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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Titanic - Plum Porter |  | 2 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 4 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | | 1 |
| Wantsum - Imperium | | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 10 |
| Sambrook's - Junction | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Session | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Hoodwink | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Gower Wolf | Not Tried | 0 |
| St Austell - Proper Job | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Gresham Hopper (was 3.7%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Original | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Shepherd Neame - May Bee | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Constellation - Draco | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bedlam - Smash | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | Not Tried | 0 |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Golden Rule (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA (was 3.8%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
19 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. The cold blowers were effective tonight giving me a dry brow.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Lovely |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | | Not in the same class as Palmers but excellent condition |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Golden Rule (was 3.5%) | 3.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried |
16 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Looked more on lager tonight than ale.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Predictably excellent |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Perhaps rather woodier than usual |
| Hogs Back - Tongham TEA (previously T.E.A.) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Red Dawn Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
09 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A safe haven from the madness of murk haze beers and lemon juice so called beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | What the doctor ordered, basic mid brown bitter |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | A slightly sweet one to follow Palmers IPA |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Grandstand Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Original | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Red Sky | 4.10 | Not Tried |
02 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Exactly as it should be |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Smiler's Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Gower Wolf | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried |
27 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Serendipitously met two London Drinker magazine pioneers and had missed one of the early CAMRA HQ Chairmen by minutes too.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 |  | Just a tad off its best |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Junction | 4.50 | Not Tried | Came on at last knockings |
| Titsey - Gresham Hopper (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Pacific Pale | 4.40 | Not Tried |
25 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. A number of empty tables tonight. Paul McCartney at Glastonbury live on the large TV, for a whistle and sing-a-long.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | In lovely condition |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Surrey XPA (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | 4.30 | Not Tried |
11 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | An appropriate last pint nightcapper |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | 3.80 | | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | |
| Skinner's - Betty Stogs Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Constellation - Draco | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Jubilee | 4.30 | Not Tried |
04 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. An ale swiggers' paradise here.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Pumpclip badged today as Jubilee IPA. Who needs much more than this as a daily ale |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Lovely nightcapper |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Shepherd Neame - May Bee | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Constellation - Draco | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Bedlam - Smash | 4.20 | Not Tried |
30 Apr 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. I could get hooked on the beer swilling, ale quality and atmosphere here and fast professional service.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | First rate |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | 4½* nearing perfection |
| St Austell - Proper Job | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Gresham Hopper (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Titsey - Leveson Buck | 3.70 | Not Tried |
23 Apr 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. This is a proper ale drinking haunt where excellent real ale is virtually always guaranteed. Worth the bus, tram journey.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | At last found the Palmers certificate above the bar celebrating 1,000,000 pints of this ale sold here. I made my little contribution towards the second million |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | 4½* probably the best Plum Porter I have ever had |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Session | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Mr. Squirrel | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - Hoodwink | 5.30 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 260 |
| 115 |
 | 15 |
 | 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 184 times, seen 271 different beers and tried 85 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA