The best brewery tours and experiences in the North East

Luckily, the North East is full of fantastic breweries willing to open their doors and show visitors around.

These are some of the top brewery tours and experiences in the North East:

1: Anarchy Brewing

Directly next to Walkergate Metro station is the brewery and taproom of Anarchy Brew Co.

The brewery, which started in 2012, has become a regular face in the North East brewing scene since its move from Morpeth in 2018. The company has brewing facilities for one million pints per year and is also home to a 300 capacity live music and event space.

Each month the brewery open its doors for tour and tasting sessions for £7 per person. These usually occur on weekends to coincide with the opening of the site’s taproom, which the public can access on Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings from noon – 11:00pm.

2: Tyne Bank Brewery

The Tyne Bank Brewery, in Byker, Newcastle, is not only a brewery offering great beer experiences, but also acts as a cultural hub.

The building, which hosts vegan festivals, group painting sessions and live music, is also home to some stunning beers and a tour of the site each Saturday. For £10 per person visitors can receive an introduction to the brewing process, a history of the brewery and a chance to sample the beers. Anyone on the tour is welcome to stay around in the taproom too. Tours run twice each Saturday afternoon.

3: Darwin Brewery

From the north of the Tyne, to the north of the Wear and Sunderland’s Darwin Brewery - a 24-year-old Sunderland company currently residing in Sunderland Enterprise Park.

In addition to producing seven beers which are available in pubs across the city, it also offer a brilliant brew day experience. Supplying all the parts needed to brew beer, Darwin’s staff are your guides, as you run through the process and finish with customers taking their own beer home. These experiences are available throughout the week, run between 9:00am – 3:00pm and cost £75.

4: Maxim Brewery

A major name in the history of brewing in Sunderland, Maxim is a staple of North East drinking. After the original Vaux company shut down at the end of the 20th century, the Maxim name returned to the area with a taproom in 2008.

In addition to the bar in Houghton-le-Spring, the company leads tours of its equipment and factory, with anyone looking to book asked to call to book on 0191 584 8844. The group usually hosts tours consisting of 15-25 people and the experience ends with a chance to try the beers in the taproom.

Other breweries across the North East have postponed their tours as a result of Coronavirus outbreaks, but are hoping to return soon. Durham Brewery’s tours usually cost £15 and the firm is hoping to restart them by April, while Wylam Brewery, in Newcastle, has taken its usual £10 tour off sale until further notice.