Briarbank, Ipswich

Brewery tap located at first-floor level directly above the brewing vessels. Although housed in what appears to have been some sort of industrial building, there are a couple of indications that this was once a Lloyds bank, and there are plenty of windows along the frontage of the rectangular bar so probably offices originally? Anyway, it looks quite sparkling with the Christmas decorations up and is quite a pleasant spot inside. There are five handpumps and six keg taps at each end of the bar-back, with six of the former and all of the latter in use when I visited (with four in total being devoted to ciders). Went for the Briar Cobnut (£5.00) in the end, and this proved to be a good choice.

The last time I tried to visit the Briarbank during Covid and when outdoor drinking restrictions were still in place, it was still closed. There is not much of an outdoor area available for them to use. I had to make do with Isaac's around the corner, who were selling the Briarbank beers. With such restrictions thankfully well behind us, you now enter the Briarbank and passing the brewery on the ground floor, you head up a flight of stairs to the brewery's first floor taproom. Considering the posted opening time on a Saturday is midday, it was already very busy shortly after on our visit. There is a long, thin room with the bar on your right-hand side as you enter. TVs were showing a Premier League football game. So, it was popular with football fans heading to a game at Portman Road. Both cask and keg beers are served from taps behind the bar. On cask, all beers were from Briarbank. Perpendicular is their regular ale. In addition, there was Briar Bitter, Briar Cobnut & Spiced Pumpkin Ale. Ciders were Mango Cider & Rhubarb Cider from Lilley's. I believe there was a third on keg. Draft beers were Hop To It DDH IPA, Briarbank Black Horse Stout, Mango NEPA, Grapefruit IPA, Suffolk Haze, Mocha Porter & Thomas Wolsey 550 & Tindall Summer Loving. The two beers I tried (Briar Cobnut & Spiced Pumpkin Ale) were both enjoyable. So, I quite liked this place and wouldn't have minded staying longer had we not had a couple of pubs to visit much further away before also heading to the football match. It's 2025 Good Beer Guide listed.

Odd place, a brewpub in a nasty-looking building in what feels like an old builders yard. Hard to know what to do on the approach as there’s an outside bar and marquee which confused us but a local clocked and advised us to go up the stairs. This hits the main bar which is really impressive, nicely kitted-out with flagstone flooring, barrel insets at the bar, red wine coloured banquettes and lots of brewery mirrors. Busy with footy fans, a mix of Ipswich and Morecambe rubbing along quite happily. Three cask on the go alongside some keykeg, and the beers were advertised via a large screen above the bar. We tried their Cob Nut (NBSS 3.5) Samuel Harvey VC (sweetcorn-tasting drek,1). Also gave a couple of their kegs a go, the Black Horse Stout was like a Perrier version of the stuff, with the Mocha Porter being a bit better but still over-bubbled. A curate’s egg – I rather liked the pub itself but one out of four beers being above par on the quality stakes is a poor return. At least the keg is fixable by venting the containers...I'd try it again, with reservations. 6.5 Visited early August.