Pint of the Week: Kasteel Cru

Sampled at The Dragon, Long Row

New year, new beer? Well yes, sort of, at least as far as Punch Taverns are concerned, and in particular the Dragon.

Pale straw coloured in appearance, master brewers from Karlsbrau and Molson Coors promoted Kasteel Cru fine lager for the New Year's celebrations.

Produced using champagne yeast, this drink is a refreshing alternative to the obligatory bubbly that's usually associated with ringing out the old, and ringing in the new.

With its low bitterness and zesty fruity flavours, this appetising fizz was a well-deserved winner. Its distinctive Champagne-like bottle produced by expert glass-moulders in Rheims, France, added to the charm when Big Ben struck twelve.

The Dragon pub has a bit of a winning claim to fame in its own right... or at least the site on which today's building now stands, does.

The original George and Dragon Inn that stood there circa 1615 was the first building in modern Nottingham to be built of brick.

The Romans loved them, but building bricks seemed to take a back seat in certain areas of Britain during the middle ages when stone and wood were the Lego of the time.

As for the Kasteel Cru, it might not have had King Arthur's blessing, but it's still available this weekend at the Dragon and at other selected outlets in the Nottingham area.