Pubs to Love: The Alex, Derby

Really a B&B nowadays, the Alexandra Hotel has a longstanding tradition of championing real ale and was the birthplace of Derby CAMRA.


Currently in the safe hands of Johnathan "For The Use Of" Hales, the Alex is a Castle Rock pub with an interesting range of UK cask guests and (unusually for Derby) a wide selection of bottled and draught continental beers.

So then - why a Pub I Love?

The RS percentage: Around the 30% mark for UK cask. Just enough to tempt me - as long as Harvest Pale or Jaipur isn't on.

Noise-o-meter: Can be a little too quiet, particularly mid-afternoon, with just the sound of local radio and traffic jams to keep you company. But that's OK as background for crosswords and Su Duko.

Niffy? Not at all - enough ventilation to keep it breezy in the summer, a nice fug of smoke from the wood-burning fire in the winter.

Bog off? Clean enough, but it's the little things; the towel is hung on a window opener, no coat hook in the cubicle...

FTL... At least ten seconds further away from the railway station than the Brunswick. So that makes it 1:10 to the railway station and about five minutes from the main bus stops. Unless you catch a bus back into the centre from outside the Brunswick, which is, er, ten seconds away...

ESP: It's probably Johnathan. Where else will you hear "A pint for the consuming of, change for the use of and your very good health" whenever you're served a drink? He's fantastically phlegmatic and has a wonderful philosophy that can be applied to every topic of conversation in the pub; "It's all bollocks".

Overall: Re-assuring. Solid, dependable beers, solid, dependable landlord.