Brewhemia: a cornucopia of beers!

I’m in Edinburgh for a few days, catching up with family and getting a break from London. Last night, I went for a socially distanced (whatever that means now) meal with my mum and sister, who live up here. My sister suggested Brewhemia and, to be honest, she had me at the name.

A quick online search revealed it to be just my kind of place. A great selection of beers and the kind of menu that gets my heart racing.

Logistics meant that I got there before them and had about an hour on my own, to sample several of their beers. I ordered a flight of three IPAs, only one of which (Goose Island) I’d ever tasted before. A bit of a mix-up meant I was given an accidental porter, so they quickly added the missing IPA at no extra charge. So a flight of four great beers came to…£6.

Conscientiously logging them in Untappd, I really enjoyed my quiet time in the corner. The back of the place is decked out like a traditional beer hall, while the front is more like a traditional pub.

The staff were amazing. Friendly, chatty and going the extra mile for everyone around me. I had a nice couple of chats with two of the people who served my drinks and felt very welcome. I think this is really important at the moment, where the hospitality industry is being hit hard by public health restrictions. Making people feel welcome and looked after makes more of an impact than ever, while we’re all navigating all this weirdness.

When it came to the meal, both my sister and mum went for a schnitzel burger (an enormous chicken schnitzel in a bun) while I could help but go for the ‘Sausage Fest’ – as selection of excellent German-style sausages, with sauerkraut, salad and some delicious mustard. It was the perfect accompaniment to the pints of Goose Island IPA that kept appearing on the table next to me. The danger of going out with family members you’ve not seen in ages is you keep ordering each other drinks!

When the allotted time on our table was up (another public health measure that grates), the Brewhemia team quickly found us another table to finish our drinks and soak up some of the atmosphere. It’s a very large venue, but never felt overcrowded or dangerously busy and the team ensured social distancing and mask rules were adhered to.

All in all, I had an excellent and memorable evening of laughs, beers and sausages. What more could a boy ask for?! If you’re visiting Edinburgh any time soon, I can’t recommend the place highly enough.