Glasgow is well-known for it’s quality lager’s - everyone knows that Tennent’s, the lager darling of Scotland, is proudly brewed in Glasgow’s East End - but what about the rest of the incredible yet often overlooked Glasgow breweries?
Of course you’ve got your better-known famous breweries like Wellpark and West on the Green - but this list will take a look at not only the biggest, but the best breweries you can visit in Glasgow. Whether they’re brewing lager out of a shed or a massive warehouse complex, Glasgow brews beer best.
Glasgow tourism company, Experience Glasgow, created the Glasgow Beer trail - aspecially designed digital map and accompanying website which serves as a guidei to Glasgow’s incredible beer landscape, featuring a curated selection of 14 of the city’s most outstanding breweries, as well as spots to buy their products!
Experience Glasgow Food & Drink Lead, Anh Nguyen said: “As the craft beer revolution continues to flourish in the UK, Glasgow stands out as a hub for innovation and exceptional craft brews.
“Join us on our new trail to journey through Glasgow’s beer culture and beyond, where each sip is a story waiting to be shared, and each step uncovers a new facet of this vibrant city”.
For a digital guided map, check out the Glasgow Beer Trail website.
Here are list of 15 of the best breweries you can visit in Glasgow’s East End, Southside, West End, and City Centre - as well as one brewery that’s a bit further afield!
1. EAST END: Wellpark Brewery
Over on 161 Duke Street we have the Wellpark Brewery, the home of Tennent’s - Scotland’s best selling lager. Within the facility you can currently take a tour for £18 per person, it takes you through the Tennent’s Heritage Centre, watching the mystery process happen, finishing things off with a pint of the freshest unpasteurized lager from the onsite bar. Photo: Andy Buchanan
2. EAST END: Drygate
Drygate has been in operation since 2014 and is housed in a converted box factory which lies close to both Tennent’s Brewery and Glasgow Cathedral. You can take a tour of the brewery every Sunday, followed by a guided tasting of their 4 core range beers. | Supplied
3. EAST END: Glasgow Beer Works
This is an independently owned brewery whose motivation was to produce a range of beers that reflected both the individuality of the city and its people, as well as working with and for the community it is produced in. One of their Pilot Batch Series beers is a chocolate stout in a can. You can try this and any of their beers at their pop up beer garden under the watchful eye of the Big Yin (Billy Connolly) at 118 Osborne Street, Glasgow. | WhatPub
4. EAST END: Kelburn Brewing Company
This is a family owned brewery that has been producing award winning beers for over 20 years. They pride themselves on quality over quantity, which shows with their 65 – plus industry awards. One of their most popular beers is Kelburn Dark Moor, they say that this beer is smooth, dark and dangerous, with the ability to warm the cockles of your heart. Perfect after a cold winters day walking the weans or the dugs. Their beers are available online as well as at: Sloans in Argyll Arcade; Blackfriars Bar in Bell Street; Oran Mor on Byres Road | Kelburn Brewing Company