The Star is one of the classic British taverns. It's not just the look — all Victorian wood panelling and patina — impressive as it is (photos of the handsome interior in the next post). And it's not the history either, though this is one of the oldest pubs in one of England's finest cities, Bath.
What makes it so special, to aficionados at any rate, is the way it serves its beer. The Star is one of the few places in the country that still dispenses ale in the old fashioned way — from kegs kept at floor level. The publican (or his barmaid) crouches down to fill a glass jug from the spigot, which they then use to fill up your pint. Make that a half if you're driving...
Quite aptly, the beer that they serve this way is another British classic — Bass ale, with its distinctive red triangle logo (the first trademark ever registered in the country, it is said).
But although this brew may look familiar, it is not at all the same beer that is found in expat pubs around the world, Tokyo included. This is real ale — cask conditioned and gravity dispensed; 4.4% alcohol; resolutely 'flat' (ie not carbonated/nitrogenated); served at a refreshing cool (but not cold; and never 'warm' as the myth would have it) temperature.
A fine pint indeed, especially when there's a chill in the evening air and the landlord has lit a coal fire in the grate — it was first of the year, the evening I dropped in last week.
The Bass is the only beer served this way. The others are pulled through handpumps in the traditional way. There are always a couple from Abbey Ales, the small local brewery that owns the Star, as well as some guest ales — and good cider too, from small local companies.
