The Briar Rose - Birmingham

So after my bad experience, I traipsed to The Briar Rose. This is a JDWetherspoon pub, so in many ways I had preconceived ideas as to what I would experience.

However things are slightly different here. It is a Wetherlodge, so is slightly plusher than most JDWs in that it wants to be more inviting for its residents. It is also proud of its entry in the Good Beer Guide and is making a concerted effort to promote real ale.

Behind the bar there is a screen, much like The Wellington, advertizing the real ales available, but the screen rotates to another image proudly stating: "We sold 1567 pints of real ale last week, thanks for voting us into the 2008 Good Beer Guide". Two things strike me here. Firstly 1567 pints doesn't actually sound that much, and secondly, it is nice that they are grateful for their entry in the GBG, and hopefully will make the most of it, by advocating real ale. Certainly being just down the hill from The Welly should work in their favour.

As well as the regular beers they had Greene King Swing Low, Titanic White Star, and four beers from Cornish brewer Sharps on offer. Coming soon we are promised over a dozen more Titanic beers.

I had two Sharps beers and the GK World Cup Rugby special. I would have to say that the beers were fine, but not outstanding. This may be that they are not particularly good beers anyway, rather than the pubs fault, but it was disappointing.

My major criticism is that the flyer on my table advertized three third pints for the price of a pint. I requested this offer, but they had not yet had the delivery of the third pint glasses. I really like the idea, but for heavens sake, do not promote it before you can deliver guys

I am not generally a fan of Wetherspoon pubs. There are one or two excellent branches (The Babington in Derby springs to mind), and a few that are shockingly bad. The Briar Rose is definitely above average, and I wouldn't hesitate to look in in future to see what's on the pumps.

Utopia - Birmingham

Whilst sat in The Wellington I perused my Good Beer Guide and noticed a pub which I believe has never been in the guide before, and lo and behold, it was within a couple of minutes walk.

The guide states that Utopia sells Hooky Bitter, Taylor Landlord and a local guest beer. OK thought I, that's good enough for me, and it's a new pub for me to boot. Like The Wellington the pub can easily be missed from the outside. I say "pub", but actually this is better described as a bar. It's all chrome and light furnishings, and doesn't look like a real ale drinkers haunt at all. I noticed immediately that the promised guest beer was missing in action, so I ordered a half of Hooky Bitter instead. This is a classic light English bitter at 3.4%, so I was more than a little taken aback to be charged £1.45. Holding the glass, I was put in mind of wearing a glove. The glass was very warm, presumably being recently removed from the glass washer. I sat down in a light beige coloured leather sofa - it farted like a Reggie Perrin joke - but at least was comfy.

The beer was poor. There was a medicinal taste, none of the light citrus hops and balancing malt I know this beer should deliver. I'm not one to complain in person, and I'm not sure the staff would know what beer should taste like anyway. I drank it pretty quickly and left, never to return.

I fail to have any comprehension why this place is in the Good Beer Guide. I'm all for a bit of diversity. I don't just want good honest boozers. If smarter upmarket pubs serve good beer then they deserve a place, but this pub was just corny inside, the prices were a disgrace and the beer quality was shocking. I smell a rat.

Save yourself the short walk, stay in The Welly for a little longer.

The Wellington - Birmingham

The second stop on my mini Birmingham crawl was The Wellington on Bennetts Hill. It may be easy to miss from the outside as it doesn't resemble your average pub, but once visited you will return. Without a doubt The 'Welly' is one of the most revered real ale pubs in the UK. The pub opened in its present guise in late 2004 and has won Birmingham CAMRA's pub of the year in 2005, and 2006.

It has a vast turnover of real ales. There are presently 15 handpumps devoted to ales and three to ciders and perries. It is not uncommon for a beer to be replaced as soon as a barrel runs out, so in a two hour stay there may actually be nearer twenty different beers. It is doubtful that any British pub gets through as many different beers as The Welly: In 2005 they sold 2610 different beers; in 2006, 2332 and as of my visit this week there have been 1910 in 2007.

Ordering beer is easy thanks to their beer board which is updated in real time both in the pub and on the net. The board gives colour indication for those who care, as well as price, and customers are requested to order by pump number. The Welly's policy is not to serve food, but all customers are very welcome to bring their own, be it hot or cold, with crockery, cutlery and condiments provided. This is a wonderful idea and really should be replicated by other pubs who not provide kitchen facilities. Throw in the fact that the entrances to both toilets are probably the narrowest in the known Universe, and The Welly clearly becomes an essential visit for all lovers of beer and interesting hostelries.

It may seem churlish to make complaints about such a place, but nowhere is perfect. My personal opinion is that in the pub's chase to get through so many different beers they do sell too many short range or one off beers. This is excellent for the scoopers but I would prefer to see the stock range of brewers' production more often. Having said that I do realise that the regular customer base keeps returning (as do I whenever in Birmingham) so obviously they are fulfilling expectations.

Whatever you do, do not miss The Welly when in Birmingham, and even if within a fifty mile radius, take a detour, you will not regret it.

The Old Joint Stock - Birmingham

So the first pub on my mini Birmingham crawl was The Old Joint Stock.

This is Fuller's most Northerly pub, and is overlooked by Birmingham's beautiful cathedral. It is ironic that I chose to visit this pub only a day or two after Stonch's article which highlighted a London Fullers pub which had a ban on jeans and trainers. So suitably attired in my jeans and trainers I entered the pub bravely. Certainly there were a lot of suits, but I wasn't the only one in denim.

The Old Joint Stock is a former stock exchange building and is an architectural splendour. There is a beautiful high domed ceiling above the island bar resplendent in its dark wood. All the furnitures and fittings seemed quite classy. The pub even has its own 80 seat theatre upstairs.

The full Fullers' beer range is available, although not any of the beers badged as Gales, and there is one changing guest beer from Beowulf. My half of Beowulf Chasewater was a rather expensive £1.40 showing perhaps that we are paying for the splendour of the building. It was nice enough but too cold. I have previously drank Fullers' beers here and have always thought those beers too cold also. As well as the cask beers the full Fullers range (including London Porter) is available, although they are all fridged so again probably not served at the optimum temperature.

I am not sure the pub is worthy of its perennial appearance in the Good Beer Guide. It's certainly a nice pub but the beer quality and range are not particulalrly exciting. I do wonder whether it's the novelty of a Fullers pub that gets it in, but that shouldn't be enough.

I think my favouirte bit of the whole pub is the advert on the wall of the gents for the Child Support Agency warning us that money might be taken out of our wages if we don't pay maintenance. I'm not sure what type of men normally pee in this pub, if that's the type of lavatory reading matter!

England's Second City

I had a meeting today in Birmingham which finished earlier than expected. So, armed with my new Good Beer Guide, I visited four pubs all within a short walk of each other.

The four pubs I visited were:

The Old Joint Stock

The Wellington

Utopia

The Briar Rose

I was going to write one article about my mini pub crawl, but the pubs are all so astonishingly different to each other, and in the context of being in the Good Beer Guide, I feel each warrants a small article. We have what is considered by some to be the premier real ale pub in the country; Birmingham's only Fullers Pub; a JDWetherspoons establishment, and what is probably the least worthy entry in the GBG I have ever encountered. Hopefully the next four pieces should be entertaining and food for thought. Please pop back.