Hogarths, Newcastle Under Lyme Central, Newcastle under Lyme

A very neat and ornate looking pub on the inside, although I doubt that much, if any of it, is original. This was our second stop on the PuG crawl and the meeting up venue for several of the crew that didn't make it to the JDW. A massive selection of gins (it took Tammy a good 10 minutes to choose one) and a decent selection of ales. I also went for Up On The Pedestal which was a well kept and pleasant tasting drink. We'd actually called in here the night before when they didn't have any cask ale on at all, so maybe we just got lucky on the second visit.

Official site of Hogarths - hogarthsginpalace.co.uk

Official site of Hogarths - hogarthsginpalace.co.uk

Self-described as a 'gin palace', and it does have a few vaguely opulent Victorian-style features (certainly more so than the Tamworth outlet). Comprises a long rectangular bar with a variable ceiling height, and a small mezzanine seating area at the front end. Four handpumps on the counter, dispensing the 'house' Upon the Pedestal (very keenly priced at £1.95) and Ruin at the Gaming Table plus Hobgoblin and Old Rosie cider. Overall, better than expected.

Interesting one. The words 'Gin Palace' would have been enough to remove the smile from my face, but fortunately I had just come from the Spoons and so I didn't have one anyway. A tidy, modern exterior hides most of the heritage and the inside is effectively a long room with a balcony. The interior is a juxtaposition of wood panel and coloured glass (in Victorian style) with a plethora of TV screens and quiet music. The service was very friendly and the clientele mixed. Three ales: Hobgoblin and two from their own brewery which were both fine (named below). A better experience than I thought and I would go back, although I am left with the thought that if we hadn't destroyed so many of our historic pubs then we wouldn't need such recreations.