Hoppin’ Around Hackney: A Guide

Some say for something to be a “crawl” you need at least three venues, which is a minimum I tend to stick to with these guides. But what about the maximum amount of venues a crawl can consist of before it turns into an all out holiday? The Bermondsey Beer Mile seemingly adds a new venue every month, but in a close second place comes Hackney Central, and that’s without even expanding just ten minutes southwards to London Fields, which will be for another guide of its own. Yet unlike Bermondsey, which has been cultivating its craft crawl since 2011, Hackney Central’s offerings have been a flash in the pan, with the majority of them only there for the past 3-4 years.

What I’m trying to say is: don’t get too much FOMO – it’s all still quite new. There are a full EIGHT venues on this crawl, each offering something very different, making it one of the top mornings/afternoons/evenings out in beery London.

The guide is in the order I recommend doing this based on a combination of opening hours, specifics of the venue and of course, the beer itself. The proximity of all the venues – all within 5-10 minutes walk of each other – means geography isn’t a major factor and you can easily do this in any order. Mostly they’re only all open Thursday-Sunday, so don’t go trying this on a Tuesday. Deep breaths now – let’s hop around Hackney.

Hackney Church Brew Co.
A buzzing venue that offers food as good as its beer, this is a perfect first stop to fuel up and line your stomach while enjoying a busy lunchtime and easy drinking beer selection. Don’t get it confused with Hackney Brewery (also a good brewery – just nowhere near here).
Good For: Groups; Food; Outdoor Space.
Things to note: You will almost certainly need to book here, as arguably the most popular venue itself in the crawl.
Beer: Something for everyone, and this is the brand – Hackney Church isn’t here to blow your mind with edgy, unusual beer; rather it exists to create a fun, accessible spot for people who like all sorts of booze, and that’s why we like it.
Vibez: As above – this is the place to be, almost always fully booked on a Saturday and bustling with diverse groups of those who are beerin’ and those who aren’t. There’s outdoor seating out front, inside and there’s a reaaaallllyyy nice beer garden out the back (and yes it is still almost always full!).
Prices: It’s not the cheapest place on this crawl and the food also costs your London usual, but it’s worth it.
Warmth: Warm, easy-going staff, while the all-rounder nature of the brewery means you won’t be getting notes on the hops in each beer. But that’s for later.

Deviant and Dandy
Sometimes a name tells you everything you need to know about a brewery. This screams “we don’t take ourselves seriously whatsoever so come hang out, drink funky beers and enjoy yourself”. Turns out that’s exactly what you’ll do.
Good For: Creative beers; Cool Courtyard; Quirkiness.
Things to note: A very creatively laid out venue with nooks to sit inside and a nicely laid out courtyard with some retro music choices and a sort of “we don’t care if you judge us” attitude that you’ll likely enjoy. They also have a taco stand that is really quite delicious.
Beer: It’s creative. Fig flavoured Stout? Ginger and lime pale ale? A beer called ‘Dude Looks Like A Hazy’? Had ’em all, pals. Be daring – you never know what you might enjoy.
Vibez: Laid back, alternative, you might hate the music but you might LOVE the music.
Prices: Very reasonable compared to the rest of the area.
Warmth: The classic offish-ness that comes with a certain alternative charm is evident, yet they’re all up for a chat. And pretty easy to talk to your fellow drinkers.

The Experiment
It’s that one you’ve heard of. Pressure Drop of Tottenham Hale and Verdant of absolutely hundreds of miles away from Tottenham Hale (Falmouth, Cornwall to be precise) share this outpost of juice heaven.
Good for: The juiciest, haziest, thickest, most potent IPAs you will find this side of the Atlantic.
Things to note: You can’t book, it’s quite cool inside, it’s easier to get a table than you’d expect so don’t panic – nobody can manage more than about an hour on these beers so the turnover is fairly fast.
Beers: This is as good as hazy IPAs get in the UK so that’s why it is in the middle of your crawl. Beware: many of them are in the 6-9% alcohol region so if you’re already on a good level, you may need to opt for smaller pours. Luckily, every beer is available in 1/3 size and upwards.
Vibez: It’s not where you go to vibe to the music or meet people, more where beer afficionados from around the city are coming to swill their juice around their glass and inhale the scent in a way that looks positively illegal.
Prices: It’s not cheap but it is one of the cheapest places you’ll find Pressure Drop or Verdant so enjoy that feeling.
Warmth: This is an outpost, so while those working there will patiently and calmly advise you on the beers, I suppose it is not a truly “local” spot. Closer than Falmouth, though.

Brew Club
As the name suggests, this is a collaborative hub. Featuring amateur brewers and their own more certified stuff, it’s got a bunch of seating outside that gets the last of the afternoon sun, making for a great fourth stop.
Good For: Local beers; Meeting brewers; Getting burnt tanned.
Things to note: This is one of a surprisingly small number of amateur London brew hubs. They serve professionally brewed beers for the most part, but the aroma of malt and hops emanating from inside should be a draw (but probably makes you thirstier than is healthy).
Beer: Eclectic doesn’t even begin to describe it – you have a lot of good choices here, and if you have a decent chat to one of the amateur brewers you might end up with something even better.
Vibez: Lowkey beer people populate the inside, sun catcher passers-by popular the outside. Good vibes either way.
Prices: Very, very reasonable. Again – if you befriend one of the brewers inside the price might end up being free.
Warmth: About as warm as it gets, given the people who brew there are doing it for the passion.

The Hackney Tap
Is it a town hall? Has it been helicoptered in directly from Paris? Yes, both*. The reason we’re talking about it is that it is inexplicably one of London’s newest craft beer venues, despite being a giant stately home in the middle of a village green.
Good for: Feeling grand; Craft beer from afar; Soaking up the sun.
Things to note: Open Tue-Sat, this classic building in the middle of Hackney Churchyard Gardens, and the most imposing building in the area, is now a craft beer bar. The takeover is complete.
Beer: A good mixture of local craft and some fun stuff from Germany, Belgium and Czech Republic mean the style choice is varied.
Vibez: Tables on the square with people-watching galore and sunshine til 7pm (unless its November) makes for a beautiful, laid back feel.
Prices: Pricier than the breweries for obvious reasons.
Warmth: It’s a pub or a bar or something like that so expect a usual level of server warmth.

*This is a lie. Sorry.

The Pembury Tavern
Recently voted as the top pub in London by a bunch of food and drink people who probably know what they’re talking about, this is owned by Five Points and is just up the road next to Hackney Downs station.
Good for: Daytime tipples; Lovely pizza; Space.
Things to note: Lots of Five Points on tap (obviously) along with 4-5 guest taps which tend to be of the highest quality.
Beer: All of Five Points’ core range and a lot of pale ale/IPA on tap from the guests make for a great selection.
Vibez: It is a very spacious venue which we love – no bookings needed, you’ll almost always find a table and be able to spread out for a relaxing session.
Prices: The Five Points beer is very reasonable though the guest stuff starts to burn a slight hole in the wallet – key tip is to check price before you get a pint as nobody likes a surprise!
Warmth: It’s a warm environment, a pub, and the staff know enough about what’s on tap to help you out though this is somewhere to find a spot and relax rather than get chitchatting to the locals.

The Cock Tavern
Howling Hops are on the rampage and we’re here for it.
Good for: Late night craft beer; Rustic setting.
Things to note: This is owned by Howling Hops, based in Hackney Wick. It’s a pub and the beer is craft. Independent and excellent.
Beer: You have a choice of styles, and the best of Howling Hops at the very least.
Vibez: Pub style – calm by day, rowdier by night, chatty by all times.
Prices: Also pub style – a bit pricier than everywhere else on this crawl.
Warmth: In case I hadn’t mentioned, it is a pub. The staff are warm but you won’t be meeting too many brewers.

Bonus Stop: Binch
It’s the backalley beer speakeasy you never knew you needed. Just kidding – you totally envisaged a place like this in your life – so seven venues in, if you’ve done the entire crawl, you may feel like you are indeed dreaming. Late night, secluded and intimate, Binch is exactly what you want, and this mysterious photo is all I’m going to reveal of it.
Good for: Intimate drinks; Speakeasy feel; Conversation.
Things to note: This place is absolutely amazing and feels like a rare undiscovered London gem.
Beer: 4-6 taps of local craft and a fridge full of much more, you can’t be disappointed.
Vibez: While Binch is open from Tue-Sat, often from 6pm, the sweet spot is certainly post 10pm on a Fri/Sat as the late night feel gets going here. Tiny, crowded and so, so chic. Did I mentioned it’s French-owned?
Prices: Same as everywhere else.
Warmth: The capacity is about 20 people so you can’t help but meet the owner, chat to the bartender and make friends with whoever else happens to be there in that moment. A London beer nightcap for the ages.

Share and Enjoy!

Know another great independent brewery or dedicated craft beer location in Hackney Central? Let me know and I’ll go there – if it fits the bill I’ll add it here!