Spent some time in what appears to me to be the beer capital of the north west if not the country at the end of last week, Liverpool. Clutching my trusty CAMRA Real Ale Pubs Map I set off over a few, I have to say increasingly hazy, days to do a little ale survey of my own. I covered 10 pubs – out of 100+ on the map 🙁 – and spotted no less than 63 different real ales. Couldn’t try them all but I had a damn good crack! And so in order of visitation:
Dispensary (ex-CAMRA Liverpool and districts pub of the year 2011): Titanic Nine Tenths Below; Titanic Plum Porter(ya-a-um); Cains Bitter; Allgates Celtic IPA; Hawkshead Lakeland Gold; Salopian Shropshire Gold; George Wright Marks Mild. Chatted to a lassie who contributes to Mersey Ale and her red head mate 🙂
Grapes (no the one on Roscoe Street): Liverpool Organic William Roscoe; Liverpool Organic 24 Carat Gold; Higsons Stout; Deuchars IPA; Tatton Brewery Ale; Tatton Brewery Blonde; Tatton Brewery Gold. Bar staff apolgoised for only having 7 ales on instead of the 9!
Philharmonic: Vicious American Wheat IPA; Sharps Doom Bar(!); Hooky Bitter; St Austell Proper Job; Jennings Cumberland Ale; London Pride; Caledonian Dutchman. Lovely grade II listed building plus the girlies visited the grade I listed gents!
Ship & Mitre (nuff’ said): Kingstone Tewdricks Tipple; Humpty Dumpty Little Sharpie; Rudgate Canutes Conquest; Titanic Iceberg; Salamander Nas Nas; Ossett By George; Bridestone Chestnut Bitter; Wold Top Bunny’s Revenge; Milestone Hog Penny Bitter; Mallinsons Emaily Moor Mild; Titanic Last Porter Call; Ossett Treacle Stout. As i said, nuff’ said, place is a permanent beer fest!
Baltic Fleet (Wapping Brewery Tap): Wapping Stout; Wapping Bitter; Titanic Lifeboat; Liverpool Organic Empire Ale. Another piece of pie my lord?
Lion Tavern (least interesting selection award): JW Lees Bitter; George Wright Lion Returns; Robinsons Dissy Blonde; Sharps Doom Bar (again, that’s 62); Deuchars IPA(61); Reverend James; Youngs Bitter; Wharfe Bank Celtic Glory Stout. On reflection not too bad a choice but some one has to come last.
Bridewell (old Prison, have you pint in a real cell): Liverpool Organic Shipwrecked IPA (very sweet NOT hoppy); Peerless Dark Arts; JW Lees Marco Pierre White The Governor
Augustus John “The AJ” on UNI campus: Six Bells Blob-On; Elgoods Mustang; Wharfe Bank Slingers. A must visit to see that ale drinking is alive an kicking and being enjoyed by the next generation.
Roscoe Head (small but perfectly formed, now in EVERY edition of the GBG): Tetly Bitter; Jennings Lakeland Ale; Old Bear Goldilocks; George Wright Mocne Piwo; Salopian Lemon Dream; Itchen Valley Pure Gold. Has nicked mantle from the “Dizzy” for CAMRA Liverpool Pub of the year.
Ye Cracke (John Lennons local): Hornbeam Dark and Devine; Phoenix Brewery Hop Sack; Hart of Preston Ice Maiden; George Wright Longboat; Martons Pedigree. PLUS who can forget The Beatles No. 1 fan, including jet black 60’s mop top and frantically feeding the juke box for Beatles tracks.
There we are, a ton of breweries; 61 ales (now) and 10 pubs. Roll on the next 90!