17/06/23 – Leeds

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A local day out today heading over to Leeds, starting off with Wilde Child Brewery and one of their tap room open days at the Brewery, before a couple of great well known pubs on Water Lane – “Cross Keys” and “The Midnight Bell”, before finishing at Northern Monk Brewery with a tour around the brewery and some great food.

Wilde Child Brewery

A short 15 minute walk from Leeds Railway Station brings me to “Wilde Child Brewery” which is situated in a small industrial unit next to the railway at Armley. They host several taproom open days throughout the year. (Check on their website for details – HERE)

The brewery first started in a garage back in 2016 and moved to its current home in 2018. They have always had an ethos to create “big” and “bold” beers, which reflects in todays choices. Lots of inside and outside seating here (a good job with the quick downpours). Cluck N Dough providing the food.

A great selection of 8 keg beers alongside 2 cask beers (one light and one dark), plus a huge selection of canned beers in the fridge next to the bar. Lots of different styles and flavoured beers.

Started off with “Slippery Customer”, a Raspberry and Lemon Sour, moved onto a can of “Bittersweet Symphony”, a Cherry Sour and finished with “Hot Fuzz”, a Raspberry Cream Doughnut Pale. Some great flavours and combinations with these beers.

The Cross Keys

Another 15 minute walk, this time back towards Leeds and heading to Water Lane. “The Cross Keys” is a popular pub in Leeds, well known for its great beer selection including international bottles, and often hosting festivals.

A choice of 4 cask beers alongside a large keg beer selection and an even bigger choice of foreign bottled beers to choose from. I went with “Redcurrant Sour” from local Kirkstall Brewery. A really fruity and tart beer.

The pub was refurbished in early 2020 and hosts a massive outside beer garden at the rear of the pub, great for sunny weather (or sitting under heaters when a bit cooler).

Midnight Bell

A few doors down brings me to “Midnight Bell”, located in an area known as “Holbeck Urban Village” which caters for local office workers. Well known for selling Leeds Brewery beers (which are now brewed by Kirkstall Brewery).

A good selection of cask beers on the bar here today. 3 being from Leeds Brewery alongside one from Ilkley Brewery and one from Camerons Brewery. I went with “Midnight Bell”, the beer the pub was named after. A delicious dark beer.

As with the last pub, another great large beer garden to the rear of the pub, surrounded by office buildings.

Northern Monk

Last call of the day was to “Northern Monk” and their brewery venue at Old Flax Store. A huge 3 levelled building which houses the brewery on the bottom level, bar on the middle and events space on the top. The building was a former linen mill.

Up to the middle floor to the bar, with a huge choice of 16 keg beers alongside 2 cask beers. I went with “Faith”, a fantastic hazy pale ale at 5.4%.

Some great food here available from “Birria Bandits” with some great Beef Tacos. Such a great range here from them and very reasonably priced.

Booked onto a Brewery Tour here aswell run by Callum. Was great to hear how the Brewery first started and how they support crowd funders and other local causes. 3 drinks to try while we were having the tour. Starting with “A Little Faith”, 4% Hazy Pale Ale, onto “Hop City 2023 Beer”, A West Coast IPA in collaboration with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in the US, and lastly one of the Old Flax Store Sessions (OFS Sessions) Beers, “Bartha Haas X”, an Australian Hopped IPA. Really worth doing the tour if you get over here. Interestingly this site only contributes 10% of Northern Monks overall brewing capacity, with the rest being half a mile down the road.