London Beer City is back for a fourth year and ten exciting days of beer-fuelled fun around the capital. There are more than 80 events at pubs, breweries, restaurants and the like all over London between 3-13 August. The full schedule of tap takeovers, talks, tastings, food pairings and more is now up on their website here. But as you may not have time to do your research, I got together with London Beer City Founder Will Hawkes and Total Ales’ Matt Curtis to whittle down the list. Read on for our recommendations.
Opening Party | Mason & Company | Thu 3 Aug
London Beer City says… “Come and help us kick off London Beer City in the best way possible, with special beer, food and music at our official opening party. This will be your first chance to taste our two official beers and decide which you prefer – North, brewed with northern hemisphere hops by a team led by Five Points, or South, made with southern hemisphere hops in a collaboration led by Fourpure.”
MTL says… “Mason & Co. is the perfect place to party. Fingers crossed for sunshine so that we can spill out on to the grass by the canal with a fresh beer from one of their 20 carefully curated taps.”
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 25 E Bay Ln, E20 3BS
Thu 3 Aug | 7pm-12pm | Free
Marble Takeover | The Duke’s Head | Thu 3 Aug – Wed 9 Aug
London Beer City says… “For London Beer City one of the city’s most-loved pubs, The Duke’s Head, Highgate, is bringing Manchester’s venerable Marble Brewery and the spirit of its home, The Marble Arch, to town. A full range of Marble beers will feature on cask and keg from Thursday the 3rd until Thursday the 9th of August, finishing with a ticketed party/meet the brewer with Marble’s James Kemp.”
Matt Curtis says… “I couldn’t mention my favourite London Beer City events without mentioning the one that I am organising! We can’t wait to host the folks from Marble at The Duke’s Head, Highgate. This one will be messy.”
16 Highgate High Street, N6 5JG
Thu 3 Aug – Wed 9 Aug | From 12pm | Not ticketed except for 9th August
Other Half | The Axe | Sun 6 Aug
London Beer City says… “Sam Richardson from Other Half Brewing Co we will be serving some amazing beers in cans and keg at The Axe in Stoke Newington.”
Matt Curtis says… “One of the most exciting breweries in the world with fresh beer being flown in especially for the event. You’ll find me at the front of the queue for this one.”
18 Northwold Road, N16 7HR
Sun 6 Aug | 6pm | Not ticketed – expect it to be busy!
Murk n’ Cheese | Brew By Numbers Tasting Room | Tue 8 Aug
London Beer City says… “Freelance cheesemonger Ned Palmer of The Cheese Tasting Company and Bermondsey’s Brew By Numbers collaborate once again, this time pairing the brewery’s haziest, hoppiest beers with the finest British and Irish cheeses, at BBNo’s new Tasting Room.”
Will Hawkes says… “Brew By Numbers produce superb beer. Ned Palmer is London’s premier cheese raconteur. This’ll be tasty and great fun too.”
75 Enid Street, SE16 3RA
Tue 8 Aug | 6.30pm | £32.45 – tickets here
Anatomy of Beer | The Axe | Thu 10 Aug
London Beer City says… “Chef Andrew Clarke and Brooklyn Brewery will be setting up our Anatomy of Beer laboratory at The Axe where guests will be able to help us operate on our very own Brooklyn Brewery corpse. Various offal based dishes will be prepared yakitori style and guests will be invited to remove these body parts and consume alongside a taster of Brooklyn Brewery Cloaking Device. Each dish has been expertly curated to pair with the key flavours & characteristics of the beer.”
MTL says… “Who doesn’t like a corpse with their beer? Sounds ridiculous. Count me in. P.S. The Axe is great, and Chef Andrew Clarke (Brunswick House) is a hero.”
18 Northwold Road, N16 7HR
Thu 10 Aug | 6pm | Ticket info to follow
Battle of the Beer Shops | Mother Kelly’s | Thu 10 Aug
London Beer City says… “London’s top craft beer shops face off in a collaboration brewing challenge organised by South London beer slingers Hop Burns & Black for London Beer City. All beers will be available to enjoy on draught at the grand final at Mother Kelly’s, when a panel of judges will select a winner to bathe in Battle of the Beer Shops glory, and throughout the weekend. You’ll also get the chance to vote for your favourite for the People’s Choice Award.”
Matt Curtis says… “I’m excited to taste the result of these collabs between London’s booming specialist bottle shops and some of the city’s finest breweries. Let’s get ready to rumble!”
251 Paradise Row, Bethnal Green, E2 9LE
Thu 10 Aug | 7pm | Not ticketed
Ferment London | Crate Brewery | Sat 12 Aug
London Beer City says… “On Saturday the 12th of August 2017, Crate Brewery presents Ferment London as part of London Beer City. We have gathered some of the country’s finest suppliers to celebrate all things Fermented. This Amazing FREE event will take place on site at our Brewery & Warehouse in Queens Yard Hackney Wick. We have already confirmed these fantastic exhibitors, Pure Earth Foods, KANPAI Sake (Peckham) Gosnells Mead, PAMA Fermented Foods, & Neil”s Yard Cheese. We have planned an array of activities from Yeast Focused Brewery Tours, Beer and Cheese Tasting, a Kombucha masterclass, and of course our famous Bar and Pizzeria by the canal featuring our core range of beers and some especially handpicked guest ales for you to sample.”
MTL says… “Who doesn’t love yeast? My diet mainly consists of bread, cheese and gueuze, so this event is a no brainer for me. I’ll see you there.”
Crate Brewery, Queens Yards, Hackney Wick
Sat 12 Aug | From 11am | Not ticketed
Closing Party | The Five Points Brew Co Warehouse Yard | Sat 12 Aug
London Beer City says… “We’re closing this year’s London Beer City with a party to remember in the heart of Hackney. Expect London’s best beer (you’ll be able to choose from 16 of London’s best breweries, including Five Points, Beavertown, The Kernel, Brew By Numbers and Fourpure), fantastic food including Italian-American street-food from Capish?, beer to take away, tutored tastings and more. Your ticket includes your first pint free!”
Will Hawkes says… “Last year’s opening party has become this year’s closing party. It’s later but better! 16 of our favourite London breweries plus great food and tastings focused on the city’s craft-beer hotspots: Bermondsey, Hackney and Tottenham.”
61 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 4RG
Sat 12 Aug | From 12pm | £8 (including a drink) – buy tickets
Dual Runnings | The Kernel Brewery | Sun 13 Aug
London Beer City says… “The Kernel and Partizan will be pouring a parti-gyle beer brewed together and separately. One beer is brewed with the first wort runnings, is a strong beer; a Quadruple, boiled and fermented at Partizan. The second beer is brewed with second wort runnings and fermented at the Kernel with their house mixed culture, and aged in their foudres. The intention with the beers is to blend them back together to mimic a traditional pub practice involving adding a bottle of beer to a cask beer adding extra carbonation and lowering the temperature of the latter. These will be available on keg and bottle at the Kernel brewery with suggested blending rates alongside a small selection of other Kernel and Partizan beers all on draught.”
Will Hawkes says… “I think this is one of the most intriguing events. Partizan and The Kernel brewed brewed two different beers from the same mash two years ago, and they’re going to blend them back for London Beer City. I can’t wait to taste the results.”
Arch 11, Dockley Road Industrial Estate, SE16 3SF
Sun 13 Aug | From 1pm | Not ticketed
Thanks to Will Hawkes and Matt Curtis for their contributions.
