Hop Co, Warrington

I strayed over to the trendy quarter of Warrington on Tuesday evening last week to find Hop Co as the only bar that was open. In the fairy light draped front window is a large circular split booth around a couple of high tables. The bar runs along the left wall facing high seating along the right. At the rear are some snug areas that I didn’t investigate. The toilets are upstairs, as is a seating area with two booths along the side walls and a large television between the front windows that overlook the street below. I counted 12 keg fonts on the bar that were drawing a mix of premium and craft beers alongside Guinness and Strongbow Dark Fruits. I went for a pint of Beavertown Neck Oil for £4.80. There was some music playing and live music is held here at weekends. I found the service to be friendly and I felt very welcome so I would have no problem retuning.

Facebook page of Hop Co - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Hop Co - www.facebook.com

This bar is under new ownership so has no connection with the 9 Gallon Pub. This is a quirky sort of place, which on our Saturday afternoon visit seemed to be frequented by the middle aged drinker. The loud music playing was from the 80's, so maybe that brought them in. The trendy bar staff were friendly and engaging, which was a good plus. We went for Beavertown Neck Oil £2.60 a half.

This is an unusual premises operated by the team behind the nearby 9 Gallon pub, seemingly as a bit of a craft beer off-shoot. It’s set in a small building with a compact ground floor bar that has been sub-divided into a few distinct areas. On entering, you find yourself stood at the bar, which runs along the left-hand wall, in a stone-floored area served by high stools along the bar counter or various drinking ledges. The bar has a nice dark wood counter and rustic looking bar back surrounded by some large promotional displays and screens showing similar promo material. In the cramped space between the bar and the front window, there’s a caged-off space offering banquette seating, but getting in and out of here looked a right hassle, so people seemed to be stood around the bar rather than taking up the option of a seat. Two more similar spaces can be found to the rear, with somewhat easier access, one of which is essentially a snug with tiled and mirrored walls whilst the other has a couple of hard bench booths fronting a window through to the kitchen. Loud music was playing throughout my stay and there was a slow, steady trickle of customers, without it ever feeling particularly busy. There’s no cask ale here unfortunately – just nine keg beers, many of which might be considered mainstream. Interesting craft kegs were limited to beers from Tiny Rebel, Pressure Drop and Siren, but there were also three ciders from small batch producers to round out the options. The disappointing ale range was compensated somewhat by the super-friendly service from the two cheery barmaids on duty. I found this a bit of an odd example of a craft beer bar and left feeling confused as to what exactly they were trying to achieve. Some good keg options mean this place is still worth a look and I found the overall vibe here very welcoming and relaxed, despite the pounding music. An interesting place but if you’re tight for time, I’d suggest their sister bar, 9 Gallon, over this one.

No cask at the Hop Co but 8 keg taps on offer. I had a Pearl Jet Stout which is apparently by Marstons, which was OK, and £2.20 for a half. Followed by a half of Northern Star by Northern Monk, at a more expensive £2.95. It was rather pleasant though. Finally was tempted by the Framboise by Kirkstall, a lovely raspberry beer. Something to watch out for is that some of the prices are per pint and some are for 2/3 of a pint, so pay attention to the chalk boards. Overall it's an interesting place, letters and other objects are stuck to the ceiling, nice tiling on the staircase, and generally a nice vibe about the place. Not normally open on a Tuesday but they have started to do so as an experiment; however no food will be available on Tuesdays initially. Of course this may well change if Tuesday opening becomes permanent. It certainly wasn't dead at the time of my Tuesday late afternoon / early evening visit so it looks like the custom is there. Couldn't decide between rating a 7 or an 8, but am feeling generous as I enjoyed my visit yesterday, and plenty of beers to choose from even without the presence of cask ales.