Heat-resistant spoons

Virtually no cask ale means absolutely no warm cask ale: a win for the Dublin pub scene, there. At JD Wetherspoon, the cellar cooling system was well able to deal with anything the summer threw at it.To wit, at The Silver Penny, Hook Norton Haymaker. I'm guessing this pale ale is named for its strength: a whopping 5% ABV. The dark golden colour helps underline its projected power, likewise an aroma which suggests generous quantities of malt, evoking pastry or cakes with a layer of citrus jam. The flavour uses that malt too, but centres more on the hops. They're English, so I was expecting marmalade and meadows, but there's quite a new-world brightness to this beer in general. I get a white-wine grape effect, conjuring Nelson Sauvin or, from closer to home, Hallertau Blanc. Add some peppercorn spice and a rasp of leathery tannin and it rounds out nicely. It's very tasty. Amber-coloured strong bitter can sometimes feel hot and soupy; this one is clean and zingy, refreshing and sinkable,…