"A great public house"
I had read some reviews regarding The Spitfire Arms and all came across positive. I drove the hour from Halifax to Windsor and was pleased to see the pub sitting along the main street of this small village.
Upon walking into the pub, a large u shaped bar hand-made from oak greets you in the centre of the room. Glassware hangs overhead which is supposed to be a no-no, but it just looks so damn good. There is also beer memorabilia above the bar which is interesting to look it. Troy Kirkby, the owner, believes that every beer he has on tap must be served in the appropriate branded glass and served on the appropriate coaster. This is very visually appealing and creates a better drinking experience in my mind.
The beer line-up includes: Guinness, Harp, McAuslan Cream Ale, McAuslan Apricot, St.Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Propeller Bitter, Garrison Nut Brown, Rickard's Red, Rickard's Honey Brown, Heineken, Peculiar (Granite's), Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde. It is a good beer menu that Kirkby wants to build on in the future. It is also bold because in a place as small as NS, nearly ever pub/bar serves Keith's on tap, but Kirby wanted a "better beer menu" which he's committed to.
The pub is named Spitfire Arms due to Kirkby's fascination with WWII fighter planes the "Spitfires". He has his collection of war and plane memorabilia on display at the pub and patrons can browse through it all. The walls are full of plaque mounted newspaper clippings about the pub, beer posters and mirrors and pictures of customers. Kirby prefers to play classic music and jazz at a lower volume which is very nice and relaxing. I hate hearing Britney Spears in a pub!!
Overall: Good food and what appears to be a well put together food menu. I had a great salad. The beer menu is very good and considering the size of the village it is ballsy. I applaud Kirkby on this. It is a very attractive pub and at 35 years old, Kirkby has done a great job.
www.spitfirearms.com
3 comments:
I have just been informed by a good friend in NS, that Kirby has installed a Keith's draught tower and is now serving Keith's IPA.
Hi Troy, great to see your beer blog going strong! We recently celebrated our 6th year anniversary here at The Spitfire Arms. We added a 3 tap Belgian tower a few years ago and put Keith's IPA on to replace the Leffe, which wasn't moving as fast as we'd hoped. New executive Chef, another second floor function room soon to be opened in July and three additional draught lines are in the works! I need a bigger walk-in now as there's not much room for our food beside all the kegs. Wishing you continued success. Cheers, Troy Kirkby, Publican. The Spitfire Arms Alehouse. PS - our website address has changed to www.spitfirearms.com can you update our link?
Hey Troy,
Great to hear from you! Glad to hear that things are going strong at the pub. Congratulations on the expansion.
The link has since been updated to reflect the change!
Cheers,
Troy B
Post a Comment