Beer tasting in London: the Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour
The Bermondsey Beer Mile, walked in expert company. An accredited Beer Sommelier and Certified Cicerone® hosts a tutored tasting at four of the mile's best railway-arch taprooms — so you leave knowing not just which beers you enjoyed, but why.
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A proper education in beer
London's craft beer scene is among the most exciting anywhere in the world, and no corner of the city tells its story better than Bermondsey's famous beer mile — a run of railway-arch breweries and taprooms threading through the heart of SE1.
This is a beer tasting tour rather than a brewery visit or a pub crawl: you walk the mile in expert company, and at each of four taprooms accredited Beer Sommelier and Certified Cicerone® Paul Davies hosts a tutored tasting. You'll pick up the sensory evaluation techniques professional beer judges use to assess a glass, hear how the styles in front of you came about, and taste beer metres from the tanks it was brewed in.
- ✓ A tutored tasting at every stop — you learn why a beer works, not just that it does
- ✓ The sensory evaluation techniques professional beer judges use
- ✓ The history and evolution of the styles in your glass
- ✓ Time to smell, sip and talk — this is tasting, not a rushed pub crawl
What happens on the tour
1. Meet at Southwark Brewing
46 Druid Street, an 8–10 minute walk from London Bridge. Your guide introduces the Beer Mile, the arches and the plan for the afternoon over your first tasting.
2. Learn to taste properly
Look, swirl, smell, sip: the same sensory evaluation method beer judges use, taught from scratch so beginners and enthusiasts get the same amount out of it.
3. Walk arch to arch
The taprooms are a few minutes apart along Druid Street, Enid Street and the Spa Terminus. Between stops your guide fills in the history of the mile and the breweries.
4. Three more tutored tastings
At each taproom you taste what's pouring best that day and talk through the style, the brewery and what makes the beer tick. Tastings are included in your ticket.
5. Carry on if you like
The tour finishes on the mile. Keep going with our Beer Mile guide and map →, or head for a sit-down meal on Bermondsey Street.
Or make it private
Birthdays, stag dos, hen parties and work socials get their own guide and their own start time. Go private →
The taprooms
Your four tasting stops are drawn from the mile's best-loved railway-arch breweries and taprooms, among them:
The line-up shifts to follow what's pouring best, so every tour is a little different. Every stop is an independent brewery or its taproom — no chains, no branded bars.
The beer tasting experience in London for beginners and beer nerds alike
Most people who book have never done a beer tasting before. That's the point: the technique is taught at the first stop, the beers are explained in plain English, and nobody is quizzed. If you already know your NEIPA from your Helles, you'll get the depth you're after from a Certified Cicerone® — the beer world's equivalent of a wine sommelier qualification — and a set of taprooms most visitors walk straight past.
- ✓ Visitors to London who want the one beer experience that's actually local
- ✓ Couples and small groups looking for an afternoon that's more than a pub
- ✓ Birthdays, stags and hens — the tasting gives the day a shape
- ✓ Work socials and client days — book it as a private tour
- ✓ Gift-givers — vouchers arrive instantly by email and never expire
Getting there
The tour meets at Southwark Brewing, 46 Druid Street, London SE1 2EZ, in the railway arches behind Tower Bridge Road. Please arrive ten minutes before your start time.
- London Bridge (Jubilee, Northern, National Rail): leave by the Tooley Street exit and walk 8–10 minutes east.
- Bermondsey (Jubilee line): about 12 minutes on foot.
- Buses along Tower Bridge Road and Jamaica Road stop within a few minutes' walk.
- Tower Bridge and Borough Market are both a short walk, so the tour pairs well with a morning nearby — see our free heritage walk.
The essentials
2 to 3.5 hours
Length depends on the time slot you book. Start times run from midday to 6:30pm on selected dates.
Meet at Southwark Brewing
46 Druid Street, London SE1 2EZ — a short walk from London Bridge. Full joining instructions come with your confirmation.
Led by a Beer Sommelier
Accredited Beer Sommelier and Certified Cicerone® Paul Davies hosts every tutored tasting.
A guided walking tour
Gentle walking between the arches — perfect for seasoned beer fans and curious newcomers alike.
Aged 18+
Please bring ID. Drink responsibly — there's plenty to taste across the afternoon.
Tickets by UK Brewery Tours
Live dates and time slots are on the ticket page. Tours, itineraries and pricing may be subject to change — get in touch if you'd like us to check a date.
Beer tasting tour, brewery tour or pub crawl?
They get lumped together, but they're different afternoons. A brewery tour shows you one brewery's kit and ends with a couple of its own beers — good if you love that brand. A pub crawl is a route between bars with no one explaining what you're drinking. A beer tasting tour sits in between: several breweries, tasting-led, with a guide whose job is to make the beer make sense. If you want to compare, our guides to the best brewery tours in London and the best London pub crawl routes are honest about the alternatives, and the beginner's guide to beer tasting explains the technique you'll learn on the day.
Prefer food with your beer? Our Saturday Cheese, Meat & Beer Tour matches British cheese and charcuterie to craft beer across three of the same arches, and the Hackney Wick Craft Beer Experience does the tasting-tour format in east London with a working brewer.
Ready to taste the mile?
£49 per person, tutored tastings at four taprooms included. Tickets are handled by UK Brewery Tours — pick your date and time slot at the checkout.
Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour FAQs
How long is it, and when does it run?
Between 2 and 3.5 hours depending on your time slot. It runs on various dates, with start times from midday to 6:30pm — live availability is on the ticket page.
Where does the beer tasting tour meet?
Southwark Brewing, 46 Druid Street, London SE1 2EZ — an 8–10 minute walk from London Bridge station. Full joining instructions are sent with your booking confirmation.
What's included for £49?
A tutored beer tasting led by an accredited Beer Sommelier and Certified Cicerone®, visits to four taprooms on the beer mile, the sensory evaluation techniques beer judges use, and the history behind the styles you taste.
Do I need to know about beer already?
No. The tour is built for curious newcomers as much as seasoned beer fans: the tasting technique is taught from scratch at the first stop, and every beer is explained in plain English.
Which taprooms will we visit?
Four stops drawn from the mile's best, among them Southwark Brewing, Anspach & Hobday, Moor Beer, Bianca Road, Mash Paddle and The Kernel. The line-up shifts to follow what's pouring best.
Is this a pub crawl?
No. It's a tutored beer tasting tour with time at each of four taprooms to smell, sip and talk through what makes each beer work, rather than a rush between bars.
Is food included?
No — the ticket covers the guided tour and the tastings. Maltby Street Market sits on the route for street food, and our Cheese, Meat & Beer Tour is the one to book if you want pairings built in.
Can I carry on down the Beer Mile afterwards?
Yes. The tour finishes on the mile, and our Bermondsey Beer Mile guide has a map of all 15 stops, opening times and what to order at each if you want to keep going.
Can I book it for a private group?
Absolutely — it's one of our most popular group tours. See private group options →
Can I buy it as a gift?
Yes. Our gift vouchers are delivered instantly by email, never expire, and can be spent on any of our tours.