Country
We track 27 breweries in Northern Ireland. None currently rate Great or better. Boundary Brewing in Belfast leads the list at 3.83 (Fine).
Exceptional
A short list of extraordinary breweries worth planning a trip around.
Great
Consistently produce world-class beer.
Fine
Make genuinely good beer, if not the pint you will still be talking about next year.
Poor
Not bad beer so much as unremarkable beer.
Limited
Most craft beer drinkers pass these by.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Boundary is a cooperative brewery owned by its members. A Belfast-based brewery committed to creating only the most interesting of beers, focused on quality ingredients and drawing on inspiration from both the Belgian and the more modern US styles.
Holywood, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
We're a little independent brewery crafting small batch beers for discerning drinkers. Originally from Holywood (with one L), County Down but now brewed and canned down the road in Bangor.
Newry, Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK. Exploration and adventure in small batch craft beer. Brewed with naturally soft water originating high in the Mourne Mountains, we make a wide variety of beer styles – from crisp, hoppy Pilsners to big, bold Imperial Stouts.
Newry, Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland
Beer Hut Brewing Co. produce's decent quality beer and is ranked #3 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Fluffy Bunny", which is a Milk / Sweet Stout and "Way Out West", which is an American IPA. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Dark Beers.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
UK's Best Brewery Business 2025 - SIBA | UK's Best Craft Beer Bar (City) 2025 - SIBA | UK's Best Drinks Producer 2024 - BBC | UK's Best Craft Beer Bar (City) 2023 - SIBA | Bullhouse Brew Co are the largest independent brewery in Northern Ireland. We create world-class, award-winning beer that puts Northern Ireland on the map. We're passionate in our belief that great beer has the power to drive positive change and shape communities. We're driven by challenging the status quo, raising the profile of Northern Irish beer and creating vibrant drinking spaces to enjoy our beers.
Portrush, Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland
Lacada Brewery produce's good quality beer and is ranked #4 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "East the Beast", which is an American IPA and "West Bay", which is an American Pale Ale. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Pale Ales.
Antrim, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland
Our Brewery at Get 'Er Brewed with a vision to pushing the boundaries of fermentation, being part of something special and learning new approaches to brewing while taking inspiration from traditional methods.
Londonderry, Derry and Strabane, Northern Ireland
The Walled City Brewery makes uniquely local, premium quality, fabulously flavoursome craft beers in small artisan batches, using recipes that Masterbrewer James Huey has been painstakingly perfecting over the last 12 years.
Banbridge, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland
MashDown Brewery produce's unproven beer and is ranked #9 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Belfast Session", which is an American Pale Ale and "Belfast Belle", which is a Pale Lager. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and Dark Beers.
Newtownards, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
Fermanagh Beer Company is honoured to be given the opportunity to acquire this iconic brand. The success of Farmageddon over the years is due to the talent and passion of those who created it, making it one of Northern Ireland's best loved craft breweries. Our mission is simple - to continue producing these fantastic beers, just on a different farm.
Londonderry, Derry and Strabane, Northern Ireland
Rough Brothers produce's unproven beer and is ranked #14 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "India Pale Ale", which is an American IPA and "Northern Pale Ale", which is an Other Pale Ale. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Pale Ales.
Enniskillen, Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland
Magherafelt, Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland
Heaney Brewery produce's unproven beer and is ranked #13 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Irish Stout", which is an Irish Dry Stout and "Irish Pale Ale", which is an International Pale Ale. Their primary focus is brewing Dark Beers and Pale Ales.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Out of Office produce's unproven beer and is ranked #12 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Airplane Mode", which is an American Pale Ale and "NSFW", which is a New England IPA. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Pale Ales.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Re-establishing the old Brewery Quarter of Belfast with a fully operational on-site brewery at The Deer's Head public house. Back in 1778 Bell’s Brewery was a thriving brewery operated by John Bell, adjacent to where we now stand.
Londonderry, Derry and Strabane, Northern Ireland
Northbound Brewery produce's unproven beer and is ranked #18 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "08 Kölsch Style", which is a Kölsch and "26 Pale Ale", which is an American Pale Ale. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and IPAs.
Newtownards, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
Ards Brewing Co. produce's generally unappealing beer and is ranked #19 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Hip Hop", which is an Other Pale Ale and "Wee Sally's", which is an English Pale Ale. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and Dark Beers.
Craigavon, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland
McCrackens produce's unproven beer and is ranked #21 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Black", which is an Irish Dry Stout and "IPA", which is an Other IPA. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Dark Beers.
Londonderry, Derry and Strabane, Northern Ireland
Dopey Dick produce's unproven beer and is ranked #16 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Session IPA", which is a Session IPA and "Red Ale", which is an Irish Red Ale. Their primary focus is brewing IPAs and Amber Ales.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Hercules Brewing Co produce's characterless beer and is ranked #25 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Yardsman - Belfast Pale Ale", which is an English Pale Ale and "Yardsman - IPA", which is a Session IPA. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and IPAs.
Castlewellan, Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland
Established 1996 on the fifth generation family farm amidst the spectacular Mourne Mountain range in the north of Ireland, Whitewater Brewery still retains the passion and desire to brew beers with fantastic flavours.
Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland
Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland
Welcome to the land of Fermanagh Brewing Company, producing fine craft Inishmacsaint beers. We’re a small brewpub based in the heart of rural Fermanagh – the most beautiful county in Ireland (in a ‘beautiful-but-damp’ kind of way).
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Knockout Brewing (Belfast) produce's characterless beer and is ranked #26 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "Uppercut (Citra Pale Ale)", which is an American Pale Ale and "Southpaw IPA", which is a Session IPA. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and IPAs.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Clanconnel Brewing Co. (McGrath's) produce's generally unappealing beer and is ranked #27 in Northern Ireland. They are most well known for "McGrath's Irish Pale ", which is an American Pale Ale and "McGrath's Irish Red ", which is an Irish Red Ale. Their primary focus is brewing Pale Ales and Amber Ales.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
DOWNSTREAM beer is the first to use traceability technology, revealing everything you want to know about your beer, its ingredients and brewing methods. Brewed by Whitewater for Ireland Craft Beverages.
