Craft Beer



Ambivalent Dave said:
Have you tried the Two By Two tap room yet? Just up the bank from the Free Trade. Its not as sterile as FCBC, and their beer is also very decent. I've had some very decent sessions in there, and its only been open since August!
Taprooms are never going to be like pubs, FC is class, but again thats down to opinions.
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Not the biggest fan of taprooms myself, a hard sell to most of my mates and not even worth trying to get the missus to go to one 🤣
 
Ambivalent Dave said:
Have you tried the Two By Two tap room yet? Just up the bank from the Free Trade. Its not as sterile as FCBC, and their beer is also very decent. I've had some very decent sessions in there, and its only been open since August!
Taprooms are never going to be like pubs, FC is class, but again thats down to opinions.
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Yeah I have tried it. It’s still a room with a couple of benches in and a sound system. The beer is fantastic though and they are such a consistently good brewery. It is so rare to get a bad pint from them.

I went on a boiling hot day and sitting outside in the sun with a few tunes, some great pints and the smell of the food vans it was a great day but the inside is not that great.

I asked the bar staff why the brewers called their beers after the hops that go in them as it makes them harder to order and they said they had tried to persuade them against it but the brewers insisted.
 
Town End Farmer Giles said:
Not the biggest fan of taprooms myself, a hard sell to most of my mates and not even worth trying to get the missus to go to one 🤣
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They can be canny shite in the winter like, pubs all the way for me. In the summer they're spot on as usually got a decent outdoor space. I still need to drag up the enthusiasm to do those final 7 in London. :) Reckon I'll give it a rest until the spring.

Every taproom could improve itself tenfold by putting seats in that have backs on them. :lol: I'd gladly never sit on a wooden bench again in my life. I know they're convenient as they pack away well, but they're so shit.

The better taprooms are those where they've made an effort to make it a bit more like a pub. Think that will be the natural evolution of taprooms in the UK as people start wanting more than a few chairs next to the bins. Obviously not every place can do that like.
 
James said:
They can be canny shite in the winter like, pubs all the way for me. In the summer they're spot on as usually got a decent outdoor space. I still need to drag up the enthusiasm to do those final 7 in London. :) Reckon I'll give it a rest until the spring.

Every taproom could improve itself tenfold by putting seats in that have backs on them. :lol: I'd gladly never sit on a wooden bench again in my life. I know they're convenient as they pack away well, but they're so shit.

The better taprooms are those where they've made an effort to make it a bit more like a pub. Think that will be the natural evolution of taprooms in the UK as people start wanting more than a few chairs next to the bins. Obviously not every place can do that like.
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Another reason I like FCBC to be honest. I know it’s been claimed to be a bit sterile. It’s warm in the winter, and it has decent furniture ☺
 
Ambivalent Dave said:
Another reason I like FCBC to be honest. I know it’s been claimed to be a bit sterile. It’s warm in the winter, and it has decent furniture ☺
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Agreed, it's excellent, and I reckon that you'll see the bigger breweries attempt to follow that model as it's far more functional year round. I suppose Cloudwater led the way on this, their taproom has always been more like a bar rather than sat beside the brewing floor.

That being said I'll be in a taproom tomorrow evening sat on a wooden bench as I'm going to a gig at a venue on the Bermondsey Beer Mile!
 
James said:
Agreed, it's excellent, and I reckon that you'll see the bigger breweries attempt to follow that model as it's far more functional year round. I suppose Cloudwater led the way on this, their taproom has always been more like a bar rather than sat beside the brewing floor.

That being said I'll be in a taproom tomorrow evening sat on a wooden bench as I'm going to a gig at a venue on the Bermondsey Beer Mile!
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The original taproom in the arches behind Piccadilly was very simplistic, I actually preferred it to the new one which can feel a bit bright and soulless.
 
James said:
They can be canny shite in the winter like, pubs all the way for me. In the summer they're spot on as usually got a decent outdoor space. I still need to drag up the enthusiasm to do those final 7 in London. :) Reckon I'll give it a rest until the spring.

Every taproom could improve itself tenfold by putting seats in that have backs on them. :lol: I'd gladly never sit on a wooden bench again in my life. I know they're convenient as they pack away well, but they're so shit.

The better taprooms are those where they've made an effort to make it a bit more like a pub. Think that will be the natural evolution of taprooms in the UK as people start wanting more than a few chairs next to the bins. Obviously not every place can do that like.
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If you’re even in Birmingham drop in to the Sommar tap, it’s class. Really nicely done out and feels like the brewery has been put into a drinking space rather than the other way round.
 
DoctorMick said:
If you’re even in Birmingham drop in to the Sommar tap, it’s class. Really nicely done out and feels like the brewery has been put into a drinking space rather than the other way round.
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Noted. Bidding for some work there at the moment so a site visit may be in order.

Kernel taproom tonight. Export stout on cask, holy moly what a beer that is, and never tasting better. Followed up with a couple of Biere de Saison's (Apricot and a cherry and mosaic). Class.
 
James said:
What's on the to do list? Cantillon just started brewing this week for next season's beers, I'd be heading straight there for the tour and tasting if you've not done it before!
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Looking forward to some of the old haunts - Au Bon Vieux Temps, A la Becasse, Toone, Poechenellekelder, etc. Going to try out a few new ones including the Brasserie de la Senne taproom.

We did the Cantillon tour/tasting back in 2018. Mostly enjoyed it but one of the staff was really rude and patronising to the women in our group. Might just be me and the BIL who go!
 
FlyingLotus said:
Looking forward to some of the old haunts - Au Bon Vieux Temps, A la Becasse, Toone, Poechenellekelder, etc. Going to try out a few new ones including the Brasserie de la Senne taproom.

We did the Cantillon tour/tasting back in 2018. Mostly enjoyed it but one of the staff was really rude and patronising to the women in our group. Might just be me and the BIL who go!
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Sounds class that mate, very jealous. Hire an escooter and head out to BdlS, it's worth it just to neck a pint of Taras Boulba and Zenne Pils straight from the source. They've got a canny outdoor space but, erm, probably not the weather for it in November. :)

I'd recommend trying out the Brussels Beer Project taproom and Brasserie Surrealiste in Dansaert. Both very contrasting spaces to the old brown bars! Surrealiste has an interesting toilet area...

Moeder Lambic is great too, and GIST just around the corner. Man Brussels is such a great city for drinking.
 

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