The Alexandra Hotel, Derby

Official site of The Alexandra Hotel - www.alexandrahotelderby.co.uk

Official site of The Alexandra Hotel - www.alexandrahotelderby.co.uk

This and the Brunswick were the only two pubs in Derby I had visited before apart from a Marston's pub near Friar Gate where I used to occasionally come to work many years ago. On my visit one of the bars was closed for a private function so it probably appeared a lot busier than it actually was. The bank of eight pumps had four Castle Rock beers priced at £2.70 to £2.90 and four guests, one of which I was surprised to see was Five Points Railway Porter which like me had come all the way from East London. The other three were Notebook Arctic Tern, Green Jack Orange Wheat and Burton Bridge Hooray Henley. I went for the Hooray Henley (£3.20) and immediately wished I had chosen something else as it was quite undistinguished especially compared to so many beers tried earlier in the day. I feel obliged to give it a 9 based on earlier visits but with one bar closed it would only have been 8. If you've got a train to catch missing out on here and the Brunswick is not a sensible option.

Update – November 2013 Went in the other bar this time – this has brewery memorabilia and posters from the likes of Marstons, Hook Norton, Adnams etc. An old price list advertises Burton brewed bitter at 7d per pint. An interesting addition from last time is the cab from a diesel locomotive which was saved from the scrap yard by pub staff and which now sits proudly on display in one corner of the pub car park A good range of beers were on – Castle Rock beers ( obviously ) plus other local micros, such as Shipstones. Interestingly, and not something I’ve come across before, is that the pub advertises that it accepts Wetherspoons vouchers ( is this a Tynemill policy, or an individual pub initiative, I wonder ?). The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular. This is a fine old school pub and well worth visiting ORIGINAL REVIEW - APRIL 2009 Friendly, traditional 2 bar pub close to the station - you can see the pub from when you're sitting on the train. It's a Tynemill pub, although it's much less noticeably badged as such than the New Barrack Tavern in Sheffield where I went recently. As well as the Castle Rock beers, there were also beers on from Millstone and Oldershaw and Titanic on my recent visit. I made the mistake of trying a half of Saltaire's Raspberry Blonde, a drink that might best be described as a "beer for drinkers who don't like beer" if you see where I'm coming from. Thankfully the Castle Rock beers were much more to my taste. The pub is decorated in traditional style and the railway photographs will please the trainspotters amongst us ( not that I come in that category, I hasten to add ) . You should try and do this one if at all possible - particularly if you're travelling by train, given the close proximity of the station

All my years of working and drinking in Derby and this was the first time that I managed to visit the Alexandra. Typical Castle Rock pub with the usual Rock beers and a few that were new to me, it was nice to get some stamps on my 1 over the 8 card ready for my free christms :O). As a rail enthusiast in my childhood, it was good to see some of the relics bolted to the walls of the bar. Lots of old deisel stuff, including name plates, numbers and old station signs. will certainly call again when in derby if the place is open, which has always been it's failing in the past, or maybe just my bad timing.

The Alex is a Castle Rock pub that is a friendly pub with a good choice of beers. Close to the Railway Station and the other great Derby pub the Brunswick. 2 rooms and a warm welcome. They give CAMRA discount and have cobs for sale on the bar. Enjoyed a couple of their guest beers from Hop Back and Amber breweries.