April 2024. Manchester.
From Crewe via Stockport to Piccadilly for City v Villa, but first another entry in Matthew Curtis’s Guide to Manchester Beer, a recommended next book to tick once you’ve done the GBG.
Finding a pub on matchday is always tricky, though City fans on Blue Moon seem oddly drawn to places called Waldorf, B Lounge and Churchills that I’ve still never been in.
The best trad pub outside the station is probably still Marston’s Bull’s Head, with Manchester’s ever-changing skyline looming behind,
but frankly that’s always packed with blokes called “Vienna 70” and “Didsbury Dave” from Blue Moon,
Readers of Matthew’s book are more likely heading to the Piccadilly tap rooms
and at random I pick Sureshot, even though I was only here a year ago.
But ticking rules are ticking rules, and all visits MUST be made after the launch of The Book. Actually, that’s not how ticking the Good Beer Guide works at all, is it ?
As with Fierce, rarely and cask here, but I’ve really warmed to the Sureshot beers, and their Oatmeal Stout is snappily titled “Dog & Horse at the Oatcake Shop” which I’m sure you’ll agree is far better than “Mild” or “Stout” or “Bass”.
A high class snack collection, though I saved myself for the Etihad chips (rubbish).
“Only” £5.10 a pint, and rather gorgeous. It’s an hour before kick-off, but any football traffic is low-key, and although it’s beer in a railway arch it’s worthy of its place in the Guide.
Just as Phil Foden’s hattrick is worthy of mention, particularly the 3rd, a Goal of the Season contender.
retiredmartin 
I well know what pipes connected to the drip tray usually means, but this is some distance from West Yorkshire or Edinburgh.
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I’ve s feeling those pipes lead where they should – to the drain and not back to a cask, Paul.
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Robinson’s own Philip Walter.
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Yes, he wins a gallon of Unicorn for every hat trick he scores.
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“Only” £5.10 a pint – I paid £5.20 for a pint of cask Manchester IPA in Le Peveril de la Peak last week.
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That was my point ! I’ve seen reports (I think BRAPA) on standard bitters priced over a fiver in the Bulls Head, standard lager well over £6 in Manchester.
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I remember the Bulls Head as a Burntwood pub.
I paid £4.65 this lunchtime for Marstons – but it was their Old Empire.
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Burtonwood I presume, Paul ?
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Sorry, yes, Burtonwood.
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I wouldn’t have been surprised if you knew a Burntwood brewery. I used to like Top Hat from Burtonwood.
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No, but there was a Roberts Brewery in nearby Brownhills – the two are sometimes confused – which was taken over by Eley’s of Stafford in 1925 and was closed in 1928. I remember a Roberts window surviving into the 1970s.
Though Top Hat was Burtonwood’s keg Bitter fifty years ago, along with the weaker Crystal Keg, it’ll be the more recent cask beer that you remember.
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