Hawkstone Brewery — Local services in Cotswold District

We called to book a tour of The Cotswold Brewing Co. for a Friday or Saturday in December as a 30th birthday surprise and, though there were supposed to be no tour guides available for that weekend, Nigel came in on his day off to give us a tour. As we drove onto the property we were all a bit worried that 1) we were in the wrong place and 2) we were in for an awful tour. Needless to say our expectations were quickly dwindling. The drive and the main building are pretty unassuming, but what the brewery lacks in visual appeal it made up for in beer and staff quality. The tour itself lasted about 2 hours and included a surprising amount of beer (8 generous tastings) and a gin tasting as an intermission. The beers were all pleasantly drinkable (even the non-beer drinkers in our group enjoyed the beers) and the small facility was fun to walk around and learn about. Our tour guide Nigel was amazing. He was sarcastic, witty, well-informed, and welcomed any question. I've been on many brewery tours and I must say this topped them all. The only downside is they didn't have some merchandise in stock that we would have bought otherwise (e.g. crew neck jumpers). Overall, all eight of us highly recommend giving the Cotswold Brewing Co a visit if you're ever in the area. It was extremely good value and...

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know about Jeremy Clarkson’s project with the Cotswold Brewing Co that is Hawkstone. At the brewery itself is this excellent space that has been converted into a taproom.

Suitable for all weather, the brewery taproom is located in a huge tent that is adapted depending on the weather. Furnished with eclectic tables, chairs, sofas and benches, there is a stack of room inside and outside the taproom. The beer itself is a decent price and if you are a Hawkstonian then you’ll get a discount on a frosty brew. Food is provided by a variety of food trucks on differing days and there is also a brewery tour and shop on site if you want to take home some drinks.

As a fan of taprooms; the Hawkstone set up is great. Lots of parking, snacks, good beer and friendly staff.

It’s also worth noting that whilst the taproom has a large number of tourists, there were plenty of locals packing the tables and chairs. Always...

What can I say...we had a fabulous time! I live in Bourton so just up the road. Went with my 18 year old son and my sister and her husband from Witney. The tour started with Nigel who was so welcoming and informative. Learnt so much about the process of the lager and other drinks on offer. The tasters keep coming and are very enjoyable. A good way to decide what you actually like or enjoy. Nigel was fabulous and knew what he was talking about. So informative! I highly recommend anyone to do it. It cost £24 each and was well worth the money. My sister was driving so didn't get to taste everything so got compensated with free bottles to take home. We stayed after and had food from the street van which was delicious and a few more drinks with a discount. Such a great atmosphere all round. Would highly recommend. Thank you so much Nigel for a fantastic...