Craft Beer in Glasgow
Craft beer is having a bit of a moment right now. With niche micro breweries doing it for themselves and bigger companies getting in on the act, craft and cask beers and ales are bigger than ever and the city's bars haven't been left behind. A plethora of craft beer bars in Glasgow dish out pint loads of the kind of brews good enough to make a beer buff weep. So if you you like your hops chemical free, your pints unpasteurised and your drinks a little cool or quirky, then check out these top craft beer spots in the city where the beer is more than just an afterthought.
Last updated on 7th April 2017
If there's one spot that loves its craft beer in Glasgow, it's The Hippo Taproom. Found on Sauchiehall Street, the venue has more than 70 types of beer in their fridges, 10 keg lines and three cask lines. They are not affiliated with any brewer so can choose whichever beers they think are best and most tasty.
As Glasgow's first brewpub, Shilling Brewery has a lot to live up to; after all, given the city's long and diverse history of brewing alcoholic beverages, the team behind this venture will have to ensure such a coveted reputation is maintained. Elegantly decorated with a distinctly rustic, industrial look, the bar will serve some of their best products to Glasgow's revellers, allowing guests to taste a handful of well-crafted beers that had been brewed only a few meters away.
Meat Bar might be more about the, well, meat, but they do but a lot of thought into their bevvie offerings too, with a particular soft spot for craft beers. With some great Scottish brews on tap, Fyne Ales, and Cromarty Brewing Company among them, as well as an impressive line-up on international crafts in the fridge, at this West Regent Street bar, you can have your steak, and drink a bit too.
Glasgow's first experiential craft brewery, Drygate brings craft beer in its bounty to the good people of Glasgow. Those on the hunt for craft beer in Glasogw can sup away on Drygate signature brews, including Bearface Lager, Gladeye IPA and Outaspace Apple Ale, whilst budding brewers can make use of the Drygate Studio Kit, to create their own boozy beverages.
This toasty pub is a great spot in the West End to enjoy a craft beer and with a brew selection that includes 25 beers and ales on tap, there's a lot to choose from. With everything from Czech pilsners to British ales and American crafts, every brew buff will find something to their tasting.
If you're a true beer aficionado, then why not go straight to the source? West Brewery is not just a cracking bar and restaurant, its also where the cogs turn and the hops brew to make West's unique beers. West brews in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, aka the German Purity Law an ancient set of brewing practices; so you know the stuff's going to be good. With one of the best beergardens in Glasgow, West's stunning building overlooks Glasgow Green in the East End, the perfect spot to enjoy their signature St. Mungo.
Munro's opened in February 2013 and has been winning over beer buffs ever since. A cool, chilled out bar with a stylish interior, the bar on Glasgow's Great Western Road stocks its own house lager, as well as six ever-changing craft and cask brews on tap. Make your way through your favourites, or if you can't decide what to drink, opt of a taster bar with three third pint snifters instead.
One of the most unique places to drink craft beer in Glasgow, Kitty O Shea's is a bar in the city that provides unique bottles and pints on all fronts. A favoured Irish pub with the interiors to match its contemporary flair, head on down for craft beer and craft ales aplenty.
It's all in the name really. With 93 beers (and counting) on offer, Beer Cafe is your one stop shop for beer in Glasgow. With beers on sale from every corner of the world, Beer Cafe have a card punch system. Drink 25 different beers (not all in one sitting, mind!) and you get yourself a free t-shirt. With a great Merchant City location, cool surroundings and cracking pies to line your tum, a night in Beer Cafe might be a long one, but it will most likely be a good one too.
We can't talk craft beer without talking BrewDog. Micro brewery turned major craft beer force, BrewDog Glasgow joins the ever growing craft bar empire. BrewDog's have one mission, to wean beer drinkers off the brand name beers and educate the masses on the merits of chemical-free, craft beer. Along with the house brews, an ever-changing line-up of guest crafts keeps things interesting along with regular brew-themed events and DJs spinning good time tunes. With a top location directly opposite Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, BrewDog is certainly worth a stop on your craft beer pub crawl in Glasgow.
This Alpine style beer hall is just the ticket for any Glaswegian crafty. With over 70 ice cold brews to choose from, getting through them could be a looooong night, or week. If a pint is too small, 12 draughts are available in two pint steins - along with a free wurst dog! Bottled beers are available from around the world with select specialist brews from Belgium, an absolute must try. High beer hall benches make this basement bar a great spot in Glasgow city centre for niche beer.
As an offshoot of the accomplished Williams Brothers' Brewing Company, Inn Deep was always going to be a cracking craft beer bar in Glasgow. Nestled right into the bank of the Kelvin river, it's a prime spot for sampling some of the small brewery's unique creations as well as some bottled beers from niche brewers at home and abroad. With barbecues in the summer, Inn Deep is also a cracking destination for a beer and a burger while live sport and music helps those brews go down even easier.
