Bite, Wee Heavy, New Dawn, Cobblestone, and Wit Stout.

Had occasion to visit Co.Down yesterday. Stopped in JDW in Swords for coffee etc. Caught the end of the cask beer festival. Jaipur at €2.75 a pint! Wasn't doing the driving so have a swift one, lovely beer. Crazy to think a 500ml bottle in an offie is €5.

Stopped in Sainsbury in Newry. 660ml Punk at £2.50 / €3.15, almost worth the drive.