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.

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.....

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.

Rock and Roll Brewhouse is exactly what the Jewellery Quarter needs right now, and what you'll find…read morehas been missing this whole time. This is not strictly a brewery, although you might get a glimpse of the 'sausage making' when a door or two is opened by one of the owners. This isn't an old man pub, though you'll see many old man patrons. This isn't a night club, though some of the guests on a given night will be dressed to impress. This isn't a hipster-modern speakeasy either, though a lively colour palette and decor choices may attract some of that clientele. The best way to think of Rock and Roll is as a semi-exclusive house party that only happens once a week for fours hours. Rock and Roll had always been a bit unique over the years, beginning with their start literally on the roof the Lamp Tavern in Digbeth, Now they've moved on to bigger and better digs in the JQ, home to two other breweries and counting. Rock and Roll is set apart from the crowd with a small batch focus. You can find their bottle conditioned real ales in local, independent shops and restaurants like Otto Pizza down the street. The taps in the brewhouse, totalling three, are changed out each week. Try to log your beverage on Untapped, and you'll most likely find that it does not yet exist in their database. The vibe here is ultra relaxed, with an often crowded front room and bar, and a back room complete with turntable, vinyl records, and a couch. Being open from only 5-9PM on Friday (and the occasional Saturday), the brewhouse is packed with a virtual who's-who of JQ residents and employees.The ales are £3 a pint, and they usually sell bottles of Hogan's cider for those who aren't on the real ale bandwagon. Rock and Roll Brewhouse is the perfect place to spend a low-key evening out, sipping on some brews, making new friends, and not having much of a care about anything - my perfect Friday night out.

Hidden away in Regent Place, hard to find and feels like a speakeasy. Rock & Roll Brewhouse offers…read morevegan beers made by themselves and it is good. Cheap prices, £1.50 a half pint, £3 a full pint. Only open Friday's 5pm to 9pm. You can also find them at many farmers markets and festivals.

This multi-award-winning brewery's ales arrived a few years ago and through quality and flavour…read morethey quickly became established as a good, standard, local ale for many pubs in Birmingham to run on their pumps. Pure UBU at 4.5% is stronger tasting than it's alcohol content. Mad Goose at 4.2% has slightly less alcohol but is the more robust tasting of the two. Pure Gold is their light golden ale that weighs in at 3.8%. As well as the ales that they brew the brewery are distributors for traditional German lagers and the citrusey Maisels Weisse Beer. Dear to the heart of Purity is an environmental ethos, and they utilise a wetland area that they have created to filter waste water from the brewing process. They also use natural ingredients and they support recycling schemes. Evidence of this is to be found at the Moseley Folk Festival and the Mostly Jazz Festivals where drinkers pay £1 for a quality plastic glass which they are encouraged to keep for the weekend to get refilled. I like my Purity in the form of a Mad Goose from the Hare & Hounds, as I'm perched on a stool at 'Ronnie's Corner.'

Having tried the beers on offer from Purity at several local pubs and festivals I have been…read moremightily impressed. Their beer is crisp and fresh and makes a great alternative to the normal choice you often get in pubs, which is either the gassy and rubbish big brand beers like Carling, or else the 'reassuringly expensice' fashionable continental lagers. That Purity is also a local brew makes it all the more worth supporting. I took a trip out to their brewery and was surprised to find that such a great product comes from such a small place. This is literally a small family farm, but the brewery have made great efforts to make it worth the trip out. Their small shop stocks the beer in various shapes and sizes - from gift bottles to kegs - and there are also some tshirts and other branded items if you really want to show your support.

Hook Norton is an excellent, traditional British brewer and the brewery itself is very traditional,…read morea late 19th-century Victorian tower brewery. They offer outstanding tours through the fascinating brewery, which still has a functioning steam engine which was still used to power the brewery until less than 20 years ago. The tour finishes up with tastings and we were given unlimited samples of all the bers they had cask or keg available at the time, along with a tasting glass. The tour is the best brewery tour I've been on to date, anywhere. There is a restaurant onsite as well, which is nice and serves not only their excellent beers, but also excellent food.

The restaurant is immaculate, the service was great and the food quality was great! Certainly going…read moreback but maybe get a tour round the brewery too!!!

Great beer & food,what's not to like?? Lots of organised…read moreevents with bands & daily meal specials. The menu features warming broths, Ploughmans, homemade burgers, chilli con carne made with Grainstore beer, and rustic sandwiches. As you tuck in to your Ploughmans at your wooden barrel table Food is served Monday to Friday - 12pm to 3.00pm and 5.30pm to 9pm, Saturday - Breakfast from 9am to 11.30am, Meals served all day from Midday to 9pm, Sunday - Breakfast from 9am to 11.30am and Lunch from Midday to 5pm.

A cracking little joint that boasts its own micro brewery…read more I does the usual beers, but I would recommend trying their own brewed ales. They cater for large groups and also offer mini tours of the brewery which is always fun and getting to sample their hard work once the tour is over. It has a more than ample outdoor seating area at the front which is great, and even though this is a small little gaff, I have never waited long to be served, even when a mass crowd of bikers turn up on mass to enjoy this little local gem.

This is a great annual event organised by Purity Brewing Co. FemALE is a ladies only beer tasting…read morethat is held in the ever-so-slightly-swanky Malmaison Hotel. The event has been held for the last couple of years and I was lucky enough to be invited along to this year's tasting and food pairing spectacular back in March. It was compered by local beer blogger Marverine Cole, who proved to be a knowledgeable and engaging host. It was a bit tricky to find the event after entering the hotel. Me and my friend ended up being guided up some service staircase by a member of staff, though once we reached the correct function room everything felt a lot more organised and special. We were served flutes of chilled lager and got an introductory talk from Marverine and the guys from Purity. After a bit of chatting and mingling, we were taken into a dining room where we were served up 6 courses of delicious food specially created to match the different beers we got to taste. Every course was delicious, as were the accompanying beers. I'd highly recommend this event to any lady who likes food or beer or both!