Let’s be honest: London hasn’t been historically known for its microbrews. However, on a recent trip to London, my husband and I found ourselves at the Bermondsey Beer Mile, which is home to the local up-and-coming craft beer scene. The London Beer Mile fulfilled all of our beer cravings and more, and I knew I had to tell you all about it.

Having been to London several times, my husband and I don’t pack the itinerary when we visit but rather kept our afternoons free to explore. On a recent trip, we’d just finished an incredible food tour that ended near the London Bridge.  I googled “London breweries near me” and was surprised to see that there were several breweries within walking distance of each other.  I had stumbled upon the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and we were game to check it out. We had such a great time experiencing the beer mile in London that we now make it a priority to stop at a new brewery every time we are in the city!

Planning a trip to London? Be sure to read my London Airport Guide and London on a Budget posts to plan the perfect trip to London!

Bermondsey Beer Mile | About

The Bermondsey Beer Mile is an area in London where there are ten to fifteen craft beer tap rooms along a one-mile stretch.  Saturday is the only day that they are all open, but several are experimenting with being open on other days of the week.  The tap rooms are fairly small and some locations even brew on site.

Experiencing the Bermondsey Beer Mile should be done on foot (no drinking & driving!).  The closest tube station is “Bermondsey” (go figure) which is near the “end” of the beer mile (that is, farthest from the London Bridge—you can go up and down it in either direction).

Looking for up-to-date Bermondsey Beer Mile 2019 information? Since these are small taprooms, the specific breweries can come and go. The below stops are what I’d recommend as of our most recent visits in both 2018 and 2019.

Fourpure Brewing Company

In July 2019, Fourpure Brewing Company opened their Basecamp Taproom on the beer mile in London. While the brewery has been around since 2013, the new taproom sets a high bar for other breweries in the area. We visited the Basecamp Taproom at Fourpure and it instantly became my favorite brewery on the Bermondsey Beer Mile!

The large, modern taproom offers lots of seating and is open daily. They also feature an on-site restaurant to complement their beers on tap. We purchased a tasting flight and were able to choose five Fourpure brews for our flight. All of the beers we tried were excellent, so combined with the fact they are open daily, have an on-site restaurant and an overall incredible space, it’s easy to see why Fourpure is my favorite stop on the Bermondsey Beer Mile!

The only issue with Fourpure was that it was a little challenging to find. The taproom is located close to the South Bermondsey rail station and is also within walking distance from the Bermondsey tube station. Regardless where you are coming from, be sure to put Bermondsey Trading Estate SE16 3LL into Google Maps and you should be able to find it. If not, don’t hesitate to ask someone (like we did!) and they will be more than happy to help you.

Bermondsey Beer Mile | Southwark

Southwark Brewing Co., is located on the opposite end of the London Beer Mile from Fourpure. It is popular with locals and tourists alike and is open everyday except for Monday’s and Wednesday’s. Southwark had some of my favorite beer of all our stops on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, with the IPA and pale ale being especially good.

The one thing I did not like about Southwark was that they did not allow drinks outside, so everyone was packed in the tasting room.  Even though it was mid-October when we visited, it was a bit warm inside. Though honestly, that just made the cold beer go down even better…maybe it’s all a marketing ploy!

Overall, Southwark is a must-stop for those doing the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

Anspach & Hobday

The next stop I would recommend on the Bermondsey Beer Mile is Anspach & Hobday.  This brewery is just a quick 2-minute walk down Druid Street from Southwark. 

My husband and I selected three beers for our taster tray to share.  The samples at Anspach & Hobday come in half-pint glasses with 10-ounce pours.  The sour was great, which is saying a lot because I don’t typically like sours!  I also thought their Hefeweizen was excellent.  Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the IPA.  I thought it was too light-colored and -tasting for an IPA.   

Anspach & Hobday did not have any options for food, like Southwark, and was also very crowded which is typical for a Saturday on the London Beer Mile.  There were tables and chairs and we made friends by joining a group who had a couple empty seats at their table.  They are also open on Friday’s and Sunday’s so I recommend visiting on one of those days to get a more intimate experience.

Overall, I recommend stopping by Anspach & Hobday especially since it is so close to Southwark.  You won’t regret trying the sour, even if you don’t typically like them!

Bermondsey Beer Mile | Moor Beer Company

Moor Beer Company Vaults & Tap Room is about a three to four-minute walk from Anspach & Hobday and worth a visit.  Moor is new to the Bermondsey Beer Mile in 2018 and is located on Enid Street.  It’s located in a large railway arch that has been transformed into a tap room that is open every day except for Monday and Tuesday.

Their large garage door bay opens up to the outside so people can spill outside while enjoying their drink.  Moor was one of the only places on the Bermondsey Beer Mile that offered food on the Saturday we were there; they had a tent outside cooking up food for purchase. 

Moor had a large tap list and I ended up ordering the Nor’hop ultra-pale ale at the recommendation of the server.  Even though the Nor’hop is what they are “famous for” (according to the server), I didn’t really like it.  It didn’t have much to it, but I guess that’s what you find when you order an ultra-pale ale?  My husband enjoyed the Moormont Red Eye IPA so not all was lost at Moor.

Overall, I liked the Moor Beer Company, even though I wasn’t that fond of the Nor’hop.  It was a great choice to get outside and grab some food while enjoying a cold pint.   

Brew by Numbers

Next to the Moor Beer Company is Brew by Numbers, another brewery in a large railway arch.  There are two entrances to the brewery and there can be a wait to get inside due to its popularity.  All of the locals we met at the other breweries insisted that we go to Brew by Numbers, which is open everyday except for Monday and Tuesday.

On the Saturday that we visited, there was a food truck outside Brew by Numbers and we were lucky to get inside without having to wait in line.  Once inside we found that it was standing room only, since the tables were occupied. 

I wish I could tell you what we had to drink but since it was the last stop for us on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, I don’t actually remember what we had.  But whatever it was, it was great, and I definitely recommend stopping at Brew by Numbers while experiencing the Bermondsey Beer Mile!

More Bermondsey Beer Mile Breweries!

There are several more breweries on the Bermondsey Beer Mile that we have not had a chance to visit (yet!). Be sure to consider checking them out when visiting the area!

Brewery	Website	Address (Opens Google Maps)
Bianca Road Brew Co.	http://biancaroad.com/	83 Enid Street
The Kernel Brewery	http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/	Arch 11, Dockley Road Industrial Estate, Dockley Rd
Partizin Brewing	http://www.partizanbrewing.co.uk	34 Raymouth Rd
Hiver	https://www.hiverbeers.com/	56 Stanworth Street
Affinity Brew Company	https://www.affinitybrewco.com/	Railway Arch, 7 Almond Road

London Beer Mile Tours

If you are not into the idea of a self-guided tour of the beer mile in London, UK Brewery Tours offer organized tours that you can join. They visit several of the breweries covered above and the best part is that you can leave the planning and logistics to them!

Tour	Details	When	Cost	Booking
Bermondsey Microbrewery Experience	Tours & tastings included at 5 venues	Saturdays 12:00 – 5:00 pm	£60	Book Here
Bermondsey Cheese Meat & Beer Tour	Complimentary cheese & meat pairings with the beer tastings at 4 venues	Saturdays 11:30 am – 2:00 pm	£60	Book Here
Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour	Tastings at 3 venues	Saturdays 2:00 – 4:00pm and occasional Fridays 6:30 – 8:30 pm	£35	Book Here

Related: after spending the day on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, check out London’s unique nightlife!

Overall, as a craft beer lover, I was so excited to discover the Bermondsey Beer Mile while in London!  I definitely appreciate London’s craft beer scene more now than I did before and make it a priority to return to the Bermondsey Beer Mile every time I am in London. 

So if you are ever in London and want to try something new that is not a neighborhood pub (albeit with a great atmosphere but mediocre options) – keep in mind the Bermondsey Beer Mile!

Cheers!