This question is not as simple as it sounds, as it also depends on a number of auxiliary factors, including the number of paces from the nearest public transport (ideally a train station), quality of the beer on offer (probably best expressed by overall Untappd Brewery ratings), cachet of the location in question and finally, and most difficult of all to express in mathematical notation, one needs to calculate how welcoming, and general wonderful, are the sum total of the Taprooms in question?
Having considered all of the above factors, and having attended the soft opening of the shiny new Indie Rabble Taproom last week, your correspondent can officially declare that the Windsor Beer Mile is well and truly open for business!
Indie Rabble has opened in the arch next door from the fabulous Two Flints, and less than 600 yards from Windsor & Eton Brewery Taproom, who sit at the other end of the “Mile”.
Both Indie Rabble and Two Flints are less than 150 paces from the platform of Windsor & Eton Central Station (assuming that you descend the steps two at a time, because after all, you are on your way to a Taproom) Standing out front, there is a superb view of the western end of Windsor Castle, (although I haven’t yet attended at sunrise on the Spring Equinox, which is when legend-has-it the castle shadow will favour the beer mile).
The Indie Rabble Taproom has been decorated in Naomi’s brilliant signature fantasy-styling, along somewhat similar lines to the Maidenhead branch of A Hoppy Place.
The taproom features 12 keg taps and two cask lines. For the opening weekend, these were populated with eight launch collab brews, featuring partnerships with some of the UK’s lead- ing lights including Pomona Island, Utopian and Tartarus, as well as some well-selected guest beers. One of the cask pumps was dispensing Jaipur, and Dave is committed to maintaining two top notch cask beers at all times.
As is the way with Craft Beer, there is a close sense of partnership with next-door neighbours Two Flints, which will see them sharing food truck bookings, as well as a large area of outdoor seating in front of both venues.
Both Indie Rabble and Two Flints will be open 4-10pm on Thursday, 12-10.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 12-8pm on Sunday.
Anyone living in, or visiting the Thames Valley should now be checking their diaries and the train timetables, to schedule a lazy afternoon/evening enjoying the delights of the Windsor Beer Mile in the near future!
