The BeerCast’s Pub Guide – York

The Maltings Tanner’s Moat Map
Open: 11am-11pm (Mon-Sat); 12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: Official Website
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes
The BeerCast members have just returned from a highly enjoyable long Easter weekend in York, and during which time sampled many tremendous local beers in a number of interesting pubs. Following on from the guide to our home city of Edinburgh, we were keen to highlight some of the great drinking establishments in York. Firstly we have the Maltings, which used to be called the Lendal Bridge Inn until the early 1990’s. Just near the train station, it’s ideal for a first pint in the city, and with a range of great local ales and ciders, and a cosy wooden interior, is well worth a visit.

KoKo’s International Bar 31 Goodramgate Map
Open: 5pm-11pm (12am Fri); 1pm-12:30am (Sat); Closed Sun
Link: beerintheevening page
Good Beer Guide entry: No
Something different from the traditional heritage pub is Koko’s, a former off-licence converted into a bar that specialises in Belgian beers and imported lagers. In fact, the conversion seems to still be going on, judging by the women’s toilets (so I was told), and the men’s are across a chilly courtyard out the back. But that doesn’t matter as the beers are tremendous – I sampled Moorhouses Pride of Pendle from Burnley, and then Great Divide’s Titan IPA from Denver Colorado – which tells you Koko’s is one for the beer purists and the beer adventurers alike.

The Blue Bell 53 Fossgate Map
Open: 11am-11pm (Mon-Sat); 12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: beerintheevening page
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes (CAMRA National Inventory)
Oh my, where to start with the Blue Bell? Unchanged since 1903 (although there’s been a pub here since 1798), the tiny gem looks so unassuming from the plain brick frontage. Yet inside, two small saloons with a bar in between are crammed with character. Drinks are served through a small hatch into a drinking corridor – there were 15 people at most in with us and it was packed. After the smoking ban, the landlady supplied disgruntled regulars with balls of plasticine to take out their frustration, and their models adorn the front room – which sadly we couldn’t go in as there was a domino tournament on. The Blue Bell is a masterpiece, and any beer drinker visiting York owes it to themselves to track it down.

The Swan Inn 16 Bishopgate Street Map
Open: 4pm-11pm (12am Fri); 12pm-12am (Sat); 12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: beerintheevening page
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes (CAMRA National Inventory)
Another of York’s three CAMRA listed pubs (the other being the Golden Ball), the Swan is similar in layout to the Blue Bell, with a drinking corridor and divided front and rear bars (this is apparently called a West Riding layout). Out the back is a small walled beer garden. I didn’t visit the Swan – but BeerCasters Paul and Grooben had some very well tended pints of Taylor’s Landlord there, and heartily recommend it. This also explains why I have no picture of the outside, but it’s a white building with a pub sign which has one of these on it.

The Last Drop 27 Colliergate Map
Open: 11am-11pm (Mon-Thu); 11pm-12am (Fri-Sat); 12pm-11pm (Sun)
Link: beerintheevening page
Good Beer Guide entry: No
A converted solicitors office slap bang in the city centre, the Last Drop is one of the three pubs owned by the nearby York Brewery (along with the Yorkshire Terrier and the Three-Legged Mare, both of which we’ll have to visit next time). Wooden floors and basic seating give the impression of a serious real ale pub, and so it proves as it carries almost the full range of York Brewery beers, such as the excellent Decade, Centurion’s Ghost Ale, and Terrier – the last two of which will be featuring on the BeerCast in our forthcoming York podcast. The Last Drop is a classic pub that’s only about the beer, which is as it should be.

The York Brewery Toft Green, Micklegate Map
Tours: 12:30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, 5pm (£5 adults)
Link: Official Website
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes, as brewer
Not strictly a pub of course, but at the York Brewery you can hand over a fiver and get a quick guided tour of what goes on – which is handy if you created a beer website yet have a shockingly bad appreciation of what actually goes on during the process. The talk lasts about half an hour, delivered by a genial staff member, and either side you get to sample a half pint of one of their offerings – we went for Guzzler and Stonewall, and very nice they were too. The brewery bar stays open after the tour, so I guess you could turn up for the 12:30pm tour and stay there all day, or just treat it as a pub and wander in – everyone knows beer tastes best when sampled at source. Incidentally, the photo shows BeerCasters Paul, MrB and Grooben in a sudden flurry of snow outside the premises.

Suddaby’s Crown Hotel 12 Wheelgate, Malton Map
Open: 11am-11pm (Mon-Sat); 12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: Official Website
Good Beer Guide entry: Yes
We end our York pub guide with a great destination for a trip out of the city. About 15 miles NE of York is Malton, and along the main street you’ll find Suddaby’s. Also with a hotel attached (the Crown part of the name), and a bottle shop, they have been in the Good Beer Guide for 22 consecutive years and brew a range of ales (although not on site, contractors at Hambleton and Brown Cow take care of that for them). We took home their classic Auld Bob for another upcoming podcast (we certainly stocked up when we saw good stuff, which was often). Suddaby’s has been in the same family for five generations, and hosts regular beer festivals – in fact, one was happening while we visited – look out for our Suddaby’s Festival report and photos on the BeerCast very soon. It’s a great rural pub, evidenced by the fact that they rooted about in the kitchen to make our designated driver Ali a cup of hot chocolate despite it not being on the menu (I don’t think they even have a menu), and then refusing to take any payment for it.