Free Beer

I started a new year of ticking with a bus under the Mersey all the way to West Kirby, where I began at the Ridger:

The sign said Cask Ales and, sure enough, there were three handpumps at the end of the bar, offering Landlord, Rocking Rudolph, and Doom Bar.  Unfortunately, the first produced a little froth and no beer, the Doom Bar was cleaning fluid, and the Christmas one was very vinegary.  The apologetic barman pulled through lots of cleaning fluid and consulted the landlady, but to no avail, so I had a lager instead.  He continued to apologise, and to my surprise refused to accept any money, "because of the inconvenience".

So, not a good start to the year for real ale (Although "no real is better than a bad real"), but an excellent start from the free beer point of view!

I settled in a quiet corner to enjoy my beer - nothing tastes as sweet as free ale - and surveyed my surroundings.  The place is very well done out and carefully maintained.  I thought it looked a little down from the outside, but certainly not inside.

The majority of the customers were dining - The menu looks good value.

On to the Viking:

In the three or more renamings since I drank in the Black Horse in 2004 this place has been totally transformed from the youth oriented purple woodwork I recorded then.  Now, the modern decor in the enormous open room surrounding a three-sided servery features bare wood and bare brick walls and more bare woodwork for the ceiling.  Here's a picture from 2004:

At the entrance I ignored the staff poised to seat me and headed straight for the handpumps (5) where I quickly selected a pint of Triple Blond from Peerless.  It was spot on, but unfortunately I had to pay this time!  I slipped up here, I really should have tried the unpasteurised Budweiser which arrives in a tank from Ceske Budejovice.

Pretty much everyone else was dining and they were doing a good trade with waitresses buzzing around bringing food and clearing tables.  The soundtrack here was gentle muzak overlaid with happy chatter from the many diners.

The menu looks good but it's a lot more expensive than the Ridger.

Next, the Ring O Bells, named after the Beatles' drummer, of course  (Not really!):

Having spent some time since I last visited in 2004 as a Loch Fyne restaurant, it is now back as a pub with Greene King's Time Well Spent branding.  The name seems to have lost its apostrophe somewhere along the way.

Back in 2003 this was something of a pioneer, being the first Merseyside pub I knew of to become no smoking throughout.

An "ordinary" selection of real ales here, I had Greene King IPA, the other choices were Abbot and Rocking Rudolph.

In 2019 it's a very pleasant open room, divided up because it's built on a hill so there are four different levels.  Pretty quiet as you might expect at three on a Thursday, but gently ticking over.  I couldn't see anyone eating.

Not far to Hickory's:

In 2004 the Moby Dick was a pub/restaurant doing a good pint of Director's.  Hickory's, on the other hand, is definitely a restaurant, but they still welcome drinkers, with a row of seats at the counter.

Contrary as always, I took my rather tasty Hickory's Pale Ale - keg because the only handpump had its clip turned round - to a diners' table.  Almost immediately a waiter arrived to take my order.  He didn't complain when I said I was just having a drink, but he didn't bother to clear away the used glasses and coffee cups from the previous occupants.  I was amused to see one of their drinks was a purple colour, served in a screwtop jam jar with a straw.

The sound in here was mainly the clatter of plates and crockery, and cheerful chatter.

At last I headed for the centre of West Kirby, passing the former Hilbre Court, now an Italian:

... and reaching the Homebrew Tap:

Having photographed the off licence next door (oops), I entered the bar part to be presented with umpteen taps.  The only one I recognised was Tiny Rebel's Stay Puft, so I had one of that.

Only a handful of customers were in, and many of those seemed to be on coffee.  I headed to the back room to enjoy my delicious "marshmallow porter", I'd love to try this on cask.  Hang on, I think I have, at a beer festival?

The sounds of gentle chatter mixed with music, the whole place has a comfortable ambience.  I think the term micro-pub would be wrong here as it's quite large, especially if you include the "bottle shop" next door.  They could do with turning up the heating though, I didn't remove my coat.


Pub of the day: I think the Ring O Bells - Comfortable, friendly, and ticking over nicely.
Miles walked: 2.5 miles.
Maybe coming soon: Thatto Heath