About
All stripped floorboards, peeling decor, retro dining sets and dried foliage trailing overhead, this cosy cellar – launched in late 2014 – feels like a 1960s throwback. The look may be shabby but the beers produced by the in-house microbrewery sure ain’t. Visible in one corner, the mash tun is part of a process that yields sparkling cask brews with bite. Bitter marmalade-y Gavel and Citra, respectively US- and English-style pale ales, are two worth trying, sold in measures from a third of a pint and in tasting paddles of three. The back bar’s beer wall dispenses 16 guest craft ales and ciders – Beavertown Gamma Ray and Yakima Red among them on our visit – and also holds a rewarding range of bottled beers such as Brill’s Vale Pale Ale. A well-judged range of wines includes fruity, figgy Puglian Primitivo (£20): ideal with a burger or smoked brisket stack from the pub-grub menu.