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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Traditional |  | 1 |
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | | 2 |
| Larkins - Pale | | 2 |
| Abbeydale - Moonshine |  | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 4 |
| Mighty Oak - Cascade IPA | | 2 |
| Westerham - Audit Ale | | 2 |
| Timothy Taylor - Knowle Spring | | 1 |
| Gower - Gower Power | | 1 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter) | | 1 |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | | 1 |
| Otter - Bitter | | 1 |
| Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - Mild |  | 1 |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Robinsons - Hop & Under | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Block Party | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Apple Blossom Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hogs Back - Surrey Nirvana | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Gorgeous George | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Coppernob | Not Tried | 0 |
| Palmers - Colmers | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downton - Downton Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - New Zealand Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Daleside - Green Grass Old Rogue Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Salopian - Darwin's Origin | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Rising Giant | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Broadside | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
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 |
14 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Absolute delight |
| Timothy Taylor - Boltmaker (formerly Best Bitter) | 4.00 | | Good to have this on occasionally. Slightly sweet aftertaste |
| Joseph Holt (see also Holt's) - Mild | 3.20 | | Rather flat, somewhat disappointing |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark | 4.80 | Not Tried |
25 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Good but drank with hardly noticing |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Lavender Hill (originally exclusively for Nicholson's) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Three Acre - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Block Party | 5.50 | Not Tried |
04 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Noisier than usual with an excitable corner group.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - Tally Ho! | 5.50 | | Everything I wanted |
| Westerham - Audit Ale | 6.20 | | Perfect nightcap |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Salopian - Darwin's Origin | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Long Man - Rising Giant | 4.80 | Not Tried |
23 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gower - Gower Power | 5.50 | | A well balanced strong bitter - very enjoyable |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Basic stuff |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Daleside - Green Grass Old Rogue Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Salopian - Darwin's Origin | 4.30 | Not Tried |
30 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeydale - Moonshine | 4.30 | | Good but very lacking in a distinctive flavour |
| Westerham - Audit Ale | 6.20 | | A good strong nightcapper |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Colmers | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - British Bulldog | 4.10 | Not Tried |
16 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Held good head and lacing |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | In OK condition |
| Long Man - Long Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Citra | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - The Old Man and The Sea | 4.10 | Not Tried |
25 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | First rate |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Seemed very full bodied tonight |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Oscar Wilde Mild | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Brakspear (at Marston's Wychwood then at Banks's) - Oxford Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Jake the Snake | 4.00 | Not Tried |
15 Feb 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. I had forgotten that Tramlink was closed through the centre of Croydon.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | | Basic bitter |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Sweetish |
| Timothy Taylor - Knowle Spring | 4.20 | | |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - Dorset Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Robinsons - Hop & Under | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 281 |
| 169 |
| 23 |
 | 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 222 times, seen 315 different beers and tried 106 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA