I am hoping that by now your interest in craft beer will be well and truly sparked (if not see my previous post New to Craft Beer..) and the question you are now asking is where can I drink it? The answer is the pub, the brewery or at home. For the purpose of this post however, I am going to talk about where you can go out to drink it. If you are still unsure of what craft beer is, the truth is, the definition is still being worked out and argued over. That said, I would say there are at least three points that most people seem to agree on 1) Craft breweries are independently owned and as a result smaller which is why they are also known as microbreweries 2) Craft beers use pure ingredients, no additives 3) Craft beers are often experimental, combining styles and ingredients that are not commonly found in mass produced beer. All this considered, what’s stopping you from trying it!

Fact time, there are approximately 50 microbreweries in London alone making amazing beer and this number is growing pretty fast. Cask ales already have a large presence and it is normal to find a varied selection of cask ales in most pubs in London (Nicholsons and Wetherspoons pub particularly). On the keg, bottle and can front though things are different. I have been to a lot of pubs in recent months and discovered that unless a place specialises in craft beer, Meantime and Camden beers are generally the two craft breweries of choice in the majority of pubs in and around London. Although good, in my opinion these are safe options and only showcase a fraction of what is out there.

What distinguishes a craft beer pub from an average pub is that the choice of beer is usually extensive (often going into the hundreds) and the number of craft beers will outweigh the number of non craft beers and not the other way round. Before I get on to the places here are some tips-

1) You should always ask to try before you buy, in fact this is encouraged especially as…

2) Craft beers are often stronger than your average beer, so when you get into the higher ABVs they can get pricey. This is why the bartender will usually tell you the price of a half rather than a pint. However you are paying for good quality and drinking halves means you get to try more!

3) Ask for recommendations, if there is a particular flavour you like, tell the bartender and they should be able to recommend something, think of it like buying a good glass of wine

So here are some recommendations on where to start.

The Pubs

The Craft Beer Co– Before the recent ‘craft beer revolution’ there was and still is the Cask Pub and Kitchen in Pimlico from which its sister pub the Craft Beer Co was born. Both have a serious dedication to showcasing the best craft beer available in the UK, Europe and America on cask, keg and in bottles. As a result the selection is frequently changing but always excellent. Although all three London branches of The Craft Beer Co are very different in design, the first thing you will notice when you walk into any of them is the impressive number of taps. Therefore there is no need to have the same beer twice. The Craft Beer Co London branches are in Angel, Brixton and Clerkenwell. There is a fourth pub in Brighton.

Brewdog– if you have never heard of Brewdog you soon will. They are possibly the most popular craft beer brand of the moment and it is definitely not all about image. Brewdog are a rapdily expanding Scottish brewery. Their original London based pub is in Camden and this is not a place where you go and politely sip drinks, you are going to get drunk but on excellent beer (and damn good pizza too). As well as serving their own beers on keg and in bottles they always have a selection of guest beers too which inevitably will be of the same Brewdog standards. Really friendly bar staff too and you’ll always make a friend here!

The Rake– again one of the early pioneers of craft beer in London, the Rake is one of two pubs associated with Utobeer, which boasts the largest selection of any beer retailer in London. Both based in Borough Market, the Rake always have an excellent selection which they announce daily on Facebook and Twitter but unfortunately they usually sell out of this by the time I finish work! That said they will always have equally good replacements.

The Lyric– a tiny gem in Soho where I have discovered a fair few of my favourite beers recently. Relatively small inside but an outside area off the main road which never gets too crowded and the selection here is always fantastic. Whether I am in the mood for a seriously hoppy IPA or something more experimental like a herby saison I know I will find it here.

The Draft House– Draft House pubs do not classify themselves as craft beer pubs but do have a commitment to good beer. The selection can be quite different depending on which pub you visit. I have not visited them all but my personal favourite is the one on Lordship Lane as their tap selection tends to be larger and more adventurous than the more central branches, (I have yet to try the one in Tower Bridge. However if the taps fail to inspire they will always have something good in the fridge. Very good burgers too.

The Breweries!

My favourite way to drink beer is to go directly to the breweries themselves. Not only can you drink the beers at shop price (in the breweries anyway) but you may get to try something that isn’t yet available in the pub or a limited edition. Many breweries are now open on Saturdays or have their own bar or brewpub which will be open during the week too. Here are some for starters-

Partizan Brewing– Bermondsey (Saturdays only)

The Kernel -Bermondsey (Saturdays only)

Camden Town Brewery– Kentish Town

London Fields Brewery– Hackney

Redchurch Brewery– Hackney

Duke’s Brew & Que – Beavertown’s brewpub, Hackney

This should be plenty to get you started but here are some more pubs in case-

The Euston Tap– Euston

The Old Red Cow– Farringdon

Holborn Whippett– Holborn

Powder Keg Diplomacy– Clapham

The Flying Pig– East Dulwich

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