An Evening at Beerd

The other week Rich and I met some friends of ours at Beerd, being that I don't drink beer(except fruity beers) but Rich is some what of a connoisseur he was perfect for reviewing this fairly new venue.

One of Cotham and St Michael’s Hill’s latest pub additions, Beerd claims to offer some of the finest craft beers available right now. A first visit just after Christmas had left a less than strong impression, what with a three-drink round coming to more than £20 and a pizza with a crust as hard as rock. Having said that though, with a few friends wanting to try out the new bar and its extensive ale and beer selection, we were more than willing to give it a second try.

A wide and varied selection of beers takes in local ales, weissbiers, speciality American beers, a few light lagers and even a number of super-strength 9% beverages. In fact for anyone who likes beer of any kind, you’d be well advised to check it out at least once. There does come a problem however if beer is not your thing, with just one cider (Bath Ales Bounders), a very small selection of wines (three red, three white, all Italian), and the usual standard spirits (bars of Bristol, take note, if you must serve just one cachaca please do not make it Sagatiba – it is the worst by far). But then again if you’re not looking to have a beer, why are you going to a place with it so prominently in the name?

We had a good few nice tasty drinks that yielded some pleasant surprises (I’m now a milk stout and ginger spiced ale convert), while our non-beering companions enjoyed the white wines but not so much the thin and sharp reds. The best surprise though was the pizza. A relatively small selection offered some subtle variances on the usual suspects and converted welcomingly to a delicious cooked base that was soft and light and pleasingly generously-covered in delicious topping.

Proscuitto, Mushroom, Artichoke and Olive Pizza

If there is a real criticism to be had in Beerd, it’s that the use of space seems a little out of whack, with half the area being notably empty and the other being somewhat over-crowded. That though is a minor concern, and the somewhat pricey beers can easily be avoided if you actually bother to look at the drinks list – do not then walk straight to the bar and ask for a Schneider Weisse or a Bella Roche, or you’ll be looking at buying yourself an eight or nine pound drink, albeit a very tasty one.

Overall then Beerd is a recommended venue to have a look at, especially if you’re looking at having a swig on something more than the usual choices, and it offers up another nice alternative to the frequently lairy Whiteladies Road haunts that more recently have taken a turn for the worst, the ones that have closed, or the louder more rammed options closer to town. Give it a try, sit back, have a pizza, relax and have a dfferent drink to what you’d normally have – chances are that you’ll find a new favourite.