A Nottingham craft cider for our first autumn pour
Autumn in Nottingham has brought a new pour to The Approach, our city-centre live music and sports bar. For the first time this autumn, we’re serving a local craft cider, and we think it deserves a proper welcome rather than a quiet addition to the taps. It will be available from our Nottingham home while the leaves turn and the weekend fixture list fills up.
The new drink comes from a small Nottinghamshire producer and brings a clean, gently sparkling character to our drinks list. Ripe apple and pear lead the way, with a light honeyed note and a dry finish that leaves room for another sip. It is refreshing without being sharp, and equally at home beside a roast dinner or in the middle of an afternoon match.
Australians already know the appeal of a good tap pour, and a regional producer often tells you more than a generic drink name ever could. Melbourne’s laneway bars have made small-batch drinks part of the social scene, while Brisbane’s love of an arvo pint puts a cold glass at the centre of an ordinary afternoon. Adelaide’s growers markets bring the same sense of place to food and drink, making our new pour an easy one to understand.
Meet the new autumn pour
Our new cider is semi-dry, which means the fruit leads while the finish stays refreshing rather than sugary. In the glass, it is a pale gold with a fine fizz and a soft ring of foam. The aroma brings pear, apple and a touch of blossom, and the taste stays tidy from first sip to last. It is the kind of cider that suits a long afternoon without overwhelming the food beside it.
We are pouring it fresh and chilled, with a 568ml pint as our standard serve. You can also ask the team for a smaller glass if you would like to compare it before committing. The best first choice, though, is the full pint over ice. Let the fruit come through as the drink warms, and resist adding anything until you have tasted it on its own.
The people behind a good independent venue are part of the story, and From Sin Bin adds another glimpse of that local scene. Our interest in small producers, thoughtful menus and drinks with a sense of place now has a new reason to gather around the bar.
Once you know its character, the easiest way to find your pour is to match it to the moment:
| Serve | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Chilled pint over ice | A relaxed afternoon or a live music night | Orchard fruit, gentle bubbles and a dry, clean finish |
| Cider and tonic | A lighter start to an evening | More sparkle and citrus, with a slightly sharper edge |
| A cider flight | Trying several styles side by side | Small serves that make fruit, fizz and dryness easy to compare |
| Pint with a Sunday roast | A hearty matchday or Sunday table | Orchard acidity that cuts through roast fat and rich sauces |
Why this cider belongs in Nottingham
Choosing a local maker was deliberate. As a city-centre bar operated by Great Northern Inns Limited, The Approach is rooted in Nottingham and its matchday crowds, students, workers and weekend visitors. A cider made nearby fits that setting. It gives regulars something different to try without moving beyond the city they came to, and it gives our team a fresh reason to talk to the people who make it.
That emphasis on regional produce has plenty of Australian parallels, where the maker behind a drink can matter as much as the style on the label. Here, the pump and the story of the producer are equally useful details. Ask what is pouring, where it came from and how it was made. Those are better questions than simply asking for something sweet.
We also want the cider to sit comfortably within everything else The Approach does. Multiple HD screens carry football, rugby, cricket, motorsport, golf and other major sporting events, so a pint needs to stay refreshing through a busy afternoon. The same liquid works with live bands on Friday and Saturday nights, Sunday roasts, pizzas and our regular food and drink promotions. One drink, plenty of different evenings.
Pouring alongside the big matches
Nothing tests a new drink quite like a full house and a fixture with an unpredictable finish. Our cider is built for that sort of session: enough fruit to feel considered, enough dryness to keep each sip clean. If the match is tense, the fine sparkle helps. If your team is winning, there is a dry finish waiting to reset your palate before the next chorus from the screens.
Live music brings a different kind of energy. We host bands and entertainment every weekend, along with special events and sports-related appearances, so the bar rarely stands still. The same open-mindedness carries into our live programme. There is no rigid song list here, an approach explained in why we avoid repeats.
For visitors from Australia, the combination may feel especially natural. Sydney’s Sunday session often pairs a long lunch with live sport and music, while Nottingham’s version adds a distinctly British serving size and a local cider. Settle in, watch the screen, and let the drink do the easy work of turning an ordinary afternoon into a proper occasion.
Cider with live music and a full plate
Food gives the new pour another dimension. The cider’s gentle acidity works with the deep flavour of a Sunday roast, and its crisp finish stands up to a pizza loaded with chilli or rich toppings. Try it with a plate of pub classics and you will notice how the apple moves from a bright first impression to a softer, rounder note as the meal continues.
Ordering is simple: choose a pint, add ice if that is your preference, and tell the team whether you are eating or settling in for the entertainment. If you share plates with friends, a few small glasses make the comparison more interesting and leave enough room for the evening ahead.
Ask about our current food and drink promotions when you plan your visit. They change, and pairing one with a fixture or a weekend performance can make the new pour an even easier reason to book a table. A good sports bar should give you a reason to stay before the first whistle, then keep the evening moving long after it.
Making the most of your first taste
Start with a small glass if you are unsure, then move to the pint once the flavour has your attention. Taste it chilled, notice the fruit at the start and the drier finish, and give it a little time to warm. If you usually reach for a lager, this is a lighter route into the same social rhythm without copying the beer in front of you.
If you are ordering for the table, a cider flight is a sociable way to begin. Compare body, sweetness and sparkle across small measures, then choose the style you want to finish. With a roast or a spicy pizza, keep the comparison focused enough for the first pour to remain the star.
Autumn in Nottingham runs from September to November, so our first serving is tied to the city’s cooler, darker evenings rather than Australia’s opposite seasonal calendar. As the weather turns, the drink moves from a sunny terrace option to a proper pint beside the screens. That change of pace is part of the pleasure, and it makes this first pour feel like a small local event rather than just another addition to the range.
Come and try our first autumn pour of local Nottingham craft cider at The Approach in the city centre. Book ahead for a busy fixture, arrive for a weekend band, or bring the family for Sunday lunch and let everyone taste a small glass. Our team will be ready with a chilled pint, a helpful serving suggestion and a bar full of sport, sound and good company.
The first glasses are pouring from our Nottingham home this autumn. Ask for the new local cider, settle in for the action on the HD screens, and stay for the live entertainment that follows.