Mappiman's Real Ale Walks: 03/09/16

Pubs - 5
Distance - 3.5 Miles

A weekend away. There was much debate about whether to knock off another Wainwright or complete some Urban exploring. With the weather as it was, I was delighted we chose the City.

And the City was Liverpool. Inspiration gained from two sources - Dog House Magazine Issue 6 had a splendid review, as did (unbelievably) an episode of the Hairy Bikers' "Pubs that Built Britain". The former written with care by connoisseurs, the latter pitched for children by a couple of idiots with beards.

Checked into the hotel and out into the biblical weather.

Dr Duncans - St Johns Lane - Black Sheep

Random Beerintheevening Quote - "We passed Doctor Duncans yesterday and decided to peer through the window to see what was on."

Much the same for us. We battled up from our hotel on the Quayside, aiming in the vague direction of Lime Street Station to meet our daughter. With 40 minutes to spare, I noticed this pub from the guides. We peered in and entered.

An escape from the Weather

Sonia commented that this looked like a Wetherspoons. As if that was an insult. There was an amount of posters advertising its wares and the front room was all high stools and tables that wouldn't have been out of place in a JDW. Explore a little further through the arched doorway and you enter a much more interesting tiled room, full of top class pub furniture, mainly in tartan.

A decent, yet unspectacular Black Sheep and we are off to see if our Daughter has made it from Manchester.

Didn't get to grips with the dates under the bar

Through the Arched Doorway for much more pleasantness

The Philharmonic - Hope Street - Timothy Taylor Landlord

Random Beerintheevening Quote - "It's worth a visit to see the décor"

Daughter picked up, albeit hoping to brave the monsoon with no umbrella, waterproof coat and wearing sandals. A fair schlep to the Philharmonic, where I am forced to share my golfing umbrella - leaving me at least 50% dry.

This is a much read about pub that I had to visit. Built in 1898 and full of Victorian grandeur, it has to be one of the most beautiful boozers in the land. One of those places where you just have to find your seat and then get up and wander around all the other little nooks and crannies, bursting through doors and apologising to those already sat there. I wasn't the only tourist taking photos, a number of Japanese were sharing that honour.

Simply Gorgeous

Scouse Rhyming Slang

First Timothy Taylor Landlord of the day and lunch was taken. Decisions needed to be made about the next pub - is it worth taking two ladies out into the storm to visit the backstreet pub that is Ye Cracke? I decide not, leave their glasses charged and head off alone.

But surely you cannot leave this place without mentioning the toilets?

Looked nice but stank to high heaven.

Ye Cracke - Rice Street - Cottage Brewing Co Air Supremacy

Random Beerintheevening quote - "the woman behind the bar looked at us as if we were shite and never bothered to come back and serve us, so we had to leave. Perhaps I reminded her of her ex-husband or summat"

What's going on with Rice Street? I imagine that the pub is the only surviving building, the rest of the street looks completely out of sync with new builds.

This is the pub from the HB Show that got me interested - original drinking den of the Beatles. I had to visit.

Retro Signage - Strange New Builds

Entrance found to the side and in I go. Should I have been disappointed to hear the Beatles belting out?

Is this a theme pub?

Order an unusual pint from Somerset and sit down to discover the reason for the music. There is a juke box. It is being fed by two elderly gents who are putting on the mop tops greatest hits to entertain two Japanese tourists - who I am sure they did not enter the premises with. A jolly old sing song ensues. One of the younger lads manages to get a Paul Weller tune on in-between but we are swiftly taken back to the swinging sixties.

And not one song chosen was off the White Album.

Enjoyed my visit but felt I had to leave before our silver tongued sixties charmers claimed to have originally played guitar in the band but their moms made them join the merchant navy and get a proper career.

Go on Son - Stick Weller on

INTERMISSION - TAXI TO THE LIVERPOOL MUSEUM, SHOPPING AND GEOCACHING

The Roscoe Head, Roscoe Street, Timothy Taylor Landlord

Random Beerintheeveing Quote - "This pub has to be saved from the bulldozers, it would be a tragedy."

An afternoon of culture and geocaching and I leave the girls to go shopping. Umbrellas and sensible shoes are much needed. I head off to one of only a handful of boozers that have appeared in every edition of the Good Beer Guide.

The Roscoe Head is just out the city, down a dilapidated side street and unchanged for decades. A tiny little bar with a beer board and a couple of snug rooms to the side.

Instantly engaged in chat. I play its safe and order a pint of Landlord - much to the barflies positive reactions. With the exception of a former Sussex landlord who says "its not all that". I make the mistake of mentioning that "maybe it doesn't travel well". Wrong thing to say, for many reasons that I won't bore you with here.

The conversation with a group of men, one who could have been a hairy biker, was long, hilarious and resulted in me missing four calls from Sonia. Even when I said I really have to go now - I was forced to stay and listen to one more story about Wolverhampton.

Top, top pub. I would go back in a heartbeat. But not when I had people waiting for me.

Talking Stopped Photos

INTERMISSION - DAUGHTER GOODBYES, SUNSHINE, CHANGE, ITALIAN MEAL AND ONE LAST PUB

The Baltic Fleet - Wapping - Brimstage Brewery Trappers Hat

Random Beerintheevening Quote - "If you're in the Albert Dock though, you should make the Baltic Fleet your top priority."

If the Roscoe Head was the pub of the day, then the Trappers Hat was the beer of the day.

Liverpool reminds me of a miniature New York and the Baltic Fleet reminded me of one of that city's Flat Iron Buildings.

A night time stroll down through the madness of the docks, with this as our final destination of the evening. What is not to love about a place that when you find the correct door to enter, you are hit with a blast of Sea Shanties.

Full on singalong in the back room, we sit in the front - humming, as we don't know the words.

This was the CAMRA LocALE pub of 2016 and it shows. The beer, never before seen, was easily the pint of the trip. Perfect in every way.