GAVIN AITCHISON comes over all misty-eyed at a vintage York local

WORK dragged on, the evening slipped away, and the rain is lashing down. The walk home is a squelching trudge and the ready meal that awaits, a poxy incentive.

And then, through the gloom, come twinkling lights and the faintest babble of bar-room banter, the upbeat road-signs to an irresistible alternative. Hesitation, dear reader, is not required.

The door swings open and, in an instant, reveals that incomparable and unbeatable sanctuary of the local. Ah, what bliss. What purity.

This is the kind of place that I think of when readers or friends ask me what makes the perfect pub. My enviable role on these pages means it’s a frequent question, but it’s a hard one to answer. For the truth is a great pub is not simply about the beer and the building. It’s about an inimitable homely atmosphere that flows not only through the taps but throughout the pub.

It ripples through the free-for-all conversations that traverse tables and topics, and through the harmonious tinkle of glasses and bottles. It radiates from the ageing pictures on the walls, soaks through the beer mats propping up dodgy table legs and splashes from the brolly of every drenched punter that arrives. It feeds off the banter; lives through the mad blokes with bad jokes; and thrives on the honest, simple authenticity of it all.

That’s the atmosphere that turns a simple pub into a true public house and for me, nowhere in York better embodies this spirit than The Swan, on the corner of Clementhorpe and Bishopgate Street, a beautiful and lively pub where every glass, one can imagine, has a story to tell.

It’s a pub that exudes history and which, following a lengthy local campaign, has now been listed by English Heritage, in recognition of its striking 1930s interior.

The layout is curious and endearing, the bar opening not on to either of the two rooms but on to the long corridor that runs from the door to the garden. The whole place has barely changed for 80 years, and it’s easy to imagine generations of past drinkers seeking similar solace as you and I have, no doubt discussing the same tittle-tattle in the same jovial way.

It’s today’s punters who come up trumps when it comes to the beer though, for The Swan is in something of a golden era, widely regarded now as a real ale house that ranks among York’s very best.

It was named regional pub of the year by York Camra in 2009, and boasts a selection of regular and rotating ales to be reckoned with.

The permanent fixtures are Tetley’s Cask, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Copper Dragon’s Golden Pippin and Broadoak Premium Perry, along with the ubiquitous Carlsberg, Carling, Kronenbourg, Becks Vier and Guinness.

More intriguing for the semi-regular visitor though is the ever-changing selection of three guests.

My two preferences in recent weeks have come from opposite ends of both the beer spectrum and the country. Keltek King (5.1 per cent ABV), from Cornwall, is a strong but pale ale with a light golden colour, sweet citrus flavours and a little bit of spiciness.

Black Bishop, on the other hand, is a porter from Abbeydale in Sheffield that resembles thick treacle and has enigmatic malt flavours and aromas. Whereas the Keltek was stronger than it seemed, this one is deceptively weak, at a moderate 4.2 per cent.

That latter one was a monthly special so you may struggle to see it again, but don’t despair – the selection of alternatives will be off the scale next weekend when The Swan teams up with the nearby Slip Inn for a beer festival of 50 ales, from Friday to Sunday, supplemented by wine, food and live music.

It promises to be a great precursor to the York Beer Festival on Knavesmire, and a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. You might just want to forget your worries, drag yourself along, and allow the evenings to slip away in the way that they should.


Shorts

* Stillingfleet has its first beer festival today, from noon until the barrels run dry. It’s at the village institute, with proceeds going towards the new heating system. As well as beer, there will be wine, soft drinks, sandwiches and live music. The village is on the Arriva 42 route between York and Selby.

* The Fox in Holgate Road has its first beer festival next weekend, from Thursday to Sunday inclusive. There will be about 30 real ales and ciders, a barbecue, live music and a prize draw.

* The Yorkshire Hussar in North Street, York, has re-opened following its closure earlier this year.