The Beer Trap, Belper

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Pub SignMan left this review about The Beer Trap

After a pint in the nearby, packed-out Angels Micropub, I was pleased to drop into this small bottle shop which only had a couple of other customers and was therefore easy to find a seat and get comfy. The enterprise occupies two adjacent shop units, with seating in one half and the bar in a raised second section to the left. Seating is actually fairly limited – one long table with benches, a high table with stools and one smaller table with low stools has to make do, but this place is mainly set-up for off-sales, and I suspect it rarely gets all that busy. More seating could’ve been squeezed in, were it not for the presence of several large shelving units full of bottles and cans at the usual disproportionately high prices. Large shop windows along the front wall ensure the place gets plenty of light and the room has been decorated in a crisp, bright colour scheme, complimented by potted plants on each table and some nicely presented bits of breweriana including some fun framed Simpsons-themed bar mats. The bar is to the far left and has a very rough, timber fronted, low counter with the two keg taps mounted on the wall behind. A fabulous 90’s alternative rock soundtrack kept me here longer than I might otherwise have anticipated, as the place really lacks in atmosphere, and has much more of a shop feel than that of a bar.
The two draught keg offerings on this visit were Vault City Rhubarb and Custard Sour and Track Brew Fractions No 6. The barman gave me a friendly enough welcome and served up a decent drop of the Fractions, which went down well enough and certainly seemed like a better choice that the wacky alternative option. Obviously, the vast bottle and can range can be enjoyed onsite as well.
This is quite a decent bottle shop that should meet all the needs of Belper’s craft beer drinking community, although it must be comfortably the most expensive bar in town as a result. I’m never a huge fan of these places, which never offer the best drinking environment, but this seemed like a worthy enterprise overall and whilst not worth bumping a traditional pub off your crawl, at least offers something different to mix up the day.

On 18^th July 2023 - rating: 5
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