Part 3 of our Worcester wobble sees the first dissent in the Pubs & Beer Forum ranks since someone stole Mudgie’s bombay mix in Leicester.
Strictly Pub No.6 (I’d missed 3, remember) was the Cardinal’s Hat, the oldest pub in town.
Strictly Pub No.6 (I’d missed 3, remember) was the Cardinal’s Hat, the oldest pub in town. But I’d heard rumours that new outlet the Oil Basin Brewhouse was a potential future GBG entry, and it’s important to get ahead of BRAPA these days.
So the Mudges and Mudgies and Coldwells went Trad (Richard needs his BBB) and a rebel group set off to tick appreciate the arrival of craft in Worcester. If there’s an official investigation into desertion, it was Citra wot led it (sorry Mick).
Rather hidden in plain sight, the Oil Basin is tucked between the High Street and that lane with pork baps. 4pm opening for the micro feel, outside tables to convince you you’re in Morecambe or somewhere exotic.
We immediately warmed to a cosy place from the Middlesbrough Guide Book to Micros (priced at 3 parmos plus P&P), with random stickers, pianos and the weirdest playlist of the year. I recognised “Kayleigh“, but that was all. We suspected that Mudgie would have preferred “Script for a Jester’s Tear“, but we were wrong.
At the bar, I eschewed the Salopian in favour of the homebrew (oddly called Wintrip rather than Oil Basin), which was a terrible mistake.
Actually, it was OK, just a bit caramelly and, er, homebrewy.
“Should have had the craft keg” said someone. So we did. A 3% table beer from Burning Soul that was cool, complex and everything the cask wasn’t.
Next to us, a couple from Dunfermline on a campervan holiday were working through the beer list. I showed them my post on Dunfermline; I sense they’d have been more interested in my Tesco receipt.
We met up by the shop selling Prosecco for cats (top).
Our discredited agenda suggested a half in the King Charles II, but it would have ended in a pint of Robinsons cider.
And that would have been a very bad idea.
retiredmartin 
I’m glad we lived life on the edge, a cracking little pub I thought. By the way , if I get into trouble with the beer and pubs powers that be, I’m taking you down with me! The signs were already there though, earlier I had absconded from the Eagle vaults for a crafty Vibrant Forest in the nearby Hop Lords Craft Bar.
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Charles said he’ll do the time for us; 90 minutes in a Brewhouse & Kitchen in Basingstoke.
And yes, Mick, it is wise for other offences to be taken into account.
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Basingstoke! A fate worse than death.
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A lot of us may stop reading your blog. Heresy.
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Oil Basin is excellent. Guy who runs it is the Wintrip brewer and really cares about quality. Assume they have started brewing on site now. Hop Lords round the corner has some interesting craft beers.
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We liked it a lot. Frankly we’d have been better off staying put, as the atmosphere and (keg) beer was the best of the day.
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Suppose that’s the risk of a crawl though Worcester is pretty good for a small city. Paul Pry has closed twice in recent times.
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Will come on to the Paul Pry, which I’ve only just realised is the mystery pub I’ve got pictured as my current PC screensaver. I didn’t recognise it !
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Best use of the word eschewed in a pub blog!!! Why is Rich at trad boozer????
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Rich has been converted to the cause of Boring Brown Bitter by your expert blogging, and forsaken craft bars. Actually, I think we lost him next to Lush.
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That made me chuckle! 😀 ImI glad I have turned Rich onto MOR Bitter …
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“Strictly Pub No.6 (I’d missed 3, remember) was the Cardinal’s Hat, the oldest pub in town.”
Yes, yes. We heard you the first time. 🙂
“and it’s important to get ahead of BRAPA these days.”
Pfft. He’s no threat with that wobbly knee. 😉
“Café society”
I’m curious as to the holes in the centre of the stools.
“(oddly called Wintrip rather than Oil Basin)”‘
I noticed that on the outside umbrellas and one of the stickers on the piano.
“Beer brewed in wellington boots (possibly)”
Technically correct. The brewmaster wears the wellies when brewing. 🙂
“We met up by the shop selling Prosecco for cats (top).”
I’m at a loss for words.
“And that would have been a very bad idea.”
Once burnt and all that?
Cheers
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At the least the trad/modern split in beer hasn’t led to a riot (yet).
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Wait until the next post…
To be fair, this split was rather prompted by a bit of poor navigation which I will eventually get round to on my own blog. The Oil Basin sounds rather more fun than the Cardinal’s Hat proved to be.
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I’d only intended to do a very quick half in the Oil Basin and then catch you up in the Cardinal, but the Marillion and Dunfermline couple scuppered that.
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As you probably gathered, we were about five minutes from finishing when we saw you aproaching the King Charles II, so we supped up quickly and left 😉
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“The Oil Basin sounds rather more fun than the Cardinal’s Hat proved to be” but us Mudgies are too old for “fun”.
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Went back to the Oil Basin with C later. Lass behind the bar didn’t seem to have much idea and faced with what looked like not much exciting and not much exciting discretion became the better part of valour and I decided to go to the Hop Lord instead. Strangely it had disappeared into the dark of the Worcester night …
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