London’s love for indie beer, breweries and distilleries has boomed in the last decade but in a city built on brewing, the art has long been part of the city’s history. In the 19th century, Bermondsey railway arches, just south of the Thames, became the hub of brewing, and today boasts the Bermondsey Beer Mile – a strip of the most artisanal breweries and distilleries in the nation. It is the highlight of every craft beer, gin and cider lover’s weekend and constantly buzzes with passion, knowledge and love for a good old pint.

Writer (and North East London local) Emmie Harrison-West takes you on a journey through the Mile. Whether you’re a gin, cider or beer lover, she reveals how to spend a booze-soaked afternoon in the centre of London’s drinking history…

London Like a Local

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Just on the edge of Bermondsey, in Southwark, is the spectacular George Inn - this is a great meeting spot, and incredible boozer saturated with the city’s brewing history. The 17th century pub is the city’s only surviving coaching inn that dates back to medieval times. Grab a pint and hearty pie to line your stomach, while marvelling at the galleried facade. Then, walk through the quiet suburban borough, home to vintage railway arches, while craning your neck up at the ever-looming Shard.

Then, snoop around the historic Bermondsey Distillery - a small batch distillery, brewing botanical gin based on a recipe dating back to 1840. Take a tour to find out more about the fascinating distilling process, while listening to thundering trains overhead and supping on a Jensen’s Bermondsey Dry Gin (which is also great in a dry Martini). 

If it’s the weekend, pass through the buzzy Maltby Street Market - Bermondsey’s proper London market - and jump over the road to Hawkes Cidery. With crates piled high of smushed apples outside (did you know that it takes a whopping 3kg of apples to make one cider?) this is a taproom like no other. Discover 20 taps of hand-crafted cider in the super cool railway arch, and wait for your cidery tour to start, while chomping on a stonebaked pizza. If you’re not a fan of the classic dry cider, opt for their tropical Pineapple Punch.

Once you’ve sampled every variation of cider you didn’t even know existed, grab a takeaway pint from one of the neighbouring breweries and take a stroll down the entirety of the Beer Mile and soak it up. Watch locals stream in and out of their favourite spots on the strip, fighting for rickety road-side benches in the sun.

Your last stop for the afternoon will be Partizan, where beer lovers unite over their favourite tipple of choice from this microbrewery. Partizan has been brewing since 2012, and constantly pushes the boundaries of brewing - whipping up saisons, stouts, porters, DDH pales and zesty, hazy IPAs on the reg. Choose from eight drafts (or wine and spirits) and pet the most welcome dogs, while watching the Mile go by. It’s the perfect, tastiest way to end an afternoon in the heart of London’s brewing history.