Britain and beer are almost synonymous: it was here that many of today’s popular styles of beer were invented. But their relationship has not always been a happy one. Throughout most of the twentieth century British brewing was far from the best in the world, but about 20 years ago something happened – and a new phase began. The Americans started brewing fantastic beer, followed by the Australians and the New Zealanders. And they all brewed beers in British styles – pale ales and IPAs, stouts and porters. It was the former colonies that reminded the metropolis how to brew beer, and independent British craft brewers began to revive the art. Along with the supply grows the demand.
Bristol Beer Factory
Creative, quirky and unconventional, Bristol is often described as the coolest city in the southwest of the United Kingdom. And it’s no surprise that it’s full of indie breweries (not to mention plenty of craft bars – among them the awesome Small Bar). Bristol Beer Factory has been in operation for over a decade and has become a favorite of Bristol beer lovers. It brews five main brews and more than a dozen seasonal brews – including oatmeal porter, milk stout and rye. They’re best tasted at Grain Barge, the brewery’s bar converted from a grain barge moored in Bristol Harbor, or at Barley Mow, a pub near Temple Meads train station.
The Old Brewery, Durnford Street, Bristol BS3 2AW
National Brewery Centre
Burton was once thought to be the beer capital of Britain. Its location next to the Trent and Mersey Canal was ideal for shipping beer to the ports of Liverpool and Gull. Add the mineral-rich water, ideal for ales, and it’s easy to see why Burton has often been called the “beer town. But unfortunately, the days when there were more than 30 breweries in the small town are gone, and the breweries themselves have closed or merged with other breweries. You can learn about the history of Burton’s brewing industry, including the most important brewery, Bass, at the National Brewery Center. There’s also a great pub lunch and beers from around the world – just a beer geek’s paradise. The tour will cover the rise and fall of Burton brewing, and ends with a tasting at the pub, where tourists will be treated to beers from the microbrewery located there. We recommend White Shield IPA, a beer with 180 years of history.
Horninglow St, Burton-on-Trent DE14 1NG
Hook Norton Brewery
It looks like it stepped out of a Dickens novel, which is not surprising when you consider the history of this rustic brewery. Opened in the 1850s, Hook Norton is one of the few surviving “tower” breweries of the Victorian era. They were designed to use gravity instead of pumps. A guide will take you through the brewery – so traditional, in fact, that you can even look inside the stables, which are home to the heavy-duty horses that cart beer to the nearby pubs. Genuine Hook Norton ales can be found on tap in most local pubs and in the surrounding villages of the Cotswolds region. The emphasis here is on “sessionability” – beers that can be drunk several pints at a time. In addition to traditional cask ales, the brewery also produces keg kraft ales. There are also stronger brews, seasonal and collaborative brews. But the quintessential local brewing tradition is Hooky Bitter: 3.5% alcohol, malt and floral notes with a clean finish. Created to be enjoyed all evening in one of Cotswold’s vintage pubs.
Brewery Lane, Hook Norton, Banbury OX15 5NY
The Northern Monk
In a once-abandoned neighborhood of Leeds stands an old mill, listed as a historic building. It’s the heart of the Holbeck neighborhood, which is now undergoing a major revitalization-including thanks to Northern Monk. “I wanted from the beginning to create a brewery that was authentically British and northern, but also very progressive,” explains Northern Monk founder Russell Bissett. The theme of the brewery combines the centuries-old history of monk brewing in the North of England with American craft brewing. Russell pays a lot of attention to evolution and tradition and has been successful in choosing collaborative partners. For example, Northern Monk brewed the first Anglo-Indian beer with a tiny Mumbai brewery. On the second floor of the old mill is an informal taproom with bare brick walls called Refectory. Here you can sample up to 20 beers, including guest beers. Don’t neglect the food either – British snacks that go great with beer. And don’t forget to try the flagship sessional Eternal IPA.
The Old Flax Store, s Mills, Marshall 9YJ, Marshall St, Leeds LS11
Howling Hops Tank Bar
It was the first bar in Britain (and remains one of the few) to serve beer straight from the tank rather than from kegs or cask. The bar has a dozen tanks ranging from fresh pale ales to smoked porter. Long benches, outdoor seating next to Regent’s Canal, and a small pop-up barbecue kitchen make this one of the best beer spots in the United Kingdom. The name Howling Hops is a tribute to American bluesman Howlin’ Wolf, “The Howling Wolf.” The brewery began brewing New World-style hopped beers at Cock Tavern Cellar in Hackney. To save time and effort, the beer was served straight from the tank in the basement through pipes stretched directly to the taps in the bar. That’s how the idea of opening a full-fledged tank bar came about. The beer list usually features one or two experimental brews (like a double chocolate-coffee-ffee-vanilla-milk porter), but a West Coast-style IPA always goes over well.
Unit 9A Queen’s Yard, White Post Ln, London E9 5EN
Jerusalem Tavern
Step through the wooden doors and you’ll immediately notice how old Jerusalem Tavern looks. It’s easy to picture William Pitt the Younger and Charles Fox arguing by the fireplace, or Samuel Johnson coming in for a pint on the way home from the City. Somewhere beneath the foundations lie the even older remains of the priory of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which gave the pub its name. The Bible-crazed knights didn’t mind a drop or two, and the tradition behind the pub’s bay windows continues to this day – thankfully, it’s a stone’s throw from the City. The taps are filled with tasty beers brewed in Suffolk by St Peter’s Brewery, which embodies the spirit of medieval monastic brewing, though it opened in 1996. The ales here taste exactly as we imagine Pitt and Johnson-era ales, but the historic pub also looks to the future – there’s everything from honey porter to gluten-free and organic beers. Enthusiasts recommend Organic Ale – on tap or in recognizable green glass bottles reminiscent of 18th-century gin bottles.
55 Britton St, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 5UQ
Meantime Brewing
At one point in history, Greenwich was the center of the world – or at least of the British Empire, which counted time and location from the Greenwich Meridian. Greenwich, southeast of London, is a legacy of that era and has many fascinating places to visit. In 1999, Alistair Hook began brewing a beer here called Meantime. The new brewery heralded a return to the capital of craft brewing after decades of stagnation. Today, everything is fine with London beers, and Meantime (though now owned by Asahi) brews beers with traditional local ingredients – hops from Kent and barley from East Anglia. The brewery itself is located in the middle of nowhere, between the O2 Arena and Greenwich Park. But it entices visitors with a two-hour, £20 tour and a tasting room. Another option is to visit the Meantime Pub on Royal Hill, Greenwich Union, where you can eat and try a classy selection of beers. You could start with an IPA with Kent hops Fuggles and Goldings, which harks back to the days when Britain ruled the seas.
Lawrence Trading Estate, Blackwall Ln, London SE10 0AR
Saltaire
Saltaire’s makeshift taproom in the brewery’s canal-side backyard is the epitome of the brewery’s approach that has quickly won the market: quiet confidence and down-to-earth attention to the local community. On the last Friday of every month, the brewery hosts beer club meetings (cost £5), where visitors sit right next to tanks and other equipment and taste beers, including guest beers at £2 a pint. Saltaire brews both traditional British ales and heavily hopped craft beers. Everyone loves Saltaire’s award-winning flagship brew, Saltaire Blonde, with the fresh taste of German and Czech malts.
County Works, Dockfield Rd, Shipley BD17 7AR St.
Austell
This Cornish bigwig has been in business since 1851. The St Austell brewery now owns pubs from Land’s End to Bristol, and its cask ales are shipped all over Southwest England (the brewery is on track to sell a billion pints of beer). It brews some of Cornwall’s most famous beers – including Tribute, a soft and drinkable golden ale, and an invigorating Korev lager. There are guided tours and an interactive story about the brewing process in the visitor center. The new stout Mena Dhu (which means “black hill” in Cornish) is recommended. 63 Trevarthian Rd, St Austell PL25 4BY Hawkshead Freshly whitewashed or finished in oak, pubs are the heart of the Lake District. They’re ready to quench the thirst of farmers and hikers alike. There are several good breweries here, but connoisseurs call Hawkshead the best. This brewery, located in the village of Steveli, is surrounded by mortarless stone walls and green hills where sheep graze.
The brewery was founded in 2002 by Alex Brody, a former BBC foreign correspondent. The idea behind the brewery is “beers from the heart,” traditional cask ales brewed with crystal clear water from Lake District springs from malts and hops from around the world. From golden and red ales to Brodie’s Prime rich pub stout, Hawkshead beers are served in a “northern manner,” through a narrow-headed tap that yields a large foamy cap. You can sample the beer in the brewery’s beer hall and snack on local tapas, venison burgers and game pies. You’ll get thirsty on a hike through the hills of the Lake District – and Hawkshead Bitter with its citrus and floral notes will quench it best.
Staveley Mill Yard, Unit 22/28, Back Lane, Kendal LA8 9LR
Beavertown Brewery
Located between Walthamstow and Stoke-Newington in North London, Beavertown Brewery is off the beaten track – unless you’re heading to Ikea in Tottenham. But it’s definitely worth the trip – the taproom, open on Saturday nights, offers the best craft beer in London (including in cans adorned with the city’s best illustrations, created by creative director Nick Dwyer). The Beavertown brewery was founded in 2011 by Logan Plante (how he’s connected to Led Zeppelin is anyone’s guess), who sought inspiration not from traditional British cask ales but from breweries such as Dogfish Head in the United States. Head brewer Jenn Merrick has brought the brewery numerous awards, including 2015’s Supreme Champion Brewer. She has created seven major beers. The brewery is constantly involved in collaborations – with Mikkeller, Dogfish Head and Odell, for example. The taproom regularly hosts events and is generally an inspiring place to be. Check out Gamma Ray APA, with Amarillo and Citra dry hops, and Black Betty IPA with West Coast hops layered on a roasted malt base.
2, Lockwood Industrial Park, London N17 9QP.
Brew By Numbers
We suggest starting your beer odyssey in Bermondsey with BBNo, which is located just south of Moltby Market. Like many of Bermondsey’s “beer mile” breweries, Brew by Numbers Taproom is open on Fridays and Saturdays. The brewery’s founders, friends Dave Seymour and Tom Hutchings, drew inspiration from beer trips to Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Belgium. They have kept the spirit of adventure in their beers. The brewery is known for saison, but also experiments with barrel-aged, vitbiers and other styles. After the equipment was updated, the old equipment was freed up for experimental brews. The excellent double IPA combines British malts with American and New Zealand hops. 79 Enid St, London SE16 3RA Fourpure Brewing Co. This brewery will have to be found, but it’s worth it. As historian Simon Winchester says, nineteenth-century South London was a place no respectable Londoner would dare to go.
Some might say the neighborhood hasn’t changed much since then. But the industrial area at the south end of Bermondsey’s Beer Mile has some of what we consider to be some of the tastiest beers in the area. Fourpure’s founders, brothers Dan and Tom Lowe, were inspired by their travels around the world and encounters with American craft breweries (like Pfriem). The brewery has been in business since 2013, and its regular brews are a pale ale, a sessionable 4.2% IPA and a powerful West Coast IPA with an abundance of mango, pineapple and grapefruit flavors from Citra and Mosaic. There are up to 16 beers on tap, including guest beers (the taproom is open Friday evenings and almost all day Saturday). It’s not the most luxurious place – a few tables and benches and a composting toilet outside – but the plus side is that it’s not far from South Bermondsey train station. However, we came here for the beer – we especially liked the oatmeal stout.
Bermondsey Trading Estate, Rotherhithe New Rd, London SE16 3LL
Sulwath Brewery
In the heart of the Scottish Borders area stands the town of Castle Douglas, which in medieval times was a stronghold of the Douglas clan, resisting the raids of brigands. Today in this market town, life is much calmer. Its inhabitants are not engaged in war but in the food industry. The town is surrounded by fertile farms, and there is still a weekly fair of live cattle. Among the 50-plus food industries is the family-owned Sulwath Brewery, named for Sulway-Firth Bay to the south, whose waters create a mild microclimate. The Henderson family brewery opened in 1996. It brews several traditional cask ales, all on soft local water. The only lager in the lineup, Galloway Gold, showcases the character of Jathec hop, and Grace is a great example of a meld, one of the oldest British beer styles, in which fruitiness and sweet maltiness dominate hop bitterness. British Maris Otter barley is used for the chocolate flavor of the award-winning Black Galloway Porter. You can taste it all in the brewery’s modest taproom. Tours are often held on Mondays and Fridays at 1 p.m. During our visit, the beer of the day was Criffel IPA, named after a nearby mountain. Its flavor is more subdued than American IPAs.
209 King St, Castle Douglas DG7 1DT
Three Tuns Brewery
Calling yourself the oldest licensed brewery in Britain is a pretty high-profile statement, but Shropshire’s Three Tuns has all the proof. The brewery received its first official brewing license in British history in 1642 and still operates in the same wood-framed building that underwent some changes in the Victorian era. When CAMRA first began its crusade to save real British beer in the ’70s, Three Tuns was one of only four pubs in the country that still brewed real ale. The brewery nearly closed at the beginning of the new millennium, but in 2003, real ale lovers rushed to its rescue. Some of the equipment was updated, but not the traditions and ingredients. The beers are still brewed according to centuries-old recipes, but not forgetting modern trends – try Faust Banana with ginger and lemon notes, for example. Nearby, at the Three Tuns Inn, regulars stand precariously at the bar while bearded folk singers play medieval music. Bar regulars insist that the essence of the brewery is best captured by XXX Pale Ale.