Bier bar

The Newington Temple is now open at this location.

Bier might just be the bar that Liverpool needs – here’s why.

Alcohol is, to paraphrase Homer Simpson, the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems. This may be one of the reasons why Liverpool has seen something of a renaissance of the old-fashioned boozer recently. Over the past few years, local heroes such as The Philharmonic, The Baltic Fleet and (the recently revamped) Fly in the Loaf have all tidied themselves up, with journalists now describing them in the gushing manner they usually reserve for the newest hipster bar. It seems us Scousers have become more discerning in our tastes, preferring to drink our ale in a place where everybody knows your name, the football is always on and you’re sure to get a decent pint, which might even have been brewed by a super cool craft brewery.

Situated in the Ropeworks area of Liverpool (just off Bold Street, on the same street as The Egg Cafe), Bier feels like the modern interpretation of the old school pub – a glorious conglomeration of Victorian gin palace chic and contemporary urban styling. With its white tiled walls (decorated with both a roll call of beers on offer and namechecks for select local bands), wooden benches and a food menu dominated by pie and mash (all from the superb Pieminister), stepping into Bier for a cheeky tipple can often feel like you’ve stepped into the pages of a steampunk novel.

A glorious conglomeration of Victorian gin palace chic and contemporary urban styling

Thankfully, the beers being served behind the bar are anything but Victorian. During the recent World Cup, they put up a wall chart showing all the impressive range of ales they stocked from various competing countries. You name it, they’ll very probably have it – from Belgian trappist ales such as Duvel and Chimay to devilishly drinkable Portuguese Sagres to gloriously golden American craft beers (we’re particularly fond of the Brooklyn Lager served on tap, even if it is an eye-watering £4.50 a pint). If you fancy guzzling something guaranteed to have you rolling out the door, try the “Old Rosie”, a face-meltingly strong scrumpy that will have you seeing pink elephants marching down Bold Street before you can ask whose round it is next.

It’s not all about the alcohol, though. A pub just isn’t a pub without a bit of entertainment, and Bier has gained an excellent reputation for its open mic nights. Held every Wednesday, they’re perfect if you fancy the Next Big Thing serenading you over your post-work pint. Alternatively, it also does a cracking pub quiz. In our opinion, it’s one of the better pubs in the area to watch the football in – full of atmosphere and fun rather than the banter-laden, laddish raucousness found elsewhere – plus you can line your stomach at half time via superb local pizzeria, American Pizza Slice.

At a time where many are talking about the demise of the traditional boozer, it’s good to see pubs like Bier flourishing. If anything, it’s representative of Liverpool itself – full of old school flourishes, cheeky charm and some damn fine booze. Forget your chain pubs and your too-cool-for-school overpriced cocktails bars; Bier is the kind of drinking den this city needs more of.