Brew By Numbers

I’ve seen some crowded breweries with long lines, but nothing to match this place. Seemed like all of London’s hipster youth had shown up on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and frankly I can’t blame them. This place definitely had the best beer on the Bermondsey beer mile in my opinion. Not your grandpa’s bitter and pale ale, the taps were pouring out witbier and porter and tripel, all quality suds. The space was a little cramped but we found space at the long picnic tables, and when the rain stopped there was more room to stand outside. My only complaint is the £3 glass deposit, which is a cheap trick for getting you to bus your own table, but I guess they can’t really be paying staff to do it and there wasn’t much room for anyone to walk around clearing empties anyway. All in all, the highlight of the beer mile, don’t miss it even if you’re not doing every stop along the way.

Brew by Numbers are a venerated London microbrewery with a strong brewing ethos: they produce consistently drinkable beers with a focus on innovation. Their range uses only the finest ingredients available and is conditioned live in both bottle and keg forms– this results in natural carbonation and allows each batch the time to fully develop its flavours and aromas. Each beer is plainly labelled and can be ordered either by style/​batch number or by its ingredient list. The hops used in each batch is also highlighted, making it impossible to tinker with recipes of loved beers without the punters noticing (it does happen, but usually due to hop shortages). Transparent, fresh and novel– there’s always something curious being brewed up from this surprisingly small operation. And I’ve never had a pint that I didn’t like from BBNo.
The popularity of BBNo’s beers with savvy beer drinkers is firmly rooted in their sense of experimentation and the quality of everything they serve. However, when it comes to their taproom, there’s another small factor that ensures that it will be constantly swarming, rammed from wall to wall with a snaking queue to get to the bar. The taproom isn’t terribly spacious, but there are plenty of communal style tables and even more standing room outside. The primary reason for the throngs is that BBNo is on the (in)famous Bermondsey Beer Mile: a pub crawl that includes several local breweries hosted in railway arches within a tiny radius. Wandering from arch to arch in this area of Bermondsey, you’re likely to come across– you guessed it– yet another brewery. Most significantly, some of these breweries also have excellent reputations, including Partizan and Fourpure.
So crowds flock to BBNo in a bifurcated fashion: some travel for the beer alone and some arrive in a group or on a pub crawl. Either way, they come together to enjoy a pint. The taproom is functional, usually serving a wide selection of beers listed across two blackboards. Bottles are also on sale to take away. If drinking on site, you’ll have to pay a deposit on your glass (£3) and this is refundable; admittedly, we have a larder of BBNo vessels at home because we had to scurry off, but the deposit is the same as the purchase price on site, so no foul play.
The taproom is continuously bustling, seats are hard to come by, and if the weather turns, everyone squeezes to pack inside. You will have to queue up for your drink, so make sure you savour it– it’s all worth it for the excellent beer. I really believe that BBNo is at the forefront of pushing some exciting styles and flavours and while some are intriguing, most are thoroughly quaffable. Their saisons tend to be winners every time with me.
Whether on the Bermondsey Beer Mile or simply looking for a really good pint, get down there early and grab a seat. The taproom is open every Friday evening from 18:00 — 22:00 and on Saturday from 11:00 — 19:00. They often have some exclusive pilot beers on offer from the taproom, so you might just make the discovery of a lifetime.
Just try to remember the batch number and/​or ingredients so you can order it again.

Friends, patience is a virtue. That’s what I had to remind myself umpteen times as I waited in the long, slow line for beer on a busy Saturday afternoon. But since this place was recommended by a friend in the beer biz, I knew it would be worth the wait.
Being the professionals we are, my husband and I decided that our strategy would be to order three beers and share everything. There was not going to be a second wait in that queue. A lot of beer styles are offered and we were pleased with each one that we tried (a saison, pale ale and another style… an amber, maybe?).
It’s worth noting that there are no public bathrooms — outdoor port-​a-​pots only. That’s enough to get me moving after one round, long beer line or not. Beer is also available to-​go, and you can skip the line and purchase right at the register.

Great place. They have an excellent range of beers on tap and in bottle — usually 15 different varieties. Excellent range of styles, all well executed. Friendly staff, good prices. This place can get absolutely rammed on Saturdays, so either go early on Saturday or check them out on Friday night. Definitely worth visiting.

Delicious beer.
Nice brewery. Limited seating but on a sunny day it’s a delight to sit outside and have a beverage.

First off, I don’t know shite about beer. Except the vague and annoying phrase «I don’t like anything too hoppy?» when people ask me what kind of beer I like. I’ve had an amber ale recently that was really tasty but I guess it’s diff… you know what nevermind.
Cool brewery with space to hang and drink. Near Maltby market so nice place to get away from the crowd and have tasty beer. They have a selection on tap, displayed on the white board you can read while waiting in the sometimes very long but steadily moving line. They also have bottled beers you can drink there or takeaway in a fancy pants «choose your own» six pack.
There’s bench seating inside… and a random couch. Outside there are wooden crates for seating. Not sure how I’d enjoy sitting here at winter time but it was quite pleasant on a warmish October day.

This is a new addition to the London brewery scene; I believe it opened around six months ago.
I’ve now visited a few times and have to say their Citra Saison is one of the best beers I’ve ever had. It really is that good.
Unlike Kernel (which has a huge but packed drinking hall) and Partizan (which has very little space), Brew By Numbers has a decent area to stand around in and enjoy a drink and is always quiet enough to enjoy. The bar staff are very knowledgeable of all things beer and are more than happy to answer questions.
I’d really recommend visiting here if you’re at Borough or Maltby Market as BBN really is very close.