100 Best Beer Days Out in the UK

Here we go for the Play Off contenders for League 2 Towns and Cities (and Suburbs by the looks).

85th - Peckham Rye, Greater London with 440 Points. HR = Beer Rebellion

84th - City, Greater London with 441 Points. HR = Pelt Trader

83rd - Bedford, Bedfordshire with 441 Points. HR = Wellington Arms

82nd - Edinburgh, Leith, Lothians with 442 Points. HR = Dreadnought

81st - Swindon, Wiltshire with 442 Points. HR = Hop Inn

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We have 3 districts of major cities in this section. I have been to the City of London or Bank area lots but never knowingly gone in the Pelt Trader, I must put that one right. Not really done Peckham Rye but have been to the Leith area of Edinburgh which is an area on the up imo.
Surprised Bedford is so high as it is either Chas Wells or B&T with not much other choice.
Swindon, this is certainly a town that is improving all the while. The Old Town is great and with the new brew pub (who have a beer festival in December), I can only see it getting higher in the chart, definite Play Off contenders!

Hi Dave. You do raise some good points here.
We do split up the larger conurbations, a decision taken very early on with our places section, hopefully not as arbitrarily us you suggest and it is a bit of a task to absolutely nail them, and this will have an affect on where the larger places sit in this chart. There has been quite a few areas of London already highlighted. I would suggest it would be pretty impossible to cover all the best in London and many other cities in 1 beery day out. This is why the decision was taken to try and keep everything in manageable chunks, however this was almost 20 years ago and can be reviewed.
The chart came about because I was looking for new places to visit while we were away. It got a bit out of hand in the end and I thought that people would be interested in the results, it’s a bit of fun really and not an attempt to take over from things like the CAMRA City of Beer awards or such like. It is also an attempt to get more people reviewing places as I believe it could be a real strength for the site.

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Only one Pelt Trader i know of … in the arches under Cannon Steeet.
Used to swing by a bit 2013/4/5 era but not been since then … used to always pick up a few ticks.
Owned by the Bloomsbury Leisure Group … see also Euston Tap, Waterloo Tap, Picadiily Tap and the former Holborn Whippet. I might be missing one?

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Bedford isn’t great but it’s changing. There’s a great drink-in bottle store now (Beerfly) that gets all kinds of good shit in tap and packaged, and Brewpoint has really surprised me (although as Wells’ ‘krääft’ wing it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, plus it’s way out of the centre). I think you can just about squeeze a six-pub night out in Bedford: with the first 5 on the list (The Welly, Brewhouse & Kitchen, Three Cups, Beerfly, Brewpoint) plus Foxy Wings (a restaurant with a good tap list that I’ve not gotten around to visiting). Foresters Arms is you’re desperate for a 7th.

So probably deserving of the high 80s but no higher.

Went around the City not all that long ago but it was just after COVID restrictions had lifted so a lot of the pubs had dull beer choice. Pelt Trader was probably the best of the lot but VERY expensive (I know it’s the City but still).

I’d agree that Peckham Rye is a surprisingly good beer destination.

I have not been to Swindon in about 8-9 years. It was a beer desert then, glad to hear it’s improving!

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Amazingly so, definitely agree that it used to be a Beer Dessert with mostly Arkells & Wadworth outlets around but now it’s really very good.

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I’ll have to add to my one Wiltshire place rate then (the Glue Pot, which was probably the bear bet at the time).

I should perhaps clarify that by ‘arbitrary’ I meant more that the divisions could lead to arbitrary distinctions than the process itself! I can certainly see the reasons behind it, and indeed the GBG does similar I believe. Obviously it becomes a question of where one draws the line, treating ‘London’ as once place would be pretty ridiculous!

Not so much for this, which as you say is a bit of fun, but in terms of wider trip planning it can ‘disguise’ the picture of what a town/city has to offer. For that reason I find the maps more useful than the lists - perhaps now we’re in the age of mobile interweb the breakdowns are less important since we can look at the map and see the whole city and zoom in/out as much as we want

None of which is to take anything from the project, I’m waiting to see how high (or otherwise!) my regular haunts get!

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The last five places don’t find me in them very often. Never been to any of the ‘top bars’ in any of them. I have drank in The City, Leith and Swindon but never had a drop in Peckham Rye or Bedford.

Not doing too well yet!

<*))))))><

The Pelt Trader veing #1 in the City does demonstrate that it’s not always accurate. There are various other City oubs that have been listed as being in a different area - i.e. BD Tower Hill. Definitely in the City and not Tower Hill.

They have a few other pubs. Couldn’t remember the exact ones but referring to the website: Hackney Tap, Farringdon Tap, Jackalope, Resting Hare, Bloomsbury Lanes in London plus a few in other cities. A couple more to open in London
(And elsewhere), as well as some bakeries and cafes.

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Yes … the Lanes … never bothered with.

Jackaloupe… that was the one i was trying to recall …never been

Okay, here’s the next lot. Sticking with the Football League analogy these are the promotion hopefuls from League 2.

80th - Inverness, Highlands & Western Isles with 442 Points. HR = Black Isle Bar.

79th - Doncaster, South Yorkshire with 443 Points. HR = Marketplace Alehouse & Deli.

78th - Hammersmith, Greater London with 443 Points. HR = Craft Beer Co. Hammersmith.

77th - Macclesfield, Cheshire with 443 Points. HR = Redwillow Bar.

76th - Ely, Cambridgeshire with 443 Points. HR = Drayman’s Son.

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Just a few of places that I have really done today.

We have been to Inverness a couple of times and it is a lovely place to go. Been with my mates once and had a cracking time. Really friendly bars although the Black Isle Bar wasn’t up and running then, sounds great.

Only been to Doncaster for football and cannot remember going to Macclesfield ever.

I have a mate who supports Fulham and we used to go down and drink in Hammersmith before the games and go to gigs at the Odeon, nothing in the last 30 years though, a must do at some point by the looks.

Now Ely, punching way above its size. I appreciate it’s a City, but it’s tiny compared to the others on the list so far, but I have to say it is well worthwhile visiting the pubs and Micro-bars there.

I’m off down the smoke tomorrow, so another early start, so unfortunately the next chunk will be on Saturday.

well this is certainly throwing up some surprises! Never would have imagined Donny in the top 1000 let alone the top 100…

There does seem to be a fairly solid line up of 5 places then something reasonable backing up.
Marketplace Alehouse & Deli
Draughtsman Alehouse
Doncaster Brewery Tap
Queen (Crafthouse & Kitchen)
Leopard

Highest rated place in City is now the BD.

Haven’t had a proper look but pretty much 100% of those places listed under Tower Hill are actually east of there and within the boundaries of the City.

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Would you be able to move them please?

Have moved BD already. Will take a look at the others at some point.

Have just gone through and 100% of places listed under Tower Hill were in fact within the City. Tower Hill is no longer a region.

Could go further - ie. Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Blackfriars… all in the City and have been added seperately.

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I lived in Ely for 18 happy months. Some damn good boozers. Draymans Son and 3@3 not only carry lots of the wonderful Three Blind Mice, but often a Bakers Dozen or two if you want to up your Rutland rates.

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