Monday 16 December 2019

15/12/19 - Ticking off the Manchester Stragglers

GBG Ticks - 439-441

My reasonably frequent visits to Manchester are allowing me to work through the Good Beer Guide pubs.   Its an endless task.   New ones coming in, old ones going out.   Doubtful I'll ever get a clean sweep but I'll keep trying.

Drinks, pre a Mark Lanagen gig, provide a chance to potentially knock off 3 more.

The Grey Horse, Portland Street, A Winters Tale

Manchester Utd at home, so it wasn't a day for checking out Europe's smallest bar.   Manchester has a habit of grouping several pubs together and next door to the tiny Circus Tavern is the Grey Horse.

A single room, traditional boozer - it has slightly more room - but only if prepared to share with exhausted xmas shoppers, those escaping the filthy weather or men in red scarves celebrating a credible 1-1 draw with the Toffees.

Grey Horse, Manchester
But for the weather, I surely would have got a better angle
Grey Horse, Manchester
Ornate Door

Decent beer (even if I couldn't find A Winters Tale on Untappd), plenty of chat and a real old school experience.

Paramount, Oxford Street, Jaipur

It was the rain that bought me in here.   Manchester, living up to its wet reputation, with the raindrops positively bouncing off the pavement.

Paramount, Manchester
Paramount
I could have written the review without going in.   Words like Busy, Filthy Tables, Quality Beers and Dirt Cheap would have all appeared.

This was one of the busiest.

And filthiest.

Paramount, Manchester
Sticky Spoons Tables

Lass of Gowrie, Charles Street, Deeply Vale Brewery Optimum

The GBG ticks are stored in Google Maps as "Want to Go".   Must remember that the guides are not etched in stone - things change.   The Lass of Gowrie has been demoted since my 2019 GBG programming.

I'd love to know why.   Best pint of the night and a beaut of a pub.    Wouldn't swap it for 10 JDWs.

Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Exterior Tiling

Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Interior Tiling
Its Greene King - but I didn't see a single one of their usual wares.   Instead, there were 5 locAle on, each loving described at the hand pump.   I've made a good choice.

Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Optimum
Just in case you couldn't love the place any more - the facilities came with exact instructions.

Lass of Gowrie, Manchester
No Confusion

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