The Hoptimist, Bebington, Wirral

The Hoptimist was the last of the Good Beer Guide pubs in Merseyside left for me to visit. So, I paid an overdue visit on Saturday. It is a single room micropub on an arcade of shops overlooking a roundabout. The interior can hold a fair few people on several wooden tables with the bar to the rear left. There are some exposed brick walls and decent music was playing during my visit. Dogs are also allowed in. The landlord is a knowledgeable chap and is happy to talk about the various beers he is stocking. There are a couple of handpulls, sporting Beartown Bearly Spring & Black Lodge Up In Flames on my visit. Craft beers were Lervig House Party, Beak Dunes, Azvex Krushed By The Truth, Verdant There Is Only Now, Neon Raptor Zozobra & Pentrich Greetings Night Owl. The cider is Appleshed. I chose the Up In Flames, which probably wasn't my sort of beer but it was in excellent condition. It's a bit out of the way but I'd say it is well worth seeking out.

New micropub due to open in January.