Hand in Hand, Brighton

Hand Brew Co pub in a distinctive orange-painted building with Dutch gables. Traditional enough inside, though, with an upright piano and plenty of breweriana about the place. Three of their own beers - Bird bitter (£4.80), High 5 oat pale and Tamper coffee porter - on the six handpumps, plus 11 interesting craft keg beers in a wide range of styles from 2.9% to 11.5% ABV.

Official site of Hand in Hand - www.handbrewpub.com

Official site of Hand in Hand - www.handbrewpub.com

We'd been unimpressed on our previous visit (November 2014) as there was no atmosphere and not much beer choice, but this appears to have been subsequent to the demise of Kemptown brewery, based at the pub, and the start up of its replacement, Hand Brew Co, so maybe we caught it at a bad time. On my recent visit there were three of their beers on the bar, together with Harveys Sussex Best, Brighton Bier West Pier and a cider. It was well busy at the time of my New Year visit, and my arrival coincided with that of a large Christmas Pudding, which meant it took me a while to get anyone to serve me a beer. The bearer of the pudding informed anyone who would listen that it had been steeped in brandy for 18 months, to the extent that I began to form the opinion that she'd been similarly treated herself. The pudding was eventually doused in more brandy, set on fire and then served with brandy cream. The barmaid commented, "you can taste the brandy". Good grief. I drank up and beat a hasty retreat. I'd quite like to visit this pub when it's neither a morgue nor a bedlam, but I suspect that it doesn't do ordinary. Date of visit: 1st January 2017