The City That Made Us
We're diving into a fresh month of celebration! May is all about the 'Good Places' that have been part of our journey across the brilliant city we call home.
Back in 2016, for our first Bristol Beer Week, Kelly & Bob said “there is a sense in Bristol that if you want to start a business doing what you love, the city will back you.” For Kelly, growing up locally meant absorbing that Bristol spirit from an early age, including going to local gigs and bigger events like Ashton Court Festival and the Balloon Fiesta. For Bob, visiting and eventually moving to Bristol meant finding a city big enough to be exciting but small enough to feel like home. Over the years, they’ve seen the city change massively, but the welcoming, supportive, proudly independent, slightly scruffy charm remains.
When they decided to start Good Chemistry back in 2015, there wasn't really a question about where to plant our roots. The city was never just the place we lived, it's part of our identity. A quirky, fiercely independent city that supports creativity with enthusiasm. We chose awesome industrial East Bristol, joining a community of emerging breweries that weren't afraid of doing things a little differently – and the rest is history!
Local Love: Where does our beer end up?
Did you know that over three-quarters of our beer never leaves Bristol city limits? That's right - 75.6% of what we brew is enjoyed right here in our hometown. A huge part of what we produce is cask and keg beer, heading straight to Bristol's pubs, bars and music venues to be poured fresh for you lovely people. It's about that perfect pint in your local, the "cheers" across a crowded pub, and the conversations that flow as freely as our beer.
A home away from home: Bristol’s Beer Community
What makes a pub truly great? For us, a great pub feels like coming home, even if you're visiting for the first time. Bristol's independent scene is diverse and vibrant, with venues of all shapes and sizes pouring our beer. Here's a glimpse into just some of the brilliant places that make our city special:
Pubs of Our Own
We're lucky enough to call two very special pubs our own. The Good Measure in Redland is our neighbourhood hideaway, a proper local that we’re always proud to hear has become a destination for visitors to Bristol. The Kings Head in the City Centre is a living piece of Bristol's story, running as a pub as long ago as the 1660s and lovingly restored by us in 2022. We’re proud to be its current custodians, and play our part in its legacy. Beyond our own pubs, there's a whole constellation of venues across Bristol that champion local beer and build communities one pint at a time.
Micro Pubs: Small Spaces, Big Character
These intimate venues across the neighbourhoods of Bristol prove that good things come in small packages. The Drapers Arms, Kelly and Bob's local on Gloucester Road, embodies that perfect community feel – so much so that we sometimes rack exclusive casks just for them. In Kingswood, the Lyons Den was started after owner Sam discovered our Taproom and became a regular back in our early days. At Bruhaha on Wells Road not only do they support small, local breweries but they also brew their own in the basement. These small but mighty spots epitomise Bristol's knack for creating welcoming spaces in unexpected places.
Cultural Cornerstones
From the iconic Watershed cinema on the harbourside to our neighbours-for-now at Motion and old favourite The Fleece (a music venue that's been a dream stockist for Bob and Kelly since our beginning), and from the community-focused Trinity Centre, with its mission to "empower communities through arts", to the theatre companies we work with regularly, like Wise Children, Mayfest and Insane Root. These spaces represent Bristol at its most creative, and we're particularly proud to have our beers pouring at venues that shape Bristol's cultural landscape – it’s creating good chemistry in its broadest sense.
The BEERmuda Triangle (it can only be King Street)
If you've ever spent an evening drinking beer on King Street, you may have heard it called the 'BEERmuda Triangle.' It could just be the concentration of great venues, or the huge range of beers being poured, but either way you're likely to lose track of time! Small Bar, our very first customer and host of our upcoming Brewery Residency on May 22nd; the vaulted cellars of Beer Emporium (where our Weiss City and Pure Optimism have become firm fixtures); and The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer, which has been a supporter of us since day one, hosted some epic tap takeovers, and will welcome us for ‘Think While You Drink’ at the end of July. Each pours our beers regularly, supports independent breweries from Bristol and beyond and, most importantly, forms the backbone of this historic drinking district.
We Obviously Love a Good Pairing
We've been working with Honest Burgers since they first opened in Bristol in 2018, brewing their house beer ‘Honest Drop’. Similarly, Three Brothers Burgers has been pouring our creations for years, and we've recently started producing their house beer, ‘Boat Party’. These collaborations highlight what we love about Bristol's food scene: independent businesses supporting each other to create something special. Some partnerships just make sense - a good beer and a good burger is a match made in heaven!
Specialist Shops: Knowledge & Passion
Bristol's specialist retailers know their stuff and share our passion for quality. Grape & Grind on Gloucester Road was the first to stock our beers when we started bottling, and still carries our cans today. Similarly, Corks (of Cotham and North St) and Spirited in Southville offer expertly curated selections, and not just of beer. We love working with Spirited on Women's+ Whisky Night, creating beer and whisky pairings that showcase both drinks at their best and tell women’s stories from these male-dominated industries. You’ll often find Spirited owner Katy at She Drinks Beer, too.
Neighbourhood Locals: Community Hubs
Beyond the city centre, Bristol's neighbourhood pubs form the backbone of local communities. The Robin Hood on the steep slopes of St. Michael's Hill recently helped us launch our ‘Think While You Drink’ series of talks. The Greenbank is firmly grounded in the Easton community, and also hosting the next ‘Think While You Drink’ in June. The site of our very first tap takeover (when it was run by our own Dan, now writer of these blogs and referencer of himself in the third person!), Tobacco Factory is arguably the centre of a thriving Southville. Old Castle Green provides a welcoming space and community hub in historic Old Market, and The Hillgrove, another of our earliest event venues (where we once ran 14 different cask beers at a Tap Takeover!), remains a true Bristol institution.
A Decade of Good Places
These connections, from the very heart of the city to its furthest corners, are a huge part of what makes Bristol so special to us. Over 10 years, Good Chemistry has been woven into the fabric of these places, linking people from all walks of life through good beer and good times. That's the magic of Bristol, and of beer: it throws people together in unexpected combinations and gives them space to create something good. Being part of this independent scene hasn't just shaped our story - it IS our story. We even made "Bristol-centricity" one of our core values as a business, encouraging us to deepen our connections with this great place as we grow.
Still Brewing, Still Belonging
10 Years of Good Places means a decade of belonging to a community that champions independence and creativity, and rightfully demands good beer! This May, we're celebrating these connections all across the city. Whether you're visiting our pubs, joining us at Small Bar for our Brewery Residency on May 22nd, or enjoying a beer from any of the wonderful venues we've mentioned, you're part of what makes this all possible – cheers!
