Adnams
George and Ernest Adnams bought the Sole Bay Brewery in Southwold in 1872; brewing on the site is recorded from 1396. The company has stayed independent, its yeast came from Morgans of Norwich in 1942, and since 2010 it also distils gin, vodka and whisky. Recent years have been hard: in 2025 brewing volumes fell 6%, and it reported a loss for the first half of 2026. Southwold Bitter is a BJCP best bitter, Explorer a golden ale, and Ghost Ship, a pale ale, its best seller.
Styles brewed by Adnams
Best Bitter
AleBest Bitter: the English session ale of the pub, amber to copper, malty and bitter, served from the cask at cellar temperature. Strength, glass and classic examples.
British Golden Ale
AleBritish golden ale: a pale, hop-forward, refreshing bitter, born in the 1980s to win drinkers back from lager. Strength, bitterness and classic examples.
At a glance
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Brews in
- Southwold, Suffolk
- Founded
- 1872
- Owner
- Adnams plc, an independent company owned by its shareholders
- Best-known beers
- Ghost Ship, Southwold Bitter, Broadside, Explorer
- Visit
- Brewery tours
- Website
- adnams.co.uk
Sources
Checked .
- Adnams - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Adnams revenue falls after pub disposals — The Morning Advertiser
- Adnams closes stores, adjusts borrowing and looks ahead — The Drinks Business
- Beer Judge Certification Program — BJCP
Image credits
- Adnams Brewery, Southwold — David Howard. CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP
