The Little Book of Nottingham Craft Beer by LeftLion

Introduction Back in 2015 a group of likeminded publicans from Nottingham sat down together and decided they wanted to celebrate and promote a, relatively new to the UK, thing called ‘craft beer’. They got in touch with us at LeftLion magazine, invited me on board and we started making plans together. Over the next few years this grew and grew and we started putting on an annual week of events in June each year known as Nottingham Craft Beer Week. Fast forward to March 2020 and a group of our delegates went to Beer X in Liverpool for the annual awards hosted by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). We won an award that night for ‘Best UK Craft Beer Promotion,’ national recognition for the many years of work put in by ourselves and the people in the bars we work with in Nottingham. It turned out to be the last event any of us would attend for some time. In the car on the way back we heard the Prime Minister talking on the radio about an emerging thing called coronavirus. Within a week pubs across the nation were being told to close their doors for public safety. Life as we know it would change forever. The many months since have taken a serious toll on everyone, but in particular on the beer and hospitality industry. At the time of writing restrictions have been lifted and the pubs have reopened, but the experience of drinking and working in them still seems different to how it was before the pandemic. Happily the beers remain as great as ever. It’s at times like these that supporting local is crucial. Every bar and brewery featured in this publication is run or owned by people from Nottingham. They compete for your beer money every day with much bigger national and international chains. Please continue to buy your beer from them. Long live Nottingham Craft Beer. Jared Wilson Director, Nottingham Craft Beer Week

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The Art of Beer

Meet Seth Smith, aka The Art of Beer. He’s spent the last half-decade creating illustrations inspired by the nation’s favourite alcoholic beverages. This year he’s taken on the mantle of Art Director of Nottingham Craft Beer Week and put together a selection of new prints inspired by our favourite local beers... Where did all this begin? At the start of 2015, I was listening to the Guardian Football Weekly podcast. One of the journalists, Jonathan Wilson, was talking about a challenge he was embarking on: to drink 500 different beers in a year. I thought that was a good idea too. I’m not sure it was in hindsight. As I began to record and share the beer diary on Instagram, I soon realised how dreadful I was at taking photos. So, I saw it as an opportunity to improve my creative skills and I began to create alternative illustrations of every beer I drank. Five years on, and I’m still going. What do you get up to when you’re not drinking or illustrating beer? I’m a Creative Director at a Nottingham design agency, a very proud dad, a part-time Forest fan and a full-time Spurs fan. What was the first beer you ever drew? Fursty Ferret by Badger Brewery. That one, and many of the following 200-300 illustrations were pretty tripe. That’s okay though. I genuinely believe the best way to learn is by doing. Instagram has been a brilliant platform for me – the constant stream of publishing has fuelled a continuous sense of self-evaluation and experimentation, which has helped hone my craft, in both the day job as well as an Instagram artist (if that’s what I am).

There’s quite a lot of good art in craft beer. Who are your favourites? As the beer scene has exploded in the last few years, beer hunting has become a ‘thing’. Taste remains king, but brands are having to work harder to create shelf-appeal, so the can has become a canvas – a collectable one at that. Regarding illustrators, check out Drew Millward. He creates striking, layered work that has a compelling energy that I continue to get drawn to over and over again. His work for Northern Monk and Leeds International Festival is iconic. I’m infatuated with the can designs from Play Brew Co (Double Dash and Lazy Daze). The brand agency, Alphabet, has created a series of funky, retro illustrations, paired with some super juicy colourways. Tastes good too. Who do you think does the best artwork in the Nottingham beer scene? Kev Grey, the artist for Black Iris Brewery. His work is simple but bold – often with a playful twist, and the black and white palette has great standout on the shelf. For me, the brand has nailed it - the brewery found, and now own, a highly recognisable ‘visual space’. See more of Seth’s stuff and buy his prints at www.theartofbeer.store

Top row (l-r): 200 Not Out by Lenton Lane, Jay IPA by Magpie, BG Sips by Blue Monkey, 4 Hop Men of the Apocalypse by Totally Brewed, Pale Angel by Angel Microbrewery, Hobi Wan Kenobi by Bang The Elephant. 6

Middle row (l-r): Centaur Army by Neon Raptor, Cosmik Debris by Liquid Light, East Mids Pale Ale by Black Iris,

Naughty Luggage by Neon Raptor, Pink Moon by Liquid Light, Rebel by Navigation Brewery. Bottom row (l-r): EPA by Nottingham Brewery, Guardian of the Forest by Totally Brewed, Harvest Pale by Castle Rock, Shipstones Best Bitter by Shipstones, Snake Eyes by Black Iris, Sourlero by Castle Rock.

Wild Card Brewery A decade ago Jaega Wise and her partner William moved from Nottingham to London and started up a brewery in Walthamstow. Since their launch in 2012, Wild Card Brewery has continued to grow at pace. Jaega talks us through her journey, TV presenting and some of the interesting new collaborations she has up her sleeve... You grew up in Notts. What are your favourite pubs here? A lot of my early years were spent either drinking tinnies outside on a golf course or in the Stratford Haven in Bridgford. Harvest Pale was definitely something I discovered at an early age. Then when I moved around I frequented the Willowbrook and the Swan in the Rushes. Basically lots of Castle Rock pubs. They’re just proper pubs and I still love them to this day. You started Wild Card in 2012. What were those early days like? It started with my partner, William, who is also from Nottingham, and his mate Andrew. They were both struggling for work in a recession and were starting to think about taking the brewing more seriously. I began a job in chemical trading, which was as boring as it sounds. I eventually quit my job with no plan and decided I wanted to help them out. I got a part-time role at a pub, The Chequers in Walthamstow, and started working with them. Then that was it. We started to build. How have the last eighteen months been, navigating your way through a pandemic? It's been a massive challenge and obviously sad to see the bars and pubs closed for so long. I think we have done as well as we can, given the circumstances. Like most craft breweries we had to be innovative to survive. 8

Our company mantra was to be like a spider - when one leg falls off you still have another seven to keep you going. We launched a webshop, which was created in about 24 hours, to sell our beers directly to the public. That was something we always wanted to do, but before COVID it was something we’d put off because we were busy supplying beer to pubs. We then managed to get an advert on TV and I basically did any media piece I could to help promote it. The brewing sector as a whole has seen a big rise in selling beers directly to the public and it’s now becoming a big part of all of our businesses. It’s a game changer, really. Why are you called Wild Card? We always felt like the wild cards in our industry. We didn't come to it with loads of money - everything we've achieved has come through hard work and by fighting for it. We are a group of people from Nottingham, making beer in London, who didn't grow up with rich or privileged parents. We’re competing with breweries who are the opposite of that and so we had to do things differently to hold our own. You do quite a lot of TV and radio too. How's that going? It's going really well. It started because I was picking up a lot of press by just being a young brown woman in London who was really into

beer. I then started being asked if I wanted to try out for pilots and it turned out that I didn’t totally suck at it. My mantra was to just be myself and pretend the camera wasn’t there. It worked. After I became a guest on the BBC Food Programme I started getting offered more, including a regular presenting role on that show. I'm just really lucky now that I get to travel the country, taste the best drinks the UK has to offer and talk about it on the radio. It’s literally my dream job! I’ll be coming back to Notts (for the event at Liquid Light), on the back of spending the morning with Black Cow Vodka down in Dorset. I can’t think of a better way to spend a day. I’m also in the process of agreeing a contract for a major new TV show on a well-known streaming network that starts filming in August. I have a celebrity co-host on that, who I think you will have heard of. I’m not sure that I'm allowed to say much about it at this stage, but what I will say is he’s ‘beautiful’. Back in 2018 you were named as a Director of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). Are you still doing that? Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve achieved? Yes, I became a Director of the SIBA South East Region which is one of the most active in the country. I spent a lot of time in lockdown having video meetings with the committee. However, the term for Directors at SIBA is three years and I've decided not to run for another term because, as you can see, I'm quite busy. A lot of the work we do is about overcoming red tape, which will be boring to the general public, but we’ve made some changes which I am really proud of. Most prominently we’ve managed to change the structure of the SIBA competitions, which has always been done regionally. This will mean that more breweries, big and small, across the country can win an award, regardless of how much competition there is in their local area.

We’ve been told you have some interesting collaboration beers up your sleeve for Nottingham Craft Beer Week... We love Nottingham and are currently putting the finishing touches to a range of four new beers. We’ve been working with Castle Rock, Black Iris, Neon Raptor and Liquid Light - all breweries we love, are inspired by and who we know make really great beer. They’ve been down here to see us in London and we’ve been brewing together. With Castle Rock we’ve made a really thick, juicy, hoppy IPA. It’s modern and sessionable. After you finish it you’ll want another can. With Black Iris we’ve made a really hoppy, intense lager. Lager is a style they’ve not done a huge amount of and they fancied the challenge. With Neon Raptor we created a fruited NEIPA. It’s something we’ve never done before, but they have many times. It’s heavy hops, heavy fruit with quite a lot of passionfruit in it. Finally with Liquid Light we’ve made a lovely pale ale with Idaho 7 and Galaxy hops. It’s a low abv beer that will come in at about 4%, is full-bodied and ridiculously sweet. There’s been a lot of talk this year about misogyny in the craft beer industry. What can we do to make it a better place? I don’t have all the answers, but the fact is that any woman working for any length of time in any industry is likely to have experienced misogyny. That carries through to the beer, drinks and general hospitality sector. The long-term answer is that we need more women in a position of power in the beer industry. If I think of the environment I work in then it does help having a female who is high up in the team and there are lots of scenarios that might have gone differently if I wasn’t in the room. I also just think it’s important to have an open and honest dialogue about these things and that it’s about bringing people along with us to make that positive change together. wildcardbrewery.co.uk

Environmental Brewing

Craft brewers are not only leading the way in terms of producing top quality beer, but also producing this beer in responsible ways. We talk to Gavin Morrison, Director and Head Brewer at Magpie Brewery, about how the industry is making progress towards becoming more sustainable... As well as producing drinks that are delicious, refreshing and, let’s face it, one of life’s great pleasures, the craft beer industry is also taking big steps towards environmental sustainability. Whether it is Nottingham’s own Castle Rock Brewery adopting an energy-efficient brewing process or Purity Brewing Co treating its waste water and using it to benefit local wildlife, plenty in this forward-thinking sector are fully focused on caring for the world we live in. Another pioneer of responsible brewing is Magpie Brewery, which has been committed to protecting the planet since it was founded in Nottingham 15 years ago. From day one, Magpie has only ever used renewable energy from the Good Energy company and has ensured all its spent hops have gone to compost. Like many other brewers, the company places a strong importance on green practices, and has embraced a number of methods to increase its sustainability. “As most brewers do, we reuse our cooling water as hot liquor to create the next brew, but we also have a policy to use as little water in the brewery for cleaning as possible,” Gavin Morrison, Magpie’s Director and Head Brewer, explains. “Some of the other 12

simple things we have implemented from the beginning are using recyclable cardboard packaging, and using metal casks and kegs that can be used hundreds of times. “In addition to this, all of our delivery routes are worked out in advance to make them as optimal as possible to ensure the least amount of vehicle use. We made a conscious decision not to export our beer as it is a heavy and pollutant thing to transport around the world. “We have a couple of small projects to automate some cask cleaning cycles, which will save water and energy, and we’re also trialling a non-caustic cleaning enzyme which is better for the environment.” One of the biggest steps the craft beer industry has taken has been to expand its selection of vegan-friendly products, which helps to reduce its impact on the environment and the creatures living in it. Brewers such as Black Iris and Purity have extensive selections that avoid the use of isinglass finings, and the likes of Freedom and Magpie ensure all their beers are suitable for vegans. Developing a brewing process that moves

away from traditional methods has its challenges, Gavin admits, but it is something he and everyone at Magpie Brewery are fully committed to. “Replacing the finings was reasonably hard for our real ale products especially. It is a live product with yeast still active within it, so no filtering can happen,” he explains. “Luckily, a couple of alternative filing options came on the market a few years ago. They’re not as effective, and results vary from beer to beer, so we have to work harder to keep the expected clear look, but we think it is an important thing to do. “It’s more about the message than the direct impact of not using fish-based isinglass; isinglass is a by-product of small-scale fishing industries, so has little direct impact on saving fish lives. But the message is important as it makes people think about the impacts we are having on the planet and our fellow creatures.”

“More recently, though, people are actively seeking our sustainability information which is great, and we’ve had a great response to our zero waste beer options from the brewery tap.” Going forward, there is still work to be done in terms of responsible brewing, with Gavin claiming the industry has “a reasonably big impact” but, with a few small changes, “lots can be done to improve”. Such changes include cutting the carbon footprint of beer deliveries further and using alternative brewing methods to cut waste. Both of these are being adopted by Magpie, which will soon be installing an electric vehicle charging point and trialling the use of electric vans, as well as expanding its Bread Brew’d range - a collection of beers made from surplus bread.

Creating a nice-looking vegan-friendly beer isn’t the only challenge the industry is facing in its pursuit of sustainability, though. In fact, every step towards responsible brewing comes with its own problems - often increasing the costs of production without necessarily increasing sales.

“We’re still far from perfect, and we’d love to do many more projects,” Gavin admits. “Unfortunately, things like the price of a real ale pint means we can’t always afford to do everything all at once. But it’s important to continue implementing all the easy things as soon as you can - we can then look at how we tackle the harder issues once the smaller things are firmly in place.”

Back in 2017, Gavin told us that it’s “not easy being green”, with the director admitting their focus on the environment has rarely boosted their business strength. This is changing over time though, he claims, as more people seek out beers that not only taste good, but do good for the planet too.

Like Magpie, many craft beer brewers are now making real progress in the pursuit of sustainability as the significance - and the benefits - of doing so become clearer, which is a positive for the industry and for the Earth.

“Historically, being more sustainable gave us very few extra sales. Pricing can be an issue, especially with competition in a market that can include supermarkets and discount pub groups,” says Gavin. “We did it because we thought it was right and, honestly, hardly thought to mention it in our marketing.

“In the past some companies might never have given sustainability a second thought, but now the general public are more clued up on the subject, making everyone take a second look at what they are doing,” Gavin says. “This can only be a good thing for the environment.” magpiebrewery.com 14

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Dan Gilliland Black Iris

Meet The Brewer

How long have you worked here? I started at Black Iris in July 2020. Before that I was with Castle Rock for ten years. I started on the bar at the Vat and Fiddle in 2009 and worked my way up through the brewery until I was their development brewer. Who else is on the team? Ash and I work the brewhouse, he started four years ago after completing his masters in brewing science. Nick, the co-founder, has stepped down as head brewer but still helps out on busier days. Alex runs the show and Reggie runs everything else including the bar, where Megs works her magic. Shout outs to Martin and John too, without them none of this would be possible. Tell us about an early experience with beer. My cousin made a proper bathtub home brew and my brother Rob bought as many litre bottles full of the stuff as he could fit in his rucksack. We went down to a cricket pitch and I drank two and a half bottles before I threw up. I ended up on the pavilion roof at one point and Rob had to get me down. What was your first brew? At the flat Reggie and I used to live in, we borrowed Alex’s home brew kit and made an attempt at a bitter, that we named Margery after my nana. I think a lot of first time brewers get tempted to make a dark beer because you don’t just want to use all pale malt. It turned out really bad but our mate drank most of it and didn’t seem to care. What Black Iris beer should everyone try? Any of the new NEIPAs and DIPAs. We’re rolling out new ones and honing them all the time. It’s our 10th birthday this year too and we’re brewing up a special four pack of 10% beers to celebrate.

Where can people buy your beers? From our bottle shop and tap room. The Billy in Sneinton stock a lot of our draught stuff. Brew Cavern stock pretty much everything we put in cans. We’re collaborating on a birthday imperial stout with them too, which is currently sat in barrels and should be coming out in October. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. Castle Rocks Sheriff's Tipple doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. For a 3.4% bitter it outclasses it’s contemporaries flavour wise, and is consistently well brewed. Beer and food pairing? It’s pretty hard to beat Snake Eyes and a cheese and onion cob. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? Probably something to do with computer games, coffee or pizza. What else do you drink on a night out? I like a cocktail if it’s done well, or cheap. I like 400 Rabbits up Hurts Yard, they must have more varieties of tequila and mezcal per square foot than anyone else in the country. blackirisbottleshop.co.uk

Meet The Brewer

Keir Allen Blue Monkey What Blue Monkey beer should everyone try? Our Infinity Plus 1 is an amped up version of our Infinity IPA. We use more malt to bump up the ABV and add more kettle hops and dry hop it to give a big citrusy and tropical flavour profile. It's a great showcase of the Citra hop in a more classic style IPA, and a firm staff favourite for a reason.

How long have you worked here? Since September 2019. Prior to that I was doing agricultural work. Who else is on the team? There are four of us on the brew floor, with two draymen. Pip is currently our head brewer, Barry and I are assistant brewers, and Rich is the brewery op. If you come down on a regular day you’re likely to hear some sort of rock or metal music, unless Pip is brewing when you’ll be treated to the sounds of BBC 6 Music instead. Tell us about an early experience with beer. Aside from sneaking warm tins to parties when I was younger, an experience that really got me into brewing was tasting Oakham’s Citra for the first time with my dad. What was your first brew? On a commercial scale the first beer I ever brewed was Guerrilla Stout. However on a homebrew level it was a Citra based clone of an American brewery on my stove. The Guerrilla definitely turned out to be more successful. What’s your favourite style to brew? Without a doubt it’s a big stout. The smell throughout the brewery from the wide array of malts is brilliant, from filling the grist case, to mashing in, to boiling. It also means fewer hops to dig out of the copper at the end, which is always appreciated.

Where can people buy your beers? All of our Organ Grinder pubs across Nottingham stock the full range of Blue Monkey beers. The Crown Inn in Beeston always has at least BG Sips on too. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. It's hard to single out one as there is so much quality about. But one I have enjoyed recently is Liquid Light's St Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast imperial stout. It’s a great example of balance in a strong beer. Beer and food pairing? A perfect beer pairing for me would have to be our Guerrilla Plum Stout with a big beef stew in winter. The sweetness and tartness from the plum cuts through the richness, whilst the coffee, chocolate and roast flavours of the base stout compliment the flavours of the stew. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? Probably still working in agriculture. I enjoy working with my hands and being outside, so it suited me nicely. What else do you drink on a night out? If I’m not drinking beer on a night out, which is rare, I’ll probably go for a gin and tonic. I like it nice and simple with ice and some lime. bluemonkeybrewery.com

Matt Cooper Castle Rock

Meet The Brewer

How long have you worked here? I started here in 2014, as a cask washer and filler. Before that I was working as bar and cellar manager at Royal Centre, which got me interested in beer. I’ve since been lucky to learn from and work with some top class brewers. Who else is on the team? Jon is the Brewery Manager, overseeing the whole process. Dom looks after fermentation, vessel cleans and transfers. Bomber looks after the brew house. Ade looks after our house yeast culture and puts together the raw materials for each brew. Luke and Rob are our packaging team. We also have Nathan and Simon in the Warehouse and Paul and Alex doing our direct deliveries. Everyone at each stage is dedicated to the process and keen to ensure we keep turning out high quality beers for our customers. Tell us about an early experience with beer. I have some hazy memories of drinking Tennents Super on a Saturday afternoon on a bandstand in King’s Lynn. It was exciting but I’m not sure how wholesome it was. A more positive early memory is drinking a pint of Guinness in a beautiful pub in County Laois in Ireland, even though the pub didn’t strictly offer food, if you asked the landlord nicely, he would always make a round of toasties. What was your first brew? It was at home on a brew kit from Wilkos. Something went wrong and I ended up with 20 litres of brown liquid, tasting of celery and nail polish. My first beer at Castle Rock was a batch of Screech Owl. It was an exciting experience to taste it in the Vat and Fiddle a few weeks later. What Castle Rock beer should everyone try? We’ve just done a collaboration with Attic Brew Co. It’s a rhubarb and custard sour called Tuck Shop and it’s mind blowing.

Where can people buy your beers? Any of the Castle Rock pubs of course. Brew Cavern stock a lot of our canned beers, it’s a really great bottle shop and they have been really supportive of our latest releases. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. Black Iris’s Embers Remain. It’s a campfire stout brewed with smoked malt, vegan marshmallows and cinder toffee. Drinking that beer, for me, was like that moment in Ratatouille where the food critic is transported back to his childhood through a meal. Beer and food pairing? Harvest Pale and a chip cob. Not terribly sophisticated or original, but it works so well. The lingering bitterness of the beer cuts through all that oily and starchy goodness. If you want to jazz it up try a little bit of English mustard on your chips. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? I had a couple of years as a guitar teacher which was massively rewarding, so maybe that. What else do you drink on a night out? A pina colada is the drink of champions. If the beer ran out on a night out, I would switch to that. It’s sunshine in a glass. castlerockbrewery.co.uk

Meet The Brewer

Jack Winter Lenton Lane What Lenton Lane beer should everyone try? It has to be our 200 Not Out, a proper IPA that weighs in at 6%. It was crowned Champion Beer of Nottingham in 2020. I’d also recommend Twist & Stout, a classic seven malt stout, for those who prefer a darker beer.

How long have you worked here? Two years. Before that I worked at Navigation Brewery for a year. Going further back I did ten years pulling pints across Nottingham and in my home-town of Milton Keynes Who else is on the team? We have Scott who started with us fairly recently and is certainly the most patient member of the team. Our sales manager Adam is the face of the brewery and has a background in the armed forces. Tell us about an early experience with beer. I’m from Milton Keynes and the beer scene there is very much dominated by big beer like Greene King, Molsons and Heineken. So I didn’t really get into craft beer until I moved here as a student. It’s this city which got me into drinking good beer. What was your first brew? It was a 7% chocolate and coconut stout on the trial kit at Navigation Brewery. It went down an absolute treat at the Nottingham Craft Beer Festival in 2018 and won a silver medal at the SIBA awards the year after. What’s your favourite style to brew? I like dark beer, a mild, stout or porter; it doesn't bother me which. I like trying different malt combinations and the smells and flavours you get at different parts of the brewing process.

Where can people buy your beers? Hopology always stocks a wide range of our bottles, as do Adventure Beer Company who deliver all around Notts. We also regularly feature on the bar at The Cock & Hoop and The Bird Hide in Attenborough. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. I’m a big fan of anything by Bang the Elephant over in Langley Mill. They cover a load of different styles and they are all executed excellently. I’m also a fan of Grasshopper Brewery, who produce some of the best cask beer coming out of Notts and are certainly one to check out if you see them; Kung Fu is a solid IPA Beer and food pairing? I always find that a Pale Moonlight or a Newbird goes down really well with fish as the beer is clean and refreshing, allowing the flavour of the meal to really shine through. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? I couldn’t really imagine doing anything else but it would certainly still be in this industry either in sales or still behind a bar. What else do you drink on a night out? You can’t really go wrong with a good single malt whisky, or an old fashioned if you wanted to go a bit more sophisticated. lentonlane.co.uk

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Thom Stone Liquid Light

How long have you worked here? We started the brewery in September 2017. Before that I worked at Totally Brewed. It’s only in the last year we’ve finally got our own place; a proper brewery and tap room. Prior to that we spent several years cuckoo brewing at Magpie Brewery, who really helped to give us a leg up to get here. Who else is on the team? Grace is my partner and the co-founder of Liquid Light. That’s it for now. We’re a small team, but growing fast. Tell us about an early experience with beer. I was definitely influenced early on by those first sips of my dad’s Stone’s Best Bitter, taken while we sat watching rugby together. After that I spent many hours drinking Castle Rock’s Harvest Pale, in The Stratford Haven. What was your first brew? In 2014, I brewed a single hop Simcoe beer at home using BRY-97 yeast. Hence why I named the beer BRYan. What’s your favourite style to brew? I love making stouts and porters. The brewery always smells particularly amazing on a dark beer brew day. What Liquid Light beer should everyone try? Check out Day Tripper, our 4.3% pale ale. It’s hopped with Moteuka and Amarillo, it's fruity, juicy and just incredibly sessionable. The kind of thing you can drink all day long.

Meet The Brewer

beginning of June. You can usually purchase our beer in some of our favourite pubs including The King Billy, Jamcafe, Malt Cross and Canalhouse. We also have an online shop if you want delivery to your door. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. Papa Jangles Voodoo Stout by Totally Brewed is still one of my favourite stouts, it's just incredible! Beer and food pairing? Pizza is our favourite food at Liquid Light (in particular Secret Pizza which we discovered at the King Billy). We also love making affogato with our Into The Void coffee porter. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? I used to be a carpenter before I started this. However I'm also really into photography and music so other dream jobs would be a gig photographer or making guitar pedals for a living. You can see the music influence coming through in the names of our beers. What else do you drink on a night out? Continuing with the coffee theme, it would have to be an espresso martini. liquidlightbrewco.com

Where can people buy your beers? You can find our full range at our brand new tap room in Sneinton, which we opened at the

Meet The Brewer

Gavin Morrison Magpie has a lemon citrus flavour but the Sorachi Ace hop gives an extra peaches and cream character.

How long have you worked here? I’ve been at Magpie for eleven years. Before this I had various roles in the UK and abroad in forestry, conservation, building trades, outdoor education and hospitality. Who else is on the team? John is our recently-appointed brewery assistant, a keen home brewer taking the leap up to commercial brewing. Tell us about an early experience with beer. My journey with good beer started whilst I was at university in the Lake District. I started working in a historic pub, The Unicorn in Ambleside. I fell in love with real ales and learnt the art of keeping them in great condition. That really increased my confidence and I started looking after the beers, both at The Unicorn and The Golden Rule, a pub next door. What was your first brew? It feels like a long time ago now, but it was likely one of our core recipes - probably Thieving Rogue, a classic English pale bitter with floral Goldings hops. What’s your favourite style to brew? I love brewing imperial stouts; the rich roasted malts fill the brewery with the most wonderful aromas, and obviously the finished beer just tastes amazing. What Magpie beer should everyone try? Pow Pow is part of our Wanderlust hop-forward range, a Sorachi Ace and Citra hopped pale ale. It 22

Where can people buy your beers? We have three of our very own pubs where you will always find our beers; Crafty Crow, Doctor’s Orders and The Barrel Drop. We also have our brewery tap and bottle shop at our brewery next to Meadow Lane. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. We have a brand new cuckoo brewer Solstice Brewery and their first couple of beers have been awesome; they are definitely going for complex and intense hop flavours. Their Rose Moon NEIPA and Buck Moon West Coast IPA have just been released. Beer and food pairing? A very simple combination that works really well is our 1500 Tidings imperial stout in your preferred flavour (mine’s cherry vanilla) combined with some vegan vanilla ice cream, or be brave and try it as an ice cream float. The rich, intense roasted flavours balance perfectly with the creaminess of the cold vanilla ice cream, creating a dangerously moreish and indulgent dessert. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? Probably something in conservation. I trained in countryside management, environmental education and outward bounds. From day one we have been powered by 100% Green energy, and consciously reduce our water usage and reuse water as much as possible. What else do you drink on a night out? I like dark rum and ginger. I’m excited at the rise of micro distilleries and can’t wait to try some more British rums. I also like ginger beer but it’s hard to find small independent versions, which is why we are experimenting with making our own. magpiebrewery.com

Meet The Brewer

Shane Butterly Neon Raptor How long have you worked here? It will be one year this August. Before that I spent two years traveling around Asia working for breweries in India, Vietnam and China. I originally started out brewing in Dublin. Who else is on the team? We have a growing team as we get busier and everything starts to get back to normal. In the brewery with me is Rob, an integral part of the team with his role being everything from brewing to packaging. We also have Jasper and Matt, who work on the packaging line. They are both keen to learn so we try to involve them in many parts of the brewing process too. Then there’s Dave slinging pints in the taproom from Thursday to Sunday. Tell us about an early experience with beer. Being an Irishman my early experiences were drinking pints of Guinness in my local, so that will always be a go to beer for me. My first access to craft beer started when small craft breweries were popping up in Ireland. It was great to try different styles of beer with a more pronounced flavour and was mind blowing at the time. O’Hara’s, Trouble Brewing and Porterhouse were the ones that got me started. What was your first brew? I started home brewing when I was 18. I started with pre-hopped kits but then moved quickly into all grain brewing. One of the early beers I made came after a trip to Munich, when I tried my hand at brewing a double decoction Munich Dunkel. What’s your favourite style to brew? I don’t really have a favourite style of beer to brew, for me the enjoyment is in brewing something new and challenging. The journey from the idea to the glass is the best part of the job. What Neon Raptor beer should everyone try?

I’m excited about our recent move into brewing some West Coast IPA’s and pales. It’s a style that was all the rage when I got into brewing and I think they still have a place in modern beer. With a drier finish, higher bitterness with a dank and zesty hop profile. Our most recent West Coasts are Plot Twist Alibi IPA and Generic Greeting Pale Ale. Where can people buy your beers? From our tap room at Sneinton Avenues. Also Brew Cavern generally stock our latest beers and they also have a great selection of UK and Worldwide beer. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. An after work pint of Endless Summer on cask by Black Iris is always a winner for me. Beer and food pairing? The majority of our stouts and porters will have cacao from Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates, an excellent chocolatier based over the road from us. The beer and chocolate always pair very well together. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? I studied Engineering at university so probably something to do with that. What else do you drink on a night out? If there is a good selection behind the bar, I would always go for a whisky.

neonraptorbrewingco.com

Meet The Brewer

Dominic Flynn Navigation judge a brewer, there’s less room for error. So I’ll go with that for the challenge.

How long have you worked here? I’ve been at Navigation Brewery for nine years and brewing for eighteen. I started off at Kelham Island in Sheffield, who at the time owned half of Thornbridge. I brewed there alongside a young Martin Dickie (Brewdog co-founder) and Stuart Ross (Magic Rock). Who else is on the team? We usually have three members in production. Craig Nightingale is a bit of a beer geek and avid cyclist. Last year he cycled from one side of the country to the other in one go. The other position is currently vacant. Tell us about an early experience with beer. I can remember going to The Mill at the bottom of Hockley and buying a pint of Caffreys when I was about fifteen. That was my first time drinking in a pub. I think the first time I drank in a club was in Rock City at an Offspring gig. It was the nineties and they were different times. What was your first brew? It was a red ale called 18 With A Bullet for Kelham Island, using the then super cool New Zealand hop Green Bullet. It was when every brewer wanted the highest alpha hops. I’ve still got the pump clip somewhere in the loft. What’s your favourite style to brew? I cannot think of a style I don’t enjoy brewing. But the challenge of brewing lager is how I would

What Navigation beer should everyone try? Our American IPA is our best seller on keg, but you should also keep an eye out for our specials. Recent ones include ginger beer, strawberry sour, several imperial stouts and a Belgian abbey beer brewed with rye. Where can people buy your beers? Trent Navigation is our brewery tap attached to the brewery on Meadow Lane. It’s an honest local boozer and you can always pop your head over the fence to say hello. The Cross Keys is our flagship city centre, great service, beer and food. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. Work is not a Wolf by Bang the Elephant; a 12.6% straight up imperial stout. These guys work their nuts off and don’t seem to get anywhere enough recognition for how good their beer is. Beer and food pairing? I could come up with a crafty style answer, but let's be honest a good IPA with a curry is heaven. I’ll go with Hazy Pale with stonking great curry please. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? I’d probably have been playing for England at the Euros, so their loss. What else do you drink on a night out? A night on the cocktails is always fun, but in all honesty it’s a rare occurrence these days. I also love to end a meal with a cheeky glass of port. navigationbrewery.com

Meet The Brewer

Rob Witt Totally Brewed How long have you worked here? Eight years now. I was a landscape gardener before. My back was getting a bit sore so I thought a career change into brewing would be easier. Turns out it’s not. Who else is on the team? My wife Ginny has been pivotal in the set up and now focuses her time on marketing and organising our tap house Totally Tapped in Beeston. Martin has been with us since the early days and handles sales and logistics. Tom does a lot of the brewing and cleaning and Feg does a lot of delivery driving and many hours at the tap house. Maxrock does the artwork for all our packaging and marketing and we knew we needed his artistic touch since before we started. Tell us about an early experience with beer. When I was at university I got into the old school bottled ales that were available like Old Empire and Bishops Finger. That was perhaps the start of a quest for beers that had more flavour than the more commonly available Carling and Fosters.

Where can people buy your beers? Totally Tapped is our shop in Beeston and stocks the full range. Aside from that go to Brew Cavern and Hopology for our cans and Poppy and Pint, The Star (Beeston) and The Newshouse for cask and keg. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. You can’t beat Divine Elements by Black Iris. It's banging value for a 6% beer and goes down an absolute treat. Beer and food pairing? Hokuto Shinken, our redbush and cherry sour beer, pairs very nicely with oak smoked cheddar.

What was your first brew? My first commercial beer was 4 Hopmen of the Apocalypse. However, I'd been a prolific homebrewer before that making simple pale ales with citrus hops such as Chinook and Cascade.

If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? Some other entrepreneurial path. Probably making sauces or buying and selling. Maybe property development.

What’s your favourite style to brew? It's probably kettle sours. We always try and go out there with the flavour combinations on those. For example there are chillies, cumin, lime and cinnamon in our Tijuana Build A Snowman. As such it's always a bit scary to see how they will turn out, but so far we have been very pleasantly surprised.

What else do you drink on a night out? Shandy.

What Totally Brewed beer should everyone try? Our Slow Mo Shoot Out, a 4.8% single hopped mosaic pale ale. It's delicious and crushable. We've just canned a large batch of it so there is plenty to get at.

Anything else you would like to say? I'm a man of few words. We don't always shout about our little brewery but we sure are proud of what we make and where we are today. Also, big up to all the Nottingham pubs, bars, independent shops and other breweries that make the Nottingham beer scene such a fantastic place to work in.

totallybrewed.com

Meet The Brewer

George Darby Nottingham Brewery Extra Pale Ale. But the most challenging brew for me is our Sooty Stout, which has lots more ingredients and subtlety to the recipe. We also only brew it in the winter so it's kind of a changing of the season ritual for me.

How long have you worked here? I started working officially for the brewery four years ago, but it was part of my life for a long time before then. Prior to this I worked at the National Videogame Arcade and also ran my own business roasting coffee. Who else is on the team? It’s all a bit of a family affair. I handle the brewing process with help from Peter, who is also my uncle. Philip is the main man doing front facing sales and the stuff I’m too much of a hermit to deal with and also happens to be my Dad. Billy is Philip’s right hand man, we’re not related but may as well be. Neil is in the conditioning room caring for the beers and I’ve known him since secondary school. We are a small team here, but a close knit bunch. Tell us about an early experience with beer. My dad started brewing with his best friend Niven, our now retired head brewer. I was very young at the time and what they were doing seemed like magic. Whatever alchemy they used, it made lovely beer. What was your first brew? Officially it was Rock Bitter, but I had helped out in many different ways throughout the years. It just so happened to be on my 30th birthday. What’s your favourite style to brew? I could answer one of two ways. The beer I’m good at making and know I can do blindfolded are the lighter coloured hoppy ales such as our

What Nottingham Brewery beer should everyone try? Extra Pale Ale; it's light, hoppy and traditional. As far as a classic traditional ale goes, this kind of beer is quaffable and perfect after a good walk or cycle ride. Where can people buy your beers? We sell the full range in our online shop. Or if you want to try a pint head to Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. Recommend a beer from another local brewery. Liquid Light’s Into The Void, a 5.6% coffee porter. It’s completely different from what I brew myself. This beer is amazing, it has coffee in it from top quality local coffee roasters 200 Degrees. For me beer is exciting because of its diversity. Beer and food pairing? I may be showing my ignorance here but you can’t really beat a packet of salt and vinegar crisps and a pint of our EPA. If you hadn’t become a brewer, what would you be doing? Probably something in the gaming industry to help learning. I was amazed at the work happening to facilitate learning through technology. I was pretty split when the opportunity arose at the brewery, but looking back, I definitely made the right decision. What else do you drink on a night out? Nowadays I’d have to make the boring answer and say water. Stay hydrated guys, it helps you drink more beer. thenottinghambrewery.co.uk

Between A Rock and A Light Space Artist Liv Auckland has been creating artwork for not one, but two of Nottingham’s most prominent craft beer breweries. She talks us through her work Tell us a bit about yourself and your work. I’m head of brand and communications at Castle Rock. I freelance as a writer, designer and illustrator, so I also do the designs for Liquid Light Brew Co. Their new tap room opened this summer and I got to design my first wall mural for the space which was amazing. And quite scary. Scissor-lifts are rickety things. How does the process of doing these vary between working for Castle Rock and Liquid Light? They’re surprisingly different, although both take a combination of strategic decisions and happy accidents. My designs for Castle Rock usually begin in a formulaic way – I’m often creating a pattern which means looking at angles, shapes, scale and repetition. But then I like to break that pattern down or really zoom in on it. The process for Liquid Light is really unpredictable. You’re working with something organic and every change you make has a huge impact. I’d say 90% of the process is about working on colour and finding that balance between contrast and excitement, and cohesion and authenticity. I don’t want to manipulate the images so far that they no longer feel like the original photograph. There is usually inspiration from the band or musician the beer is named after, too. What equipment do you use create your beer branding designs? The designs for Castle Rock are as you’d expect – I flit between using Procreate on my iPad and Adobe Illustrator on the desktop. I’ll often create a pattern on screen and then trace it by hand, otherwise it just doesn’t have the imperfect charm I’m after. For Liquid Light, Thom and Grace set up their own liquid light shows use vintage analogue projectors with 28

oils, water and dyes pressed between glass plates. They take hundreds of photographs of the projections, and I digitally manipulate them using Photoshop. It’s very collaborative which is always a pleasure. What other beer artwork locally or internationally are you feeling? Castle Rock has been working with Attic Brew Co for a while and we recently did our first official collab. Their designer Piarais literally split the label in two and we designed half each, which was really fun. They’re using a lot of pastel colours at the moment – I love the old-school diner feeling. And Mikkeller. Anything from Keith Shore at Mikkeller is always a delight. What other art do you do when you’re not doing beer stuff? Mainly illustrations. I recently did some commissions for First Art, a cultural arts organisation. The latest was a series of digital portraits of “local heroes” during the pandemic, which was just bloody lovely to be a part of. I love to paint and draw in charcoal. Through lockdown I did “Fat Life Drawing” every Sunday which was an inclusive virtual life drawing class. I’d like to do something more with those sketches soon. Anything else you’d like to say? There’s a lot of pressure to figure out your own “style” and have that aesthetic nailed, but I think it’s damaging to a process that should be fun and healing. It plays into this idea that we should have everything figured out from the get-go. We shouldn’t forget that Matisse didn’t find his signature cut outs style until he was a bedridden 82-year-old – not that I’m comparing myself! I just think it’s ok for your creative work to be like a shabby patchwork quilt.

lrcreates.com

NEIPA

SIPA: MOSAIC

Ah, this one was very sweet. Two of my colleagues had both become dads for the first time, so we hid the names of their sons in the labels as a surprise. This one was named after baby Dylan. I drew this pattern on the iPad and then zoomed in really close, so you can’t quite see the repetition. The baby-daddy actually chose the colour palette.

I’d wanted to design something using a black and white grid as the background for a while. These are all separate handdrawn tiles overlaid with drew abstract flower shapes, which I then put together into a pattern. I love the little shot of minty green in the text – it’s unexpected.

SIPA: SIMCOE

VERMONT IPA

The Sipa: Simcoe label is a prime example of one of those happy accidents I mentioned earlier. I dropped some shapes over each other on the work space while I playing with some ideas and loved how the colours and circles worked.

This bad boy was all about those kaleidoscope vibes. I wanted it to have an impact as it was our first canned beer of 2021. I think the colour palette was everything here – millennial pink is still a winner in my eyes. 29

SOURLERO

DAY TRIPPER

Sourlero is one of my favourite designs. It was initially inspired by a close-up image of mushrooms, but I loved how the shapes mimicked the feeling of drinking a sour beer. Like every taste bud is opening up one after the other.

I think this is Grace’s favourite background. It went on to be used in other bits and bobs, like their gift vouchers. I can’t remember there being any reason behind the palette; sometimes she just asks for a particular colour or one pops up unexpectedly.

FLOW MOTION

GROOVE SOLUTION

Flow Motion was brewed using Lemondrop hops which informed that acidic yellow colour. The beer itself was actually brown, so the information panel on the back of the label is in that colour. It looks super retro.

Groove Solution is a real flavourbomb so it was important the design reflected that. I remember reading the tasting notes which had a really amazing mix of different tropical fruits so we went for something really joyful and colourful.

HUNKY DORY

WITH THE LIGHTS OUT

The background for Hunky Dory was all about channelling Bowie, which worked perfectly for a fruity sour beer. That fiery orange colour was colour dropped from the Hunky Dory vinyl, which in turn was surely inspired by Bowie’s hair?

Oh this was a fun one. “With the lights out, it’s less dangerous” - the recipe was a spin on a regular Liquid Light beer called Less Dangerous. Thom was really keen to have designs which looked very similar until you studied them, a bit like the beers. This one was supposed to resemble the water on the iconic Nevermind album cover.

Tickets for Nottingham Craft Beer Festival 2022 on sale at nottinghamcraftbeer.co.uk

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TRAIN STATION | NG2 3AS

Venues The Abdication Micropub With no music, screens or games in the micropub, the Abdication is a warm and welcoming place where ‘Beer is King’ and conversation is the order of the day. 89 Mansfield Road Daybrook NG5 6BH theabdication.co.uk @theabdicationmicropub @theabdication

Angel Microbrewery A historic pub that has been open under various incarnations since the 1600s and, after refurbishment in 2016, has its own microbrewery which produces outstanding cask beer. 7 Stoney Street Lace Market NG1 1LG 0115 9483343 theangelmicrobrewery.co.uk @angelmicrobrewery @angelmbrewery Instagram: @angelmicrobrewery

Venues

Barley Twist A two-floor craft beer and wine cellar located near Nottingham train station, Barley Twist is a Castle Rock owned establishment with an outstanding selection of beers. 91 Carrington Street NG1 7FE 0115 9505456 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @BarleyTwistCRB @Barley_Twist @barley_twist

Barrel Drop A Magpie Brewery venue, this cosy little micropub up an alleyway offers a regularly changing range of cask and keg, a relaxed atmosphere and weekly quiz nights. 7 Hurts Yard NG1 6JD 0115 9243018 magpiebrewery.com @thebarreldrop @thebarreldrop @barreldropnotts

Venues Beerheadz Located in the Grade II listed ‘Cabman’s Shelter’ to the right of Nottingham Railway Station, on the corner of Carrington Street and Queen’s Road. This bar is small, but perfectly formed. 1A Queens Road NG2 3AS 07914 136055 beerheadz.biz @bhznottingham @bhznottingham @bhznottingham

Black Iris Bottle Shop and Tap Room Sample fresh beers straight from the brewery tap of one of Nottingham’s most exciting breweries. The tap room is mainly open during the summer and on weekends. Shop open most days. Unit 1, Shipstone St New Basford NG7 6GJ blackirisbottleshop.co.uk @blackirisbottleandtap @blackirisbrewer @blackirisbrewery

Venues

Bread and Bitter Located in Mapperley Top, one of the highest points in the city. Bread and Bitter is a traditional cosy Castle Rock pub that serves great food and craft beer. 153-155 Woodthorpe Drive Mapperley NG3 5JL 0115 9607541 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @breadandbitter @bread_bitter @breadandbitter

Brew Cavern A fully-refrigerated craft beer bottle shop located in the historic Flying Horse Walk, with hundreds of beer choices. Located just off the Old Market Square, right in the city centre. 9 Flying Horse Walk NG1 2HN 07742 355347 brewcavern.co.uk @brewcavern @brewcavern @brewcavern

Venues

BrewDog Nottingham Having helped pioneer the craft beer revolution across the UK, BrewDog also stands at the heart of the craft beer scene here in Notts with this lush bar in Hockley. 20-22 Broad St NG1 3AL 0115 9583613 brewdog.com @brewdognotts @brewdognotts @brewdognotts

Bunkers Hill Sitting at the bottom of Hockley next to Nottingham Areana, Bunkers Hill is a tucked away haven for craft beer offering a mix of new UK, US and European brews. 36-38 Hockley Lace Market NG1 1FP 0115 9100114 bunkershillnottingham.co.uk @bunkershill @thebunkershill @thebunkershill

Venues

Canalhouse With one of the largest beer selections in the East Midlands and a canal that extends into the building, this is definitely one of the most unique venues in Nottingham. 48-52 Canal Street NG1 7EH 0115 9555060 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @canalhousebar @canalhousebar @canalhousebar

Cock & Hoop Situated in a Grade II listed building, as part of the Lace Market Hotel. The venue dates back to the 1800s but is now a traditional style pub predominantly serving local cask ales. 29-31 High Pavement NG1 1HE 0115 9484414 lacemarkethotel.co.uk @cockandhoop @cockandhooppub @cockandhoop

Venues

Crafty Crow A Magpie Brewery venue, serving up ales, craft beers, food and much more. Nestled into the cobbled streets surrounding Nottingham Castle. 102 Friar Lane NG1 6EB 0115 8371992 magpiebrewery.com @craftycrownottingham @crafty_crow @crafty_crow

Cross Keys A traditional pub rub by Navigation Brewery, located in the heart of the Lace Market. They serve up tasty grub and a selection of regularly changing cask ales. 15 Byard Lane NG1 2GJ 0115 9417898 crosskeysnottingham.co.uk @thecrosskeysnottingham @crosskeysnottm @crosskeysnottm

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Venues

Doctors Orders Set in a former pharmacy and styled on a Victorian apothecary, Doctor’s Orders is a cosy micropub owned by Magpie Brewery serving up great beer and cider. 351 Mansfield Road Carrington NG5 2DA 0115 9607985 magpiebrewery.com @domicropub @domicropub

Embankment Pub & Kitchen Set in a Grade II listed building near Trent Bridge, this is a beautiful, historic pub and kitchen which originally opened in 1907 as part of the Boots the Chemists empire. 282-284 Arkwright Street NG2 2GR 0115 9864502 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @theembankmentpub @embankmentnottm @embankmentpub

Venues

Fox and Grapes Situated by the hive of creativity that is Sneinton Avenues, the Fox and Grapes is a Castle Rock run pub that is light, airy and full of beautiful wooden decor. 21 Southwell Road NG1 1DL 0115 8418970 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @foxandgrapesnottingham @foxandgrapescrb @foxandgrapes_notts

Golden Fleece Proper old school Notts pub which is now under the same ownership as the Angel Microbrewery. The walk up Mansfield Road is worth it to sample one of the best rooftop gardens in the city. 105 Mansfield Road NG1 3FN 0115 8557475 @thegoldenfleecenotts @goldenfleeceofficial

Venues

Hopology Hopology sell over 400 bottled and canned beers from across the UK, USA and Europe (Belgian and Dutch are particular specialities). Based on a busy high street in West Bridgford. 126 Melton Road West Bridgford NG2 6EP 0115 9816346 hopology.uk @HopologyBeerShop @HopologyBeer @hopologybeershop

JamCafe A much-loved music and beer venue. They are independently owned and therefore serve whatever beers the owner Bradley liked from their six rotating craft taps and fridge. 12 Heathcote Street NG1 3AA 0115 9483566 jamcafe.info @jamcafenottingham @jamcafe @jamcafe

Venues Junkyard A lovely bar right in the city centre, but tucked away off the beaten track. With 15 taps and two full fridges, it has been at the forefront of Nottingham’s craft beer scene for many years. 12 Bridlesmith Walk NG1 2HB 0115 9501758 junkbars.com @junkyardnottingham @jydpoho @jydpoho

Kean’s Head Located opposite the beautiful St Mary’s church in the middle of the Lace Market, it’s like someone’s living room, but with an incredible beer and spirits collection. 46 St Mary's Gate NG1 1QA 0115 947 4052 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @thekeanshead @keanshead @keanshead

Venues The Kilpin Beer Cafe A beautiful building in the heart of the city centre, next door to sister bar Junkyard. Named after Notts-born AC Milan founder Herbert Kilpin, this is a spacious pub with a modern twist. 10 Bridlesmith Walk NG1 2HB 0115 948 4743 thekilpin.co.uk @theherbertkilpin @TheKilpin @the_kilpin_beer_cafe

Kraft Werks A specialist beer bottle shop and bar set in a former bank in Sherwood, selling hundreds and hundreds of different types of beer for drink in or take out. 513 Mansfield Rd Sherwood NG5 2JL 0115 8373090 kraft-werks.com @KraftWerks @KraftWerksNotts @KraftWerksNotts

Venues Lincolnshire Poacher A Castle Rock Brewery owned bar that has been a staple of the Nottingham pub scene for ever. Lovely beer garden out back and more ales and spirits than you will have time to try. 161-163 Mansfield Road NG1 1DL 0115 8418970 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @lincolnshire.poacher.9 @lincpoacher @lincolnshirepoacher

The Lion at Basford Situated right next door to Black Iris Brewery and a haven for cask ale, craft beer, live music and great food. Winner of multiple 'dogfriendly pub' awards. 44 Mosley St New Basford NG7 7FQ 0115 9703506 thelionatbasford.co.uk @TheLionAtBasford @TheLionBasford @thelionbasford

Venues

Liquid Light Taproom New taproom and brewery from one of our most exciting local breweries, situated in an industrial estate a few mins walk from Sneinton Market. Packed with tasty beers and retro arcade machines. Unit 9, Robin Hood Industrial Estate Alfred Street South Sneinton NG3 1GE liquidlightbrewco.com @liquidlightbrewco @LiquidLightBrew I @liquidlightbrewco

Malt Cross An iconic venue and one of the only surviving Victorian music halls in the country. It has become well known for great food, live events and for having a great selection of beer. 16 St James's Street NG1 6FG 0115 9411048 maltcross.com @maltcrossnotts @maltcross @maltcross

Venues Neon Raptor Taproom Based right in the heart of Sneinton Market Avenues, beers poured as fresh as they can be from one of the highest rated breweries in the UK. Unit 14 Sneinton Avenues NG1 1DT neonraptorbrewingco.com @neonraptorbrew @neonraptorbrew @neonraptorbrew

Poppy & Pint A light, airy, spacious and family friendly Castle Rock pub nestled right at the heart of the Lady Bay community. Pierrepont Road Lady Bay NG2 5DX 0115 9819995 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @poppyandpint @poppyandpint @poppyandpint

Venues Rescue Rooms A staple of the Nottingham music scene and these days one of the best venues to grab yourself a decent beer too. Masonic Place Goldsmith Street NG1 5LB 0115 8283173 rescuerooms.com @rescuerooms @rescuerooms @rescuerooms

Rough Trade Legendary record shop with a well-stocked bar and live music venue upstairs. One of only five Rough Trade venues around the world. 5 Broad Street NG1 3AJ 0115 8964012 roughtrade.com @roughtradenottm @RoughTrade @roughtradenottm

Venues Six Barrel Drafthouse (Hockley) Sat atop the hill in Hockley, Six Barrel’s has quickly become a staple of the beer scene in the city with its excellent selection of packaged beers and cask ales. 14-16 Carlton Street NG1 1NN 0115 9501798 sixbarreldrafthouse.co.uk @sixbarrelhockley @sixbarreldraft @sixbarrelhockley

Six Barrel Drafthouse (Victoria) The plucky younger brother to the Hockley venue, tucked in right next door to the Victoria Shopping Centre and with an excellent beer garden for those summer months. 14 Mansfield Road NG1 3GX 0115 9581304 sixbarreldrafthouse.co.uk @sixbarrelvictoria @6barreldraftvic @sixbarrelvictoria

Venues Stratford Haven A charming and traditional Castle Rock pub, which is a short stroll away from Trent Bridge cricket ground and Nottingham Forest FC’s City Ground. 2 Stratford Road West Bridgford NG2 6BA 0115 9819995 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @stratfordhavenwb @stratfordhaven @stratfordhaven

Totally Tapped Beeston-based bottleshop and bar tap for Nottingham's much loved Totally Brewed Brewery. Four hand pulls, seven taps and dozens of cans and bottles in the fridge. 23 Chilwell Road Beeston NG9 1EH totallybrewed.com @totallytappedmicropub @totallytappeduk @totallytapped

Venues Vat and Fiddle Castle Rock's brewery tap. Always at least eleven ales available, plus traditional ciders and perries and over thirty malt whiskies. They also have a live music venue out the back. 12 Queensbridge Road NG2 1NB 0115 9850611 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @vatandfiddle @vatandfiddle @vatfiddle

Yarn Run by Castle Rock and situated inside the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall complex. This is a great place to grab a drink, whether you are going to a show or not. Theatre Square NG1 5ND 0115 9895569 castlerockbrewery.co.uk @yarnnottingham @yarn_bar @yarnbarnottingham