The Stirchley Beer Mile: A Stagger through Birmingham’s Local Trail!
What is the Stirchley Beer Mile?
Stirchley is a suburb in the south of Birmingham, and has had a resurgence in popularity over the past 8 or 9 years due to the organic growth of independent bars, breweries, restaurants and cafes. (as well as other independent shops and services) The Stirchley beer mile has grown out of that resurgence.
Stirchley has caught the eye of various travel websites, and keeps being mentioned as one of the best places to live in the UK. I’m not sure about that, but it is pretty exciting and has been for a while now.
I’ve not heard many people call it the Stirchley Beer Mile Birmingham for a while locally (but I think they still do nationally), and with more great places along the way, it’s definitely worth collating.
I’ve lived in Birmingham (UK), around Stirchley, Cotteridge, and Bournville for most of my adult life, so I know a thing or two about the pubs and bars around here.
So, if you are interested in having a go at the Stirchley beer mile, grab a pint and start reading my list of the recommended pubs, bars, and brew taps along the route!
The Stirchley Beer Mile Route
You don’t have to do all of these Stirchley pubs and breweries, but if you think you can, then this is probably the best route. There are 12 beer venues I have chosen for this list, with four bonus places mentioned along the way for good measure. (edited March 2026)
Start at Kings Norton train station (or even get off the number 11 bus at Cotteridge) and work your way down into Stirchley. If you don’t know any of these places I mention, then look them up and give them a follow on the socials!
The Stirchley Beer Mile Pubs, Bars, and Brew Taps
Picture and Pint
Picture and Pint is a great place to meet at the start of the route and sits at the top of the hill. Technically it’s Cotteridge, but it spearheads the Stirchley Beer Mile as a micropub. Born out of a photographic shop of over 4 decades, Bill built a bar in the middle of the shop, and got an alcohol license. The shop is 9-5, and the bar overlaps with 12-11! A Guinness can pourer, and multiple keg lines later, as well as a fridge of some other interesting drinks, and this is a great little spot to pop into. It opened in December 2024, and it already has a regular crowd.
At time of writing, Birmingham Brew Co and Purity beers on keg. A couple of great choices to sit with and enjoy this quirky and friendly spot. When you come out, turn right, and down the hill to our next place! It’s a good 10 mins or so, so maybe worth popping into either Plonk (a wine bar with a few European bottled beers in the fridge) or Cotteridge Wines on the way past which is about half way to the next place. You’ll never know what you’ll find in ‘the WInes’ as it has been voted best craft beer off license in the UK multiple times over the years 😉
After that, carry on down the hill until you get to Waterside Business Park, located along the canal.
Brew Export Beer Cave and Taproom
When you enter Waterside Business Park on your left, just before the bridge, you’ll go down a bit of a short hill, and right in front of you is a pylon. There’s a ramped shortcut below the pylon, and under that pylon is where you are aiming.
Brew Export opened fully as an industrial style taproom in March 2026 having been working out of a shipping container for a few years, and when it’s not a bar, it is a mail order beer company that imports beer from the US. At the rear of the bar area is a port holed door, into a walk in chiller. Cans aplenty, all American. The can art is superb, and the beers are pretty special.
The bar itself is has 12 keg lines on, and the beers range from low ABV pales, through 10% TIPAS to 17% BA Impys. and everything in between. Pace yourself, or you won’t get around the rest of the route!
Come out of here, turn left, and a few doors along…..
The Clubhouse
The Clubhouse is situated facing the canal on Waterside Business Park. Opening in May 2025, this place has free use games, free arcade games, free table football etc etc, but also has a permanent line on from Uiltje (I’m reliably informed it’s pronounced ‘Aisle-cha’), the lovely Dutch brewery from Harlem. Set in a sizeable industrial shed, between Griedy Street and Glasshouse, this sports bar has a decent sized screen and is filled with vintage style sports memorabilia. (their core business is printing high profile sports shirts, but Panini is strong in this one).
Come out of here and turn left, to literally next door.
Glasshouse Brewery and Tap
Glasshouse is one of the best breweries in the area, no question. It produces and serves some very delicious beers indeed. In the summer, the yard out the front is a sun trap like no other. Great music, a great crowd and a lovely place to spend time enjoying the superb beer menu.
When you are done here, pop out onto the canal towpath (diagonal left as you leave) and turn left again down the towpath. About 7 mins down this way, pop up the ramp at Bournville train station and you’ll pop out right by the next top spot!
Attic Brew Tap Room
This is a large industrial warehouse brew tap, with lots of styles of onsite made craft beer on sale, as well as the occasional guest beer. Another brewery with a weekend street food vendor. Perfect for lining your stomach, mid-session. The huge brew kit is on display for all to see, and there is a choice of inside seating, outside seating, or you can sit under a large gazebo out the front. Once you have completed this mini game, come out, and turn right, down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, turn right. Soon after, you’ll get to the next place just past the school.
The Den
From the same people behind Schooners in Kings Heath comes this breakfast, brunch, lunch, drinks place on Stirchley’s main drag. I’ve tried it all, and it’s great, but the drinks part is what you are here for. Eight keg lines (including Guinness, Peroni and Koppaberg) offer a nice mix of 5 craft ales, and the can fridge bolsters that, with some lovely treats. A decent beer garden to boot, and it’s a great stop on the Stirchley Beer Mile. Come out of here, and turn right up a couple of doors. (you may even want to pop into Stir next door, on the way past as they have very recently had a couple of keg lines put in too)
Deadbeat
From the same gang behind the notorious Bonehead in Birmingham town, Deadbeat is a local dive bar, with good craft beer, picklebacks and wine. There is also monthly fun food going on, with pop-ups and resident chef made food for good measure. Low-lit, with rock tunes on, this may be what you were looking for all along! With 5 or 6 taps on, and a fridge full of cans for sale, there’s certainly a good choice.
Come out of here and cross over to get to the next place (down the road opposite The Den). Head down Hazlewood Road 2 mins, and onto the business park where you’ll find a great brewery!
Birmingham Brewing Company (Brum Brew Co)
Starting in 2016, this brewery and tap room just over the river, offers brewery tours, great beer, and that old friend of ours…street food! It’s a big venue, with a friendly bar area, and numerous styles of Brummy-referenced beer on sale. When done here, come out and trace your steps back to the main road. Turn right and walk to the next set of lights, crossing over to our next stop.
Birmingham Brewing Co. Website
The Cloak and Dagger
Borne out of the ashes of a Stirchley great – The Wildcat – The Cloak and Dagger has picked up where the Cat left off. You’ll even see a couple of references dotted about. Five cask hand pulls, 12 keg taps and a cob fridge fill the bar, and the space itself is a slightly pubbier version of its’ predecessor with timber and glazed screens dividing the space, and a bit of carpet too. It’s been incredibly well received so far after a couple of weeks, so you may have to stand for a bit until a seat becomes free. The cask and keg are both pretty varied and there’s normally something for everyone on.
Fun fact: the name came from a prop from Birmingham based daytime soap Doctors, when a punter/production person dropped a sign off at Cork and Cage a few doors down for safe keeping.
Out of here and turn left. A couple of doors down, and you’ll get to stop 10 on the Stirchley Beer Mile.
Cork and Cage
This place started life as a Lambic specialist bar. You’ll still find the odd Lambic beer on, but aside from that, you’ll find a superb range of interesting craft ales on keg. Fun bar staff and regulars alike, Cork and Cage is one of a handful of bars in Stirchley that has become a beating heart for the community of beer fans. The occasional food pop-up or food menu provides further sustenance here. Once you’ve finished what’s on offer, come out and turn left again. Just a couple of minutes on to the next place! Again, another honorable mention thats not on the formal list, Anjuna Lounge has recently had some Fixed Wheel keg taps installed, so pop in on the way to the place below if you fancy that. If not, keep going in the same direction.
The Bournbrook
The first actual Stirchley pub on the route (yes really!), and the first of my favourite boozers here. It has a lineup of 3 or 4 craft beers on keg, as well as a kitchen! So if you are peckish by this point on your way round, it’s great. It also has a hotel to the rear, so if you are in the area for the crawl, it’s a reasonable place to stay too. From here, it’s a short stumble to the second of the two best pubs in Stirchley.
The British Oak
In quick succession, this is the last pub on the route. It is a Stirchley pub with a huge beer garden to the rear, and a kitchen off the garden run by the legendary Original Patty Men. There’s also a DJ out the back on a weekend, and plenty of outside space with covered and open seating. A couple of different rooms inside the pub, and multiple bars and hatches make this place a perfect end to a pub crawl.
Final thoughts on the Stirchley Beer Mile
Stirchley is a lovely community, and the people you will meet on the way around are great. Whether you go to all of the places on the Stirchley Beer Mile list , stay in one or two places, or even divert into one of the other non-beer bars or fab food places, you’ll certainly have a great time. The June 2025 edit now has 13 formal places on the list and two bonus places that I know serves craft beer too, but only recently so, hence the mention rather than a full entry. (food places can be found in my other Stirchley blog here)
Check socials for the opening times of each. GlassHouse, for example, only opens on weekends, and mainly through summer/autumn(selected weekends at other times).
Be careful out there. Be nice to each other and all the bar staff. Be safe crossing the road. Don’t fall in the canal. And most of all, have fun in Stirchley!
If you enjoyed reading this post check out my website with a map of all my favourite independent places in Birmingham. Click below to delve into the world of b town social!
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Think it opened afte(https://www.pictureandpint.co.uk/)r this was written but Picture and Pint is a nice little bar opposite Redbeer’d!
Yep. It’s being updated soon. I live just round the corner. There is also a new bar next to Glasshouse, called the Clubhouse. They serve Uiltje (dutch brewery) on draft.
You are probably already aware but Wildcat Tap closed the other week. Shame as was the OG for this ‘’mile’..
Also Cotteridge Wines must be worth a mention for its (occasionally open) tasting rooms – but always worth a stop to pick up some trains beers 🙂