Beer is a staple drink in most European cultures, and each city and country has its own unique appreciation for the humble pint, with lively beer festivals, thousands of bars and pubs, and innovative breweries. Whether you’re a fan of ale, stout, or craft beers, savouring a prime draft is about more than just its taste. With this in mind, cruise company DFDS has analysed the continent’s beer offerings, and where is the best place for a pint in the UK? Manchester, of course!
With historical breweries including Hydes, J.W. Lees and Joseph Holt still going strong in Manchester, and countless independent breweries like Cloudwater, Track and Seven Bro7hers bringing a modern take to the game, we’re honestly not surprised that it’s been named the best in the UK for beer.
DFDS analysed 70 European cities, 8,000 bars and pubs, scoured social media and scanned over 40,000 reviews to determine the best cities for beer. The results are based on beer quality, price, social media buzz, and the character of bars and pubs, combined to award a score out of 100.
The UK, despite its iconic pub culture, only just makes it into the top 20, with Manchester taking the final spot. Manchester scored 62 overall, with high social media buzz and bar and pub quality, to be crowned the best place for a beer in the UK.
However, a slightly disappointing stat is, surprise surprise, the price of a pint − average £5, giving it a price rating of just 31/100. We’re pretty well aware of the frankly extortionate price of a beer in Manchester, especially in the likes of Ancoats and the Northern Quarter, so this isn’t surprising, but to be fair we put up with it for those top quality vibes of the environment that were highlighted in the study.
Underdogs Spain and the Czech Republic topped the ranking in Europe, whilst Germany and Belgium, which are globally renowned for their beer, found themselves in spot seven and nine. Perhaps most surprisingly, Madrid is the best European city for stouts – a result that may be shocking to those who revere the iconic Guinness.
The results show that Reykjavik is the best city for ales and pale ales, whilst IPA fans should head to Lyon. Lager lovers should check out Vienna for their favourite tipple, while Copenhagen is the go-to for craft enthusiasts.
Porto and Valencia are home to the cheapest beers in Europe, costing an average of £1.72 (€2) per half-litre of draught beer. If quality is your priority, head over to Milan, which was top-rated 94/100 in the quality score, and the best pubs and bars are in Krakow, which scored 93/100 for venue quality.
Mancs will be pleased to know that our city beat out the likes of London in 31st place, Birmingham at 40th, Edinburgh at 44th and Glasgow in 50th place on the list, firmly keeping that crown on our head. Manchester’s pubs old and new will also be taking part in the biggest national ale trail, Mild Magic, celebrating the power of mild from this week, which you may want to pop in to now that Manchester has been named as the best place in the UK for beer.