If you’ve even contemplated buying a pint, can or bottle of artisanal craft beer chances are the word ‘Beermoth’ carries serious clout. First opening its doors in 2012, the Northern Quarter bottle shop very quickly reached boss level among fans of specialist brews. Three years later Café Beermoth was born, on upmarket Brown Street, raising the operation several notches by providing what the team describes as “a comfortable space for people to get together and enjoy really high-quality beer, primarily, but also coffee, cheese, wine, and other tasty things.”
Talk about understatements, what this establishment offers goes way beyond mere comfort. The address is impressive, with huge windows looking out onto a part of town that has always exuded atmosphere, and hops hanging from the ceiling against industrial-style fittings, both clearly nodding to the beer industry itself. An extensive — and we mean extensive — selection of beverages is always on offer, including a vast array on draught to get the ball rolling. As you would hope, Café Beermoth is biased towards local producers, with a changing selection of beers from Manchester and nearby regions dominating the taps.
Just one is permanently available as a pint — The Runaway Brewery’s Stone’s Throw — made exclusively for this establishment. Beyond Britain, you’ll also find a host of European and global specialists being showcased, not least in the bottled range. There, the focus falls on wild and mixed fermentation styles, some of which you rarely see in the UK. For those that really want to dive in, guided tastings are available, while takeovers and collaborations are regularly on the calendar, too. Artisanal cheese plates, designed to match specific beer types, are another big win, with the team on hand to advise on ideal matches. Finally, all stock can be ordered online with delivery, if you can’t make it into the city.