Jul 7 2016
A Change of Scenery – Deansgate 06/07/2016
I love Manchester. The bright and shiny, the gritty and grimy, the heart and soul. I love it all. But – like many – I’ve gotten a bit lazy and comfortable in my drinking habits and it recently dawned on me that I had been frequenting the same (admittedly excellent) bars and pubs. All in the “Northern Quarter”. I needed a change.
I’m not “bored” of the NQ. Excellence never gets boring. But I’ve had plans to do a whole host of other crawls on a number of themes (Basement Bars; Live Music pubs; the list grows….) and other areas that don’t get the hectolitres of splaff that the NQ gets. This piece is – therefore – the first of many.
Deansgate area gets a bit overlooked when it comes to great beer and pubs/bars. But, if you drop the shoulder and give some of the Macro selling outlets the swerve, great beer can be had in belting venues within about 400 yards. Here’s the proof.
Knott Bar – 374, Deansgate, M3 4LY
Originally part of the Marble empire, opening (I think) in 2002 – then named The Knott Fringe, located on the edge of an area of Manchester originally named Knott Mill, this place has been a staple of Manchester beer pretty much since it opened. Now part of a group that includes “The Bar” in Chorlton & “The Macc” in….(you guessed it!), it hasn’t missed a beat in all those years
This place holds a special place in my family’s heart, being the makers of one of the best Sunday Dinners around. So much so, that if you haven’t booked – or turn up after 2:30 – you may miss out. As we have done on occasion!
Excluding the upstairs balcony (very busy this evening), this is a single room layout which, due to the way it uses its railway arch space, gives the appearance of three separate areas. Slightly bohemian in appearance (with old posters almost performing the role of “feature wallpaper”), the Knott is utterly reliable in both the quality of its beers AND the excellence of its Jukebox (a personal passion).
(LOOK! A Manchester railway arch that isn’t a brewery! Yet…)
And it regularly stocks Pictish beers. So a place in my heart is assured.
Tonight was no exception.
It takes a lot to tempt me away from a hand-pump featuring Dark Arts by Magic Rock. But I chose well when I went for the Nugget single hop Pale. But this is where Pictish simply rule. Single-Hopped pale ales. And this was no exception. Even out of a plastic “glass”. Disappointing to say the least. And I have no idea why they were using them.
And whilst the aesthetics of plastic drinking vessels may be arguable, the excellence of the beer isn’t. A simply superb spicy bitterness with a deep citrus. Simply gorgeous. As ever.
A cracker of a bar.
With Jamie T (No. Not that one….) – the cheeky scamp even snuck into a picture! – joining us, a short walk around the corner was in order, whilst I puzzled as to how Castlefield was so busy on a Wednesday evening (James Bay – who? – apparently…)
Cask – 29, Liverpool Street, M3 4NQ
I simply don’t get why more people don’t rave about this pub. I just don’t. To me, this is one of Manchester’s unsung gems.
It has it all. Great atmosphere, superb selection of genuine continental beers, great bottle/can selection, a simply MONUMENTALLY good Jukebox (the best in Manchester) and four superb handpulls normally populated with local(ish) beers (tonight from Heywood, Harrogate, Huddersfield and er….(h)Ardwick). Anyone who reads my verbage knows what comes next. Mallinsons.
The pub/bar is again single roomed, but gives the illusion of being two separate spaces, with standing space and wooden tables/chairs near the bar with more alcovey comfy seating to the rear. There’s even a rare bit of outdoor space from this rear area…
The Emley Moor Mild was a Mallinsons that I never had previously. Smooth and chocolately, light bodied and soooo easy drinking. A delight of a beer.
Settling down to chatting, I noticed that Cask had a TV. So another beer was in order whilst catching the first half of Wales v Ronaldo. And WHAT a beer it was. Squawk IPA (ElDorado/Chinook), beautifully citrussy & bitter. Just as a US hopped IPA should be. Quite stunning, yet unsurprising, as Oli Turton has been utterly and consistently excellent with his IPAs. An essential when available.
Cask is one of those places that – once sat – I could safely go through the bar selection. A singularly superb place. And – if you’re hungry – you can even bring in your food from the (superb) chippy next door! (Just don’t forget to dispose of your wrappers….)
Onward….
The Rising Sun – 22, Queen Street, M2 5HX
Into another postal district we go, bypassing the likes of BrewDog & the Ralph Abercrombie, approximately 200 yards from Cask we find this little Mancunian jewel. And one of Manchester’s oldest pubs.
One of those rarities known as a “cut” pub (because it has two entrances on different streets – a cut through), this single roomed and quite narrow pub can get really busy when there is a footy match on and also after office hours. With a long bar and nice bright decor it belies its 240 year age.
Think about this. This pub was here the year after the American Declaration of Independence!
Generally stocking Northern beers, with 8 hand-pumps (5 in use tonight – a wise move midweek IMO), this may not be CW central, but there’s always something that tickles my proverbial. Tonight, this was Oregon Pale by Weetwood Brewery. A truly delicious fruity hop beer, dry and grapefruity. Nice and refreshing.
Despite there being two TVs, they aren’t particularly intrusive tonight. We just settled to chat and to the fact that Wales (by this point) had been beaten by two former OT players, just to sour the pill….. 😉
What I really like about the “Sun”, is – despite its location and apart from its age – it has a “local” feel. Like a local pub in the heart of this great city. Something that should be cherished. It isn’t “trendy”, it is what it is, A smart and attractive boozer that serves good and well looked-after beer.
I couldn’t bear any more Ronaldo, so Offski….
Gaslamp – 50a, Bridge Street, M3 3BW
How many people who go into this fine Manc bar actually look up? Moreover, how many people walking around Manchester look up at ALL and admire the beautiful architecture?
Not many, I bet.
But, if you don’t, you miss this…
Because what you see in the basement, was formerly the kitchens of the Manchester & Salford Street Childrens’ Mission. Which may explain the tilework downstairs that helps this place – in Summer (not that Manchester HAS a Summer) to be probably the physically coolest place in Town.
Sometimes, when I’m sat in this most excellent bar, you see people walk in for the first time. The look on their faces being “What a GREAT place!” And this never ceases to amaze me. This place cuts across generations. I brought Atilla Jnr (aka The Lovely Daughter) in here one night after she finished work and bought her her first “proper” beer. She loved both the bar AND the beer (“The Mayan” by Ilkley – seeing as you’re asking)
What was nice to see this evening was – like the Rising Sun – that all of the hand-pumps weren’t in use midweek*.
The two that were on were from BlackJack & Six O’Clock. So both local. There were the usual excellent choices on keg too – Shindigger, Quantum, Brew By Numbers, Mad Hatter etc so all bases covered.
Not many people seem to know that this is actually a two roomed bar, the one to the rear being a decent size and somewhere for a chat. It’s a room that never seems that busy. Go find it.
The beer Bolt from Six O’Clock being a Nut Brown IPA was lovely. Smooth, a little nutty sweetness and nicely bitter. Quite unctuous and almost creamy. Seriously nice beer.
I love Gaslamp. Quirky, great beers, sweet tunes. It just has it.
And so, to the inevitable end to this adventure. And my favourite bar.
The Brink – 65, Bridge Street, M3 3BQ
Given that it is my favourite Manchester bar (and that the bus stop is close by for that all important last bus!) this was always going to be the terminus for this evening.
This feels like….home. Warm, welcoming, friendly. Simply a class act.
It also pulls at my hearts’ strings due to the beer purchasing policy of nothing outside of 25 miles from St Ann’s Church. Local, in other words….. More should follow Gareth’s lead.
It’s small. Probably could fit no more than 60 if packed out. With the attractive clean lines and select Mancunian imagery decor, comfy seating and excellent bar policy, it should be rammed. But, tonight, it’s quiet. Which, wanting a beer and a chat, suits.
5 local beers. Hmmmm……And one of them is one I’ve wanted to try since I saw the clip.
Baton Rouge by Mallinsons.
Pristine. Red. Hoppy as a rabbits’ tea party. Yum.
The bar has only been open for three months or so and it has quickly become a favourite of many. It’s a place where you chat with people that you’ve never met, that comes with the size. One of it’s many charms.
I was in here recently with a Liverpudlian pal, Les O’Grady who remarked on something that I’ve noted but never really remarked upon – Loos with hot water! A rarity. This bar does all of the things that seem – to me at least – to be very simple. And it does them bloody well.
And, seeing how Linda left some for me, I had to have a Santiam by Track. Holy mother of WOW is it GOOD! So full of fruity citrus and with all of that bitterness you should get in an IPA. Just SO good…..
Friendly knowledgeable staff, great beer, seriously good tunage and excellent local snackage courtesy of Beehive Food all in a small package.
Like I said. My favourite Manc bar. With good reason.
So. There you have it. A 500 yard or so walk with 5 excellent pubs. Each different. All sharing one great virtue. Excellent beer.
You see. There IS life outside that there Northern Quarter. Go explore.
*(A commonsense approach to me. I know that some will whinge about lack of choice, but it seems obvious to me that when you walk in a great bar on a Friday night and drink a seriously “tired” beer, that too many bars have too many beers on when they simply aren’t busy enough.)
Feb 19 2018
Manchester Crawl Series 1 : Swan Street – How Much Longer?
Whilst excellence never gets boring, I crave something different from the “same old, same old”. It’s so easy to settle, create habits that become almost unbreakable.
Yes, there will always be favourites you can rely on to consistently deliver, but – just sometimes – something “different” is called for. But something undemanding in terms of physical effort. Then it struck me.
Swan Street. A street burned in my soul.
And whilst we didn’t start on Swan Street itself (we started just around the corner), we kept faith with part of the original N/4 pub crawl.
Just don’t call it “Northern Quarter”. I’m in retro mode.
The Angel – Angel St (Jct w/Rochdale Road)
Get off the Metro / bus at Shudehill and walk halfway towards The Marble Arch and on the left – at the junction with the inner ring road you’ll find this unheralded gem.
Briefly known as a place where chef Robert Owen Brown forged his reputation, The Angel has been through many guises. It has been knocked about and reshaped over the years since I’ve been drinking there, but still maintains a quaint Mancunian trait, a sense of “otherness”. A quirkiness.
There’s nothing quite like it in Manchester.
I had my first beer here in December 1984. On my first “works Xmas do”. The pub was then called “The Weavers”. It had – in those days – a second room, roughly bounded by the far end of the bar to the back of the pub.
It was…. narrow. It had a pool table. A colleague fell asleep under that pool table that night. An unforgettable evening.
The pub changed hands. Became one of the early Manchester free houses. It had that room knocked through. It transformed into “The Beerhouse” and developed a reputation for an eclectic beer range. You’d find beers there that you wouldn’t elsewhere.
Now being The Angel – named after nearby Angel Meadows (look it up on Wikipedia), it maintained that reputation. It continues to do so, being the only place I know to get Kissingate beers (Horsham, Sussex), notable for their catnip like ability to attract the Arch Nemesis. I put a call in. He couldn’t resist.
Yes. That’s a Baby Grand. In a pub in Manchester. And it does get played…..
To the point, The Angel is a large single room in a kind of wide L shape. At about 170 years old, it retains a Mancunian sensibility, that “Soul” I need to actually love a place.
And those who “know” The Angel do love it.
Last night, the Hawkshead Windermere Pale was as good as I’ve had it, razor sharp and tasty. The Kissingate “Smelters Stout” was rich, smoky and delicious. A lovely Stout.
The Angel rarely gets talked about in the pantheon of great Mancunian pubs. But it really should.
It may not be pristine and shiny, may be a little “rough around the edges”, but it’s a Manc classic.
Go. Just go.
From The Angel, cross Rochdale Road and turn right. Head towards Shudehill and then left on Swan Street.
Jack In The Box at Mackie Mayor – Swan Street
Apparently a transplant of a successful outlet/operation in Altrincham, there was a lot of excitement when word got out that this beautiful old building was being taken on.
I’ve seen messages from far and wide that testified to its impact since opening. Tonight, I thought I’d have a butchers.
The classical frontage doesn’t prepare you the the visual impact of the interior. The “WOW” factor. I couldn’t stop taking pictures.
I was surprised at the small size of the bar, but it’s Black Jack. And – for me – they’ve hit a sweet spot. The “You Bet” that I had was pin sharp. Jaz had am excellent beer from Siren, Jock had an Uber sharp Oakham Citra (a criminally overlooked beer).
This place is all about the food though.
That lovely Margherita from Honest Crust didn’t last long. Delicious. Having had them before, I expected no less. Tasty.
Stomach sated.
This place is stunning. It gets busy. It’s a big space with all the traders on the perimeter. With a mass of seating.
The beer is excellent, but I can’t get over the fact of Big Brother next door. But this is a destination venue. An Atkinson’s coffee, an Honest Crust pizza, a wine from Reserve Wines? I’d rather give these guys my money than any chain.
So. Walk out of the Swan Street door. Turn right. Walk 10 yards
The Smithfield – Swan Street
I’ve been a fan since Black Jack first took the plunge and got out the paintbrushes. They took an old run down beer tickers pub and brought it into the 21st century.
A bit of TLC. A hug and a kiss. They worked wonders.
It’s rarely quiet these days. It’s found a place for itself, gained a reputation for great beer. It has A BAR BILLIARDS TABLE!
And a dartboard. And that board gets use.
I didn’t take loads of pics in here. I just enjoyed a gorgeous pint of Jarsa by Brew York and chatted.
The Smithfield does all of those simple things incredibly well. And – when my lot are out – is one of the places we meet. Or end up.
Or both. A Manc essential.
Leave The Smithfield, cross the road, turn right. Walk 30 yards along Swan Street.
Bar Fringe – Swan Street
You will NOT find a quirkier, more charming pub / bar in Manchester.
Just wander in. Keep your eyes open. And drink it all in.
This place is simply a diamond. Cherish it. It won’t be here much longer.
A long room. With something for – almost – everyone. 4 cask beers. Draught Belgian. Excellent bottles. Brilliant eclectic jukebox.
And just, again, an old soul. A feeling.
It doesn’t matter how many times I come in, there’s always some detail I miss. Like that painted rat…..
Beer. Panda Frog from the North East. Pale. Unfined. Amarillo. I’m easy to please. I could bury my head in a bag of Amarillo and die happy.
And herein lies the core of this post. This side of Swan Street is slated to be demolished. “Developed”. Have the Mancunian element and history flattened.
To be replaced by glass and concrete. More flats.
Always more flats.
Eviscerating the history and soul from a city. Bastards.
Fuck your “progress”. Same to Manchester City Council for destroying the soul of this beautiful city. Block by block.
But I digress. Enjoy the Fringe. This little diamond. While you still can.
Leave the Fringe, turn left. Cross (the rather busy) Oldham Road.
Crown & Kettle – Oldham Road
Another Manchester classic.
A place that seemed to have lost its way in a beer sense. But – in recent months – with a new female custodian (I hate the term “landlady”), the beer has started to sing the sweetest of songs.
Yes. The C&K is another Mancunian jewel. But the beer range and quality had started to wilt.
But, with that new custodian, it’s now a “go to” again.
3 separate rooms. The small room behind the bar was closed last night, but when it’s open, just look up. And gawp.
That beautiful ceiling…..
The current pub is about 130 years old, but there has been a pub on this site for almost 300 years. You can see images/drawings of the area from that time if you scour the net.
The place is beautiful and now – again – has the beer to match. A Northern Alchemy Tawny Port Stout was the beer of the evening. Just lush.
The Brass Castle “Little Imp” was stunning too at 2.8%! Almost a session Stout, really full bodied the that abv.
Again, the C&K needs to be visited. Great beer (again) and a beautiful pub.
But all good things come to an end.
Distance wise, a short crawl. But it forms a snapshot of Manchester. A Manchester we’ll lose a part of in the next few years.
Enjoy it while you’ve got it. I will.
(I never get bored of this!)
Back soon. Jx
By • Uncategorized • 6 • Tags: Bar Fringe, Black Jack Beers, Brass Castle Brewery, Brew York, Crown & Kettle, Hawkshead Brewery, Historic Pubs, Honest Crust Pizza, Jack In The Box, Jarsa, Kissingate Brewery, Little Imp, Mackie Mayor, Manchester, Northern Alchemy Brewing, Pale Ale, Panda Frog Brewery, Smelters Stout, Tawny Port Stout, The Angel, Windermere Pale, You Bet