Liverpool (Baltic Triangle) - June 2022

Returning to Liverpool in June 2022, provided an opportunity to revisit the Baltic Fleet and to visit Black Lodge Brewing and Cains Brewery for the first time. 

The Baltic Fleet

First visited on a night in January 2019, it was nice to revisit the Baltic Fleet in daylight hours, on Monday 6 June.

The paintwork on the chimneys make them look like a ship's funnels. The main entrance is on the side furthest from the narrow end with a side door allowing access to the chained off outside seating area.

Four cask ales were available and I chose Cascade Pale Ale from Carnival Brewing Company (Liverpool). After some walking and a visit to Radical Landscapes at Tate Liverpool, it was a delight to find a beer exactly to my taste and a chance to sit down. The 4.2% ABV session pale is brewed with wheat and oats making it soft, sweet and fruity. (£4.20 pint / card payment only).

Two days later I would return to the Baltic Fleet, after a visit to nearby Black Lodge Brewing, and enjoy a glass of Brimstage Brewery (The Wirral) Trapper's Hat, an award winning 3.8% ABV golden ale. (£1.80 1/2 pint).

Cains Brewery and Bar

On Wednesday 8 June, after a day in Chester, I ventured to Cains Brewery and Bar, at the southern base of the extended Baltic Triangle. My visit was only days after the opening on 2 June and too soon for any beers from the new brewery to be available.

My pint of Ossett White Rat, a 4% ABV dry and hoppy pale ale was enjoyable but on the expensive side (£4.80). I had to ask for the glass to be topped up (photo after) and was not offered a choice of a glass without a handle - hey ho!

There is no doubt that little expense has been spared in furnishing the new Cains Brewery and Bar to a high standard. I liked the bare brick walls and high ceilings in the main bar and the view of the brewery but had a few gripes apart from the price of the beer and glassware. There were liberal amounts of greenery as decoration and features but it was all plastic! The music, that was played quite loudly, was not recognisable classic tunes or even anything unusual and interesting.

Hopefully, the quality of the new Cains Brewery beers will make Cains Brewery and Bar worthwhile visiting in future.

In any case, the surrounding Cains Brewery Village is worth a visit. This area, south east of Parliament Street and Grafton Street, is the home for several bars and food markets including those in the collage above.

There's also an Abbey Road mural by Paul Curtis that is an invitation to step into the frame for a photo opportunity!

My walking route to Black Lodge Brewing was not the one recommended by Google maps but it did allow me to see some buildings, murals and a statue that would have been missed otherwise.

Black Lodge Brewing

Access to Black Lodge Brewing is only possible via Kings Dock Street unless you know your way around the tunnels of Liverpool, one of which has a (usually!) blocked entrance nearby.

There were only a few customers when I arrived soon after 7pm. As it was a warm evening, the outside bar, housed in a 10 foot container, was in use as well as the interior bar.

Hannah and Daniel made me feel very welcome and served me with a glass of Start the Parade. This 4.2% ABV American Pale Ale is hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic and made a perfect start to my visit. 

The Craft Beer Expo glasses are for the popular event held at Black Lodge Brewing and (adjacent) Sub Rosa with the next one scheduled for 16-18 June 2022.

The keg beers are sensibly priced, based on 2/3 pint servings. The regular Black Lodge branded glasses have lines marked for 1/3 pint and 2/3 pint. A couple of cask ales are often also available from the main bar. My second beer, A Better Land, 4.8% ABV, was hopped with Amarillo and Azacca and I was assured that the Liverpool water is part of the explanation for its excellent quality.

I had a quick look inside the main bar / brewery and noticed that there was plenty of greenery, with real plants, in contrast to Cains Brewery and Bar!

Looking away from the bar you notice an unusual fire basket that was fashioned locally but looks as though it came from outer space! 

There was just time to order a third half pint before Black Lodge Brewing closed for the evening. This was a good moment to persuade Hannah and Daniel to pose with copies of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine that I had been distributing. No Condition is Permanent is a 5% ABV juicy pale ale brewed with Citra & Idaho 7 hops. 

I could not have asked for better beers or more friendly hosts than I was privileged to enjoy on this memorable evening. Cheers!

The Bridewell

After stopping for a half pint at the Baltic Fleet, I headed north on Wapping and then right into Liver Street, the northern boundary of the Baltic Triangle. Passing beyond Park Lane, the eastern edge of the Baltic Triangle, the entrance to The Bridewell can be found at the corner of Argyle Street and Campbell Square.

Formerly a Victorian police station (note the blue lamp and pub sign), the cells are now used as seating areas and there is an enclosed patio area.

At the bar, my half pint of  Kirkstall Brewery Jasper (£1.85) tasted sour. It was easily exchanged for Kirkstall Brewery Three Swords, a 4.5% ABV extra pale ale brewed with three American hop varieties.

It was a new experience to pass the heavy cell door and sit inside a cell with a beer! Perhaps not the best venue for anyone prone to claustrophobia though!

With good music being played (Moby, Bahamas, The Smiths) it was an easy decision to order another half pint and stay a bit longer. The Kirkstall Brewery Virtuous (£2.50) 4.5% ABV session IPA was pale and dry. 

Among the interesting items displayed on the walls of the Bridewell is a poster for the Cassius Clay v Henry Cooper bout at Wembley in 1963 framed together with a signed photo collage. This was the match that Our 'Enery would lose in the fifth round having knocked down Cassius Clay near the end of the fourth round.

Returning my glass to the bar and noticing that Ossett Brewery Silver King was available on cask resulted in an extended stay for another half pint (£1.85). This is a fruity American Pale Ale (4.3% ABV).

Congratulations to Fiona and Dominic Hornsby, who took over the lease in 2019, as The Bridewell was awarded Pub of the Year 2022 by Liverpool & Districts CAMRA. The Denbigh Castle is their second Liverpool pub and is featured, with the Lion Tavern, in a companion post - Liverpool (Moorfields) - June 2022.

Other pubs South of Liverpool Central

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms is famed for the marble surrounded urinals in the Gents toilets. The pub is now managed by Nicholson's. I enjoyed a pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord (£4.85 pint) on my visit. 

It was quiet on a Monday evening but well worth having a look around the various rooms to appreciate the historic and ornate interior. Cheers to the person who suggested Brahms and Liszt for facing rooms! CAMRA's Pub Heritage database has more details and photos of the pub's historic features.

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The Grapes at 60 Roscoe Street, on the corner with Knight Street, is also in the Georgian Quarter and not to be confused with the Grapes, Mathew Street in the Cavern Quarter.  From a wide choice of cask ales, I chose Chapter Brewing (Sutton Weaver, Runcorn) Kandata. The 4.7% ABV pale ale was smooth and fruity (£3.70 pint). In contrast to the Philharmonic, the Grapes was busy on a Monday night, downstairs and in the sheltered patio, above a recent extension to the side of the pub, designed by Huge Architects. 

Open to the sky, there was only the sound of multiple conversations in this space surrounded by Buddhas and potted plants. The Grapes is a pub for the young and the young at heart!

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While the Lime Kiln may lack character, it makes up for this with value and convenience. The modern Wetherspoon pub is near lively Concert Square and overlooks Fleet Street. It is only a short walk from Bundobust on Bold Street and Kazimier Garden on Seel Street. I had no complaints about the beers at the Lime Kiln (eg Weetwood Ales Cheshire Cat, a 4% ABV blonde ale for £2.10 pint; Peerless Brewing Co Brit Hop, a dry 4.7% ABV golden ale - seen in photo) or the evening meals and the breakfast bacon butties with unlimited coffee (£1.20 extra). My only gripe here would be the lack of beer mats, leading to sticky table surfaces.

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My previous visit to Peter Kavanagh's was on a Sunday afternoon in January 2019 and resulted in some interior photos (including the one above) appearing in a post for Beer Europe. On Wednesday 8 June 2022, my only photo would be of the pub's exterior with groups gathered at outside tables (see map / photo collage above). Once inside, all the cask ale pump clips were turned round except for Abbot Ale which was the only one available on this occasion. I pledged to return another day and embarked on a walk down busy Parliament Street to reach Cains Brewery Village. My subsequent tweet about this lack of cask ale choice elicited a courteous reply from the pub: 'Only got our delivery in today so cask has to settle, sorry about that we like to make sure you get a good pint.'.

More photos of the historic interior of Peter Kavanagh's are featured in CAMRA's Pub Heritage database.

[NB Note that all beer prices quoted were from Tim's visit to Liverpool 6-9 June 2022.]

Liverpool 2019 - Sunday 13 January

Day 3 in Liverpool and a third (later) breakfast at the Lime Kiln with welcome free refills of coffee as provided by Wetherspoon pubs. Once again our CAMRA group took over the front area of the ground floor.

The distant building, in the photo above, is McCooley's, facing Concert Square.

The Ship & Mitre

After breakfast, a 15 minute walk led us to the Ship & Mitre in Dale Street, which opens at 10am on Sundays. The corner pub, opposite the Mersey Tunnel entrance, stands out with its art deco style and cream and blue colour scheme.

After posting a photo of the pub, once owned by Bent's Brewery, from my Twitter account some replies from beer writers followed (above) with an explanation that 'Bents' used to be part of the signage - between Ales and Stouts.

A group was leaving just as we arrived so we were able to secure the slightly raised area at the front corner of the Ship & Mitre. We liked the pub, service and beers so much that we would remain here for three hours!

As a change from my favoured pale ale style, a pint of Jar porter by Flagship Beer was an introduction to the Ship & Mitre's own beers which are cuckoo brewed on a 4 barrel kit. The 4.7% ABV Jar is brewed with spicy rye and roasted malts.

There was time for a chat with Tom Anderson on a subsequent visit to the bar and Tom posed with one of my last copies of West Berkshire CAMRA's Ullage magazine.

Tom mentioned that apart from his work at the pub he is also the brewer / owner of Tyton brewery based in Ainsdale, Southport. Tom knows Angus Morrison, now Head Brewer at Birkenhead's Glen Affric Brewery, from his brewing training. Tom is naming Tyton's beers after owls e.g. Tawny and Morepork.

My next beer was a half pint of Flagship Lupa, dry with citrus peel flavours, brewed with Syrian Wolf hops and costing £1.50.

It was also nice to meet Kurt Watson, the Ship & Mitre's manager. Kurt is originally from Basildon in Essex but liked Liverpool and its people so much while he was a student in the city that he stayed on.

Petra, on keg, from Flagship Beer was my third and favourite beer at the Ship & Mitre. The 4% ABV Citrus Hefe-Weiss cost £1.50 for 1/3 pint. The pub's beer menu lists 37 German bottled beers and other European keg and bottled beers are also available reflecting its claim to be the 'home of the largest drinks range in Liverpool'.

Home cooked food is available all day from the Galley including their famous Scouse.

Thanks must go to tankard for generously ordering a jug of Silhouett by Flagship Beer so that we could all taste it before moving on. Kurt delivered and poured the 4.5% ABV dry Irish stout for us. He was about to finish his shift at the pub and confided in us that his staff had been asking him if he was bipolar because he was being so nice to everyone! Evidence suggests that the Ship & Mitre's claim to be 'where you'll receive great service from friendly and knowledgeable staff' is fully borne out!

 Before leaving we explored other parts of the spacious pub and noted the blackboard with a diagram showing 'How is beer made?'.

The view from the other side of the partition wall with the blackboard reveals that the rear area is also raised and surrounded by brass rails.

The Excelsior

Leaving the pub at 2.45pm, it was less than a minute's walk west from the Ship & Mitre, past an office block, to the Excelsior also in Dale Street.

This was another deep and spacious pub but more plushly decorated with curtains and ornamental lamps. We found an area where we could sit together by the etched windows. The text on the wall is similar to the opening lines from Roger McGuinn's Liverpool Gals including

'And it's row, row

   bullies row

         Those Liverpool Judies

        have got us in tow'

My beer here was a favourite - Salopian Lemon Dream (£1.75 1/2 pint), a 4.5% ABV pale golden ale brewed using organic lemons. The Everton v Bournemouth football match was screened on a TV and the game would end with a 2-0 win for Everton, whose Goodison Road ground is 2 1/2 miles north.

Leaving the pub at 3.45pm we passed the impressive Liverpool City Council offices on our 3 minute walk further west down Dale Street to the Vernon Arms.

The Vernon Arms

On the corner with Vernon Street, the Vernon Arms only has a narrow frontage on Dale Street.

Our group occupied the round tables in main central area inside, opposite the long bar. The football match was also being screened here. Unusually there is a sloping floor.

A range of seven cask ales at the bar of the free house included Windmill Brewery Taonga, an 'Ultra Pale Ale'.

There is a framed plan of Liverpool and Birkenhead docks on an end wall, under a clock. Framed Édouard Manet prints on other walls include Olympia, Luncheon on the Grass and Un Bar aux Folies Bergère (with its bottles of Bass identified by the red triangle trademark).

Leaving the pub at 4.45pm, we passed the Royal Insurance Building, now the Aloft hotel. The illuminated frieze, designed by C. J. Allen, depicts themes relating to insurance.

We also passed Thomas Rigby's on Dale Street before turning north into Hackins Hey and passing the Lady of Mann just before entering Ye Hole In Ye Wall.

Ye Hole In Ye Wall

Proceeding to the bar of Ye Hole In Ye Wall, known as Liverpool's oldest pub, there is evidence of stained and leaded glass panels.

With a choice of six cask ales, I opted for Red Star Brewery Formby IPA. 

The 4% ABV session IPA with a hint of elderflower is hopped with Cascade and New Zealand hops. 

Once again, our group was able to find a convenient place to sit together in an area with upholstered seats and wood panelling above. 

As GBG pub bloggers like Martin Taylor and Simon Everitt sometimes include photos of unusual signs for toilet facilities, I couldn't resist taking a photo of the elegant sign used for the Gents at Ye Hole In Ye Wall. At 5.45pm there was a consensus that we should find somewhere for a meal. We were turned away at the first place we tried 'not enough room' and I joined a splinter group that would head for Peter Kavanagh's while most would continue the search for a restaurant in the Moorfields area.

With Liverpudlian Tony in my small group, we headed via pedestrian Mathew Street in the Cavern Quarter to the Elliot Street bus stop, opposite the The Richard John Blackler (Wetherspoon). 

Peter Kavanagh's

An 86 bus took us uphill to Catharine Street for £2.30 and then it was only three minutes walk to Peter Kavanagh's on a corner of Egerton Street. The bar is festooned with unusual objects and there are hand pumps for three cask ales - Black Sheep Resolution,  The Mobberley Brewhouse Boom Juice and Hook Norton Cold Turkey on our visit. Payment is by cash only.

We took our drinks into one of the bar areas near where a variety of radios were suspended from the ceiling. Another splinter group, that included Rachel, was already here so we joined them until they departed. A ukulele group was playing and one of the songs performed was Homeward Bound. Tony mentioned that Paul Simon wrote this song while waiting for a train back to London station at Widnes station after a performance in Liverpool. 

Decor in another area of the pub includes a bicycle and a poster for the Liverpool Overhead Railway.
My plan was to call in at the Grapes where jazz music is played on a Sunday night but Tony's route did not allow for this so we arrived instead at the Head of Steam in Hanover Street at 8.45pm.

The Head of Steam

My first beer at the Head of Steam was Fab Four a 4.4% ABV 'Liverpool IPA' brewed by Rock the Boat Brewery. The four 'sensational UK hops' used are Admiral, Flyer, Cascade and Target.

More from our group joined us later bringing our numbers up from three to ten.

My last cask beer of the day was Sanctuary by Camerons Brewery of Hartlepool. (Camerons owns the 15 strong Head of Steam chain of pubs).

Sanctuary is a permanent ale from Cameron's Anchor brand and is a 3.8% ABV pale ale dry hopped with Citra hops. After four days of exploring the pubs of the Liverpool area it was finally time to say goodbye to my CAMRA friends and head back to the nearby hotel. Cheers!