Monday 7 August 2017

Good beer near Bramall Lane (Sheffield United FC)

Beer and food pairings are all the rage aren't they but how's about beer paired with .... football. Marvellous.

With the new season finally upon us, the time has never been better to experience this dynamic duo; beer and football, in the Steel City. Whether celebrating victory or drowning sorrows, visitors to Bramall Lane nowadays have some great beery options close at hand. No guarantee on points but pints aplenty!

Arriving at the railway station, many visitors will be drawn to the beautiful Sheffield Tap. The restoration here is fantastic and the beer on offer is very varied including several of the inhouse Tapped ales; you might even see a brew in process. Also a short stroll away is the underrated Queens Head, Sheffield 's oldest pub, arguably, (plus football on TVs) and also the Rutland Arms. On the route to the ground, the Brown Street boozer has a beautiful Gilmour exterior and inside you'll find an array of ales that puts this place near the top of the table, particularly with its new management team (think Clough and Taylor) now in place plus pub grub from the Champions League of noms. .
ye Oldest?
The Rutty (call here!)
Also on the way to Bramall Lane, Shoreham Street hosts one of Sheffield's newest and most impressive ale outlets in the Sentinel Brewhouse.  The food here is top notch and the usual offer of a chip butty and a pint might be just the ticket before the match. There`s even a couple of Blades-themed brews in Kop and Champions. A welcome addition to the local ale scene, Sentinel deserve your support this season. 

Pubs nearest to the ground are, for the best part, no longer the no-go areas for away fans that they once were and several offer a decent choice for the discerning drinker, space allowing. The Railway Hotel on Bramall Lane and the Cremorne and the Albion (both on London road) offering a selection on keg, cask and in bottle with the latter (reopened this Summer) often sporting 10 cask and 14 keg lines! Restrictions may apply regarding away fans on match day but `low profiles` can yield beery dividends!

However, our top recommendation for the discerning footy fan visiting the city would be The Beer Engine. Found on Cemetery Road, a five minute schlep from the away end, this place is a real table topper in the ale stakes, cask and keg, plus the food is a league above most of its rivals. This is the current twobeergeeks Pub of the Year and you'll always get a reasonably priced offering from local heroes Neepsend but they might well be rubbing shoulders with Premier League stars like Siren, Kernel and Northern Alchemy or even some Scandanavian stars.... The place is unconvential in design terms and service is spot on. Worldy.
2BG PotY 2016!
All the places that we mention, are likely to be very busy during the 90 minutes before and after the, errr,  90 minutes of football so they quite possibly offer an opportunity for an early kick-off or stopping over for a little extra-time. You know it makes sense.

If you need any advice about other drinking options, we can give you likely candidates for quality ale and ambience in Kelham Island or the City Centre or the other great (and walkable) option is Heeley. Just let us know. And feedback appreciated. Enjoy the season!
cheers, hic!