CAMRA Column
They’re not monkeying about – new bar is a fine addition to real ale scene
IN AINSDALE close to the railway station, you’ll find the Golden Monkey, a new real ale bar which opened in June last year in what used to be a dental laboratory.
It consists of a small bar to the front and a larger room at the rear. There is also an outdoor drinking area with an awning to the front, and another outdoor area to the rear which will be available in warmer weather.
I was there on a Thursday afternoon, and the place was buzzing with conversation, and as customers entered, they were greeted by those already there. It may not have been open for very long, but it has clearly become something of a local for its regular customers. I noticed there were a couple of children there, and also a couple of dogs: both children and dogs were well-behaved.
There are three handpumps and when I visited they were serving two beers from the Parker Brewery of Banks: Saxon Red Ale (4.5%) and Centurion Pale Ale (3.9%); I found both to be in good condition. At weekends there are usually three beers on, and they can be from any one of a range of smaller breweries. They offer a discount on real ale for members of CAMRA.
I noticed there was also a good gin selection, quite a few vodkas, and cocktails on tap. They normally do coffee but there was a problem with the coffee machine when I was there – not that that made any difference to me! They don’t serve food, but they also run the sandwich shop next door; you can take your own food in if you want to. You can book the rear room for functions and they can provide food for your event.
They have Sky Sports, a quiz night, a bingo night and live music; you can find out what’s going on by looking at their Facebook page; they are also on instagram as thegoldenmonkeyainsdale.
The Golden Monkey is at 104 Station Rd, Ainsdale, Southport PR8 3HL, very handy for the trains and for the Arriva 49 bus which stops nearby.
This bar is a welcome addition to the real ale scene in Ainsdale, which is otherwise very thin on the ground.
The national CAMRA website is at: camra.org.uk. The Southport & West Lancs Branch website is at southport. camra.org.uk.