May 2024. Manchester.
Two hours till kick-off, a dangerous amount of time with Piccadilly’s brew taps on the route.
I was challenged last month when I (re) visited Sureshot.
“Why (oh why) didn’t you do Balance. It’s next door !”.
And so it is. Under the arches, as Flanagan and Allen once sang, but not about craft breweries.
Balance is the Pastore of the North, their own collection of saisons and sours carefully curated to annoy Mrs RM were she there.
I took a 2/3rds of the Saisons du Maison, it’s what Stafford Paul would do, and in a packed bar (not obviously City fans)resigned myself to standing at the bar agreeing that those porcelain dispensers were indeed very nice.
But then it became apparent that the table for four with 2 half drunk sours had been abandoned permanently rather than for a fag break, £10 of undrunk beer I reckoned, and I pounced.
You’ll know I drink anything, and I really like Balances brews, but if your experience of Mancunian beer is IPAs and DIPAs I can see you might be a bit surprised.
Their loss.
Nice wall art too.
retiredmartin 