A butchers at the Wheatsheaf, Thebarton, quenches a cricket writer's thirst The Wheatsheaf has an app for drinkers who wish to keep informed about the latest beers on tap. For everyone else, theres a blackboard. Picture: Peter Lalor Source: TheAustralian DAMN you, free settlers. Damn you your beers and your sly seduction. The Ashes caravan has rolled on to Adelaide, a place of fine brews and some fine running opportunities, although it is the former we will concentrate on before allowing ourselves a quiet boast about the latter. Beer is big here. Well, beer and cricket. Back in the day there was a young woman housed in working class, hard-scrabble Thebarton who had a particular fondness for Coopers Sparkling as all alternative, bike-riding, meat-avoiding, roll-your-own smoking young women did back then. She shared a semi-detached with a bloke who worked at the local brewery which did not produce Coopers. The house shared a door with a family of kind-hearted refugees who introduced us to pho before it became so tediously f-f-fashionable. Thebarton may have come on a little since then, and she has moved on too. But there's still some girls over there who can lure with a beer or two. The Wheatsheaf, as anybody in Adelaide knows, is an old working-class corner pub that's had a tasteful makeover and reinvented itself as possibly the best beer spot in Australia. First night in town I arrived alone, hooked up with some friendly locals and worked through an arrangement of great beers from some fine equipment served in a range of sizes. Thee availability of an old-fashioned Adelaide "butcher" - a 200ml glass most likely named after the habit of local butchers to drink a small glass of beer at smoko - allows a visitor to the Wheaty (as it is known) to work through a range of brews without getting silly. The Wheatsheaf has a "glasshopper," which is a device for infusing the beer with hops, spices or whatever between barrel and tap. On first visit the Bridge Saison, a dry, hoppy, French-style beer was on this tap. It went down a treat. Similarly impressive was the Doctors Orders Synapse Elixir, served with low carbonation via hand pump. While not a genuine real ale, this Saison was first rate. I also found time for a Belgian-style white beer from old mates at the Feral in WA and a few others from Lobethal, an excellent local brewery that might be the discovery of this Test. After a kebab at the Greek festival and sleep I returned the following day with touring cricket writers Mike Selvey and Lawrence "Top Spin" Booth. Selvey immediately fell in love with the beers, but the week has not treated him well. Last time we raised a glass he was 61, now he claims to be a little bit older. Such errors are made by drinking men and well done Selve for getting this far and still looking so good. Wheatsheaf owner Jade sought us out via Twitter with her friend Rose and introduced us to the pub's fantastic beer app that keeps your phone updated with the constantly changing draught beers available. Get it on your phone but beware its siren song. As Booth discussed his editorship of Wisden and hair styles with Rose, Selvey engaged with the Camden Brewery tap takeover and a range of Kiwi single-hop IPAs recommended by our host. A good night was had by all, the walk back to town was done in high spirits and our English friends have found a new local. Before you go, I need to report that the drinking was balanced by a run-off between myself and a trio of young English correspondents who like to pull on the sandshoe. Nick Hoult of the Telegraph, Ollie Holt of the Mirror and Gideon Brooks of the Express invited me for a gentle run along the River Torrens from the CBD to Henley Beach (about 13km), but the trio turned out to be a bit more competitive than they first suggested. Early in the run there was a breakaway from the peloton by Brooks and then Hoult, while Holt kept a steady beat at the back of the pack. It was an ugly final couple of kilometres up a slow rise and into a serious headwind. Some tired-looking blokes made their way into the Henley Beach Hotel at its end. A gentleman doesn't tell but it's fair to say that The Australian, like the Australians, has the edge in this series thus far.