Berkshire has a lot of breweries. At last count we reckoned there were over 20 in the Royal County with plenty scattered just a short hop over the various borders with Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Hampshire.
But what you may not know is that the county also has a number of brilliant, specialised bottle shops selling not only beer and cider produced here, but from across the country and around the world.
As well as taking beer home, most bottle shops also now offer deliveries and have ‘tasting facilities’ on site if you fancy trying before you buy. Here’s our list:
The Hive, Crowthorne
The nearest bottle shop to Bracknell Ale & Cider Festival, The Hive in Crowthorne combines a craft beer bottle shop and a coffee shop with six craft beers on tap and a large selection of beer sourced from across the country.
208-210 Duke’s Ride, Crowthorne RG45 6DS
Visit thehivecraft.co.uk
A Hoppy Place, Windsor
At last check, 184 beers were available on the Hoppy Place website but you’d be just as well to pay them a visit with indoor and outdoor seating available in their tasting room. Oh, and they were voted SIBA Independent Retailer of the year!
11 St Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3BN
Visit ahoppyplace.co.uk
The Grumpy Goat, Reading
Having just moved to new premises in Reading’s ‘Smelly Alley’ the Grumpy Goat is the town’s go-to purveyor of great beer and cheese from around the world. They offer home delivery and a loyalty card.
7 Union Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1EU
Visit thegrumpygoat.co.uk
Inn at Home, Newbury
Based on Bartholomew Street in Newbury near the Town Council office, since 2015, Inn at Home offer a range of beers, wines ciders and spirits with some great gift ideas.
150-151 Bartholomew Street, Newbury RG14 5HB
Visit innathome.co.uk
Have we missed a bottle shop from within the counties borders? We’d be more than happy to add them, get in touch here.
