The BeerCast

Landlord Steve (with arm in cast) outside the City Arms

Manchester has no shortage of decent places in which to get a few pints – the Marble Arch is becoming renowned far and wide for its microbrewery, and the Port Street Beer House has a selection that guarantees pretty much anybody will find something to drink. But if you head southwest of these two new institutions, through the small Chinatown and past the art gallery, there’s a classic, two-roomed public house called the City Arms.

Shoehorned in between two other pubs, it looks almost like the smallest brother being forced to line up for a photo. Are there any other places where three sit side-by-side on a quiet city backstreet? The Vine Inn and a large Wetherspoons don’t seem to take away any of the punters – on my visit people were queuing outside on a weekday ready for the noon opening* – and after the bolts were drawn back it got busy fairly quickly.

In part, this is due to the size. The City Arms has two rooms – the rear lounge is sunk down a couple of steps – and both are fairly snug in size. It’s clearly popular with the local office workers – another reason why it gets busy. The beer range is good too, although the pub is tied to Punch, landlord Steve Crook manages to mix and match to get a range of things on the eight handpulls.

Steve’s extremely amiable, and knows my old man well (as he drinks his bodyweight in bitter there every month or so). The three of us had a long chat about various Scottish beers he’s had on, and how they fared with the regulars. During our visit – which coincided with the SIBA Great Northern Beer Festival – Steve was taking an unforced break (if you’ll pardon the pun) from licensee duties, after trapping an arm between two casks in the cellar.

I liked the City Arms immediately – it’s extremely welcoming, the beer is good (I went for a couple of lunchtime-friendly 3.6% pints of Red Squirrel Red Tail) – and most importantly, it feels relaxed. With glass office buildings opposite, not to mention the two hulking neighbours, it would be easy to be crowded out – or worse, overlooked – but the City Arms is a great pub that does everything well, and makes you feel the better for it.

*Ok, admittedly I was at the front of the queue

The City Arms
48 Kennedy Street, Manchester M2 4BQ
Tel: 0161 236 4610

“Hang on…that can’t be it, can it?”

For the final London highlight this week, we follow on the heels of Tuesday’s post and explore another of the capital’s hot new hangouts – the Euston Tap. Located in an old doric arch near the main entrance of Euston station, it’s extremely easy to miss – as you can see from the photo. But inside this Tardis of beer, the cool, quiet interior reveals a fantastic surprise. Eight cask ales and nineteen keg beers, with a huge bottled selection – the choice at the Tap is wonderful.

It must get incredibly busy, being so small, but when I was there everything was very relaxed. It almost felt like a station waiting room, with the silent introspection of the few customers, sitting on leather chairs around the outside of the central bar. Green tiles are everywhere, as are wallcharts about beer, tasting wheels, and old blueprints of the arch. A spiral staircase in the corner heads up to the top room – and there’s also plenty of seating outside.

The Tap feels like a station bar should – a place to grab something hurriedly, or one to relax for a while between connections. Making a beer selection if you were in a hurry could be tricky, however – particularly as when I was there a few of the taps were off, or out of service. Not that it matters, just scanning the fridges would take you half an hour or so – which is how I ended up with the Kernel’s Super Alpha Pacific Jade – a magnificent, sticky, orange IPA. In fact, so orangey it became, it reminded me somewhat of drinking Fanta.

Next up I went for a brown ale – a style I really love, whether it be the sweet hoppy American versions, or the malty, leathery British style. Anchor’s Breckles Brown is firmly in the first of these camps – the malt is there, but so is a glassful of brown sugar and raisins. I was lucky to get some, as it dribbled out of the font like the cocked leg of elderly dog, and was clearly about to go the way of most of the other MIA beers. I’m glad I got to try it, the malts really came through as it warmed.

So two great beers over a quick half-hour visit to the Tap, before wandering off to get my train. Great station bars are making a revival (indeed in Yorkshire and East Lancashire they never went away), with the opening of similar ‘Taps’ in Sheffield, Cambridge and York. There’s no need to resort to a can of John Smith’s Smoothflow with a platform-side selection as remarkable as found in those places. We may even be near the time when drinkers visit the station, but don’t actually go anywhere…

The Euston Tap is found at the west side of Euston Square Gardens, just outside the station – or a five minute walk from King’s Cross for east-coasters such as the BeerCast. Visit their website for details, or you can follow their twitter feed for daily information as to what’s on. That’s it for London week on the BeerCast – until our next visit…

Stand by next week for an important announcement, as the BeerCast take the moral highground for the month of October…

Our previous post talked about the continuing rise of London as a top European drinking destination, but we really need to justify that with a few examples. So, each day this week, we’ll be featuring a new or outstanding (or both) location in the city. Somewhere that fits both of these categories is the Craft Beer Co – it opened in June, and very quickly became an integral part of the London beer scene. The reason why becomes immediately obvious when you walk through the door, as you are greeted by an astonishing array of choice.

Fifteen cask ales. Twenty-one keg beers. Dozens of bottles. Sour beers. House lager brewed for them by Mikkeller. It’s simply staggering. I was there for an hour or so, and the most overheard phrase by a mile was “Err…” as punter after punter were dashed against a wall of fonts, stretching for half a mile along the bar. Beer bloggers tend to rack up the pub hours, and can spot the new and unusual from a casual glance through a window – but I was totally bamboozled – and from just the cask offerings, the keg beers glittered at the other end of the bar, out of reach.

Thankfully, the staff at Craft know their stuff, and are ably marshalled by landlord Martin Hayes (who I spotted proudly adjusting the pump clips so they were all exactly aligned). Given that the majority of BeerCasters don’t get to the other capital all that often, I went for something local – Redemption Trinity, a citrusy 3% golden ale that had a appealing rising dryness. Whilst savouring this, I watched plenty of samples being given out to help people – there were almost as many tasters given out as pints, which is great to see.

When the goal is to get people drinking good beer, and to try things they wouldn’t normally – letting them know what they might be in for is vital. Once in a pub in Edinburgh (which I won’t name), when I asked the proprietor what a new beer was like, she replied tersely “It’s from Orkney”, and that was it. Thankfully times have changed – although maybe not in that establishment. My next beer at Craft was another from Redemption – Fellowship Porter (5.0%), which was lovely. A classic, roasty London porter.

By this point it was time to ignore the warning throbs of the CAMRA membership card in my wallet and head to the colder, shinier end of the bar. Every other keg font bristled with the Mikkeller logo, an army of bearded Danish faces. As I’d started a fantastic pork and black pudding pie, I wanted something sweet and roasty – so I plumped (after samples served by Martin) for Intern Ale #1 Nucifera Porter, from Grassroots Brewing in Fanø, Denmark. Roasty and sweet it was, and in spades. Also a tremendous coconut aftertaste.

Unfortunately I then had to leave, as I was due at another of London’s outstanding pubs – and one which is very different indeed. Check back for that tomorrow, in the meantime the Craft Beer Co is on 82 Leather Lane, Clerkenwell, EC1N 7TR, and if you’re in London, is simply a must-visit.

Craft Beer Co website

Look up ‘pub’ in the dictionary – this is what you should see

Thanks to the wonders of East Coast wi-fi, beer bloggers no longer have to wait until they get home to file copy on their ale adventures*. Having just spent two days wandering around London, enjoying the variety of pubs and visiting with new brewers – there really wasn’t any need to wait before coming up with a post on drinking in the other capital. Over the next few days we’ll be posting detailed reviews on some of the places I wandered into – but the overall theme is one of wonderment at the beery options down there. It really seems as if London is the place to be at the moment.

Not that London hasn’t always had great watering holes, of course. Having family and BeerCasters based there means we’ve been down on plenty of occasions over the years, enjoying the pubs and bars. It just seems that recently the sheer variety of what’s on offer has multiplied to a level that puts London firmly into the top bracket of beer destinations in Europe (along with…Copenhagen? Rome? Burton-on-Trent?). Edinburgh’s no slouch either, but when you can visit the Craft Beer Co, Royal Oak (pictured), Market Porter, The Rake, King William IV and the Euston Tap in 48hrs, how can you top that?

Take the Royal Oak. Tabard Street is a fairly anonymous street in Borough, running in a south-easterly direction from the traffic-choked church of St George the Martyr. Yet a hundred yards down the road sits one of the most perfect pubs I’ve ever set foot in. Just look at the photo – could it look any more inviting? Even if you don’t fancy a beer, just try walking past without poking your nose through the door, to see what’s behind those lace curtains. The interior is fantastic – an ornate bar, everything wood, Harveys Brewery memorabilia on the walls. It feels utterly comfortable from the first step inside.

Over the next few days I’ll be writing about younger, upstart places that are breathing new life into the city – but pubs like the Royal Oak are what make London great. A few well-kept real ales on, friendly beardy landlord with his quiet tankard on the go, no noise of any kind other than gentle conversation and the creak of chairs. You can practically hear the sunlight filtering through the windows. We’re all for chaining Imperial Stouts in noisy keg bars here on the BeerCast – but the Royal Oak is an oasis, and is as perfect a pub as you’d hope to find.

* Using the phrase ‘file copy’ makes us sound more professional than ‘hit publish’

London’s Borough Market has long been a popular attraction for food-loving locals and tourists alike, with plenty of stalls offering choice items from around the world. It can also be a worthy destination for the beer lover, with three fantastic – and very different – drinking experiences within thirty seconds of each other. Inside the market itself is another – Utobeer (pictured above), a beer stall with an outstanding selection of bottled beers – including a regular selection of rare US craft brews. For example, I picked up a bottle of Stone’s fantastic Supremely Self-Righteous Ale (8.7%) – not cheap at £8.20 for 22oz, but absolutely worth it.

Anyway, to begin this mini pub crawl, stand where this photo was taken from – and instead of looking into Utobeer, turn right and the Market Porter will be right in front of you.

Market Porter 9 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA
Open: 6am-8:30am, 11am-11pm (Mon-Fri); 12pm-11pm (Sat);
12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: Official Website

The first thing that strikes you about the Market Porter is that it looks like a proper pub. Green wooden frontage, colourful hanging baskets, a crowd of drinkers spilled out onto the pavement. There must have been about fifty people outside, getting a quick lunchtime drink in the sun. Inside, every conceivable space on the wall and ceiling is adorned with old pump clips, and the bar serves around ten cask ales. They always have at least one beer on from Harvey’s (when I was there it was their 4.0% flagship Sussex Best). The pub is named after the workers from the wholesale market (which opens from 2am to 8am every weekday), and to cater for the end of their shifts it opens in the early morning – 6am to 9am (last orders at 8:30am).

Beer choice – when I was there I wanted something summery and that I had never heard of before, ending up with a Summer Sizzler (4.2%) from the Coach House Brewery in Warrington, Cheshire. It had a dark gold colour with a thin head, but unfortunately for me was too thick and sweet, with an aftertaste of honey that rode over the session strength to make it pretty unappealing.

The Brew Wharf 14-16 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD
Open: 11:30am-11pm (Mon-Sat)
Link: Official Website

A short stroll along Stoney Street brings you to the entrance of Brew Wharf, with the iron sign spanning the entrance, set back from the street. As the name suggests, it’s a functioning micro-brewery – but one with an emphasis on food rather than just beer. As a result, it’s probably not for the cask lovers – but they have an incredible range of beers from all over the world. When I was there, on tap were such delights as Straffe Hendrik’s Brugse zot Blonde (6.0%), Meantime Pale Ale (4.7%), and De Koninck (5.0%). The range of bottles was even better, with Mikkeller GIPA (6.6%), Kernel IPA C.S.C (7.1%), Founders Centennial IPA (7.2%), and Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale (6.4%). Admittedly, Brew Wharf isn’t cheap – the latter will set you back £7.50, and a pint of Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted is £4.50 – but there’s a great choice of beer there, and they brew their own after all.

Beer choice – as tempting as those beers above were, I had to go for something produced on site. The day before I’d visited the Kernel Brewery (stay tuned for a Kernel BeerCast special as a future podcast), and Evin had recommended Brew Wharf’s Military Intelligence Black IPA (6.8%). I’m glad he did, it was outstanding – an aroma of sweet malt with a trace of hops, totally black pour with a thin coating of bubbles on top. The taste was some hop and then all roasty malt – it doesn’t taste 6.8% at all, until halfway down when the punch hits. Very drinkable stuff – I had no idea the name was a pun (even though Evin hinted at it) – military intelligence, otherwise known as Black Ops. Black hops. It’s easy when you know…

The Rake 14a Winchester Walk, London SE1 9AG
Open: 12pm-11pm (Tue-Fri), 9am-11pm (Sat), 12pm-10:30pm (Sun)
Link: Utobeer (who own The Rake)

If you leave Brew Wharf and turn left, a few seconds meander will put you at the junction of Winchester Walk (where Brew Wharf morphs into Vinopolis). A small blueish building on the right is one of the smallest pubs in London – the Rake. This tiny room (I judged it to be about 15ft x 10ft) has a small bar at the back, with a couple of large fridges, and a patio outside underneath a jumbrella – which pretty much doubles the size of the establishment. The staff are really friendly, and the right-hand wall is emblazoned with signatures of the many brewers who have stopped by over the years. Being owned by the same people as Utobeer certainly means a fair number of beers (around 120) find their way into the fridges, with a decent selection on tap as well. I can imagine the Rake would get incredibly busy (i.e. if there were more than ten people there), but a trip to Borough Market isn’t complete without trying to squeeze in.

Beer choice – I’d been to Utobeer earlier and had bought a bottle of the BrewDog/Mikkeller collaboration I Hardcore You (9.5%), being the first time I’d seen it on sale. As it happened, the second time was when I entered the Rake and found it on tap – so had to order one (I’ve kept the bottle for a rainy day). A blend of Brewdog’s Hardcore IPA and Mikkeller’s I Beat You, and at £2.60 for a half – it was too much to pass up. Outside under the jumbrella, thick, dark amber with no head to speak of. There’s a massive hop aroma, and a dark, sweet hop flavour with a resinous bitterness. Rich, punchy mouthfeel and that US craft-esque long piney aftertaste, I Hardcore You is outstanding. It reminded me a little of Stone’s Ruination IPA – and you can see how highly we think of that from our BeerCast rankings. A great way to finish London’s shortest pub crawl.