beer of the month

Old Speckled Hen

It has been a very long time since the beer of the month has been updated. Many fine beers have crossed our lips these past 25 months, and many fine customers have donated to the cause, but our latest offering takes the biscuit. Morland Brewery's "Old Speckled Hen" arrived in the U.S. from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. It arrived at The Spoke by way of Moab, Utah in the hands of our new favorite customer, Tom Plunkett. Tom, like all good customers, knows that nothing says "Thanks" like a good beer, and nothing says "Thank you very much!" like an expensive, imported, drought system beer like Speckled Hen.

Our Beer of the Month's strange name is born of legend. In 1927, the MG automobile factory produced a one-off sedan to be used as a company vehicle. Locals referred to the car as the "Old Speckled 'Un" because of it's gold-with-black-flecks paint. As the years (and many British pints) passed, "Old Speckled 'Un" morphed into "Old Speckled Hen". Naturally, when MG approached Morland Brewery to create a special beer for it's factory's 50th anniversary, the ale was called "Old Speckled Hen."

This beer is an absolute pleasure to drink, but it's not for everyone. If you can think of nothing better than cracking a can of Miller High-Life after mowing the lawn on a hot summer day, better link to another part of our site. OSH is a true English pub ale. It's complex taste, minimal carbonation, and thick, creamy head make it a beer lover's beer. If you've had Murphy's Stout or Guiness from a drought can, you know the texture, but if you don't necessarily care for stout, OSH is for you. It's flavor is not quite so dark and smokey, and it doesn't seem to have the "Meal Replacement Effect" that stouts have.

Look for Morland's "Old Speckled Hen" in your favorite liquor store or pub, and enjoy a pint. And if you should happen to pick-up any extra, we're running a little low...

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