An iconic Belfast City Centre bar with their own in house brewery has been added to the list
A popular Belfast bar has been added to the 2026 Good Beer Guide.
CAMRA has published the 2026 Good Beer Guide with 900 new bars added to the list – and there is a familiar Belfast bar amongst them.
The Guide is the definitive guidebook to pubs that serve great cask beer across the UK, and uses an independent, volunteer-led selection process that makes it the authoritative and trusted voice of cask beer drinkers.
Ulster Sports Club, which is famous for their casual setting and built-in brewery called ‘Out of Office’, now features on the list.
Along with the guide, CAMRA have published a clear message to the Chancellor stating ‘it’s a make-or-break moment for the future of independent brewers and consumer choice’.
CAMRA also warns the latest figures shows another drop in brewery numbers across the UK, almost all being smaller and independent operators, which the Campaign says are vital to consumer choice.
In the last year alone 149 breweries have closed, and only 71 new breweries have opened. 36 of the pubs that featured in the 2025 Guide have closed. One of those has been converted and the rest are shut with an uncertain future.
However, there are 900 new entries in the 2026 Guide, showing that pubs are beating the odds to provide quality and choice despite tough economic conditions.
In a year where iconic parts of the UK’s brewing heritage, such as Banks’s in Wolverhampton closed their gates for good, and more independent brewers closed than opened, the Guide remains the go-to source for finding choice and quality in pubs.
The Ulster Sports Club isn’t the only familiar name to feature with other famous Northern Irish bars like The Crown Bar in Belfast appearing on the list.
Ash Corbett-Collins, CAMRA Chairman, said: “This really is a make-or-break Budget for the Chancellor. It’s time for the Government to decide if they’re pro pubs and independent brewers, or if they are going to reign over the demise of the great British Pub. Consumers want decisive action to get independent beers onto bars and allow pubs to thrive.
“Each edition of the Good Beer Guide is a collectible snapshot of beer and pub culture that year. This year’s Guide is a testament to the remarkable resilience of publicans, continuing to achieve excellence and choice for consumers despite a backdrop of sky-high tax bills and a lack of action from Government. The Chancellor needs to use the upcoming Budget to slash the tax burden on pubs, including VAT, duty and National Insurance contributions.”
The full CAMRA 2026 Good Beer Guide is available to purchase here.
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