Colchester ranked one of the best towns for independent beers

Bionic, a business comparison company, has published a new study after setting out to uncover some of Britain’s best boozing locations for locally-brewed beverages.

The research combined data on customer reviews and the number of unique beers and top rated pubs and microbreweries in each area to create an index ranking.

It also looked at the most popular pints to share on social media and which independent beers make for each generation’s favourite tipple.

Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester

Colchester creeped into the Top 20 finishing in 19th place with a total index score of 43 out of 100 and a high location rating of seven.

The historic town’s performance was helped by the likes of Three Wise Monkeys, which has its own in-house brewery called Other Monkey Brewing.

Glyn Britton, chief customer officer at Bionic, said: “More and more people are choosing to shop locally since the beginning of the pandemic.

“A better customer experience seems to be a big driver behind the increased interest in independent locals.

“When you purchase a pint from a craft microbrewery, the person serving you has most likely toiled over your pint, brewing it by hand.

“The entire experience is enjoyable, you get a real feel for the beer you’re drinking and you’re getting far more value back from purchasing your pint.”