The beer selection at Bristol’s Small Bar is anything but small. Spread over two floors, with two drinking areas on the ground and a comfy spot upstairs, this pub perched on the corner of King Street is far from parochial. This is a cathedral to craft beer. It’s early on a Saturday evening and already the city’s beer connoisseurs are out in force, scattered around Small’s tables and old, repurposed barrels while I stand at the stripped-wood bar, struggling to make my selection from the dizzying number of taps – 31 in total – on offer. It turns out that Small Bar’s certainly wasn’t coined because the bar is diminutive in size, but more for their furious dedication to showcasing the best brews from small and independent local breweries.
There are around 15 craft breweries in Bristol. In the east of the city alone, you’ll find Fierce & Noble, Arbor, Wiper & True, Dawkins, New Bristol, Moor, Left Handed Giant and Good Chemistry. Head deeper into the city centre, or even south of the river Avon, and you will find even more. With this much competition, you would think that it’s almost impossible to start a new brewing venture here, but in my experience from spending just 3 short days in the city, the good-natured rivalry has nurtured a strong, community-focused beer scene. Some of the above brewers – Arbour, Dawkins, Left Handed Giant, Moor and Good Chemistry – come together each August Bank Holiday weekend, the start of the annual Bristol Beer Week, as well as the first bank holiday of May, to take part in the East Bristol Beer Trail. With just a short walk between each brewery – the trail is centred around the start of the Bristol to Bath cycle path, between Temple Meads and Lawrence Hill stations – punters get a chance to meet the brewers, explore the area and sample some great brews.
Collaboration isn’t a rare occurrence in the Bristol beer scene. The city’s brewers are often joining forces with their combined knowledge to create new concoctions. It is part of how the city embraces new breweries, creating a positive, exciting atmosphere.
Working my way through my list of must-visit breweries, one pint at a time, it’s hard not to feel the buzz. As I prop the bar at Fierce & Noble, sipping a glass of their dark, rich and creamy black IPA, their passion is clear. I’m questioned by the barman about which breweries I’ve visited and where I plan to go before he unfurls a foldout Bristol Craft Beer Map (available from the tourist office) and begins pointing out various venues. Even for someone like me who plans to sup as many local beers as possible, it’s daunting; there are 39 pubs and bars listed, with 16 breweries on a separate key.
Each place I visit, more recommendations come my way. Taking the advice of the guys at Fierce and Noble, I make my way to Wiper & True, just a 5-minute wander away in St Werburghs. On the suggestion of a fellow drinker in W & T, I end up stopping off at Arbor next, chatting to the owner for a long while before settling down in the brewery’s yard with the head brewer and other members of staff as they have a few cans at the end of their shift. Somehow they persuade me to hop in an Uber with them over to Moor, where we finish the night at the launch of Beer 52’s Citizens of Everywhere project, the bringing together of 12 great craft breweries from across the UK (of which locals Moor and Lost & Grounded re two of them) with 12 great craft breweries from 12 different European countries to create collaborative brews.
In one afternoon and evening, I manage to just about scratch the surface of the city’s brewing scene. However, it’s a perfect introduction to the variety of breweries on offer. Over the course of the weekend, I manage to make a severe dent in the Bristol Craft Beer Map’s list but no matter how valiant my efforts, I don’t quite succeed in sampling everywhere. All I know is that Bristol is a beer-lovers paradise. Here are some of my favourite breweries.
Moor Beer Co
Moor is not only one of the most respected microbreweries in Bristol, but also the whole of the UK. Starting out in Somerset way back in 2007, when Californian Justin Hawke purchased the defunct business it has gone on to become one of the world’s top-rated breweries. Justin has taken inspiration from his Californian roots, creating full-flavoured, often hoppy, beers mixed with the British secondary refermentation tradition to create what they call Modern Real Ale. In the process, they have earned myriad international awards and are the first brewery to be accredited by CAMRA for cask, keg, bottle and can.
Moor Beer’s brewery taproom, just a short walk from Temple Meads Station, opened in 2014 and has possibly the largest selection of beer on offer at any of the City’s breweries. There are 10 keg taps as well as beer on cask and a huge selection of cans. Brewery tours are available every Saturday at 12:30. They are £12 per person, last 30-40 minutes and include three beer tokens to use in the tap room afterwards.
Where: Days Rd, BS2 0QS
Opening Times: Weds to Sat 12pm – 10pm; Sun 12pm – 6pm.
Lost and Grounded
Lost & Grounded launched in 2016 with much industry anticipation, and those eagerly awaited beers have been an instant hit. While most microbreweries are heavily focussed on the hoppier side of things, Lost & Grounded took the unusual step of making kellerbier – a hazy, unfiltered pilsner – their focus. This brewery, on an industrial estate a short walk east of Temple Meads, was the first I visited in Bristol on a dreary Friday afternoon. The silver-clad industrial unit is fairly nondescript, other than the sign above the door and a few picnic benches outside, but when I stepped inside I was blown away. It’s enormous.
Originally a chemical engineer by trade, head brewer and co-founder Alex is fascinated by the precision of German brewing and the idiosyncratic nature of Belgian beers. In their state of the art brewery – a pristine German-built Krones Steinbecker kit – they have the ability to get experimental in the techniques they use to brew their beer. They even have their own lactic acid plant on site. As you can imagine, these guys know how to produce a good lager, with their Keller Pils becoming an instant classic.
Where: 91 Whitby Rd, BS4 4AR
Opening Times: Fri 1pm – 7pm; Sat 3pm – 10pm.
Arbor Ales
I first came across Arbor when I saw their bold, bright cans with quirky names sitting in a fridge at my local bottle shop up in Leeds (beers with names like ‘Faked Alaska’, ‘Why Kick a Moo Cow’, and ‘The Devil Made Me Brew’ It come to mind). Although they have been brewing for a long time, since 2007, it is only recently that Arbor has set up a tap room in the yard of the brewery itself. It’s nothing fancy, just a portacabin containing a tiny bar and a few tables, but the real reason to visit is for their beer. There are usually 4 taps to choose from with different beers on constant rotation, as well as a pretty big can selection. My favourites are Yakima Valley and Shangri La.
Where: 181 Easton Rd, BS5 0HQ
Opening Times: Fri 5pm – 8pm; Sat 1pm – 3pm.
Fierce & Noble
Fierce & Noble’s brewery is hard to miss as you walk through St Werberghs, its exterior decorated in bold pink and purple zig-zags. The brewery was initially set up just two years in order to supply beer for the owner’s bars and cafes, offering two styles; one named Fierce and one named Noble. Since then Fierce & Noble has expanded to offer 4 beers in its core range, a session IPA, APA, Black IPA and West Coast IPA. However, as a huge fan of seminal DC hardcore outfit Bad Brains, I couldn’t resist trying one of the breweries latest beers that has been named in their honour – I Against IPA, a sweet, fruity beer flavoured with seven different American hops. Their taproom is a cosy, wood-panelled affair, giving it the cosy feel of an old pub. Upstairs is a balcony where you can sit with your beer overlooking the brewery itself. as well as the kit for Masquerade, a smaller operation run by two young brewers that have brought their equipment into Fierce & Noble to experiment and collaborate, You’ll even sometimes find their creations in the taproom.
Where: 25 Mina Rd, BS2 9TA
Opening Times: Fri & Sat 2pm – 10pm; Sun 12pm – 8pm.
Wiper & True
Starting out, like most passionate brewers do, by tinkering at home on a kitchen stove with pots, pans and raw ingredients scattered all around them, Wiper and True have since moved to a great space in St Werburghs, just a 10-minute stumble from Fierce & Noble. Wiper & True’s aim is to experiment and create something special, whether that’s roasting their own malts, adding wild ingredients such as blackberries and chillies, or ageing their beer on different kinds of wood. Their wonderful taproom is located in the brewery itself, with plenty of seating out front. You’ll likely find 5 or 6 beers on tap, including their rich, dark, vanillary milk stout, their refreshing Kaleidoscope Pale Ale and gently spicy pink peppercorn porter.
Where: 2-8 York St, St Werburghs, BS2 9XT
Opening Times: Fri 6pm – 10pm, Sun 1pm – 10pm.
Bristol Beer Factory
Built on the old Ashton Gate fermenting site south of the Avon, a building that has been used to brew beer since the 1820s, Bristol Beer Factory have managed to breath new life into this old brewery when they acquired the building in 2004. Since then they have developed a range of 7 core beers and produce a few small-batch, speciality brews each year which can all be found in their spacious South Bristol taproom. As well as a bar, their brewery also boasts a visitor centre where you can take a tour, meet the brewers, or buy some take-out drinks from their bottle shop.
Where: The Old Brewery, Durnford St, BS3 2AW
Opening Times: Mon 12pm – 7pm; Tues to Thurs 12pm – 9pm; Fri 12pm – 11pm; Sat 10am – 11pm; Sun 12pm – 7pm.
Dawkins
Dawkins Ales was formed when Glen Dawkins, owner of Dawkins Taverns acquired Matthew’s Brewing Company in 2010 and streamlined the two together and made a huge splash in the Bristol Area. In 2015, Dawkins raised the money to move from their home in Bath to new premises in Easton, joining what is dubbed by some as the ‘Beermuda Triangle’ alongside Fierce & Noble, Wiper & True, Good Chemistry and Moor. Since 2015, Dawkins are also growing their own, locally produced hops as participants in the East Bristol Hops Project. In their tap room, Dawkins has a great range of bottled, cask and keg beers ranging from IPAs and stouts to their own Somerset cider (this is the South East after all). Make sure to sample their Bristol Blonde which won Gold in 2014 at the region’s biggest beer contest.
Where: Easton Brewery, Unit 2, Industrial Units, Lawnwood Rd, BS5 0EF
Opening Times: Fri & Sat 4pm – 8pm.
Croft Ales
Inspired by the rich culture and creativity Bristol’s cultural quarter, Stokes Croft, Croft Ales was started by two guys from Italy who moved to Bristol and discovered a love of craft beer. Hidden away on a side street, this tiny brewery and taproom is the city’s smallest, having space for maybe a dozen or so punters around a couple of tables and barrels. The best way to describe it is small but perfectly formed. They usually have 5 beers on Tap, including their fantastic Westide APA and Dusk Til Dawn American IPA. Ask Pedro or one of his wonderful team, and you may even get to have a little peek in the brewery next door.
Where: 32 Upper York St, BS2 8QN
Opening Times: Fri 4 – 10pm; Sat 2 – 10pm.
Left Handed Giant
One of my biggest regrets when visiting Bristol is that I wasn’t able to visit Left Handed Giant due to them only being open during the summer months. The brainchild of the people behind one of Bristol’s best pubs, Small Bar, Left Handed Giant have gone on to become one of the most respected names in the UK beer scene. At the moment, their taproom positioned right at the start of the Bristol-to-Bath cycle path is modest, but thanks to a hugely successful crowd-funding campaign, they are in the process of moving to a new site in Finzels Reach, which has been home to several famous Bristol breweries over the years, most recently Courage brewery. The ground floor will be returned to its former use as a fully operational and cutting-edge brewery, where Left Handed Giant will ferment its selection of modern, progressive beers on site. Alongside there will be a brewpub, where visitors can relax and enjoy the freshly brewed beers in a modern, urban-style bar.
Where: 8-9, Wadehurst Industrial Park, St Philips Rd, BS2 0JE
Opening Times: Fri 5pm – 10pm, Sat 1pm – 8pm.
Cocksure
Cocksure is fairly new to the Bristol brewing scene, starting in January 2017. Recently Callum and Dan have relocated to an Industrial estate in Totterdown where they have repurposed materials from their old brewery, including cladding from their old tanks, to create a beautiful mezzanine bar overlooking the brewery itself. The tap room is a little out of the way – when I Ubered there at 8 pm on a Saturday night in the dark, the driver asked if I was sure I knew where I was going and even offered to wait while I wandered towards the industrial units – but it is a lovely, relaxed space. Their core range consists of five different beers: their Pale Ale, Session IPA, Amber Session, IPA and a delicious Nitro Cold Brew Stout.
Where: Unit B, Totterdown Bridge Industrial Estate, BS2 0XH
Opening Times: Fri 5pm – 10pm; Sat 2 – 9pm.
Best of the Rest
As they’re only open for special events, I didn’t get to visit New Bristol Brewery, but they have an on-site brewery school where you can learn about all things beer, or alternatively, you can find their beers at pubs and bars throughout the city. Good Chemistry is another that was closed while I was in the city, although they are open in the summer months (Fridays and Saturdays between April and October) and I managed to sample a couple of halves of theirs over an incredible vegan sandwich at Kongs of King Street.
Take a Beer Tour of Bristol with Bristol Hoppers
On my final day in the city, I thought I would be a little hard-pressed to find any breweries that I’m yet to sample so I met up with local beer expert and owner of Bristol Hoppers, Heather Goodford.
Bristol Hoppers offer a range of curated group tours through Bristol’s beer scene such as the ‘Breweries, Brunel & Brigstow’, ‘Grains, Gradients & Graffiti’ and the ‘South of the River’ tours, each taking in a different area of Bristol while visiting a range of pubs and brewery taprooms while sampling beers with Heather as your guide. If group tours aren’t your thing, she also offers self-guided mystery tours for couples; There’s an envelope waiting for you at your first stop to reveal the rest of your venues. This will also contain tokens to swap for a delicious, locally produced beer (six different Bristol brewed beers – a mixture of half a pint and third-pint measures – altogether) at each venue you visit.
Heather meets me in the courtyard of my hotel, the wonderful Brookes Guesthouse, and together we walk to the Harbourside Ferry Terminal while she gives me a backstory to the city’s brewing history. Our destination is south of the River Avon on a modified version of her ‘South of the River’ tour, somewhere I’m yet to visit on my beer odyssey. Together we take in a tasting tray at the Bristol Beer Factory, some of Heather’s favourite pubs along North Street – pubs I certainly wouldn’t have stumbled across on my own – while she tells me about the area’s incredible street art, and finish at a sun-drenched Wapping Wharf where we finish off with a very generous tasting at Wild Beer Co. As someone that isn’t necessarily a huge fan of sour beer, I’m a little wary at first, but with tasting notes and a little backstory to each beer coming from Heather and a very knowledgable barman, they manage to sway my opinion.
I leave Wild Beer Co. a sour convert, stumbling, slightly (very) tipsy back across Bristol city centre to catch my coach home. Despite my best efforts and 3 days of imbibing beer, I still didn’t manage to see everything that Bristol’s brewing scene had to offer. But I gave it my best shot.
I visited Bristol as a guest of Visit Bristol and was generously provided with a free private beer tour by Bristol Hoppers. However, all views are completely my own.
