Boozing in Bristol offers something for everyone; delicious cask ales, wheat beers, cider breweries on boats, hidden cocktail bars ... you name it, chances are that Bristol’s got it.
So, with 2015 being Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, are there any pubs doing their bit to be green and give drinking in the city an eco boost? Of course there are!
Here are just a few that care about their environmental impact and some of the things they're doing to prove it:
The Beehive
Rufus Roberts
The Beehive in Horfield has recently been treated to a refurbishment. However, as part of the overhaul, landlord Rufus used only recycled furniture and made no new purchases for its interior. So, the Beehive managed to get a shiny new look while reducing waste and avoiding the large carbon footprint that making new things can create!
Also, as a policy, The Beehive doesn't dish out plastic straws for its drinks and avidly recycles. Out back, the chef has his own herb and vegetable garden patch; something that's great for the customers and reduces food miles, too.
'It wasn’t in the business plan to have an eco pub it just happened organically,' says Rufus, promising there was no pun intended.
The Beehive, Wellington Hill West, Bristol, BS9 4QY.
Port of Call
Anna-May Richards
Even modest contributions can make a difference. Recently, the Port of Call in Clifton kindly donated its old draught pumps to Bristol charity Frank Water, which funds safe water projects across the globe.
Port of Call, York Street, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2YE.
The Star and Dove
The Star and Dove
The Star and Dove in Totterdown has taken several steps to enhance its eco-friendliness. For starters, it uses garlic picked from nearby Victoria Park to reduce food miles.
More significantly, up on the roof is a beautiful beehive and vegetable garden. Bees are hugely important to the planet's eco-system, helping to pollinate a third of the world's food crops. With bee numbers declining over recent years, this is an important step that many may need to take in the future.
The Star and Dove, 75-78 St. Luke's Road, Totterdown, Bristol, BS3 4RY.
The Crofters Rights
The Crofters Rights
The Crofters Rights is another pub with a 'no straw policy' and posters on its walls encourage drinkers to follow suit. Although plastic is a useful material, excessive use can add to a growing landfill problem, amongst other things.
Also, the plastic kegs used to store beer in the Crofters Rights are donated to the Children's Scrapstore in St. Werburghs after use – although, the bartenders also have dreams of using them to build a kayak in order to race fellow Stokes Croft venues The Canteen and No.51, who also have similar schemes.
But that's not all: the food served in the Crofters – cooked up by Ray's Pizza – claims to produce zero food waste!
The Crofters Rights, 117-119, Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3PY.
Beese's Bar and Tea Gardens
Phil and Linda Leahy
Hidden away on the banks of the River Avon is Beese's Bar and Tea Gardens, which works hard to fit in with its nature reserve surroundings.
All the flowers and plants in the charming garden are not just food for our friends the bees, they're used to decorate the tables or are herbs used in Beese's kitchen.
This impressively eco-friendly pub is so green-conscious it also avoids using any high-energy consuming equipment like coffee machines and makes use of a biodigester.
For those unfamiliar, a biodigester takes the sewage from Beese's, treats the waste organically and puts clean water back into the river Avon – meaning no more polluting poos!
Beese's Bar and Tea Gardens, Wyndham Crescent, BS4 4SX.
Bag o' Nails
Anna-May Richards
What the Bag o' Nails might lack in eco-credentials compared others on this list, it more than makes up in cats. At least eight cats have been born in the pub, with more on the way, courtesy of Philomena (pictured right). Despite having space to roam around Brandon Hill Park, these (originally) uninvited guests just keep coming back.
With the decor and pub knick-knacks mostly acquired from the vintage and charity shops on Gloucester Road, the Bag o' Nails does its bit when it comes to recycling unwanted furniture.
Landlord Luke also attempts to keep his consumption of fossil fuels to a minimum, with patrons of the bar asked to use their combined body heat to keep the pub warm during the winter months...
Bag o' Nails, 141 St George's Rd, Hotwells, Bristol BS1 5UW.
While you're in an eco-friendly mood, why not try some urban foraging too?