Lewes Beer Mile launches

Only With Love’s BrewCafe, based in Malling Community Centre, marks one end of the new Lewes Beer Mile: a mile-long walk between Malling and the tap room of the world-renowned Beak brewery in Cliffe Industrial Estate.

The leisurely walk takes you to two more of Lewes’ famous brewery tap rooms: the iconic Harvery’s, via their pub The John Harvey Tavern, and the award-winning ABYSS brewery, which was founded in one of Lewes’ most beloved pubs, the Pelham Arms.

“We’re super excited to launch the new Lewes Beer Mile with Beak, ABYSS and Harvey’s,” said Roger Warner, co-founder at Only With Love.

“We’re clubbing together to offer something unique and inclusive for all kinds of beer lovers - with loads of great alcohol free options too. Whether you’re a solo dogwalker, a group of friends catching up, or a family looking for a great day out you can come and hang out, enjoy the Lewes scenes and be a part of our amazing brewing history.”

“We’re so excited that the historic brewing town of Lewes finally has its own beer mile. It’s a great way to bring together all the wonderful Lewes breweries!” said Lola Thomas, Events and Digital Operations Manager at Beak Brewery.

“The ABYSS is monumentally excited to celebrate Lewes' brewing scene with the all new Beer Mile. We look forward to welcoming you,” said Andy Bridge, co-founder at ABYSS brewery.

How does the Lewes Beer Mile work?

At each location on the Lewes Beer Mile (Only With Love’s BrewCafe, ABYSS brewery + Tap, the John Harvey Tavern, Beak Tap room) you collect a stamp. When you’ve visited all four, you get a special edition Lewes Beer Mile tote bag – great for carrying home some souvenir cans of beer.

There’s no need to buy a strong drink either – all four locations sell low and non-alcoholic beers, a variety of wines, plus lots of alcohol-free drinks, alongside great food options.

A great day out in Lewes

The Beer Mile is a great day out for beer fanatics and families alike. There’s no set route and no need to complete it all in one day, so visitors can take their time getting to know the amazing town of Lewes and its rich brewing history. And, if you’re a real beer lover, you might like to take your time visiting some of Lewes’ famous pubs along the way.

As well as the famous Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House you can take in the historic Lewes Town Hall (which itself used to be an Inn!) and catch a show at the All Saints Centre. During the football season, you can catch a game at Lewes FC’s world-famous Dripping Pan ground. And in the summer, you can brave a dip in the freshwater Pells Pool, and walk in the grounds of the ruined Lewes Priory. And that’s before you dig into the town’s numerous independent shops, eateries and art galleries.

There’s a lot of Lewes history to take in along the way, as well as the gorgeous views of the South Downs that can be enjoyed from almost anywhere in the town. If you’re a beer fan, there’s plenty of brewing history to take in too: Lewes was once home to seven breweries in the Victorian era, with only Harvey’s surviving to this day.

The Lewes Beer Mile map and stamp card perhaps says it best: “Lewes is a centuries-old beer town. From a medieval monastery to modern-day craft beer outfits, we’ve come a long way. First we had the St Pancras Priory monks who brewed beer that was served to travellers in the Star Inn (now Lewes Town Hall) in the 1500s. Then things really got underway with the advent of Star Brewery and Harvey’s in the 1800’s - followed by Morris, Ballards, Beards, South Downs, Bear, and South Malling & Cliffe. By the 19th century we had seven breweries, an abundance of pubs and a well-earned reputation for living life a bit differently.

"Harvey’s is still going strong today, part of a new brewing era for the town. South of the river Ouse you’ll find them, along with ABYSS and Beak and others nearby including Only With Love. Like those before them, their aim is to bring good times and harmony through the magical combo of water, wheat, hops, yeast and barley.”