If you were to look back only a few years, the Birmingham beer scene would be unrecognisable compared to what it is now. The city centre was severely sparse on its craft beer offering. Sure, there were the likes of Brewdog, but there was a noticeable gap. Enter Rich and Kirk, two friends with a passion for good beer and good times. They seized the moment and in October 2015 opened up Tilt, Birmingham’s first (and only) craft beer, speciality coffee, and pinball bar. This week they celebrated their second anniversary, and business was certainly booming.
I arrived at around 3pm to find the party was in full swing. The house was packed, with every table and corner occupied. There were young couples, family outings, senior citizens, and even a few dogs joining in on the fun. It was no surprise really – to mark the occasion Tilt were offering twenty taps of liquid perfection.
The line-up was out of this world. There was of course a selection of Britain’s finest, with the likes of Cloudwater, Wiper & True, The Kernel, and Mad Hatter making it onto the board. Then there were the imports Rich and Kirk had managed to get their hands on. A brace of Mikkeller Berliner Weisse were top billing on the mobile bar, followed by a couple of Boon Lambics. It’s not too often you see kegs of Lambics in Birmingham, let alone two at the same time! I immediately jumped at the chance to have a Belgian tipple and ordered the Framboise. This poured a beautiful crimson, and certainly hit the spot. Crisp and refreshing, the wonderful flavours from the raspberries added a certain sweetness to this sour beer.
Next up on my hit-list was from the much-hyped Omnipollo Noa cake range. I opted for the Hazelnut cupcake variety and was of course blown away. The beer was silky smooth, with strong flavours of hazelnuts and chocolate coming through. I seriously cannot comprehend how Omnipollo have done it, but it’s like they have shoved a whole Nutella cake into a glass. It was a treat to drink and went down far too quickly considering it sits at 11%. Screw desserts, I’ll take one of these every time.
With a taste for stouts, I couldn’t go back to the light side and continued down the list. At the recommendation of one of the bar staff, I opted for the Omnipollo & J.Wakefield collab, Brush, a super boozy imperial stout. I’d like to take this moment to praise the ever-friendly staff. These fellas are a fountain of knowledge and are always happy to talk you through the board and give you their personal picks. It’s fantastic to see that the passion for both coffee and beer flows throughout the business.
You will find Tilt just a stone’s throw away from New Street Station in the wonderful (and criminally underused) City Arcade. If you are just popping into town for a spot of Christmas shopping or a bite to eat, consider swinging by and saying hello to the guys. They will treat you well.
Cheers Rich and Kirk, here’s to another year of joyful times at Tilt.
Tilt, 2 City Arcade, Warwick Passage, Birmingham B2 4TX
