The Lake District’s Independent distilleries & breweries
Of course, you can come to the Lake District to climb the mountains, sail on the lakes, cycle up and down the hills, explore the forests, wander the charming villages, and go to the fascinating museums but…
There’s another reason to make the Lakes your next holiday destination
Especially if you like a tipple or two! Cumbria is home to a growing number of independent breweries and distilleries, some of which offer tours or have tap rooms or pubs you can visit to sample their wares.
Now if that sounds like your kind of holiday, raise a glass and read on. Bottoms up!
Pick your poison!
Lake District breweries
Ennerdale Brewery | Keswick Brewing Co. | Crooked River Brewing Co. | Bowness Bay Brewing Ltd. | Ulverston Brewing Company | Hesket Newmarket Brewery | Lakes Brew Co. | Fell Brewery Bar
Ennerdale Brewery
Thereâs something tasty brewing in the sleepy west Cumbrian village of Rowrah. The family-run Ennerdale Brewery prides itself on using only the best fresh and natural ingredients to brew their craft beers. The best locally supplied ingredients to make their hearty food. And offering the warmest of welcomes to their family-friendly brewery tap and bistro.
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How about a pint of Ennerdale Blonde to wash down your Cumberland Sausage Grill? Or an Ennerdale Wild to accompany your Homemade Steak & Ale Pie? Not hungry? Then just hang out in cosy the bar area and enjoy a bottle of Ennerdale Coast Line or two. Well-behaved pooches are welcome in the bar area, and there might even be treats for certain canine charmers.
Fun fact: on sunny days more than 75% of the power the brewery uses is generated by the solar panels on the roof, so you could say your food and drink is powered by Cumbrian sunshine.
Keswick Brewing Co. and The Fox Tap
Is there anything better than enjoying a beer where itâs brewed? We donât think so. The Keswick Brewing Co. is built on the site of what was the oldest brewery in Keswick â dating from the 1870s â although the current owners have only been brewing there since 2005. A small craft brewery with environmental issues at its heart, they produce a range of beers and ales, including the award-winning Thirst Quencher.
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And talking of thirst quenching, no trip to the brewery is complete without stopping off at the dog-friendly Fox Tap next door. There are always up to six cask and four keg beers on offer to thirsty visitors. Want to take some home with you? Then you can stock up in the brewery shop. They also run regular brewery socials, where you can drink great beer and tuck into tasty street food too.
Want to find out more about brewing? You can book onto one of their brewery tours. Youâll get a welcome drink, find out about the history of the brewery and the brewing process, and get three small beers to taste in the bar afterwards â whatâs not to like?
Crooked River Brewing Co., Keswick
At Crooked River Brewing, they believe beer tastes better up north. And who are we to disagree? Tucked away in the west of the county near Workington, these award-winning independents brew up a range of beers â everything from Golden Ale to Chocolate Stout, which they supply to pubs and restaurants and their own recently opened tap room in Keswick.
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Visit the tap room and not only can you try out their range, but you can also pick the brains of the beer bonkers staff and learn about the brewing process â you can even pick up a few cans to take away with you. Canât get to Keswick â donât worry? You can buy their beers online too.
They also love a good social at Crooked River, and host regular events at the tap room, in Cockermouth and at the brewery, with live music and brilliant beer the order of the day.
Bowness Bay Brewing Ltd., Kendal
You wonât find Bowness Bay Brewery in Bowness. They brew their top-quality hand-crafted beer in casks and kegs in Kendal â over 17 different kinds, including the popular Swan Blonde and the award-winning Helles Lager. But thatâs not all theyâve got going on down in Kendal â the gateway to the Lake District.
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Thereâs also the Barrel House next door to the brewery â their tap room, where you can sup a pint, tuck into tasty street food, and even sit outside on cold days in one of the heated booths.
And letâs not forget The Venue across the yard, which has been transformed from an old industrial unit into a buzzing entertainment space with regular live music and plenty of space to try out your moves on the dance floor.
Ulverston Brewing Company
If you didnât already know, Ulverston is the birthplace of movie legend, Stan Laurel, so when it came to naming their beers and ales, the Ulverston Brewing Company knew exactly what to do.
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So, if you find yourself supping a Lonesome Pine, or a Another Fine Mess, or even a Laughing Gravy in a pub in and around Cumbria â including the Stan Laurel Inn up the road from the brewery, youâll know where itâs from.
Housed in Ulverstonâs old auction mart, the award-winning and CAMRA-recognised Ulverston Brewing Company is run by Paul and Anita Swan, who began brewing beer for family and friends in their garage and have now realised their long-time dream of having a brewery in their hometown, and supplying their beer to pubs all over the north west.
Ulverston Brewing Company website >
01229 586 870
The Old Auction Mart
Lightburn Road
Ulverston
Cumbria
LA12 0AU
Hesket Newmarket Brewery
Run by a 100-strong co-operative of real ale lovers, the Hesket Newmarket Brewery in the north of the county, has been brewing award-winning beer in the Lake District for over 30 years â making them Cumbriaâs oldest surviving micro-brewery.
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They name most of their quaffable beers after Lakeland fells to celebrate their pride in the region. And drinking them is easier than climbing the real thing. You can enjoy Haystacks, Catbells, Skiddaw and more without having to pull on your walking boots. If you are interested in visiting the brewery, they do run occasional after-hours tours for small groups â get in touch with them to see if they can accommodate you.
The Old Crown Inn next door to the brewery is now also cooperatively owned and acts as the tap room for the brewery, which makes is the best place to sample their brews at their freshest and enjoy some great food at the same time.
Lakes Brew Co., Kendal
Born out of adversity, the Lakes Brew Co. was set up by four friends who, after being made redundant from another local brewery, decided their brewing passions couldnât be dimmed so decided to go it alone.
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Housed in a unit on a Kendal industrial estate, they produce a range of fresh brews for the craft beer enthusiasts of Kendal â of which there are many. And they also run a monthly pop-up tap at the brewery, where you can sup great beer, enjoy good vibes, and chow down on tasty street food from visiting vendors.
Canât get to Kendal this time round? You can also buy their beer and merch online.
The Royal Oak, Cartmel – by Fell Brewery
The ethos at the Fell Brewery is to spread joy to the world through beer, brewing and sustainability. And we think theyâre doing a pretty good job. Set up in 2013 by two mates from south Cumbria who wanted to take the global brewing industry by storm, 12 years later theyâre still here, still brewing, and still opening new bars (thereâs even a couple in Manchester now) to bring their beer to the people.
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If you find yourself in Cartmel, pop into The Royal Oak, their very own pub just a few miles from the brewery. Hungry? They serve seasonal comfort food too â guess whose beerâs in the Beer Battered Haddock?
And talking of bars. You can try their range of beers at the wildly popular Fell Bar in Kendal â you can also buy Fell beer to take away in cans. Even better, Jimâs Pizza slings out tastily topped dough discs from Thursday to Sunday to accompany your brew.
Thereâs another Fell Bar in Penrith, where you can also enjoy regular live music.
Lake District Distilleries
Ennerdale Brewery | Keswick Brewing Co. | Crooked River Brewing Co.
Black Cat Distillery, Penrith
Theyâre all about small batch, hand-crafted artisan gin at the Black Cat Distillery at Brougham Hall in Penrith. And not only can you visit the distillery to learn all about the process, but you can also even book onto a gin workshop and have a go at designing and making your own gin â with a gin and tonic in hand to boot.
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Youâll get to learn about the history of gin, how the Black Cat Distillery got its name, how to choose and weigh out your botanicals, and be given your own individual copper still to produce your tipple in.
While you wait, thereâll be something to eat, more gin to drink (you might want to make sure youâre not driving that day) and then your 70cl bottle will be ready for you take home. And donât forget to visit their shop to pick up a bottle or two â whether you prefer spicy, fruity or savoury flavours, thereâs a gin to suit every taste.
Shed One Distillery, Ulverston
The story of Shed One Distillery began in a garden shed in Ulverston â hence the name. Starting small back in 2016, husband and wife team, Andy and Zoe, have now grown the business into a highly successful micro-distillery (about 110 bottles per batch) producing a range of award-winning spirits.
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They also offer distillery tours and tastings, afternoon G&Tea with a tour, and you can have a go at making your own spirit. Youâll get a welcome tipple, learn all about the gin making process, choose your botanicals and blend your own recipe. While your gin distils, you can tuck into some sweet treats, enjoy another G&T, and then find out all about the perfect abv%, before your personalised label is added to your bottle.
If youâre in the area and just want to pass by and pick up a bottle of Fancy Frolic, Shed Loads of Love, or Cuckoldâs Revenge to take home, their shop is open from Wednesday to Saturday. Chin chin.
The Lakes Distillery, Bassenthwaite
If youâre fond of a dram of single malt whisky, then a visit to The Lakes Distillery should be on your must-do list. Scenically located on the shore of Bassenthwaite, theyâve been distilling top-notch spirits (including gin and vodka too) in their state-of-the-art facilities since 2011.
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Want to know more about how whisky is made? Book yourself onto the Lakes Single Malt Experience Tour. Youâll learn all about the process from beginning to end, with five samples to taste along the way. They also run a gin tour, and a general distillery tour, where youâll get to taste gin, whisky and vodka. Decisions, decisions.
Youâre bound to be hungry once youâve finished your tour, so be sure to grab a table in the bistro (booking recommended) and tuck into coffee and cake, something light for lunch, or even a full three course meal.
And, when youâre done, donât forget to pick up a bottle of your favourite tipple in the shop before you leave.
Discover more of the Lake District
With weekly articles highlighting the very best of the Lake District, there’s always something to get you inspired for your next trip!
If you’d like to be the first to hear of our guides, all our new property listings, events around the lakes, and our last-minute deals…
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