Forget the Coca-Cola advert on the telly, in the Bristol area what truly heralds the arrival of Christmas is Festivity from Bath Ales appearing on tap. Festivity is an old-style seasonal porter, a wonderful winter tipple “with hints of rum mingling with coffee and vanilla flavours”.
There’s no better place to enjoy Festivity than in one of the Warmley brewer’s own pubs. And so it was that I made a trip to Graze on the corner of Queen Square last weekend between screenings at the Encounters Film Festival.
Graze Bar & Chophouse, to give it its full name, is the newest addition to the Bath Ales family, opening in 2009 in a building that was originally a Post Office and briefly housed the Queen Square Dining Room.
Turn left as you enter Graze and it’s the pub section, the most sought-after space a large alcove by the bar. Turn right and it’s the dining section, purple banquettes overlooked by the kitchen and a large white bull’s head.
Steaks are a speciality here, some of the best in Bristol. When I visited, it was also the end of a week which saw a different pie on offer each day, pies that Desperate Dan would be proud of.
On tap, Gem is on offer alongside Festivity. Bounders the Bath Ales cider, if that’s not an oxymoron, is the fermented apple juice of choice, while lagers are Budvar or Amstel.
The choice of bottles is numerous, as is the wine selection. But it’s Christmas; the arrival of Festivity confirms that. So there should be only one drink of choice to get you in the festive spirit.
Graze Bar & Chophouse, 63 Queen Square, Bristol. 0117 927 6706.
