London's best breweries

London breweries

Where better to enjoy a pint than at a brewery? Sophie Farrah raises a glass to our finest local taprooms...

Jawbone

“Born in a boatyard, enjoyed everywhere” is independent brewery Jawbone’s motto – and that’s because its brewing operation does in fact take place in a boatyard on the banks of the Thames at Twickenham.

This relatively new riverside spot is run by innovative brewer Ben Hughes, who likes to introduce bold flavours across a vast spectrum of beer styles. The brewery’s most recent addition is its BeerDock Taproom, where thirsty punters can chat to Ben and the team, take a look around the brewery and enjoy delicious brews at source.

There are seven taps on the go, alongside cider, wine, G&Ts, soft drinks, crisps and nuts. It’s dog and family friendly, and hosts monthly comedy and quiz nights.

Hogs Back Brewery

Escape the city and head to the award-winning Hogs Back Brewery, which was founded in 1992 in Tongham, Surrey. Here, visitors can enjoy beer served straight from the cellar with countryside views. Choose from TEA (Traditional English Ale), Surrey Nirvana Session IPA, Hazy Hog cider and more, plus occasional limited editions.

Its tap room, the Hogs Back Tap, can be found in a converted hop kiln and there’s a lovely big beer garden too, overlooking the hop garden, complete with marquee and wood-fired pizza oven. Live music, comedy nights, quizzes and sport screenings take place all year round.

SAM_A_HARRIS

Two Flints

This brilliant new independent brewery and taproom is nestled away in a beautifully redeveloped railway arch under Windsor Central station, just a stone’s throw from the Castle.

It offers 12 rotating beers on tap (a mixture of classic styles and more experimental brews) in a cool, contemporary space, as well as cider, natural wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic options and soft drinks, plus a range of bar snacks and a rotating line-up of food trucks at the weekend. Children and dogs welcome.

The Park Brewery

Founded by husband-and wife team Josh and Frankie in 2014, The Park Brewery’s name is a nod to nearby Richmond Park.

On Hampden Road in Kingston upon Thames, the brewery produces hop forward, innovative beers; it also has a shop and a light and airy taproom which is open Thursday-Saturday evenings, serving up a selection of the brewery’s seasonal specials, as well as its core range and a few one-offs.

Throughout the year, it hosts beer tastings, food pairings, live comedy, music and brewery tours, as well as a regular beer festival.

Sambrook’s

Born in Battersea in 2008, Sambrook’s moved to the Ram Quarter in Wandsworth in 2020, where it now occupies the site of the old Youngs Brewery and the oldest continually brewing site in the country.

From its state-ofthe-art new home, this modern craft beer producer offers a heritage centre, brewery tours, tasting sessions and brewing experience days. It also houses a high-ceilinged taproom and a big outside terrace, where Sambrook’s award-winning beers can be enjoyed straight from the tank. There are also guest beers, cocktails, wine and soft drinks on offer, and some truly fantastic pizza.

Big Smoke Brew Co.

Based in Esher, the hugely popular Big Smoke Brew Co. is a young, modern brewery that has been rustling up hop forward pales, crisp lagers, rich stouts and everything in between since 2014.

Today it owns several local pubs, runs sites at four London airports and has a popular brewery taproom within Esher’s Sandown Industrial Estate. Here, pints are poured direct from source and served alongside burgers and fried chicken (plus good veggie and vegan options).

There are regular comedy nights, live sports on the big screen and a quiz every Thursday evening.