Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl
A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Barley Mow, St Philip’s
If you want to understand the recent history of Bristol beer, there is no better place to start than the Barley Mow.
It’s the flagship pub of Bristol Beer Factory, who almost singlehandedly laid the foundations for Bristol’s craft beer revolution, with the breweries who have followed in their footsteps continuing to put our city on the world beer map.
The Barley Mow now sits within a few hundred yards of Moor, Left Handed Giant, Good Chemistry and Newtown, pouring beer from these and many others from its multitude of taps.
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On a recent Tuesday evening, tables were filling up for the weekly quiz at 8pm with Rich (£1 per person, maximum team of six).
A chunky knitted bobble hat on the head of one customer at the bar contrasted with the shorts still resolutely being worn by a cyclist sitting at a table opposite.
Above the cyclist’s head were Good Beer Guide stickers dating back to 2010. Beer is most definitely good here at a pub regularly named among Bristol’s best, including winning Camra’s Bristol pub of the year in 2019.
There are ten beers on keg, five on cask and half a dozen more in the fridge, with food currently provided by Jimmy’s Kitchen and the flat upstairs available through Airbnb.
Bristol24/7 members can enjoy a free pint of any Bristol Beer Factory draught beer at the Barley Mow – photo: Martin Booth
Timelapse from Good Chemistry (only 240m away as the crow flies) joined BBF’s Rewind, Notorious and Fortitude on cask; while on keg, beers from Wiper & True, Arbor and Lost & Grounded were the outliers among a stout, session ale, IPA and cider from BBF.
These breweries are all cocky young upstarts compared to BBF, who began life in 2004 brewing just a few cask conditioned ales on a couple of tanks in the basement of the former Ashton Gate Brewery just off North Street.
In a continued evolution, BBF put their beers into cans for the first time in May, with their core range of beers in cans featuring maps of different areas of Bristol.
Head to the Barley Mow in St Philip’s (featured on the Milk Stout can) and drink your way through Bristol’s recent beer history.
The Barley Mow, 39 Barton Road, St Philip’s, Bristol, BS2 0LF
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Apple Tree, Bedminster
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