British craft beer guide: 41 pubs and bars you need to try Whether you call it craft beer or real ale, there’s no denying that Britain’s beer drinkers are getting used to […]

Whether you call it craft beer or real ale, there’s no denying that Britain’s beer drinkers are getting used to more choice than ever.

The big name lagers no longer cut it. Instead, people are turning to smaller breweries, well-stocked specialists and brewpubs, where the staff know their stuff (and maybe even helped to make it).

If you’re looking to refine your taste for lagers, IPAs or porters, you could do worse than trying any of these craft beer pubs in the UK.

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Manchester

Eight breweries on our seven-lined cask wall. Can you say "Collaborations"? #PSBHcask pic.twitter.com/2zcyFHG4fh — PSBH (@portstreetbeer) May 31, 2015

With one of the most extensive beer selections in the city, Port Street Bar is the place to come for ale lovers. Local, national and international breweries are represented across 25 pumps – seven of those cask. There’s a selection of over 100 bottles, too.

Several other bars in Manchester have followed this formula and long-standing student haunt Font Bar now boasts an impressive range in cask, keg and bottle. There are also established venues such as Knott Bar and Sandbar, which offer great beer without any fuss, and Common, which is also run by the Port Street crew.

The BrewDog Manchester team are at the vanguard of the revolution of well-made, flavourful craft beer in the city. Try the Brewdog drafts Dead Pony Pale Ale (3.8%) or This. Is. Lager. (4.7%), or guest drafts including Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier (5.4%) and Stone Delicious IPA (7.7%). [Louise Rhind-Tutt]

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Sheffield

The craft beer revolution has taken Britain by storm in recent years, with almost 20 breweries in the city of Sheffield alone. One of the best places to sample these is in the city’s very own Valley of Beer, Kelham Island. Here you’ll find a pub that has won national CAMRA pub of the year twice. The Kelham Island Tavern boasts 13 real ales, a craft keg beer, a beautiful garden, and a gorgeous pub cat. It is basically a year-round beer festival. [Kate Major]

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Newcastle

JUST ON! Little Fluffy Clouds from @wylambrewery & @MadHatBrew … 3.5% Lemon Meringue Table beer… lush! pic.twitter.com/9NXwY1u05y — The Bridge Tavern (@BridgeTavernPub) March 28, 2016

The Bridge Tavern does it all – it’s a microbrewery, bar and first class restaurant, and if that wasn’t enough it also has a constantly changing selection of guest beers on tap. The Free Trade Inn doesn’t look like your typical craft beer bar – in fact you’d probably think twice about going into it if you didn’t know the crafty delights that hide behind its inconspicuous doors. Don’t judge this pub by its exterior, as inside lies one the best ale selection in the whole of Newcastle. Not only is Alvinos one of the hottest spots in the city to drink craft beer, but its comic book theme makes it one of the quirkiest and aesthetically pleasing bars to chill out in.

If you’re a craft beer fan then you’ll certainly be pleased to have met Pleased to Meet You. Although perhaps known more for their range of gins, this bar still boasts a huge selection of ales from across the world. Whether it’s a smoked wheat or sour lager you’re after – you’d do well to acquaint yourself with this trendy and vibrant bar. [Alan Laidlaw]

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Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s bar scene has changed massively over the last couple of years. The 20-tap Hanging Bat is now the go-to destination for up to the minute British beer. BrewDog‘s bar in the Cowgate has a great selection, particularly imported bottles, and also the Holyrood 9A is a must-visit; they recently ditched a few more imports to concentrate on Scottish beers, especially from those newly kegging their products. Don’t miss Brauhaus‘s gargantuan bottle menu either.

As for more traditional pubs, Right at the top of the list you have the Bow Bar, which is unmissable. Also, Cloisters and the Stockbridge Tap have fantastic, ever-changing, beer selections. The Guildford Arms has one of the best-maintained cellars in Edinburgh, and if you’re near Haymarket, check out Thomson’s Bar – which is worth a trip just for the steak pies. [Richard Taylor]

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London

The capital has fully embraced craft beer. There are so many specialist bars at the moment. Craft Beer Co has got a range of good pubs scattered around the city, and they’re growing like mad. There’s also The Earl of Essex in Angel and The Kings Arms in Bethnal Green, both owned by the same people and both really nice pubs. Then there’s the Cock Tavern in Hackney, The Fox in Haggerston. Just get the Craft Beer app, there are so many. [Josh Smith]

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Glasgow

The “experiential craft brewery” that is Drygate may be a couple of years old now, but this joint venture between Tennents and Williams Brothers has wasted no time in establishing itself as the go-to place if you want great food and even better beer. The kitchen is gaining a reputation for its culinary creations, but we’re here for the beer, and as well as their own brews, such as the Gladeye IPA, there’s a beerboard with more than 200 bottles from around the world.

Inn Deep is a West End destination for beer fans. Naturally you’ll find a plentiful selection of Williams beers (they own and operate the pub), such as the delectable Paradigm Shift, but there’s also a diverse guest and bottle menu. And on those rare days when the sun shines over Glasgow, there’s a nice terrace on the edge of the river Kelvin that has a distinctly boho feel. Another good option for summer is the WEST brewery on the fringes of Glasgow Green. [Nick Mitchell]

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Liverpool

The Ship and Mitre always have a full menu of cask beers. It has a very traditional feel to it and is generally considered one of Liverpool’s top “real ale” pubs. Their wall menu shows you all the cask and keg beers they currently have on and those that are coming soon. There’s also Bier on Newington. There is draught available, but we go there for what’s in the fridges. They generally have some bottles from local breweries like Mad Hatter and some great US imports. [Philip Neil]

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Cardiff

When it opened in September 2013, Urban Tap House was Wales’ first fully devoted craft beer and cider bar. Owned by Newport’s craft beer kings Tiny Rebel, expect a handful of the brewery’s signature beers on tap (including their hoptastic award-winning pale ale FUBAR) alongside hundreds of other weird and wonderful tipples from around the world. What’s better than drinking craft beer where it was made? Zero Degrees makes this possible, with its bar sitting feet away from a working microbrewery. Your pint comes straight from the serving tank, with no filtering, pasteurisation, preservatives or other flavour-compromising processes involved. [Matt Ayres]

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Leeds

Bundobust is a craft beer bar with an Indian street food kitchen – a joint venture from Bradford favourites The Sparrow and Leeds’ well-loved Prashad – boasts over 40 bottle varieties on its menu. These guys know their stuff, and it shows. A great place to hang out for a few hours munching on snacks like the moreish Bhel Puri and sampling the extensive and cutting-edge beers.

From Bundobust it’s a short hop to Tapped. From the team behind Sheffield and York Taps, it’s another relative newcomer to the Leeds beer scene. Without the opportunity of having such characterful station premises on offer in Leeds, Tapped is a more modern bar than its cousins, leather and dark wood seating dividing the long side bar and tap wall from the shiny Brew Kit on the other side of the room. [Gareth Pettman]

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Birmingham

The Craven Arms has gone from strength to strength since it reopened under new ownership and new management. It’s a traditional looking pub, with a good range of cask ales and an increasing amount of really good keg and bottled beers too.

The Wellington has for a long time had one of the largest selections of cask ales in Birmingham; the Post Office Vaults has a sound cask ale and cider selection but a massive range of bottles; and the gorgeous Bartons Arms is great – particularly for its range of Oakham beers and authentic Thai food. [David Shipman]

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Bristol

Bristol and the South West have long been associated with cider and scrumpy – but recently it’s developed a taste for real ale too. The potent and tasty mix of malt, hops and barley has led to a rise in the number of beverage-serving emporiums offering some of the most quaffable beers in the country.

Understated cool with a penchant for beer, the Crofters Rights opened on Stokes Croft last year and has become a popular venue. Not surprising given the care and attention that goes into sourcing excellent craft beer from across the UK. [Becci Sargent]

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Belfast

Belfast is a city transformed in many ways in the last 20 years, but none of the changes have matched the pace of the local bar scene. Add to this the craft beer resurgence and what you end up with is a potent mix of good beer, good people, and amazing craic.

Bootleggers stocks tipples from breweries like Trouble Brewing, Knockout and Farmageddon, The Hudson Bar has a wide array of craft beer on offer, and Brewbot offers something a little different: a beer bar, brewpub and bottle shop all in one.

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