Getting sick of the same old names on the taps of your local watering hole? Well, luckily we have so many great breweries crafting their very own juicy beers around Manchester, keeping it exciting for a local demographic. Some even have taprooms where you can sample the fruits of their labour, and others supply to some great spots in the city, making sure we can access the good stuff at every turn. This summer, be sure to check out what’s on your doorstep, following our guide to the best breweries and taprooms in Manchester.
1. North Taproom
Nestled in Manchester’s newest living, eating and drinking complex Circle Square, North Taproom is simple but effective, with a huge selection of really good beers. All brewed by North Brewing Co in Leeds and some selected friends, the taproom extends North Brewing Co’s northern expansion, bringing the best in locally brewed craft beers to Manchester.
Choose from the likes of lighter beers such as the pilsner or Atlantis pale ale, right into the upper percentages of Transmission and Serpent Seas, or grab a can to go from the fridges, boasting even more of a selection. There’s also Negroni on tap, and all the usual cocktails you’d expect at a bar, in the brewery, along with sumptuous bao buns from residents Little Bao Boy – ahh perfection!
๐ North Taproom, Vita East, Circle Square, Nobel Way, Manchester, M1 7FA.
2. Bundobust Brewery
Indo-Chinese haven Bundobust is known for wonderful street food from bhajis to dahls and all the picky bits you could ask for. But the Oxford Road site boasts its very own brewery, providing house-brewed IPAs and crafty creations on rotation, designed especially with the food menu in mind. Beer brewed at Bundobust Brewery is available exclusively on tap in their restaurants, and the brewery is open to the public as a 150-seat taproom and restaurant seven days a week. Itโs Bundobustโฆ but with one of the best breweries in Manchester inside.
๐ Bundobust Brewery, St James Building, 61-69 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EQ.
3. Seven Bro7hers
One of the best Manchester breweries around, Salford’s very own Seven Bro7hers is on the up and up, with three taprooms around the city. Sit back and relax in any one of the locations, enjoying thee casual atmosphere and delicious local beer. The taprooms provide the entire spectrum of craft beers, from lagers and pale ales to stouts and bitters, as well as a great selection of wine and cocktails too. The Middlewood Locks taproom also brings the fun and games with shuffleboard tables and board games available so you can get competitive with mates whilst you enjoy the fruits of their labour.
๐ Se7en Brothers Beerhouse, Lockside Ln, Salford, M5 4YP | MediaCityUK, Orange Building, Salford, M50 2HE | 39 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 5AF.
4. Manchester Union Brewery
Boasting Manchester’s first and only dedicated craft lager brewery, Manchester Union supplies many pubs and watering holes around the city with their juicy signature lager. The likes of Refuge, Cask and Box on the Docks all stock the beer on tap, and Exhibition pour Manchester Union straight from the house tank – the only place you can experience it! Manchester Union is also available in cans to take away across the city, and the team are so proud of their “4.8% lager brewed using traditional central European methods, but with a Mancunian swagger” – and we think it’s delicious.
5. Track Brewing Co
Starting life in a 2000 sq/ft arch underneath Manchester Piccadilly Station, Track Brewing Co is the brainchild of owner Sam, who garnered a passion for brewing during a cycling odyssey across America. Track is now more established with a Production Facility and Taproom all under one roof on Piccadilly Trading Estate, and the team don’t shy away from getting involved in local goings-on. Track was part of the Manchester Beer Trail this year, along with neighbours Sureshot and Cloudwater Brewing Co, and supplies much of the hospitality trade in Manchester. Watch out for this relative newcomer!
๐Track Brewing Co Brewery & Taproom, Unit 18, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Manchester, M1 2NP.
6. Cloudwater Brewery Taproom
You’ll find the Unit 9 Taproom nestled right next to the Cloudwater brewery in the heart of Manchester. With 20 draft taps brimming with fresh releases and barrel-aged delights, it’s a beer lover’s paradise. All 20 draft lines are drawn from a chilly 3ยบC cold store just beneath the tap room mezzanine, ensuring every sip is as fresh as can be. Even the take-out selection is kept icy cold at below 5ยบC, straight from the same walk-in cold store where it’s been since packaging.
๐ Cloudwater Taproom, Piccadilly Trading Estate, Unit 9, Gidding Rd, Manchester M1 2NP.
7. ShinDigger Brewing Co
A cult favourite in Manchester, ShinDigger has made its way into many locals around the region over the years, with its original brewing site being in the Piccadilly area. ShinDigger was founded in 2013 by Paul and George (no, not THAT Paul and George), two students at Manchester University who started selling home-brew at house parties, and the rest is now history! The brewery on Temperance Street puts it in close proximity to the Warehouse Project, which occasionally uses the street as a stage area, meaning ShinDigger is inherently embedded within the city and with its values.
The ShinDigger co-founders pride themselves on creating unpretentious beer to make the good times even better, specialising in session beers with fruit-forward flavours for an easy drinking experience with mates. Of course, ShinDigger is stocked in watering holes across Manchester, but the team has also branched out into events and hold their very own ShinDigger Sessions full of music, tasty food and local beverages, so keep an eye on the ShinDigger social media channels to catch the next one.
๐ Shindigger Brewing Co, 92 Temperance St, Manchester M12 6HU.
8. Joseph Holt Brewery
You may recognise the name Joseph Holt from pubs all over the North West, and that’s because it’s one of the biggest suppliers of beer in the region. Beginning in 1849, moving to its currently brewing home in 1860, Joseph Holt Brewery sits pretty on Empire Street in Cheetham Hill, and owns some of our favourite pubs in Manchester including The Ape and Apple, The Crown and Anchor and The Lower Turk’s Head, alongside local pubs around Greater Manchester. You can find any type of beer with the Joseph Holt stamp of approval, from light lagers to thick stouts, and you likely never be disappointed! It’s rightfully one of the best breweries in Manchester and definitely does us proud.
๐ Joseph Holt Brewery, Empire St, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M3 1JD.