So, I visited Two Towers Brewery for the second time last night. As it was an event, I am going to…read morepost about my first experience of this beery treat. So... I tend to plan something fun for a group of us to do around my Birthday. We've been to Monkey Forest and done all sorts of things... but last year I was at a loss. Whatever I plan has to be sufficiently fun to appease me, a group of goths and my lovely parents. It also helps if it's cheap and there is plentiful booze (this is generally the case in most dilemmas in life). After a brief poke around the interwebs, I stumbled upon the Two Towers website. Being an attraction that's local to me and makes beer, I was on to a winner. I dropped the fabulous Peter an email to enquire as to the chance of getting a private tour (as there were about 25 of us). About the same time, there was a groupon offer floating about (2 people for £6 for the tour). After having a conversation with Peter, it was decided they would do us the tour for the promotional rate of £3pp (very kind of them). As it's a little hidden away in the backstreets of Hockley, it's worth doing your homework first. It's actually only about a 10 minute walk away from the Clocktower in the JQ, but if you don't know where you're going you can get lost easily. A normal tour price is £10pp (but is well worth the cost), but keep an eye out for offers. From the outside, it doesn't look like much. The first comment I got last night was "Vicky... are you taking us to a carpark?". Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. The Brewery is in an mini-industrial estate. After arriving at the white door (normally surrounded by kegs and polypins), you might think it was closed! Just give it a push and if it opens, the brewery is open! It's actually open 8:30am - 5:30pm most days for sales to the public, but you need to pre-book if you want to do the tour. It's a small unit, but it doesn't need to be large. As an aside, there are plans in the works to extend and buy some new equipment; but I imagine it won't be ready and open in it's new state for a little while yet. There is a small area with beers for display and sale, a hatch for the serving of the drinks and the equipment at the back of the room. Despite it's small size, a tour can be between 1.5 - 2 hours in duration. Mark takes you through the background and history of the brewery and it's beers, the brewing process and the details of all of the ingredients used in the making. Whether you are an experienced home brewer yourself or have no idea about the process, it's interesting to learn the minute details of what makes the Two Tower beers so special. I have done the tour twice now and love it. I thoroughly recommend giving it a go (or you can always just pop in and grab some of the delicious beer for sale). The current facilities are basic, but will be changing this year!

A tour of a Birmingham Brewery that takes its names, and inspiration from the huge history of our…read moregreat city??? Yes Please I was invited to visit the Brewery on a Saturday afternoon. Most of the 16 or so people attending had been given the tour as a Christmas Gift which sounded like a fantastic idea. I'd tried Two Towers before at Hotel La Tour with their amazing Steak and Brummie Ale Pie which made it even more fun to try some of their other ales. The building itself is two units of a warehouse on the edge of Jewellery Quarter with several "vats" to create the beer in. I tried Electric Ale which is an exclusive to the Electric Cinema (The oldest working cinema in the UK) It's tasty and citric as ales go. If you are looking to sample some locally produced ale and hear all about how the history of Birmingham ties in to the beer then you can't go far wrong.

1st time there. Popped in while passing for a beer or two. Tom was alone behind the bar. He greeted…read moreus very politely and was courteous. He explained what beers they make & what is what. We were guided by him in our choices & he was bang on. Tom was pleasant, polite and most helpful. We had no intentions of dinning but did share a Key lime pie that was to die for. The menu was not just pizza & burgers there are a lot of great healthier choices too all reasonably priced. The outside is amazing. Will we go again? YES!!! Only negative we found was there are no litter bins in the garden.

What a fantastic addition to Sutton! Seth S. and I had a friend visiting from the states and took…read morehim here for a tasty beer and meal. The decor is posh and welcoming, the interior is highlighted by reclaimed wood, Edison bulbs, industrial metal, mid century styled seating, and lots of books (which you're actually welcome to read while sipping a pint or 5). I ordered the ribs, which come with fries, slaw, and grilled corn on the cob. The meat was tender, fall off the bone, perfect. I would have liked just a little more BBQ sauce on the ribs though. I asked for an extra ramekin, which the wait staff kindly brought. The BBQ sauce is unique and makes use of bright orange rind and juice to punch up the flavor. The corn was seasoned just right. There is enough food on the "plate," a cutting board, for two to have a large meal. I ordered tea to drink to soothe my sore throat. Tea was served in the cutest little tea pot and was very tasty. I tried a sip of the stout. I will definitely be getting that next time. It was phenomenal! (If you go for just beer, I'd give that 5 stars). The stout had smooth chocolate notes and drank like a delicious cuppa cocoa.

I liked it so much I even bought the t shirt!read more

From the owner: Craft beer with 20 taps and over 150 bottlesread more

I am smitten with this gem of a neighborhood pub. My favorite parts are the atmosphere and friendly…read morestaff. Bolder Tap is the flagship location for Joule's Brewery in the Midlands region. The interior has been painstakingly restored to its original charm. Decor highlights include display cases of beer bottles from the early 1900s, a wood fireplace, cosy seating nooks with leather cushions, and the outdoor patio. Because this is a neighborhood pub, families come in throughout the day to enjoy a refreshing pint and most know the servers by name. It's a bit like being on the set of Cheers (American TV show from the 1980s). I went here with Seth S. and took my laptop with some reading. While the Tap doesn't have wifi, seating is comfortable and atmosphere is conducive to relaxing. We stayed for a few hours, enjoying a few pints of cider and then ordered two sides of chips when the kitchen opened at 5pm. The chips were perfectly cooked and flavorful. The portions are HUGE. We could have easily split one side, which was served up in a pasta bowl. The staff were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. I'll definitely be coming here often.

Market Drayton based Joule's Brewery entered the Birmingham footprint last year, opening their…read morelocal flagship location in Boldmere. The Boldmere Tap has refurbished the previous Old Cork & Bottle into a homely neighborhood pub that is one of the most welcoming in Sutton Coldfield. Joule's is a craft brewery that jump-started a defunct 19th century brand (the first ever trademark in England) in the early 2000's that had been purchased by one of the big macro-breweries. The brewery is an easy one hour journey from Birmingham, and centers on crafting real ale with the local spring waters of Shropshire. The focus on the Joule's brewing legacy has led to the creation of some very well done ales and lagers. The Boldmere Tap is the first pub in Birmingham to be under the Joule's umbrella, and features their full line of beers on tap. I recently dropped by one afternoon with one of my mates to see what the brewery had to offer. I have previously tried their pale ale at a pub in city centre, and was excited to see the other featured beers. Joule's has four main beers in their stable, which are complemented by seasonal offerings. The mains are their flagship Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk (a malty bitter ale), Joule's Blond (nice and citrus forward), and Green Monkey (their lager). Their winter seasonal, Old No. 6, is a dark ale. All of the brews are available in half or pull pint pours (a half of the Slumbering Monk is only £1.50). If you aren't in the mood for Joule's taps, the pub also provides more standard fare, including Guinness. All of this is on top of their food menu. The kitchen opens at 10AM, where you can start the day off right with a full English Breakfast for £4.95. The main courses at dinner average around £8, with fish and chips at £7.95. For vegetarians, there are four main courses to choose from, including broccoli cheese bake, mushroom stroganoff, vegetable lasagna, and a bean burger, all for £7.25 or less. The neighborhood feeling that the Boldmere Tap elicits is woven into the very fabric of the building. The pub is decorated with bric a brac of old photos, vintage beer bottles, and a railway sign from the Chester Road station before the branding was refreshed by London Midland. On a cold January afternoon, a stove fire roared near the entrance, heating up the front room. Events are held throughout the week, with a quiz night on Mondays at 9PM and open mic nights on Wednesday. The Boldmere neighborhood, and Birmingham as a whole, are lucky that the Boldmere Tap has been chosen as the flagship Joule's pub for the area. The pub gets all of the benefits that come from being affiliated with a craft brewery, while still maintaining a very old school English pub charm that is increasingly lacking in the city.

Had a great day out today fulfilling my yearning for some serious real ale action after months of…read morelife in Germany. To that end, I visited one of the UK's oldest independent breweries, Three Tuns. I'm not sure how old the existing building is, but it's a gorgeous red brick affair that was threatened with residential development in 2002. Fortunately, common sense won out and the brewery began producing again in 2003. The current output can only be described as fantastic. I drank Three Tuns all over mid-Shropshire today, and each pint was magical. From the first extremely hoppy XXX, to the pint of Stirling after lunch in the adjacent Three Tuns Inn, to the pint of Curate straight from the barrel. I ended up going home a happy man carrying 12 pints of the amber nectar with me. Unfortunately, brewery tours have to be booked in advance, and it's best to arrange for a Saturday. I shall do just that!

Having visited the pub next door a few times and sampling the beer that is brewed here, I have to…read moresay it is one of the finest selection of traditionally brewed ales I have ever tasted. Go there - try some - simple!

Wonderful micro-brewery and beers. They have a pub also called the Norman Knight with all of their…read morebeers, amazing place! Keep up the good work. Best beer in the area for miles.....

Quaint and quirky brewery / tap house / bar / pub / venue in Fargo Village. This place is truly a…read morehidden gem and I can't believe more people haven't heard of it. There are a great variety of real tasty locally brewed beers (many if not all of them I think are brewed in the bar itself) and the staff are incredible. Real rustic punky / folky vibes inside and there's always some great music playing in the background. Usually things like Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Sum41, Bowie, AAF, Blink 182 etc! Fab place for an evening wind down, and sometimes they have more bouncin' events on like their recent beer festival, and the occasional pub quiz

I've really enjoyed my time spent at Twisted Barrel! It has…read morea chill Hipster/Boho sort of vibe. Warm and cozy in the winter, and sprawls outside in the summer. Most of all the beers, cider and ales on tap were created in this shop! You can literally see all the equipment that was used around the seating area. Although they're not brewing it while you're there, it's sort of like eating in the kitchen of a restaurant. The staff there are all super cool. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights. They always recommend different drinks to what sort you like, and even let you have samples sometimes. They used to serve vegan food, but now it's only drinks and some nuts. There's also beers to take away, and sometimes they do deals with the other local FarGo vendors so keep an eye out. I've seen events going on there some nights as well like open mic night and quiz night. Some nights I go by and it's so packed there's standing room only. Other nights you can get the place to yourself. It's a bit hit or miss. But all in all if you're planning to go with a group of friends, best to send someone ahead early to snag a table with chairs. Boys beware: Not the sort of place to pick up chicks. This is usually older generation clientele who really appreciate small batch beers and a chill vibe associating with their own friends. This is Not a pub or bar for PUA's! Haha. Great drinks and independently owned. Definitely recommend stopping in! ;)

I highly recommend to go there and have a tour. Nigel was such an excellent guy, he knows a lot and…read morehe's very passionate about beer. My go to are the IPA, Haus and Pils. The place have si much potential, I hope they will open a bar and a bear garden

Wychwood Brewery was kind of a rare opportunity for me to try beer from abroad. I am very grateful…read morethat the opportunity has arose and I got to try a beer from the UK. Steve and I experienced their Hobgoblin Ruby Ale. There are a couple different versions of this Ruby Ale but we had the one that came in at 4.5 ABV. It is an English style Brown Ale with noticeable flavor highlights of toffee, maltiness, sweetness and dryness all very well balanced with none of those flavor highlights being too heavy handed. I like brown ales in general but virtually all of the ones I have had are made in the United States. What I noticed with this UK one was the dryness and how the sweetness was more in the background on your taste buds rather than dominant. Not too sure how it was done but it was a refreshing change of pace.

Surprisingly challenging to find in this little town, once dominated by the brewery, down a…read morebackstreet in a seemingly residential area. Upon arrival we were ushered downstairs, and given a half-pint of their monthly special - ours was the 'full Brazilian' which was...well...not the best, but good to try. We were then taken around the brewery by our very knowledgeable tour guide / ale aficionado. This involved tasting the raw hops, and different kinds of malts used, and looking at lots of vats and pipes and other brewing stuff. It is actually surprisingly small for how common their beers are, some of the equipment was over a century old which seemed impressive. After the tour came the bit that everyone was looking forward to, the tasting! Beers served at the recommended temperature, which despite the detailed lecture from our doctor of ale tour guide about ale temperature, was still a little warm for me. 11 beers, served one or two at a time to compare and contrast. Before you get excited they were served in tasting cups, about the size of a double-shot but still...11 in half an hour was pushing it for some. Finally, nice and loosened up, into the gift shop for some hobgoblin related purchases. Of course, you can buy the beer here and of course, it is a fraction of the price it is in London...of course, make sure you plan how much you can carry *before* purchasing. A couple of things to remember: * Book at least two weeks in advance for the tour, places are limited - more limited than I had expected. * Don't wear flip-flops...they will force you to wear 'daps' because of all the crazy cleaning irritants on the floor.