Bristol & District CAMRA Launch the 2027 Good Beer Guide

The 2027 edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide will be launched this week on Friday 25 September. The Bristol & District branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) is holding a local launch event at the Left Handed Giant Brewpub, Hawkins Lane, Finzels Reach, Bristol, BS1 6EU from 12 noon until 6pm, so come along and buy a copy from some of the people that helped put the guide together. Each year volunteer CAMRA members survey thousands of pubs to work out where you can find the best beer.

Richard Brooks, Chair of the Bristol & District branch of the Campaign for Real Ale said:

"The Good Beer Guide is the UK’s best-selling beer and pub guide, which showcases 4,500 of the best pubs across the UK. It is the definitive source for those seeking top quality ale and cider, and the guide includes 64 pubs chosen by our local Bristol & District branch, covering Bristol and parts of South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. (Bath & Borders branch has its own separate allocation).

Those 64 pubs were the subject of many visits and much debate amongst local members over the last 12 months, and many more pubs were nominated than we have space for. As is the case every year the selection procedure was particularly close in our branch area and a number of pubs that serve quality real ale have narrowly missed out on inclusion.

A place in the guide is much sought after by all licensees who are serious about keeping real ale, so commiserations to those pubs that are not included. It doesn’t automatically mean that you don’t sell good quality beer, but as the competition continues to increase we are restricted to including the pubs with the very best beer.

Nobody who enjoys a quality pint of ale should be without this book – especially if you plan to travel around the UK for business or pleasure. The guide will steer you towards some of the pubs with the best quality beer in that area, and you could always try other pubs nearby as well. Even if you bought the guide last year, the ever-changing pub industry means that a significant amount of it will now be out of date.

Although the cover price is £16.99, for the launch day only it will be available at the bargain price of £15, or just £12 to card-carrying CAMRA members. So come along and purchase a copy of this very special edition."

Some local points of interest for the new edition:

There are seven new entries within the Bristol branch area:

• The Backwell Village Club, Backwell (the Backwell Village Club has also succeeded in winning the Bristol branch Club of the Year 2026, and the South-West region Club of the Year 2026)

• The Druid's Arms, Stanton Drew

• The Grace, Bishopston

• The New Inn, Blagdon

• The Nova Scotia, Hotwells

• The Settle Inn, Portishead (this only opened in July 2025, so this is a remarkable achievement for them)

• The Watershed cafe/bar, central Bristol

There are fourteen local pubs which have been in the Good Beer Guide continuously for at least the last ten years:

• The Bag of Nails, Hotwells;

• The Barley Mow, St Philips;

• The Catherine Wheel, Marshfield;

• The Cornubia, central Bristol;

• The Crown Inn, Churchill;

• The Drapers Arms, Horfield;

• The Duke of York, St Werburghs;

• The Gryphon, central Bristol;

• The Horseshoe, Chipping Sodbury;

• The Hunters Lodge, Priddy;

• The Lime Kiln, central Bristol;

• The Plough, Congresbury;

• The Portcullis, Clifton Village;

• The Rising Sun, Frampton Cotterell.

If you can't make the launch event at the Left Handed Giant Brewpub on 25th September you can buy the Good Beer Guide direct from CAMRA at: The Good Beer Guide 2027 - CAMRA shop https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2027/

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide is the definitive guidebook to good pubs that serve real ale across the UK. Refreshed and updated for its 54th edition, it is fully revised and features over 4,500 recommended pubs across the United Kingdom that serve the best real ale and the facilities available at each venue.

The guide also features a unique brewery listing covering 1,700 breweries and 5,000 beers plus information about on-site brewery taprooms to help you track down the freshest possible pints right at the source. The Good Beer Guide is completely independent, with listings based entirely on evaluation by CAMRA members.

This year’s foreword is written by Sir Ian Rankin. He, and his fictional detective Rebus, both frequent the Oxford Bar in Edinburgh which features on the cover of this year’s guide.

For further information please contact Richard Brooks via bristol@camrabristol.org.uk.

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.