Manchester in October 2025

 Hello readers,

          I was going to call this post "Liquid sunshine in the chicken boiling capital" but I didn't want to create ire with my possibly Manchester based readers....

On 26th October myself and Tash and Matt went to Manchester to meat our kilt wearing chum Mr Payne to go and see Fields of the Nephilim, whom are a popular beat combo. We had five hours prior to meet, visit a few pubs, book into our hotel and visit a couple of more pubs enroute to the gig. We were meant to meet in the Black Bulls Head but it was sadly closed so we met Martin and waddled along back roads to the Lass o Gowrie, which, sadly is definitely a greedy king pub so all the "guests" are theirs. I started on a pint of Belhaven which am fairly sure they either own or have an involvement in before heading by taxi to out hotel, accross from the Crown and Kettle. This was our next pub, where I had pints of Ghost Brewing and Neighbourhood brewing (whom may be Stockport) and possibly a half of Coach brewery 7th birthday.

Next to Bar Fringe for a pint of Oakham Citra on cask from the past and sat in a massive high backed chair before we headed possibly down Oldham Road to the Castle, a Robbies pub. In here had already ordered a rather underwhelming hopaslop or similar which I had to down as I saw a Cloudwater and Robinsons Red Rye ale collab on keg from the Current! We then got a taxi to the venue and watched the gig. It was immense. I don't recall having anything to drink in the 3 hours or more but it remains wonderful!

Afterwards - and I missed Last Exit for the Lost because I went suddenly hypogylcaemic, we struggled up to XBar or RockX where they did actually have Robinsons Trooper on cask so I had a couple of pints of that before having a sour and then returning to the hotel about 1:15AM!

The next day we went to a local Mexican place for breakfast but ended up having just cups of coffee - Matty recommended the crafty pig nearby, Martin said his mate had said it was garbage, so we opted to go for a look. Now - before I say anything else, I should point out that I recognise there is no legally binding definition of "craft". However, it does create some expectation, and specifically, I would suggest, no Molson Coors? And specifically, there was nothing but Molson Coors. Three pumps of one of their London trio, and, despite asking  a confused staff member, absolutely nothing independent. There - have said it.  We walked out, and headed accross the road and near to what used to be known as Mother Macs, before wandering to the Unicorn, a Craft Union pub selling only one beer - Bass on cask from the past at £3.40 a pint! I realise some of you may be thinking that Bass, a mass produced probably Burton Union system brewed beer, is the very antithesis of Craft, but the thing is, I still like the current version of Bass, and more importantly, the Unicorn did not describe itself as a Craft bar, as it clearly wasn't! A modicum of honesty is all I ask.

We stayed here for 3 pints - all of Bass for me - before heading for Soap Street and what might be called "This n that" - those of you who know it - including its real name, also know of its excellent value range of curries and curried items. I got a can of Dandelion and Burdock and a chicken and spinach curry with rice for about £5.50 all in! Stomachs lined and filled we walked for just a couple of minutes to the Lower Turks Head on Shudehill. I was on a pint of Bootleg Brewing Chorlton pale ale on cask from the past! The interior of the Turks is brilliant and the beer was delicious. Nearly next door is the possibly National Inventory listed Hare and Hounds, a fabulous Holts pub with their beers and one or two guests - I was on a pint or two of Osset White Rat at 4% and this was well kept and refreshing.

Next was me and Matt heading cross town to near the Co-op Bank headquarters on Balloon street before heading into the square and into the fabulous Cloudwater run Saddlers Cat, which used to be Pilcrow, and serves a range of 14 or 15 fabulous keg beers from the present, including a number of guests! We had a pint and two halves each in here, and all will have had names, and one of the halves was possibly a Cloudwater DIPA! Sadly we had to say goodbye to Martin at this point as he was getting a train back to Burnley but once joined by the lovely Tash we got a taxi to our last Manchester stop which is the excellent Northern Mon on Tarriff Street.

Am not 100% sure what it was we had in here because I didn't photograph the bar but I know I finished on a £7.80 half of a 9% collab but am sadly unable to recall the name. Either way we left about 21:20 to undertake the short walk to the train station station to trundle back to Sheffield and home!

As always I really liked my twice or thrice yearly pop to the chicken boiling capital, and really enjoyed visiting a few new pubs to me, including the Saddlers Cat and the Unicorn.

Your very best of health

Wee Beefy