Brixton and Friends: A Guide

The brewery market is getting competitive down South, that’s for sure. This is only a good thing for the craft beer enthusiast, who only eight years ago would have been limited to Red Stripe as the most flavourful beer in the neighbourhood. Brixton’s gentrification, perhaps more than anywhere else in the city, undoubtedly poses questions about London’s ability to be equitable to its residents and the way craft beer intersects with this trend is fascinating. Head down to the area, take a proper look around, then have the conversation over a beer or five.

This list is in the order I recommend you doing the crawl based on location, with links directly to Google Maps (on which you can also find links to the various websites/social media). You can also very feasibly do the whole thing backwards (i.e. in reverse order – I do not recommend you try to walk backwards after hitting five breweries).

Update May 2021: due to the current government restrictions around COVID-19, there may be changes to opening hours etc. I have updated it below as far as I am aware, but it always helps to double check websites or call ahead!

Brixton Brewery
May as well start with the elephant in the room. I originally wrote this guide in 2019 – this brewery has now been fully bought out by Heineken. I’m keeping it in here, but know ye this – Brixton Brewery is no longer independent and brings up an important conversation around corporate ownership not just of beer, but of a neighbourhood in itself, the same way the ABInBev purchase of Camden Town Brewery a few years ago did.
Good for: Mainstream, well made brews verging on commercial; Convenient location; Taking a friend who thinks they don’t like beer.
Things to note: This used to be very small and minimalist. It is now slightly larger and slightly less minimalist. It still belies their wider availability – don’t expect a monolithic corporate hub, despite the ownership.
Beer: It’s good! It’s not the best in London but you’ll enjoy it. Nothing overly ambitious but it does the basics very well.
Vibez: It’s Brixton, so you’ll get a mixture of craft beer enthusiasts and local wannabe hipsters (25-75 skew) making for a fun vibe. The outdoor space consists of benches along the front – great for people watching, though not a beer garden feel.
Prices: It’s Brixton, so it should be cheap but it isn’t.
Warmth: It’s Brixton, so the people working are friendly but not That friendly because there’s always someone else to serve.

Dogs Grandad Brewery
Literally next door to Brixton Brewery (you can even see its benches in the above picture), this is a good stop anyway and you can simply start here if you prefer to avoid giving your money to Heineken. The view of the street is the same, after all.
Good for: Supporting a new brewery; Chatting to the brewer; Amarillo hops (more on that later).
Things to note: Given how new it is, there are only two or three beers to choose from and limited places to sit, so if in doubt pick up a takeaway pint and mill around on what is largely a pedestrianised side street full of people.
Beer: So those Amarillo hops – to translate for who aren’t nerds, this is basically a type of hop (a core ingredient in beer) that gives a specific juicy, orange-y taste to pale ales and IPAs in particular. It’s very popular and brewer Alex loves it so much he uses it as the base hop in every single beer. This means the beer is very, very good, although all IPA/pale ale focused for now.
Vibez: It’s brand new without an indoor setup just yet, so the atmosphere is really whatever is happening on the street.
Price: £5 pints of fresh tapped craft can’t be scoffed at – hopefully it remains that way.
Warmth: Chatty staff happy to talk beer and the story of how they ended up there makes for a more homely environment than at Brixton three metres away.

Friendship Adventure
I can only imagine that the conversation to name the brewery went something like this:
“Hey, what are two really positive words we can randomly put together that have nothing to do with beer but everything to do with good times?”
It is, at least, a place you can go to have an adventure, with your friends, so it isn’t false advertising. Newer even than Dogs Grandad, Friendship adventure opened its doors in mid-May 2021 and hasn’t looked back since.
Good for: Friendship; Adventure; Those extra little touches that make all the difference.
Things to note: Despite only opening recently, this place has been full every weekend so book ahead.
Beer: A core range of five beers – all solid offerings – caters to most tastes, though a dark beer needs to be added. They also have a handful from other local breweries to fill out the list. You can’t go wrong.
Vibez: It’s lovely in there. Busy yet not too loud, spacious but not over the top, they’ve got a good thing going.
Price: Around £5 a pint for each of their own beers, which in this day and age is classed as very competitive.
Warmth: It’s here where they excel. Despite a slightly shady looking doorway that could be hiding anything, once you’re in the warmth is forthcoming. The owners are buzzing around the place serving tables and chatting away, they give you unlimited free bowls of popcorn and do table service so we didn’t have to spend 45 minutes downloading an app.

Clarkshaws Brewery
This is possibly the smallest visit-able brewery in London – it is definitely the smallest I have seen. Remember, size doesn’t matter etc etc etc.
Good for: Feeling local; Drinking small batch beer; Chatting to the owner.
Things to note: There isn’t really a tap room to sit in here, more like a few chairs set up outside. This is about as bootleg as it gets while still being fully legit. Call ahead to check it’s open. Note for April 2021 – it is currently open on Saturday afternoons, for takeaway only, though there are spaces to chill nearby with your draft or bottle.
Beer: Decent brews on a tiny kit make for a specific feel. The unique selling point is that all the ingredients are UK-sourced and sustainable, so you know you are drinking as local as it gets.
Vibez: It really depends on the weather and how many other people happen to be sitting around drinking – this is more of a bottle pickup spot at the moment.
Price: Very affordable.
Warmth: Extremely cool to chat in depth to the brewer/owner, Ian. He’s been doing this a while and knows his stuff!

Ghost Whale
Back the way you came along Coldharbour Lane, Ghost Whale is not a brewery. It gets bonus status, and is worth the five minute detour, because it is probably the best craft beer bar in London.
Good For: Trying an absolute bucketload of craft beer from around the UK, both on draft and in bottle/can; Ridiculously friendly staff; Hidden beer garden.
Things to note: The beer garden is pretty small so try and book ahead. Worst case scenario you get a delicious takeaway for the road down to the next stop; best case scenario you sit and have a beer, and then still get a delicious takeaway for the road down to the next stop.
Beer: Everything. All of it. You will be frozen to the spot by choice (or by the fluctuating English weather, whichever gets you first).
Vibez: The size of the beer garden makes for a buzzing atmosphere which nonetheless loses a sense of cosiness given how close you will be to the other tables. Not the place for covert conversations so if you’re a secret agent you may have to skip this one.
Price: Bottle shops are always going to be slightly more expensive than a brewery tapping direct from their keg, so expect to pay a little more than at the other stops on the list.
Warmth: The staff are laid back, informed and up for a chat so don’t be afraid to ask which of the 300 hazy IPAs tastes most like a papaya.

Canopy Beer Co.
Head down the stretch of Railwood Road to Brockwell Park for a nice 15 minute walk and you’ll get to a small but bustling area called Herne Hill. Ignore all the well dressed people, cute cafes and edgy shops and proceed to Canopy Beer Co.
Good for: Creative beers; Back alley charm.
Things to note: Follow the billboards dotted around Herne Hill station and outside Brockwell Park. It can be quite hard to find but trust the system and you’ll get there.
Beer: It’s good, some are great, some are odd. Try before you buy if you can. If you can’t, decide if you are feeling adventurous or not. Make sure you check out the super creative artwork if you get a can.
Vibez: Always a few people sitting and sipping under the literal Canopy makes for an edgy vibe off the beaten track – literally.
Price: Very reasonable – you can get a litre of most draft options for only £8.
Warmth: Reasonably chatty and in such a small space it’s hard not to feel welcome.

Bullfinch Brewery
Round the park edge you go and down another random side street – this area sure doesn’t flaunt its wares. Don’t fret, though – Bullfinch is where it says it is on the map, and it’s a real treat.
Good for: Chatty staff; Relaxed atmosphere; Cool layout.
Things to note: Like everywhere above, this is a small setup with only a handful of tables. 2-3 of their latest brews on draft plus cans of the same plus some cans from other local breweries make for a good final stop, though note that it currently closes at 8pm so if your crawl is going into the night, come here before doubling back to Canopy which is open til 10/11pm.
Beer: Brewed literally next door, it is very good. I feel like there is potential to hit greater heights as they have a really solid core range but not too much else for now.
Vibez: Despite the random locale, there is a steady stream of people without it feeling overloaded. The indoor area is a delight when open, and the outdoor area is festively decorated.
Price: Affordable – you’ll take away a can of your favourite.
Warmth: Great atmosphere where chatting to staff, bartenders, brewers and other drinkers is encouraged. The space is so small that it’s almost impossible not to, plus it is in such an off-beat location that mainly beer enthusiasts come to hang out.

Bonus Stop: The Grosvenor Arms/Affinity Brew Co
I couldn’t resist. This long time craft beer spot around 15 minutes walking north of Brixton village isn’t really on a convenient route for the rest of the crawl unless you start here. However, I include it as a footnote because Affinity Brew Co, which has had many a home over the years and brews excellent beers, is now for some reason situated inside it. The pub is therefore it is well worth a visit if you can squeeze it in before you head off to all the others, in order to sample Affinity from the source and plenty of other independent local beers too.

Share and Enjoy!

Know another great independent brewery or dedicated craft beer location in or close to Brixton? Let me know and I’ll go there (if it’s open) and if it fits the bill I’ll add it here!