LETS START WITH SOME HOUSEKEEPING.....
As the world feels like it's beginning to spin again after more than a year of false starts and stalls - with a social schedule beginning to bloom once more, a new job, and a hobby becoming more like a second job (but in the best and almost always most exciting way) - I've been what we at my new job describe as "a bad h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ blogger (?*)". Despite having the best of intentions by regularly scrawling notes on my phone and/or putting physical pen to paper when I'm visiting a new (or old) beery location or supping one of the many cans/bottles now taking over my house hoarders-style, the single point of failure has consistently been my inability to make time to physically sit down and turn those ramblings into a longer form, slightly more coherent ramble (as I'm attempting to do now). So for that, I will start this post with an apology. I'm doing it now, get off my back!
*this was painful to type as I don't view myself as a blogger, influencer, person of particular note, whatever....but what is a blogger? Aren't we all now just internet bloggers and shitposters?
THE WEDDING....
Upon hearing of our invitation to a friend's wedding further afield in "Newcastle" on a Friday - this all coming from the mouth of my husband - my in-laws generously agreed to keep our dog from Thursday evening until Sunday, while I absolutely delighted in the fact that we could extend the trip and enjoy all the beer destinations Newcastle had to offer. It turned out, my husband misunderstood and we realised it was the "other Newcastle", which gave us a Saturday night yet to be planned. We discussed and debated all the spots within a reasonable distance both to "other Newcastle" and our home, with enough stuff to keep us occupied during the day (sans booze) as well as much later into the evening. Eventually, we landed on Nottingham. I had always wanted to visit Sherwood Forest anyways and knew there was a good nightlife to explore for craft enthusiast after speaking to Jo who had visited herself a few weekends prior. With my husband convinced (far more easily than I expected), we booked accommodation and I prepared a google map layer containing pins for all the spots I had either found or been recommended ahead of our arrival.
We drove to our B&B in Congleton on the Thursday night (which I cannot rave enough about, but I will save that for the google reviews page and instead just insert a link HERE for anybody finding themselves in need of lodging in the area). Unfortunately we arrived too late on Thursday that we were unable to visit Beartown Brewery or any other destinations besides the B&B and our Friday was filled with matrimonial bliss (and potentially more Punk IPAs than I may have had in the last few years combined).
We finished off the night in our room with a night cap (or two, in my case) - a granola brown ale and a red IPA, both from Siren - and laid our heads down to sleep with a breakfast call time of 9:30AM and a full Saturday in Nottingham ahead of us.
ACT II : The Next Morning...
Waking up was hard; harder than I had expected it would be. Thankfully no hangover for me, just extreme exhaustion with a side helping of awareness that I'm very much in my 30s. We fought both our alarms and our better judgement to curl back up and hit snooze "just one more time". Rolling out of bed, we made it downstairs just in time for our breakfast feast. I won't share the whole story of what happened/why, but just know there were SEVERAL courses and this ultimately put us behind schedule for arriving in Nottingham.
Bags thrown back together and tossed haphazardly into the boot around 10:45-11ish, we were finally on the road again - destination: Sherwood (oak) forest.
After a brief stop at Starbucks in an attempt re-caffeinate (didn't work), we arrived at Sherwood to stretch the legs at nearly 1:30PM. We strolled through the woods on the hunt for Robin Hood (the fox version-obviously), the "major oak", and rejuvenation. Out of the bunch, we found one of these things, which I will leave to you to guess, before pulling in to Notts City Centre with an hour to spare before our dinner reservations (just after 3PM - for reference). Needless to say, we were still exhausted and in no rush to get back on it, so we paid a visit to the City of Caves before moving on to BBQ Heaven at Red's BBQ for a full-on meat feast that - quite frankly - I'm surprised I survived without exploding. This is my personal plea to Red's to PLEASE OPEN UP A LOCATION FURTHER DOWN SOUTH! It's actually almost cruel to let a person taste that perfection only to place it a 3+ hours drive away.
After this point, our night really began (I promise).
GET TO THE PART ABOUT THE BEER ALREADY!
BOO! HISS!
If you've made it through my meanderings thus far (or you cheated and scrolled to the headline featuring the word "beer"), I appreciate it (and you).
Our B&B for the night was a short walk from the city centre as well as the majority of our "hit list". The biggest outliers were Black Iris Brewery and Kraft Werks as they were 30+ minutes walk/requiring other transport. A friend who lives nearby to Kraft Werks and was also at the wedding agreed to meet up with us for at least a few drinks and had warned us of this the night prior. With all this in mind, we agreed we'd start our night driving to Kraft Werks, keep drinking to a minimum, and drive back to park at our accommodation before continuing on foot into town for the remainder of the night.
KRAFT WERKS, BABY!
Once setting foot inside the easily missed corner building plot, the concept of "keep it minimal" with the drinks now became a challenge as I glanced around at the numerous options across the 5 keg lines, 1 cask line, 2 natural wine lines, and (what I recall being at least 9) full-sized fridges running around the perimeter of the intimately-sized room. The range was beyond what I had even expected, with representation from all the major styles and beyond (mead, cider, wine, etc. also on offer), suitably catering for all tastes in a cozy space with no more than a handful of tables/benches for drink-in service. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere was inviting, with the low chatter of the tables surrounding us creating the perfect ambiance for kicking off the night.
My initial concerns around going out with other people - especially people you didn't know as well or have defined expectations already in place with - in a post-covid society were quickly quenched when we all agreed we were happy to share drinks - sipping from each others' glasses and all (we had PCR tested earlier in the week as well as an LFT the morning of the wedding - both resulting in negative results - so we were fairly comfortable with the risks of doing so at this point).
Mainly we dealt in thirds throughout the night, except for when cans were on offer - like were aplenty at Kraft Werks. While Rik and I waited for Phil (friend in question) to arrive, I embarked on the task of finding my first beer...
I settled on an IPA from Carnival Brewing Company (We Are Diamonds), which sported a eye-catching Beatles/Yellow Submarine-inspired label that initially grabbed my attention. Before I could crack the work of art affixed to tin sat directly in front of me, Phil arrived and the first round properly began - ding ding ding.
Rik started with a 4.8% smoked Dunkel (Border Lines) from Torrside Brewery and Phil went for another Torrside offering but of a lighter complexion - Yellow Peak, an American Pale Ale weighing in at 4.2%. All were fabulous, but as much as I wish I could say I took extensive tasting notes I'll now be sharing with you, I did not. Since getting sucked in deep to the craft community over the last 18+ months, I've put too much focus in taking notes that ultimately went nowhere (see introduction) and I vowed I would start being more in the moment going forward; only ensuring to take notes when doing comparisons or picking up something that was particularly unique and/or of interest to dissect and not stressing about the rest. With this being an even more sociable occasion than normal, I was particularly dedicated to this cause, so I can only give you this high level summary : Border Lines was "best beer" and fully more-ish; Yellow Peak and We Are Diamonds were also tasty - especially as I don't tend to gravitate towards cask beer (which is what Yellow Peak was) - but after how full of flavour the smoked dunkel was, it was hard for either of the others to stand out much; Note to self - drink more smoked beers (especially dunkels).
Just as a warning - the rest of what I'm about to write is also focused on the venues themselves and my experience vs. notes on the beers for the reason mentioned above. All I can do is tag the breweries and hope you go and try them for yourself while stating hat none of the beers enjoyed would get any complaints from me.
Not quite ready to move on, we went for a second round. Rik and I got 1/3rd of a lambic called Watergaus from Vandenbroek Brewery in the Netherlands and 1/3rd of a Double NEIPA from Holland brewery Brouwerij Kees (Halfway Across the Galaxy). Both went down a treat and they were two that we were unlikely to have been able to try on tap elsewhere. Apologies to Rik as he wanted to go for the Thornbridge x Burnt Mill collab - Riffle (a west coast IPA) - but I accidentally spoke before thinking and overruled with the NEIPA. OOPS (hashtagwestcoastisnotthebestcoastbuddy).
Phil was after something similar (but different) to his previous APA, so staff picked out a can for him of Heathen from Abbeydale Brewery. True to Abbeydale form, it was a quality APA, but - even more interestingly - it turned out Phil preferred the DIPA we ordered. All I will comment is "YAS TEAM DIPA!".
Noticing the time was growing later than anticipated, we drank up, took the car back to its home for the night, and headed to our second location - the one I was most adamant I couldn't leave Nottingham without visiting: NEON RAPTOR!!
NEON RAPTOR BREWING CO. TAPROOM
The night had well and truly kicked off by the time we began our 20 minute walk to the taproom located onsite at Neon Raptor's brewery. Located within the very "Bristolian"-feeling Sneiton Market, we arrived just after 8:30PM and were seated immediately at a picnic bench inside the taproom. Seating was available both inside and out - which was nice - and you could see all the brewing kit and kegs as you approached the building itself due to the side of the facility being glass. Inside felt very spacious and open, with high ceilings, but this was maybe even more noticeable because of the location we had come from. I appreciated the rock/metal/punk playlist that blared through the speakers at a level you could hear clearly enough to mumble along to but not so intrusive you couldn't converse with each other or the staff when ordering. A glorious 12 (mostly Neon Raptor) tap lines awaited us in addition to the 2 fridges - 1 sat to either side of the bar area - that I would later grab takeaways from before departing. The server was friendly and patient throughout our entire time there, despite us having moments of extreme pause while narrowing down which of all the bangers we wanted next (it didn't dawn on us until AFTER that we should've just asked for 1/3rd of everything and be done with it).
Before last orders, we managed to fit in thirds of almost all on offer which were -
- Keller Lager (Braybrooke Beer Co - this one was 100% at my request, because - you know - "I don't like lagers" and all that)
- Crushing Blows (Neon Raptor - pale ale)
- A New One On Me (Neon Raptor - NEPA)
- Plot Twist Alibi (Neon Raptor - West Coast IPA)
- DDH TR12304CR Cryo DIPA (Arpus Brewing Co - Double NEIPA)
- Run Galaxy Run (Neon Raptor - DIPA)
- You See Where I'm Coming From (Neon Raptor - TDH DIPA)
- For Lauderdale (Neon Raptor - Sour IPA)
- Saturday Night's Alright: Passion Fruit (Neon Raptor - Sour IPA - I will add Phil is not a fan of sours but we managed to get him to try this one which he didn't find too bad, so he proceeded to continue to at least take a sip of all the sours for the remainder of the evening because of this particular one. I count that as a win).
- Everybody Walk the Dinosaur (Neon Raptor - Imperial Fruited Sour - Though I didn't take specific beer notes, I distinctly remember getting cherry and dark chocolate. I hadn't expected the dark chocolate to come through so clear, but it was a pleasant surprise that added so much more complexity to what could've been a thick, fruity, milkshake of a sour.)
- Get on the Floor (Neon Raptor - Impy Stout - I want to emphasize that Phil somehow decided to order this as the FIRST one of his picks......epic and all kudos deserved there for somebody that usually gravitates towards more traditional styles).
(Photos in the order listed above from left to right/top to bottom - Unfortunately, #4 seems to be missing! I will add if I can locate it as this is the point I was forced to switch to Rik's phone.)
From our trip here, we discovered Phil seemed to really appreciate DIPAs as - again - those came out on top for him. I secretly rejoiced and hoped that this wouldn't be his first and only trip to the taproom given he lives so locally but had never been before. If I can introduce even one person to somewhere they've never been or a style of beer they wouldn't have normally chosen for the sake of playing it safe, that makes me feel particularly pleased.
As it edged closer to 10PM with last orders having officially been called and the taps now fully shut, I begrudgingly grabbed ONLY two takeaways - No Shrubs and the new NR/Vault City Collab (Dinosaur Tea Party) - and headed back as a trio into the night for the next location Six Barrel Drafthouse (Hockley). Annoyingly, I only just realised upon writing this that Fox & Grapes - another destination I had in mind - appears to be located right there and seemingly would've still been open according to google hours.
SIX BARREL DRAFTHOUSE (HOCKLEY)
Back on the streets of Notts, it was hard to tell what the time was with some places seeming to only just be opening. Crowds were bursting from street after street and pushing past those queuing to get in to the many bars and dining spots in the quirky area of Hockley. As it was suggested to me as a place to visit and it was a place Phil was familiar with (and able to get us to fairly quickly), our next stop on the party tram was Six Barrel Drafthouse. Our game plan was to get in, get a single beer each to share, and then get out in order to maximise the volume of venues we could get to before the night would come to a close. From the outside, it looked like a standard student pub or Greene King/Wetherspoons chain so I was unsure what to expect.
There was no queue to enter, but it was indeed very lively. In stark contrast to both places we visited prior, both the music and conversations from fellow patrons hit us like a cacophony of the highest decibel. On the outside, craft beer was mentioned, but while queuing I could only locate a handful of cask pumps (fair enough but only 2 seemed live). I then noticed the taps on the wall behind and thought "Oh great! What's the line-up".... Camden; Lagunitas; Beavertown... I think you get the idea. All of which I would drink without much issue if offered, but it'd be a lie to suggest I wasn't disappointed or that it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
About to resign myself to a cask ale featuring pineapple most prominently, I spotted a sign that mentioned "more craft beers found in the fridges at the back". Wait. Hang on. Wut? I must've missed these fridges.... Low and behold, I found them and they were beautiful. There was quite a decent selection for only having 2 fridges, but I narrowed it down (eventually) to a milk stout from Alpha Delta (NYX) and a peanut butter and banana porter from Wilde Child (Siege of Khartoum). In the meantime, Phil went for an ale / cask offering (might've been Harvest Pale from Castle Rock Brewery, I'm not sure) and we regrouped at a table that serendipitously opened up only feet away just as we had paid.
Table now snagged, we settled in with beers in hand and I looked around to take in the atmosphere more fully. A DJ was spinning in the front corner where we walked in. I'd somehow missed this, but it did add a bit more depth to our surroundings once noticed. The windows were fully opened, letting the cool and crisp night air in alongside the ambient sounds from the busy streets outside. I spotted in a little nook a tower of board games of every ability as well as a scalextric set (which we joked about having no idea where you'd realistically be able to set up within the packed public house). It was really great to be "out out" again - even though it wasn't for the first time.
I seized the opportunity, between shouted dialogue, to look at what was left on my list. We hadn't long been sat there but I was acutely aware of how late the night was growing and I wanted to pull out as many more stops as manageable. I looked up Liquid Light - the other location I was beyond keen to make my way to: "Closed". Shit.
How about the Canalhouse? Oh, it had long since shut. Uh oh.
The Barrel Drop also found us in a similar fate. Okay....we may have balls'd this up slightly.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem - "the oldest inn in England" located right next to the castle - was one I had only recently been advised to go to and the deal was made even sweeter by the fact Phil had mentioned it was built into the stone caves. My interest was fully there.....but it was due to close within the next 15 minutes and was still an 11 minute walk away. I was 110% confident we wouldn't make it, but Phil and Rik thought there was a cheeky chance we could walk fast and make it in time for a quick third or at least just a peek around. It's a Greene King, so wasn't expecting much RE a beer experience, but this was more for the culture. Alas, we got in to see people sat finishing their drinks but they were shutting down so we were hurried right back out again.
On the way to Jerusalem, we passed directly by Crafty Crow - another on my list! HAPPY DAYS! Except as we proceeded to get closer, we noticed them packing up the outdoor furniture/signage. All signs pointed to closed (or at least closing). We asked just to be sure and - yes - they were indeed shutting up shop. Craaaaaaaaaap.
Now what? Was the night over? Were we going to have to go to a proper night club or abandon all hope in the quest for craft, heading home satisfied with what we managed to complete? I called up my list for the last time, ready to pack it up and pack it in as the song instructs, when I happened to glance at Junkyard and spot it was open until 1AM and not too far away! Cheers to Charlotte for the recommendation (and a hearty "fuck you" from my bank card) as it saved the night from ending. It also meant I got one last flight or two in as well as more takeaways.
JUNKYARD POUR HOUSE & BOTTLESHOP - THE CONCLUSION TO OUR NIGHT.
Upon arriving at Junkyard, I was pleased to see google hadn't let me down and that it was well and truly open with a rather large count of people still inside enjoying beers of every colour imaginable. With its tiled bar, softer mood lighting, and a modern-meets-rustic blend of decor, the interior gave off vibes more akin to a tapas bar or trendy upmarket coffee shop than what I would have envisioned for a craft beer bar. That, however, is by no means a suggestion it was unenjoyable. In fact, I would actually state that the chill atmosphere is what made it the perfect last stop to begin the wind down of the night.
I was definitely impressed with the 15 lines featured in addition to two fully filled fridges opposite the bar. When asked if they would serve any of the selections in thirds, the cheery member of staff advised me they actually did flights of three drinks per board. I decided to get 2 flights - 6 different drinks - between the three of us. To make it even better, I very quickly spotted that the boards being used to serve the flights were modelled after skateboard decks. One of the sides had grip tape adhered to it and everything. It was another unexpected feature, but one that definitely made me smile wider than most people probably would've.
Those last 6 beers we sampled were:
- Mosaic Wheat Pale from The Kernel
- Steady Rolling Man a NEIPA from Deya (picked solely because it's so well liked across traditional and craft drinkers alike that I thought Phil may get on well with it)
- Best Coast Hazy from Cloudwater Brew Co
- Pale Fire an American Pale Ale from Pressure Drop
- Cherry Pie a pastry sour from Yonder
- Freak Out! a watermelon berliner weisse from Liquid Light (if I wasn't going to be able to make it to Liquid Light, I was sure as hell going to at least find a beer from them to try! It just helped that it was the last opportunity and that it was an interesting flavour/style combination)
(Apologies as by this point in the night, I wasn't doing a great job to tracking which photo lined up with which beer so you'll just have to use your imagination while I do a photo dump)
While sat at one of the few bar tables dotted around, my eyes wandered to a sign outside. Looking at it from a distance, I tried to spot if the small-sized capital "D" on the sign was Donzoko's D, so I got up to give it a closer look as well as to see if this was for another venue in the same alley that might also still be open given it was nearing midnight. While I spotted no other open venues and confirmed it was actually a Duvel "D" (it was the pointy part that seemed familiar in my brain), it gave me pause to actually read what was on the sign. It boasted of having bottles of Cantillion for sale, but to act quick because "stock is limited". I put two and two together - having spotted cardboard boxes with Cantillion plastered across it atop the fridges inside - and raced back to the fridges to see if I had missed it. Spotting none from the Belgian lambic icons, I thought I would ask at the bar.
A member of staff asked what I was looking for as I approached the bar and I responded "do you happen to have any more Cantillion?". They asked me to repeat the name. I obliged, "Cantillion". He looked visibly confused for a moment before passing it over to a woman sat at the bar talking to second member of staff. In a light-hearted way, he blurted out a request to the "boss lady" for assistance and she looked at me, apologised for not having heard, and asked me to repeat what I was after. Third time being the charm, I said "Cantillion" and she responded with "Oh yeah, we have some next door" before going on to explain they also own the business next door (The Herbert Kilpin - a pub "serving classic European beer") so - while said business wasn't open just now - staff members could grab a bottle if I wanted one. She also ran through which they had, which drastically varied in price (and uniqueness). To cut an even longer story slightly shorter, I left with a 750ml bottle of Cantillion for £17 as well as a can of Whoop Ass from beerbliotek x All In Brewing, a can of Gelato Blotkake from Funky Fluid x Lervig, and a can of Double Gelato from Funky Fluid x Omnipollo - all of which seemed like a great idea to my tipsy self at the time before my sober self realised how much I had spent given it's not even a full first week into the calendar month. And this was me being stingy because there were even more cans I had physically picked up and painfully forced myself to put back (many being imports!). So, all in all, I think I showed some really great restraint!
From here, we dipped back out into darkness one last time to begin our final trek back to the B&B to retire for the night. It was now past midnight and we were running the risk of turning back into pumpkins. The truth is that "we can't hang" like we used to, bed was calling, and we had a 3 hour drive still ahead of us for the morning.
FINAL REFLECTIONS & LESSONS LEARNED
Despite it being a "for one night only" type affair, we rapidly depleted our time quicker than we could blink. I had a lovely time and managed to fit in 4 really fun spots, but as a Project Manager, I'd be amiss not to highlight some lessons learned that may be of use to you. I'd emphasis that these are mostly down to me and choices I made vs. anything really going wrong.
Firstly, I noticed a lot of places boast of serving "craft beer" on their exterior signage, but upon further inspection internally, it proved to be between Camden, Magic Rock, or Beavertown with the occasional Fourpure thrown into the mix. This is not meant in any way to sound judgemental or a slight to anybody enjoying any of those beers or the breweries themselves. I firmly believe everybody is entitled to like what they like and that there is no beer that every single person will love and agree on. Also, I genuinely enjoy the odd Camden here and there. My comment is more just to state how much good, legitimate craft can be found in this part of the country from passionate, independent breweries - Black Iris, Liquid Light, and Neon Raptor were some of the few already mentioned - that I was excited as a craft nerd to spot so many signs and get stuck in before immediately noting that it was the same 3 or 4 bigger beer contenders being marketed as craft. No hate to them, but I couldn't pretend my heart didn't drop from a 10 down to a 1 in terms of excitement. Thankfully, there were plenty of other excellent options for us to explore as well as some spots appearing like a standard chain which actually offered more craft than expected (one example is The Golden Fleece - where we didn't actually stop to drink but did go in to meet back up with Phil after dropping off our stuff at our B&B). It featured Liquid Light, Totally Brewed, and Black Iris on tap amongst others, but you wouldn't have been able to guess this from the outside. No real lesson here, just something to be aware of to set expectations as I noticed this here more than any other city I've been to in the UK thus far.
Secondly, I thought I was well prepared by taking the google maps approach, giving me quick and easy access to what was closest to me at any given point in time as well as the ability to more quickly navigate to opening times, websites, etc. This would have been great if I had actually taken more time to stop and look at the opening times in advance. I got carried away by the places I definitely wanted to go to as well as the concern that I didn't want to start drinking too early that I didn't really pre-plan how many places I would realistically be able to hit in one night or what the best order would be. I just thought that I'd start at one and move between them organically without considering that once we got somewhere, we may stay for more rounds than anticipated, it might be hard or a longer wait to be served, or that I might not be as focused on checking times/spots when in the midst of a really interesting conversation. I also didn't account for my phone dying early doors as it mistakenly never went on charge the night before. The lesson here is to put advanced thought into your route plan and DON'T forget your portable charger/cable if you are relying on this google maps approach. At a minimum, try to get the lay of the land at least somewhat in your head as well and be real with yourself about the ground you can cover in one night. Having a strategically located starting point is always for the best. This is all something that sounds obvious, but also what gets thrown out the window when life takes over and you find yourself with less free time to plan than expected.
Thirdly, I was really disappointed to see how early some of the spots closed. While I know this correlates directly to the point above RE my unpreparedness, it was also just not something I thought to consider because a lot of places we passed earlier seemed to stay open until 1 or 2AM at least. I know the reality is that they were still open far later than a lot of the places within close proximity to where I live and that, furthermore, it would be selfish (and not financially feasible) to keep staff on site for my own amusement. I understand the additional financial pressures this approach would cause a smaller, independent business in a major city where rents are probably fairly high and competition is plentiful (with the product being something that is more niche in comparison, so may not get the footfall after a certain time of night anyways). It all makes sense and I know that it's very much me that is the problem here, but I still couldn't help but wish the craft beer destinations were open as late as some of the other night life hot spots, even in all its impracticality. My piece of advice here is to really pick out that spots you want to ensure you don't miss and the best route to take to make sure you can hit them all in a logical order. Round up on how long you might spend at each spot (here, I wish I planned for around an hour at each if not slightly more), factor in the commuting time between each, and make sure you work out a start time that allows enough time to hit all the locations you would be upset to miss out on. This is the part that I severely messed up on, however thankfully I know I can always visit again. It might be also worth factoring in which have food and which don't so you could start on the earlier side without sacrificing a meal (eating is not cheating). It's also good to understand where bus/tram/train stops are and if any of those modes of transportation would give you value add. Again, all stuff that sounds obvious and comes down to giving it some foresight that I didn't consider because I ran out of time.
Because of the last two points mentioned in particular, I feel like I barely even scratched the surface of Nottingham's craft beer scene. There simply wasn't enough time to make it to even 50% of the spots I had in mind. My expectation was that we'd get a single round of thirds (however many), then knock them back and move on to the next place in good time. I didn't account for the basic human interaction and instincts that would occur such as deciding you want another round or not being able to make up your mind in the first place as well as differing paces a group would be drinking at or straight up getting locked in engaging conversation. All of this adds up but isn't always considered when calculating timings. This also would explain why I had to question the time on numerous occasions as we passed several groups of suitably sauced strangers on the streets before realising it was still only 6:30PM - far too early (in my mind, at that point) to be in a state of needing McDonalds and a friend to hold you up while you scoff it down. I now know better.
The TL;DR moral of the story is never to try to tackle Nottingham in one night if you're there for the beer. Don't underestimate just how much this city has to offer (both in good food and beers).
**One note that I just wanted to add retrospectively is that in all 4 of these locations, I never - at any moment - felt that I was disrespected or undermined due to my gender identity. While this should go without saying, unfortinately it doesn't always, and that kinda sucks (understatement). While I didn't make any notes around this at the time, it was due entirely to the reasoning that NONE of the places made me feel out of place or unwelcomed to the point that it even registered with me to positively call it out. In an unspoken agreement, I was delegated as the "rep" for the group when it came to selecting the beers, and I am thankful that not a single one of the locations we stopped in to questioned me, the serving sizes, or the ABV levels - nor anything else - and not a single soul deferred to either of my male craft compatriots for confirmation around my requests. While this might not be a consideration everybody is consciously making, I felt it worth going back and calling out for those of us who may have this concern so that they can feel reassured.**