Bature Brewery

Bature Brewery is one of Nigeria's pioneers of craft beer. It was founded in 2017 by Kevin Conroy and James Turley, opened its first taproom in a mall in Abuja in 2018, and later set up a brewery and taproom on Etim Inyang Crescent in Victoria Island, Lagos. The aim from the start was to brew beers with a Nigerian identity, using local ingredients and names drawn from Lagos life, rather than copying imported styles.

The beer list is the reason to come. Lagos Lager, at 4.5 per cent, is a clean, easy-drinking introduction. Black Gold Stout, a strong 8 per cent, is flavoured with Nigerian coffee beans, and Harmattan Haze, a 6 per cent hazy beer named after the dry season wind, has mango and apricot notes. Shakara, at 4 per cent, is brewed with hibiscus, the flower used in the popular zobo drink. Other beers in the range include Founders Pale Ale, First Lady IPA, Naija Electric Pale Ale, Mango Disco Juice and Mangoes To Lagos, and seasonal brews appear from time to time.

The taproom also serves food, so you can make an evening of it, and it is a relaxed, casual place compared with the dress-up lounges and clubs of Victoria Island and Lekki. The brewery has hosted events such as a Felabration celebration, and its founders have talked about using classic Lagos songs to promote Lagos Lager. If you are unsure what to order, ask the staff for a recommendation, and save the stronger styles for last.

Bature suits beer enthusiasts, groups of friends and after-work drinkers, and it is an easy place for visitors to meet locals in an informal setting. If you are new to craft beer, start with the lager or Shakara, which are lighter. The brewery does not publish opening hours on its website, so check its social media before you go, especially on Mondays and public holidays. Arrange a ride-hailing car home rather than driving.

Etim Inyang Crescent is in Victoria Island, within a short ride of the hotels in Victoria Island and Ikoyi. Combine a visit with dinner at a nearby restaurant such as Z Kitchen or Yellow Chilli, or continue to the lagoon-side bars on Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue.