The Whippet Inn, Lichfield

Must be the answer to the question "where are the two closest Good Beer Guide 20189 Entries?" This is a micropub. There is a sign that says "Small House, Big Welcome" and this sums the place up. As you'd expect, the beer was excellent. I went for a Miner's Best Bitter. Never seen before but super condition. Micropubs aren't really my cup of tea though. All a bit brightly lit for me and a bit like drinking in a shop. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2xqqFQj

This micropub which dates from the 1st of April 2014 has the added bonus for me that it's named after the pub in the smutty old film Carry On At Your Convenience. Based in a former clothes shop it's not very large but isn't so small that it becomes uncomfortable. It's rectangular with a small bar at the back and behind that the "cellar" is behind some glass doors and finally the two conveniences. There is an old Holt Plant & Deakin mirror on one wall. The bar has six hand pumps with two unusual looking ciders and the four beers were Dark Star Hophead, Ludlow Gold, a Crafty Pale and Merry Miner's Coal Face Porter. I'm not sure where the Crafty one was from. I went for the Coal Face Porter (£2.80) which was excellent and could have been cheaper if I had remembered the CAMRA discount. Another good micropub.

Very popular micro pub with excellent beer. A bit tight for space of course but a nice atmosphere

Mr Phat got in there before me. As described by him though the beers were Shiny Enterprise, Shiny Pail Minstrella, Celt Dark Age, XT Fresh Hop plus 2 ciders.

This is a very well thought out conversion of a former dress shop,it has a real pub atmosphere.The interior is triangular and the windows at the front have been etched which gets over the problem of being "on view" that bedevils some micropub shop conversions.The furniture consists of pews along each wall with brittania tables and stools which maximises seating while creating the opportunity to chat to other drinkers .The bar at the rear of the room is large enough to allow vertical drinkers to chat with the friendly owner,and the lighting is carefully chosen to avoid harsh overlighting common in many small bar spaces.A lot of thought has gone into the design features.Six handpumps offer two real ciders and four ales which constantly rotate.Although the fixed pint pricing of £2.80 is admirable,it may be the reason for the range of low ABV brews available on my trip and although my Roosters Honey and Simcoe was in good nick,it wasn't one of the best brews from this normally reliable brewer.The other ale choices,despite offering a range of styles,was underwhelming for a pub that has won several local CAMRA awards in it's short life. Worth a visit if on a crawl with a very friendly welcome but IMHO not head and shoulders above the other 2016 GBG listed pubs in this attractive and upmarket city.