Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Cloudwater

  • Liverpool Weekend (Day One) – Manchester and Cloudwater

    Liverpool Weekend (Day One) – Manchester and Cloudwater

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    Pleased with my visit to Track Brewing, located just over the road, I had enough time to visit Cloudwater for a beer still spending the Delay Repay train money on this little treat. I’ve visited the Cloudwater taproom on the Bermondsey Beer Mile a few times, but this is the first time that I’ve visited the set-up in their home city.

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    After a momentary bit of confusion as to where the tap room was, I found the steps up as it’s located on the first floor.

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    It might look like it, but I didn’t incompetently meander into this bit as it’s signed off as staff only, but I did take a photo.

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    There’s the beer board and there was a personable and friendly team member ready to take my order. She was conversational and engaging, it all felt a comfortable and inviting set-up.

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    I accept it might appear to be sub-optimal going to a brewery’s taproom and then having a guest beer, but I have worked through a lot of Cloudwater stuff already. Cloudwater beers are delightful and exciting, but I was intrigued with the Green Nebula beer from Uchu Brewing. This was really rather complex, it was dank, decadent, smooth and had flavours of key lime pie. I very much like key lime pie, so all told, this was one of the best beers that I’ve had in a while.

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    The interior of the taproom, which was clean and organised, and there is more seating downstairs. It’s under-stated and functional, all fair enough as the priority here is the beer.

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    The food options and that chicken curry pie tempted me, but I was restrained, not least because of the limited time that I had before going to get my next train which would sweep me into Liverpool.

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    I don’t often play them but I don’t dislike board games, this board game day is something that Tony from the Hop & Vine (the best pub in the country) does and there’s lots to be said for gossip, beer, board games and perhaps some cheese. I know how to live…..

    With that it was time to make the 20 minute walk to Manchester Oxford Road railway station, but I was very pleased to have had chance to pop into this taproom. I liked the relaxed nature of arrangements, care had been taken with selecting the beer options and the team members were all friendly and welcoming. All really rather lovely.

  • London – Southwark (Borough of) – Cloudwater Tap Room

    London – Southwark (Borough of) – Cloudwater Tap Room

    I tried to come to the Cloudwater tap room on the Bermondsey Beer Mile last year, but it was only open as a take-away and so I got a couple of beers then for whatever hotel I was located in. However, I got the opportunity for the first time to pop in last weekend.

    The beer list which is located on a chalkboard at the end of the bar. Service was warm and welcoming, with the staff member being knowledgeable about the various beer options. This felt a friendly location, all very on-trend.

    This is the Canal at St. Mark’s which is Cloudwater’s own imperial IPA, coming in at 8%.  This was really rather lovely, such a depth of flavour and beautifully tropical. It’s described as ‘dank’ which I wasn’t quite sure of the definition in beer terms, but apparently it’s referring to “very hoppy, cloudy IPAs”. I suppose it was dank FWIW….

    But then there was something even better, the I Know You Know We Know beer, also from Cloudwater, although it’s a collaboration with the Three Chiefs Brewing Co. of Los Angeles from the beautiful state of California. This was insanely good and is one of the best beers that I’ve had, with initial hits of chocolate and fruit, but with an aftertaste of rose water which made it taste like a Turkish Delight. If that wasn’t enough there was also some raspberry in there, like a chocolate Quality Street treat. I noted that the brewery toasted my Untappd check-in to this beer when I was in the bar, perhaps they were standing nearby (not that it much matters). Definitely a world class beer in my mind, I was very pleased with this decadent treat.

    The bar was moderately busy, but when a group of six men in fancy dress came in they were asked to leave, with the manager saying that fancy dress was prohibited by their licence. I think he’s right, but his comment that the group probably wouldn’t be served anywhere else on the Beer Mile didn’t turn out to be right, as they seemed to be served everywhere else. Either way, I liked the policy, a bar of this quality deserves to be revered…..

    I was very pleased to get to come here at last and the quality of beers didn’t disappoint. The service was friendly, the pub was clean, it was a comfortable environment and they served me one of the best stouts that I’ve had. All really rather lovely. Cloudwater also have a tap room in Manchester and I want to go there now…..