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After a visit to a local craft beer shop in Germany, we taste-tested a number of beers from England and found that we really liked them. So, when we took our first trip to London last fall, we did a little research on these breweries and what kept popping up was some place called the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
With the iconic “Shard” building as a backdrop, we headed out to enjoy some English pints.
Hailed as the hoppiest stretch of London, the Bermondsey Beer Mile is an informal conglomeration of breweries, with a couple of cideries and distilleries, located along a railway in London’s Southwark area. The “mile” is actually closer to two miles and runs along Druid Street. The taprooms are located in each of the railway arches, lined up in a row in long and narrow warehouses, each with its own unique look and beer selections.
We started out at Bianca Road Brew Co. and then made stops in Brew By Numbers / BBNO, Cloudwater Brew Co and Hawkes Cidery & Taproom. While we went on a Sunday—not recommended because many places aren’t open—we still got a great taste for the full potential of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. Each taproom had a variety of sizes of tasters, making it easier to appreciate samples from each brewery.
While some people might think this is a one-day adventure, we recommend breaking it up over a few days or weekends, if possible. With so many breweries and beers to choose from, we had no shortage of new tasting experiences: lots of different IPAs, pale ales, seasonals, sours, dark porters and stouts and collaboration beers.
While there is a great option for food—the Maltby Street Market—we ended up grabbing wood-fired pizzas at Hawkes Cidery, to pair with our Sauvignon cider samples. The beer mile also isn’t far from one of the oldest markets in the city, Borough Market, which you could plan into your beer drinking schedule.
Other breweries along the mile include Southwark Brewing Company, The Barrel Project, Hiver Beers, Anspach & Hobday Brewery, Moor Beer Co. Vaults, London Calling Sweden, The Kernel Brewery, Spartan Brewery, EeBria, Partizan Brewing and Fourpure Brewing Co. While the mile is primarily made up of breweries, you can also taste gin at Jensen’s Distillery.
Due to COVID-19 and its effects on businesses, unfortunately, not all of these taprooms may be open for business. If you plan to visit the beer mile, a quick Google search provides a few resources showing what is open and where you may need to make reservations.
The mile starts about a 15-minute walk from the London Bridge tube station and is located in one of London’s oldest areas, making it an even more interesting place to explore.
Because of its prime location on the River Thames, Bermondsey has its own unique and long history, being home to English royalty and then becoming known as some of the worst slums in the city with Charles Dickens even describing its despicable nature in “Oliver Twist.” It is the home of London’s first railway and became known for its industries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Bermondsey even gained the nickname “Biscuit Town” due to a major biscuit factory located there for decades. Parts of it survived attacks during the “The Blitz,” though many industries were damaged. Now, this former industrial neighborhood has become somewhat of a foodie heaven and one of the most sought-after places to live in London.
Side note, if you’re a coffee drinker as well, we stumbled upon one of the coolest coffee shops in Bermondsey called The Watch House. The cozy space used to be a shelter for night guards of the 17th century St. Mary Magdalen Church graveyard, both of which can still be visited today.
Not only is Bermondsey worth checking out for the ultimate London beer–bar crawl, but it is a quintessential London experience with every narrow alleyway and cobblestoned turn begging to be explored. And why not have a pint or two along the way?
