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History: Home > Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Three Acre - Skylark Stout |  | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 3 |
| Palmers - Down the Thatch | | 1 |
| Larkins - Traditional | | 1 |
| Theakston - Peculier IPA |  | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 6 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | | 2 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 1 |
| Greene King - Abbot |  | 1 |
| Tonbridge - New Zealand Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moorhouse's - White Witch | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Buffalo Buffalo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Wonderwall | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Summer Perle | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Larkins - Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Anspach & Hobday - Jumbo (collaboration with Kirkstall) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - DB Number One | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - North Downs Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pilgrim - Surrey Original Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Acre - Extra Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Junction | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Green Hop Goldings | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Downton Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Moonstruck | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
12 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Striking initial bitterness |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | | Not sure why I bought this. Initial promise faded for a rather tired pint |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Three Acre - Extra Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
08 Nov 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Took the last seat available.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | What I came for and quite as it should be |
| Three Acre - Skylark Stout | 4.60 | | First rate, improvement on one I had in Bromley yesterday |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried |
31 Oct 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Good but not exceptional |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Very good example of this ale |
| Shepherd Neame - Late Red | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Hop Pickers' Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - Jumbo (collaboration with Kirkstall) | 6.60 | Not Tried |
22 Oct 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. I was sure I heard the welcome call of the huntsman's horn before I entered.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Exactly what I wanted and exactly what I got |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Expected consistency was delivered |
| Moorhouse's - White Witch | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
06 Oct 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Slightly unrecognisable flavour |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Green Hop Goldings | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Moonstruck | 5.50 | Not Tried |
20 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Nightcapped on a bottle of Sambrook's 10.4% Russian Imperial.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Down the Thatch | 4.20 | | New one on me. Lovely dark bitter - rather like Tally Ho! but weaker |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Pilgrim - Surrey Original Pale Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Powerhouse Porter | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried |
08 Sep 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Very good but not quite there |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Very good but not quite there |
| Westerham - Summer Perle | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - North Downs Gold | 4.20 | Not Tried | Ran out |
16 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Great stuff. If anything a bit like Palmers IPA used to be with hints of sweetness |
| Theakston - Peculier IPA | 5.10 | | A new one on me. Suspected yet another lemon juicer hazy job but was in fact a lovely subtle dry bitter |
| Dorking - Pilcrow Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Buffalo Buffalo | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Wonderwall | 3.80 | Not Tried |
28 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | Lovely condition and full flavoured |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | | Good nightcapper |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - Downton Dream | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - New Zealand Pale | 4.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
23 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Very large superb high definition TV showing women's Euro football semi-final. A customer told two of us how a pint is precisely measured in weights and measures terms.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Lasting head and lacing |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | 6.20 | | Strong nightcappy sort of bitter |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 273 |
| 149 |
| 20 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Addiscombe, Greater London, CR0 7AA.
Small low ceilinged pub close to Addiscombe Tram Stop in Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road. This pub is a regular outlet for Palmers beers. In November 2012 Palmers awarded the pub a certificate for having sold a total of 1,000,000 pints of Palmers Best Bitter (IPA) exceeding any other of its free trade outlets and in later years further greatly exceeded here and similarly certificated with 1,250,000th in 2019. 6 handpumps dispense the real ales and always at least 2 ciders served by a walk to the ground floor cellar, the latter of late not being real ones however. Beers in the cellar and due to come on are listed on a wallboard. Changed hands in 2016 with slight change of name from Claret Free House to Claret & Ale but little else has changed. 6 handpumps. Regular winner of the local CAMRA branch Borough Pub of the Year award. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 210 times, seen 305 different beers and tried 99 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA