17 Wonderful Places To Drink Craft Beer In Manchester

    Manchester is home to some of the most interesting and well-stocked craft beer pubs in the UK.

    Harriet Williamson
    by Harriet Williamson

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. Head to Port Street Beer House for a unique pint of Drink My Peach

    portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk

    Port Street Beer House is one of Manchester's best-loved craft beer pubs and was named the North Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2014.

    The staff are always happy to recommend a beer you've not tried before, and they are particularly complimentary about Drink My Peach by Mad Hatter Brewing Company.

    It's the only barrel currently in existence from the Liverpool Mad Hatter brewery, so this hoppy, pale, peach-centric IPA is genuinely a one-of-kind tipple.

    2. Stop off at the Marble Arch and sample their Manchester-brewed beers.

    marblebeers.com

    The Marble Arch is a traditional British pub that housed the Marble Brewery until 2011. It boasts an impressive selection of Manchester-brewed beers and seriously amazing food.

    There are always delicious seasonal beers on offer, but for a classic choice, try the Lagonda IPA, a very clean, hop-forward, floral Indian Pale Ale.

    3. Ask for Cutthroat Porter in Fallow Cafe.

    fallowcafe.com

    You have to head into the heart of Studentsville to reach Fallow Cafe, but it's well worth the bus ride.

    Fallow are leading the way in South Manchester with an ever-changing drinks selection and were a popular fixture on city beer enthusiast lists before many central and Northern Quarter bars.

    If you're looking for something perfectly balanced, try the Cutthroat Porter. It's not too dry, bitter or hoppy and has light hints of coffee and chocolate.

    4. Try a pint of BBNo 01/09 SAISON from Common, NQ.

    aplacecalledcommon.co.uk

    Common is the perfect place to find ever-changing craft beers on keg and cask, delicious Mexican dishes, and a seriously cool ambience.

    Brew by Numbers 01/09 SAISON is a zingy, floral beer, with a chamomile aroma party in the front and hibiscus in the back.

    5. Sample the DoDe Ranke Brouwerij XX Bitter from Cask.

    Flickr: 10413717@N08 / Creative Commons

    It's small and bright, with only four pumps, but Cask has a formidable presence in Manchester's beer scene.

    Dan from Cask recommends the De Ranke Brouwerij XX Bitter, a 6% extra hopped Belgian beer with a golden colour and a dry, bitter taste but balanced with a subtle sweetness. He tells BuzzFeed Life that it's "an old favourite that compares well with all the heavily hopped pale ales that are very much en vogue at the moment".

    6. Ask for Robinson's Old Tom at The Castle Hotel.

    7. Trof NQ is the perfect place to try a Plum Porter.

    Facebook: Trof-Northern-Quarter

    Trof NQ would almost be too self-consciously cool if the staff weren't so welcoming and the food so comforting. It's the perfect place to nurse a lunchtime pint, but good luck getting a seat on a Friday or Saturday night.

    If you're looking for something strong, dark and well-rounded in flavour, try the Titanic Plum Porter. It’s perfect for winter season and Trof recommends this for stout lovers if they fancy something a bit different.

    8. Head to Kosmonaut to sample some Japanese ale.

    9. Don't miss the Ale Experiments at Electrik in Chorlton.

    electrikbar.co.uk

    Electrik is well established in Chorlton's thriving bar and restaurant scene, and they also do a mean Sunday roast.

    Our pick is the Electrik Ale experiment #4 LFO, a dry and hoppy session pale ale brewed in collaboration with Manchester's own Blackjack Brewery.

    10. Pop in to Knott Bar and try a cheeky can of Snake Dog IPA.

    knottbar.co.uk

    If you're in the Deansgate area, make sure you pay Knott Bar a visit. The Snake Dog IPA from Maryland brewery Flying Dog is definitely worth sampling.

    Knott Bar tells Buzzfeed Life that "Flying Dog are one of our favourite breweries and are well known for pushing the boundaries with big flavours across their extensive range. At 7.1% this IPA comes out swinging from the offset and does not disappoint."

    11. Sip something outstanding from the Outstanding Beers brewery in Sandbar.

    sandbarmanchester.co.uk

    Sandbar specialises in German and local craft beers, boasting three draught lines and eight real ale and ciders lines (all real ales are from the North-West), alongside locally roasted coffee from Mancoco in Manchester.

    We recommend the Outstanding White, which is a wheat beer from a brewery in Bury, Greater Manchester.

    12. Visit the Font, Chorlton for a pint of Cannonball IPA.

    13. Go underground in the Gaslamp and sample a Beer Geek Daydream.

    14. Pop in to the City Arms for an after-work pint

    15. Wander into the Gay Village to drink a Jever at the Molly House.

    Harriet Williamson / Buzzfeed

    Although there are plenty of standard beers on the menu, the Molly House also has a respectable collection of craft keg beers and cask ales.

    If you're after a crisp, German lager with a soft, yeasty palate, a Jever Pilsner is a great choice.

    16. For more locally-brewed cask beers, check out 57 Thomas Street

    Twitter: @marblebrewers

    57 Thomas Street is such a small venue that if you blink, you might just miss it.

    It's part of the Marble Brewery family and definitely warrants a visit if you're in the Northern Quarter. The coffee and cakes aren't half bad either.

    17. And of course, this list wouldn't be complete without Brewdog and the classic Punk IPA.

    Brewdog

    There's plenty to choose from in Brewdog, which is great when you're wiling the evening away playing Trivial Pursuit in the Deansgate bar.

    If you're new to the brewery, their signature bottle is the caramel-infused Punk IPA. Expect fruity New Zealand hops and a sharp, bitter finish.

    This is by no means an exhaustive list, but take a tour of these singular boozers, and drink up!