Not every trip is meant to be a blog post. This one certainly wasn’t. A simple run up to Newcastle to see a friend somehow turned into a day of very good beer thanks primarily to the Mosaic Tap, which proved good enough to warrant two visits on the same afternoon.

The Outbound Leg

The Waiting Room

Area: Durham Station
Style: Railway Snug
Visit order: 1

A familiar start at the Durham station bar, which is becoming something of a ritual for an aperitif. The cask ale was a familiar one, so I opted for a keg start to the day. This steeled me for the rammed train. Newcastle were at home.

Newcastle

Mosaic Tap

Area: Central Station, Pink Lane
Style: “A vibrant & friendly craft beer and natural wine bar”
Visit order: 2 & 5

The reason for today’s trip was to catch up with an old friend, but seeing as I was early, I popped into Mosaic for a quick one, or two as it turned out.

The atmosphere on Pink Lane was great with all the football fans providing great energy. One of the advantages of Newcastle being a one club city is that everything is moving in the same direction, even for those not going to the match.

Mosaic Tap is settling into its new location so well, you’d think it’d always been there. And it’s a lot more handy these days, being so close to Central Station.

I was to return here following my catch-up whilst waiting for my train. In truth, I adjusted my train plans slightly so I could return for the two cask ales shown in the action shot above.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Blackjack Brew Co	Six MPH Mild	5.2%
DEYA Brewing Company	Rue De Soda (Keg)	4.0%
LHG Brewpub	Folded Page	5.0%
Otherworld Brewing	Khaos	4.0%

The Actual Plan

Barluga

Area: Grey Street
Style: Trendy with eats, is gastropub the word?
Visit order: 3

A style that’s not usually my scene, but the building is beautiful and there is an extensive terrace out back. Very busy today, so, having failed to book, we had a limited time and no chance of food. There’s no cask ale, but I managed a decent keg brew anyway. Also an excellent Espresso Martini, but I guess that’s for a different blog.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Wylam	Hickey The Rake (Keg)	4.2%

The Five Swans

Area: Civic Centre
Style: Wetherspoons
Visit order: 4

Without the food at Barluga, it fell to Spoons to pick up the slack. Reliable as ever for a meal deal and a couple of cask ales.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Erdinger Weissbräu	Erdinger Weißbier (Bottle)	5.3%
Coach House Brewing Co	Blueberry Classic Bitter	5.0%
Hook Norton Brewery Co	Old Hooky	4.6%

Durham – Full Circle

The Station House

Area: Durham, Under The Viaduct
Style: Cosy Pub
Visit order: Last Of The Day

After an uneventful return leg, it felt right to have a quick refreshment at the Station House.

Brewery	Beer	ABV
Almasty Brewing Co	Best Bitter	4.5%

What started as a straightforward trip turned into something a bit more rounded. A mix of the familiar and the new, with one bar in particular standing out enough to warrant a return visit within hours.

Not a planned crawl, not a recommended tour — just a good day out that came together nicely, albeit with more walking than expected.