BrewDog Carlisle, Carlisle

Typical semi-rustic / semi-industrial look, with the usual mix of rather uncomfortable seating and tables of different heights. However, it did have the best (non-)background music of the various city-centre pubs I visited on a Wednesday evening. Apart from that, some 15 different beers were available (from a theoretical maximum of 25 taps) so there was plenty of choice, and I went for the 'staff selection' MFU Gamma collaboration (£5.00, schooner) which was good rather than great.

Long thin bar with booths and long high tables to the front, then the servery down one side with high tables and chairs to the other side. Very industrial decor with distressed walls and bulkhead lights, a big mural graces the far end wall. The counter is faced with railway sleepers, quite apt for a railway town like Carlisle wittingly or not. Spot on if slow anti plague service, wait to be seated, conducted to table, given drinks menu, order taken, beer brought, pay by card. Sound track included the 8 minute version of American Pie. A dozen Brewdog beers and 11 guests were listed on the beer menu, three beers priced as 2/3 and five as 1/2 pints, I didn’t notice anything draught (or draft as Brewdog have it, nasty un-British English, unless they do actually mean rudimentary or unfinished beers?) priced outside UK weights and measures legislation as my friend Aqualung did.

This is the third Brewdog bar I'd visited and the Perth outlet remains the only one I've liked. This one is a long narrow room with the bar half way down on the left and low seating only to be found at either end of the room. There was a really poor 80s pop soundtrack. The range of Brewdog beers wasn't that great, in fact my local Tesco has a better range of their beers at vastly cheaper prices. Any guest ales of interest were being served in stupid non pint measures so I went for a Punk IPA (£4.80) which was over a quid more expensive but no better than the JDW next door. I couldn't help thinking this place needs to try and attract a more diverse clientele, after all, JDWs are not just aimed at daytime drinking old soaks.