bristol craft beer tour

Bristol Brewery Tours

Hop aboard the craft beer boat for tastings on a tour that visits Moor Brewery and ends at Beer Emporium for cheese, meats and beer!

The Bristol Craft Beer Experience

Home of the Bristol Craft Beer Experience since 2016, our 4 hour Bristol Brewery Tour includes a boat trip with tastings on board the ferry, a tour and tasting at the award winning Moor Brewery in Bristol and ends up at Beer Emporium on King Street for more tastings of beer along with cheese and meat boards!

The Bristol Craft Beer Experience starts the day by meeting outside Grain Barge and heading down to the ferry for our private 30 minute tour along the harbour. On board we’ll enjoy a talk and tasting of 2 local beer styles to start the day (nothing too heavy to start). We’ll sail past the old Bristol brewery site, and you’ll hear a little bit about the history of brewing in the city from past to present.

We’ll then head to Moor Brewery where you’ll get a look behind the scenes at the brewing equipment along with a talk from the team on how beer is made at this legendary award winning brewery. After the tour we’ll head inside the taproom to allow time to sample a selection of beers brewed on site.

It’s then a walk down to King Street though Castle Park where we’ll stop to see the site of the old Bristol Brewery (around 20 min walk). We’ll then reach The Beer Emporium for the final tastings of the day and cheese and meat platters to share (these are nibbles rather than a meal however you can get a discount on their excellent pizzas).

All 3 stops below are included on our tour…

The day starts on board the ferry with a 30 minute ride across the beautiful Bristol harbour with tastings of Bristol Beer Factory beers on board. Your expert beer guide will talk you through the beer styles sampled.

Moor Brewery

Then it’s a short walk to Moor Brewery for tastings of their award winning beers along with a tour of the brewhouse. Discover how the beer is made and take a tour of the brewing equipment.

Beer Emporium

Final stop, after a brisk 20 min walk, is Beer Emporium on King Street where guests will sample a flight of craft beer with nibbles of cheese and meats to end the day. Discover the best of Bristol’s beer scene.

Tastings Included

Tasting included on the boat and at each stop visited. Discover a range of local beers and a variety of styles.

4 Hour Tour

Enjoy an afternoon in great company on our 4 hour Bristol Brewery Tours running since 2016.

Boat Trip Included

Start the day on board the ferry and see Bristol from the water whilst enjoying local beer tastings.

Expert Guides

All our guides know a thing or two about beer and will answer your questions on the tour.

5 Star Reviews

Check out the feedback from other guests who have joined us on a tour in Bristol along with other cities around the UK where our tours operate.

Check out the photos of previous guests on our award winning tours.

Private Group Tours

Private group tours are available for corporate outings or stag and hen parties. Get in touch for more details.

Reserve your space

Bristol craft beer experience tickets.

Tickets are available for our tours from our ticket partner Design My Night. Just select an available date and book a tour with up to 30 guests.

For group tour requests please click here to visit UK Brewery Tours .

What’s included?

Beer tastings and cheese and meat sharing platters are included. There’s the right amount of beer to enjoy over the time it takes to complete the tour. We generally serve beer in third of a pint measures so you can enjoy tasting a range of beer styles. There’s two or three beers to taste in each stop however this can differ sometimes depending on what’s brewing. You may taste keg or cask beer and again this depends on what is available at each stop.

When do tours take place?

Tours take place on various Saturdays throughout the year and generally run at least once per month however there may be extra dates in the summer and less dates in Winter due to popularity.

What time do tours start and finish?

Public tours start at 11.45am with the boat departing at 12pm. They finish around 4pm (finish time may vary slightly depending on the group).

Where do tours start and finish?

Tours meet outside Grain Barge and the full address is Grain Barge, Hotwell Rd, Bristol BS8 4RU. Here’s a Google Map link.

Tours finish at Beer Emporium, 13 – 15 King St, Bristol BS1 4EF ( map link here )

What’s the refund policy?

Refunds are available up to 30 days before your tour. As we need to arrange things is advance we regret we cannot refund tickets if there is less than 30 days before the event starts. This is for any reason including covid, illness, late trains etc – so please consider protecting your tickets with your own policy if you feel this may be needed for your own circumstances.

Do tours take place in all weather conditions?

Yes, tours take place in snow, rain and hail so please dress for the weather. Please be aware that walking takes place outside in the fresh air. We only cancel tours if there is a risk on the actual tour to or guests. Therefore, if travelling from another city please be aware that the tour will still run and you should consider the travel arrangements made to get there at the start time if there is adverse weather.

Secure your space with a ticket!

£65pp (includes beer tastings and nibbles)

2024 Dates Released

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Looking for a gift? Gift Vouchers can be purchased from UK Brewery Tours for our Bristol Brewery Tours and are valid for 12 months from purchase.

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Bristol Brewery Tours

Home of the Bristol Craft Beer Experience since 2016, our 4 hour Bristol Brewery Tour includes a boat trip with tastings on board the ferry, a tour and tasting at the award winning Moor Brewery in Bristol and ends up at Beer Emporium on King Street for more tastings of beer along with cheese and meat boards!

Operated by UK Brewery Tours

The Bristol Craft Beer Experience starts the day by meeting outside Grain Barge and heading down to the ferry for our private 30 minute tour along the harbour. On board we’ll enjoy a talk and tasting of 2 local beer styles to start the day (nothing too heavy to start). We’ll sail past the old Bristol brewery site, and you’ll hear a little bit about the history of brewing in the city from past to present.

UK Brewery Tours

Bristol Craft Beer Experience

£ 65.00

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Purchase a monetary gift voucher that can be used towards this tour and many others around the UK using the button below.

Description

Hop aboard HMS Hops, our fully licensed ferry for an afternoon boat trip, brewery tour and beer tastings on The Bristol Craft Beer Experience – running since 2016. We take the Bristol Ferry on a private voyage down the harbour before heading to Moor Brewery for a tour and tasting, then walking down to Beer Emporium for final tastings – with cheese and meat platters to share.

Duration: 4 hours (approx) Group size: 35 max (approx)

Saturdays. Check availability to see starting times and available dates. Language: English

• Sail down the harbour on a 30 minute boat ride with local beer tastings on board
• Tour of the equipment at Moor Brewery followed by taproom tastings
• End up in Beer Emporium on King Street for some nibbles and final beers

Full description

The Bristol Craft Beer Experience starts the day by meeting outside Grain Barge and heading down to the ferry for our private 30 minute tour along the harbour. On board we’ll enjoy a talk and tasting of 2 local beer styles to start the day (nothing too heavy to start). We’ll sail past the old Bristol brewery site, and you’ll hear a little bit about the history of brewing in the city from past to present.

We’ll then head to Moor Brewery where you’ll get a look behind the scenes at the brewing equipment along with a talk from the team on how beer is made at this legendary award winning brewery. After the tour we’ll head inside the taproom to allow time to sample a selection of beers brewed on site.

It’s then a walk down to King Street though Castle Park where we’ll stop to see the site of the old Bristol Brewery (around 20 min walk). We’ll then reach The Beer Emporium for the final tastings of the day and cheese and meat platters to share (these are nibbles rather than a meal however you can get a discount on their excellent pizzas).

✔ Guided tour ✔ Beer tastings and nibbles

Meeting Point Outside Grain Barge, Hotwell Rd, Bristol BS8 4RU (It’s open for breakfast from 10am)

What to bring

• Passport or ID card
• Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

• Under 18’s

Know before you go

• Venues do not have step free access. A ferry with hoist can be arranged but we’ll need to know a few months in advance. Lift available at Beer Emporium.
• At least one tasting at each stop and this will depend on the day, beers available and venues visited.

Privacy Overview

A Craft Beer Guide to Bristol: The City’s Best Breweries and Tap Rooms

• Last Updated March 17, 2024
• UK , Europe

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.

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 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.

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 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.

Dave McClane

David McClane is a photographer and travel writer based in Leeds, UK. Since first picking up a camera on a yearlong journey through Central and South America in 2014/2015, He has carefully documented his travels through almost 50 countries.

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WALKING TOURS OF BRISTOL & OUR BRILLIANT CRAFT BEER SCENE

4 TH  JUNE 3 PM     £20

Breweries, brunel & brigstow, bristol temple meads - st phillips - old market - castle park - old town.

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Taken at your own pace and include beer tastings, explore the city and it's beer scene on a budget.

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Bristol craft beer guide – how to drink craft beer in bristol uk.

I still can’t believe we are the type of travelers who now seek out craft beer experiences in every city we visit, but here we are. The Bristol craft beer scene is pretty amazing.

They call themselves “Britain’s First City of Beer,” for a variety of reasons. Most of this relates to the history of some of the Bristol breweries. But, there is certainly no shortage of bars in Bristol for craft beer. Welcome to beer in Bristol, UK . 

In this Craft Beer in Bristol Guide, we will share options for Bristol brewery tours and tastings as well as offer recommendations for pubs in Bristol City Centre. This includes Bristol pubs that offer more traditional and classic pub experiences as well as those that specialize in craft beer.

*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my  DISCLAIMER . As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

For more Bristol Food And Drink Guides, check out:

Bristol Food Guides – Where To Eat In Bristol

Bristol Gin Guide – Where To Taste Gin In Bristol

Craft Beer Bristol Guide

While living in Spain, we started to learn a lot more about craft beer in Catalonia, the region where we lived. We did a lot of research on Catalan craft beers and created a Barcelona Craft Beer Guide . Now that we live in Ireland, there’s certainly no shortage of Irish craft beer , and we have a fabulous craft beer bar in our city of Limerick. Bristol is a whole different story.

As much as there are loads of craft beer producers in the UK, when we travel to London, I find it difficult to find proper craft beer bars. In London, I see pubs advertise “craft beers” but they end up being a collection of mass-produced, industrial beers that (perhaps) once started as artisan or craft or micro-brewed beer.

This is not the case in Bristol. There are proper craft beer producers and bars specializing in local craft beers. Whether you call them craft beers, artisan beers, micro-breweries, or independent brewers, there is no shortage of them in Bristol. Bristol is nirvana for craft beer lovers.

What Is Craft Beer?

Because what is craft beer? The topic is up for debate. In fact, we had this conversation a few times during our visit to Bristol. To me, it means a locally produced beer, rather small-batch, produced by a company that is not owned by Diageo or a similar conglomerate.

We saw craft beer at every turn in Bristol. Even where we didn’t see craft beer, we saw British produced cask ales or even locally produced British cider. 

When we traveled to Bristol, we didn’t intend to write a Bristol Craft Beer Guide. Our schedule included one visit to one microbrewery in Bristol. During that first visit, though, we fell in love. We went above and beyond, and drank a lot of craft beer, and did a lot of research, to provide craft beer lovers a guide to drinking craft beer in Bristol. 

Bristol Brewery Tours

There are a handful of Bristol craft beer breweries that offer tours, mostly on the weekends. In addition to the breweries that offer tours, there are a dozen more Bristol craft brewers that brew beer and distribute to some of the craft beer bars in Bristol city centre.

Here, we focus on a few of the breweries that offer brewery tours, allowing travelers to go behind the scenes and learn about the beers they brew.

Cask Ale In The UK

First a note about beer in the UK. The UK is probably most known for its cask ale , something I was unfamiliar with as an American before I started traveling to the UK. It’s taken me a lot to get used to and people who live outside of the United Kingdom have some pretty strong feelings.

Cask ale is an unfiltered ale, transported in a cask, which is normally smaller than a keg. Cask ale has lower carbonation, which requires it to be hand-pumped out of the cask. It’s normally served at “room temperature,” which leads many Americans to complain that it is served warm. It’s not, but it does mean that cask ale tends to have more flavor than mass-produced British and American beers. 

The brewers we met in Bristol produce both keg beer and cask beer. Most of the Bristol craft beer bars serve both as well. You can see traditional keg taps as well as the hand-pumped cask ale taps on the bars. Most of the Bristol craft beer menus will say whether they are keg or cask. If you like your beer cold then stick to the keg beers rather than the cask ales. 

Moor Beer Bristol

Sometimes we have unique experiences because we are travel bloggers. This normally occurs when we are introduced to a producer, someone to interview for background on our blog, and something special happens.

That is exactly what happened when we arrived at Moor Brewery Bristol for their weekend brewery tour. Our schedule included the regular weekend brewery tour, but instead, we met Justin, a fellow American transplant and the current man behind Moor Beer Bristol . 

We just hit it off with Justin. Not only did he tell us the story of Moor Beer, but also educated us on the Bristol craft beer and real ale scene. He spent time with us explaining the Bristol Craft Beer Map and where to drink during our stay.

He is also the reason why we wrote this post. Initially, we were scheduled to visit Moor Beer and that was about it. But his passion for beer set us out on a quest to drink as much Bristol craft beer as we could during our visit. 

Justin mentioned that he doesn’t like the phrase “craft beer,” perhaps because of his American roots. Instead, Justine operates a “micro-brewery” in Bristol. It’s one that is influenced both by his American background. He believes that real beer has flavor and he’s attempted to re-introduce unfiltered beer to the UK.

At any one time, they have about a dozen Moor Beer varieties on tap, plus more in their signature cans. Everything we tasted was high-quality. If you are in the US and have a kegerator , you should be able to find Moor Beer at shops that specialize in foreign craft beer.

Moor Brewery Tours & Tastings

The Moor Bristol brewery tour runs most Saturdays at 1:30 pm and should be reserved ahead of time online. The Moor Beer Tap Room is open from Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 10 pm. They also have a London taproom on the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

Moor Beer Bristol is located on Days Road, just a 10-minute walk from Bristol’s center. It’s located in more of an industrial area, but still worthwhile to head out there. They can help with a taxi back to town if need be. We walked there and back because we had lovely weather. 

Bristol Beer Factory

We heard a lot about the Bristol Beer Factory while visiting Bristol. This is the original micro-brewery in Bristol. As much as we didn’t visit the brewery, we tasted their Bristol craft beer. If you can’t make it out to the brewery for a tour, Bristol Beer Factory operates a handful of pubs in Bristol as well, including Bristol Tap Room and the Grain Barge, a floating craft beer barge located on the river. I tried their Milk Stout, which was creamy and smooth. 

The Bristol Beer Factory is located a little further outside of town at The Old Brewery on Durnford Street close to the Ashton Gate Stadium. According to their website, they operate brewery tours “every other week or so” at 7 pm, so check with them for the most up-to-date schedule.

King Street Bristol Pubs

There are a lot of good pubs in Bristol, lest I say perhaps too many. I think if we lived in Bristol we would have a lot of fun exploring them all to find our favorite (much to the chagrin of our waistlines).

King Street in Bristol city centre is like a pub street, just one that’s been around since the 17th Century. We only captured a glimpse of it. I can only imagine the area in the spring or summer, with good weather.

There are all sorts of different pubs on King Street Bristol, some of which are traditional British pubs, some of which are Bristol craft beer bars. Some of them are probably more hangouts for the young. Those, we didn’t visit.

We surveyed a mess of the places to drink on King Street in Bristol to gauge whether they offer a good craft beer selection and whether they fit our definition of cool places to drink craft beer. Yeah, I know, it’s subjective. Most of these pubs open at noon seven days a week. 

The Small Bar Bristol

We loved The Small Bar Bristol, hands down our favorite. I can’t quite say it’s one of the best pubs in Bristol, but when we mentioned it to some other craft beer aficionados in town, they seemed to love it too.

I anticipated a bar that was a lot smaller because of its name, but it is a good size. But the feel is exactly what you want a craft beer bar to be and the bartenders were very knowledgeable and helped us pick the perfect beer.

If we lived in Bristol, I could see us frequenting The Small Bar, and that is saying something. From the exposed brick walls and natural wood tables, there was just something about it. 

The Small Bar Bristol is located at 31 King Street. They offer about 30 taps of mostly local beers, including their own brew. Although they don’t serve food regularly, they do operate a pop-up a few days a week offering Asian wings from Wing’s Diner. Somewhat famously they don’t accept cash, it’s credit cards only. 

The Beer Emporium Bristol

The Beer Emporium Bristol is a craft beer shop on the ground level and an underground dungeon-style craft beer bar on the lower level. The entire bar is covered with exposed brick walls, which meant I got to see people hit their heads numerous times in one doorway as they made their way to the bar.

The Beer Emporium offered a pretty good selection of local Bristol craft beers, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I found their selection a little less to my liking than other nearby craft beer bars, but that’s based on the fact that I don’t like IPAs or super-hoppy beers. Because of its underground location, I can imagine it is lovely in the summer. It was a little cold in the winter. 

The Bristol Beer Emporium King Street Bristol is located at 15 King Street. They have a TV in the back for big games and matches. They share their space with Pepenero, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria. 

The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer Bristol 

This is the Bristol pub with the coolest name, particularly for an American. Yes, we visited the Famous Royal Navy Volunteer bar solely based on its cool name.

We heard that this used to be one of the coolest bars in Bristol until the owner passed it on to his son, which has changed the atmosphere a bit. I was thrilled at their selection of craft beer in both keg and cask.

That said, we visited on a Sunday, early in the day, and most employees seemed very hungover. Now, I can’t blame them because I was probably the same when I bartended at their age in the ’90s. But, there were a bunch of people working and no one really seemed eager to serve or seemed to have knowledge of the beers on tap.

The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer Bristol is located at 17-18 King Street Bristol. I would recommend it solely because how often can you drink a beer at a British pub with a name this cool. Perhaps visit later in the day when the staff is more on-the-ball.

King Street Brewhouse Bristol

Although The Small Bar Bristol does, sort of, brew its own beer, most of the Bristol craft beer bars on King Street just serve beer, they don’t brew it. But, at the end of King Street, just along the river is the King Street Brew House.

It’s a large space, with a full kitchen, and yes, they brew their own beer. They carry their own beers as well as other British ales and the bartenders are willing to help drinkers choose the perfect pint.

King Street Brewhouse And Kitchen Bristol is located at 13 Welsh Back, at the end of King Street on the river.

Other Bristol Craft Beer Bars

Although there is a concentration of Bristol craft beer bars around King Street, there are a handful of other bars to mention for craft beer lovers.

There is a location of Brewdog Bristol just a few blocks away from the St. Nichola Market. I know that Brewdog deserves its accolades for resurrecting the British micro-brewing industry, but still have a hard time calling craft beer. I prefer looking for beers I can’t have in cities across the world. We didn’t visit their posh corner craft beer bar on Baldwin Street. But, I wanted to let people know that it is there.

Wild Beer Company Bristol

If you are looking for the best bars in Bristol for sour beers then Wild Beer Bristol is the place to go. We walked by Wild Beer a couple of times and never stopped in until we heard about their focus on sour beers, which I love.

Unfortunately, we hit them on the tail end of our Bristo Craft Beer Tour and we were running out of time. I say unfortunately because they had so many great sours and stouts on tap that I could have spent hours there.

It’s also the perfect place for a little beer tasting in Bristol because they offered us so many samples to try that I had a hard time choosing. If you like craft beer, this is a must-visit craft beer bar in Bristol. 

The Wild Beer Co Bristol is located at Whapping Wharf near the collection of shops and restaurants called Cargo. It’s a cool, mixed-use space that I adored while in Bristol. Wild Beer has a good amount of outdoor seating as well, near the water. Their bartenders are very knowledgeable and super friendly. 

Other Cool Bars In Bristol For Craft Beer

Here are a few other options, which still feel like they only scratch the surface. I would love to go back to Bristol and spend a month exploring all of the food and drink options in the city.

The Barley Mow on Baron Road is the Bristol Beer Factory’s flagship bar. Zero Degrees on Colston Street is a little more contemporary, loaded with glass and metal.

We also ate at The Gallimaufry and Flour & Ash around Gloucester Road, which each offer great selections of craft beers.

More Of Bristol’s Best Pubs

There are few other options to drink away the day in Bristol, no surprise there. Some of these lie off of King Street and might not be the best for craft beer, but are worth mentioning. As for King Street, we popped into King William Ale House in part because of its bright orange facade. It was a little quiet, but they had a good selection of cask ale.

Off of College Green and Park Row lies the oldest pub in Bristol, The Hatchet Inn. Now, we did not go in for a pint, in part because when we walked by it was about 10 am.

That said, it looked adorable, although has a reputation for rock music and a biker clientele. It dates to 1606, but recently Butcombe Brewing Co purchased The Hatchet Inn, making it part of a British pub chain. To check out Bristol’s oldest pub, visit The Hatchet Inn on Frogmore Street.

Our driver also recommended the Cornubia on Temple Street, which is known for being a traditional British pub with real ale in an adorable location surrounded by newer buildings. We tried to get over there, but just couldn’t make it happen. Next time. 

Campaign For Real Ale

Another way that locals and beer aficionados describe British pubs is to talk about the search for real ale. This generally refers to cask ale. Some of the best real ale pubs in Bristol include those “certified” by Bristol CAMRA, the Campaign For Real Ale.

This was something many of the brewers and pub owners we met continued to mention, although not something I was familiar with before traveling to Bristol. There is a list of CAMRA pubs in Bristol on their website. 

British Cider In Bristol

Okay, so not entirely craft beer-related, but it’s impossible to travel to Southwest England without talking about cider. There are a handful of cider pubs in Bristol, but to learn about cider (something we know very little about), we visited the Bristol Cider Shop at Cargo at Whapping Wharf. They’ve since given up their space at Cargo, but they still do online orders and tasting events. They only carry ciders produced within 50 miles of Bristol, making it uber-local.

British pubs traditionally only carried mass-produced ciders, like Thatchers. It’s getting more common, though, to find British artisan ciders around Bristol. Check out The Apple, which is a Bristol cider pub. Well, more accurately, it’s a cider barge, right on the river. There is also a Cider Festival in Bristol each winter, normally in January. 

FAQs – Craft Beer And Bristol Pub Guide

We heard repeatedly about the Bristol Craft Beer Festival, which is held in early June each year. It’s a Bristol beer festival with a focus on locally produced craft beers and featuring local restaurants and chefs. It takes place in the Harbourside and looks to be a lot of fun. Learn more here. Or, check out Bristol Beer Week in September, which focuses on independent brewers.

Yes, several. The Bristol Beer Emporium on King Street operates a shop on the ground level. We also visited one craft beer shop in Bristol in Cargo called the Beer Necessities, you can’t go wrong there just based on its name. It’s a small shop, but they also offer some seats outside to drink beer in nicer weather.

This is the reason why we spent so much time exploring craft beer in Bristol. While at Moor Brewing we picked up a Bristol craft beer map, which had 40 stops on it. The owner of Moor Brewing told us it is already out of date and that there are another dozen or so brewpubs and craft beer bars in Bristol that aren’t on the map. But, it’s a good start. Look for it at some of the Bristol breweries. You can also buy a copy here, but they only ship to the UK. 

You need to be at least 18 years old to buy or drink alcohol in the UK.

We were hosted by  Visit Bristol  during our stay in Bristol, but all views are our own. 

Amber Hoffman

Amber Hoffman, food and travel writer behind With Husband In Tow, is a recovering attorney and professional eater, with a passion for finding new food and drink destinations. She lives with her husband, Eric, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Together over the last 20 years, they have traveled to over 70 countries. Amber is the author of the Food Traveler’s Guide to Emilia Romagna. She regularly lectures on social media marketing to travel professionals throughout Europe.

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