A London-brewed bitter has been crowned Britain’s greatest beer for winter 2026

Come rain or shine, Londoners love a beer. Under the glaring summer sun, fruity IPAs and crisp Pilsners in the park hit the spot. During the chilly, dreary winter months, thick stouts and spiced ales by cosy pub fireplaces are a reliable way to warm the cockles. 

Now, with just a month or so left before spring begins, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has revealed the greatest winter beer in Britain for 2026. And it’s brewed right here in London. 

Beer Street by London Brewing Co. has been named CAMRA’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain. It went up against hundreds of other stouts, porters, strong ales and barley wines that had been nominated by beer lovers and expert tasting panels. After a year of local and regional blind heats, it landed first place in the ‘speciality, differently produced’ category and came out on top overall.  

CAMRA judges described the victorious ale as ‘a sparking golden amber bitter, with spicy rye and a roasty nose, sweet biscuit on the flavour, where the spicy rye notes increase and linger in the dry and slightly bitter finish’. They added that it made for ‘very easy drinking’. 

London Brewing began producing beer in 2011 at the Bull in Highgate before acquiring The Bohemia in North Finchley and moving there in 2014. Its own description of Beer Street says that it delivers ‘notes of toffee, dried fruit, dark chocolate and a subtle nutty rye finish’.

Silver medal went to Cairngorm’s Black Gold and bronze was awarded to Green Jack’s Baltic Trader Export Stout, which has a whopping ABV of 10.5 percent. Other categories in the awards included best brown ales, red ales, old ales and strong milds, best session stouts and porters, and best barley wines and strong ales. 

Beer Street and all the other category winners will now wait to battle it out at the CAMRA Cambridge Beer Festival in May for the title of Supreme Champion 2026.

Discover Time Out’s favourite breweries and taprooms in London here. 

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