Pigeon goes POTY

The eponymous, but
extinct, Liverpool Pigeon

The Liverpool Pigeon is Merseyside’sfirst micro-pub, and is CAMRA Liverpool and Districts Pub of the Year (POTY) for 2014. It opened last October in a former children’s clothes shop. The Liverpool Pigeon is an extinct bird (pictured), probably from Tahiti; the only remaining specimen is in the Liverpool World Museum. The pub isn't quite a small as you might expect; it is simply but pleasantly decorated with the bar at the far end of the room, which on my visit boasted beers from Liverpool Organic, Saltaire, Big Hand and two from Hawkshead. The beer range changes, although Liverpool Organic often features. I hadn’t heard of Big Hand, a Wrexham brewery, whose beer, Zeta Two, is an American style IPA. I had four of the beers and the quality was good. There were also four real ciders.

The bottled beer range included 9 Belgian beers, 4 German beers and 4 British beers. Wine (2 red, 2 white) and soft drinks are available but strictly no lager, spirits, alcopops, TV, juke box or gaming machines. It was quiet when I called in at around 4.30pm, but as people arrived, a relaxed atmosphere conducive to pleasant chat developed.

It is at 14 Endbutt Lane, just yards from Liverpool Road (the A565), a major bus route where Southport buses such as the 47 and the X2 stop.

Opening hours: Mon closed; Tue-Fri 4-9; Sat 12-9; Sun 12-5.

This is part of a series of articles that I am writing for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.