Breweries in Brighton: Taprooms, Beer Pubs and What to Drink

What Brighton's beer scene looks like

Think of Brighton's beer offer as two halves. The city half is pubs with long draught lists, Belgian and German lines and a real-ale backbone; the other half is the South Coast brewery taproom, which sits outside the city and rewards a bit of planning. If you want the broader pub picture, our guide to the best pubs in Brighton sorts places by the kind of afternoon you are after.

The practical consequence is that you should decide what you want before you set out. A central session needs no train ticket; a taproom trip needs a look at the brewery's own what's on and venue pages before you travel, because taproom opening and events are set by the brewery rather than by a fixed city-wide schedule.

Hand Brew Co: the South Coast brewery with the Yard taproom

Hand Brew Co brews on the South Coast and describes its range as bridging classic and modern styles: lagers, pales, bitters, stouts, porters and sours, some hazy, some clear, some stronger specials, in both keg and cask. It also states that its beer is vegan friendly, which matters if your group includes vegan drinkers. Its venues are listed as Yard, Hand and Toad, and the Yard is the brewery taproom used for food-led events.

The brewery's own events at the Yard have paired its beer with Saltio tacos, with packages that included a reception drink and optional extra house drinks; the specific packages are seasonal and priced per person, so check the brewery's events page for the current offer rather than relying on any figure you have seen elsewhere.

Those events show the kind of visit to plan for: a booked taproom evening with food and live music, so reserve through the brewery for big groups. If you are organising a works do or a group of friends, the brewery asks large bookings to go through its events email, so sort the headcount first. For the city-centre alternative on a Sunday, our pick of the best Sunday roast in Brighton covers pubs where the beer list and the lunch matter equally.

Getting to the taproom from central Brighton

The honest geography is that Hand Brew Co's venues sit away from the Lanes, so the taproom is a short trip from Brighton rather than a walk from the station. Plan it as a half-day: check the brewery site for which venue is open and what is on, then match it to a train or bus before setting out, since the taproom is not on a city-centre crawl route.

If you are staying in Hove, the calculation changes, because the western end of the city is already closer to the coast road and the station links west. Each named place we cover here has its own short guide, collected under Brighton pubs and food landmarks.

Brighton Bierhaus on Edward Street: the big draught list

Brighton Bierhaus at 161 Edward Street, BN2 0JB, is the city-centre answer to a long beer list. The pub states it has over 100 beers with 25 on draught, and it leans on Belgian and German beer alongside real ale and UK craft, so it suits a group where one drinker wants a German lager and another wants a cask bitter. It is a short walk from Brighton station, the Lanes and the Pavilion, which makes it an easy first or last stop.

The pub displays Brighton & South Downs CAMRA Pub of the Year and repeated Good Pub Guide listings on its own site; treat those as the pub's stated credentials and judge the room and the list for yourself. It also offers takeaway beer, so you can carry a bottle or two home after a session. Opening hours are posted on the pub's site and vary by day, so check before a late or Sunday visit.

This is the place for a proper session with a wide choice rather than a single-brewery showcase. If your group is more interested in the history of the city's drinking, the oldest pub in Brighton is a different kind of stop and worth pairing with a Bierhaus evening.

BeerBelly in Hove: micropub and bottleshop

BeerBelly Micropub & Bottleshop at 15 Victoria Terrace, Hove, BN3 2WB, is a small, independent room just off Hove seafront. It stocks craft beer, cask ale, real cider, stouts and sours from local suppliers, rare picks and international finds, and you can buy bottles to take away as well as drink in. Its stated hours put it closed on Tuesdays, with later finishes on Friday and Saturday, so check the site before travelling.

Two practical points make it easy to plan around. It is dog friendly, with a stated discount when you bring your dog, and it is child friendly until 8pm, which rules out a late family evening but works for an early one. On food, it has partnered with PIZZAFACE for pizza and with the neighbouring Chippy Chips for delivery to your table, so you can eat without leaving your seat.

Choose BeerBelly when you want to browse and buy as much as drink, or when you want an early, low-key start in Hove. It is less suited to a big group wanting a long table and a full draught range; that is Bierhaus territory. If the weather is on your side, our guide to the beer garden Brighton options is a useful companion for a warmer afternoon.

Which stop suits you

Pick by occasion, not by ranking. For a central session with the widest choice and no travel, go to Brighton Bierhaus. For a browse-and-takeaway visit in Hove, with pizza or chippy chips at the table, go to BeerBelly. For a booked taproom evening with food and a brewery's own beer across cask and keg, plan the trip to Hand Brew Co's Yard.

Groups with children should note BeerBelly's 8pm cut-off and the booking route for brewery events, while anyone wanting a long Sunday should look at pub food options separately from the beer. Our best pub food Brighton guide covers the kitchens, so you can pair a beer stop with a proper meal.

What to order

At Hand Brew Co, start with a cask bitter or a dark beer if you want the traditional side, and move to a sour or a stronger special if you are in the mood to explore; the brewery describes its range as both session sippers and experimental. At Bierhaus, use the Belgian and German lines for a crisp, clean start, then switch to UK craft and real ale. At BeerBelly, ask for a tasting flight or a mystery box if you cannot decide, and take a bottle home.

One reminder covers all three: check the venue's own site for current hours, event dates and food arrangements before you travel, because these change with the season. That is especially true for the brewery taproom, where events are booked in advance and the format is set by the brewery.

Which Brighton beer stop should you book?

If you want one stop with no travel, make for Brighton Bierhaus and work through the draught list. If you want a slower Hove afternoon with takeaway bottles and food delivered to the table, make BeerBelly your base. If the brewery itself is the point, check Hand Brew Co's site for the next Yard event and plan the trip around it.