Beermoth
Polly Checkland Harding
Beermoth on Manchester’s Tib Street stocks specialist beers, chosen with a quietly confident knowledge.
“We only sell beer, and we only sell really good beer,” says Jeremy Stull, one half of the duo behind specialist beer shop Beermoth. He’s unpacking a long line of boxes, with more being delivered through the shop’s tall front door. A lengthy trestle table, as well as every shelf and surface, is stocked with bottles tucked so close they’re knocking shoulders. Bales of dried-out hops gently crumble up near the ceiling, a dusty, rustic cornice. Stull himself is soft-spoken, his accent a Missouri burr – but he’s very clear about what they do well here.
Set up by Stull and his business partner Scott Davies in 2013, Beermoth was inspired by the beer shops that Holland is so liberally dotted with – shops that provide a range and knowledge beyond what most pubs and bars can realistically offer. In an unusual move for the age of the internet, Beermoth’s stock isn’t available to buy online. “It’s about bringing people in here so we can talk to them,” explains Stull. “We’re a bit like a record shop where if you like something, they can recommend a similar album. We’ve been into beer for a long time.”
Beermoth is organised into four sections according to origin: UK, Belgian, US and “everything else”. There are some regular appearances, Stull tells me, but also an impressive turnover; “we don’t allow beer to get anywhere close to its going-off date,” he says. Their stock has also grown hugely since opening. “I’d probably cry if I say what it started at,” Stull admits. “But it’s not about having as many as we can – limited shelf space forces us to be more picky.” Beermoth is also focused on introducing people to things they haven’t tried, which is where their programme of events, from tastings every Saturday (1pm-6pm), to beginner nights and “meet the brewer” slots, come in.
Drop by and you’ll find Beermoth cool and earthy fragrant, with the kind of laid-back atmosphere that lends the shop a quiet confidence. There’s a fridge with chilled beers, which I’m told is for customers setting off on trains to elsewhere – but does also look like a tempting stop off on the way home from work. Next time I’ve had a long, stressful day, I reckon I’ll be popping in.
