November already! I headed into Liverpool for a few overdue ticks. Firstly, up Mount Pleasant past Paddy's Wigwam and into the Font:
Despite my being two generations too old, I quite like this place. Modern decor, mixed seating including some sofas, decent music including songs I recognise and at a non deafening level even though I was sitting under a speaker.
A good selection of "common" kegs includes my usual Carling but I chose Tiny Rebel's Clwb Tropicana, delicious. There was no sign of the real ale I enjoyed, er, wow, was it really eleven years ago?
There were about a dozen customers spread out in the large space at one on a Friday, but more than half of them departed while I drank.
My mind wandered back to when I was the age of this place's target audience. In those days the favourite haunt of my friends and I was the Bulls Head by Piccadilly station, which in the 1980s was very much a traditional boozer, offering a fine pint of Burtonwood Bitter. So I was a Pubman (TM) even then! Goodness knows what the regulars in the bar side thought of all those noisy students in the lounge. The inside has changed out of all recognition now, but they still did a decent pint when I was there in March this year.
On to Hope Street next, and the Pen Factory:
More of a food destination, this, but they have always offered real ale and I learned recently that it is now run by the same people as the Bridewell and the Denbigh Castle, so we should get a great selection of ales. Indeed we do, and I had Three Swords from Kirkstall brewery. There were six handpumps so plenty of options. Three Swords has a bit of a burnt tang reminiscent of Spitfire, perhaps?
The large open room was quite busy although there was still a choice of empty tables for me. No music at all, just conversations and the occasional clink of cutlery. The decor is unchanged since my last visit back in 2015, bare and painted brickwork, naked ducts, and so on. Very pleasant.
I could see plenty of food coming out of the kitchen but there were also a few drinkers.
Once again, not really a Pubman's destination, but again I like the place.
I examined the menu. A number of tempting options but nineteen quid for fish and chips is a bit steep, I think. I'll pencil this place in for the next time I want to impress a woman on a first date - I should be so lucky!
Next target, just a little further down Hope Street is the Casa Bar:
This popular one roomed boozer is only open on limited days of the week. (When I was planning this survey for yesterday, it would have been closed, I think.) It is for ever associated with various workers rights campaigns. At three on a Friday the custom was mainly blokes as old or older than I enjoying get togethers.
From a good selection of keg beers I selected Guinness and was somewhat surprised to be offered normal or cold, you don't often see that nowadays. I chose normal of course. And it was very good.
The group of lads sitting near me were discussing a future pub crawl starting in the Lime Kiln. The details seemed very complex and a lot of discussion, and beer, was necessary as they sorted out the arrangements. Moments later the topic was football.
A bit famous, this place, but to me it is pleasant enough but nothing special. Certainly worthy of a tick, anyway.
My next target was the Hope and Anchor:
Another student-oriented place, an enormous chilly room mostly empty.
I selected a favourite beer at home, I don't think I've ever noticed Magic Rock's High Wire Grapefruit on draft before. It came in a Punk IPA glass, tut tut, but tasted delicious.
The small and large screens are showing cricket, the West Indies won as I was typing this. I wouldn't have thought this was the most interesting sport for today's youngsters, but who am I to judge their proclivities?
The enormous space here was mostly empty at half three, presumably they will be busier later. Every time the door opened I was hit with an icy blast, this place definitely needs some more heat. On the other hand, jam packed at ten tonight it's probably roasting.
Continuing today's theme, again this isn't a Pubman's destination but I quite like it, apart from the cold that is.
As I enjoyed my tasty pint the room got busier, still sparsely populated but a lot fuller than when I came in. Apparently, Friday night starts about now!
One more, I think, how about the Flute:
The large open room here was sparsely populated with groups and couples.
I eyed the handpumps with some suspicion but decided to gamble on a pint of Wainwright Gold. I won the bet, it was spot on, I shouldn't have doubted. And it came in a Wainwright glass.
In common with most of today's calls, I was two generations older than the rest of the customers, and yet I like the place. Probably the closest to a pub of all today's ticks. There was a regular flow of custom at the counter and the room slowly filled as I enjoyed my real ale.
The sound track in here was gentle background music mostly beaten by cheerful chatter.
I recall grumbling about finding the toilets on a previous visit here, I noticed there's now a big sign pointing to the gents, so no problem this time.
I had a quick look at the menu; fish and chips is seven quid, that's twelve pounds less than the Pen Factory. I still think that if I were trying to impress someone the Pen Factory would win.
What about the real ale? This is definitely not a cask destination, but they still managed to serve a spot on pint. Why don't more places do this?? If I knew the answer I'd be running a pub the country by now.
That's five enjoyable ticks, time for home...
But wait! On a number of occasions I have wanted to try Bock, but it has always been shut.
What I found here was an unexpectedly small room comfortably decorated with a counter offering a selection of keg beers including Guinness and Old Speckled Hen, and favourite Erdinger which I chose.
I had imagined that a place like this, on a busy drinkers road open only at peak drinking hours would be an enormous beer hall catering for the evening crowd. But no, it's a small place offering quality keg beers in a comfortable interior.
One of the other customers ordered two Erdingers and then took a picture of them on the counter before returning to his table. Perhaps someone else is blogging?
It's definitely time for home...
Beer of the day: Three Swords
Miles walked: 1.7
Maybe coming soon: Kirkdale, Birkenhead
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