The Ormelie Tavern – Winter beach walks
Plus a discussion on drinking second-hand beer.
It makes sense, for my final newsletter of the year, to look back at one of the first from 2024. I visited The Ormelie Tavern way back at the start of January after a stroll along the beach on a Sunday afternoon.
I wonder if Portobello is best enjoyed in the winter. I was there recently (that’s when I got the shot of the rainbow above) and – provided it’s one of those crisp, bright winter days – it can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There are no campfires to avoid, no pressure to get in the sea and you can be in the pub by mid-afternoon as the sun starts to set.
The Ormelie is the perfect spot to retire for a pint – it’s retained some of that Victorian charm which I imagine would have extended across Portobello during its heyday as a beach resort. The beers are solid and the footy is normally on if that’s your thing.
Where is it?
Where next?
The Porty Tap, right at the other end of the High Street, is one of my Christmas 2024 pubs.
The chaser – Are we drinking recycled beer?
I was browsing the Camra website recently, which is the kind of thing I do in my spare time, when I came across something weird. To some people, it’s disgusting. To others, it’s totally fine, and getting rid of it would kill of a local tradition.
I’m talking about Autovac. If, like me, you’re new to this, Autovac is a system put into cask beer delivery systems. Instead of excess beer falling into the drip tray and being chucked down the drain, its gets saved. It’s then pumped through pipes and back into the next pint, the next time it’s served.
Obviously, this saves a hell of a lot of wastage. But it also means we’re drinking second-hand beer, that’s overflowed from the last glass, been exposed to the open air, perhaps run over the server’s hand, and then into our glasses.
It seems to be an Edinburgh thing, but maybe originated in Yorkshire and is often still used there too. And the beer community, at least online, seems bitterly divided about it. Some argue it’s the secret to a foamy head on a pint. Others say it’s revolting and has no place in today’s pubs.
I’m conflicted. Upon first hearing about it, I must admit I was disgusted. I don’t want a pint of dirty, reused beer – I want the fresh, clear stuff straight from the cask. There seems to be so much opportunity for contamination in that short journey from one pint glass to the next.
But the Camra website lists the Edinburgh venues which use Autovac, and among them are some of my favourite pubs in the city. I’ve had some fantastic pints at the places on that list, and reviewed many of them in the past. Maybe we’re better off not knowing that the sausage is actually made of old off-cuts which fell out of someone else’s glass.
But maybe we are better off knowing. Camra’s solution seems to be the right one: Let people know which pubs are using the system and on which beers. If pubs could be a little more transparent, we could all make our own minds up.
Useful links:
A good description of Autovac, The Oxford Companion to Beer
Edinburgh's pubs have a dirty little secret and it's called Autovac, The Weekly Gripe (with some alternative voices in the comments)
The Bad From The Good Old Days, Beer Insider
Camra’s list of pubs which use Autovac (note they may not use the system on all their cask beers)
Christmas is a time of giving, and what better way than spending a bit at your favourite local. Alternatively, you can donate to me. This may be the only donation you leave which you know is guaranteed to be spent down the pub. Donation FAQs.
This is my last newsletter on 2024. I’m taking a little break over Christmas, and will be back in the New Year. In the mean time, take a look at my Christmas pubs for 2024 and 2023. And browse all the pubs I’ve reviewed in the archive or on a map.
Merry Christmas, thanks for subscribing, and see you in 2025.