Getting to Know the Bermondsey Beer Mile

There are few cities in the world where you can find at least three pubs for every day of the year. With London’s dizzying variety of bars and taverns. It’s unsurprising to find that the British have become connoisseurs of the craft brewery trade. With many world-famous beverages having been birthed in the British capital, recent years have seen many new companies opening tasting rooms across London and giving guests at the Park Grand Hyde Park an ever-changing and rapidly developing series of bars to visit.

From Hackney Wick to West London’s riverside, there are countless breweries to explore in the city. One of the largest collections of them, however, are on the Bermondsey Beer Mile in South London. With tasting rooms, tours and hundreds of years of history, these breweries, bars and taprooms are some of the most innovative out there and pave the way for beer brewing internationally. Whether you’re new to the craft beer craze or a London touring lager lover, there’s bound to be something to your tastes on the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

History of the Bermondsey Beer Mile

Located underneath around two miles of railway arches near the Bermondsey and Tower Bridge area, the Bermondsey Beer Mile grew organically as more and more local companies began buying the abundant warehouse surrounding the train tracks. With no official starting date, the Bermondsey Beer Mile has been growing for at least ten years but has recently increased in popularity due to the broad variety of taprooms that have opened their doors during the weekend.

Fourpure

Fourpure is one of the breweries paving the way for London beer makers everywhere. This is all too evident in their unique taprooms located on the Bermondsey Trading Estate and just a few minute’s walk from the original Beer Mile. This expansive taproom is kitted out with ample seating and a spacious feel making it perfect for business guests at corporate hotels London to unwind with their colleagues. It’s not just after-work drinks that Fourpure attracts, there’s enough here for craft sampling veterans to find something new amongst the ales, IPA’s, lagers and stouts.

Partizan

Open from 5 till 11 pm on Fridays and 11 am till 8 pm on Saturdays, Partizan is a quaint brewery and taproom that offers a minimal industrial aesthetic and a broad variety of different beers, promising both a seasonal and core range of alcohols. The year-round favourites are usually their crisp and light lager, alongside the citrus kick of the orange zested Table Juice, giving those who aren’t as used to heavier beers a light sipper that’s sure to wet your whistle.

EeBria

Interestingly enough, EeBria isn’t actually a brewery, and thus stand out from the crowd in the busy Bermondsey beer hub. EeBria instead opts to be a bar that stocks not only selected brews from the surrounding area but from far further afield as well. For guests at hotels near Paddington Station who are planning on leaving the city soon, EeBria can even mail order your selected beers back to your home address, giving you a little taste of London wherever you call home.

Spartan

Spartan is one of the smallest breweries on the mile and a newcomer on the scene. With seating only reserved for outside, in part because of the smaller arch they occupy and also in part because of their brewing on-site, one upside to Spartan is that they often serve their beers right out of the barrel, giving the whole place a freshly made feel that isn’t just because of the bar’s relative youth.

Affinity

Affinity is another surprisingly spacious taproom on the beer mile, and like with Fourpure is located a little off the main stretch of arch born bars. With a precision five taps and a carousel of beers to try, Affinity is a bright and friendly bar that’s kitted out with two floors of seating despite its compact size. Unlike the other more minimal interiors of Bermondsey Mile bars, Affinity has decorated its taproom with vibrant artwork that really injects some extra personality into the place, something that, if you taste their beer, is already fully equipped in the brews.

The Kernel

Kernel was the first brewery to open on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and in 2019 opened a dedicated taproom due to the neighbouring brewery-based arches popularity. This means that they can accommodate for their large footfall during the weekend. That’s good news for the Kernel lovers who might’ve been worried about losing their favourite brewery to accommodation further afield, and great news for the preservation of the first bar to be established on the mile.

Bianca Road

Originally a Peckham based brewery, Bianca Road moved into the Bermondsey Beer Mile in early 2019 and has a long list of puntastically named beers, IPA’s and stouts to try. With a wide variety of tastes and a buzzing bar manned by friendly staff, the Bianca Road Brewery may not be based on Bianca Road, but it’s heading in the right direction for firm London favourite.

Brew by Numbers

With two different taprooms now open at units 75 and 79, Brew by Numbers is another quintessential addition to the beer mile that you’ll no doubt want to enjoy again and again, despite the uncatchy serial numbered names for each one.

Cloudwater

Originally a Manchester-based brewery, Cloudwater expanded their operation into the capital in late 2018 and saw their popular high percentage beers become ever more popular among visitors. With beers coming in at up to 10 per cent, these drinks are wide-ranging in their taste palettes and despite their heavy alcohol volume, are very moreish indeed. Probably a good thing then that they mostly come in ⅓ pint glasses!

Anspach & Hobday

Based at 118 Druid Street, Anspach & Hobday have been around for almost a decade now and are one of the staples of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. With its taps visible to guests and the limited seating space, Anspach and Hobday promote a sociable and electric atmosphere that’s perfect for a weekend catch up with friends or an energising refresher during your London tour.