. Reboot at the Priory hotel, inside a 12th-century former Cistercian monastery in the adjacent town of Caerleon. Details B&B doubles from £125 (thepriorycaerleon.co.uk) Long a place of pilgrimage for beer fans, this Lakeland institution came into being 21 years ago outside the village of Hawkshead. In 2006 the brewery relocated to Staveley, adding an imposing, glass-fronted beer hall with 14 hand pumps in the main, two-level bar. For some perfectly light post-fells refreshment, try a breezy Windermere Pale (just 3.5 per cent), which won a silver gong at 2023's World Beer Awards (hawksheadbrewery.co.uk). Three minutes' walk away is the Eagle & Child, a locally adored pub with rooms. Details B&B doubles from £108 (eaglechildinn.co.uk) Sitting cosily near local craft-brewing titans Brewdog's own bar and hotel, Fierce is an altogether smaller operation, with two Scottish outposts (the other is in Edinburgh) and one in Manchest){kind=link}
Question: what is a taproom? A pared-back space whose adjoining independent brewery sells fresh-as-you-like craft beer from taps with eye-catching artwork, often at eye-catching prices? Any bar specific to a particular brewery, whatever its location? A gastropub? Well, it could be any of those things – except the last. These places are not about food. Instead, these seven unique watering holes, be they railway-arch secrets or Lakeland beer halls, are firmly devoted to solemnly made porters, pilsners, pale ales and so on. And don’t worry about finding a designated driver; each one comes with an appropriate place to stay.
Tiny Rebel’s colourful cans adorn off-licence fridges up and down the land. After debuting in Cardiff a decade ago, in 2015 it became the youngest Welsh brewery to win Camra’s Champion Beer of Britain award. This taproom is a cavernous space with ample outdoor seating in the city of Newport, on Wern Industrial Estate. Order the classic Clwb Tropica – or, if that’s too fruity, the easy-drinking Easy Livin’ pale ale (tinyrebel.co.uk). Reboot at the Priory hotel, inside a 12th-century former Cistercian monastery in the adjacent town of Caerleon.Details B&B doubles from £125 (thepriorycaerleon.co.uk)
Long a place of pilgrimage for beer fans, this Lakeland institution came into being 21 years ago outside the village of Hawkshead. In 2006 the brewery relocated to Staveley, adding an imposing, glass-fronted beer hall with 14 hand pumps in the main, two-level bar. For some perfectly light post-fells refreshment, try a breezy Windermere Pale (just 3.5 per cent), which won a silver gong at 2023’s World Beer Awards (hawksheadbrewery.co.uk). Three minutes’ walk away is the Eagle & Child, a locally adored pub with rooms.Details B&B doubles from £108 (eaglechildinn.co.uk)
Sitting cosily near local craft-brewing titans Brewdog’s own bar and hotel, Fierce is an altogether smaller operation, with two Scottish outposts (the other is in Edinburgh) and one in Manchester. Opened in Aberdeen in 2018, with 20 taps from pilsners to porters, its minimal flagship space was named Scottish Brewery of the Year three years later. Try a gluten-free vegan Fierce Rhubarb pale ale, or the Berry Big Moose imperial stout with raspberry and toasted coconut (fiercebeer.com). Book a room a ten-minute stroll away at the beautifully restored Sandman Signature Aberdeen Hotel – and reboot in its spa.Details Room-only doubles from £78 (sandmansignature.co.uk)
This picturesque, historic town is home to several breweries, including the popular Abyss (abyssbrewing.co.uk) and Harvey’s, which, dating back to 1790, is the county’s oldest (harveys.org.uk). But take a brief riverside walk alongside the A26 to an industrial estate below white cliffs and you’ll find Beak – with roaring fire pits, the brewery makes for a supremely atmospheric spot in which to linger over a heady Parade IPA, refreshing pilsner or dark Baltic Porter. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and vegan street food enhance the appeal (beakbrewery.com). Back in Lewes, check in at the chic Victorian boutique accommodation, Monty’s. Details Room-only doubles from £149 (montysaccommodation.co.uk)