brewery tours manchester city centre

Manchester Beer Tasting

The best group beer tasting experiences in Manchester!

Group Beer Tours

Whether you are a stag or hen party or a business looking for a team building event, we have a range of Manchester beer tasting experiences available for you to choose from.

Contact us today and we’ll create your perfect group beer tasting experience.

Discover a wide range of beer styles with our knowledgeable tour guides at Manchester’s best craft beer venues.

Stag Party Beer Tasting

In charge of organising a stag party?

Civilised stag groups are more than welcome to join us on a beer tasting experience where our guides will lead you around allowing the best man to relax for a few hours.

Discover a number of beer styles from lager to IPA on our educational tours at multiple venues.

Please kindly note we don’t operate a drink as much as you like pub crawl however you’ll taste third or half pint measures at various stops.

No fancy dress permitted but good times guaranteed.

Corporate Beer Tours

Entertaining clients or looking for a team building day out then look no further.

Our beer tasting experiences will have your team or clients enjoying a number of different types of beer whilst learning about the story behind them.

Visit multiple Manchester craft beer venues on a bespoke tour for your company.

Manchester Brewery Tours

Manchester is home to a fantastic range of craft beer venues and microbrewery taprooms. We visit a range of venues on our craft beer tours in Manchester and whilst most are city centre based we can accommodate tours or tasting experiences in most areas of the city.

Some of the venues that we visit on our tours include Beer Nouveau, Cloudwater, Track, Alphabet, Beatnikz Republic but if there is somewhere on your ‘must visit’ list please let us know and we’ll see if we can include this.

Tickets & Gift Vouchers

We also run regular Manchester Brewery Tours available to the public. Grab a ticket below:

TOP RATED GUIDES

Our tour guides are hand picked due to their expertise in their subject field.

They know a thing or two about how to taste a variety of different beer styles from lagers to IPAs and more!

You’ll get the full story behind each style you taste.

Don’t Just Take Our Word For IT

What previous guests have said about our beer tasting experiences in Manchester & around the UK.

Manchester Corporate Beer tasting

Here’s just a few of our happy corporate customers.

DISCOVER MORE FROM UKBT TOURS

We also have beer tours available in other UK cities along with gin and cider tasting experiences. Check out the links below for more details.

Manchester Brewery Expo: City centre microbreweries to host weekend of tours, tastings and talks

Alphabet, cloudwater, privateer, squawk, track, blackjack, marble and runaway will be welcoming visitors on may 23 and 24.

• 16:45, 6 MAY 2015
• Updated 17:09, 6 MAY 2015

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Manchester’s city centre microbreweries are throwing open their doors this month for a weekend of tours, tastings and talks.

The first-ever Manchester Brewery Expo will see a collective of nine of the city’s independent real ale and craft beer producers welcome in visitors on May 23 and 24.

Piccadilly-based Alphabet, Cloudwater, Privateer, Squawk and Track will be the first to open up on the Saturday followed by an afterparty at First Chop, just over the Irwell in Salford.

Blackjack, Marble and Runaway, in the Green Quarter, will follow suit on the Sunday with Blackjack hosting the afterparty.

The breweries have already joined forces to create a special collaboration beer for the event, a full-flavoured 5.5% American pale ale made with new season American hops and a hybrid US/UK malt bill.

Organisers said: “Whether we take our inspiration from the old or the new, are honouring the traditional or are working to innovate and modernise, we all share a love of beer, and a desire to make a scene changing contribution to our city.”

Tickets to the Saturday session cost £8.50 and include a beer at each Piccadilly brewery, a Manchester Brewery Expo glass and entry to the First Chop after party that evening.

Sunday tickets cost £6 and include a beer at each Green Quarter brewery, a Manchester Brewery Expo glass and entry to the Blackjack after party.

Weekend passes are also available priced at £15, including all of the above plus a limited edition tote bag, or you can just buy a glass for £5 and enjoy one beer from it at a brewery of your choice over the weekend.

To buy your ticket click here .

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Robinsons Brewery - Manchester Brewery Tour

Robinsons manchester brewery tours – departs: thu + fri + sat.

Robinsons Brewery, Stockport, Greater Manchester - Visitors Centre - Restored Copper

Robinsons Brewery, Stockport, Greater Manchester - Brewing

Robinsons Brewery, Stockport, Greater Manchester - Brew House

Robinsons Brewery, Stockport, Greater Manchester

Robinsons Brewery, Stockport, Greater Manchester - Bar & Restaurant

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Uncover the secrets of the brewing process and sample the Robinsons Brewery award-winning ales on these Manchester brewery tours

Robinsons have a worldwide reputation for real ale, learn how they make their award-winning beers on a tour of their state of the art Manchester brewery in the heart of Stockport, which is only a short train ride from Manchester city centre. Then try the beers in the Unicorn Bar at the end of the tour!

Fascinating Manchester Brewery Tours whether you are a fan of ale or not! Learn about the science & technicalities behind the brewing process and about how Robinsons Brewery selects the ingredients to produce their award-winning ales. Robinsons Brewery is a proud family of independent brewers. They have been brewing their well-known beers Trooper, Old Tom, Unicorn and Dizzy Blonde in the heart of Stockport since 1838.

Learn about the secrets of their brewing process and get an insight into how their equipment has changed over the last 182 years in one of the most advanced breweries in the UK. The informative guides will educate and entertain you on your journey through the brewery and are more than happy to answer your questions as you uncover the brewing process. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet Hopnik, Wizard and Bobek, the fabulous Shire horses. At the end of your tour, you’ll get a chance to taste the beer in the Unicorn Bar. For an extra special visit, upgrade your tour to include lunch and a free exclusive gift from the brewery.

Package A includes:

• Entrance to Robinsons Brewery Visitor Centre
• Brewery Tour
• Beer Tastings

Package B includes:

• 1-course lunch
• Exclusive Brewery Gift

This tour is only suitable for over 18s, I.D may be required.

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*Please note that the Shire Horses are often attending events, therefore we can’t guarantee that you will meet the horses.

Accessibility: Please be aware that the Brewery Tour is around a working traditional tower brewery and as such involves steep stairways and some narrow walkways. Unfortunately, the Brewery Tour is not Wheelchair assessable. Induction Loops are available, Please ask at the front reception and switch Hearing Aids to the ‘T’ position to use this facility.  Please wear suitable shoes (avoid open toe shoes, heels and flip flops)

Parking: The nearest parking is right across the road, Spaces are limited and subject to availability. Should the car park be full, there is a pay & display car park next to the church which is just around the corner. There are also on-street car parking spots up and down Hillgate.

How to get to Robinsons Brewery, Stockport

By train from Manchester: There are frequent trains from Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations to Stockport. The journey time is approx. 10 minutes. It’s a 15 minute walk from the station the Brewery, There is also a free shuttle bus that operates every 15 minutes around the town centre.

By car/taxi from Manchester: Driving time is approx. 30 minutes from central Manchester to Stockport.

Robinsons Brewery Visitors Centre, Apsley Street, Stockport, Cheshire SK1 1JJ .

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Activities and Experiences | Bars | Bars and Pubs | Eating & Drinking | Travel

Finest Day Out: "The Brewer's Mile"

Manchester is blessed with a truly world-class brewing scene, the envy of many cities across the globe...

By Ben Brown | Last updated 24 June 2022

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This ‘ Brewer’s Mile ‘ has been designed so that you can visit the various brewery taprooms located in and around the city centre, starting off in Piccadilly East and ending up at the Green Quarter.

The area around the back of Piccadilly Train Station has, for years, been rather rough – also doubling up as the city’s red-light district. Recent years have seen a huge change in the district though, as exciting independent operators have come in, such as Escape to Freight Island and the upcoming Mayfield Park development, fundamentally transforming the area for the better.

Also moving into the cheap industrial units and arches are intrepid local brewers, taking full advantage of the soft Manchester water and ample space to create some of the most innovative brews ever . As the craft beer scene has exploded across the world, so it has in Manchester – with these brewers riding the continuous waves of popularity of IPAs, Sessions, DIPAs, Sours and all manner of weird and wonderful concoctions.

It’s a similar story over at Red Bank, or the Green Quarter as it’s also known. An area that was essentially just a wasteland for years, it was developed and transformed into a community of apartments over a decade ago, and since then independent businesses have started to slowly move in.

Runaway and Black Jack both have truly magnificent brewery taprooms here – and both are consistently producing outstanding brews that put Manchester firmly on the beer map.

So here it is, the original and still the best ‘Brewer’s Mile’, the perfect day out for any self-confessed beer lover, and a chance to not only see part of this world-class brewing scene for yourself, but to see a bit of the city’s industrial heritage too. Enjoy and cheers!

Beer Nouveau

This is an experimental micro-brewery focussing on old recipes but using new ingredients and techniques, re-brewing ales from as far back as Ancient Egypt and Viking times. Beer Nouveau open up their brewery and tap every Friday (from 4pm), and Saturday & Sunday (from noon) – so you can get your hands on their unique brews here, many of which are created using foraged ingredients from people’s gardens and allotments. The only regularly brewed beer is Peterloo, a summery dark beer.

Beer Nouveau, 75 N Western St, Manchester M12 6DY 0161 272 7733 beernouveau.co.uk

Manchester Union

The guys behind Manchester Union were looking to create a lager that was completely different to anything you’d ever experienced before – and they’ve certainly succeeded. A bold, refreshing lager, it’s about as far away from a pint of Carling as you can imagine – and it’s well worth the trip out to Piccadilly to get it super-fresh out of the tank. They open their Tap Room once a month – usually on the last Saturday, meaning it’s open tomorrow (Saturday 25th June)!

Manchester Union Brewery, 96d N Western St, Manchester M12 6JL manchesterunionbrewery.com

Alphabet Brewing

Just down the road from Manchester Union and past the gym you’ll find Alphabet, creators of such wonderful brews as the Juice Springsteen, the A to the K Oatmeal Pale Ale and a brilliant session IPA, Charlie Don’t Surf that’ll slide down your throat just a little too quickly. Their taproom is open every Saturday (2pm – 10pm) so you can get your mitts on all of this stuff (and more). It’s pretty big and there’s usually plenty of people down there enjoying the fresh AF beers and having a good time. On occasion they’ll put some food on and a DJ but if not – take a spare Twix and a flute.

Alphabet Brewing Company, 99 N Western St, Manchester M12 6JL www.alphabetbrewing.co.uk

Track Brewing Co. Taproom

Opening to huge fanfare last year, the Track Brewing Co. Taproom has been a phenomenal success, and continues to not just bring some truly magnificent fresh beers to the thirsty people of Manchester, but also offer up a space for budding street food vendors to get their dishes out to people. The 2,00 sq ft space features three lager taps, 17 draught taps, and 3 cask pumps, plus a regularly rotating cast of guest beers. It’s open throughout the week and on weekends.

Track Brewing Co, Unit 18, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester M1 2NP www.trackbrewing.co

Cloudwater Brewery Taproom

Open throughout the week and on the weekends, Cloudwater’s Unit 9 Tap Room is an essential visit for anyone who likes to think of themselves as a beer connoisseur. The whole place has been designed to present their beers at its best, emphasising the importance of freshness, and to showcase the artwork that Cloudwater has commissioned over the years. All 20 draft lines are drawn from a 3ºC cold store situated immediately beneath the tap room mezzanine via air-cooled, insulated ducting – meaning these are some of the best, coldest and freshest beers you’ll ever have in your life. I promise.

Cloudwater Brew Co, 7-8, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester M1 2NP 0161 661 5943 cloudwaterbrew.co

Beatnikz Republic Bar

From Piccadilly East straight into the Northern Quarter and your first stop on the ‘mile’ is Beatnikz Republic Bar on Dale Street. Sadly Beatnikz as a brewery (down in the Green Quarter) ceased trading back at the end of April, but this excellent bar still lives on, and even though they may not have any Beatnikz left when you get there – they’ll almost certainly have a wealth of locally brewed beers and ales. It usually gets really busy in here, especially after work, and it’s one of the best bars in the NQ to just chat to randomers, make new friends and have a bloody good time.

Beatnikz Republic Bar, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF www.beatnikzrepublic.com/bar

Northern Monk Refectory

Another dedicated taproom literally a few metres away from Beatnikz on Tariff Street, the Northern Monk Refectory proudly pours the brewery’s many creations, from Hazy Pale Ales, DDH and IPAs to Japanese Rice Lager, Stouts, Sours and a particularly good Black Sesame & Miso Black IPA at the moment. There’s plenty of room in here, with two massive bits upstairs and a downstairs Cellar Bar which you can hire for parties too. Food-wise and they’ve been entertaining Kong’s Chicken Shop in here for a few months now – so you can have some banging fried chicken and waffles whilst having a few sups.

Northern Monk Refectory, 10 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FF northernmonk.com

Runaway Brewery Taproom

Now that you’ve done the two tap rooms in the Northern Quarter, you’re going to walk all the way to Angel Meadows now, where you’ll find the excellent Runaway Brewery Taproom sandwiched between Dantzig Street and the River Irk. Runaway open up their tap room every Saturday from 2pm with a huge outdoor terrace that can be covered up when it (invariably) rains. Runaway serve up a selection of draught and bottles and I must admit to thoroughly enjoying their Summer Saison at the moment, a citrusy, floral Belgian ale that many people would happily call “suppable”.

The Runaway Brewery, Unit 4 Millgate, Dantzic Street, Manchester M4 4JW 0161 832 2628 www.therunawaybrewery.com

Blackjack Brewtap

I stumbled upon this tap room just last week whilst having a BBQ in Angel Meadows and if it wasn’t for my chaotic blind dog, I’d have probably ended up in here for the whole day. The Brewer’s Mile traditionally includes the excellent Smithfield Tavern up on Swan Street but who needs to go there when you can go straight to the source and have the freshest Blackjack beers known to man? This place is open from Thursday at 5pm right through til Sunday at 7pm, and if my visit last Saturday was anything to go by – it gets nice and busy.

Blackjack Brewing Co, Irk St, Manchester M4 4JT www.blackjack-beers.com

The Marble Arch

Just a short distance from the birthplace of Marble beers, we all might as well call the Marble Arch pub a taproom. That’s probably doing it a bit of an injustice though, as this is a real-life proper British boozer in itself, one that not only manages to look the part, it also pulls out all the stop to ensure that you have an amazing time. They have a very impressive food menu of British classics available, as well as one of the best beer gardens in the city out back. If you did want to go to the actual Tap Room, get on the tram Salford Quays and enjoy their huge brewery tap room with their brand new pizza oven.

The Marble Arch, 73 Rochdale Rd, Manchester M4 4HY 0161 832 5914 marblebeers.com

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Taproom Pints: Your Guide To Manchester Craft Breweries

Published 02 February 2024 . By Lauren Cole .

Thirsty?  Sometimes, only the cooling caress of the freshest pint or tinny will do, which is exactly what our guide to the best Manchester breweries and taprooms has in store. From classic citrusy IPAs to pours laced with bubblegum or a peanut butter, salted caramel and coffee combo, our local beer-makers certainly don't do their hops by halves.

Seven Bro7hers

A Manchester breweries list wouldn't be complete without  Seven Bro7hers , whose influence on the city's beer scene means they have brewhouses in Ancoats, MediaCity, the airport and Middlewood Locks. Their Salford brewery and taproom is open for business too, including for tours, tastings or just a quick drink of the good stuff. We're particularly fond of the passionfruit and honeycomb pales here. Plus, newly opened  11 Central  is a cool Salford Quays destination from these guys and Four Sis4ers (their gin brand).

This standout of the best taprooms in Manchester also brews right in Salford.

Cloudwater Brewery

A favourite craft brewery in our city is  Cloudwater , which you'll find tucked away in the industrial estates behind Piccadilly station. The beers at the taproom here are kept below 5 degrees from tank to glass, ensuring top quality and the freshest taste once you bring the hoppy or malt-driven nectar to your lips. Try their coriander seed citrus sour or chuckleberry pale ale for moreish twists on classics.

Heaven in a glass.

Manchester Craft Beer Experience

Gonna struggle to pick just one from this list? Tackle multiple stops hand-picked by your guide on the  Manchester Craft Beer Experience . Whether trying  r are   st yles   l ike   gri settes   a nd   wild -fermented   be ers or guzzling your ol' IPAs is preferred, this tour will have something to suit you - whether you're a total aficionado or a newbie to the backstory behind your beer. 

From Cloudwater onwards, this Manchester brewery tour takes you to the very best for £37.50 each.

Track Brewing Co

Track Brewing Co  is a brewery and taproom that's certainly winning awards for its looks, thanks to industrial chic coupled with foliage scattered around the space. Another Piccadilly Trading Estate pick, this destination's drinks go up to a whopping 14.5% alcohol on their salted pretzel and dark chocolate imperial stout, while other flavours include peanut butter, salted caramel and coffee. 

The Track taproom is a pretty cool spot to hang out.

Making up the third point of the 'Beermuda Triangle' with Track and Cloudwater,   Sureshot  is a Sheffield Street brewery and taproom that's all about small batch and high quality. Just a short stroll from Piccadilly station, they're a relative newbie to the scene and started selling their first beers in 2022. James Campbell is the man behind this project; a serial head brewer at some of the most respected independent breweries in the city - pushing the best new world styles before branching out on his own.

Out of all the small breweries in Manchester, this independent is relatively new on the block.

Bundobust Brewery

With a take on beer flavours that's as unique as they come, Bundobust Brewery 's   Indian street food menu continues its influence into the brewing. Expect chai massala porters, lime and coconut collabs with Northern Monk and (our favourite) the citrussy toasted coriander-flavoured pilsner. But if those aren't your thing, also expect a lineup of Kellerbier-style lager, juicy New England IPAs and the Big Peela pale ale coming in at a heady 7% ABV.

Bundobust Brewery is is one of the best breweries in Manchester city centre with food.

Shindigger Brewing Co

Shindigger Brewing Co  might not have their own taproom just yet, but you can   find them at places like Band On The Wall , or throwing regular DJ-led sessions throughout the spring and summer. Think leg-shaking 'til late alongside local artists, all while glugging their easy-drinking beer range - that's 'fruity bois', pilsners, West Coast IPAs and bubblegum German-style weiss.

The best brewery? These guys are vowing for the top spot.

Blackjack Brewing Co

Blackjack Brewing Co  have a fascination with the classic beer styles of the UK's pubs, from nutty and malty brown ale to British heritage amber IPAs. But, don't be fooled; there's modern pours too, including hazy pales packed with gooseberry notes. Want to give these a whirl? Venture over to their market bar in Mackie Mayor or settle down at   the   Northern Quarter's Smithfield Tavern.

Find the best of British brews here.

Northern Monk Refectory

In support of our Northern cousins, the Manchester taproom of  Northern Monk Refectory  (a Leeds-based craft brewery) makes our list too. As well as guest pours on tap, alongside a choice of flavoured stouts, hazy pales and classic session IPAs, there's the most insane cheese-pull worthy food from Lazy Tony's Lasagneria.   Want your drinks to takeaway instead? Then you'll get a 15% discount here.

Italian food paired with pints? You got it.

First Chop Brewing Arm

Taking a stand for all you beer-loving coeliacs and intolerant folk is  First Chop Brewing Arm , the gluten-free local brewery. Their 'no-nonsense' classic bitter is aptly named MCR, in homage to our fine city, while low ABV cans are also available. Better yet, the spacious bar under some Salford railway arches also doubles as a great gig venue.

This craft beer brewery is fully gluten-free.

Pomona Island Brew

Adding to the Salford crew, Pomona Island Brew  are an award-winning bunch that have quickly become city favourites, thanks to berry sours, classic helles and a saison flavoured with orange zest Darjeeling. But, where to find them being poured in Manchester? At The Gas Lamp on their very own Pomona pub, North Westward Ho, which serves  18 k eg and 5 cask  ale lines from their Chapel Walks location.

From vintage-look can labels to unique flavours, Pomona are all kinds of cool.

ÖL Brewery & Bar

The smallest of micro breweries in Manchester, ÖL is actually classed as nano. Making up that iconic pink container you can see from Oxford Road, this one is a must-visit if you're after something different to your usual taproom experience. While Hatch itself might be closed, this contemporary space is still going strong, serving up its own beers, alongside plenty of innovative numbers from other locals and beyond.

ÖL has unique settings covered.

Manchester Union Brewery

As the city's only company dedicated to craft lager, Manchester Union Brewery  has quite the following among enthusiasts. Traditional Central European brewing techniques are used to create a much more modern taste - and one that's uniquely Mancunian. Their taproom hosts regular events too, while stockists across town include Exhibition, Blinker and Edinburgh Castle .

Lager is no longer the lesser brew (and we don't think it ever was).

The Runaway Brewery

This former city centre staple made a permanent move to Stockport relocation to expand - meaning  The Runaway Brewery  is our top choice of places outside of Manchester itself, but it's still an absolute belter . They run Saturday tours of the microbrewery, while the famous dog-friendly taproom and beer garden also offers the freshest of hops, malt and yeast-led drinks on-site.

Onwards and upwards for this Manc favourite.

If you like this, then you'll love our lowdown on  craft beer bars . Plus, you can sign up to our newsletter  and stay in the loop.

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