DONCASTER Brewery Tap
Cask Corner Dive Bar
7 Young Street, DN1 3EL
3 Cleveland Street, DN1 3EH
Micro Brewery Pub open Wednesday, 5pm-10pm, Friday, 3pm9pm and Sat, 12pm-9pm
Open Mic every Wednesday (every 1st Wedneday Comedy night), quiz every Thursday, live music every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
Pubs have always been at the heart of community life up north. I grew up sitting in beer gardens, overhearing my dad talk politics and gossip whilst eating ready salted crisps. Our neighbour brewed his own beer in his cellar called the Underground Arms. For those of the booze hound, 50p shot generation, beer and real ale may seem like a thing of flat caps and whippets. But despite pubs closing down in every corner of Doncaster, real ale is bouncing back as micro brewery pubs reinvent old traditions with artisan brews. Take the Brewery Tap. A tourist destination for anyone visiting Doncaster, it’s a place to kick back and enjoy a delicious pint of Elderflower Ale. After speaking with Alison and Ian Blaylock, the founders, the Tap is a place to celebrate local legacies too. The couple aims to big up Doncaster’s overlooked and underappreciated heritage. Their hand-crafted produce feature names such as Sand House Blonde, Sir Nigel and The Mucky Bucket, a dark pale ale dedicated to Doncaster’s coal mining days. The pump labels are even designed in the shape of the Danum Shield. For those of you who don’t know, the Roman Army, one of the biggest ever assembled, had a small number of shield designs that were replicated across the empire. That’s right - the Danum Shield was designed in good old Donny. Roman history geeks dig this shield in a massive way. You can even go to see it if you pop into Doncaster Museum. When you’re on your way, don’t forget to stop off at the Tap en route. It’s a place every Doncasterian should visit. They’re also hosting a plethora of events across St Ledger, and I’m sure when the Romans come to town as part of the festival they will be dropping by for swift pint too.
It’s Saturday night in Doncaster. The mercury has been nudging 25°C all week. The races have just finished and Silver Street is a heaving mass of inhumanity. Luckily there’s a few places around town where you can take refuge from the mainstream and one of the best is Cask Corner on Cleveland Street. It may only be a few yards from Silver Street but it is really like another world. Good beer and like-minded people are my normal requirements for a good night out. Throw in a good live band and I’m a happy bunny. Live music is one of the mainstays of Cask Corner and on the night we were in Daniel Jeanrenaud and the Camden Cats were belting out some great rockabilly tunes. Of course the other main reason to visit Cask Corner is beer and as usual there was a good choice – I had a Savannah from Elland Brewery and a Thwaites’ Wainwright, both excellent (for anybody who doesn’t like beer, other forms of booze are available). Cask Corner is definitely not your run of the mill pub. The décor is a bit on the quirky side (coffins and a giant dartboard?) but it all adds to the charm of the place. If you haven’t tried it yet, I recommend you give it a go. Steve Bates
Rachel Horne
Photography ©Warren Draper, 2014
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