please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Now a very anodyne pub after the latest refurb. No real ale and no character. Loud thumping music on a Saturday afternoon so a hasty exit.
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We came here on New Year's Day. We had been hoping to try a new bar called Gibberish which has opened just around the corner and the Higson's H1780 Tap & Still which has also opened nearby. Neither of those were open. So we retreated to the Brewery Tap. With Cain's long gone, the three ales were Cross Bay Sunset & Zenith & Neptune Mermaid's Purse. A bit out on a limb this one. But this is an up and coming area. So it may increase in popularity.
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Part of the ominous (now defunct) Cains Brewery. This pub is a large room with a wide bar and much memorabilia dedicated to Cains. It only has 4 ales on, Great Heck Brewery Blonde, Dukeries de Lovetot, Liverpool Organic Shipwreck IPA and Timothy Taylor Landlord (which was not on, the barman informed me that they were letting it settle) nevertheless it was well kept and the barman was friendly and knew his stuff and all at 3.20 (I am told). Various keg beers that I had never heard of were also on offer. The horse racing was on the TV and music was playing upon my visit. A pretty good pub to visit especially if you want to chat with the barman and the other punters.
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Has recently re-opened. We thought we would try it out after visiting the nearby Baltic Social. Obviously no longer in the hands of Cains, it's still a nice, traditional boozer. But sadly it now lacks atmosphere, with only one other customer present on a Saturday lunchtime. 3 ales were on - Liverpool Organic William Roscoe & Cambrinus Craft Endurance & Marstons EPA. I tried the Endurance and it was in a pretty poor state. We we're offered some free Scouse though. Can recommend the Baltic Social though. Also tried the nearby Mad Hatter Brew Tap. But it appears that no longer opens until 3pm on a weekend.
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Wanted to go there a coupe of time(1 in April and 1 in May) on Saturday afternoon but it was closed.
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Closed for good I fear
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We had heard of economic malaise striking at the heart of this Liverpool institution so with trepidation we entered the Tap expecting gloom and despondency. Things had changed for the better in fact as there were four guest ales on sale to supplement the Cains brands. I kept to Cains bitter whereas my wife tried the Golden Sheep. The place wasn't exactly jumping but there was a fair croud in and we enjoyed ourselves. We hope the troubles are soon overcome.
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Called here on Friday, got charged £1.75 for half a 3.8% bitter which was no better than average. Good thing that they don't factor in transport costs to their prices!
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We finally got onto the brewery tour and we were treated to a very illuminating history of the brewery by a very pleasant young lady who later took over the role of barmaid to serve all those on the tour with their free pint of the tipple of their choice. We enjoyed the tour very much and the pints we supped beside the fire lit fireplace just like in the days of yor.
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On an early Friday evening, the joint was jumping and we thought we wouldn't be able to get to the bar, but believe it or not the throng opened up as if Charton Heston had raised his staff and we proceded through the tunnel to the promised land. The magnificent array of Cains beers was like a Caravaggio. The Cains bitter just the job.
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Paid another visit to the Tap, well two or three actually, and once again it gets top marks for beer quality and service. We normally set off from a nearby hotel and the Tap is either the first or last on the crawl. this time I had the Cains bitter but my ever adventurous wife plumped for the Cains Christmas Ale which she said was perfect. Next time we might just persuade ourslves to go on the tour of the brewery.
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On our recent visit to Liverpool we visited varias shrines to real beer and the Brewery Tap is almost an obligation.The Cains bitter as you would expect was excellent and the three or four pints went down very smoothly. My wife quaffed bottled cider as they don't have a cider on draft,which is a minus for what is otherwise a wonderfulplace to spend an hour or two in.
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After a bracing walk along the river heading south on a rather wintery end-of-June Saturday morning, we arrived on the doorstep of this unique shrine to all the world's tipplers. On entering, the bar with its array of Cains " taps" hits you, and I must quibble with a previous contribution which claimed that Doctor Duncan's Cains bar display was better. I'd like to see a photo of both so that purists could pour over them ( no pun intended ) for hours. My pint of Cains bitter had that more-ish hint to it ,so I had another. My wife chose a fruity pint of raisin-flavoured bitter, most unusual indeed and, according to her, beautiful. A very professional barman served us in very convivial company in smashing surroundings. Perhaps I struck lucky, but I strongly recommend the place. Next time, I'm going to try its Tuesday discount steak offer. I'll keep you posted.
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In here after the brewery tour and had the Christmas Ale @4.7%. It was OK. The place itself was OK - would go back but only if happened to be in the area...and that is unlikely. If you want Cains go to Doctor Duncans.
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Too far out of the city centre for me.
I've only been here twice whilst on the 'brewery tour' as it is the start and finish point for the tour.
A small pub which simply acts as a showcase for Cains products.
Worth going on the tour though.
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Part of the Cains brewery site, in a rather downtrodden part of Liverpool. I don�t think I�d want to be walking around here at night. It�s a pretty basic one roomed boozer with a couple of raised seating areas to the right as you enter and tables and chairs dotted about the place. A few decent bits of wood and glass that are probably remnants of it�s previous incarnation, but it�s certainly nothing special inside. On Saturday all the handpumps were on the go with the full Cains range available including the seasonal. I had a pint of the IPA which was good and the other half had a glass of rose wine that she thought was much better than she expected. This is the top rated Liverpool pub on BITE (with 25+ reviews). It shouldn�t be, it�s OK but it�s not even the best Cains pub in Liverpool nevermind overall.
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Part of Cain�s magnificent victorian tower brewery, occupying a corner of its massive bulk. A traditionally styled interior with some stained glass, decent woodwork and a good coffer ceiling. These are the remnants of its former incarnation as the Grapes. There are big, modern, etched windows advertising Cains but looking a little out of place here. It is decorated mainly with Cains advertising and brewery artifacts, that is mirrors, framed beer labels, paintings of the brewery etc, and a display of merchandising available at the bar. Sadly for a brewery tap the beer quality isn�t up to much, the full range of Cains on the eight pumps plus four more keg taps are available. Doctor Duncan�s is a much better flagship for the company. It seems to have a local following as a pub rather than just being a tourist destination like any number of breweries "visitor centres", on the other hand the punters seem to be mainly bar-flies.
anonymous - 11 Jun 2009 13:20 |
This pub has a traditional interior and of course a good range of Cains beers. Yesterday they had the Bitter, Mild, IPA, FA and Triple Hop. It's well off the beaten track and the area is a little run down. Despite this, it was fairly busy when we left early in the afternoon. The only real downside was a smelly gents toilets.
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Formerly the Grapes (one of many pubs in the city to have borne this name at some point) and beneath the impressive Cains' Brewery, this isn't a place to come if you don't like the brew- only Cains' availble. That said, there's a decent enough selection to keep most palates happy. It's often quiet, with a pleasant, traditional interior that has been opened out a little. A bit out of the way from other Liverpool gems, but worth a visit if you're visiting the Cathedral as it is only a 5 minute walk from there, and about 10 minutes up to the Baltic Fleet.
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Maybe the cosyest pub in Liverpool, and you try their DOBLE BOCK when you are there. A MOUST in any pubcrawl in Liverpool
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(Ignore my last review - it's about the Baltic fleet!)
Have only been to Brewery Tap once - it is a bit out of town but if you are on this side of town combine it with a trip to the Baltic Fleet and Peter Kavanaghs on Catharine Street.
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The First Baltic Fleet beer festival was held over bank holiday weekend with 29 Wapping beers on offer. Unlike most beer festivals it wasn't too crowded. Only spoilt by the people who insist on congragating around the bar to drink their drinks making it difficult for others to get served - and the bar on the ground floor at this pub is tiny, which is why I went to the stillage on the 1st floor and bought a pint of Wapping Stout for �2.00!
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Deceptively small inside considering the outside is so big. Exclusively Cains & no guests. I think we picked a bad day to visit as there was an air of gloom hanging about the place & the Sundowner was cloudy & yeasty. Lets hope the Cains situation is sorted soon.
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When you buy beer from a brewery tap it should be served well and it was all 3 I tried.
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Thanks to Previous reviewer who was right - its worth a visit for the interior, ornate bar, stain & etched glass and 8 hand pulls serving most of the Cains beer range which were in great condition. Sadly, having phoned earlier to check times of food, when I arrived there was no food due to a business buffet! The red brick exterior of the pub is also magnificent nestling into the huge old (Higsons) Brewery and declaring that it was one The Gapes Inn.
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Worth a visit for the interior alone, a proper old boozer indeed . I have probably tasted Cains better elsewhere ,which was a surprise ,but I have only been once ,so cant really comment to much on that.If in Liverpool and you like pubs ,come here.
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The relatively new owners have been busy introducing new beers to their range - Cain's Lager is developing quite a reputation for itself and is about to be produced in cans and the recently introduced Cains Stout is delicious and is being rolled out throughout the Cains family of pubs. Of late the 'guest beers', that used to be a feature of the Tap, have vanished and it is now a choice of Cain's, Cain's, or - Cain's.
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A little gem. How pubs used to be before big brewers sent in the vandals.. er sorry, redevelopers.
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As you would expect from a brewery tap, the beers are well kept.
Nice looking pub too - even if some of the wooden supports for the bar have been put in upside down.
Not as far from the city centre as people think, and definitely worth the short hike.
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Excellent and well worth the walk or taxi. Rarely have a bad pint of Cain's but never in here. The buffets keep appearing for people on the brewery tours but there are usually minesweeping opportunities if you are famished.
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A gem of a brewery outlet, but off the tourist route. Good atmosphere with a wide range of clientele, fine Cains beers and also guests, some unusual.Walking distance from Albert Dock. Starting point for the best value brewery tour in the North.
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Excellent - recommended for food and beer. Ordinary but that's a compliment and a bit out of the way
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Great place for beer for obvious reasons, serving Cains beers from the huge brewery next door.
It's a bit out of the way but well worth the long walk if you want a traditional pub full of people drinking and talking. There are tables outside with a lovely view of the industrial estate but plenty of sun to soak up, which also filters through into the pub itself.
Live music on occasions. Free buffet quite regularly though I've never worked out why.
A good pub for proper drinking.
palmwinedrinkard - 20 Aug 2004 14:49 |
