Brighton Beer Blog review BrewDog, Brighton
Read a beer-by-beer account of our visit
The Date: Friday 13th September 2019
The Beers: Brewgooder, Albino Squid Assassin
One Friday evening in September we joined BrewDog to celebrate their refurb re-opening. That said, you need to look very closely to see many changes as the bar still retains its general industrial chic vibe.
Caged booths, filament bulbs, exposed brickwork and heavy-duty tables make this far from traditional, and not what you’d call a cosy spot, but the furniture is comfortable and the booths are a great place to settle in with three friends for the evening. The bar runs the length of the space down the left wall, and it needs to be that long for the copious taps – and because it can get very busy on weekend evenings.
There are few, if any, bars in Brighton that can beat BrewDog for options on the taps, and the cinema-style beer list above the bar can have anything up to 30-odd beers and a couple of cider options available in pints, schooners, halves or thirds.
It’s a veritable playground for craft lovers – much of it from the controversial brewer itself, but many from an enviable network of global brewers. Regular guest takeovers and exclusives are found here during special events.
If that isn’t enough there are two large fridges to peruse behind the counter and another out on the floor. With all that choice it’s hard to see the downside – well unless you’re a fan of cask ale, which simply doesn’t feature here. Also the prices can be reasonable, but many are priced by the schooner, so pints quickly get expensive.
Service is typically excellent, tasters are freely available, and the staff really know their beer. They need to stay on their game, as guest ales rotate rapidly.
Get into conversation and you might quickly find yourself out-geeked and learning something new, and certainly trying something new if you allow yourself to be led. But there’s no pretentiousness in the way it’s done, and BrewDog must either train well or select people that really have a passion for ale (and for talking about it).
On this visit we had a couple of BrewDog’s own creations: a lager and a heavy-hitting rye ale.
Brewgooder – 4.5%
We absolutely love this lager, and you don’t hear us say this often on BBB. It’s a crisp Helles style with a creamy sweet, almost coconutty, back flavour. The name points to the fact that 100% of profits from this beer are charitably donated to clean water projects.
Albino Squid Assassin – 9.2%
This murky monster is a gorgeous barrel-aged Rye, smooth with deep depths of flavours such as coconut, molasses and spiced rum with bold smokey undertones. Have never had the chance to try this on tap, and not seen it since a randomly purchased can four years ago. Dangerous, but class. 👌🏼
If you’re in need of nourishment there’s a decent burger and wings menu with some vegetarian options. The chicken wings are seriously good – crispy and crunchy and smothered in a spicy sauce just the right side of dangerous. The fries are also great here. They run an all-you-can eat wings Wednesday deal that’s an alternative to The Joker Brighton, but book online in advance to avoid disappointment.
BrewDog Brighton is not unique – in fact there are 80+ more pretty much exactly like this one spread across the UK. If you’re coming into town for a weekend, that familiarity of knowing you’ll have great beer selection and a busy atmosphere only a short walk from town must be nice.
On the other hand Brightonians may lament the loss of local indie startups like Blind Tiger, which once occupied this spot. Others may simply not like the brand, due to the kind of negative press it brings upon itself.
As a stand-alone pub review, we think service is what makes this place. The food and beer selection is brilliant and the atmosphere is fun even when busy. But without that reliably knowledgeable person at the bar enthusiastically steering you to one of 30 beers on a wall, it just wouldn’t work.
What do you think, Brighton? Is this a pedigree pub or a naughty dog?
The Date: Friday 13th September 2019
The Beers: Brewgooder, Albino Squid Assassin
One Friday evening in September we joined BrewDog to celebrate their refurb re-opening. That said, you need to look very closely to see many changes as the bar still retains its general industrial chic vibe.
Caged booths, filament bulbs, exposed brickwork and heavy-duty tables make this far from traditional, and not what you’d call a cosy spot, but the furniture is comfortable and the booths are a great place to settle in with three friends for the evening. The bar runs the length of the space down the left wall, and it needs to be that long for the copious taps – and because it can get very busy on weekend evenings.
There are few, if any, bars in Brighton that can beat BrewDog for options on the taps, and the cinema-style beer list above the bar can have anything up to 30-odd beers and a couple of cider options available in pints, schooners, halves or thirds.
It’s a veritable playground for craft lovers – much of it from the controversial brewer itself, but many from an enviable network of global brewers. Regular guest takeovers and exclusives are found here during special events.
If that isn’t enough there are two large fridges to peruse behind the counter and another out on the floor. With all that choice it’s hard to see the downside – well unless you’re a fan of cask ale, which simply doesn’t feature here. Also the prices can be reasonable, but many are priced by the schooner, so pints quickly get expensive.
Service is typically excellent, tasters are freely available, and the staff really know their beer. They need to stay on their game, as guest ales rotate rapidly.
Get into conversation and you might quickly find yourself out-geeked and learning something new, and certainly trying something new if you allow yourself to be led. But there’s no pretentiousness in the way it’s done, and BrewDog must either train well or select people that really have a passion for ale (and for talking about it).
On this visit we had a couple of BrewDog’s own creations: a lager and a heavy-hitting rye ale.
Brewgooder – 4.5%
We absolutely love this lager, and you don’t hear us say this often on BBB. It’s a crisp Helles style with a creamy sweet, almost coconutty, back flavour. The name points to the fact that 100% of profits from this beer are charitably donated to clean water projects.
Albino Squid Assassin – 9.2%
This murky monster is a gorgeous barrel-aged Rye, smooth with deep depths of flavours such as coconut, molasses and spiced rum with bold smokey undertones. Have never had the chance to try this on tap, and not seen it since a randomly purchased can four years ago. Dangerous, but class. 👌🏼
If you’re in need of nourishment there’s a decent burger and wings menu with some vegetarian options. The chicken wings are seriously good – crispy and crunchy and smothered in a spicy sauce just the right side of dangerous. The fries are also great here. They run an all-you-can eat wings Wednesday deal that’s an alternative to The Joker Brighton, but book online in advance to avoid disappointment.
BrewDog Brighton is not unique – in fact there are 80+ more pretty much exactly like this one spread across the UK. If you’re coming into town for a weekend, that familiarity of knowing you’ll have great beer selection and a busy atmosphere only a short walk from town must be nice.
On the other hand Brightonians may lament the loss of local indie startups like Blind Tiger, which once occupied this spot. Others may simply not like the brand, due to the kind of negative press it brings upon itself.
As a stand-alone pub review, we think service is what makes this place. The food and beer selection is brilliant and the atmosphere is fun even when busy. But without that reliably knowledgeable person at the bar enthusiastically steering you to one of 30 beers on a wall, it just wouldn’t work.
What do you think, Brighton? Is this a pedigree pub or a naughty dog?
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