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ONE PUB ONLY?
Ship and Mitre
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
Dr Duncans, Ship and Mitre and then Thomas Rigby , then taxi or bus
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
White Star
|  | Doctor Duncan’s
St. Johns House, St. Johns Lane L1 1HF Telephone 0151 7095100 W www.cains.co.uk
G Peter Howarth
F Traditional good quality pub grub 12 to 3 Mon - Sat, 12 to 5 Sun
MP B D
Opening 11.30 to 11 Mon - Thu, 11.30 to 1 Fri - Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The good Doctors pub is not as large as one might think on first observation. The corner public bar is a gem with ornate tiled pillars in all their Victorian splendour. The other public bar is a good chatting area with original seating facing the traffic through picture windows. The rear of the pub is a spilt - level lounge, less grand but equally comfortable. Most impressive, however, is the variety of Cains ales. This place is a regular award winner and the conversation appeared very footie orientated. I would imagine, due to its proximity to Lime Street Station, it to be very busy most days and on Saturdays in particular. It is a great starting point for a visit to this fine ale town. In my case it was the regular afternoon shift that filled the bars with a constant purr of contentment enjoying different beers from their last visit.
UPDATE: Chris is the new manager and the pub now offers the full range of Cains ales rather than guest options. A new outside area under construction will be ready for use soon.
BWV 28.2.05: Cains Bitter, IPA, Dark Mild, 2008 Victorian Ale, Orkney Raven Ale, Wychwood Wolf Rider Addlestone’s Cloudy Cider
BWV 19.4.06: Cains 2008 Celebration, Bitter, FA, IPA, Mild, Triple Hop |  | Ship and Mitre
133 Dale St. L2 2HJ Telephone 0151 2360859 W www.shipandmitre.co.uk
G Brian Corrin
F Good value pub food, pasties and pies at weekends 12 to 2 Mon - Tue, 12 to 2, 5 to 8 Wed – Fri. No food at w/e
MP TV
Opening 12 to11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
My town centre award pub for 2005 - 06 rapidly came to be my personal Liverpool favourite, due in no small part to the great welcome of the locals. Joe, the Everton fan, outlined just how great this pub is on matchdays, “Good friendly banter, shared lifts in taxis etc” and it sounds, and is, just perfect. Add in the recommendations from those in the other pubs in this guide page and you should have no doubt that the Ship and Mitre is the gold standard of Liverpool real ale pubs. The design is apparently of a ship galley. I was reminded more of a Scandinavian sauna, pine - clad bar with larger, more American diner - style, lounge to the rear. One can only dream of my team getting to play in town and take up the offer of the good time to be had. Perhaps it will be a beer festival visit. Cheers Joe.
UPDATE: I landed on a beer festival day! 12 hand pulled ales is the norm for weekends, as it was last year
BWV 28.2.05: Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven, Cottage Broadgauge. Durham White Gold, Eccleshall Slaters Premium, Ossett Ellens Glory, Salopian Shropshire Gold, , Weetwood Ambush, Wentworth Oatmeal Stout
BWV 19.4.06: Real ale festival was in full flow, 60 – 70 ales on the day of my visit. |  | White Star
Rainford Gardens (Off Matthew St.) L2 6PT Telephone 0151 2316861 www.thewhitestar.co.uk
G Alfie Buxton
MP SK BM
O 11 to 11, 12 to 10.30 Sun
Alfie and the White Star are something of Liverpool legends. It is easy to wax lyrical about the back room with its genuine Beatles connections, or rave on about the boxing memorabilia that includes Cooper and Ali stuff. The real draw for me was the chance to get Bowland beer and also to check out the history of the Czech Republic connections. Having been at the Euro 96 games and witnessed the Czech friendliness at first hand, it says a lot of the pub that this continues to the present day. To find it, you need to follow the signs to the Cavern area and then follow the real ale tickers, perhaps carrying this guide, to the pub. Once there you will find it difficult to move on. as the list of
Bowland’s Lancashire beers are a regular feature; but the beer list features weird and wonderful brews that you won’t have heard of, won’t remember, and probably won’t find again - at least until your next visit. ales is both interesting and novel. When I visited the pub was perfectly unaffected by the tourists strolling nearby. It is a great retreat in the middle of tourist land, I would want to visit here whenever possible.
UPDATE: All is exactly the same and Tubes is still barred
BWV 28.2.05: Bass Draught, Bowland Hunters Moon, Nicky Nook, White Star Pale Ale, 1745, Caledonian Deuchars IPA
BWV 19.4.06: Bass Draught, Bowland Sky-Dancer, White Star, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Jennings Cumberland Ale
UPDATE
Food: “A great selection of snacks including pork pies and fresh cobs” (not sure of food times)
Music: JB, BM
Disabled: Good
The White Star has the qualities of a traditional community pub, despite its city centre location. While tourists ambled by, unsure whether to venture inside, the pub was filling up with an assortment of local shoppers, football supporters, and beer tourists. Some folk were on familiar terms with the staff: others, like me, poked their heads around corners noting everything down. Whether notes were destined for print, or merely confined to the memory, this gem of a pub is worthy of recognition.
An attractive tiled floor, wooden panels, and etched glass, all tick the right boxes for fans of the Victorian boozer par excellence. The front snug consists of a red crescent-shaped leather banquette, while the large back room favours green upholstery. A huge TV screen dominated this room on the Saturday of my visit, though most customers preferred the front area. TV here was unobtrusive and allowed me to admire the accents and legendary scouse wit before making for the game.
Framed pictures cover almost every wall space: football memorabilia and photos of local characters vie for space in between the nautical prints – lest you forget you are in a historic seaport. Johnny Cash and Dean Martin were singing when I arrived, so that probably tells you something about the age and disposition of the pub’s clientele.
BWV 26/08/06 Bass draught, Blakemere Cheyenne, Bowland Befuggled, Chipping Steamer, Cheshire Northern Soul Time, Caledonian Deuchars IPA
Chris Ackrill |  | Baltic Fleet
33A Wapping L1 8DQ Telephone 0151 7093116 W www.wappingbeers.co.uk
G Mark and Kevin Yates
F Bar snacks, brunches and traditional Sunday lunches 12 to 2 Mon - Fri, 11 to 4 Sat, 12 to 4 Sun
SP TV
Opening 12 to 11, 11 to 10.30 Sun
Wapping beers are a personal favourite of mine and to go to their home was a particular treat that didn’t disappoint. The pub is an impressive island among the redeveloped hotels and car parks along the dockland highway. The scale of the pub is delightfully appropriate. One smaller bar is festooned with superb photos of dockside scenes. The longer second bar is on a different level and arranged café - style for larger groups to sit around tables. The Baltic Fleet has won numerous awards and it is easy to see this as a destination pub. If you only have time to visit one pub in Liverpool then this grade II listed building and brewery would make the perfect choice. Without doubt “mine’s Wapping.” Of course it is.
UPDATE: The pub reopened after a short closure under the new management of Mark and his son Kevin. The upstairs restaurant has gone as the pub recreates the traditional pub feel. Merseyside’s only brew pub offers real fires, quiz nights and as something novel; a monthly Laurel and Hardy film night. A warm welcome is guaranteed along with great ale, guest selections, and over twenty bottled continental beers.
BWV 28.2.05: Tigertops Right Rye, Wapping Brunel, Bow Spirit Bitter, Summer Ale, Tapley Mild
BWV 19.4.06: Connoiseur Ruby Thursday, Ring O’Bells Porkers Pride, Wapping Bitter, Bow Spirit Bitter, Summer Ale, Stout, Tapley Mild, Double Vision cider |  | Thomas Rigby
22 - 23 Dale St. L2 2EZ Telephone 0151 236269
G Fiona Hornsby
F National award winning menu described as “fantastic home cooked food with an original twist” 11.30 to 7
MP SK BM
Opening 11.30 to 11
When does a sister pub become a partner pub? When the Thomas Rigby and Fly in the Loaf are run by partners under the Okells banner. The Thomas was the original venture of this brewery in the town. It has quite a different set of customers to its up - town sister but has real quality that compares with my much loved cathedral district friend. Oh and Fiona and Dominic share more than a love of real ale,
The Thomas Rigby has an interesting past. From wine merchant tap to great real ale pub, it has all the architectural merit you would expect in the prosperous streets that lead down to the Mersey. The pub has four separate rooms, all of individual character,, the main bar being long and subdivided by careful design to create a popular lunch time haunt for chattering businessmen. I met with Fiona in the courtyard where by early evening the transition to session drinking was underway. The atmosphere was very relaxed and relaxing. Couples chatted in small groups while CAMRA guide - toting blokes came and set into new ales. The beers consist of Okells own plus several guests, evidence of Carols’ interest in sampling as well as selling the real stuff. The competition for awards is intense and this pub more than holds its own. Finally, in true sexist style, I offer a trivia question for men only. At which ground was the photo in the gents taken?
BWV 19.4.06: Broughton The Riever, Oakham JHB, Okells Bitter, Spring Ram, Rooster’s Cream Tomos Watkin Cwrw Ceridwan, Tring Colley’s Dog |  | | MERSEYSIDE CAMRA | GOODISON PARK |  | 
LOCAL BREWERY
Unit 11, Diamond Business Park,
Sandwash Close,
Rainford,
Merseyside
WA11 8LY
www.georgewrights.com
| WETHERSPOONS
The Fall Well St John's Way Liverpool L1 1LS Opening Times: Sun-Wed 9am-midnight; Thu 9am-1am; Fri/Sat 9am-2am
The Richard John Blackler Units 1 & 2, Charlotte Row Great Charlotte Street Liverpool L1 1HU Opening Times: Mon-Sun 9am-1am
The Welkin 7 Whitechapel Liverpool L1 6DS Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
The Lime Kiln Fleet Street/ Concert Square Liverpool L1 4NR Opening Times: Sun-Thu 11.30am-2am; Fri/Sat 11.30am-3am
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