Sheffield City of Beer
Sheffield has over 12 microbreweries servicing the city, that’s more than Birmingham which has twice the size of population. Maybe it shows good Yorkshire folk are a little bit obsessed by beer. Not to mention a wealth of outstanding microbreweries only a short train ride away (and great for a day trip once you start to explore further afield) including Acorn in Barnsley, Thornbridge in Bakewell and Buxton Brewery in its namesake town.
There’s a
tangible beer explosion going on in Yorkshire and Sheffield is a strong contender
for the city of beer crown. You only have to look at the recent Camra Champion
Beer of Britain for affirmation – Yorkshire brewery Elland took the ‘Champion
Beer’ crown this year with their drinkable dark beast of a porter 1872. Kelham
Island Brewery is often cited as one of Sheffield’s microbrewing forerunners, beginning
brewing back in 1990, and it’s no surprise they’ve inspired younger craft
breweries along the way such as the innovative and original Thornbridge Brewery
(first brew 2005).
The
abundance of locally brewed beer on the doorstep and a thriving pub scene makes
a perfect combination with the city having numerous ‘taps’ – that means pubs
which have a direct ownership linking to a brewery. Whether it’s The SheffieldBrewery Co linked to The Gardeners Rest or Blue Bee Brewery at The Rutland Arms.
Due to this connection you’ll frequently find these tap pubs have first dibs on
any new beers from their associated brewery. More than likely they’ll also have
an exclusive beer only available at that venue; making regular visits a must.
Don’t just think taps are the only place to offer an exclusive beer as local
breweries often bestow their favourite pub with a one off brew. To top that off
Sheffield’s fortunate enough to have a handful of brewpubs; where beer is
brewed on site think The Tapped Brew Co housed at The Sheffield Tap in the
train station or Little Ale Cart Company at the idiosyncratic Wellington in
Shalesmoor.
Pump clip badge
artwork is often the first thing that catches your attention at the bar and Kelham Island Brewery frequently commission eye catching collaborations with
locally approved and nationally recognised artists Jim Connolly, Martin Bedford
and Pete Mckee. Look out for Jim C’s comic book inspired series including
Gentleman Death (6%), a Baltic porter and King of the Rocket Men (4.5%), a
refreshing golden ale. Limited art prints and pump clips are available to
purchase at the brewery shop in Kelham Island (near their tap pub The Fat Cat)
as a keepsake for your newly beloved pint.
The Kelham
Island area is a full day of beer amusement unto itself with Sheffield Camra’s current
pub of the year The Shakespeare on Gibraltar Street an apt starting point. Housing
a hefty selection of cask ales, Belgium and American bottled beers – the newest
Steel City brew can often be found lurking here. As you head out and take a
right, Russell Street leads you to the beer-torious Kelham Island Tavern.
Multiple holder of Camra pub of the year title – this traditional tavern has an
excellent well-kept ale selection (10 plus hand pulls) and a crackin’ friendly
atmosphere. Stroll further down and you reach The Fat Cat – Kelham Island
Brewery’s tap. Over the River Don lies The Riverside which is an eclectic music
arts venue, try their house beer Riverside Pale 4.2% which is lovingly crafted
by The Brew Co. As a final pit stop head to The Brew Co tap just over the road –
The Harlequin.
Beery Goodness: Pub Trail from Union to
Union
Interval Cafe Bar: One of Sheffield
University Student’s Union bars, Interval offers 7 hand pulls of ale from local
and national breweries all year round. Every Tuesday bar manager Chris Aucott
organises a brewery showcases on the hand pulls; think 7 Abbeydale Brewery
beers all available at once, a valid reason for mid-week suppin’ if ever there
was one. Each May the Sheffield Uni Real Ale Society collaborate with the union
to host a beer festival showcasing over 80 real ales, ciders and lagers over 3
days adding another reason to kick off your first beer explorations here. Something
to keep you tempted to stay in Sheffield over the summer?
University
of Sheffield, Western Bank, S10 2TE 0114 222 8587
www.shef.ac.uk/union
@SheffieldSU
The University Arms: One of the best
pub gardens within the city circular. This beer destination is owned and run by
Sheffield University. During term time there’s always 6 hand pulls of ale
including house regular Thirst Degree from Acorn Brewery – an exclusive 3.6%
light ale made with lager and crystal malts and German Brewers Gold hops. The pub
pulls 500 pints a week alone of this house ale favourite from the Barnsley
brewery. If you prefer a darker beer try Bradfield Brewery’s Farmers Stout
(4.5%) a locally brewed alternative to your usual well known stout. Put a big
circle round November on your calendar and check their Twitter feed for updates
as the annual beer festival squeezes an extra 30 cask beers into the
conservatory.
Brook Hill
Sheffield, South Yorkshire 0114 222 8969 www.facebook.com/universityarms
The Bath Hotel: Knowledgeable and friendly
staff makes this Grade II listed pub (dating back to 1867) a popular watering
hole. Inside you’ll find a remarkable tiled interior bar housing 6 hand pulled
ales, 3 rotating Thornbridge Brewery key kegs (try their Koln style beer – Tzara
a 4.8% perfectly formed ale/lager hybrid beer) and the hot roast pork
sandwiches come with a hunger quashing guarantee. Free Wi-Fi so you can check
in and update friends on the beers they’re missing out on.
66-68
Victoria Street, Sheffield S3 7QL www.beerinthebath.co.uk
The Hop: Live music, real ale and award
winning pies are this Ossett Brewery pub’s focus (pie & a pint £5!). Having
the drummer from Yorkshire indie band Embrace involved behind the scenes
ensures an indie and blues sensibility to their live music listings. You can
choose from 10 hand pulled cask beers (including 4 mainstay Ossett Brewery
ales) whilst seeing how many Sheffield music legends you can correctly guess in
the artwork adorned walls. Sunday to Thursday a 10% student discount is
available if you flash your NUS card. Head over here to sample Huddersfield
based Rat Brewery’s one off special batch brews such as Rat Saison IPA 3.5%.
Unit 14,
West One Plaza, Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield S1 4JB 0114 278 1000 www.thehopsheffield.co.uk
@thehopsheffield
The Devonshire Cat: A cornucopia beer
house in the Devonshire Quarter offering a mah-hoo-sive selection of bottled
beers with over 100 Belgium beers (aficionados’ fav Trappist beer Orval),
German Pilsners, wheat beer, smoked beer, Kolsch (a pale golden aromatic beer
brewed in Cologne), Czech, British, American (Brooklyn, Flying Dog and AnchorBreweries) and more countries and styles than you can shake a tankard at. There’s
even a ventilated cool room to ensure bottled beers are at perfect serving
temperature. Their well-informed staff will help you navigate the extensive
beer menu so don’t worry if you haven’t got the foggiest; or ask to look at the
menu as it uses a cat symbol to indicate recommended beers. The draught beer
selection hits the 25 tap mark snaking along the bar. Look out for two house
beers – Bradfield Brewery’s Devonshire Cat Bitter (chestnut coloured malty ale
3.9%, £2.80 per pint) and Devonshire Cat Lager (brewed to the Reinheitsgebot German purity law 4.1%, £3
per pint or £2.50 if you visit on a Wednesday!). Free Wi-Fi and retro Snes
games ranging from Mario to Donkey Kong and Street Fighter available to play on
the big screen.
Wellington
Street, Devonshire Green, Sheffield, S1 4HG 0114 2796 700 @devonshirecat
The Old House: This eclectic Division
Street late night music junkie boozer offers 6 hand pulled ales and 12 draught
taps including many a continental beer. Start your night off with local ale at
£2.50 a pint before moving onto The Old House Pilsner style lager (brewed by
Wentworth 4.5%). Burger and a stein (a
traditional beer mug to me and you) filled with beer is a tempting £9.99. Dig
into the extensive bottled beer range and beer cocktails as the party vibe
progresses. I don’t often recommend a cocktail but the staff are experts in the
mixing stakes – try the Fruit Beer Smash which uses Belgium cherry beer
(Liefmans).
113-117 Devonshire Street, Devonshire
Quarter, Sheffield S3 7SB 0114 2766002 @TheOldHouse
The Red Deer: A constantly rotating
beer range, 300 ales poured over the last 2 years, board games (Kerplunk) and a
powerful Sunday roast all add up to make this an attractive and cosy beer hang
out. A tasting paddle is offered for the cost of a pint which allows you to sample
3 beers of choice. Sunday is Sci-Fi film
night where you can watch classics such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers,
munch popcorn and sup a pint of beer for £4.
18 Pitt
Street, Sheffield S1 4DD 0114 272 2890 @reddeershef
DaDa: A late night venue dedicated to
the holy trio of music, arts and beer. A Thornbridge Brewery bar with a heavy
lean towards craft beer with 4 cask beers, 11 keg beers (a mix of Thornbridge,
Ilkely and Magic Rock Breweries) and up to 50 bottled beers from the likes of
innovative international breweries such the Italian Brewfist and Danish
Mikkeller squad. Tuesday to Thursday catch the 20% discount on bottled beer.
Once a month look out for First Pour Fridays; where Thornbridge launch new
brews to the bar such as Melba, a peach IPA (collaboratively brewed by the
clever DaDa troop). The bar has a dedicated art exhibition space hosting local
and national graphic, comic book inspired and street artists. DJs rotate every
weekend on the hefty sound system playing an eclectic soundtrack of ska, funk,
soul, blues and electronica. Warp film recently hosted their 10th
anniversary revelry here with beer references to their cult classic portfolio -
This is England and Dead Man’s Shoes.
Trippet
Lane, Sheffield S1 4EL 0114 276 2930 www.dadabar.co.uk
@dada_bar
Tamper’s Sellers Wheel: Sheffield coffee institution Tamper has opened
their second brand spanking new food and drink cafe in the Cultural Quarter. A
meeting place for coffee and hop heads alike; the idiosyncratic venue housed in
the Grade II listed Sellers Wheel lies a stone’s throw from Sheffield Hallam
Students’ Union. Ben Smith from mobile
craft bar The Hop Box overseas the bottled (12+) and draught (3 keg, 1 cask)
beer menu which means a well thought through selection. York based brewery –
The Hop Studio’s Pilsner 4% is the flavoursome house regular. You’ll find beers
from inventive UK breweries such as The Kernel, Red Willow and Buxton alongside
‘Worldies’ from skilled American breweries Odell and Sierra Nevada. Look out for their upcoming beer and coffee
collaboration with Sheffield microbrewery - The Brew Co using the Tamper house
coffee blend.
149 Arundel
Street, Sheffield S12NU tampercoffee.co.uk @tampercoffee
The Rutland Arms: This pub is the Blue
Bee Brewery tap so look out for one off chilli versions of their delectable
Lustin’ for Stout (4.8%). 8 hand pulled ales rotate across local and regional
microbreweries such as Bristol stalwarts Arbor and Bristol Beer Factory (with 2
Blue Bee regulars including Bees Knees Bitter 4%). Big on craft keg beer; drop
by to sample Brewdog, Magic Rock, Hardknott or Mikkeller Brewery beers. A relaxed
welcoming atmosphere and a loud jukebox (stick to the obscure selections or you
may be ejected) equals many an hour whiled away at this corner stop. Student
friendly pricing on the butties, Sunday roasts and brownies add to its charm.
86 Brown
Street, Sheffield S1 2BS 0114 2729003 rutlandarmspeople.co.uk @rutlandarms
The Sheffield Tap: An awe-inspiring brewpub establishment accommodated
in a converted Edwardian refreshment room at the train station. The furthermost
room houses a 4 brewers barrel copper shining plant where brewing commences
twice weekly and head brewer Jamie Hawksworth overseas new brews with passion
under The Tapped Brew Co moniker. A beer
digger’s paradise the bottled selection is a staggering 200 plus – always the
first to have the newest exciting beers from all over the globe (try Wild BeerCo, Kissmeyer, Nogne and The Bruery). 12
continental swing handled taps (including Czech beer Bernard unfiltered and
dark) and 11 traditional cask hand pulls including 3 house brew regulars from
Tapped Brew Co.
Platform 1B,
Sheffield Station, Sheaf St, Sheffield S1 2BP 0114 273 7558
www.sheffieldtap.com
@SheffieldTap
Tap outlets:
Tap Outlet
|
Brewery
|
The Rutland Arms
|
Blue Bee Brewery
|
The Sheffield Tap
|
Tapped Brew Co
|
The Hillsborough Hotel
|
Wood St Brewery
|
The Fat Cat
|
Kelham Island Brewery
|
The Wellington
|
Little Ale Cart Company
|
The Harlequin
|
The Brew Co
|
The Rising Sun
|
Abbeydale Brewery
|
The Gardeners Rest
|
The Sheffield Brewery Company
|
The Nags Head
|
Bradfield Brewery
|
Tick list:
Here’s a
heavyweight tick list of local beers for you to sample - on your marks, get set,
Ale!
Abbeydale Brewery: Bee Ale Ze Bub 6%; a
pale honey beer with a refreshing citrus punch using locally sourced honey.
Founder and Managing Director Patrick Morton began brewing commercially under
the guidance of Kelham Island brewery back in the mid 90s before being inspired
to set up on his own as Abbeydale Brewery. Brewing 130 barrels per week (just
short of 40,000 pints!) of up to 9 different beers their reputation has been
built on consistently good brews.
Acorn Brewery: Gorlovka Imperial Stout
6%; an award winning distinctive full bodied dark beer with deep roast malt liquorice
flavours throughout. Established in 2003 by former chef Dave Hughes his
experience shows through in the superb flavour combinations.
Blue Bee Brewery: Lustin’ for Stout 4.8%;
a rich roasted malt flavoured stout from this one man band brewery. Inspired by
Star Wars and seven years as Head Brewer at Abbeydale Brewery; a winning
combination if ever I heard one.
Bradfield Brewery: Farmers
Blonde 4%; pale and luscious beer with a citrus summer fruit aroma made by this
family run business, based on a busy working farm in the Peak District. Natural
spring water is sourced for the brews from their very own borehole in the farm
grounds.
The Brew Company: Look out for the new
collaborative coffee infused beer with cafe mecca Tamper. Pete Roberts started
the brewery in 2008 after gaining support from Sheffield Hallam University’s
Enterprise Challenge and mixes traditional techniques with contemporary edged
recipes – as seen in his single hop specials.
@The_Brew_Co
Kelham Island Brewery: Radar Men from
the Moon 4%; a cosmic citrus golden ale with a blend of Australian and American
hops, artwork supplied by comic book maverick Jim Connolly. Set up by the sadly
missed Sheffield luminary Dave Wickett in 1990 originally in the pub of The Fat
Cat; making this the first new independent brewery in Sheffield for almost 100
years. Legendary status for all the right reasons.
Little Ale Cart: Just go to the pub and
see what they’ve been brewing that week! Housed at the quirky freehouse pub The
Wellington, the Little Ale Cart brew plant is well known for producing rounded
well-balanced light and hoppy ales. Steel City and White Rose Breweries both
use this kit to brew on – showing camaraderie alive and kicking amongst the
Sheff beer scene.
On The Edge Brewery: Wit Wash 5.2%; an orangey
citrus wheat beer using German yeast. What you may term a nano-brewery, if there
ever was search a term! Tom Richards began brewing commercially in 2012 in his
dining room after years of home brewing for friends and family. He produces 4
casks per month. These can often be found at his local pub, The Broadfield, on
Abbeydale Road. Experimentation and small batch brewing is high on the agenda
here – look out for smoked peat and rose petal infused ales.
@OntheEdgeBrew
The Sheffield Brewery Company: Crucible
Best 3.8%; a complex bitter brewed with a blend of pale, crystal and black malts.
Based in the old ‘Blanco’ polishing works in the industrially historical north
of the city, Head Brewer Dr Tim Stillman has crafted an original tower brewery
plant. Try organising a trip on their regular open day to marvel at the kit which
uses natural gravity to aid the brewing process.
Steel City Beer: In the Nightside
Eclipse; a black IPA from the Black Metal Series and heavy on the IBUs – if you
don’t know what that means there’s no better beer than Steel City to start
learning. Craft beer from the Grim North.
The Tapped Brew Co: Sladek 5.2%, a
Czech pale ale collaboratively brewed with up-and-coming young Czech Master
Brewer Adam Matuska. Dry hopped with 2kg of fresh Czech Saaz whole hops so lots
of earthy, herbal and spicy aromas.
Thornbridge Brewery: Twin Peaks 5%; an
Anglo-American collaborative pale ale. American beer leg-ends Sierra Nevada and
Thornbridge fused their expertise together to produce this appetising pale ale
with aromas of tropical fruits, pineapple and mango. Refreshing and very easy
drinking. Thornbridge Brewery has multiple pubs in Sheffield – their flagship
The Greystones is well worth a visit, especially if you love comedy. October’s
gig listing has Edinburgh Fringe festival regulars Tom Deacon, Lucy Porter and
Tom Wriggleworth all programmed into their dedicated backroom events space.
Toolmakers Brewery: Toffee Hammer 4.1%;
a dark beer with caramel and hints of liquorice and chocolate. A newly established
in 2013 family run ale focused brewery.
Wentworth Brewery: W.P.A (Woppa) 4%; a
golden hoppy IPA with a moreish sharpness. Based in the picturesque
surroundings of the Wentworth Estate in Rotherham.
White Rose Brewery: Lightning 4%, a
best bitter with a pale colour and citrus flavour. Established in 2007 by Gary
Sheriff, former head brewer at Wentworth Brewery.
Wood Street Brewery: Wood Street Pale
Ale 3.9%; head over to the Hillsborough Hotel and bask in the sun drenched
outdoor garden with views over North Sheffield and the Rivelin Valley.
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