Small Beer, Big Flavour
Small Beer Brewery & Taproom – SE16
Inside the Small Beer taproom
Beer You Can Actually Drink a Few Of
Everything’s brewed low but full of flavour. The whole point: have two or three, taste the lot, and still get on with your day.
A WORKING BREWERY
You drink among the tanks. An industrial-Bermondsey warehouse with real character, not a themed bar.
THE START OF THE BEER MILE
A five-minute walk from South Bermondsey and one stop from London Bridge – the first (or last) stop just off the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
THE STAFF MAKE IT
Warm, knowledgeable, genuinely into it – Dan behind the bar, Felix the founder handing out impromptu tours.
A GREAT EVENT SPACE
Weddings, big birthdays, work parties, ceilidhs, comedy, live gigs – the taproom hires out, and the team run it brilliantly.
A working brewery pouring pints you can actually drink a few of – full-flavoured, low-strength, in a South Bermondsey warehouse.
Small Beer is a working brewery first and a taproom second, and that’s the charm of it. You drink in the room where the beer’s made – a South Bermondsey warehouse with a balcony looking down over huge vats, piles of stock, a dartboard, and bay doors that roll open to the street in summer. One visitor called the surrounding streets “a drab industrial sector” and the taproom “an oasis in the desert” – which is about right. It’s not polished and it isn’t trying to be; the atmosphere does the work.
The beer is the hook, and it’s a genuinely clever one. Everything Small Beer brews is deliberately low in strength – think somewhere around 0.5% to 2.8% – but the trick they’ve pulled off is keeping it full of flavour. As one regular put it, this is “finally a brewery that is for beer drinkers, not alcoholics”: you can settle in for an afternoon, work through the Small Lager, the Pale, the Hazy and a cask Amber, and walk out having actually tasted everything with your evening still intact.
People who know their beer rate it. It’s also a certified B Corp, run on renewable energy with a serious water-saving setup, and the beers are vegan – the sort of thing that matters to a lot of people and costs you nothing if it doesn’t.
What lifts it from “good beer” to “somewhere people come back to” is the welcome. The team – Dan holding court behind the bar, founder Felix wandering over to give an unplanned tour because he clearly can’t help himself talking about the stuff. It’s friendly, unpretentious and a bit of a local secret: dog-friendly, a good playlist, space inside and out, and the kind of place a first-timer says they’re “thinking of making our local.”
Here’s the one honest thing to sort before you go, because it catches people out: the taproom keeps short hours — in practice Fridays late afternoon into the evening and Saturdays through the day – and it can close entirely for a private booking. Almost the only gripe is wishing it were open more often in the week. So it’s a plan-ahead pint, not a drop-in-whenever one: check they’re open (and not booked out) before you make the trip, and you’ll have a brilliant time-
What to know
GETTING THERE
Small Beer Brewery & Taproom, 70-72 Verney Road, London SE16 3DH – in South Bermondsey, a five-minute walk from South Bermondsey rail station and one stop from London Bridge. Opening is limited and the single most important thing to check: in practice it’s Friday late afternoon into the evening and Saturday daytime, and it can close for private events, so always confirm they’re open (and not booked out) before you set off. Plan the trip and you’re golden.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE
It’s a working brewery in an industrial pocket of Bermondsey – that’s the appeal, not a polished pub, so come for character over comfort. The beer is low-strength by design: if you’re chasing a big hoppy 6% IPA this isn’t the place, but if you want to drink well for an afternoon without writing it off, it’s spot on. They usually have a higher perctage guest beer and cider on draught too. It sits a short walk off the main Beer Mile run – “off the beer mile but well worth it,” as one visitor put it. Dogs are welcome, there’s seating inside and out, darts if you fancy it, and brewery tours and tastings if you want to go deeper. The online shop and subscription are a separate operation from the taproom.
Frequently asked
What is Small Beer Brewery?
A South Bermondsey brewery and taproom that specialises in mid-strength beer – brewed around 2% ABV, full of flavour – in the working brewery itself, at 70-72 Verney Road, SE16.
Why is it called Small Beer?
“Small beer” is the old English name for weak, low-strength ale – historically drunk as an everyday drink you could have right through the working day. The brewery revived the idea: proper, full-flavoured beer at gentle old strengths. So the name is a history lesson and a mission statement rolled into two words.
When is the taproom open?
In practice Fridays 4–8pm and Saturdays 12–6pm, plus the odd weeknight when there’s an event on – and it can close for private bookings. Always check before you travel; it’s the one thing that catches people out.
Is it dog-friendly?
Yes – dogs are welcome in the taproom.
How strong is Small Beer – is it low alcohol?
It’s mid-strength, which is a deliberate distinction: proper low-alcohol beers sit under 1.2% ABV, whereas Small Beer is brewed around 2% (up to 2.8%) – roughly half the strength of a standard pint, with less than a unit of alcohol in a can. So it’s not an alcohol-free near-beer; it’s real beer you can simply drink more of.
What’s on tap?
On keg you’ll usually find the Lager, Hazy, Pale, IPA and Blanche, with an Amber on cask – plus revolving guest beers from local breweries like Brockley and Southwark Brewing Co. Not after beer? There’s wine, prosecco and spirit-and-mixers too.
How many calories are in Small Beer?
Because it’s brewed at a lower strength, it’s naturally lighter – the Lager is around 73 calories a can, against roughly 150 for a full-strength one, and the beers are low in carbs and sugar too.
Is Small Beer vegan?
Yes – all the beers are vegan-friendly, with no animal-derived ingredients (no lactose, no finings).
Is it sustainable?
Very – it was London’s first B Corp certified brewery, running on renewable energy, using recycled packaging, and brewing with a clever “dry floor” system that uses far less water than a typical brewery.
Can you get food there?
They don’t have their own kitchen, but there are QR codes on the tables to order pizza straight to you from Yard Sale Pizza – which is excellent – so it easily suits a proper afternoon, not just a quick one.
Is it on the Bermondsey Beer Mile?
It’s a short walk off the main strip, but very much part of a Beer Mile day – often flagged as the pick of the stops. Easy to reach from South Bermondsey (5 minutes) or one stop from London Bridge.
Can you hire it for events?
Yes – it’s a well-regarded private-hire space for weddings, birthdays, work parties, ceilidhs, comedy and gigs, with a team that gets a lot of praise for running events well. Contact their events manager to enquire.
Do they do brewery tours?
Yes — a one-hour tour of their bespoke mid-strength brew kit, with a welcome beer on arrival and a tasting flight of five beers as you go, plus the story of their sustainable, B Corp brewing. You’re welcome to stay for a pint in the taproom afterwards, and they make a good gift (vouchers available).
What are the opening times?
Fridays 4–8pm and Saturdays 12–6pm, plus the odd weeknight when there’s an event on. It can close for private bookings, so it’s always worth a quick check before you head over.
