A major disappointment of 2019 was the closure of the Commercial Inn. Located in the heart of Dunfermline, it was my regular real-ale haunt. The pub had up to eight cask pumps and a varied range of beers to sample. Fortunately the phoenix rose from the ashes when former barman Andy Black bought the business and re-opened in the run-up to Christmas. The place was busy again and things were looking rosy. Then came an enforced shutdown of a few weeks when Andy decided to give the bar a makeover. Now it's back in business and I decided to drop in to see what all the fuss was about.
I had read the main purpose of the refurbishment was to bring the toilets up to scratch while the bar area would basically be given a fresh lick of paint and upgraded cosmetically. I purchased a pint of pale ale for £3.50 and settled down to enjoy it. The pub interior certainly looked a lot brighter and the place had generally been spruced up. I noticed the number of cask pumps had been reduced to six but there was still an excellent choice of ale. There were a few punters drinking and it's good to see the Commercial up and running again. My next visit a few days later was the graveyard shift of a Monday evening. Only one other person was present. This time I sampled the 80 shilling from Stewart Brewing, near Edinburgh. The pint was in great condition, although it cost £3.80. Andy has obviously hiked the prices but the pub business is a tough old game and a friendly welcoming atmosphere coupled with regular faces behind the bar who are knowledgeable about the wares they are dispensing is what many people consider important. Going purely by prices, you can drink for two quid a pop just round the corner in Wetherspoons although some find these large barns impersonal. I do sometimes enjoy the anonymity they can offer though. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
I checked out the bogs this time and was impressed by the renovation. Sparkling new tiles and flooring. The basins and urinals had been replaced and the facilities are now of an excellent standard. I must make the effort to support the Commercial on a regular basis and Nicole has been talking about getting a team together for the quiz night. There is a decent real-ale scene in the town. Just along from 'Spoons is the East Port Bar. Well known for screening sport, it also has two or three handpulls in action. Unfortunately the Canmore (near the Alhambra Theatre) is currently closed. I reckon my first visit to the Commercial was in 1994 (a quarter of a century ago!) and I had no idea what real ale was at that time. I probably ordered a pint of McEwan's 70 (which is still on the bar!) A few years later I was there again on a works night out and one of the guys kept raving about Deuchars IPA. My recollection - like this beer - is hazy but I definitely tried a pint, thereby sparking an awareness of cask. I certainly dropped in a few times after work in the late 90s to sample the produce. I therefore conclude it was - for better or worse - the Commercial Inn that launched me on a voyage of ale discovery.
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