Boats, Beers and Boozers, 3.

We are currently at home so have fitted in one of my little pub blogs.

We were in Burscough prior to heading down to Liverpool and again on the way to and from the Lancaster Canal. It is the old railway hotel that is by the roundabout that now leads to TESCO's and the station. The pub had been built in 1874 as the Royal Hotel and was a coaching inn and stables as the main road was the turnpike that is now the A59. Burscough had a busy Canal wharf and with the mill there would have been traffic along the waterway as well as the road and the rail.

Every time we have been it has been very busy with people eating. The pub also has their own brewery that is situated in the old stable block, beyond the cobbled courtyard at the back of the pub.

The Hop Vine pub at twilight.

The pub is just 5 minutes walk from Burscough Wharf so is easily accessible from the visitor moorings. The pub also has their own beers on the bar plus Timothy Taylors Landlord whilst we were there.

I had a pint of D'Vine IPA from the Hop Vine Brewery. It is 5.2% and £3-00 a pint. The alcohol content masked the smells and tastes of the hops.

I also their Best Bitter, just 3.8% and £2-60. It was an amber coloured beer that had quite a malty taste but wasn't really to my taste.

On other visits to the pub as we were passing I also tried their Flat Rib Stout craft beer. 3.8%, £2-00. I don't really go for craft beer over cask ale and for me it was very thin and 'gassy'.

I also tried their Hoppy Blonde 4.2% and at £2-80 a good drop as I found it the second best of their beers that I tasted

The last beer I tasted was their Summer Ale 4.3% at £3-00. This was by far the best I had as on a very warm day it really hit the spot as pale beer with a nice hoppy tropical fruit taste and then a bit more earthiness in the after taste.

The food was good pub grub plus at a good keen price. There are plenty of staff to serve the food but could maybe use a few more to serve at the bar along rather than filling table orders too. The staff were attentive and chatty and the place was nicely decorated with a three large areas for eating and the outside cobbled courtyard beer garden. They also have singers/musicians playing in the early evenings sometimes. I would recommend it to those wanting to check out a new brewery, have a grreat meal, and all close to the canal.