11/05/24 – Nottingham (Outskirts)

• WordPress
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

If you enjoy reading please consider “buying me a pint”, this will help to cover my hosting and image hosting and help to ensure further trips can go ahead!
BUY ME A PINT

My day today takes me over to Nottingham to visit some out of town Micropubs that I have not managed to visit in the past. Started the day in the Basford area of Nottingham visiting “Black Iris Brewery” for a look around the brewery and a drink in their taproom, and heading next door to “The Lion”. Over to Sherwood next to visit “Doctor’s Orders” and “Kraft Werks”. Onto Mapperley to visit “Blues Dawg”, Daybrook for “The Abdication”, Bestwood for “The Butchers Pencil” and finishing at “Brew Tavern” next to Nottingham Railway Station.

Black Iris Brewery & Taproom

After arriving into Nottingham by train, I jumped on a tram heading slightly out of town getting off at Shipstone Street. Opposite the tram stop is “Black Iris Brewery & Taproom”. This brewery started up in “The Flowerpot” in Derby in 2011 using a closed brewery’s equipment before moving to its current location in 2014 in the old premises of Shipstone’s Brewery.

Met up with Reg here who showed me around the brewery and explained the types of beers they produce, including collaborations and some of them being with different bands. A great setup and great to see a brewery I have had a number of beers from in the past, including a few cans today to take home to enjoy.

The taproom is an outside venue which looks amazing with some of the seating area covered with heaters for the colder months (reduced opening hours through winter). A great range of beers on the bar on keg along with a cask ale, as well as a couple of fridges packed full of cans. I tried 2 different beers whilst here. The first being “Don’t Fear the NEIPA”, a delicious New England IPA brewed with 4 different hops, great tasting and refreshing. I went onto “Floating Worlds”, a Micro NEPA, again lovely and hoppy using 3 different hops. Check out when they have food trucks on site as well.

The Lion

Literally a minutes walk away brings me to the “The Lion”. A former Home Ales house, which was recorded as being a fully licensed establishment with publican Albert Thompson in 1889. A fantastic pub with a lovely bar upon entering, with lots of different seating areas inside and a huge multi level beer garden, fantastic for sitting out in the sun. A great warm welcome from the team behind the bar.

A huge line up of 7 cask ales on the bar to choose from as well as a number of keg and cider options. Something for everyone. I went with “BG Sips” from Nottingham based Blue Monkey Brewery. A great light and refreshing hoppy pale ale. Really enjoyed this beer. Love the artwork on the pump clips as well.

Doctor’s Orders

A short 20 ish minute walk from Basford to the Carrington area of Nottingham brings me to my third call of the day which is into the “Doctor’s Orders”. The name coming from the fact that the building was formerly a Pharmacy. This opened in 2012 and was refurbished in 2015, it consists of a really cosy room on entering (with seating outside at the front), along with a raised seating area which leads to the bar/serving area. A lovely warm welcome in here.

A great line up of beers in here, with 5 cask ales, 5 keg beers and a number of real ciders. I went with “Lister’s Brown” from West Sussex based Lister’s Brewery. A great dark and nutty ale, packed full of flavour.

Kraft Werks

A 15 minute walk out of Nottingham brings me to the Sherwood area. Here I visited “Kraft Werks”. A great taproom and bottle shop with bench seating inside and fridges crammed full of lots of interesting cans and bottles, alongside a range of Charcuterie meats and cheeses. A really warm welcome and a very relaxing feel to the place.

A great range of 7 keg beers, ranging massively in style and strength, alongside a cask beer from The Nottingham Brewery. I went with a favourite brewery of mine – “Holy Goat” from Dundee who brewed “Doom” in collaboration with Cambridgeshire based Pastore Brewery. A delicious red sour beer, aged on Scottish redcurrants and dry hopped with Strata.

The Blues Dawg

An Uber to the next pub in the Mapperley area of Nottingham, as it was a bit awkward getting to from Sherwood without changing onto a couple of buses. This opened in September 2018. A fantastic warm welcome from owner Ralph alongside a number of locals in here. Was great chatting. A Blues music inspired pub with the walls adorned with guitars and even an amazing bottle clock. “Bear” the pub dog is also featured in beers with the house beer being “Bear” brewed by Beartown.

A choice of 4 cask ales on the bar, alongside keg beers from Beartown and local brewery Liquid Light. I started with “Comfortably Numb” from Leicestershire based Leatherbritches. A delicious pale ale brewed with 3 hops and of course music related with the pump clip made to look like a record. I moved onto “Hush” from Derby based Little Brewing Company. A tasty and refreshing hazy pale.

The Abdication

A short bus ride brings me to the Daybrook area of Nottingham to visit “The Abdication”. This was part of the Home Brewery ‘Coronation Buildings’ which were built between 1936 and 1937. This has previously being a shop and a barbers and was opened as a Micropub after being closed for 2 years. The name is a nod to the ‘Coronation/Abdication’ of King Edward VIII. A really welcoming feel to this place, with customers sat outside at the front as well as seating inside both in the front room and smaller back area. Was great bumping into Steve and Christine in here and having a catch up.

4 cask beers on the bar in here, alongside 4 keg beers and a range of ciders to choose from. Seem as its CAMRA’s “Mild May” campaign, I thought I would go with a Mild beer, a style I have not seen around much recently. This one was from Melton Mowbray based Round Corner Brewing. “Breakfast at Timothy’s”, a dark nutty flavour with notes of raisins and hedgerow fruits. Really enjoyed this beer.

The Butchers Pencil

My last call out of the centre is to “The Butchers Pencil”, located in the Bestwood area of Nottingham. A 25 minute walk from The Abdication. This opened in May 2021 after being a hairdressers and a tattoo shop, before that being a butchers for over 30 years, hence the name (and the fact that the ghost of the former butcher makes an appearance every now and again). One main room when you enter with the bar on the left and a naughty corner. A really warm welcome from the team behind the bar and the locals this evening.

One cask beer on the bar from local Shipstones Brewery, a number of keg beers and a can I went with from a new Nottingham based brewery “Three Stooges Brewery”. “Hugger Mugger” is a light, refreshing and hoppy session pale ale.

Brew Tavern

My last call of the day before getting my train home is to “Brew Tavern”, recently changed from the former Beerheadz. A conversion of a cabbies locker and rest room which is adjacent to the main railway station entrance. A one roomed small pub with a simple layout utilising original features. A lovely outside seating area in the sun as well. A warm welcome in here from the team.

A great selection of 5 cask beers, as well as a number of keg beers, ciders and cans/bottles to drink in or takeaway. I went with “My Poor Brain” from Derbyshire based Pentrich Brewery. A delicious hazy pale ale hopped with Azacca, Citra and Nelson Sauvin. A beer packed full of flavour. Great chatting to a couple of lads from Sheffield and Grimsby outside in the sun.