Relaxed vibe at the Magpie Tap

A couple of minutes’ walk from the Notts County football ground, on Ashling Court, is the Magpie Brewery Taproom.

This open and spacious taproom sits at the front of the brewery and you are surrounded by beer casks and beer ageing barrels. A comfy sofa, benches and repurposed casks to make bar stools creates a very welcoming and trendy feel to the bar.

The Magpie Tap has six keg lines, and even though it’s a Magpie Brewery Taproom, the core range Magpie beers will not be pouring. Instead, they have opted to serve the smaller batch brews from themselves and other Nottingham micro-breweries.

I had a re-brew of Magpie Brewer Craig Sallibank’s 2021 winning Nottingham homebrew competition beer, Sarky Twit, a 4.3% peppercorn and juniper wheat beer. Rebrewed by Nottingham’s Totally Brewed brewery, this wheat beer is light and floral with the juniper berries coming late in the aftertaste. A pleasant spice, coriander seed and light carbonation makes a very refreshing summer beer.

Magpie tap has two cask lines with rotating pales and bitters served, local bottled cider and a craft beer fridge. If you do want a classic Magpie ale, bottles are available along with mini kegs.

Magpie Brewery, are leaders when it comes to sustainable and energy-conscious beer making.

The energy used is 100% green, produced by sun, wind and rain.

Nothing is wasted, with the spent hops going to local allotments and the spent grain to farms – even the water is reused. They always take the time to work out the best delivery routes to be the most efficient and to save on their carbon footprint.

Magpie Brewery has made donations to the Wildlife Trust over the years, which has resulted in the planting of thousands of trees around Nottinghamshire. They have also been part of a brewing project with The University of Nottingham, called Bread Brew’d, using surplus bread to make beer. This project has (so far) used 17,476 slices of bread that would have gone to waste.

A brewery with eyes on the bigger picture, not only environmentally but also for the growth of the brewery and taproom. With brewers Craig Sallibank and James Peters, the founding member of Mardy Bum Brewery, at the helm, they have big plans for this taproom. Longer opening hours, an outdoor space and Magpie Lager are just some of the plans in place.

Children and dogs and fans from both sides of the river are more than welcome here, and you can even bring your own food or have it delivered, making this taproom one of the most relaxed and friendly venues around Nottingham.