Oxford, Cotswolds, & London

Hi,

Agreed, Deya is the best and are based in and around the Cotswolds. Taproom open often, always have a great selection and merch for sale. Check them out if you can. They sell online on a Friday, so you could buy and have sent to where your staying.
Nothing In Oxford, than I'm aware of. London, then plenty of places. Verdant are based in Cornwall but have a joint place with Pressure Drop in London, called the Experiment. Good taproom with cans from both. Pressure Drop are knocking out some great beers at the moment.
Cloudwater have a place in London and around there are several other taprooms.
Also plenty of on-line merchants to choose from. The good thing is they will offer beers from across the UK and you can have them delivered pretty much anywhere. Certainly worth checking out. Also look out for North Brew Co, Wylam, Burnt Mills, all top draw.

 

Just got back from a trip myself - to London, Cotswolds, and East Lothian (so two out of three).

All the above mentioned breweries are great. My 2c (or 2 pence) though is that unless hazy NE-style IPAs, and other en vogue US style/influenced beers are the be all end all for you, I would just drink whatever you come across (with some minimal research - not using BA scores obviously) and enjoy some styles/dispensation methods that you don't typically come across in the US. I did drink some Deya and Cloudwater when over, but only in Scotland because my bro-in-law (who I converted to a beer geek the first time he came to visit us in Brooklyn - we live a 10 min walk from Other Half) had ordered some for our arrival. Couldn't be rude you know...

 

I know the pubs in the centre of Oxford pretty well, as I drink in them fairly frequently. Oxford, particularly in the centre of town, is better known for more traditional pubs as opposed to beer bars per se. Some pubs I drink in (and like) include:

The Rose and Crown (slightly out of the centre)
The Grapes
The Bear Inn
The St Aldates Tavern
The Royal Blenheim
The White Rabbit
The Lamb and Flag
The Turf Tavern
The White Horse
The Chequers

I find these pubs to be pretty reliable.

Other possibililties in the town centre, although I don't know them quite as well, include:

The Wheatsheaf
The King's Arms
The Eagle and Child
The Teardrop (new nanopub in the Covered Market)
The Plough @38
The Crown

All of these pubs have a selection of cask beers from a variety of large and small breweries, and a few keg taps, which range from standard industrial beers to craft beers in pubs such as the Grapes and the White Rabbit. Quite a few of the pubs have some interesting history as well.

There used to be a specialist craft beer bar called the Pint Shop in the town centre, but it closed down not too long ago.

Craft beer is apparently also available in the Big Society and Brewdog, but I haven't been to either of those yet, and they are a bit further out of the town centre.

There are plenty more pubs further out in the suburbs, some of which are better than others.

This may be helpful:

https://whatpub.com/

Hope this helps.