Zero Degrees has been around in Bristol for years so the prospect of a face lift was an exciting one for the people of Bristol who have grown to know and love the industrial-feel brewery based on the Christmas steps. Attending a launch night has become an integral part of the Gibe culture; we were the first punters to step into Brewdog on Baldwin Street aswell as being the faces of the Bavarian Beerhouse when it opened in September 2013. Such was our determination to get invited to the beerhouse, we participated in a 5 day ongoing competition whereby we could win 2 tickets a day.. it was close, but we managed to secure 8 of the 10 available tickets!
With this launch night being on a Wednesday, we were on our best behaviour. Here's what I thought of the night...
Wined and dined
Or should I say beer-ed and dined? We turned up at around half 7, by which point the party was already in full swing. Privileged guest listers turned up keen to soak up the new look Zero Degrees and to make the most of the benefits of being invited to such an exclusive evening.
The canapes were all delicious (but at times, overpoweringly garlicky!) these were followed by smoked salmon, satay chicken and mini pizzas which arrived fresh from the kitchen at the far end of the open plan bar.
There was a 1930s style band who provided entertainment for most of the night, they really added some atmosphere to the whole occasion and added to the prestige of the whole thing!
New decor
As part of the reopening we thought the decor and/or floor plan might have drastically changed but it seemed not too dissimilar to the way it was before. The new addition of these funky lights really became a feature point as the other lights dimmed and I can envision it will appear and re-appear on Instagram as time goes on!
The most notable changes for me has been that the outdoor seating was greatly expanded, with new tables at the Park Row/Lower Maudlin Street entrance. They had also expanded the side entrance on Colston Street, this has so much potential for Summer... maybe next Summer now?
Look out also for the fantastic mural running up the wall where the Christmas Steps cuts over Zero Degrees. (See Olivia's blog post here.) It spans over 8 metres in length, perfectly designed to help walkers power up the many Christmas steps!
Drinks
Did we mention it was a free bar? And table service? The staff members were very attentive and friendly. Popular drink choices were the mango beer, pale ale and the wheat beer - all of which were delicious, but you expect no less from a bar that has it's brewery in house!
Thanks to the Zero Degrees for the entertainment, free drinks, delicious food and great customer service.
More information
Zero Degrees website can be found here or geographically here
