The Southport Drinker
The best pubs in Southport and district plus news and views from beer land

Formby pint

Although set up for diners, the Cross House in Formby has good atmosphere and good, cheapish beer. Lancaster Blonde was my choice yesterday and went down all too well. Lots of interesting guest beers coming up.

There was a time when Alan Stubbs’ bar Woodwards was the place, but it seems to be fraying round the edges. Ashasi was the only interesting beer on offer and is was packed with mrnbof the divorced and 45 category.

Quite why an ‘upmarket’ wine bar offers Carling and Carling EC as main beers is beyond me. Get some Germans in there.

Meanwhile, The Chapel Bar over the road has closed and The Grapes is finally offering Cask.

4 Responses to “Formby pint”

  1. I had a few good pints in the Cross House a month or two ago. I haven’t been in the Grapes for years. It seems Formby is beginning to shed its “ale desert” tag.

  2. There’s been a good choice of decent beer in Formby for a while and it’s steadily getting better – Freshfield Hotel, Railway, Grapes and the Pinewoods all have decent beer on all the time. I hear the Royal on Liverpool Rd has real ale on too, although I haven’t tried it yet. Also the Toby Carvery, formerly the Bay Horse, has reputedly started selling real ale, but i can’t bring myself to go in there after what those bastards did to the Bay!

  3. Don’t set foot in the Bay – it’s cursed!

  4. Pinewood is serving Pedigree,Black Sheep & Thwaites original as well as John Smith’s.Was serving Old Peculier not so long so was my favorite ale house – until they ran out.Food’s not bad either
    Freshie your always spoilt for choice but can’t believe the original posers paradise the Grapes has moved into real ale,will have to give it a go some time. Can’t imagine Stevie G & his hangers on will be in supping a pint unless it’s piss water (stella)
    Ditto the remarks about about the Bay,don’t even bother.
    Cross House has a decent pint of Old Specked Hen & the guest one’s are not too bad.Was in the Royal to watch a match a few weeks ago & they had on Bombadier & 2 others which I can’t remember
    Railway I think has Cains & Black Sheep & poss A.N. Other
    So yes for the decerning drinker Formby is certainly on the up


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