Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Good Beer Guide

  • Glasgow – Pot Still

    Glasgow – Pot Still

    I’ll mention now that the photos in this post really aren’t ideal, the lighting conditions made for some slightly blurry images, but they’ll have to do. This is a Good Beer Guide listed pub which specialises in malt whisky and real ale, with a reputation from some people I spoke to for being the best pub in Glasgow.

    That back bar is far more exciting and interesting than this photo suggests, but the service here was on point throughout. Actually, I’d go further and say that it bordered on exceptional, with a real connection between the staff members and customers. The pub was full when I arrived so I asked if it was OK to sit at the bar, something which isn’t allowed at some places at the moment, which they were happy with.

    One customer came over to the barman and asked for the best whisky of the several hundred that they had. The barman gave what I consider to be the correct answer, and one which I heard given at the English Whisky Company in Norfolk, which is that the best one is the one that an individual likes the best. Everyone will give different answers. The customer asked the barman what was his favourite and he replied that he wasn’t going to give an answer, as he wanted to help the customer get the best whisky for them, not the best for the barman. The customer persisted, asking which whisky had won the most awards, with the barman replying that nearly every whisky now has won some sort of award. The barman did keep trying to ask what kind of whisky the customer wanted, but I’m not sure that they knew themselves. He ended up with a Glenfiddich.

    I’m with the barman on this. If someone asked me what the best beer was I’d be conscious that my answer is unlikely to be the ideal choice for anyone else. Although the answer here is the 8th Anniversary Pecan Cookie Stout from Westbrook Brewing Co, for which I’m already planning a trip to South Carolina, but that’s not entirely relevant here.

    The pub has become something of a destination for locals and visitors to Glasgow, as is evident from the fact that they do t-shirts and postcards.

    There’s a strong focus on whisky, but the bar doesn’t neglect beer with number real ales, craft beers and all manner of other quirky drinks. I opted for half a pint of the Born Blonde from Born in the Borders brewery and Goldihops from Kelburn Brewing Company, both well-kept.

    The pub has numerous pies, which looked rather lovely and if they had the chicken & leek one I’d have been sold on that, but they were offering haggis and similar options. I’m sure they’re rather delicious, but I decided it was a bit decadent for me in terms of the taste, although the prices were reasonable. Beer prices were also reasonable, there’s no attempt to take advantage of customers here. I messaged my friend Richard about this pub and I’m fairly sure that he would definitely have liked this place (I make no comment about Bells) and I can imagine that he would have had a decadent pie, a decadent whisky and then another decadent whisky.

    There are nearly no negative reviews for me to pull out, but I liked the owner’s robust response to someone who complained that the pub was busy.

    “We’re disappointed you didn’t enjoy your visit with us. However if, as your other reviews suggest, you enjoy quiet, relaxed and tranquil places, then perhaps a Glasgow city centre pub, any of them, on pay weekend isn’t an ideal fit. We’ve thought about issuing slippers to patrons at the front door to keep the noise down but it didn’t get much support from the regulars. Likewise plastic cups instead of our normal glassware to dampen the clinking.”

    Nicely done I think. But, the response to “5 stars if you are a whisky drinker but 1 star if drinking decent vodka and coke. Surly staff” is perhaps one of the best and most robust replies that I’ve seen and I love the “hello again” at the start from the landlord.

    “Hello again. After seeing your Yelp review I thought you might, as you did on the night, try and moan to anyone who’d listen. And so I find you here. I can’t help that you can’t believe me. Nothing I could have then, or could now, would convince you otherwise.

    You think I’ve swapped the “decent” Smirnoff ordered for another vodka on a busy Saturday night. I barely have time for a break on a Saturday night, let alone waste time giving you anything other than what you ordered.You think I was surly. If your business was being trashtalked by someone to anyone in earshot but you, you might be a touch peeved as well. Again, because you would rather run your mouth off to anyone at the bar you could arrest the attention of, rather than deal with the perceived problem with me directly, you were getting no more to drink in the pub in any eventuality.

    You are annoyed that you were not immediately furnished with a new drink for free. If we haven’t made a mistake, we’re not giving out free drinks. We’re not apologising for imagined wrongs. I’ve made an arse of things many times, apologised to numerous people. I probably will again in the future. That’s just the way things go sometimes.”

    As a pub, this was a delight and I’m grateful that the Good Beer Guide listed it. All very lovely and some really knowledgeable and on the ball staff. Definitely a proper pub.

  • Glasgow – The Raven

    Glasgow – The Raven

    I’m slightly surprised that this pub is in the Good Beer Guide because there’s a strong emphasis on craft beer, but I’m glad that it has been listed. It was busy on a Friday evening, but I liked the engagement from the staff member at the door. When we were at the bar, he came over and pointed us towards where a table had just become available.

    There was an excellent choice of beers available, covering most styles, with a couple of real ales as well.

    I went for half of the Juice Springsteen from Alphabet Brewing and Mango Unchained from ShinDigger. Although the barman pointed out carefully which was which, I got muddled up and had to work it back out again when at the table. Fortunately, the Mango Unchained was packed with mango flavour which helped the identification.

    The music was a little loud, but not entirely overpowering, but everything felt safe and well managed. There’s food served throughout the day and the menu looked interesting. They’ve also got some electronic darts set-up which isn’t something that I’ve seen in a pub before, a bit of creativity there…. I can imagine that this would be a good place for groups, although it’s a bit far to come up for Norfolk en masse for. Definitely deserves to be in the Good Beer Guide as far as I’m concerned.

  • Glasgow – Laurieston Bar

    Glasgow – Laurieston Bar

    As my friend Jonathan was in Glasgow after faffing about doing something, he agreed to come with me on my evening’s Good Beer Guide pub visiting. This is an interesting pub just south of the River Clyde, which is also on the CAMRA’s historic interior list (the pub, not the river), primarily it seems as they haven’t really updated the interior since the 1960s. But, why change a winning concept?

    The bar design is old fashioned, but everything was clean, albeit dated. There are lots of modern and contemporary bars and pubs in the city though, it’s nice sometimes to go to somewhere a little different. There are no credit or debit cards accepted though and just cash, which is the first pub I’ve encountered in some months with such a policy.

    There’s a lounge bar and saloon bar, both with their own bars, another little slice of history.

    An old hot pies bit of apparatus on the counter, which is apparently still used today.

    My half pint of Hurricane Jack from Fyne Ales, which was well-kept but lacking in any real depth of flavour. The Quavers were delicious though and I was impressed at their selection of crisps.

    The pub might be traditional in its look, but the staff were friendly and the environment was comfortable enough. It was a busy bar of mainly locals it seemed, but the pub owners pride themselves on being welcoming to all. The toilets need modernising, it’s probably pushing it too much to try and keep those in a traditional state of repair. There’s a slight irony here that a traditional pub for locals is potentially going to end up becoming on-trend by mistake by offering an authentic experience.

    As for whether this should be in the Good Beer Guide, that’s more challenging, as the real ale choice was limited to one and the pub likes to source from Fyne Ales. For the experience, the welcome and the environment, I’m glad it is listed in the book though, as otherwise I might not have meandered over the river to get here (albeit on the subway).

  • Glasgow – Scotia Bar

    Glasgow – Scotia Bar

    The Scotia pub in Glasgow is listed in the Good Beer Guide and it also couldn’t really be much nearer to the hotel I’m staying in. As with many cities, there’s competition and debate as to which is the oldest pub, with the Scotia claiming that they are the earliest having opened in 1792. It has gone through numerous incarnations, some periods when it had a bit of a reputation and some when it has become more peaceful and a haven for authors.

    The service was friendly and I must admit to having expected a slightly more generic interior, but there’s a real feel of character inside.

    It wasn’t overly busy when I was there, although the barman said that the folk band were arriving soon and that it would become more lively.

    There are old photos, maps and illustrations on the wall. This pub has also seen its fair share of performers, not least Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty. The pub also advertises that they’ve had a horse in there drinking a bucket of Guinness and The Scotsman newspaper notes a local saying about that incident:

    “We’ve had a horse in here, drinking. It was a wedding reception. They brought the horse in, the horse got drunk, whereupon it went out and collapsed in the road. The council had to get a crane to lift it.”

    I was just little disappointed that the beer selection was slightly generic, for some reason I thought Belhaven would have something slightly more interesting. Then I realised I had forgotten something, which is that Belhaven is owned by Greene King. I make no further comment on that…. I opted for the 80 Shilling Ale from Belhaven Brewery which was OK, but that’s about as far as I’d go, although it was at least well-kept.

    Anyway, this is a proper pub with some real heritage, so visiting is recommended as the service is friendly and the environment is clean, albeit slightly dingy. Glasgow has been a bit lax at times in maintaining its historic buildings, so there aren’t as many old pubs as there perhaps should be, so that makes this one even more special. A couple more innovative guest ales would be nice, but there’s a unique feel to this pub and I did like it. I can clearly see why this beer is in the Good Beer Guide, although I feel that’s more down to the atmosphere and heritage rather than down to the real ale.

  • Glasgow – Society Room

    Glasgow – Society Room

    The Good Beer Guide is always a reliable source of pubs for me and I’m slowly working my way through as many venues that are listed in it that I reasonably can. For the first time, I’m a little unsure about where it’s recommending me in Glasgow, the choices are sometimes a little generic whilst some really decent places are missed out. I do understand the process for how pubs get listed, which is to do with the local CAMRA group, but the balance seems a bit off here with a focus towards the chains. Anyway, this is another JD Wetherspoon listed pub that is in the book, so I popped in for a quick half.

    As for the pub name, I might as well just quite JD Wetherspoon, who note:

    “West George Street was once home to every bank and insurance company of note. Among them was the Star Life Assurance Society, which was housed in the building on the site of this Wetherspoon pub. Established in 1824, the Alliance Assurance Company was at 151 West George Street from c1880–c1970. In its early days, the Alliance was managed by Stewart Lawrie. He was also ‘local secretary’ of the Westminster Fire Office, another company at this address.”

    This is one of the Lloyds branded pubs which JD Wetherspoon have, so there can be music and other general noise on weekend evenings. During my visit, it was all quite peaceful and quiet. Incidentally, the toilets are really badly signed here, I can’t recall seeing as many customers looking for them as in this pub (they’re downstairs, the entrance to the steps is to the left when entering….)

    This was a little bit of a surprise, the Fraoch Heather Ale from Williams Brothers Brewing Company, who seem to have a deal with the Wetherspoons round here as I’ve seen and tried a few of their beers recently. It was actually something quite innovative and this is apparently a 4,000 year old Scottish style of drink. I can’t say that a heather beer is something that I’ve had before, but it’s quite herby and I liked the strength of the flavours. For a beer that cost £1 for half a pint, this really is quite impressive.

    For a Wetherspoons, this is quite a well reviewed pub, so the local management must be pretty decent. Anyway, this was another perfectly good pub and I can see why it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide given the range of well-kept real ales. As for the pub, it could have been a little cleaner, but the staff were friendly and helpful so it seemed a welcoming enough environment.

  • Leeds – Vocation at Assembly Underground

    Leeds – Vocation at Assembly Underground

    This was the final visit on my little tour yesterday of some Good Beer Guide pubs in Leeds. It’s a quirky location and I’m not sure that I would have found out about it without CAMRA’s recommendation as it’s located in a cellar where the first visible venues inside are food outlets. It’s actually like a little food court, with Vocation providing the bar section of the whole arrangement.

    As an aside, there’s some heritage to the building that the bar is located in.

    This isn’t the sharpest of photos unfortunately, but this is the main seating area and the food venues can be seen to one side. There are other seating areas available, including within Vocation itself.

    This is Vocation’s bar area at the rear of the basement.

    Grrrr, this photo isn’t as clear as I wanted either, but the beers are listed on screens above the bar. I asked the member of bar staff about what dark beers they had, with four options being suggested, which is an excellent choice and it’s rare that I’m offered that many to pick from. Indeed, they try and have fifty different beers on, so I can see why they’re in the Good Beer Guide with that effort.

    I went for a third of a pint of the rather decadent Ecstasy of Gold from Turning Point Brew Co. I’d had their Mile Zero just a couple of hours before, so it wasn’t a hard decision for me to drink another of their dark beers. And this one was also brilliant as far as I was concerned, smooth, rich, packed with vanilla and chocolate flavour. It was a heavy hit and so it took me a while to sip my way through the drink (which was overpoured so that it was nearer to a half pint, something I was pleased to note) but it remained as enjoyable at the end as at the beginning. I’m becoming something of a fan of this brewery, they definitely know what they’re doing.

    I liked this whole set-up and some of the food options looked really quite decent. It wasn’t very busy, but I can’t imagine Tuesdays often are, but I can imagine at weekends there’s an entirely different environment here. Some of the food venues apparently close when it’s not very busy, although this isn’t ideal if it means that customers can’t rely on food being available here. The Vocation bar is positively reviewed and although the drinks aren’t the cheapest, there is such an extensive range that they perhaps justify that slight extra cost. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, with the whole atmosphere feeling comfortable. I’m definitely pleased that this one is in the Good Beer Guide.

  • Leeds – Tapped

    Leeds – Tapped

    I’m still continuing with my little tour of Good Beer Guide pubs in Leeds, with this one being Tapped on Boar Lane. Opened in 2013, they try to keep 14 craft keg lines and 13 cask lines open, which should be sufficient for nearly any beer taste.

    The beers are listed above the bar, although it’s perhaps not really the easiest way for customers to try and work out what’s available. I asked at the bar for stouts and mentioned that I’d already had the Millionaire from the Wild Beer Co, so the friendly staff member suggested the Bad Kitty from Brass Castle Brewery. I recalled after ordering it that I’ve had this before, at Brigantes in York on 12 March 2020, on what sadly transpired to be one of the last days that this bar was open. Anyway, I’ve now realised that the beer choice is available on-line, so it is possible to see what they’ve got before arriving at the bar.

    Beers are made on site, which I thought added to the atmosphere in terms of the general feel of the bar.

    It wasn’t that busy during my visit and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. I was starting to get hungry, but I didn’t realise that the bar was selling pizzas until just before I was about to leave. I’m unsure why they’ve put wine lists on every table, but not beer lists or food menus.

    The Bad Kitty was fine and served at the appropriate temperature, with a chocolate and vanilla taste to it. It was reasonably priced and I thought that the whole experience was positive.

    The reviews of the bar are generally all pretty good and most of the complaints are what I’d consider to be either ridiculous or over-stated. There was an angry person annoyed that they wouldn’t let her in wearing flip flops, and the bar is perhaps quite right to ban these not just for sartorial reasons, but because it’s quite likely some idiot would stand on them. Other complaints are from customers moaning that they were wearing tracksuit bottoms and were refused entry. I’m not one for dress codes (I’m hardly a fashion expert myself if I’m being brutally honest) but the bar doesn’t seem unreasonable in its requirements.

    Anyway, friendly staff, decent beer and a clean environment, all really rather lovely and this is justifiably in the Good Beer Guide as far as I’m concerned (although I can’t imagine that anyone is much bothered by that, at least it keeps me happy). Ideally though, perhaps they should be a little clearer about their food menu and not keep it as something of a secret.

  • Leeds – Whitelock’s Ale House

    Leeds – Whitelock’s Ale House

    And the third in my little pub crawl of Good Beer Guide pubs in Leeds….

    As the sign notes, this is the oldest pub in the city, originally known at the Turk’s Head. I like that they note the number of real ales available and also mention that craft beer is sold. I visited here because the pub was listed in the Good Beer Guide, but if I had seen this sign then I would have popped in anyway.

    It’s located down an alley, but the signage is clear so it’s not difficult to find. I was welcomed at the entrance by a friendly staff member and was told it was quite busy inside and was asked if I would be OK outside. I decided that this was fine, although decided I’d pop inside to have a look at the historic interior. I’m not a fan of outside (insects, rain, too much sun, etc), but the beer barrel that I was seated at was perfectly fine and the weather allowed such outside dining.

    And there it is, an interior not really much changed from the early twentieth century. I was going to take another photo but a staff member looked at me as if I was an idiot, so I thought that this one would suffice. I liked the atmosphere in the pub through, very traditional and the staff all seemed friendly and engaging.

    I’m a fan of John Betjeman, so I consider this great praise.

    Initially, I thought that this beer menu was just a little generic, but then I saw the Mile Zero from Turning Point, who are one of my favourite breweries (I haven’t forgotten their Yellow Matter custard beer which was pure gold, or pure yellow really). Given the quality of this beer, I thought that £2.35 for a third was a bit of a bargain.

    I accidentally ordered a packet of crisps with the beer as food pairing is absolutely important. And, as for the beer, it was beautiful. There was a richness of toffee and it was packed with liquorice flavour as well, with an aftertaste of Werther’s Originals. This was a decadent treat and I was delighted to be able to try it. Really nice.

    The reviews of this pub are very high and even the negative ones are a bit ridiculous, like the person a few weeks ago who was furious that “I waited ten minutes to be served at my table”. It’s not ideal, but perhaps not the end of the world, nor justification for a 1/5 review given the current situation (or indeed perhaps at any time). Another customer gave it 1/5 although he had been going since 1969. Yeah, great, have a bad experience after 50 years of going for a pub and rush to rate them 1/5. Nice.

    So, this is another pub from the Good Beer Guide that I really like. Friendly service, clearly popular with customers and some interesting beers. The prices were lower than I would expect and I felt comfortable throughout, so absolutely recommended.

  • Leeds – North Bar

    Leeds – North Bar

    I started my little tour of Good Beer Guide pubs in Leeds at the Templar Hotel and that was fine, but not quite to my tastes. My next choice was the North Bar and this is much more my sort of thing, one of the earliest craft beer bars (I think that this one opened in 1997) and part of a small local chain. For those people who don’t drink beer, there are also lots of whiskies and rums to choose from, which all adds to the excitement (although not to me, I’m not a whisky or rum drinker).

    The bar wasn’t very busy, but there were plenty of staff and they were helpful in showing me what dark beers they had available. They mentioned that they had Northern Bones from Bone Machine, a brewery from one of my favourite cities which is Hull. There was though plenty of other choice of beers and I liked the engagement from the staff members. I’m quite amused by the Tequila Tuesdays, but I wasn’t tempted to get three of them for £6…..

    The interior is quite long, with the bar itself to one side. I’m not sure why somewhere this exciting isn’t busier, but there we go…. Actually, one thing I’m missing already from some bars is the beer list that was put on tables during the time that Covid required table service. However, all credit to this bar as they’ve put their list of beers on Untappd, although I didn’t notice that until I had already ordered.

    My beer choice of half a pint of the Northern Bones, which I liked, but it didn’t quite have the rich flavours that I hoped for. A perfectly good beer though and I was pleased to have the chance to try it.

    I really liked this bar as it was laid-back and comfortable, being on-trend but without trying to be so. The reviews of the bar are positive and they apparently serve Bao Buns from a nearby takeaway as their food option, although there was no internal signage about this. The staff were friendly, I liked the high tables and decor, with this being a very well deserved entry into the Good Beer Guide as far as I’m concerned.

  • Leeds – Templar Hotel

    Leeds – Templar Hotel

    After a busy day of visiting museums and the like, I thought that I’d work through a few Good Beer Guide pubs in Leeds tonight. I can’t say that I was thrilled to see that my first choice was owned by Greene King, but I thought that I’d still give it a try. It’s a traditional pub and it’s well looked after, so it felt a clean and comfortable place to be. It was also full, so the first time in quite a while I had to prop myself up at the end of the bar (that’s quite easy to do in the first pub of the evening).

    There were six beers to choose from (although there might be eight judging by that back board, but I could only see six), which is usually an exciting number to see at any pub. None of them really excited me though, and I’m disappointed to see such a load of generic beers on there with a limited range of beer styles. However, I have to accept that the pub was full and so they clearly know what they’re doing, it’s just I’m hopeful of something a little more decadent. Whilst I was at the bar though, every single order was for lager, so perhaps I should be grateful that there were so many real ales to choose from.

    The Tetleys beer was well kept and tasted as it should, which isn’t really overly exciting. I rated it as 3.25 on Untappd, which was perhaps generous, especially given its average rating is 2.96 (from 15,000 reviews) which is a very low score. The price was though low for my half pint, so no complaints about the cost of the beer.

    I can’t say that there was anything wrong with the pub, but nearly everyone seemed to be watching the televisions and the beer selection wasn’t for me. I prefer pubs that are powered by conversation and atmosphere and this one didn’t do it for me with that reliance on the televisions. However, the staff were welcoming and I’m sure it’s a safe environment which serves its customers very well. I can see why this has gone into the Good Beer Guide, as the welcome is genuine, the interior is traditional and there’s a choice of reasonably priced real ales.