Jolly Brewer, Brighton

This pub used to be called the Jolly Brewer and a big mural on the wall still retains this name. The signage on the outside now suggests that the moniker Tamplins Ale House is now used. Tamplins Brewery used to run many pubs in Brighton until being absorbed into Watney Mann in 1969, so the Jolly Brewer was in fact a Tamplins Ale House back then. There is also a chalk board inside the pub welcoming people to the Jolly’s cheap house doubles. Maybe this pub is still called the Jolly Brewer and I’ve misread the frontage, who knows? The interior is split into two bars with an L shaped bar to the right that houses a dartboard and pool table along with a plasma screen that was switched off on Tuesday evening. To the left there is a lounge bar with a fireplace that was full of fairy lights and surrounded by dried plants in hanging basket pots that were lined up on the floor. Standard draught products are available from the bar and two of the three hand pumps were unused leaving Grafton’s Moon Frost as the sole ale choice. I didn’t spot any advertisements for Sky Sports and Heart FM was playing in the background. The landlady was very friendly and the locals all seemed nice enough, but I didn’t see anything here that would have me rushing back.