Manchester Craft Beer Crawl

A day out in Manchester, in which we steered clear of the trad pubs and went in search of craft beer on industrial estates, and shiny brewing equipment.

Mrs PropUptheBar insisted that we do some tourist 'stuff' being as her 2023 resolution to do something cultural every week went astray.
Our route from the station took us past Alan Turing in Sackville Gardens...

Into Chinatown...

Then the art gallery..

Before I heard those wonderful words: "It's time for a beer".

We were handily close to the Bundobust Brewery on Oxford Road, giving us the chance to combine lunch with a Manchester beer guide tick.
I walked along the length of the St Jame's Building trying to recall which bit was once Jilly's Rock World.  (The bit that's now Tesco Metro apparently).
Bundobust, on the other hand, is in a renovated part of the building which was once known as the cart entrance and led to a car park.

Bundobust (61-69 Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 6EJ)
It's a spectacular place with the bar at the far end of the main room, all underneath a skylight with the tall walls of the building rising above it.

I like Bundobust for its no-nonsense ordering at the bar, spicy veggie food, and quality beer choice.  The ideal spot for me for lunch, even if I never know quite how many dishes to order (generally too many).

We were given a table right under the tidy beer board, listing 16 keg lines and a Kernel Table Beer on cask.  My choice was the Bundobust 'East is East', a hoppy 6.5% New England IPA which went well with paneer tikka and bundo chaat.

Only after ordering did I spot the 10.5% Vault City strawberry supernova and Omnipollo pecan mud cake imperial stout.  Which, in hindsight, is probably just as well.

Suitably fed and watered, we were ready to get started on the brewery taps we had planned for the day.
It was a 1-mile walk east to the Piccadilly Trading Estate.  Here's the route for the day... 

With blue skies and sunshine, Manchester was looking fantastic.

I used to walk along Whitworth Street most days of the week when I was student in the Aytoun Building of Manchester Met.  The old Uni buildings have changed beyond recognition, whilst I never really appreciated quite how stunning some of the architecture around this bit of the city is.

Back in my student days very few folks would ever have ventured the other side of the tracks at Piccadilly Station.  Where you'll now find new-build high-rises, hotels, and several brewery taps.  The first of which we visited being Cloudwater...

Cloudwater Unit 9 - Brewery Tap (Unit 9, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester, M1 2NP)
Giants of the Manchester craft brewing scene, Cloudwater occupy several of the Units along this road.  It was through the shutter labelled 'Barrel Store' that we entered.  Although there is space to sit downstairs, the bar itself is on the first floor.  All very bright in daylight hours, with stylish wooden bench seating; minimalist flower arrangements and menus for the Italian food truck on each table.

There were 22 beers on tap, handily listed as 'Easy Pints', 'One Offs', and 'Heavy Hitters'.  Of course I picked something very exotic and fairly strong from the heavy hitters list, before returning to the bar to try one of the two cask ales - an easy-drinking pale called 'The Pleasure of Finding Things Out'.
There was a superb beer list at Cloudwater which would have kept me happy for the whole afternoon.  Although the 'chill-out' coffee table techno that the DJ fella had put on was dreary and irritating and I was ready to move on.

Straight across the road, and one door down from the pop-up thrift market, is another brewery tap.

Track Brewery Tap (Unit 18, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester, M1 2NP)
Track were previously located in a nearby railway arch (which now has new occupants and was somewhere we'd be heading to next).
They've expanded into this much larger light and airy industrial unit where there is lots of shiny brewing kit in the rear half, pizza being cooked to one side, bar counter and small fridge close to the door.  And a BIG houseplant in a barrel in the middle of the room...

I had a bit of beer envy here as Mrs PropUptheBar picked a 'Language Barrier Double Gingernut Stout'.  This was one of 4 different barrel-aged versions of the 12.5% imperial stout.
I was being much more sensible with the 5.6% cask 'Made in the Shade' - a very pleasant porter in a dimpled mug.

On a brewery tap roll now, we marched back down Adair Street, then right onto Sheffield Street, which runs adjacent to the railway lines.  Where you've got proper brewery taps of the  railway arch variety.

Sureshot (4 Sheffield Street, Manchester, M1 2ND)
Opened in 2022, this is a deceptively big railway arch, although considering the number of tracks leading into Piccadilly above it, I guess it's no surprise that this stretches some way back from the street.
The bar is midway through the room, odd art and the occasional neon sign decorating the walls, whilst brewing equipment is out of sight in the adjacent arch.

The music was drowned out by a raucous group of around 20 lads in tight jeans, presumably on a stag do.  The main man, in his felt jesters hat, was being forced to drink a third of some sort of cololurful concoction which he kept on squirming at, insisting he could manage no more.  Mrs PropUptheBar reckoned it looked like a Vault City sour, just the kind of thing she likes, and didn't know what all the fuss was about.

I stuck with the dark beer at Sureshot, drinking their very nice and strangely named stout: 'Dog and Horse at the Oatcake Shop'.

We moved on, just a few arches down the road, to somewhere a little bit different.

Balance Brewing and Blending Taproom (10 Sheffield Street, Manchester, M1 2ND)
Balance specialises in producing mixed culture, barrel-fermented beers.  Instead of shiny brewing equipment, the view into the depths of the archway is of dusty old barrels...

There were five beers available on tap: a 3.7% table beer or a saison from Balance themselves; guests from Pastore ('Sake Kasu Beer') and Beak or Union offering pale ale and lager for the less adventurous.

I ordered the 'Saison de Maison Blend 6' and the Pastore, then embarrassingly got them mixed up in the four steps between the bar and our table.  Both lovely unusual beers that made a nice change for the palate.

That was the plan complete for the brewery taps for the day.
Walking back through town, we made our way to a current Beer Guide pub that I've never set foot in.

The Molly House (26 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3NB)
There is a spectacular building-size mural on the side facing the gravel parking lot, then multiple rooms within this one-time tailors shop.  Gotta admit that I didn't know how spacious it was as we headed straight into the room to the left of the door, assumed that was it, grabbing the last table which was reserved for Angela in 30 minutes time.

On the bar were two beers each from local brewers Brightside and Big Trip.
My Big Trip was way past best, diligently returned on my behalf by Mrs PropUptheBar and replaced by the same breweries 'Wah Wah' pale ale.

It would have been good to bring you pictures of the intriguingly decorated upstairs rooms, but all I manged was this...sorry!

Time had raced by, the sun was getting lower in the sky, and we were beginning to think about what train back we needed to aim for.  
Just time for a bite to eat and one last beer in Society.  This is located next to the Bridgewater Hall, down some steps into a basin of the Rochdale Canal.  A good setting for fine weather with outdoor seating next to the water.

Society (101 Barbirolli Square, Manchester, M1 3BD)
This was launched by Vocation Brewery in 2021; a food hall featuring several vendors in kitchens along one side, cocktail, wine, and coffee bars, and a beer bar with a lengthy tap list.
It's yet another unusual Good Beer Guide entry for the city, although I can't fault the cask choice.

Tempting as the cask ale was, there lots of competition for my attention on the massive 30-strong tap lines.
I decided to end the day with something big, bold, and dark - Vocation's 8.4% 'Triple Choc Truffle' milk stout.  Absolutely wonderful stuff, along with a burger and dirty fries.

With seating for up to 350 folk, it's a noisy place, most tables at least part-occupied when we were there, and the hubble of shouted conversation blending into the electro music.  Not one for a quiet drink in trad surroundings, then.

With full belly and rosy cheeks, we departed Society ready for the journey home where it was Mrs PropUptheBar falling asleep on the train this time instead of me.
I had a determined plan to watch the Bet Shop Boys in the Nags Head at Macclesfield when we arrived back, but scooted straight past the door with my Travelodge bed calling out instead.  Turns out starting a craft beer tour at midday and picking a fair few 6%-and-upward beers isn't conducive with staying out late watching 80's tribute bands.

Macclesfield Pub Crawl

It's been two-and-a-half years since I last set foot in Macclesfield in the rain and managed to gatecrash the Beer and Pubs forum curated day of pub exploration.
So, about time to revisit, check out the current Beer Guide entries, and hope to get some pictures with blue sky in the background.

Our lunchtime arrival was greeted with some unusual words from me - for whom food is often, regrettably, an afterthought - "I've got a plan for lunch".
Mrs PropUptheBar was equally impressed that it didn't involve the words 'Wetherspoon' or 'Tesco meal deal'.
Nope, we were heading to the food hall in the Picturedrome on Chestergate for the start of our pub crawl.

Jack in the Box (Picturedrome, 102-104 Chestergate, Macclesfield, SK11 6 DU)
This opened as a single screen cinema with seating for 700 back in 1911.  Overshadowed by larger cinemas in later years, the Picturedrome became a bingo hall run by Wild Bingo in the 70's, before being converted to offices in the 90's.
But in recent years it has taken on a new lease of life entirely, opening as a combined retail, bar and restaurant complex in October 2019.

One side of the hall is home to a number of food outlets where you can grab yourself pizza, kebab, posh burger, and scrumptious looking cakes, amongst other things.  But before you get to those, just to the side of the main entrance is Jack in the Box for all your beer and cider requirements and Restore for those of a wine-drinking persuasion.

This is one of three similar bars operated by Blackjack Brewery, the others being in Manchester and Altrincham.
Admittedly, it's not much of a pub to begin our pub crawl, with just a couple of small tables in front of the bar itself.  But if you're looking for a good choice of fodder and accompanying beer, this is a cracking place.
There were four cask Blackjack ales on offer: Irish red, brown ale, or pale ale in two varieties.  A ‘Pub Ale: Brown’ for me, £4.50 a pint, card payment only.

Accompanied by a super paneer kebab and garlic wedges.

Well, that was a successful, tasty, and sensible start to the day.  

Let's go and find some local brew and Bass.
We strolled through town; did a spot of shopping; took a couple of pictures of the tile bridge, and a snap of the Ian Curtis mural which was in Manchester last time I looked.

Then we headed to the main outlet for the local Red Willow Brewery.

Red Willow to the left, as I realise I've confusingly captured two bars in one picture

Red Willow Pub (32a Park Green, Macclesfield, SK11 7NA)
A converted former shop unit, this was bright and airy with big picture windows; very much a modern cafe/bar type of venue that's going to appeal to folks who don't normally like pubs.
The counter looks great, with a wooden bar back featuring a clock, old bits of brewing pipework, keg taps, and a TV display to peruse the available beers.

Sticking to the cask, I opted for the Red Willow ‘Sabro Simcoe’ a sub 4% super pale ale.  We settled at a table and watched the customers outdoors being driven inside by a sudden downpour.  I really do like the Red Willow beers and can remember when these first began to appear in London pubs, intriguing me as to how many more names finishing in 'less' they would be able to come up with.

Just a few steps around the corner took us onto Sunderland Street, where you'll find a fair few pubs and bars which make a bit of a crawl by themselves.

I was making a return visit to the Jolly Sailor, keeping my fingers crossed that we'd find the Bass available.

The Jolly Sailor (63 Sunderland Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6HN)
There are three distinct areas to this town pub - the locals gathered in the front section by the TV, a wonderful couple of seats by the fireplace to the side, and an area beyond the bar with shelves full of books and curios.
That's where we sat, Mrs PropUptheBar becoming engrossed in a chunky WWII historical paperback from the bookshelf behind us.  She proclaimed that if the armchair by the fire became available she was moving in for the rest of the day.

And the ales - well, it's a solid trad line-up.

I picked the...oh,c'mon, you know what I picked 😃🔺

Three o'clock being and gone, we took time out to check in to our hotel for the weekend, lightened our load, and set out on the longest walk of the day.
Our destination was the current Good Beer Guide entry and microbrewery, approximately 15-minutes on foot from the centre. 

Happy Valley Pizza & Tap (73 Oxford Road, Macclesfield, SK11 8JG)
This sits on a road junction with a nice triangular green in front of it, the pubs A-boards out on display to promote the pizza and beer.  Although I'm not sure you need A-boards when the sign on the corner of the building is quite so big.

Step inside and it is an L-shaped pub with the bar in the rear section.  Several tables of Friday afternoon customers were in the front room, a chap with a beer and Don Winslow book waited for his takeaway pizzas, and a few folks were in the back garden making the most of a little bit of sunshine between the rain showers.

There were three cask ales available - mild, stout, and pale.  But here's the problem: in, as the menu stated, "Macclesfield's only brewpub", all the customers were drinking continental lager.
The stout was so-so, the mild dreadful.
Why oh why do I get half way through a pint before concluding 'I think this is off'.  It had a really odd taste to it which I initially mistook as being intentional before deciding that couldn't be the case.  Oh well, never mind.  I popped to the bar and procured a half of the pale ale on tap to make up for my Mild disappointment.

We set out on the walk back towards the town centre, returning to Sunderland Street where the Treacle Tap is a short way down from the Jolly Sailor.

Treacle Tap (43 Sunderland Street, SK11 6JL)
This micro bar has only been open since December 2023, but is surely going to challenge for a beer guide place in the future.  It is run by Derbyshire brewer Buxton, located in a one-time equestrian shop, and named after Macclesfield's nickname which comes from a barrel of treacle running down or something.
One narrow room with tables along each side and the bar one-step higher at the back.  Top marks for the really friendly staff who were keen to make recommendations to assist us picking from the three cask ales and half-a-dozen keg options.

I went for the sensible choice - Buxton ‘Hatchet’ a very light, 3.4% session IPA.
Then the inevitable foolish return to the bar - Buxton 'Double Gatekeeper' an 8.2% impy stout.

  

I was going to make the Castle the next stop, but this turned out to be packed to the rafters with no comfortable space to stand or perch on this occasion.
Instead, we made a ten minute walk over the railway lines and up Brook Street.

The Wharf (107 Brook Street, Macclesfield, SK11 7AW)
Whilst the Castle had been ridiculously busy, the Wharf was a bit worryingly quiet with just a half-dozen in.
There was a decent range of casks, including less usual picks from Osset and Abbeydale.  It was the Brewsmith 'Rule of Three' that I went for - a really enjoyable pint on top form.

I really liked the Wharf, a lovely pub that I do hope gets the number of customers it deserves at other times.

We gravitated towards the darts boards in the back section of the pub where table skittles occupied us for most of our visit.  Also known as Devil Amongst the Tailors in some parts. 
I'm amazed to find we were playing it within the rules (just about).  Although not with a great deal of high scoring success.

I think the chap who came in just as I was nearing the end of my pint wanted to challenge me at the skittles, but I scuttled off shyly, in fear that we were playing it completely wrongly. 
I wouldn't mind having a pub like this close to home - I'd be down there trying to master that game right now, with another cracking pint within arms reach.

Back by the station is the dominant red brick Queens Hotel, with some great Joseph Holt signage at roof level.

The Queens (5 Albert Place, Macclesfield, SK11 6JW)
This is a large pub, with several parts to it: a spacious main bar, games room with pool table to one side, and a separate room through a door to the side of the bar, occupied by some kind of board gamers on our visit.

We picked the cushioned bench seating under the window with a view of the bar and some European footy on the TV screen.

Just the Holt's bitter on offer for cask drinkers, at a very agreeable price, and very quaffable.
This is a great traditional old pub that I was very happy to have found time to visit - a satisfying place to end an evening.  

And that brings to a close our Macclesfield pub explorations - a town with plenty of variety and choice to keep the beer and pub enthusiast happy.
I missed the Silk Trader and never did get to see the Bet Shop Boys with a pint of Robbies in the Nags Head. 
I've omitted the Castle from this post, but did make it back there on Sunday evening - a wonderful old pub that you must visit if you find yourself in this neck of the woods. 

Uttoxeter Pub Explorations

There will be Bass (again).
A sunny afternoon trip to the town of Uttoxeter on the eastern edges of Staffordshire, not too far from the spiritual home of Bass, guaranteeing a few pints.
I set off just after 10am from Stafford on the excitingly named 'Chaserider' bus 841, a £2 fare cap ride for the 60-minute journey.

 

All good days start in 'Spoons.  Okay, all days when you arrive too early for the other pubs start in Spoons.

The Old Swan (Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HN)
Not a lot of love in the recent Tripadvisor reviews for the Old Swan.  "Worst pub ever and I've been to a few Wetherspoons" said Louise K a short while before I visited.
But have you been to the Cowley 'Spoons Louise?

On the downside: convoluted route up a narrow staircase to the WCs; no-one interested in clearing away the breakfast detritus at the end of my table.
On the plus-side: I caught up with a bit of stuff on the wifi having refused to pay an extra £3 at the Travelodge.  And not a bad beer, served by a cheerful chap.

I opted for the Ilkley 'Ruby Jane', with Titanic 'Plum Porter' being the only other interesting option alongside the regular cask collection.

You can wander a bit further afield in Uttoxeter to really do the pub explorations properly.  Or you can just lazily amble around the market square, as I did, where there are a half dozen pubs to pick from.
The second call of the day for me was at the Talbot...

Ye Old Talbot (43 Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HF)
This is an old inn dating back to the 16th century.
Stepping through the front door took me to the wonderful bar room, with a roaring fire going and all the tables occupied by cheery locals.
Here's the tricky beer choice...

Decisions Decisions Decisions...

I took my pint around the corner into a second area at the front of the building, past the big DJ booth and betting slips in a holder on the wall.  This didn't have the same character as the tables by the bar, but never mind.

Music-wise we got a lesser-known Free track playing on the jukebox which one chap was eager to identify, whizzing around to where I was to check the juke box. 
"I told you it was Paul Rodgers", he shouted back to the main bar..."c'mon, you know...Free...♩ awwl right now...𝅘𝅥𝅯𝆕"

Tracks followed by X (hmmm) and Bootsy Collins (oh yes!) before dodgy pop took centre stage.

I liked the Talbot.  It reminded me of the village pubs in my early drinking days.
Don't bump your head on the way out...

Ouch

My next stop was the only current Beer Guide entry in Uttoxeter, which seems pretty remarkable when I think of some of the places I've trekked around to for Guide ticks.

Night Inn (Lion Building, 8 Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HP)
I did take a stroll to the Uttoxeter Brewery itself but, despite various sources suggesting they may be open on a Friday afternoon, the doors were firmly shut.
No drinking the beer at the local source then, but the Night Inn, established in July 2020, does act as their tap room.
Here's the Uttoxeter Brewing Company cask line-up to pick from... 

I went for the 'Bartley Bitter', the one with a boxer on the front named after bareknuckle champion Bartley Gorman.  Other than the casks there was a good keg choice from Salt, Vocation and Brew York.

The music is pure 80s' gold - Billy Ocean, The Police, A-ha, The Bangles, Men at Work - all the most predictable tracks and all slightly too loud had you wanted a conversation.
But, as you can see, no-one to converse with except the chap who came in and sat as far away from me as possible.  Hang on a minute...didn't that happen in the last post too?

Right, let's do another circuit of the market square stopping only at the jacket potato kiosk in the monument in the middle for some great value nourishment.
Tatty, cheese, and beans fueled me for the remaining two pub visits.
The first of which was in the Black Swan which got a bit of criticism for the modern grey paint job when I posted a picture on Twitter.

Black Swan (4 Market Street, Uttoxeter, ST14 8JA)
Like the Talbot, this is another Grade II listed building that dates back to the 16th century.  Doors to the bars are tucked down the coaching passageway.  I stepped through the first door which took me to the empty small front bar where I think I would have stood half the day without being noticed.

Now that's a proper pub carpet

The action - well, the landlady and four Carling-drinking blokes deep in concentration over a card game - was in the back bar.
Two hand pulls: two Bass pump clips.  On decent form again, matching the quality in the Old Talbot earlier.

I would have liked to have called into the micro whilst here but they didn't open the doors until midway through the afternoon by which point I needed to be back on the Chaserider bus.  So there were a few more stops on a Uttoxter tour of intoxication that I'd like to have done given more time.  But there was no way I was missing the Vaults...

The Vaults of Uttoxeter (22 Market Place, Uttoxeter, ST14 8HP)
This is a cracking 18th century red brick building with unmissable etched glass windows.
A couple of steps straight beyond the door take you up into the main bar with four tables and piano in the corner.  Through an archway is a games room to the back with darts and table skittles.
I was there about 20-minutes after opening time and got the last table, a good dozen folks looking very settled and cheery already.

There is no pondering the beer choice here - Bass rules - sipped by the landlord from a dimpled mug every time he got a break in serving people.
Jazz piped through the speakers at just the right volume, mini domestic turmoil and some dubious humour from the one chap at slightly too high a volume.

There is something magical about the Vaults, soaking in the proper pub atmosphere with a pretty superb pint of Bass in front of you.

All I need now is a rainbow over the Seeplechase pub to complete the post.
Ah...there we go...