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Southwark Brewing, Bermondsey, SE1
SE1
SE1 2EZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Southwark Brewing
Having only ever visited the Brew By Numbers Taproom on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, I thought it was about time that I explored some of the other bars along here. Starting at London Bridge station, you pass a number of very commercial-looking ventures. Southwark Brewing is the first proper brewery that you come to.
This was a good starting point and was the place stocking the most cask ales on my Saturday evening visit. All 6 cask ales were from Southwark. Bermondsey Best & London Pale Ale are the regular beers. The other 4 were Mayflower, Potters' Fields Porter, Saison By Sam & Top Drop. Craft beers also all from Southwark were Big Bear Wish You Were Here Pale & Crazy Diamond & You Crazy Diamond Saion. They also had their own draught cider.
This place in a railway arch was much smaller than some of the other ventures, but I enjoyed my Porter and of all of the places I visited on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, I found this to be the best.
On 14th November 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Southwark Brewing
Usual Bermondsey Beer Mile deal, with canteen tables under the railway arches and little else apart from beer and chatter. However, it is one of the best options for cask ale with five available on handpump or gravity dispense - LPA, Bermondsey Best, Bankside Blonde, Nelson Sauvin (£3.25, schooner) and Mayflower Session IPA - plus four craft keg beers.
On 12th August 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Southwark Brewing
Depending on which end you start, this may well be considered the first stop on the famed Bermondsey Beer Mile, and is a good introduction to what to expect from most of the other stops. Located in the arches under the railway track, it is of course a brewery tap rather than a pub, and this is reflected in the somewhat industrial style décor, if one could go so far as calling it that.
Flooring was some type of concrete covered in flaky red paint, whilst the walls and arched ceiling were clad with corrugated iron which had been painted white and seemed to act as a drainage system to channel the continually dripping water from the tunnel roof away from the punters underneath. In a nod to on-trend pub design, a number of exposed filament style light bulbs were strung around, as well as a few strings of fairly lights. Seating was basic and rather flimsy wooden benches whilst a TV screen was up in the corner, although this was not in use on our visit. The rear of the pub contained the brewery equipment, and a number of vessels and so forth were visible.
Beers on tap were all their own as might be expected, and consisted of Routemaster Red, Fagins Den, Oatmeal Milk Stout, Southwark LPA, Potters’ Fields Porter and Mayflower Session IPA. Unfortunately there were no ciders on tap, just a rather disappointing Bulmer’s in bottles, which I politely declined.
On 5th February 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Southwark Brewing
This was the first of the Bermondsey beer mile breweries we visited and was probably one of the best of the day. This was most noticeably because it is one of the few along this stretch that brew cask ales as well as keg, but also because we got a brewery talk (you cannot really call it a tour when you stand in the middle of all the stainless steel equipment and get different bits pointed at ) by one of the founders of the brewery who, unlike a lot of these start ups, has several years working for big brewers under his belt, most noticeably Marstons, and could weave a yarn about the brewing industry.
All six hand pumps were in operating dispensing Barbe Rouge, Southwark Gold, Harvard American Pale Ale, Belaire Park, LPA London Pale Ale and something called I want Candy, this is apparently a collaboration brew with the Essex Street Brewery. The LPA was a decent beer and I also tried one of the keg stout offerings that was also available. Will certainly be paying a return visit to this one.
On 18th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Southwark Brewing
This is yet one more brewery along the Bermondsey mile. The interior is still as described by Pubsignman over three years ago, although I wouldn't say that the brewery operation is hidden at the back as it's openly visible for all to see. Also, there were no facilities for outside drinking, although of course smokers can be seen lounging around leaning against walls.
There were six ales on handpump during my Wednesday evening visit - Belair Park; Potter's Field Porter; London Pale Ale; Bermondsey Best; Rhode Island New England IPA; and Barbe Rouge Single Hop. This looked a good variety of styles. I had pints of the Rhode Island and the Porter (£4.20 a pint) and both were in excellent condition.
This is the only one of the Bermondsey mile breweries that I've visited, but I suspect that the the real ale selection makes it one of, if not the, best.
On 23rd May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Southwark Brewing
Last stop on the Beer Mile crawl and although not my favorite brewery there was some decent beer on, I settled for the Oatmeal Stout. Its typical bench and table seating inside although there was one sofa spotted. Worthy of a visit.
On 30th April 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Southwark Brewery
The final stop on the Bermondsey Beer Mile for those heading back in the direction of the city, Southwark Brewery marks a departure for those that have gone before by being the only place on the crawl to currently offer cask ale. I didn't spot any keg taps, but they were running a special cask ale day for London Beer city, so there were apparently more handpulls in operation than usual. Options on this visit were Bankside Blonde, London Pale Ale, Potter's Fields Porter, Bermondsey Best Bitter, Gold, Harvard APA and 5-Hop with the last two dispensed straight from the cask. I tried the Bankside Blonde which was a good, solid session ale.
The bar is located in a railway arch with a red concrete floor and the same corrugated iron walls you'll find along the entire length of the Beer Mile. Canteen benches can be found to the left side of the arch along with a couple of sofas, whilst the bar is over to the right and all the brewery bits are hidden away to the rear. The bar area is probably the nicest of all those along the Mile, and not just because it has handpulls, but also a nice counter with the brewery logo on the front. A small standing area has been fenced off using upright pallets on the pavement outside - not the most attractive feature and this was the quietest bar of the day, presumably as the preceding bars had taken a few casualties along the way. Brewery merchandise is also available along with off sales.
This was the ideal place to end the beer mile, with some proper beer to make up for a day of gassy keg stuff. The place is a bit more comfortable than others along the Mile, perhaps mainly because it was quieter, although this is all relative of course.
Open Saturday only 11:00 - 18:00.
On 20th October 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]