The Sportsman Inn, Penrith

I called in at the Sportsman last Thursday for a quick half - I was on a cycling trip and pints or longer stops don't really suit. They are open from 12 noon every day, with food available. There are four hand pumps on the bar, with two pump clips turned round and two beers available at the time of my visit (1pm on a wet and blustery Thursday in March): Cumbrian Ales Loweswater Gold and Wainwright Amber. I avoid the Wainwright beers when I can - I object to their self-proclaimed "Lake District Original" slogan, as the only thing Lake District-y about it is a drawing on the pump clip done in the style of A.Wainwright's Pictorial Guides, so I was left with the Loweswater. This beer was in better than good condition, but it is not a beer that I like, sharing as it does the characteristic of Theakston's Best Bitter, that the first mouthful is always the best. After that the beer seems to deteriorate with every sip, with a sweetish and unpleasant finish. Probably it's just me, as it seems to be available everywhere.

Official site of The Sportsman Inn - www.thesportsmans.co.uk

Official site of The Sportsman Inn - www.thesportsmans.co.uk