Coventry Part 2 - Bass, Batches and (Sky) Blues

A second post from sunny Coventry on the Beer & Pubs Forum big day out. 
We'd done the historic inns with wooden beams.  We'd drank Bass and been non-members in the members club.
Next up was a micro, followed by a walk out to a trio of pubs in Chapelfields.

There were also rumours that a rogue visit to the Sky Blue Tavern was on the cards.
Something that seemed a good idea, with it being eleven days until Coventry City would return to Premier League football - easing in with a gentle start away at Arsenal.

So here's how the rest of the rest of the day panned out...

Hops D'Amour (67 Corporation Street, Coventry, CV1 1GX)
This city centre micro opened in an old Singer's Sewing Machine store in 2021 and didn't take long to start picking up awards.  It's a single rectangular room; lots of light wood; lots of pictures filling the walls; sensible seating where your feet touch the floor.
A signed picture of London blues-rockers Dogs D'Amour confirmed my suspicions as to where the pub name had come from.

More micros named after late '80s hairy rock bands, please.  Surely there's a Motley Brew somewhere?

Hops D'Amour had lots of tempting options on both cask and keg...but who needs other options when you've got a chocolate brownie stout called 'Caked'.

This 5% sweet dark beer was brewed in Galgate, Lancashire by Lune Brew and proved to be a marvellous pick.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea after the trad surrounds of the Windmill, but I was pleased to revisit this friendly micro where the chap at the next table wasted no time in striking up a conversation with us.

We had the longest walk of the day ahead, back down Spon Street, through the underpass and into the western suburbs.
No-one stopped for Moira's wet fish.

Marching on through the residential streets to reach the hanging baskets and parasols of the Hearsall Inn.

Hearsall Inn (45 Craven Street, Coventry, CV5 8DS)
This is a cracking family-owned backstreet pub, the decorations and Tuesday evening music sessions a homage to the landlord's Irish roots.
You get flags on the ceiling, Guinness mirrors, pictures, toucans...TVs offering horse racing or summer footy transfer news and a good crowd of folk for a Wednesday afternoon.

Cask beers available were Tring 'Doctor ABC', Church End 'Goats Milk', or Bass.
A second Bass of the day for me here - on good form and going down a treat.

We joined Stafford Paul, who'd spent his time whilst we in the Fairfax Club and micro taking a leisurely stroll to the Hearsall, bagging the best table and the pork scratchings.

The soundtrack was Patrick Hernandez and Billy Ocean from the TV in the corner tuned into Now 70s Hits 76-79.

Changing into 101 Best Disco Ever, which would require me to stay until around 10pm to hear number one.  That would mean missing the recent addition to the Black Country Ales empire, and - perhaps more importantly - the train home.
So onward we walked, the Nursery Tavern less than 5-minutes around the corner...

Nursery Tavern (38-39 Lord Street, Coventry, CV5 8DA)
I have been to this mid-terrace Victorian pub previously, but it's changed a lot since I was last here.  Black Country Ales have installed some chequered cushioned bench seating, busy wallpaper, patterned carpets and TV screens listing the beers, which will come as no surprise.

The bar counter has moved creating an open-plan layout, although it's a pokey place with distinct different seating areas.
And an extensive cask choice...

I opted for the Fixed Wheel session IPA 'Through and Off', priced at £4.40 a pint.  In decent condition, light and easy to drink.
Looks like they've got the usual cobs on offer too - Burts crisps 'in' rather than at the side as controversial as whether these are cobs or batches when served in a Black Country Ales pub in Cov.

Mrs PropUptheBar wants to know where the shorts and T-shirt are.
"Didn't he look at the weather forecast?!"

Just one more pub on the original plan - a short hop to a bit of a classic...

Broomfield Tavern (14-16 Broomfield Place, Coventry, CV5 6GY)
The Broomfield is wonderfully ramshackle - a lovely pub which looks like it hasn't changed in years.  It dates back to the mid 1800's when the city was rapidly expanding and the pub would have refreshed the workers from the new factories that boomed in this area.

On cask were four locals from Froth Blowers, Church End and A'J's, plus the Wiltshire interloper.

A Froth Blowers 'Riverside Stout' for me.
And whatever he's having...

The Broomfield offered proper snacks - good value rolls and pickled eggs.

A contender for my favourite pub of the day, although there were a few that we visited worthy of that title.
I've no idea if there was great background music or if we were debating the hot topics of the day in this pub.  I think I was too busy taking pictures of that dog.

We couldn't depart Coventry with just one curveball on our route. I think it was always a given that we were heading into the footy-themed Sky Blue Tavern on the way back to the station.

Sky Blue Tavern (Hertford Place, Coventry, CV1 3JZ)
There was once a Sky Blue Tavern on the corner of Thackall Street and Swan Lane - the football club renaming the former M&B Mercers Arms when they acquired it in 1994.  That's now long demolished and this version, looking out onto the dual carriageway ring-road, is less traditional.
It was opened by the local Dhillon's Brewery in June 2021. 

Somehow, I don't think Stafford Paul is going to be kicking himself that he'd left earlier to catch a train and missed this one.

It's keg only, with the most interesting beers being the Dhillon's 'Sky Blue Army' and 'Ghost Town Lager'.
Ghost Town for me...veering towards Coventry's music heritage rather than the football theme.

In this spacious bar you get table football, big screens, games machines, blokes in hi-vis, and a desi menu.
I'm a bit puzzled by the location - outside the centre in the opposite direction to the ground, but good luck to them.  And good luck to the Sky Blues in the Prem (except for two particular matches against East Midlands opposition).

My hapless thrashing at table football meant I had to hang my head in shame and declare it time to go home.
Great to see everyone - look forward to doing it all again in another location soon.  Probably in pouring rain.