Bernie's, Burton On Trent Town, Burton on Trent

This is a beer emporium. Three cask options which on our visit were: Heritage Brewing Heritage Platinum Ale, Mallinsons Columbus and Castle Rock Oatmeal Stout. Not a bad start. There are also 20 mainly keg and one or two cider pumps with the whole range listed on boards above the bar. It's almost overwhelming in it's variety but the governor is very happy to help with the first simple question - what do you like? It's a long list of keg options which includes brewers such as Polly's, Ridgeside, Brew York, Emperor, Verdant, Deya and Wiper and True and spans all styles and strengths. There's some very creative products on here. Those we tried slipped down well and if you can't find anything to drink here then beer may not be your drink.

A decent sized shop conversion,I've been in smaller pubs.To the front there are a series of high tables to the left,a few fridges to the right,then quite a long bar before reaching a back seating area with dispays of breweriana.There was a very friendly welcome from the knowlegeable guv'nor and there are now three handpumps offering on my trip Heritage Brewing HPA,Castle Rock Oatmeal Stout and Mallinson's Columbus (NBSS 4). The real star of the show is from to 20 keg taps,with a huge array of styles and strength in beer as well as Continental lagers and sparkling ciders.Chatting to some Untapped contributors ,this place is a shrine for keg afficianadoes and they pointed out a rare Emporer collaberation imperial stout 11% ,much sought after and £7 the third. There is no pint discount so £21.However other keg pricing was more reasonable. If you want to expand your horizons and try some very interesting keg options from leading purveyors ,then this pub is a must visit when in Burton.I will most certainly be back.

A bottle shop (with an oddly limited bottled range though there’s loads of old Bass) with an on-licence and a small amount of seating, dominated by a long main table which at least cultivates convivial drinking, all housed in a spartan rectangular high-ceilinged room which smells of new and is a bit cold. No ale here but 10 craft taps are available, all UK bar one from the US (Left Hand Brewing 25th Anniversary) alongside a variety of chilled bottles and cans. Classic FM was the choice of background music, unusual but highbrow. Friendly owner. Quite idiosyncratic here which I liked, though it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

This is a bottle shop with a keg-only bar counter on the right hand wall. The owner was welcoming and friendly but the beers all seemed very samey to me: pale and hoppy (and, naturally, cold and gassy too) with the only dark beer a chocolate stout with coconut and raspberry. Most of them quite strong too, with prices to match. (See photo of beer blackboard.) I was on the point of walking out without bothering with a drink, but decided to overcome my prejudices to the extent of a third of the 4.5% pale from Verdant with the name There Will Be No Intervals. It was very cold and didn't do anything for me, apart from making me £2 poorer. I was told that the long term plan is to have cask beers too, but this depends on developing enough trade to be confident of selling them before they go off.