Private Beer Tasting in Brighton: How to Plan One
The simplest way to hold a private beer tasting in Brighton is to hire a taproom for your group and let the taps do the work. At Lost And Found in Fiveways, venue hire gives you exclusive use of the space with no hire fee, and the beer and cider on tap is all from independent Sussex breweries. You choose the music, the decorations and the drinks. You bring the people.
This guide covers how a private tasting works, which Sussex beers suit a group, what to check on age, timings and costs, and how to book.
TL;DR
- A private tasting means your group has the room to itself, with a rotating line-up of Sussex beers and ciders poured to taste, share and talk about.
- Our venue hire has exclusive use and no hire fee. It works on a minimum bar spend, so confirm the figure for your date on the venue hire page.
- Everyone drinking must be 18 or over unless you are following the UK rules for 16 and 17-year-olds, which only allow beer, wine or cider with a meal and an adult.
- Our food and beer menus are online, so you can plan the line-up and the food before you arrive.
- Allow about two hours for a relaxed tasting, longer if you want it to turn into a party.
Table of Contents
- What a private beer tasting in Brighton actually is
- Why a taproom works for a private tasting
- Which Sussex beers might be in your tasting
- How to run the tasting well
- Food for your tasting
- Age limits, groups and stag dos
- What a private tasting costs and what moves the price
- What to check before you book any venue
- Our view: why a taproom beats a scripted tasting
- Beyond the private tasting: exploring Brighton’s beer scene
- Book your private tasting at Lost And Found
- FAQ
- Sources
What a private beer tasting in Brighton actually is
The phrase covers a few different things, and it helps to know which one you want.
A guided tasting led by a host. Someone talks you through a set of beers, how to taste them and what makes each style different. This suits corporate teams and groups who want to learn something.
A walking tour of pubs and taprooms. You move between venues with a guide and have a drink at each stop. It’s good for visitors who want to see the city.
An exclusive-use taproom booking. You take over a craft beer venue, pour from the taps at your own pace and treat the tasting as the centre of a gathering. This is what we offer, and it suits birthdays, stag and hen dos, team socials and friends who simply love beer.
Our approach is the third. We don’t run a scripted lecture. Our friendly staff talk through what’s on, point you to what suits your taste and keep the pours coming in a way that fits your group. If you want a more structured flow, ask us when you enquire and we’ll talk it through.
Why a taproom works for a private tasting
A taproom is built around the beer. There are no fixed-menu constraints and no one steering you towards a single brewer’s range. We have ten rotating Sussex taps, so the list changes through the year. A group that returns in spring finds a different line-up from the one it tried in winter.
For a tasting, that rotation is the point. You can put together a flight that moves from light to dark, from sessionable to strong, or from familiar styles to something odd. Our beginner’s guide to tasting flights explains how we think about building one.
The room also does a lot. Taprooms are relaxed, which is why a mixed group of seasoned beer fans and complete beginners can share one table without anyone feeling out of their depth. If you’re curious about the format itself, what a taproom is is a good place to start.
Which Sussex beers might be in your tasting
Because our taps rotate, we can’t promise a particular beer on a given date, and the live list is on our on tap page. What we can do is show you the kind of range a Sussex tasting covers. A round-up of Sussex beers and breweries names examples such as Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, Long Man Long Blonde, Firebird Table Manners IPA and 360° Brighton Session IPA. That gives you a feel for the spread, from a classic bitter to a pale blonde and modern IPAs.
A sensible tasting arc looks like this:
| Stage | Style to look for | Why it goes here |
|---|---|---|
| Opener | Lager, pale ale or session IPA | Light and clean, so palates warm up gently |
| Middle | Hazy or West Coast IPA, saison | More hops and aroma, plenty to talk about |
| Heavier | Porter, stout, amber or strong ale | Roast and malt come through once you’re settled |
| Finish | Sour, fruited beer or a Sussex cider | A change of pace to close the round |
We also stock wines and spirits and a bottle shop, so anyone in the group who isn’t a beer person has something to drink. If you want to explore the local wine side, our guide to English wine from Sussex is a useful companion. Beer drinkers who want a way into wine can use wine explained in beer terms.
For more names to look for around the city, see 20 local brews to get you started and the independent breweries behind our pours.
How to run the tasting well
A few habits make a group tasting better, whether you’re in a taproom or at home.
- Start small. Small pours let people try more beers without getting heavy. A flight format is ideal for this.
- Look, smell, then sip. Colour and aroma tell you a lot before the first mouthful. Encourage people to say what they notice, with no wrong answers.
- Taste in order. Light before dark, low strength before high, mild hops before punchy ones.
- Drink water between beers. Keep it on the table.
- Eat as you go. Food slows the evening down and helps palates reset.
- Note favourites. A phone note or a scrap of paper is enough. You can buy your winners from the bottle shop to take home.
None of this needs to feel formal. The best tastings are the ones where people argue cheerfully about whether the stout is better than the porter.
Food for your tasting
Beer is better with something to eat, and a private group needs to be fed. We work with street food vendors and run XXL hot dogs, so there’s something substantial on hand. Our food page shows what’s on, and our food and beer menus are available online, so you can plan ahead.
If you want pairing ideas, beer and street food, explained walks through what goes with what. A few rules of thumb:
- Rich, fried or spiced food suits hoppy pale ales and IPAs.
- Smoky or sweet dishes suit amber ales and porters.
- Light snacks are fine with lagers and saisons.
If you’re organising a larger event and thinking about branded serving ware, a supplier of custom printed cups and tubs shows what’s available for takeaway-style food. For a tasting at our taproom you won’t usually need it.
Age limits, groups and stag dos
Stag and hen groups are among the most common reasons people search for a private tasting, so the basics matter.
Age. UK law prohibits selling alcohol to under-18s, and under-18s buying alcohol or drinking it on licensed premises. The one exception is that 16 and 17-year-olds may drink beer, wine or cider with a meal when accompanied by an adult. The safe plan for a tasting is to book it for an adult group. If anyone under 18 is coming, tell us when you enquire so we can talk through what is possible.
Group size. Decide your numbers early. Tasting is more fun when everyone can reach the taps and hear each other, and a smaller group means more attention per person. Tell us your headcount when you ask about your date.
Timing. Allow around two hours for the tasting itself. If it’s a stag do, build it in as the first or second stop of the day rather than the last, so people can enjoy it properly.
Pace. Mix in food, water and breaks. Remind the group to arrange safe journeys home.
What a private tasting costs and what moves the price
Prices for tasting experiences in Brighton vary by format. A guided session led by a host is usually charged per head. A taproom booking works differently.
With us, there’s no hire fee for exclusive use. Instead, venue hire works with a minimum bar spend, so what your group drinks and eats counts towards that figure. We don’t publish the amount, because it depends on the date and the size of your group, so the right move is to ask us on the venue hire page.
The things that most affect what a private booking costs:
- Day of the week. We have midweek and weekend hire, and the minimum spend can differ between them.
- Group size. More people means a bigger spend target, but also a bigger total tab, so it tends to balance out.
- Time of day and duration. A long evening gives your group more time to reach the minimum.
- What you drink. Pours of strong, rare or imported beer cost more than session pints.
- Food. Street food vendors and hot dogs count towards the evening’s spend.
If you’re comparing venues, it pays to look at how each one structures its charges. Some charge a hire fee plus a spend, some charge only a fee, and some, like us, charge no fee at all. A guide to pricing by venue size is a helpful way to think about how capacity and cost relate when you’re budgeting an event. Our own articles go through the same ground: are venue hire fees dead and how to choose a party venue without hidden fees.
What to check before you book any venue
Whoever you book with, ask the same questions:
- Is there a hire fee, a minimum spend, or both?
- What counts towards the minimum spend?
- How many people does the space hold, seated and standing?
- Can you bring your own decorations, playlist or cake?
- Is food provided, brought in or sold on site?
- What are the finishing time and the cancellation terms?
- Is there any age restriction?
Our answers: exclusive use, no hire fee, a minimum bar spend, and flexibility with decorations, music and drink selection. Send us your date and headcount and we’ll confirm the rest. Our post on free venue hire in Brighton covers how that works in practice.
Our view: why a taproom beats a scripted tasting
We started Lost And Found because we wanted a place where beer was the centre of the room and the community was the reason to come back. Every beer and cider we serve is brewed in Sussex by an independent brewery. That is a rule, not a slogan.
When groups ask us about a private beer tasting, we suggest they think about what they want from the evening. A scripted session with a fixed list has its place. But most groups, whether it’s a birthday, a stag do or a team night out, want to relax, try things and talk. Exclusive use of a taproom gives them that, with ten rotating taps and people who know what they’re pouring.
We chose to offer hire with no hire fee because we want people to use the space, not be put off by a price tag before they’ve walked in. You decide the music, the decorations and the drinks. We keep the taps flowing and make sure the food arrives.
If you’re not sure where to start, tell us who’s coming and what they like. We’ll take it from there.
Author
Beyond the private tasting: exploring Brighton’s beer scene
A private tasting is a good anchor, but Brighton rewards a longer look. The city and its surrounding Sussex countryside have a deep beer culture, from traditional breweries to newer taprooms and bottle shops.
Some ways to build it into a weekend:
- Start with a beginner’s grounding. Our beginner’s guide to Brighton craft beer covers styles and local names.
- Compare your options. Our guide to beer tasting providers in Brighton sets out the types of experience on offer.
- Try seasonal beers. Our list of summer beers from Sussex breweries shows how the range shifts through the year.
- Take some home. Our bottle shop lets you carry the best of the evening away with you.
- Come back as a regular. We’re dog friendly, and Fiveways is easy to reach on foot from much of the city, so a quiet visit midweek is a good way to meet the staff before you plan a bigger night.
Book your private tasting at Lost And Found
We’re at 298 Ditchling Road in Fiveways, an independent craft beer taproom and bottle shop with ten rotating Sussex taps. Our venue hire gives you exclusive use with no hire fee, on a minimum bar spend, for midweek or weekend dates.
See the options and send your date and headcount on our venue hire page, or browse what’s pouring on our on tap page. If you just want to try us first, drop in. You’ll find the full story on our homepage.
FAQ
Can I book a private beer tasting for a stag do in Brighton?
Yes. Stag groups can hire our taproom for exclusive use and work through the Sussex taps together. Everyone drinking should be 18 or over, and you should give us your date and numbers when you enquire so we can confirm what’s available.
How long does a private beer tasting take?
Allow around two hours for a relaxed tasting. Many groups stay longer and let it turn into a party, since the food and drinks keep going. If you have a timed schedule for the day, tell us when you book.
Is there a fee to hire Lost And Found for a private event?
There is no hire fee for exclusive use. Hire works on a minimum bar spend, which depends on your date and group size. Ask on the venue hire page for the current figure.
Can we bring our own decorations or music?
Yes. Our hire gives you flexibility with decorations, music and drink selection, so you can set the room up for your occasion. Let us know your plans so we can make sure everything fits.
Are the menus available before we visit?
Yes, our food and beer menus are available online. Check the on tap page and the food page to plan your line-up and what to eat.
Sources
- Alcohol and young people, GOV.UK
- Raise a Glass to Sussex Beer & Breweries, Sussex Exclusive
- Pricing by Venue Size: How to Set Ticket Prices for Any Capacity, Lookport
- Custom Printed Cups & Tubs for Hospitality, Niche