AT8: Route confirmed for 13 April

The Alpine Trail 8
The Slalom Around London in Search of the Man in the Box
Friday 13 April 2012
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The AT8 Route has been chosen, and there are four brand new establishments to an Alpine Trail, joining for the very first time.

AT8 begins in the Cittie of Yorke – No, not the walled city in the north of England and home of York Minster, but the public house in High Holborn, a hostelry site which dates back to 1430 (though the current building was erected in the 1920s). We begin there between 6-6.40pm.

From there we head west, along High Holborn paying a visit to Princess Louise, then The Crown on New Oxford Street, before shimmying around the corner to The Angel on St Giles High St.

Then it’s back on to familiar Fitzrovian territory; The Bricklayers Arms, The Blue Posts and finally, our home – The Champion.

Since the Alpine Memorial Trail in September, our Man in the Box has risen once again, so it appears he wasn’t dead after all, merely ill. That accounts for his strength on his return to the pump, a measly 2.8%, so for the lager drinkers it’s Taddy all the way. But of course there is also Old Brewery too!

A map of the Trail is below, with confirmed route timings. Follow on Twitter @alpinetrail for the latest.

Until then…

6.00pm-6.40pm: The Cittie of Yorke - Stop Number One
22 High Holborn, WC1V 6BS
6.35pm-7.15pm: The Princess Louise – Stop Number Two
208-209 High Holborn, WC1V 7BW
7.10pm-7.50pm: The Crown – Stop Number Three
51 New Oxford St, WC1A 1BL
7.45pm-8.25pm: The Angel - Stop Number Four
61 St Giles High St, WC2H 8LE
8.20pm-9.00pm: The Bricklayers Arms - Stop Number Five
31 Gresse Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1QY
8.55pm-9.35pm: The Blue Posts - Stop Number Seven
81 Newman St, W1T 3EU

9.30pm
THE CHAMPION – Home
The Final Stop
12-13 Wells St, W1T 3PA

AT8 Route Map

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Memorial Trail route updated

RIP : Alpine Lager

The Third Anniversary and Memorial Trail
Thursday 15 September 2011

A Slalom in Fitzrovia in search of The Man in the Box
Seven Pubs, Seven Pints of Alpine-substitute Taddy Lager (or other choice)

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Starting at The Angel in the Fields from 6pm (BST)
one pint in each pub during the ‘window’, five minutes walking time (avg)

PLEASE NOTE: THIS ROUTE WAS UPDATED 14/09/11

The Alpine Trail Route

6.00pm-6.40pm: The Angel in the Fields - Stop Number One
37 Thayer Street, London W1U 2QY
6.35pm-7.15pm: The Dover Castle – Stop Number Two
43 Weymouth Mews, W1G 7EH
7.10pm-7.50pm: The Horse & Groom – Stop Number Three
128 Great Portland St, W1W 6PX
7.45pm-8.25pm: The Yorkshire Grey - Stop Number Four
46 Langham Street, W1W 7AX
8.20pm-9.00pm: The Fitzroy Tavern – Stop Number Five
16 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NA
8.55pm-9.35pm: The Bricklayers Arms - Stop Number Six
31 Gresse Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1QY

9.30pm
THE CHAMPION – Home
The Final Stop
12-13 Wells St, W1T 3PA

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The Facts: The Alpine Trail

It’s Alpine Trail week with number seven quickly approaching, and to get you in the mood I’ll give you some Alpine-related facts all this week.

Don’t forget, The Alpine Trail Seven – The Memorial Trail – takes place this Thursday, 15 September 2011. [Route Confirmed]

Fact Three
The first Alpine Trail was attended by seven people, and remarkably one of those was only intending to go out for a couple but stayed the course. Alpine Trails Five and Six have had over 40 attendees on each occasion. Only two people have been ever presents on all six Trails to date.

Those first seven Traillists, all working or had worked at 25 Soho Square, were; Jamie Bradbury, Nick Veevers, Stuart Mawhinney, Glenn Lavery, Russell Staves, Karl Hudson and Pete Elsworth.

Fact Two
The first pub visited on the first ever Alpine Trail in September 2008 was The Bricklayers Arms in Gresse Street, Fitzrovia.

Since then, 17 different pubs have been part of The Trail. The Champion, being the perennial home stop, is the most used having been involved in all six Trails to date, while both The Yorkshire Grey and The Cock Tavern have featured five times on The Trail, only missing out on the Soho Trail in April 2009 (Number Two).

The five least visited of The Trail pubs are Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, The Ordnance Arms, The Angel in the Fields, The Duke of York and The Dover Castle with one appearance each (Trail Three). However, the latter trio all make a return to the Trail Route for Number Seven.

Fact One
Until 2006 Samuel Smith’s used the brand name Ayingerbräu for its lagers and wheat beers, using the name and logo of German brewery, Brauerei Aying.

The brand was best known for its ‘man-in-a-box’ pump for Ayingerbräu Lager, which featured a model Bavarian man in a plastic box.

In 2006, Ayingerbräu Lager reverted to Alpine Lager, its original name in the 1960s.

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A new name for The Trail?

With Alpine now just a happy memory, should the name ‘The Alpine Trail’ remain for Trail number 8 in April 2012?

Or should it be The Taddy Trail?

Well it’s up to you. Place your vote below…

The Alpine Memorial Trail (Seven)

News may or may not have reached you, but over the summer Alpine Lager, our beloved Man In The Box, has been phased out and is not longer sold in Sam Smith’s pubs in London. Anywhere for that matter.

Sam Smith's Taddy Lager

In its place is a still rather ‘pleasant’ ale – Taddy Lager.

So, Trail number seven (the third anniversary) will become The Alpine Memorial Trail.

The date for your diaries is:

Thursday 15 September 2011
Starting from 6pm somewhere in Fixtzrovia – the route will be circulated and available here in due course.

So for now, get it booked in to your schedule and I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

Sam Smith
www.Twitter.com/alpinetrail

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PS: I have set up a poll below to decide whether future Trails will remain ‘The Alpine Trail’ in memory of our Man, or take on the new name ‘The Taddy Trail’. It’s up to you.

PPS: For those of you Sam Smith’s lovers, CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE, focus on the annual Sam Smith’s Challenge run by another group of enthusiasts. The site also has a great map featuring all the Sam Smith’s pubs in London Town.

The Alpine Trail 7 – date confirmed

The date for the seventh Alpine Trail has been confirmed.

Thursday 15 September 2011

More details and route to follow later in the year…

The Alpine Trail Six – The Route

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Good Thursday

A Slalom in Fitzrovia and Soho in search of The Man in the Box
Seven Pubs, Seven Pints of Alpine

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The Alpine Trail Route
Starting at The Yorkshire Grey from 6pm (BST)
one pint in each pub during the ‘window’, five minutes walking time (avg)

6.00pm-6.40pm: The Yorkshire Grey – Stop Number One
46 Langham Street, W1W 7AX
6.35pm-7.15pm: The Cock Tavern – Stop Number Two
27 Great Portland St, W1W 8QG
7.10pm-7.50pm: The Red Lion – Stop Number Three
14 Kingly St, W1B 5PP
7.45pm-8.25pm: The Glasshouse Stores – Stop Number Four
55 Brewer St, W1F 9UJ
8.20pm-9.00pm: The Duke of Argyle – Stop Number Five
26 Great Windmill St, W1D 7LQ
8.55pm-9.35pm: The Jon Snow – Stop Number Six
39 Broadwick St, W1F 9QP

9.30pm-10.10pm:
THE CHAMPION – Home
Stop Number Seven – The Final Alpine
12-13 Wells St, W1T 3PA
plus surprise

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