1466 PERSHORE RD STIRCHLEY BIRMINGHAM B30 2NT, UK
Couch Amazing Cocktail Bar Stirchley
Independent neighbourhood bar in the heart of Stirchley. Industry-leading drinks without the pretence, a massive playlist, great company and crafted cocktails in a relaxed environment.
OPEN
WALK-INS ONLY
TUES : 5PM – 11PM
WED – FRI : 5PM – 11PM
SAT : 4PM – 11PMSUN : [CLOSED]MON : [CLOSED]
[WED–SAT : GARDEN CLOSES AT 10.30PM
LAST ENTRY TO THE BAR 10PM]
Couch, Stirchley
I was sat at the bar of Couch a couple of Saturdays back when a very nice man called Paul came over to say hello. Aside from making my night with some very kind words, he mentioned that he thought there would be a chance he would see me here: an indictment of my alcohol issues if there ever was one. Later, after posting a photo on social media, another friend asked if I’d secured living accommodation within the bar. Have I really become synonymous with a cocktail bar not even three months old? I hope so.
After spending the first five consective nights sat at MY stool (and it is mine) at the bar, Claire’s birthday eve, Claire’s birthday, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, and countless other lost evenings, I can confidently say that Couch is up there with the very best cocktail bars I have ever been to.
Maybe the best. And that has very little to do with me knowing the team here, which I do, and a lot to do with facts. And also that they have negroni on tap.
So, Your Honor, first bout of evidence in the case of Couch Being Greatest Cocktail Bar In The World is a simple one. It’s the drinks. Presently based on a music theme, each of the cocktails takes inspiration from a track that then weaves an element of that song back into it.
Take ‘English Man in New York’, a 1987 hit by tantric testicled twat, Sting. It’s a Manhattan made with English ingredients; mead, Cotswolds single malt whisky, and meadowsweet honey. Clever right? I know. Just wait to you find a free afternoon to ask Jacob about the idea behind ‘Pennyroyal Tea’.
And there is ‘The Gambler’, a whisky-based drink which is the best drink I’ve ever tried. Seriously. I’d have this straight into my veins if syringes weren’t frowned upon in public. I may have also tried a drink going onto the next menu (film based this time) that tastes like a salted banana split doused in rum which may be even better. So basically Nobody Does It Better, a drink that should have been on this menu were they all not so sickeningly humble.
Next up is the thing that separates Couch from the other great cocktails that we have in Brum: it’s the vibe, or ambience if you are one of the many readers of this blog over the age of fifty (don’t die! I need you!).
For those familar with the second city, think Shoreditch, specifically a bastardisation of Happiness Forgets, Satan’s Whiskers, and Coupette. For those who have never heard of London, which is fine and perfectly understandable, think cool, relaxed, and comforting, with a playlist that starts with soulful rock and ends with a bar sing-a-long of Rocket Man, or any number of tracks by Queen.
It helps that it’s small – about twenty seats inside – and it helps that most of those seats are around the bar. It helps that it’s beautifully designed in dark greens and comfy stools, but it helps more that the people behind the bar are the best in Birmingham at making people feel welcome.
I’ve toyed with this piece for a while. Started it. Stopped it. Started it again. It’s what happens when you’re friends with the team involved, even if the team in question have made it abundently clear that they prefer my girlfriend’s company to mine.
But if this blog really exists to shine a light on the best of Birmingham then Couch has to be featured. It’s a neighbourhood bar with serious drinks that isn’t afraid to take the piss out itself. In my eyes that makes it perfect. Go, sit at the bar, and try it for yourself, but don’t you dare choose the stool third from the right. It’s mine and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.
You Can Order A ‘Lost In Translation’ Cocktail From This Pop Culture-Themed Bar In Birmingham
We are all probably a little too obsessed with pop culture as it is; from TV shows to music to cinema, everyone consumes everything all of the time. In the so-called Age of The Internet, it’s hard not to. So the chance to get out of the house once in a while can become the perfect excuse to forget about what’s happening in the zeitgeist. That is unless you’re heading over to Couch in Stirchley.
The cocktail bar takes inspiration from a range of pop culture sources for its menus. Changing every six months, Couch’s previous themes have focused on matching cocktails to iconic women in music, such as Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox, and some of the nation’s favourite TV shows, like Blackadder, Ugly Betty or Dragonball Z. There’s usually a drink here for every type of fandom.
Don’t expect this to be some shallow naming convention, however. The Stirchley bar really does take influence from the sources it shakes into recipes. For example, on the TV menu, the use of clarified apricot yoghurt for Brooklyn Nine-Nine was an obvious nod to the yoghurt-loving Terry, while the lapsang tea gin for Eastenders can only be a callback to Dot’s infamous herbal mishap.
If you tried the movie-inspired menu, the Lost in Translation cocktail caught our eye. The Japanese influence is obvious from its use of Toki whiskey, plum, cherry blossom and toasted barley. Currently, Couch is serving a handcrafted cocktail menu inspired by its own greatest hits.
Called Now That’s What I Call Couch Vol.1, highlights include the movie-inspired A Nightmare on Elm Street and A Bronx Tale, or song-inspired Strawberry Letter 23 and Airmail Special. A select wine list and rotating special cocktails on draught are also available.
We’re not the only ones who think Couch makes a truly fine drink either. Despite only opening in 2019, it was voted 12th among the Top 50 Cocktail Bars earlier this year. (It broke into the list for the first time in 2022, coming in at 37.) In four years, Couch has established itself as one of the best cocktails bars in the West Midlands and beyond.
Even if you’re not caught up on the latest TV shows or coolest bands, don’t worry. You’re still bound to find something to your fancy at Couch. The pop culture theme ends at the menu, with a clean, spacious and stylish interior available for guests to relax in. Also, keep an eye out for special events that range from bar takeovers to food pairings.
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