Local Brewery Taps – Part One
So you want the best pubs to try local beers? The official taps are probably a good start!
Category: Pubs
Local Brewery Taps
So you want the best pubs to try local beers? The official taps are probably a good start!
Abbeydale
The original Abbeydale tap is the Rising Sun at Nether Green near Fulwood on bus routes 83a or 120. This has recently seen huge investment in an extension and as well as offering a large range of beers including both Abbeydale and guests it offers a menu of good quality home cooked food. The Rising Sun is also home to Sunfest, their annual summer beer festival when the car park is closed off to make way for a series of tents, housing a bar serving a choice of over 100 beers plus cider, food and music. Abbeydale also now operate the Devonshire Cat in the city centre serving great beer and food in a more contemporary building.Blue Bee
Blue Bee Brewery is owned by Reet Ale pubs, who operate a total of 5 pubs. The higher profile city centre pub is the Rutland Arms on Brown Street. There are six handpumps dispensing Blue Bee beers plus guests and interesting craft keg beers are also on the bar along with a real cider tap. Its an old street corner boozer with a classic tiled frontage and a suitably shabby look to the place, however it also has food prepared by a decent kitchen team – if you want something to soak the ale up try a Slutty Rutty Butty (chips, cheese, bacon, sauce) however if you want a nice meal the specials board often has dishes that would be at home in a fine dining restaurant – at pub prices. Look out for evidence displayed around the pub of the staff humour and take special note of the forbidden music board if you put money in the juke box. Reet Ale Pubs also operate the Three Tuns in the City Centre, Closed Shop at Commonside, Old Crown on London Road and Reet Pizza at the Punchbowl in Crookes.Bradfield
Catch the 61 bus from Hillsborough Interchange towards High Bradfield and when you hit countryside you will come to the Nags Head in Loxley. This friendly and cosy pub is frequented both by local regulars and people visiting the area, with walks around the nearby reservoir always popular. The Nags Head offers a range of beers from Bradfield Brewery which is just up the road and food is served too, with the pub particularly known for its pies. It is also known for charging very reasonable prices!Drone Valley
The Three Tuns in Dronfield is an unofficial brewery tap, however Sarah and Dave who run the pub do have connections with the brewery, which is a community benefit company. The Tuns is a friendly place with a large range of real ales and ciders and all day food service featuring simple, good value home cooked pub grub with the Sunday dinners especially recommended – they are very popular though so booking is essential! Buses 43, 43a, 44 stop close by.Emmanuales
Emmanuales doesn’t have a brewery tap as such – they cuckoo brew at Sheffield Brewery however so the odd cask may turn up at their tap, the Gardeners Rest at Neepsend. The majority of their beers go into bottle, so try Beer Central in the Moor Market, Hop Hideout on Abbeydale Road, Archer Road Beer Stop at Millhouses or Beer Stop at Dronfield.Exit 33
The Harlequin on Nursery Street, Bridgehouses, is the tap for Exit 33 craft brewery with guest beers also available. It also offers Sheffield’s biggest choice of ciders and features live music at the weekend. A simple (but well done) food menu is available.Fuggle Bunny
Again, no official brewery tap although their beers do regularly appear locally. The best option however is to drink from the source – the brewery opens to the public every Friday evening with take outs available! The brewery is about 10 minutes walk from Halfway tram terminus or bus 71 passes outside.Hope Valley
You probably won’t have heard of this brewery unless you have stayed in the YHA Youth Hostel located between Hope and Castleton where it is based in an outbuilding. The manager is the brewer and he produces small batches on an as and when basis. The only place that serves the beer in the Youth Hotel itself – you will notice a refreshment counter joining the reception desk when you check in and that it has a handpump. The beer is available at selected events and in the dining room from time to time.Hopjacker
The Dronfield Arms in Dronfield, a few minutes walk from the station, is home to Hopjacker brewery which can be viewed through a glass section of floor near the bar area! The brewery is only about a year old but has already established a reputation for good beer and innovation, a recent example of the latter being a 6% rhubarb and custard beer!Intrepid
Another brewery located in the Peak District’s Hope Valley, this one is at Brough near Bradwell. A range of regular beers include a Blonde, American Pale, Stout, Porter and Bitter with suitable adventure type names are brewed along with regular specials brewed that are either interpretations of world beer styles or collaborations with local organisations. The local pub that regularly stocks their beer is the Anglers Rest in Bamford, a community owned pub that hosts not just a bar but a cafe and post office!Kelham Island
The Fat Cat in Kelham Island is next door to the brewery and is pretty much the pub that kicked off the real ale revolution in Sheffield – when it opened it was fairly unknown for a pub to offer a range of guest ales. It is a pub with an old fashioned layout, friendly atmosphere, cheap and simple home cooked food and a great beer garden.Little Critters
A fairly new Sheffield brewery, run by the same people as the Doctors Orders near the University of Sheffield and the Fox & Duck in Broomhill, both student pubs that offer a range of Little Critters beers. The Doctors Orders also serves food and recently won a best student pub award at the Morning Advertiser Great British Pub awards.Lost Industry
A brewery that likes to experiment with all sorts of beer styles and ingredients with beers released in bottle, in cask and in keg. They don’t have a regular tap although there are regular bottle stockists, look out for them turning up on draft now and again in the various craft orientated bars.Mitchells Hop House
Mitchells again doesn’t have a regular tap, however the brewery is attached to an off licence where you can buy their bottled beers. You will find it at Meadowhead shops (buses 24, 25, 43, 44, 75, X17). Their beers do however turn up on cask now and again at the New Barrack Tavern near Hillsborough.Neepsend
The Wellington at Shalesmoor, located by the tram stop, has now reopened following refurbishment and under the new ownership of Neepsend Brewery. It is a classic two room drinkers pub.North Union
North Union doesn’t normally produce cask beer, their quality craft beers are however available in bottles in most of the specialist beer shops around our area (such as Beer Central, Turners, Hop Hideout, Dronfield Beer Stop, Archer Road Beer Stop etc). They also turn up on keg now and again.On the Edge
This is a nano brewery located in the owners kitchen! There is no regular tap house although the beers do turn up from time to time at the Broadfield, however look out for their 9-pin events advertised. They take place about three times a year at the Old Junior School on South View Road, Sharrow, featuring a pin each of 9 different interesting beers they have recently brewed.Regather
This co-operative organisation has a small brewery that is used for special events including brewing courses and beer and food matching evenings, however a limited quantity is also brewed for bottles to sell. Look out for the events at Regather Works in Nether Edge advertised.Sentinel
The Sentinel Brewhouse is more a brewery with a bar rather than a brewpub, however it is a great venue to go and drink fresh beer and grab a bite to eat to go with it. You’ll find it on Shoreham Street between BBC Radio Sheffield and the inner ring road (buses 1, 1a, 24, 25, 56 stop on the other side of the dual carriageway).Sheffield Brewery Co
The Gardeners Rest at Neepsend is associated with Sheffield Brewery and offers a range of their beers plus interesting guests. The pub has three rooms – snug, lounge and conservatory plus a quirky riverside patio area. The Gardeners is also home to art, music and a bar billiards table. Oh and a mannequin. Bus 7 and 8 stops outside.Stancill
Stancill have two of their own pubs – the Horse & Jockey at Wadsley and the Norfolk Arms at Grenoside. Both are recently refurbished, showcase their beer range and are community orientated and have regular events. See their advert for more details.Steel City
Steel City is a part time cuckoo brewing operation consisting of Dave Szwejkowski turning up at Toolmakers Brewery and brewing something interesting at a frequency of approximately once every when he can be bothered. Most of his beers are the kind of hop monsters he enjoys drinking but chilli beers and other crazy experimental beers have also been produced and always to a high standard. Look out for his beers in the Forest and Shakespeare’s.Tapped
The Sheffield Tap bar on platform 1b of Sheffield railway station probably needs no introduction. Its the old first class refreshment rooms that stood empty and near derelict for a number of years before Pivovar restored them to the full ornate glory, opened it as a real ale and craft beer bar with its own in house brewery. There is always a range of their beers on the bar at the Tap, additionally there is usually a Tapped beer on the bar at the Hillsborough Hotel.Toolmakers
The Forest on Rutland Road near Neepsend is the dedicated tap owned by Toolmakers brewery, with the brewery located just around the corner. The brewery is in an old toolmakers workshop, hence the name, brewing a variety of beers named after the theme. The Forest pub is a traditional local with two rooms, friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices.True North
True North operate a whole chain of bars offering craft beer, food and more – in the city centre there is the Old House, Common Room and Forum, in Broomhill the York is theirs, they also run the Broadfield on Abbeydale Road, the British Oak in Mosborough and the Blue Stoops in Dronfield – amongst others. The brewery itself is in Sheffield city centre alongside Devonshire Green.
The Bar Stewards Micro Pub
The Bar Stewards is a new micropub and bottle shop due to open next year, in the meantime a number of temporary ‘preview’ openings are taking place on a temporary licence with the venue as a work in progress.
The first of these advertised was the last weekend in October with the pub being spartan but functional with three cask ales – from Blue Bee, Neepsend and Hopjacker – served on gravity direct from the cask behind the bar and a fridge full of cans and bottles.
The Bar Stewards can be found on Gibralter Street, across the road from Shakespeare’s pub in one of the new shop units – the whole building has been renovated.
Once the venue is up and running full time there will be a number of handpumps dispensing cask beers from a proper cellar along with a number of craft keg beers, quality spirits and cider.
Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs
CAMRA has recently released the new edition of Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs. This book explores over 250 UK pubs which have real historic significance. This book and its regional companions are the result of over 25 years research by CAMRA to discover pubs that are essentially unaltered and/or have features of national historic importance. Sheffield has four entries: The Bath Hotel, The Grapes, The Sheffield Tap and The White Lion.
These, and many more, are included on the CAMRA Pub Heritage website: www.heritagepubs.org.uk On this site, Sheffield has the largest number of entries of any Yorkshire city: Sheffield 17, York 14, Leeds 12.
Sheffield has three pubs which have an historic pub interior of national importance: The Bath, The Sheffield Tap and the Sportsman (Hackenthorpe).
– Dave Pickersgill
Sheffield has three pubs which have an historic pub interior of national importance: The Bath, The Sheffield Tap and the Sportsman (Hackenthorpe).
– Dave Pickersgill Railway Hotel, Bramall Lane
We’ve just turned one! We can’t quite believe it but we’ve been pulling pints for over a year already. Obviously we’re going to have party and the date you have to remember is the 5th November. They’ll be loads of food on plus plenty of great beer so head down and say hello.
There have also been plenty of changes over the last couple of months here at the Railway, some a long time in the making and a couple that were a little more spontaneous. Firstly we’ve finally made some improvements to the gents toilets, something that has been badly needed since we opened last year I’m sure you’ll all agree.
Secondly we now have two pool teams running, one on Mondays and one on Wednesdays. If you fancy joining one of the teams head down and let us know at the bar, the new season’s only just begun. It’s a great laugh and we’re always looking for interesting new team members.
We’ve also acquired four retro sit down video games and installed them in the lounge. They are all permanently on free play and rotate various games on each machine. There’s a running high score competition where you can win five pints so head down for a game if you think you’re decent at Space Invaders.
Last, but by no means least, we’re now offering both a CAMRA & student discount of 30p off a pint. That brings our real ale prices down as low as £2.30 for some pints! So pop in for a pint next time you’re in the area.
Jack Cater
Morning Advertiser Great British Pub Awards
The Morning Advertiser is the newspaper of the licenced trade and they recently held their annual pub awards ceremony in London, with gongs handed out in various categories. Sheffield saw a good showing this year – as well as the Harlequin and Champs making it to the finals (in the Cider Pub and Sports Bar categories respectively) we also had a couple of category winner with the Sheffield Tap getting named best beer bar and the Doctors Orders picking up the best Student Pub gong. Well done to all!
Horse & Jockey, Wadsley
This Halloween there will be spooky goings on at the headless Horse & Jockey in Wadsley, including a Day of the Dead Disco and a visit from a witch; but it’s the pubs’ creepy cellar with mysterious, unknown passageways which provide the true tale of mystery and intrigue.
Situated on the site of medieval Wadsley’s village green, new pub managers Ashleigh McMain and Matt Weigold are appealing to CAMRA members to help shed light on recently discovered mystery passageway.
Long forgotten about for decades, the duo believe the bolted and sealed door reveals a secret and on Halloween they are offering a rare chance for visitors to the pub to explore it for themselves.
The history of the passage is unknown, as is the location it leads to. Some residents suggest it lead to Wadsley manor house which previously had tunnels leading from its location on Laird Road to Wadsley Lane, whilst others believe it could have been used as a bolt-hole by users of the Church.
The duo have experienced a who few strange spooky sightings in the cellar, but little is known about the history or origins of the mystery tunnel.
Matt Weigold, Events manager at the Horse & Jockey said:
“We’ve heard of rumours from locals about long lost servants visiting the Horse and Jockey at the dead of night and we’ve noticed a few strange things, but we’ve been unable to find out anything further. We’d love to know what lies behind the mystery door, but it looks like it’s been sealed for many years and curiously it appears to be bolted from the other side.
“If you know anything that can help us solve the mystery, we’d love to hear from you.”
Any information provided will help to create a truly terrifying evening at the Children’s Ghost Tour on 31st October. This is a free to attend, family friendly event held from 6pm to 9pm and will include Halloween themed games, a tour of the pubs cellars and a visit from a live witch.
If you have any information, please contact Matt Weigold on mjweigold@gmail.com
Norfolk Arms, Grenoside
The Norfolk Arms, Grenoside has also been acquired by Stancill Brewery and plans to sell the full range of Stancill beers. At the time of writing, the pub is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment and aims to re-open in late October.
Matteo Malacaria – My Yorkshire beer experiences so far…
Beer Engine: the modern side of Real Ale
My visit to the Beer Engine goes beyond the usual: Sunday roast, DJ set and grilled food.
The Beer Engine is the CAMRA Pub of the month of August 2016. I visited it in a sunny Sunday, tempted by a great English classic: the Sunday Roast. Pub crawling, though, is not just drinking. It means digging in the soul of the visited premises. The pub has built a good cuisine reputation – with beer firmly remaining the main offering. The offer is twofold: during the week there are Spanish tapas and an 8 dishes menu which changes weekly; Sundays there is the already mentioned Sunday roast in three variants (meat, vegetarian and vegan).
As proud omnivore I had no doubt: meat.
Three slices of pork roast accompanied by plenty of sides: red cabbage salad, vegetable cream, applesauce with raisins, caramelized carrots with orange and thyme, boiled broccoli, cauliflower in cheese cream, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and the inevitable gravy. Pairings were not the best but with all these ingredients it was funny trying all possible combinations. The best one? Roast pork and cauliflower in cheese cream.
At the Beer Engine you drink modern Real Ale.
It claims it from the entrance: huge white walls with black writing, clear and large font. The furniture confirms even though it shuffles the cards. I would imagine a minimalist pub with street furnishings, home of hipsters and beer nerds. There are as well as tradition: a long bar full of beers, the details (chimneys, brick paving) are all in classic style. The choice of wood is elegant, in clear and bright colors.
3 rooms and a beer garden make it a cosy pub.
The hall houses the bar equipped with heavy artillery: high abv tap list, especially the kegs. While drinking you will enjoy the ambient/chillout music, inviting to quiet and staid pace. In the beer garden the situation changes radically: the DJ set takes over with Reggae and dance hall music. Chicken, rice and peas, along with vegan food, are being served in the beer garden. Eating, though, puts a certain thirst. It ‘time to drink!
Blonde, Neepsend Brew Co., Blonde Ale from 4% abv.
Thin but dense foam, creamy in appearance and colour; persistent and adherent. Very light golden colour with straw nuances; clear appearance. The nose is American with an English stamp. I refer to the malty backbone, fragrant and almost chewy. Sugar fruitness with a pulpy residue (melon, peach, orange, tangerine). The prevailing malty note is that of bread crust. Toffee, crackers and orange honey close the circle.
The first sip shows more than what its modest alcohol content would had imagine. Texture and sweetness, balanced by hoppyness and a sour end. Bread, honey and cereals. Then orange peel, melon, peach and a bit of canned pineapple. Watery interlude, after which the fruit returns, here reaching fullness. The grassy notes clean the palate from any residual sugar. A light peppery final grain is left perceived in the back of the tongue. Zero bubbles, medium body, liquid bread mouthfeel. It is a magical beer: fulfilling, flagship for the “less is more” advertise. This is the result of English malts combined with stars and stripes hops (Cascade, Citra and Brewer’s Gold).
Best Bitter, Dark Star, Best Bitter from 4% abv.
Incredibly consistent foam. Fine texture, creamy and beige in colour. Copper colour with orange nuances; clear appearance. The aromatic welcome is offered by the caramel. The body turns to crackers, crusty bread and a bite of toast/pizza crust. The heart is orange honey.
In the mouth it is fleeting: no carbonation, medium body, slight watery consistency make it go down like down a slide. Bread, cereals, caramel, toffee, honey. No traces of its passage but a slight roasted bitterness (toast, hazelnut). Ethyl aftersmell, dry aftertaste (butterscotch). A classic bitter which deserves a nutty accent and a fuller body.
Millionaire, Wild Beer, Milk Stout with salted caramel and chocolate by 4.7% abv.
Thick, firm foam. It is like a cappuccino: creamy, hazelnut color, to eating with a spoon. Ebony and ruby highlights; limpid aspect. The nose is weird but delicious, exactly as stated on the label: caramel, dark chocolate, milk/cream and salty tinge reminding of the crisps. The body is sweet and malty, with black bread and toffee notes. Spicy heart, between paprika and curry.
It is the divine goodness what is revealed in the mouth. The sweet prevails but a wise work ensures no cloying. Black bread, toffee, full caramel (Twix), salty chocolate, cocoa powder, sugared charcoal. Even milk and candy fruit (cherry). Medium-bodied, velvety mouthfeel. Nesquik aftersmell, chocolate aftertaste. I’m not greedy but I “devoured” it in a matter of minutes.
The Beer Engine is worth a visit. It might lack the charm of the old fashioned English pubs. But times change, the taste as well and the modern side of the Real Ale is not bad.
Matteo Malacaria – My Yorkshire beer experiences so far…
The Beer House micropub: tiny but so cute
The Beer House is a small pub but with a great choice of beer, gin and whiskey.
The Beer House is one of the youngest beer premises in Sheffield. It opened its doors just a year ago but has already get to the heart of beer-lovers (and not only them). It was not easy: as Sheffield is the best city for Real Ale beer after London it attracts hordes of entrepreneurs. This makes the competition fierce. Floating in the mare magnum of local pubs is tough. Yet The Beer House has achieved the goal. A quality-oriented management earned it the titles of Best New Bar in 2015 and CAMRA Pub of the month of April 2016.
Micro Pub, in name and in fact.
A blackboard on the roadside gripped my attention. It was indicating the presence of a urban beer oasis. There was no need to look far away: it was just right there, a miniature version of a beer garden. The hall is practically a room of about 25 square meters and is equipped with L-shaped bar featuring a 9 taps (6 hand pump and 3 pins). Next to the hall there is another room of the same size. It ‘a traditional pub. No kitchen but the possibility to order pizza from the nearby pizzeria it doesn’t feel the lack.
The furnishings: frugal, praise of simplicity.
The Beer House doesn’t stand out for its furniture. Somehow this very little attention to detail enhances the beverage offering. Decor is spartan, decorated with wooden furniture. Cosy and friendly, animated by the copious chatter of those coming and going.
The beer choice is mostly local.
Whether it’s cask or keg, The Beer House is betting on the local brewing scene. The aim is making the freshness of beer paramount of the quality. Beer is not alone. To accompany the offering is well equipped with a selection of Gin and Whisky.
The reviews
Full Nelson, Tiny Rebel, Pacific Pale Ale 4.8% abv.
Clear, golden colour and straw reflexes. No foam as only the cask pouring can. The aromatic welcome is gooseberry. New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops is obvious. Even though there is no trace of tomato sauce or “cat’s pee”. Several cereals (bread, crackers, hay) and fruit, landing on a carpet of yogurt. The heart is tropical (canned pineapple). Light mouthfeel and no carbonation. Slightly sweet, low attenuation and little sour ending. Medium body tasting like liquid bread. Huge amount of fruit (gooseberry, peach, melon, pineapple, orange peel). A harsh and slightly acid halftime (yogurt, apple juice) breaks the tie with the past and open the path to maltiness, partially fragrant: bread crust, crackers, acacia honey. Sweet finish yet dry, with a zesty hint of lemon. Floral aftersmell, pineapple aftertaste. New Zealand Western.
Plum Porter, Titanic, Porter by 4.9% abv.
A timeless classic, a lighthouse in uncertain waters. Elegant burgundy colour with ruby counterlights; clear aspect. The aroma has prominent fruity notes. No suggestion: there is plum like if there was no tomorrow. Nor sour nor dehydrated but ripe, luscious and sweet. Body of black/red fruits (blackberries, wild strawberries, blueberries) and trace of apricot syrup. The heart reminds of ice cream (licorice and cola). In the mouth it is flat; medium to full body and velvety mouthfeel. The first sip is like opening the Pandora’s box: red fruits (raisins, prunes), stone fruits (peach, mango, apricot) and dark notes (barley, licorice root, milk chocolate). It finishes with a sweet cherry presence. Sweet but not cloying end, cleaned by the roasted bitterness (bottom of coffee, cocoa powder, chocolate). Ethyl aftersmell, warm aftertaste (Whisky). Evergreen (or everblack).
Cwtch, Tiny Rebel, Welsh Red Ale from 4.6% abv.
Amber colour, orange hues and thinly veiled look. Very intense aroma. Very seductive as well: acocktail of orange (peach, melon, orange) and tropical fruits (mango, pink grapefruit, passion fruit). Above all there is a resinous base, praising the best of American hops. The heart is like going to a circus: caramelized hazelnut and cotton candy. In the mouth it is even more delicious. Medium to full body, round mouthfeel with sharp tips (pepper, peppermint). The mouth is filled with fruitness (melon, peach, curaçao, passion fruit) but there are even malts (caramel and orange honey). The sugar is well balanced by light roasted notes (caramel, hazelnut) and fruity sourness (bitter orange peel, grapefruit). Full attenuated end. Butterscotch aftersmell, bitter orange peel aftertaste. Supreme.
To succeed selling smoke is useless: quality makes the difference. The Beer House understood this as well as its aficionados.