To the heart of Hackney – outline of a London pub crawl

There’s a room in a house in a street in a manor in a borough
That’s part of a city that is generally referred to as London
It’s a dark place, a mysterious place
And it is said that if you’re born within the sound of Bow-Bells
You have the necessary qualifications to be christened a Londoner
[It’s a cruel place, it’s a hard place]
But when you think back to all the great Londoners
William Blake, Charles Dickens, Dick Whittington,
Pearly kings, barrow boys, Arthur Daley, Max Wall
And don’t forget the Kray twins.

Ray Davies –London Song

I make no claim to have the necessary qualifications to be christened a Londoner. But I used to visit London at least annually.

A week every year.

For decades.

I explored the city. On foot, by bus, by tube. I went on guided walks, I bought guidebooks.

I explored the pubs in number of boroughs, usually sticking to Young’s Special or Fuller’s London Pride.

But times changed. There were pubs with a broader range of beers. There were beer festivals. Utobeer and the Rake offered exiting American import beers. BrewDog entered the scene. Young’s disappeared.

The last four years I have only visited once. I have tried to follow the developments, but I cannot claim to have my finger on the beer pulse of London the way I used to.

Time to do something about that. Time for a pre-Christmas visit. In particular, it is time to get so know some of the dozens of new London breweries that have emerge over the last few years. Many of them are clustered in East London. Hackney seems like the centre of gravity right now. And my research shows that on the weekend I am in town, there are two events in the area worth visiting in addition to breweries, pubs and brewpubs.

There are four of us from Oslo going to London for an oval weekend. The other three have more knowledge of beer and brewing than I do. But I know a thing or two about advance planning.

We are talking Friday 6 December, starting at lunchtime. Anyone is welcome to join, get in touch about more exact timing.

Start: Old Street Tube Station.

Or Shoreditch High Street, if that’s more convenient.

There used to be a rather good beer shop around here some years ago, carrying the Pitfield range of beers brewed to classic English recipes. That’s history.

But we have a good alternative. The first stop is a something really special. A pop up beer shop.

The Wanstead Tap is a moveable feast,  selling beers at festivals, farmer’s markets and other event. It  has settled for two weeks in 87 Leonard Street in Shoretditch.

As far as I can understand, the concept is simple: Bottled beers from the London breweries. According to the East London and West Sussex Guardian, this is a case of true love for beer: A father of two has given up a successful career in television to dedicate his time to promoting beers brewed locally. I have already asked him to reserve something specialfor me. Have a look at the Facebook page if you are looking for something out of the ordinary..

I haven’t been to any of the BrewDog bars yet, and BrewDog Shoreditch is just up the road. 51 Bethnal Green Road. Maybe a swift one? www.brewdog.com

 

The question is if the Redchuch Brewery on 275-276 Poyser Street is worth a detour? I may be convinced. On the other hand, their beers might be available later in the day, too.

I think we will jump on a bus going north. Just before the road crosses the Regent’s Canal, the first brewery of the day is Hackney Brewery, just to the left. in Laburnum St. They don’t seem to be open to the public, but I have e-mailed them.

The next stop is across the Canal. It used to be the home of Beawertown Brewery, but they have moved on. But Duke’s Brew and Que is still the brewery tap. And, dangerously, they have around ten of their beers on keg or cask. Not to mention bottles.

I think I’ll have a Bloody ‘Ell Blood Orange IPA.  

Adress: 33 Downham Road, De Beauvoir Town

After this it is probably sensible that we strech our legs, and our next target seems to be about a kilometre due east. Perhaps we will walk along the towpath.

London Fields Brewery has a core range of session beers and more challenging stuff in their Bootlegger Series.
The brewery and brewery tap: 365-366 Warburton Street. Gift packs of beers to take away are available.

If the weather and overall condition is up to it, we can continue walking. The alternative is to get on a bus along Mare Street towards Central Hackney.

Pressure Drop Brewing is located in a railway arch, but don’t have a brewery tap. I think we’ll have a fair chance of sampling some of their beers in the Cock Tavern, which I seem to recall as a rather grim establishment in its previous incarnation, but presumably gentrified along with the rest of the area. According to the Craft Beer App, there are chances of us finding beers from the otherwise elusive Happy Collie brewery from West London there. And, conveniently, the Cock Tavern has its very own Howling Hops Brewery at the premises. 315 Mare Street.

Just a few minutes away, Five Points Brewing is close to London Fields station. I thought I would e-mail them to ask them if they want visitors. But I don’t think we will be up to a serious presentation of a brewery at this stage.

It’s dark by now. But the Pembury Tavern, across the street, is like a beacon. It is actually the only stop on the route that I have visited before. 16 hand pumps, including a fine range from the Milton brewery. 90 Armhurst Road.

The sensible thing now is to return to wherever we came from. Eat some junk food and go to sleep. But there is a beer festival. The City and East End CAMRA Pig’s Ear Festival. With lots of one off beers from London breweries. It’s in an old chapel (!) in Powerscroft Road. Lots of friendly natives. Come on. Just for a pint?

London Beers listed for the festival include brews from

• Beavertown
• Belleville
• Brew by Numbers
• Brew Wharf
• Brodies
• By the Horns
• Clarkshaw’s
• Crate
• East London
• Five Points
• Fourpure
• Hackney
• Howling Hops,
• Kernel
• London Brewing
• London Fields
• Moncada
• Partizan
• Pressure Drop
• Redchurch
• Redemption
• Strawman
• Tap East
• Truman’s
• Weird Beard
• White Hart
• Wild Card.

That makes 27. And, while there is no way to know which beers are on at any given time, there should be enough for even the most enthusiastic ticker.

Even the affectingly mentioned Pitfield from the beginning of this ramble is listed with a few beers. They have made festival one offs for Pig’s Ear for many years, now they are being brewed somewhere in the countryside.

The festival will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood, which advocates the use of wooden barrels as part of British beer heritage.  Several wooden casks will be featured, including a one-off anniversary special 7% classic Red Ale brewed by award-winning Cambridge Moonshine Brewery.

There is food available at a number of the pubs on the route, I suppose we will be snacking along the way rather than sitting down for a proper meal. Scotch eggs, crisps and beer cover most of the basic food groups.

 

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Norske mikrobryggerier 16 – Norwegian Micro Breweries 16 – Halden Mikrobryggeri/Den Gyldne Høne

(Norsk tekst nederst)

Halden is a fairly small town in the Southeastern corner of Norway, just a stone’s throw from the border with Sweden.  Of course it used to have its own brewery, which was gobbled up by bigger rivals many years ago. I suspect most of the beer consumed in the area is bought in Sweden, but that has not stopped Joachim Grandahl from establishing a brewpub in the old jail in centre of town.

It’s not just a brewpub playing it safe with a blonde and a brown ale, either, there were seven beers on tap brewed on the premises when I visited, in addition to a few guest taps with brews from other Norwegian micros.

It’s been a tough job getting things up and running – both the paperwork and practical issues.

The beer is brewed on a 500 liter Speidel.

Even if the beers are only sold at the brewpub, it is a struggle to keep up with demand.

I am happy to say that it is a very charming place to visit in the early evening, and the beers have a high standard. Very high, considering how new the place is.

No sampler glasses as yet, but they are under consideration.

The general rule of visiting in the early evening applies here. You have the opportunity to sample the beers at your leisure – and the acoustics in this old vaulted cellar means it can get a bit noisy, particularly at weekends.

Two hours by train from Oslo, about the same from Gothenburg, if that is a more convenient starting point.

Midt i Halden sentrum, i en hvelvkjeller i det som var byens fengsel, har Joachim Grandahl etablert Halden Mikrobryggeri – Den Gyldne Høne. Han brygger på en 500 liter Speidel, og har problemer med å dekke etterspørselen, selv om ølet bare serveres i den egne puben. Anlegget er også en utfordring når man ønsker å brygge sterkere øltyper – men det er i stor grad løst ved å fokusere på smaksrike og spennende øl med lavere alkoholstyrke.

Opp til syv egne brygg på kranene pluss et par gjestebrygg. Hyggelig betjening, som gjerne informerer om de ølene man finner på tavlen.

Hva som tilbys, kan nok variere fra uke til uke. Det var i alle fall gjennomgående høy kvalitet på det jeg fikk servert, og generøst fikk jeg en smaksprøve på hver av ølene før jeg bestilte et par større glass. Vi får se om det kommer mer standardiserte smaksprøveglass etter hvert.

Chili-øl, IPA, wit, krydderøl, brown ale – her er det et bra spekter å velge mellom.

Lokale navn med humor og historikk gir alltid ekstrapoeng hos meg. Her spilles det mye på grensehandel, smugling og slikt, og et øl er for eksempel oppkalt etter Hönan Agda, en velkjent pornobutikk på den andre siden av den gamle Svinesundsbroen. Agda-ølet er forøvrig humlet med villhumle sanket i nærområdet.

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Nøgne Ø is not growing lazy

The Grand Old Man of the Norwegian micro brewers is doing well. But that does not mean that Nøgne Ø slow down their innovation.

Nøgne Ø has been through some tough times during their ten years of existence, but at last they are enjoying the fruit of their labors. They have actually reduced their exports, and no longer have the capacity of brewing for Mikkeller.

This could mean leaning back a bit, concentrating on their core of commercial successes. But that would not be Nøgne Ø.

There is a steady trickle of new beers arriving on the market now, I got some samples recently which really show the range they are operating in.

Well, one of them is not brewed at Nøgne Ø, it is a collaboration between them and the Saint-Germain brewery in France. The Rhub’IPA is brewed with rhubarb, a frist one for me. Incredible floral and fruity nose. Hazy yellow, do not go for this because of the looks. Light beer base, wonderful rhubarb flavour, refreshing.

Horizon Tokyo Black is another collaboration, this time with BrewDog and Mikkeller. An imperial stout based on their extreme beers with the same names, this one is many steps removed from your everyday session beer. Black, some fizz when you open, then an oily feel. Very inviting complex aroma, tar, treacle, wood, smoke and coffee. Warming alcohol. Somehow, they have managed to make a bittersweet balance, this is drinkable and not overpowering. But it is to be taken seriously.
The Kriek of Telemark is a sour beer with sour cherries from the county of Telemark. It pours a glowing read with a pink head. Sour and sweet aroma, lovely fresh cherry favour.

Almonds, cherries, it balances on the fine line between fruity and sour. The fresh cherry juice comes through in an amazing way. There is much to be said about the aged krieks of Belgium – but this interpretation has really won me over. I find it hard to believe that this will improve with time.

To celebrate the brewing of batch # 1000, they have brewed not one, but two beers.
Both with 10 percent alcohol, both brewed with spices. The beers are sold in sets of two, meaning you get a lovely little box including #1000 and #1001, both inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.

#1000 has a warm, spicy nose. It is dark gold, and has lazy bubbles. Cinnamon and ginger. Apricots and sweet apples. Sweet, but well-balanced, mature. The alcohol is well hidden. Elegant, but it lacks a wow factor. It leaves a dry mouth feel, probably a combination of the spices and hops.

#1001, though, is the one they need to launch on its own. Dark, soft, inviting. Cinnamon, cardamom, feels like the Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout as a starting point, with some extra sweetness this is a splendid host for the spices. Coffee, molasses, tar, oreo biscuits, To be served at midnight by the fire with some home-made gingerbread.

Not enough?

This year’s Christmas beers have been released, too.

For the record, I bought the rhubarb IPA myself, the other beers I got from the brewery.

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Roughneck Pale Ale – another new beer in town

Det Norske Brenneri is the name of a distiller set up when the laws in this field were medified a few years ago. They have had success with some of their aquavits and other schnapps, some under the name Arvesølvet.

I had a chat with Anders  from the company yesterday, as they have decided to diversify by establishing a beer range.

The beers will have names inspired by the oil industry, the first is Roughneck Pale Ale.

A soft and smooth beer. Flowers, fruit. Light body, then a modest bitterness in the finish. Not extreme by any means, but a beer that should have a wide appeal. Alcohol content is just below the 4.7% treshold for being sold in supermarkets, and they have a foot in the door of Norgesgruppen. Ask your local Meny store to order it. Right now, one place to find it is the Broker in Bogstadveien, Oslo.

They do not have a brewery to start with, meaning the beer is made in a Scandinavian quality brewery with capacity to contract brew.

It they manage to get this beer on the shelves and price it right, I think it might succeed in the Norwegian market. But I think they should broaden the beer range fairly fast, having more beers means much improved visibility.

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