Best Craft Beer Bars in Liverpool (2026): New Openings & Essential Taps

Liverpool's beer landscape has evolved far beyond traditional bitter and standard commercial lagers. Between warehouse microbreweries tucked away in the North Docks, specialist bottle shops expanding across South Liverpool, and heritage Dale Street pubs pouring rare European imports, the city has one of the strongest independent beer circuits in the UK.

Whether mapping out a crawl through the city's essential craft institutions or visiting recent 2025–2026 openings, this guide covers verified spots to grab a pint right now. Last checked and verified: 9 October 2026.

Liverpool craft beer bars compared: area, taps and openings

Part 1: Recent craft beer openings and expansions (2025–2026)

Drinkers who have already ticked off the central staples will find several newcomers and neighbourhood satellite sites worth a dedicated visit.

1. The Dead Crafty Beer Company (Allerton Road)

• Area: South Liverpool / Allerton
• Address: 97 Allerton Road, Liverpool L18 2DD
• Style: Neighbourhood taproom and bottle shop

Following years of establishing Dale Street as Liverpool's premier craft hub, the Dead Crafty team opened their second site at 97 Allerton Road on 12 December 2025. The Allerton Road outpost delivers the same obsessive curation, showcasing rare domestic releases, fresh Nordic imports, and high-gravity stouts in a relaxed neighbourhood setting perfect for casual sessions without travelling into the city centre. For current cellar drops and tap updates, visit the Dead Crafty Beer Company official site.

2. Black Cat (Parr Street & Rose Lane)

• Area: Ropewalks (City Centre) and Mossley Hill
• Address: 24 Parr Street (L1 4JN) / 102 Rose Lane (L18 8AG)
• Style: Sleek craft bar, rotating draft board, events

Building on the loyal community around its original Rose Lane site in Mossley Hill, the Black Cat group expanded into the city centre with its Parr Street bar in October 2025. The venue brings a curated tap list of modern IPAs, crisp continental pilsners, and wild fermentations into Ropewalks, alongside live jazz, quizzes, and cocktail pours. Venue details and current lines are on the Black Cat Liverpool website.

3. Shandon Bells (Hope Street)

• Area: Georgian Quarter / Hope Street
• Address: 88 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BW
• Style: Traditional pub with regular and changing cask ale

Shandon Bells opened on Hope Street in early 2026, next to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Inspired by Cork pubs, it serves pints, toasties, and Irish traditional music. Liverpool CAMRA records both regular and changing cask ale at the bar, making it an essential stop for drinkers who value independent cask and traditional pub service. Check event schedules on the Shandon Bells pub site.

4. Goldie's (Colquitt Street)

• Area: Ropewalks
• Address: 33-35 Colquitt Street, Liverpool L1 4DE
• Style: New York pizza and local craft draught

Goldie's opened its standalone Colquitt Street venue on 6 July 2026 after previously operating inside PINS Social Club. While thin-crust pizza is the headline, the drinks programme features substantial local and independent craft beer on tap, making it ideal for pizza and pints in the city centre.

5. The Black Horse & Rainbow (Berry Street)

• Area: Ropewalks
• Address: 21-23 Berry Street, Liverpool L1 9DF
• Style: Continental draught, cask, and 250-capacity beer garden

Opening on 24 July 2026 at the former Red Door site, The Black Horse & Rainbow brought an older Liverpool pub name back to Berry Street. It combines continental lagers and cask ales with a heated courtyard beer garden holding up to 250 people. See our Black Horse & Rainbow directory listing and Liverpool CAMRA's venue entry.

6. Village Cat (Woolton)

• Area: Woolton Village
• Address: 5-7 Allerton Road, Woolton, Liverpool L25 7RA
• Style: Cask lines, rotating craft keg, two beer gardens

Opened on 31 July 2026 by the Black Cat group, Village Cat expanded the craft beer circuit into Woolton Village with five cask lines, rotating craft beers, and two garden spaces. See our Village Cat directory listing.

Part 2: Liverpool's essential craft beer institutions

These established venues are non-negotiable stops for any beer lover visiting or living in Liverpool.

7. The Dead Crafty Beer Company (Dale Street)

• Area: Commercial District
• Address: 92 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 5TF
• Known for: International keg selection, tap takeovers, and 200+ cans

Dead Crafty remains the gold standard for independent craft beer in Merseyside. The venue features a constantly rotating draft board alongside double-fronted beer fridges packed with hundreds of cans from top-tier breweries across the UK, Europe, and North America. Staff knowledge is encyclopedic, making it an ideal venue for both seasoned cicerones and curious novices.

Find more in our dedicated Dead Crafty Beer Company directory listing.

8. Azvex Brewery & Taproom

• Area: North Docks / King Edward Street
• Address: Unit 16 King Edward Street, Gibraltar Row, Liverpool L3 7HJ
• Known for: Ultra-fresh hazy IPAs, decadent imperial stouts, on-site brew kit

Situated just north of the city centre, Azvex produces some of the most critically acclaimed modern craft beer in the North West. Drinking in the taproom means you are sitting mere metres away from the stainless steel fermentation tanks where hop-saturated IPAs and barrel-aged stouts are brewed on site across 12 taps. Read our in-depth guide to Azvex Brewery & Taproom or check tap lists on the Azvex Brewery taproom site.

9. The Ship & Mitre

• Area: Dale Street / City Centre
• Address: 133 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2JH
• Known for: Belgian beers, German draughts, and extensive real ale hand-pulls

No Liverpool beer guide is complete without The Ship & Mitre. Built with an Art Deco maritime interior, this public house strikes the balance between a classic British alehouse and an international beer sanctuary. With up to a dozen cask ales alongside dedicated lines for German wheats, lagers, and Belgian tripels, it is an essential institution on the Dale Street pub trail. See the latest tap list at The Ship & Mitre online.

10. Black Lodge Brewing

• Area: Baltic Triangle
• Address: 3 King's Dock Street, Liverpool L1 8JU
• Known for: Experimental small-batch brews, sourdough pizza pairings, terrace seating

Based in the creative quarter of the Baltic Triangle, Black Lodge is dedicated to small-batch brewing. Their tap lineup shifts constantly, ranging from crisp table beers and fruited kettle sours to rich stouts on both keg and cask. With outdoor bench space for warm afternoons, it is the natural anchor point for any Baltic Triangle beer crawl. Find upcoming can releases at Black Lodge Brewing.

11. The Grapes

• Area: Georgian Quarter / Roscoe Street
• Address: 60 Roscoe Street, Liverpool L1 9DW
• Known for: Rotating independent casks, courtyard beer garden, Sunday live jazz

Affectionately nicknamed "The Little Grapes," this Roscoe Street landmark blends classic pub heritage with a steadfast commitment to high-calibre cask ale and craft taps. Grab a seat in the courtyard out back or settle into the corner booth on Sunday evenings for live jazz with a fresh pint of local pale ale in hand.

Tips for a Liverpool craft beer crawl

1. The Dale Street Corridor: You can link The Ship & Mitre, The Dead Crafty Beer Co, and nearby traditional real ale pubs along Dale Street within a three-minute stroll.
2. The Baltic Route: Combine a brewery session at Black Lodge Brewing with Baltic Market food traders and neighbouring taprooms for an afternoon itinerary.
3. South Liverpool Express: Take the Northern Line train or a short bus along Allerton Road and Rose Lane to visit Dead Crafty Allerton, Village Cat in Woolton, and Black Cat on Rose Lane without city centre crowds.

Frequently asked questions

Which Liverpool bar has the biggest craft beer selection?

The Dead Crafty Beer Co on Dale Street offers the widest dedicated selection of rotating craft kegs and packaged international craft cans (over 200 varieties), while The Ship & Mitre offers the largest variety of continental draught taps and traditional hand-pulled cask ales.

Are children and dogs allowed in Liverpool taprooms?

Most independent taprooms, including Azvex, Black Lodge, and Dead Crafty, are dog-friendly during daytime and early evening hours. Check individual house policies for weekend evening curfews.

Which Liverpool craft beer bars are new in 2025 and 2026?

Confirmed recent openings include Black Cat on Parr Street (October 2025), Dead Crafty on Allerton Road (December 2025), Shandon Bells on Hope Street (early 2026), Goldie's on Colquitt Street (6 July 2026), The Black Horse & Rainbow on Berry Street (24 July 2026), Village Cat in Woolton (31 July 2026), and The Angel Inn on Bold Street (12 August 2026).