Cask ale is not your crap flat and bland yellow beer. It’s like a punk rocker turning it’s back on organized trends, the trend being flavorless beer made by big international firms. If you feel you have some rebel in you, and want to help the little guy, two great spots are The Chipshop and The Brazen Head.

The Chipshop as its name suggests sells British style Fish and Chips, along with some great ales both American and British. The staff are very welcoming, and the bartender is knowledgeable about his trade, you’ll also find that they have two hand drawn beers, just as you would find in an English Ale House.

The Brazen Head has a decent selection of beer on tap and cask, in addition you’ll find a welcoming scotch selection. The Brazen is home to the tri-annual cask ale festival organized by the cask maestro Alex Hall. The next cask festival will be held Nov 6th 2009.

Unless you’re looking for The Last Exit, it’s hard to find. I remember when I moved to the neighborhood, looking for joints to hang at, where the mood is good and the bartender is more than a mere dispenser of beverages. The Exit is all this, it’s a portal to another world, we all say this when we speak of a bar, but this is the place where everyone knows everyone. The only strangers in The Exit, are those that wish to stay outside.

Every night is different, you could find yourself sinking into the eyes of any of the female bartenders, or you could find yourself laughing with MItch or just chilling with JC. The beer on tap is good quality, like every bar, there is the chance for a bad pint, but this is merely the physics of beer dispensing.

If you happen to attain celebrity status at the bar, it may be recorded by making an action figure in your name. If you’re looking for a way out, The Last Exit is the place.

How much is too much?

So how much is too much? Depending on where you go, you will see fluctuations in beer prices. The variables that go into play are rent, location, customer discrimination, and plain old fashioned greed. A good bar is a bar that will pass on the deal to the customer, and it goes without saying that the bad bar is the one that overcharges the consumer.

Of course if it is a high end restaurant, you can expect the price to be elevated to reflect the ambience. Of course this is bullshit, what it means, is that they are in fact charging you a sin tax. If you go to a high end dining establishment, it is decreed that you should abstain from a beer on a table, but rather opt for a more classical glass of wine. Which is all fine, environments dictate norms.

However, when you take into context the local bar, be that a dive or a slightly more classy joint where the lock on the bathroom works – you see a price difference. Or even sometimes vice versa, when taking hipster joints into context.

In respect to the Nighlife Alley o.k.a Smith Street, one of the better establishments is Bar Great Harry. As beer bars go Mike and Ben have captured the essence of a good bar. On brewery nights you will pay anywhere from $2 to $4 for a 12oz glass of beer. That’s a deal and the guys deserve a good price for beer award.

My visits are sporadic, but they have always been bountiful, numerous drink deals, free franks on Wednesday night – though I imagine this will come to an end as soon the temperatures drop.

Nonetheless, I always feel welcome when I come in for my pint, I usually end leaving having experienced a couple of hearty laughs in the garden.

In addition to the great atmosphere, the bar is open on Saturday for English football. Which is a gem given that I don’t have to drag myself into the city.

This is an experiment, one which I hope will prove to be successful. This is all new to me, at least the digital side of publishing.