Brighton Bibulosity

Brighton Beer Dispensary + Craft Beer Co. Brighton

Brighton Beer Dispensary

After a wonderful cycle ride along the south coast to Brighton, some liquid refreshment was required. My first stop was the Brighton Beer Dispensary, jointly owned by Brighton Bier and London's Late Knights: a small but friendly bar a mere 10 minutes' walk from Brighton station. A warm welcome was had from the manager, Theresa, who introduced the draught offerings. The pumps on the bar are, perhaps unusually, split between cask beer and cider, with a few keg taps and four more ales in their 'coats' in the corner for direct dispensing.

On draught, the bar showcases those beers from the two owning breweries. The West Pier pale was a very drinkable hoppy pale which, at 4%, could be a perfect summer session ale. It certainly went down well sat in the sunshine at one of the few seats outside the pub. The Late Knights Smoked Pale was an unusual experiment and managed to deliver quite a big smoked flavour but, at 3.9%, lacked the body to support it for long. Thumbs up for the glassware, which included dimpled pint and half pint glasses.

Guest beers came from farther afield and from small outfits, such as Somerset's Big Rabbit. Prices were reasonable for their own beer at £1.70 a half, although if you want to splash on some more unusual beers, there is an impressive, constantly rotating bottle selection from the likes of Magic Rock, Partizan, and US brewers Evil Twin and Rogue.

Craft Beer Co.

Conveniently located just around the corner from the Beer Dispensary is the only offshoot from London's Craft Beer Co. 

The Craft Beer Co. decor across their bars is simple and does not distract or detract from the excellent selection of beers from small and innovative brewers. The Brighton outcropping is no exception and offers the usual dozen or so keg lines, with plenty of Thornbridge and some Siren when I visited, plus eight cask pumps. The draught offerings are complemented by a huge bottle selection from the Kernel, Weird Beard, Wild Beer Co, and many others.

The welcome was very friendly from assistant manager Kate, who insisted that the distance from the capital does not contribute to a sense of isolation from their sister bars. Regular meet-ups encourage a familial feeling and I am sure that the family is sure to grow and expand even further beyond the South East.

Halves are served in the stylish branded stemmed glassware. As usual, I found the keg served a little too cold, which doesn't always do justice to the style. For Thornbridge's Bière de Garde, the lovely caramel taste came through only as it warmed up. while the slight chill works well for IPA styles such as Burning Sky's Devil's Rest.

Trafalgar Wine

Before alighting the train at Brighton station, a brief stop into Brighton's best bottle shop was called for. At Trafalgar Wines, the owner has turned what is a small off-licence into an impressive slice of the current craft beer world. Wine takes a back seat to what is clearly the owner's current passion, with bottles from Europe, UK and the US. Siren, Magic Rock, Bristol Beer Factory, Arbor Ales and Evil Twin were very much in evidence. A well-recommended stop on Trafalgar Street.