The votes have been counted; take your seats for ShortList’s Pints & Pistachios Awards 2014
You can’t move for quality craft beer-based pubs these days. But how do you sort the chaff from the, um, malt? Back in May, we asked you to vote for your favourite new pub from our shortlist of 30 – all having featured in our weekly Pints & Pistachios column – and you responded in your thousands. Here, then, is the winner (announced in a glitzy ceremony held last week, see right for full details) alongside the full top 10 from across the UK. Prepare to learn a little more about some forward-thinking drinking dens, and then get ready to make some pilgrimages…
CHECK OUT OUR ROUND UP OF THE COOLEST LATE NIGHT DRINKING SPOTS IN THE UK
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10. Old Gate, Hebden Bridge
1 Old Gate, HX7
On the bar: Yorkshire folk love beer, and the Old Gate has some of the best, such as Saltaire, Marble, SWB, Roosters, Ilkley and Magic Rock.
Menu highlight: The house speciality: chateaubriand for two.
Little-known fact: The pub hosts regular tap takeovers by its favourite breweries.
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9. The Running Horse, London
50 Davies St, W1
On the bar: The focus is on British beer, with brews from Camden Town, Wild Beer Co and Rebellion.
Menu highlight: The Old Spot Gloucestershire Scotch egg.
Little-known fact: The oldest pub in Mayfair has a jockey-themed cocktail bar upstairs called The Whip.
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8. Inn Deep, Glasgow
445 Great Western Rd, G12
On the bar: Where to start? Twelve taps, six of them rotating the likes of William Bros, Cromarty, Brooklyn and Moor.
Menu highlight: The 10-hour slow-cooked brisket heaped into a brioche roll. Best eaten while overlooking the Commonwealth city’s River Kelvin.
Little-known fact: William Bros’ beer features heavily in the cooking, and is used to create many of the menu’s dishes.
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7. Hops & Glory, London
382 Essex Rd, N1
On the bar: Beavertown cans, Kernel and it’s now brewing its own beers…
Menu highlight: The brand new menu, launched only last week, features the likes of a Hackney smoked salmon bagel with labneh and lemon.
Little-known fact: The pub’s annual IPA Festival, over August bank holiday, is unmissable for hop-lovers.
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6. The Plough Bar & Kitchen, London
23 Homerton High St, E9
On the bar: Showcasing some of London’s best, including Pressure Drop, Hackney and Five Points.
Menu highlight: The Plough-fried chicken bun, with American cheese, barbecue sauce and ‘slaw’.
Little-known fact: Spot the tiled ploughman – a nod to Homerton’s days surrounded by watercress fields.
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5. Urban Standard, Bristol
35 Gloucester Rd, BS7
On the bar: A focus on Bristol brews, including Arbor and Wiper And True.
Menu highlight: Mac and cheese. Pulled pork. A fried egg. All in a floured bap. Mind-blowing.
Little-known fact: The Standard is based in a derelict amusement arcade. Unfortunately, they didn’t keep the 2p shove penny machine.
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4. Pure Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham
30 Waterloo St, B2
On the bar: A selection from part-owners Purity, plus US ales from Oskar Blues and Smuttynose.
Menu highlight: In collaboration with Simpsons restaurant, many dishes are cooked with beer: the Dunkel barbecue-glazed chicken stands out.
Little-known fact: 14 keg and 10 cask make it one of the biggest bars in the UK.
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3. Brighton Beer Dispensary, Brighton
38 Dean St, B1
On the bar: This collaboration between Late Knights and Brighton Bier features beers from both of the above, plus breweries such as Bedlam and SWB.
Menu highlight: Forget pork scratchings: there’s candied bacon, £1 a strip.
Little-known fact: ‘Live-brewing’ nights mean you can brew beer, then drink it the same evening.
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2. The Church, Birmingham
22 Great Hampton St, B18
On the bar: A wide range from Leicester’s Everards brewery and US’s Sly Fox.
Menu highlight: With The Soul Food Project on kitchen duties, it’s hard to choose, but the ribs or jambalaya are unmissable.
Little-known fact: The Soul Food project takes its influence from New Orleans and is responsible for Birmingham’s only Crayfish Boil – the next one is on 26 August.
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1. Urban Tap House, Cardiff
25 Westgate St, CF10
On the bar: The winner of our annual pub off? Not technically a pub. This is the tap house for Newport’s Tiny Rebel – the award-winning brewery that launched in 2012 – so expect a wide range of its beers (which reference Street Fighter and Star Wars, among other pop-culture classics), plus more than 100 others on tap and in bottle, from the likes of Bristol Beer Factory and Out There. Also, look out for the Hop Rocket on the bar, where you can infuse beer with extra hops, toasted oak and cinnamon or chilli and chocolate.
Menu highlight: Burgers, and lots of them. Plus, the Tap House unveils a new one every Thursday. Also, try the hop popcorn, fried in hop oil.
Little-known fact: Tiny Rebel’s Fubar is currently the Champion Beer Of Wales – and £2.80 a pint.
(Winner image: Antony Jones)
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