Hello,
this is a post about me and Tash's celebrations of our second anniversary. To the imbibe-minded this may be a worrying proposition, but don't worry, most of our celebrations, since we met and got together in a pub, were drink related. Or sodden.
On Friday it was Erika's birthday celebration. We headed off to the Harlequin for 16.00 and I had several pints of the excellent Exit 33 Stateside Pale Ale at 5.0%. I was joined by Tash, Lorraine, Lou and Gary and after 4 pints in 3 hours, we all disbanded, and me and Tash went to stalwart Shakespeares.
Here I had at least 4 pints of Buxton Bitter Recognise, on cask, a darkish 6.7% hoppy collaboration which was one of the star kegs at the recent Sun fest. Joined by Wee Keefy, and having caught up with Vicky C, WK bought us a bottle of De Molen Moord and Brand, a 10% plus Bourbon barrel aged stout which poured like tar but tasted like black gold. We had another beer after this as well, I am told.
The day itself saw us potter around and leave at tea time for a luxurious coffee before heading to the Bath Hotel. I can't remember what pints we had at first but they might have been Bristol Beer Factory. Or Arbor. Or neither. Afterwards we shared 3 halves of Cloudwater IPA at 6.7%. It was a fantastic cloudy IPA that went down far too easily - described accurately by Steff as fantastic and expensive. It was very much both.
From here we caught the bus up to the Walkley Beer Co. They had run out of cask but had Victory Hop Devil at 6.7% on keg at £4.20 a pint. Despite the strength, we had two pints each, and took a bottle of lemon saison home. We finished the night drinking Lebanese beer and wine in a nearby restaurant. All I can say is, the wine was OK!
On Sunday we raced or rather, the bus dawdled, into town to catch the 11.21 train to York. We got on the platform as it pulled away. With bus replacement services on almost all trains we opted t have a coffee and decided to go to Leeds, and maybe onto York from there. Our first and as it turned out only stop in Leodis was at Friends of Ham. Now twice the size, with ample seating up and downstairs and a larger bar, this is still a fantastic, if expensive, place to start a day out.
We caught up with Emily, now free from the unfair pay structure at Thornbridge, and ordered 3 tapas dishes each and two pints, both pale ales from Alechemy in Scotland. This 8 piece cost us £30.00. Luckily, the quality of the meat and cheese and pickle and ale is so good, I didn't mind. Three cheeses included Welsh sheep cheese and a delicious blue, along with laardo chorizo and others, was our snap, and every last lingering mouthful was superb. We also had two halves of keg, one Alechemy Double IPA at 9.1%, and 1 of Hawkshead NZ IPA at 6.5, an astringently biting bitter pale ale with bags of hops.
Soon we were on a rather expensive return journey to York. Our first stop was a shop, but better was to follow as we visited the House of Trembling Madness. Following the signs upstairs to the pub, we found an incredibly old building with a tiny bar and limited seating which was heaving. We both got pints of the excellent Bad Seed Brewery Eldorado Pale before halves of the Mad Hatters Toxteth IPA. We got sat down at a table and soaked up the atmosphere, conversation, and noticeably, the warmth. The shop down stairs is also well worth a visit for bottled beers.
We walkd to Fossgate next but decided against visiting the Blue Bell - the road was closed and people were sat on tables outside in huge numbers. We didn't fancy the scrum so walked on down to the bottom and turned back up towards Parliament street and then towards the river. A short relaxing stroll followed before we sat down in the shade, then headed over what might be Skendergate Bridge to the Swan at Clementhorpe.
This beautiful National Inventory listed corner pub has a drinking corridor, possibly known as a West Yorkshire drinking corridor, and a compact lounge on the right of the bar, with wonderful tiled floors and a fantastic beer garden. We sat outside with a half of Moonshine for Tash and a half of Prescott Simmer for me, and caught the last rays of sunshine near a covered area where grapes were growing. We went back for two more halves of the Prescott, before heading to Cromwell Street and the Golden Ball.
This is another unspoilt National Inventory pub, with a tiny snug on the bar rights and three larger, basic rooms including the bar. As it was a hot day we sat outside and supped some of the many beers on tap. This included one from Ainsty Ales and Kettle Drum best bitter from Treboom brewery. We sat in the sunshine then shade for a while before taking up residency in the bar, and eating a ramekin of chilli and honey peanuts. Locals played dominoes and chatted quietly in the basic bar room, and we could easily have stayed all day. The Golden Ball is community owned and is an excellent example of such an arrangement.
Our penultimate stop was in the Maltings, now boosting an outside seating area. We had pints of a Roosters hoppy beer and a half of the excellent Magic Rock Grapefruit, then sat outside and got chatting to a couple form Chester Le Street. The Maltings certainly needed some extra space and this is just another string to ots bow.
Our final stop was in the York Tap. About 14 cask ales to choose from, I think we had halves of a Magic Rock or Waen beer, but this was a short stop as we had to catch the train back to Sheffield using our two sets of tickets.
All in all, an amazing three days of impeccable beer in three excellent Yorkshire locations. A lovely way to celebrate our anniversary!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Friends of Ham Leeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends of Ham Leeds. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 August 2015
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Lades
Hello,
I also recently went to the Lades.You know, the city in West Yorkshire. Once again I was inaugurating Miss N into its pubby delights so only ventured to one new pub but as with my other visits, Leodis did not let us down. Here's what happened last week!
We were late leaving and got there about 16.00 and headed straight to Friends Of Ham...about the same time as much of the rest of Leeds. We nabbed a seat at the bar and ordered Cromarty Red Rooster and Amerikaans pale from De Molen and settled down in front of freshly sliced meats to drool over the menu. Lardo was obviously chosen, as was a salami from Tuscany and a rosemary and pepper cured meat, along with a seasoned white cheese from Scotland, (droughtie?) a Bute Cheddar and a goats cheese. The price is still the same and the quality was once again superb, as were the pickles and sliced fresh bread. We finished with halves of Hawkshead Red on cask and halves of Brooklyn Fire and Ice - a cracking start.
Next up was a new venue, the Tapped Leeds. Very confusing on entering as there are no taps of handpumps - beer is dispensed from a wooden wall with signs above the taps but it wasn't clear where the cask beer was to me and Miss N. We asked at the bar and were given the choice of two or three pale ales, and these were nice but it was only after visiting the other end of the bar that we noticed what the cask choice was.
Beers were halves of Kirkstall Dissolution and Bristol Beer Factory Independence, both of which we were given tastes of and were in good form. Having now worked out where the cask and keg lists were we also ordered further halves of Bad Seed IPA on cask and Pressure Drop Freimans smoked dunkel on keg, and once again these were on top form. I think, in fact we both thought, the beer was excellent, but the layout is Brewdog Sheffield like and info hard to come by at first which is annoying. Otherwise a great venue for beer.
We popped to Whitelocks next which was understandably packed, and having secured a seat in the alley outside we had halves of Great Heck Treason stout from a rage of about 8. We took time to survey the chaos inside before drinking the heavy dark ale, then going back for more beer. This time Miss N tried the Elland Pale and myself a very agreeable Taylors Golden Mild. One day I swear I will arrive at Whitelocks at opening time and photograph its sumptuous interior!
Up Briggate next to the North Bar. This was a big favourite with us both and we quickly got a seat and two excellent beers to start us off, with Miss N on a half of Dark arts and myself on an excellent Weird Beard Cutthroat Porter, both of which were on great form. We then decided to try out some bottles and ended up with two bottles of saison - Kaapse Brouwers Harry and Maximus Saison. This came to £9.00 but was well worth it and by this time, a little refreshed, we splurged an unspeakable sum of cash on a bottle of Gueze. We were refreshed and very happy in North...
We finished our trip at the Duck and Drake, where we stood at the packed bar to hear a band finish playing, supping beers that I have forgotten to record, but which were, I assume very nice - as was the food, which may have been a pie, I genuinely don't know however! It was a good contrast to the decor and beer choice at North Bar and a very enjoyable place to stop before our long slog home and taxi to Chez Nuit, since the late bus doesn't run on a Sunday. Overall this was a great if short introduction to Leeds and one which tells us we need to go again, and explore some more.
Cheers
Wee Beefy
I also recently went to the Lades.You know, the city in West Yorkshire. Once again I was inaugurating Miss N into its pubby delights so only ventured to one new pub but as with my other visits, Leodis did not let us down. Here's what happened last week!
We were late leaving and got there about 16.00 and headed straight to Friends Of Ham...about the same time as much of the rest of Leeds. We nabbed a seat at the bar and ordered Cromarty Red Rooster and Amerikaans pale from De Molen and settled down in front of freshly sliced meats to drool over the menu. Lardo was obviously chosen, as was a salami from Tuscany and a rosemary and pepper cured meat, along with a seasoned white cheese from Scotland, (droughtie?) a Bute Cheddar and a goats cheese. The price is still the same and the quality was once again superb, as were the pickles and sliced fresh bread. We finished with halves of Hawkshead Red on cask and halves of Brooklyn Fire and Ice - a cracking start.
Next up was a new venue, the Tapped Leeds. Very confusing on entering as there are no taps of handpumps - beer is dispensed from a wooden wall with signs above the taps but it wasn't clear where the cask beer was to me and Miss N. We asked at the bar and were given the choice of two or three pale ales, and these were nice but it was only after visiting the other end of the bar that we noticed what the cask choice was.
Beers were halves of Kirkstall Dissolution and Bristol Beer Factory Independence, both of which we were given tastes of and were in good form. Having now worked out where the cask and keg lists were we also ordered further halves of Bad Seed IPA on cask and Pressure Drop Freimans smoked dunkel on keg, and once again these were on top form. I think, in fact we both thought, the beer was excellent, but the layout is Brewdog Sheffield like and info hard to come by at first which is annoying. Otherwise a great venue for beer.
We popped to Whitelocks next which was understandably packed, and having secured a seat in the alley outside we had halves of Great Heck Treason stout from a rage of about 8. We took time to survey the chaos inside before drinking the heavy dark ale, then going back for more beer. This time Miss N tried the Elland Pale and myself a very agreeable Taylors Golden Mild. One day I swear I will arrive at Whitelocks at opening time and photograph its sumptuous interior!
Up Briggate next to the North Bar. This was a big favourite with us both and we quickly got a seat and two excellent beers to start us off, with Miss N on a half of Dark arts and myself on an excellent Weird Beard Cutthroat Porter, both of which were on great form. We then decided to try out some bottles and ended up with two bottles of saison - Kaapse Brouwers Harry and Maximus Saison. This came to £9.00 but was well worth it and by this time, a little refreshed, we splurged an unspeakable sum of cash on a bottle of Gueze. We were refreshed and very happy in North...
We finished our trip at the Duck and Drake, where we stood at the packed bar to hear a band finish playing, supping beers that I have forgotten to record, but which were, I assume very nice - as was the food, which may have been a pie, I genuinely don't know however! It was a good contrast to the decor and beer choice at North Bar and a very enjoyable place to stop before our long slog home and taxi to Chez Nuit, since the late bus doesn't run on a Sunday. Overall this was a great if short introduction to Leeds and one which tells us we need to go again, and explore some more.
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Leodis ii
Hello,
well its taken a while but I finally made it back to Leeds, this time with dear friend Christingpher in tow. The plan was to start at Friends of Ham, therefore impressing my companion early on, and take him to a mix of ultra traditional and rather more achingly modern bars within tolerable walking distance.
Initially, having read about Clare at Feast and Glory venturing out to some of the suburbs to sample the pubs there, I thought about doing the same, but, truth be told, there's too much to see and too many good pubs not to be missed in and around the centre.
Starting in the Sheffield Tap, we sat in the new room with a half of Oakham Citra for Christingpher and a rather unwise pint of Oakham Green Devil IPA for me. Not unwise because it wasn't nice - it was absolutely excellent. But I only had 20 minutes to drink it, and hadn't sobered up fully from the night before. A case of getting straight back on the horse I suppose....
Once in Leeds Friends Of Ham was our first stop, where Christingpher toyed with the idea of having a Brodies London Sour, but went for a half of the Ilkley Chocolate Chipotle Porter, which was a spicy but tasty dark beer that nicely hit the spot. I tried the Kernel Table Beer and quickly decided against having a half - essentially a cold fizzy blob of hops, about as subtle as a brick. Much better was the Wild Beer Co Stalker, Scotch ale, which was a 7% deep red if not black ultra smooth drinking strong beer that cut through the food flavours brilliantly.
Talking of which, we had a combo of 3 meats and 3 cheeses. I chose the Carne Salata Malenca, a cured and lightly smoked pink coloured beef, the Salchichon De Vic, cured leg and pancetta salami, and the incredible Lardo. Christingpher chose the unpasteurised Brie de Meaux, the hard golden Mayfield Farmhouse and the Garlic Leaf wrapped Cornish Yarg. This was the real star of the cheeses, especially since you can eat the rind, such as it is, being garlic leaf. This also came with insanely orange chilli jam, chutney and oatmeal biscuits. As always it was superb. Christingpher loved the designs of the menus and beer mats and the nice touches of furnishings and assorted tableware; I just kept mmming and oohing about the meat.
We moved onto Whitelocks next as I had a cunning plan - going at around 15.00 it would be quieter than later on. Of course, I was wrong. It was heaving, so we sat outside, and supped very good halves of Wilson Potter Making Progress. Christingpher was especially impressed by the antiquity of the pub and its amazing copper bar tops.
On to the Ship off Briggate next but a paucity of interesting ale versus our long list of venues meant we didn't stop for a beer. We did however at the White Swan, next to the City Varieties. A large modern Leeds Brewery pub it was busy and offering about 9 real ales, including 3 guests. From these we chose the impeccable Marble Dobber. Kept in tip top condition this was one of the best beers of the day.
Next we headed to North Bar. Nice to see it in daylight (and to appreciate the brilliant sign) Christingpher switched to coffee and I had a painfully disappointing beer. Having heard plenty of buzz about Hand Drawn Monkey and Quantum breweries, I couldn't resist buying a half of their 6.0% collaboration beer - perhaps I should have asked for a taste first. An unpleasant, poorly balanced ascorbic bitter ale with a slightly metallic harshness. We didn't have time to choose another, and this was treally hard to drink. Must choose more carefully next time!
The Templar is a pub I haven't been to since about 1998. Its a fantastic long, tiled pub, previously being staunchly Tetley only but now branching out into guest beers. I had a pint and Christingpher a half of the Two Roses Chinook, which was very refreshing and crucially, a well balanced beer.
We got sat down at the far end and got chatting to a local about the now closed City of Mabgate pub, and also found out that our later destination, the Duck and Drake on Kirkgate, used to be called the Broughms, after a type of carriage (he insisted it was spelled like that - so presumably not Broughams?). There had been news of the Templar being closed, which would be a terrific shame. Hopefully the draw of guest ales and quality of the interior can sustain it.
We walked a cross the back next to the Town Hall and popped in the Victoria and Commercial for halves of Black Cat mild for Christingpher and half of a Ridgeside Blonde beer for me. It was totally heaving, which is a pleasing and equally frustrating feature of Leeds hostelries, and alas this made it difficult to appreciate the fine interior details. A fruitless search for the bar "Nation of Shopkeepers" followed (we think its now a bar named after a bookshop, but aren't sure) before we made the long walk down to Kirkgate.
Via a much needed snaffle from the German sausage stall we arrived at the Duck and Drake to find a great range of beers. We both had halves of the Liverpool Organic Jade and I also had a brilliant half of porter from a brewery I can't recall - which is a shame since it was really very good. One of the things I like about the DnD is that its unpretentious, a little rough round the edges, and seems to attract a varied crowd. Much less facial hair and knitwear than North, but also featuring some truly austere outside loos!
Further down Kirkgate we made our first visit to the Palace. A large Nicholsons pub selling a decent range of beers, we both had halves of Petersfield Porter from Nethergate, along with a half of California, a delightfully dark reddish ale from Bristol Beer factory. Both beers were in good condition.
The Adelphi was its usual vision of splendour when we arrived and there was quite a scrum at the bar to order. Christingpher finally caved in and tried the Kirkstall Three Swords, a beer that we had seen on in many pubs that day, and which he described as "alright", and me a tasty half of Revolutions Atomic Blonde.
A wander along main tributaries followed, down to what is described as Holbeck Urban Village, and the Grove. Well worth the walk, this is a traditional boozer incongruously situated amidst grim modern buildings on a dead end street off Water Lane. Probably the joint best pub of the night, I had a pint of Wharfebank Aramis, which had their signature flavour, and Christingpher a half of Old Moor Porter from Acorn, before I also had a half of the Black Cat Mild. This traditional multi roomed pub was full of great features and nooks and crannies and was as unspoilt as The Adelphi and Whitelocks, but in a more restrained and functional way. A must revisit pub.
Our penultimate stop off was at the Midnight Bell a few minutes walk away. We had a half and a pint of the excellent Geeves Smokey Joe Stout, another astonishingly tasty dark beer from this brewery, which we supped whilst keeping an eye on the time. I only ever went to the Midnight Bell once before and it didn't seem anything like I remembered! Mind you that was after a crawl of Huddersfield so maybe that explains he fuzzy uncertainty.
We finished back at Friends of Ham, this time with me on the Ikley Chocolate Chipotle Porter and a third of the Redchurch IPA, and Christingpher on a half of the porter as well. A fitting place to end our lengthy stumble around Leeds, and another great advert for going back again.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
well its taken a while but I finally made it back to Leeds, this time with dear friend Christingpher in tow. The plan was to start at Friends of Ham, therefore impressing my companion early on, and take him to a mix of ultra traditional and rather more achingly modern bars within tolerable walking distance.
Initially, having read about Clare at Feast and Glory venturing out to some of the suburbs to sample the pubs there, I thought about doing the same, but, truth be told, there's too much to see and too many good pubs not to be missed in and around the centre.
Starting in the Sheffield Tap, we sat in the new room with a half of Oakham Citra for Christingpher and a rather unwise pint of Oakham Green Devil IPA for me. Not unwise because it wasn't nice - it was absolutely excellent. But I only had 20 minutes to drink it, and hadn't sobered up fully from the night before. A case of getting straight back on the horse I suppose....
Once in Leeds Friends Of Ham was our first stop, where Christingpher toyed with the idea of having a Brodies London Sour, but went for a half of the Ilkley Chocolate Chipotle Porter, which was a spicy but tasty dark beer that nicely hit the spot. I tried the Kernel Table Beer and quickly decided against having a half - essentially a cold fizzy blob of hops, about as subtle as a brick. Much better was the Wild Beer Co Stalker, Scotch ale, which was a 7% deep red if not black ultra smooth drinking strong beer that cut through the food flavours brilliantly.
Talking of which, we had a combo of 3 meats and 3 cheeses. I chose the Carne Salata Malenca, a cured and lightly smoked pink coloured beef, the Salchichon De Vic, cured leg and pancetta salami, and the incredible Lardo. Christingpher chose the unpasteurised Brie de Meaux, the hard golden Mayfield Farmhouse and the Garlic Leaf wrapped Cornish Yarg. This was the real star of the cheeses, especially since you can eat the rind, such as it is, being garlic leaf. This also came with insanely orange chilli jam, chutney and oatmeal biscuits. As always it was superb. Christingpher loved the designs of the menus and beer mats and the nice touches of furnishings and assorted tableware; I just kept mmming and oohing about the meat.
We moved onto Whitelocks next as I had a cunning plan - going at around 15.00 it would be quieter than later on. Of course, I was wrong. It was heaving, so we sat outside, and supped very good halves of Wilson Potter Making Progress. Christingpher was especially impressed by the antiquity of the pub and its amazing copper bar tops.
On to the Ship off Briggate next but a paucity of interesting ale versus our long list of venues meant we didn't stop for a beer. We did however at the White Swan, next to the City Varieties. A large modern Leeds Brewery pub it was busy and offering about 9 real ales, including 3 guests. From these we chose the impeccable Marble Dobber. Kept in tip top condition this was one of the best beers of the day.
Next we headed to North Bar. Nice to see it in daylight (and to appreciate the brilliant sign) Christingpher switched to coffee and I had a painfully disappointing beer. Having heard plenty of buzz about Hand Drawn Monkey and Quantum breweries, I couldn't resist buying a half of their 6.0% collaboration beer - perhaps I should have asked for a taste first. An unpleasant, poorly balanced ascorbic bitter ale with a slightly metallic harshness. We didn't have time to choose another, and this was treally hard to drink. Must choose more carefully next time!
The Templar is a pub I haven't been to since about 1998. Its a fantastic long, tiled pub, previously being staunchly Tetley only but now branching out into guest beers. I had a pint and Christingpher a half of the Two Roses Chinook, which was very refreshing and crucially, a well balanced beer.
We got sat down at the far end and got chatting to a local about the now closed City of Mabgate pub, and also found out that our later destination, the Duck and Drake on Kirkgate, used to be called the Broughms, after a type of carriage (he insisted it was spelled like that - so presumably not Broughams?). There had been news of the Templar being closed, which would be a terrific shame. Hopefully the draw of guest ales and quality of the interior can sustain it.
We walked a cross the back next to the Town Hall and popped in the Victoria and Commercial for halves of Black Cat mild for Christingpher and half of a Ridgeside Blonde beer for me. It was totally heaving, which is a pleasing and equally frustrating feature of Leeds hostelries, and alas this made it difficult to appreciate the fine interior details. A fruitless search for the bar "Nation of Shopkeepers" followed (we think its now a bar named after a bookshop, but aren't sure) before we made the long walk down to Kirkgate.
Via a much needed snaffle from the German sausage stall we arrived at the Duck and Drake to find a great range of beers. We both had halves of the Liverpool Organic Jade and I also had a brilliant half of porter from a brewery I can't recall - which is a shame since it was really very good. One of the things I like about the DnD is that its unpretentious, a little rough round the edges, and seems to attract a varied crowd. Much less facial hair and knitwear than North, but also featuring some truly austere outside loos!
Further down Kirkgate we made our first visit to the Palace. A large Nicholsons pub selling a decent range of beers, we both had halves of Petersfield Porter from Nethergate, along with a half of California, a delightfully dark reddish ale from Bristol Beer factory. Both beers were in good condition.
The Adelphi was its usual vision of splendour when we arrived and there was quite a scrum at the bar to order. Christingpher finally caved in and tried the Kirkstall Three Swords, a beer that we had seen on in many pubs that day, and which he described as "alright", and me a tasty half of Revolutions Atomic Blonde.
A wander along main tributaries followed, down to what is described as Holbeck Urban Village, and the Grove. Well worth the walk, this is a traditional boozer incongruously situated amidst grim modern buildings on a dead end street off Water Lane. Probably the joint best pub of the night, I had a pint of Wharfebank Aramis, which had their signature flavour, and Christingpher a half of Old Moor Porter from Acorn, before I also had a half of the Black Cat Mild. This traditional multi roomed pub was full of great features and nooks and crannies and was as unspoilt as The Adelphi and Whitelocks, but in a more restrained and functional way. A must revisit pub.
Our penultimate stop off was at the Midnight Bell a few minutes walk away. We had a half and a pint of the excellent Geeves Smokey Joe Stout, another astonishingly tasty dark beer from this brewery, which we supped whilst keeping an eye on the time. I only ever went to the Midnight Bell once before and it didn't seem anything like I remembered! Mind you that was after a crawl of Huddersfield so maybe that explains he fuzzy uncertainty.
We finished back at Friends of Ham, this time with me on the Ikley Chocolate Chipotle Porter and a third of the Redchurch IPA, and Christingpher on a half of the porter as well. A fitting place to end our lengthy stumble around Leeds, and another great advert for going back again.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Lades
Good evening,
yesterday I decided to do something that I'd been intending to for a while. I had made the first faltering steps back in June 2011 (described at length here ) but now I decided I should go the whole hog and spend a day visiting some of Leeds' city centre watering holes. I photographed the excellent Leeds CAMRA city centre beer guide and set off with a thirst and an insatiable curiosity.
On arriving I tried to find a cash machine, without success. A Leodisian glitch that would also affect procedures later on, however soon, by luck rather than planning, I arrived at my intended first stop, Friends of Ham, on New Station Street.
Friends of Ham describes itself as a bar and charcuterie. It sells real ales, Keykeg and bottled exotica, a selction of unrivalled meats and cheeses and good wine. Beer, meat and cheese. Heaven.
Upstairs you enter a small busy bar area with limited seating. This is where you do important things like buy beer. You can stay up here if you want (and its quiet) but assuming its not too hot and stuffy its best to head downstairs for a more comfy and less "off the wall" selection of seating (annoying bar stools, humph). That said, downstairs its still not run of the mill.
Here it was busy and warm and featured the all important menus. I won't go into too much detail about the decor as that's already been done with aplomb by the Beer Prole here , instead I'll concentrate on the beer. I had a pint of Tynebank Cherry Stout, 5.2% to start, at an "interesting" £3.80 a pint, AKA about 80p too much. It soon became obvious that this wasn't the place to come if you were watching the pennies. The Tynebank was well kept and delicious, but a look through the beer menu showed fearful numbers such as Thornbridge Halcyon at £7.00 and Moor Old Freddy Walker (albeit in a 660ml bottle) at £10.00.
I think its a case of if you want to try something unusual or difficult to get, and there was oodles of that from breweries such as Redchurch, Beavertown, Quantum and Hawkshead, you may well be less concerned with things like the price. The only reason I can compare the price of Halcyon for example is its quite easy to get, but the fact that its under £5.00 a bottle at Dada makes this a less enjoyable comparison.
Still, I went back for a more reasonably priced Magic Rock Curious at £3.20 a pint. The Curious was enjoyable, but lacking in balance and not really reminiscent of the amazing examples encountered earlier in the year, which was disappointing. What was good though was my splashing out on a selection of three of the meats, which was £11.00. And that wasn't bad value. Because this was a porcine treasure box of delicious flavours and incomparable quality the likes of which I have never encountered before. Quite simply, the meat selection I tried, including the instant heart attack that is Lardo, was mesmerisingly brilliant.
And its for that reason that I will ignore the absurdities of the cost of the beers and remember my visit fondly with a determination to return. For more info see their new website.
Off next for a fruitless search for a working cash machine (15 bloody minutes, Grrr!) only to come all the way back to New Station Street to pop in the equally untraditional, but nonetheless enjoyable Leeds Brewery Tap. There were 6 Leeds beers on the bar here with a few guests. I started with a pint of Leeds Gathering Storm (£3.00) which was an enjoyable strong dark ale, although it faded a little toward the end, followed by halves of Leeds 7 spires, which was dry and hoppy but ultimately lifeless, and Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop, which was fantastic - one of the best beers of the day.
It was starting to get really busy in the Tap so I decided to head off for pastures new, using my camera to find addresses of pubs and the numerous street maps to navigate my way to Whitelocks First City Luncheon Bar.
Its a good few years since I was last here (last century) and my overwhelming impression, that being that it was rammed, has not changed. I did manage to get a beer quite quickly, halves of a 4.2% Goose Eye beer that I could not read the name of, and Kirkstall Pale, which I supped sat on benches outside. I really must come back on a Monday in February to really get a look at this place!
I dallied with the idea of visiting some of the other alleyway pubs further on, the Packhorse did nothing to tempt me and a bilious drunk burping in my face in the Sam Smiths Angel was hardly a recommendation, but the Ship was a great pub. Also completely rammed, I somehow made my way to the back where there was seating and took with me two excellent real ales from a range of about 5 - halves of Ilkley Fireside Porter and Ilkley Siberia Saison.
The staff seemed knowledgeable (and helpful in the seething scrum) and the beer was well kept and interesting. I also got directions to my next pub from here, which wasn't too far away.
Admittedly in the dark and with my poor eyesight I missed North Bar, but luckily a helpful soul pointed me in the right direction. Inside it was busy, but most noticeably dark, making choosing my tipple a lengthy squinty process. I settled on halves of North Prototype 3, and Ridgeside Black Night, and repaired to the back of the pub to share a table.
The prototype was uninteresting but the Ridgeside was really good. Also excellent was the music - much better to have interesting "edgy" (dear god!) music played loud than the tired old MOR fare that dirties the airwaves at an irritating just discernable volume in some pubs. At this stage I also decided, quite unwisely, to have a half of Red Willow Ageless- £2.20 a half but then it is 7.2%, and was incredibly good. The only down side was that it left significant holes in some of my later recollections....
Off along the Headrow next to Mr Foleys where I have no idea what I had to drink, but it was very nice. Presumably. That's literally all I have to say on that one! I then headed back down Briggate and off to the Duck and Drake on Kirkgate.
Firmly a more traditional music led pub, this reminded me of the (Grinning?) Rat in Keighley or the Shakespeare in Sheffield. Large, with bare boards and no frills but homely and with an emphasis on good beer. I had halves of Naylors Pinnacle Mild and Revolutions Brew Bela Lugosi's Dead, named after the iconic Bauhaus song of the same name - alas none was plated at the time.
Things were getting a little tiring now and I ended up in the Scarborough where I had a half of, erm...dark beer. I don't mind the Scarborough but also have a niggling dislike of the place that I can't explain. Still, the doorman was friendly and gave me an estimate of how long it would take to get to my last intended stop, the Adelphi. I decided instead to sensibly get the train home.
Once back in Sheffield after my sleep, I decided to finish on a few beers in the Sheffield Tap. I chose halves of Williams Bros 7 Giraffes, their Fraoch, and Magic Rock Rapture. To my disappointment the Magic Rock was poor, very one dimensional and ill at ease with itself. Perhaps the brilliance couldn't last forever? That's a good few Magic Rock I've had recently which, even taking into consideration vagaries such as cellar skills and wacky weather, have been quite poor. Lets hope this is just a temporary blip, the likes of which every brewery has. The Fraoch was dreadful by the way.
So, a fantastic trip out featured some new pubs to me and some great beers. Pub (or bar) of the day was a tie between North Bar and Friends of Ham, but the beer was far better in the North Bar - F.O.H wins plaudits mostly for its amazing food.
And beer of the day? The Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop. Better even than the Red Willow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
yesterday I decided to do something that I'd been intending to for a while. I had made the first faltering steps back in June 2011 (described at length here ) but now I decided I should go the whole hog and spend a day visiting some of Leeds' city centre watering holes. I photographed the excellent Leeds CAMRA city centre beer guide and set off with a thirst and an insatiable curiosity.
On arriving I tried to find a cash machine, without success. A Leodisian glitch that would also affect procedures later on, however soon, by luck rather than planning, I arrived at my intended first stop, Friends of Ham, on New Station Street.
Friends of Ham describes itself as a bar and charcuterie. It sells real ales, Keykeg and bottled exotica, a selction of unrivalled meats and cheeses and good wine. Beer, meat and cheese. Heaven.
Upstairs you enter a small busy bar area with limited seating. This is where you do important things like buy beer. You can stay up here if you want (and its quiet) but assuming its not too hot and stuffy its best to head downstairs for a more comfy and less "off the wall" selection of seating (annoying bar stools, humph). That said, downstairs its still not run of the mill.
Here it was busy and warm and featured the all important menus. I won't go into too much detail about the decor as that's already been done with aplomb by the Beer Prole here , instead I'll concentrate on the beer. I had a pint of Tynebank Cherry Stout, 5.2% to start, at an "interesting" £3.80 a pint, AKA about 80p too much. It soon became obvious that this wasn't the place to come if you were watching the pennies. The Tynebank was well kept and delicious, but a look through the beer menu showed fearful numbers such as Thornbridge Halcyon at £7.00 and Moor Old Freddy Walker (albeit in a 660ml bottle) at £10.00.
I think its a case of if you want to try something unusual or difficult to get, and there was oodles of that from breweries such as Redchurch, Beavertown, Quantum and Hawkshead, you may well be less concerned with things like the price. The only reason I can compare the price of Halcyon for example is its quite easy to get, but the fact that its under £5.00 a bottle at Dada makes this a less enjoyable comparison.
Still, I went back for a more reasonably priced Magic Rock Curious at £3.20 a pint. The Curious was enjoyable, but lacking in balance and not really reminiscent of the amazing examples encountered earlier in the year, which was disappointing. What was good though was my splashing out on a selection of three of the meats, which was £11.00. And that wasn't bad value. Because this was a porcine treasure box of delicious flavours and incomparable quality the likes of which I have never encountered before. Quite simply, the meat selection I tried, including the instant heart attack that is Lardo, was mesmerisingly brilliant.
And its for that reason that I will ignore the absurdities of the cost of the beers and remember my visit fondly with a determination to return. For more info see their new website.
Off next for a fruitless search for a working cash machine (15 bloody minutes, Grrr!) only to come all the way back to New Station Street to pop in the equally untraditional, but nonetheless enjoyable Leeds Brewery Tap. There were 6 Leeds beers on the bar here with a few guests. I started with a pint of Leeds Gathering Storm (£3.00) which was an enjoyable strong dark ale, although it faded a little toward the end, followed by halves of Leeds 7 spires, which was dry and hoppy but ultimately lifeless, and Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop, which was fantastic - one of the best beers of the day.
It was starting to get really busy in the Tap so I decided to head off for pastures new, using my camera to find addresses of pubs and the numerous street maps to navigate my way to Whitelocks First City Luncheon Bar.
Its a good few years since I was last here (last century) and my overwhelming impression, that being that it was rammed, has not changed. I did manage to get a beer quite quickly, halves of a 4.2% Goose Eye beer that I could not read the name of, and Kirkstall Pale, which I supped sat on benches outside. I really must come back on a Monday in February to really get a look at this place!
I dallied with the idea of visiting some of the other alleyway pubs further on, the Packhorse did nothing to tempt me and a bilious drunk burping in my face in the Sam Smiths Angel was hardly a recommendation, but the Ship was a great pub. Also completely rammed, I somehow made my way to the back where there was seating and took with me two excellent real ales from a range of about 5 - halves of Ilkley Fireside Porter and Ilkley Siberia Saison.
The staff seemed knowledgeable (and helpful in the seething scrum) and the beer was well kept and interesting. I also got directions to my next pub from here, which wasn't too far away.
Admittedly in the dark and with my poor eyesight I missed North Bar, but luckily a helpful soul pointed me in the right direction. Inside it was busy, but most noticeably dark, making choosing my tipple a lengthy squinty process. I settled on halves of North Prototype 3, and Ridgeside Black Night, and repaired to the back of the pub to share a table.
The prototype was uninteresting but the Ridgeside was really good. Also excellent was the music - much better to have interesting "edgy" (dear god!) music played loud than the tired old MOR fare that dirties the airwaves at an irritating just discernable volume in some pubs. At this stage I also decided, quite unwisely, to have a half of Red Willow Ageless- £2.20 a half but then it is 7.2%, and was incredibly good. The only down side was that it left significant holes in some of my later recollections....
Off along the Headrow next to Mr Foleys where I have no idea what I had to drink, but it was very nice. Presumably. That's literally all I have to say on that one! I then headed back down Briggate and off to the Duck and Drake on Kirkgate.
Firmly a more traditional music led pub, this reminded me of the (Grinning?) Rat in Keighley or the Shakespeare in Sheffield. Large, with bare boards and no frills but homely and with an emphasis on good beer. I had halves of Naylors Pinnacle Mild and Revolutions Brew Bela Lugosi's Dead, named after the iconic Bauhaus song of the same name - alas none was plated at the time.
Things were getting a little tiring now and I ended up in the Scarborough where I had a half of, erm...dark beer. I don't mind the Scarborough but also have a niggling dislike of the place that I can't explain. Still, the doorman was friendly and gave me an estimate of how long it would take to get to my last intended stop, the Adelphi. I decided instead to sensibly get the train home.
Once back in Sheffield after my sleep, I decided to finish on a few beers in the Sheffield Tap. I chose halves of Williams Bros 7 Giraffes, their Fraoch, and Magic Rock Rapture. To my disappointment the Magic Rock was poor, very one dimensional and ill at ease with itself. Perhaps the brilliance couldn't last forever? That's a good few Magic Rock I've had recently which, even taking into consideration vagaries such as cellar skills and wacky weather, have been quite poor. Lets hope this is just a temporary blip, the likes of which every brewery has. The Fraoch was dreadful by the way.
So, a fantastic trip out featured some new pubs to me and some great beers. Pub (or bar) of the day was a tie between North Bar and Friends of Ham, but the beer was far better in the North Bar - F.O.H wins plaudits mostly for its amazing food.
And beer of the day? The Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop. Better even than the Red Willow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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