I'm capturing my experience just over a month post-trip to the crafty Cardiff-based tap room: Brew Monster. This delay is partially due to mild embarrassment (who am I kidding, I gave up my dignity long ago), but more so due to how rapidly life has picked up in the last few months between my (not so) new job, podcasting schedule, and social life outside of beer. While I probably could've buried the light layer of shame I have around the experience I'm about to share and decide - instead - to tell a story where I sound a lot more calm, cool, and collected (please, stop laughing...that wasn't a joke!), I don't want to gloss over how brilliant this spot is.
It's worth noting that my sister-in-law lives in Newport, which is just a quick train ride away from Cardiff (in Wales, for the non-UK folks who might stumble upon this). I've visited Cardiff a fair few times in the growing years since I've lived in the UK, whether to see my sister-in-law or for a holiday; the first time being on my 1 year wedding anniversary back in 2014. Though I can't say that I remember there being many (read: any) craft-serving bars operating at that time, it's hard to know if this was down to my lack of awareness in regards to the breadth of the UK Craft Beer scene at the time or if there was truly just an emptiness which has seen at least moderate population in the years since... Even within the year or so preceding these last two covid years, I don't recall there being anything really outside Tiny Rebel or Brewdog that piqued my interest.
Last month, when having a "girls weekend" with my sister-in-laws and nieces in Newport, I discovered this shift in the balance first hand....or maybe I had only just noticed what was already there. Either way, on a trip through Cardiff for bottomless brunch at The Philharmonic, we walked past places I recognised - such as Head of Steam - and places I didn't (but wished I did). None of the aforementioned had been places that I'd seen before specifically in Cardiff. After brunch, I decided I couldn't be bothered to walk around shopping and would instead prefer to sink some drinks at a location I distinctly remembered passing by earlier and thinking how it was the kind of establishment I would normally frequent. With 50% of the party also not keen on shopping and choosing to follow my lead, I began the hunt for the place that I knew we must have seen just around this corner....or maybe that one... Yep, DEFINITELY this one. I got it now.... That place was Brew Monster Tap House.
Aesthetically, the interior design was exactly up my street - rustic with a minimalist touch and a real DIY/cozy twang. Labels were affixed to walls and columns, edison bulbs adorned the industrial-style fixtures, and fairy lights were strung about all whilst still being in a bright and open space. It's everything I would design my "beer cave" to be.
Right from the start, the staff working were incredibly accommodating. Like most people at this point in time, we weren't sure what the rules were around service and could see there wasn't a free table in sight with the exception of a tiny makeshift table towards the back that looked like it might be something used by the staff. The bar staff politely explained that in order for us to be served as per current regulations in place, we had to have a table and that they weren't sure how long before a table would open up. The group with me began deliberating about what our Plan B would be when we were re-approached by a member of staff who explained they had contacted a manager and had been given the all clear to let us order and perch at the back until a table became open. Already, it was clear to see that these were good people who didn't want to have to turn anybody away or disappoint. With luck on our side, it wasn't long before a table became open.
The beer list was clearly displayed on a flat screen affixed to the wall in large text that could be read from a distance and with helpful photos of the label art presented next to each. Across the bottom, it displayed the most recent Untappd check-ins of who checked in which beer and when. With only a small percentage of the list being something I had tried before (namely Gipsy Hill's Carver and both the Keller Pils and Wanna go to the Sun from Lost and Grounded), I set the goal of trying as many as I could in half pint servings before exiting the establishment.
Being unsure of how long I'd be staying, I made sure to start with one from Brew Monster themselves -100 Year Plan, a 4.4% New England Pale Ale. It would be an understatement to say I was more than a little surprised that one of my sister-in-laws who I had never actually seen drink beer before (we're a fizz and gin bunch typically when together) order the same as me. As is probably clear from the write-up I did about Nottingham, I was too busy enjoying the environment and living in the moment to take tasting notes for the beer, but I will give you a hint about how enjoyable it was by telling you that when I went to order my second beer - a 4.7% American Pale Ale called Yawn from Cardiff based brewery Flowerhorn - she proceeded to order another of the same.... Most unexpected indeed!
From there, I continued to work my way through the list, trying a west coast pale from another brewery hailing from Cardiff - Rival Brewing. I proceeded on from Brasserie D'Achouffe's Cherry Chouffe to a hefeweizen from Badische Staatsbraurei Rothaus (Weizenzapfle), and onto Freedom Lager - a helles lager from (as you guessed it) Freedom Brewery. Once I had finished all the "unique check ins" and we had still not left the building, I circled back around to the lost and grounded. The best part in my opinion (apart from how lovely and friendly the staff were - even if they were laughing at our tipsy expense vs. with us) is that this place had something for everyone. My nieces can be very specific with what they drink. My sister-in-laws less so, but also not typically beer fanatics like myself. Brew House had such a quality selection of gins, spirits, and wines that nobody struggled to find something that they actually wanted to drink. I typically find that drinking with others who don't have the same desire for drinks as you can lead to having to choose a place to get either good beer, good spirits, OR good wine and never shall the three converge. Somebody tends to have to make a sacrifice and drink something they are less than thrilled about while also paying more than they'd want to. Thankfully this was not the case with Brew Monster - in variety and pricing.
I don't want to miss the opportunity to also commend Bew Monster for creating a warm and welcoming environment. I've mentioned before that in an ideal world, we shouldn't even have to consider how embraced you will be by a business based solely on gender identity, race, ethnicity, etc., but the sad fact is that we do. This is not limited to just the food and beverage industry and sometimes a bias can be completely unconscious. Because of this, I feel it is quite important to note when I visit a place that doesn't make me think twice about how comfortable and welcomed I feel and I can speak for my whole party when I say that this is the case with Brew Monster. As a table full of women (by the end, there were 6 of us in total), we were able to enjoy each other's company and conversation without any looming threat of awkward encounter or interruption. Any one of us can (and did) go up to the bar to order and not once were we met with any condescending attitude towards the people not ordering beer or the ones that were (me). If anything, they were more than willing to offer suggestions and engage in banter (my apology still stands as I'm sure we pestered them more than they even attempted to lead on). They not only gave us the time of day, dealt with us at the point that I am confident we were getting "silly" in a friendly yet professional manner, and let me buy glasses off of them because drunken me is also still a glass hoarder that didn't want to steal (genuinely melting into my seat just remembering all of this - sober me does not want to deal with drunk me's decisions, I will tell you that).
Located just a short distance away from the Cardiff train station, it's a spot not to be missed not just for drinks but for the atmosphere. Highly recommend popping by should you find yourself in Cardiff or live near enough by. I had every intention of staying for a few quick drinks and maybe persuading the group to let me pop into Head of Steam on the way back to the train for some takeaways, but we never even got that far (the only stopping I did on the way back to the train was Taco Bell because yo quiero train treats).
Before wrapping up, I'll share one of my favourite moments. I recall ordering a drink and the bartender made a comment about me being from West Country. I get this a lot. So much so, that it's become a joke with the people closest to me - a handful of whom still find it surprising that I get people asking me if I'm from the west country. It made me chuckle out loud and my in-laws appreciated it as well while ensuring to point out to him that I was - in fact - actually American. I am positive that he nearly didn't believe it and the fact that this inside joke was now happening on a more public scale definitely gave us all a good giggle (you probably had to be there). To end on a cringe note at my expense, I will say thank you again to the amazing bar staff for a memorable evening even through the haze of all the drinks and an extra special thanks to the two badass ladies behind the bar who agreed to take a selfie with me (officially in the worlds most awkward puddle) - photo below for evidence.
TLDR: Stop by the Brew Monster Tap House in Cardiff for 1 or 2 drinks, get so comfortable you stay for the evening and drink your way through the tap list nearly twice.
I think these photos of me and one of my nieces speaks volumes on the state we ended up