How to Successfully Conquer the Bermondsey Beer Mile, London

Last updated: 25 June 2023

For those of you who don’t know: the Bermondsey Beer Mile is a stretch of (mainly) small independent craft breweries which is a bit off the standard tourist trail of things to do in London.

Stretching an impressive 2km, the Bermondsey Beer Mile is a must for beer connoisseurs seeking some of London’s most loved brews. Situated under the railway arches of a busy train line and along the streets of South London, this collection of taprooms, microbreweries and independent distilleries caters to a variety of consumers including hardcore hop-heads, stag parties, hipsters, locals, and even families. The Bermondsey Beer Mile makes a great day out for groups of friends wanting to catch up over a pint, or six.

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Watch: Our Bermondsey Beer Mile Experience

A Very Quick History of the Bermondsey Beer Mile

It’s not a coincidence that this part of London has become a hive of activity for microbreweries. This area is very close to the original centre of the city’s hop trade.

A relic of a bygone era, workers from the docks would spend their summer holidays hop picking in Kent. The hops were transported along the Old Kent Road (yes like in Monopoly!), eventually ending up in the Hop Exchange, a building that still stands today on the corner of Southwark Street and Borough High Street, just near Borough Market in London Bridge.

When Is the Best Time to Do the Bermondsey Beer Mile?

For the beer loving, and/or the overly ambitious who wish to hit every taproom, you’ll need to do the Beer Mile on a Saturday as this is the only day all the taprooms/breweries are open.

There’s no hard and fast rule to how to tackle it, and while most breweries have similar hours, they’re not all open at the same time and it is wise to check opening hours before undertaking the Beer Mile.

The Bermondsey Beer Mile is open all year round, but as it warms up and the sunny weather returns, you can expect to share the Beer Mile with big crowds, drinkers setting up make-shift tables from wooden pallets and drinking in the sunshine as much as possible.

To avoid the crowds, we recommend starting as early as possible, and either starting further up the mile, doing the mile in reverse order (east to west); or splitting it in half and doing it over two days or two separate weekends.

Bermondsey Beer Mile Map

This interactive map is created using Google Maps. Click on this  symbol on the map above to expand the map legend or click on any pin for more information:

• Breweries along the Bermondsey Beer Mile– Blue pins
• Where to eat along the Bermondsey Beer Mile– Green pins

Where Should I Start the Bermondsey Beer Mile?

As I said before, there’s no hard and fast rule to it. Technically you can start anywhere, although most people opt for a linear approach and start at one end of the Beer Mile.

The majority of people undertaking the Bermondsey Beer Mile start at Southwark Brewing Company. With its convenient proximity to London Bridge Station provides easy access to the Beer Mile via bus, Tube and National Rail making it logistically the easiest choice.

Undertaking the Beer Mile west to east means you’ll end at Fourpure, which closes 8pm on Saturday so you have plenty of time to get down there. They also have a resident food vendor, if you’re needing more food. Transport home from this end of the Mile is via South Bermondsey train station, Surrey Quays overground station, and Canada Water Tube station which is about a mile from Fourpure which is on the Jubilee line.

Taking the Bermondsey Beer Mile in a linear west to east (starting at Southwark Brewing Co, ending at Fourpure) you’ll likely encounter the most amount of people. See above for suggestions on how to avoid crowds and increase your chances of getting a seat at the many pubs along the Mile.

Insider Tip! The section of the Bermondsey Beer Mile from Maltby Street Market to The Kernel is almost entirely open on Sundays making it a viable option to tackle on a Sunday which is significantly quieter than on Saturdays – ideal if you’re not a fan of crowds.

Where Can I Eat Along the Bermondsey Beer Mile?

It’s never a good idea to down a few pints on an empty stomach.

Fortunately, there are a few places where you can line your stomach. You can easily grab some food to go from Borough or Maltby Street Markets, one of a few independent businesses that have popped up along the Mile like Neal’s Yard Dairy, or do as we did swing by Little Bread Pedlar in Arch Spa or St John’s on Druid Street and grab some carbs for later to help soak up the beer when you’re peckish.

Some breweries have collaborations with food trucks which sit outside their taprooms. Others permit outside food in their taprooms, where we know, we’ve listed it below.

For the Antipodean expats, we recommend that you swing by the Secret Goldmine cafe for a taste of home. Tucked away off the beaten track in a little business park, it’s a little challenging to find but once you’re there they have a great brunch menu with Aussie and Kiwi faves of smashed avo, but it’s the pies that are really worth the visit.

Breweries on the Bermondsey Beer Mile

You now know when to go, what to expect, and where to eat. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the different breweries. For convenience, I’ve listed them west to east, and working your way away from London Bridge and towards South Bermondsey – just reverse the order if you’re doing it the other way round.

1. Southwark Brewing Co

With a bright and airy bar, Southwark Brewing is one of the few that’s also open throughout the week as well as both days over the weekend.

The tap room is equipped with 6 hand-pulled cask beers and 4 keg beers on draught from their Big Bear Craft Ales range. They also have a range of bottled beers which you can either drink onsite or take away.

These guys also have a monthly quiz night and twice a week they host a group from the Running Club of London.

With their proximity to Maltby Street Market, it’s OK to pick up some food and eat it in the brewery.

What to drink? Bankside Blonde

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 46 Druid Street London SE1 2EZ
• Opening hours | Tues: 7-10pm, Thurs & Fri: 5-10pm, Sat: 11am-6pm, Sun: 12-5pm
• Info

2. The Barrel Project

Utilising 24 taps, The Barrel Project serves up their own London Beer Factory brews, blended and barrel aged specials, and guest craft beers from all around the world. A range of this size means variety, ranging in strength from 5% all the way up to 11% ABV.

The Barrel Project use French oak wine barrels to ferment and mature their beers for anywhere between one and three years.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 80 Druid Street, Bermondsey. SE1 2HQ, London
• Opening hours | Wed-Fri: 4-11pm, Sat: 11am-11pm, Sun: 12-7pm
• Info

Insider Tip! In case you missed it at the beginning, our first visit to Bermondsey Beer Mile was on a Sunday at lunchtime, and it was significantly quieter than Saturday’s when we’ve undertaken the Mile.

Breweries along the Bermondsey Beer Mile from Maltby Street Market to The Kernel are almost all open on Sundays – a great alternative if you’re not a fan of crowds.

3. Hawkes Cider

Something you might not know, is that long before I ever drank a beer, I LOVED Cider. Cider bars popped up all over Sydney and Melbourne and I really loved the crisp refreshing taste of cider, it did really well in the scorching Aussie summers.

Anyway, back to London…

Hawkes is actually named after London’s original street hawkers.

I know this is a guide to the Bermondsey BEER Mile, and Hawkes make cider rather than brewing beer, but I think they’re worth including in this list anyway. They frequently have guest ciders, and themed taproom takeovers. – This is all in addition to 8 taps of their own product, they also have eight guest ciders.

If you’re feeling peckish, they do fresh handmade pizzas, and, my personal fave, cheese boards, to accompany your cider.

If you want to know more about Cider, Hawkes also offers Cider School and Cider making Classes.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 86-92 Druid St, Bermondsey, London SE1 2HQ
• Opening hours | Tues: 7-10pm, Thurs & Fri: 5-10pm, Sat: 11am-6pm, Sun: 12-5pm
• Info

4. Hiver & All Good Beer

All Good Beer

Opened in May 2016 with the goal to make fresh, independent, high quality beers accessible to everyone. It’s worth noting that All Good Beer aren’t brewers but rather merchants. They sell the majority in cans and bottles although they do have two taps in operation at the time of writing.

Hiver

Hiver utilises and sources raw honey from independent British beekeepers to make their honey IPA beers. Rather than using honey for sweetener and flavour, the honey is incorporated as an ingredient in the fermentation process.

It’s not just the bees and the bee keepers that are British. Hiver utilising all British suppliers, everything from glassware, labels on their bottles to the stamps on their business cards.

Aside from winning numerous awards from the Bartenders Brand Awards, Great Taste, World Beer Challenge and a gold from the European Beer Star; Hiver also has a social cause, donating 10% of profits to pollinator charities like the London Beekeepers Association.

Want to Learn More?

Hiver also runs experiences like a full Hiver Experience with short introduction to Bees and Beekeeping in the city, some hive time, and a tutored beer and food matching session – all possible without leaving zone one.

What to drink? Honey Blonde (Hiver)

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 56 Stanworth St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3NY
• Opening hours | Tues: 7-10pm, Thurs & Fri: 5-10pm, Sat: 11am-6pm, Sun: 12-5pm
• Info| Hiver

5. Anspach & Hobday

Founded in 2012 by Paul Anspach & Jack Hobday. This award-winning Bermondsey brewery combines London’s brewing heritage with modern methods.

Producing beers in kegs, casks, bottles and cans, in one year they brewed 55 distinctive styles from traditional brews for Oktoberfest to specials. All nine delicious beers on tap are all vegan.

Food from nearby vendors along the Maltby Street Market or Druid Street Food Market (Sat only) is permitted to be consumed in the taproom with a freshly brewed cold beer from A&H.

What to drink? Plum, cherry and raspberry sour

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 118 Druid St, Bermondsey, London SE1 2HH
• Opening hours | Fri: 5-10pm, Sat: 10.30am-10pm, Sun: 1-6pm
• Info

6. Moor Beer

The best tagline I’ve seen along the Mile, ‘Drink Moor Beer’. Well, if you insist!

Moor Beer was named from the Levels and Moors area of Somerset where the brewery originated. Starting life behind Temple Meads Rail Station in Bristol, four years later they moved into the Bermondsey Beer Mile where they have a barrel store, and taproom.

Taking inspiration from around the world, Moor Beer makes Pales, IPAs, Pilsners, Lager, Sours and more.

Inside the arch there’s seating on stools around recycled barrels. They have loos and sell Moor Beer t-shirts. Don’t forget to grab yourself a free sticker 🙂

What to drink? Lager

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Railway Arch 71, Enid St, SE16 3RA
• Opening hours | Sat: 12-1030pm, Sun: 12-9pm
• Info

7. London Calling Sweden

Unlike most of their neighbours in the arches along the Mile, these guys not only aren’t brewing onsite. Actually, London Calling Sweden is not a brewery at all! Instead they’re collaborators, working with Poppels Brewery from Gothenburg and selling bottled versions of beer from brewers along the Mile.

London Calling Sweden also hosts regular live music nights, and quiz nights.

LCS has adopted the cashless approach, much like Sweden on the whole which is largely dominated by card payments.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Railway Arch 72, Enid St, SE16 3RA
• Opening hours | Thurs & Fri: 11am-7pm, Sat: 10am-7pm, Sun: 11am-7pm
• Info

8. Cloudwater

Our visit to Cloudwater coincided with a special birthday weekend, which meant bunting was throughout the taproom and a celebratory theme in the air. They were so busy that staff from The Kernel popped down to give them a hand, now how’s that for community spirit?!

Cloudwater started in Manchester where it is considered one of the finest breweries in the city. Their taproom along the Bermondsey Beer Mile has 20 draft taps for fresh releases and barrel-aged beers.

13 of those draft lines are dedicated to Cloudwater’s own beer which are all direct-drawn from a 3ºC cold store right next to the bar. The other 7 lines are dedicated to guests, or family and friends beers.

The minimalist design approach to the taproom means there are no tap lists on the walls, just an awkward set of loose paper sheets that you have to retrieve from the bar. Cloudwater’s tap list is listed on their website but distinctly lacking in detail, so if you’re unsure what to order, speak to the staff, they’d be happy to help you choose.

The range here seems to favour Double IPA (DIPAs) and other high strength beers which made the brewery’s name. One thing I am a big fan of is the straightforward pricing structure – one standard price for all the beers, with the strongest ABV beers only served in 1/3 pint measures.

Cloudwater is cashless and proud of it, by the way. Distinctly lacking signage, they’re not the most obvious of tap rooms from the street. Head to 73 Enid Street and look out for the distinctive cloud logo on a panel on the back wall, to know you’re in the right place.

What to drink? Hazy IPA

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Railway Arch 73, Enid St, SE16 3RA
• Opening hours | Wed-Fri: 3-10pm, Sat: 10am-10pm, Sun: 3-10pm
• Info

9. Brew By Numbers

Brew By Numbers (fondly known as BBNo) was started in 2011 after two lads had a bright idea. Since then, BBNo has released over 350 different beers across a range of styles. They’re best-known for their diversity, serving up hoppy, mixed fermentation farmhouse ales; hazy, vibrant dark coffee beers, nitro stouts, highly-hopped pale ales & IPAs.

Rather than naming their beers, BBNo uses a numbering system, thus the name Brew By Numbers. Originally beers were identified by 4 digits, the first 2 digits denote the style and 2 digits for recipe. Can you imagine remembering a 4 digit number after you’ve had a couple of pints? I certainly can’t! Nowadays it’s much simpler with just 2 digits (style), which I think we can all agree is significantly easier to remember.

Along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, BBNo has 2 locations. They have a tasting room at number 75 Enid St, a nicely constructed room with plenty of space, but it’s not the brewery – that’s a couple of doors down at number 79. You can drink at both establishments, both running ten or so taps apiece which is mostly BBNo’s own, although on occasion there will be a guest beer on tap.

The plan for later in 2020, is to give the current tasting room at 75 Enid Street a makeover, with additional seating space and an extra bar up in the mezzanine area at the front of the arch. Watch this space!

What to drink? Stouts or Sours

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 75 (& 79), Enid St, SE16 3RA
• Opening hours | Wed & Thurs: 5-10pm, Fri: 4-10.30pm, Sat: 12pm-10pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm
• Info

10. Bianca Road

Inspired by a coast to coast cycling adventure from San Francisco to Miami, Bianca Road was founded in early 2016.

It originated on, you guessed it, Bianca Road in Peckham (South London) and relocated to the Bermondsey Beer Mile, spreading themselves over two adjacent railway arches on Enid St, making them the newest brewery along the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

Drinkers can sit inside in either one of the arches; one of them contains the bar and the brew tanks, the other one contains the keg storage area and the toilets, so choose wisely.

Most weekends Bianca Road will have a different street food vendor parked up outside for peckish drinkers. Check their Instagram for the latest collaboration. Previous partnerships have included Salty Loins, Chicken George, Burger Singh and Pizza & Plonk to name but a few. You’re also able to have to Deliveroo deliver your favourites to the taproom.

What to drink? LA Bloods

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 83-84, Enid St, SE16 3RA
• Opening hours | Wed-Fri: 5-10.30pm, Sat: 11am-9pm, Sun: 12pm-6pm
• Info

11. The Kernel

They’re the first to open at 9am, perhaps a tad early for most people on a Saturday.

The Kernel has a new dedicated taproom in Arch 7, with a dozen or so taps available, including a mixture of their pales, IPAs and saisons as well as their 2.8% table beer which you can easily drink all day.

Most beers are served in third and half pints, with some of the weaker ABV beers available as two-thirds and pints. They also serve a small selection of nibbles – beer sticks from Crown & Queue next door, plus olives, crisps and nuts.

What to drink? Table beer

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Arch 7, Dockley Rd, Bermondsey, London SE16 3SF
• Opening hours | Mon – Fri: 10am-8pm, Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: 12pm-5pm
• Info

Is It Time to Retire?

The next brewery is Affinity. It’s almost an entire kilometer from The Kernel to Affinity, so you could call it quits here and head home via Bermondsey Tube station (7 min walk) and do the rest on another day, or use the walk to sober up a bit and carry on.

12. Affinity

Affinity is a small brewery that’s made efficient use of their arch space. The downstairs bar has five taps, propped up in full view of the tanks at the back, which the staff like Stirling Mitchell the head brewer will happily walk you through until you find something you like.

Affinity also has a fridge full of cans and bottled ciders, gins, soft drinks, and the newest addition; kombucha.

The upstairs seating area is decorated with fairy lights and the clickety-clack as the trains go overhead and some rather chilled out tunes.

At the time of our visit, Affinity had just held Cask in Peckham, the finest cask beer festival anywhere in the world, with 30 breweries showcasing one-off beers, and cutting-edge serving technology. Watch this space, it’s due to return in 2021.

What to drink? Toowoomba, a Lamington inspired stout

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Arch 7, Almond Road, SE16 3LR.
• Opening hours | Fri: 5-8.30pm, Sat: 12pm-8.30pm
• Info

13. Spartan

Ignore your Google Maps instructions, Spartan is located in the arch next door to Affinity.

Spartan is a micro brewery specialising in crafting beers using British hop varieties. Creating beers the brewers (Colin and Mike) would like to drink themselves is a pretty solid ethos. Traditional styles with a modern twist in cask, keg and can with an emphasis on all day drinkability.

What to drink? Swords & Sandals (IPA), & a SIBA bronze medal winner

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | Arch 8, Almond Road, SE16 3LR.
• Opening hours | Sat: 12-7pm
• Info

14. EeBria

EeBria isn’t a brewery. They’re predominately a merchant, supplying London with beer and cider on mail order. In the taproom along the Bermondsey Beer Mile they do have 8 guest beers on tap, with everything available in measures between 1/3 and pints. If that’s not enough choice, you can choose from at least 40 more beers in bottles or cans.

They also have regular tap takeovers so keep checking this page to find out what’s going on each week. For entertainment there’s an old school arcade machine, and free shuffleboard too. Seating is by way of recycled palettes.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 15 Almond Road, SE16 3LR.
• Opening hours | Sat: 12.30-8pm (winter). Summer: Friday nights & Sat: 12.30-8pm
• Info

15. Partizan

Partizan who have been on the Bermondsey Beer Mile in one spot or another for about seven years has an interesting ethos; To learn from our predecessors and give life and longevity to the beer they made, while taking inspiration from central Europe and the classic beer styles developed there.

Partizan offers a mix of core and seasonal brews, including interesting Lemongrass, and Lemon & Thyme saisons. There’s good variety so even the fussiest of beer drinkers can surely find something suitable.

What to drink? Lemongrass Saison or the Table Juice

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 34 Raymouth Road, SE16 2DB
• Opening hours | Fri: 5-11pm, Sat: 11am-8pm
• Info

16. Fourpure

Situated in a different trading estate from other breweries, Fourpure can be a dedicated trip. And there’s no missing it, this behemoth is easily spotted by the enormous tanks outside the building.

The biggest brewery along the Mile has a modern industrial vibe with two stories of seating space inside, plus some outdoor seating for those sunny London days.

At the bar, you’ll discover 43 taps which are displayed on rotating digital screens around the taproom, ensuring you can get your hands on all their year-round core range favourites and our small batch brews.

For food, Fourpure collaborates with Oh My Dog! who sling hotdogs and burgers Wednesday to Sunday, and have recently launched a bottomless brunch on Sundays.

As you would expect of a brewery of this size, they run events, are available for private hire, have an onsite shop that sells merchandise and they also run brewery tours, which at £20 pp, I think is a bit steep – even if it does include some tasters.

Side Note:
At the start of this post we said the Bermondsey Beer Mile is predominately small independent craft breweries.

I wanted to address the obvious question: is Fourpure independent? Technically no. The Australian conglomerate Lion, which is a subsidiary of Japanese drinks giant Kirin, acquired a 100% stake in Fourpure in 2018. The injection of funds has enabled Fourpure to expand unlike any other, but no they’re no longer an independent brewery run by two brothers that started it. Despite this, we have included Fourpure because we think it’s still worthy of your time.

What to drink? A favourite of Russ’s, Little Creatures -which hails from Western Australia

THE ESSENTIALS

• Where | 25 Bermondsey Trading Estate, SE16 3LL
• Opening hours | Tues: 12-8pm, Wed-Fri: 12-10pm, Sat: 11am-8pm, Sun: 12pm-8pm
• Info

Final Thoughts

However you choose to undertake the Bermondsey Beer Mile there’s a few things to consider.

• Weather: the hotter it is, the busier it will be.
• Footwear: There’s a considerable amount of standing around and walking involved. Opt for comfort.
• Bring a bag: a collapsible one is great if you decide to stock up on snacks on the go.
• Pace: The Bermondsey Beer Mile is not for the faint of heart. One pint at each site will see you down more than a dozen pints by the end. Opt for 1/3 or halves to pace yourself and remember to hydrate with water to keep yourself going.
• Plan your route: Plan your route in advance, especially if there are some venues you don’t want to miss, so you know where you need to be, and what time venues open and close.
• Loos: Most of the breweries have a loo onsite. Many are gender neutral.