Book Review – The Good Beer Guide 2026
Fifty three years and counting. It’s that time of the year for the launch of CAMRA’s latest edition of The Good Beer Guide (GBG) when we can see if our favourite pubs have made the cut in the new publication.
When I first bought the guide back in 1988 it was a slim-line 352 pages compared with today’s 2026 edition that has a mammoth 912 pages. It suggests things have gone rather well for the pub across this 38-year period but that’s far from the the case. Back in 1988 the UK had around 70,000 pubs compared with a seriously depleted 39,000 today.
In reality there are arguably many more good pubs for drinking decent beer in today than I can recall in the 1980s. And despite the backdrop of falling numbers the GBG remains a celebration of our glorious pub and beer landscape – especially cask ale.
The publication 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.
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. This backdrop has resulted in the closure of 149 breweries while 71 new breweries have opened and 36 pubs that featured in the 2025 Guide have closed.
While the landscape for drinkers has changed markedly over the years the GBG in 2026 is remarkably similar to its predecessors. It’s a book for dipping into and checking out the best pubs and local breweries ahead of travelling to a new location.
The thoughts of Ash Corbett-Collins, chairman of CAMRA, very much echo my thinking: “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 2026 Guide is sponsored by Midland Snacks Traditional Pork Scratchings and endorsed by Cask Marque. And is available direct from CAMRA as well as decent bookshops.
Glynn Davis, editor, Beer Insider
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