Where to drink in November

10/11/2017

I love this time of year. The days are shortening, the cold is biting and it’s time to huddle up with good friends and enjoy good company. The great British pub provides a great space for this kind of merriment, with soft jukebox music, warm and fragrant wood fires topped off by good food and drink.

Here are our recommendations for the best locations this month where you can try out a great selection of lovingly brewed craft beers and ales.

Gasworks Brew House and Bar, Central Manchester

5 Jack Rosenthal Street, Manchester M15 4RA

Built on the site of the Gaythorn Gas Works and run by the team who brought you Dockyard pubs, The Gasworks is a favourite of the Heathwick sales team. It offers quality pub food, a relaxed and affordable dining experience, and a modern yet somehow rustic feel. Their in-house brewery makes a range of it’s own beers which are served directly from tank to tap. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and happy to talk beer at length.

The large food menu offers everything from burgers, hotdogs, ribs, wings, pies, scampi, and salads to light bites. Go on a Sunday (as we did) to sample their brilliant roast, topped off (of course!) with something from our own Tailgate range, including Peanut Butter Milk Stout and Grapefruit IPA.

The Gasworks runs a series of events, with 29 November given over to celebrity chef and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, who will be bringing pakoras and his favourite Scottish breweries with him.

www.gasworksbrewbar.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Thegasworksfs
www.twitter.com/TheGasworksFS
www.instagram.com/thegasworksfs

The Beer School, Bolton

88 Market Street, Westhoughton, BL5 3AZ

The Beer School, Westhoughton's first micropub, opened in May 2016 and is fast becoming a favourite of locals and travellers alike. Serving craft beer and real ale, small-batch gin and fizz (on tap!) it features 4 cask pumps, 4 keg taps and growlers for hire which allow you to take draft beer home with you. You can also stock up from its craft beer shop.

Knowledgeable staff help you select your brew, a log fire will keep you warm and dogs are welcome. Occasional live music, karaoke, quizzes, pizza nights and tastings add to the fun and vibrancy of this place. Can’t say fairer than that!

Not that our sales reps need much schooling, but any excuse to sample some new craft beers is welcomed, and The Beer School is a favourite stop off when in town. Our Cherry Blossom Lager, Route 1 IPA, Back Yard IPA and Third Bear products are in stock right now, so do pop in and while you’re there and send our best to Rachel and Steve.

www.thebeerschool.co.uk
www.facebook.com/tutoryourtastebuds
www.twitter.com/thebeerschool88

Old Red Cow Farringdon, London

71 Long Ln, London EC1A 9EJ

The Old Red Cow is a ‘local beer house’ serving one of the largest selections of craft beer in London, alongside a food menu that includes their popular Sunday roast dinners. The downstairs area is small but makes great use of the space with good access to the bar. The upstairs dining area is more spacious and peaceful. The bar itself offers 16 pumps and a large selection of bottled and canned craft beers and ales.

In the name of research we spent a nice afternoon sampling some of the selection of fine craft ales and tucking into some choice items from the menu. We’d particularly recommend the homemade scotch eggs and the ‘Fat Cow’ burger, washed down with our own Peanut Butter Milk Stout from the Tailgate range.

www.theoldredcow.com
www.facebook.com/oldredcow
www.twitter.com/oldredcow
www.instagram.com/theoldredcow

The Bottle & Glass, Henley-on-Thames

Bones Lane, Binfield Heath, Henley-on-Thames RG9 4JX

The Bottle and Glass Inn is a charming and traditional grade II listed country pub. It was refurbished and reopened in March this year by owners David Holliday and Alex Sargeant. They’re both seasoned in the art of managing foodie pubs, having met while working at the Harwood Arms in Fulham, London’s only Michelin starred pub.

This is the kind of place you dream of finishing up in after an autumnal country walk, treating yourself to a well-deserved meal topped off by a warming craft ale. The Bottle and Glass boasts a small but perfectly formed food menu offering classic British dishes such as pork belly, Herefordshire feather blade, deer haunch, and beer battered haddock.

Craft beer and ale enthusiasts will not be disappointed with the excellent range on offer, including bottles of our own Fordham Gypsy, as well as the Dominion IPA keg. On this occasion we found that Fordham Gypsy, a crisp and refreshing beer, partnered perfectly with the pork belly dish.

www.bottleandglassinn.co.uk
www.facebook.com/thebottleandglassinn
www.twitter.com/btlandglassinn
www.instagram.com/bottleandglassinn

The Pen Factory, Liverpool

13 Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BQ

The Pen Factory sits beneath Liverpool’s busy Hope Street. It’s a sociable, friendly place with excellent service and a staff who really know their food and drink. When darkness closes in it lights up with the sound of happy chatter.

This lively bar runs regular live music nights, wine and beer tasting, board games, calligraphy classes, and has a great selection of food offers including two small plates for £10 (Tues-Fri 12pm-4pm) and 50% off food bills after 8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (if you book in advance).

The Pen Factory stocks drinks from a range of small, medium and artisan breweries, some local and some from further afield, like our Tailgate range. Good taste obviously knows no boundaries!

www.pen-factory.co.uk
www.facebook.com/ThePenFactory
www.twitter.com/ThePenFactory
www.instagram.com/pen_factory

The World’s End, Brighton

60-61 London Rd, Brighton BN1 4JE

If this is the end of the world I want to stay right here, thanks. This pub is so packed full of fun things to do you can get lost here for hours on end. The World’s End re-launched in November with a #barcade, retro gaming and VR. As privileged guests for the (re)opening night we had a go on everything. I embarrassed myself at radio controlled car racing but excelled at eating, so I guess that’s ok.

Brighton’s only arcade pub features a 10-seater group racing experience, retro video arcade games, air hockey plus virtual reality experiences. Quiz and DJ nights are also running throughout November. Food comes from Baby Chow in the form of an exciting Asian Fusion menu. The Korean style mushroom taco is to die (or, rather, live!) for!

There is also a fine selection of craft beer, including our Tailgate Peanut Butter Milk Stout and Grapefruit IPA. If you’re in town do drop by… just make sure you have more than a few hours to spare!

www.worldsend.pub
www.facebook.com/worldsendbrighton
www.twitter.com/worldsend_btn