Howling Hops Tank Room, E9

Official site of Howling Hops Tank Room - www.howlinghops.co.uk

Official site of Howling Hops Tank Room - www.howlinghops.co.uk

Having outgrown their original home in the basement of the Cock in Hackney, the Howling Hops Brewery now run this unusual warehouse conversion, a short walk from Hackney Wick station. It is unusual in that it is the first UK venue to sell all of its beer directly from large conditioning tanks. It really is quite a sight to behold when you first walk in and find yourself confronted by ten huge floor-to-ceiling tanks, each dispensing a different beer. On my visit, all ten tanks were in operation and I was able to choose from Ruby Red, Black XX, Pale XX, Running Beer, Pils, Pale Ale, Riding Ale, Rye Wit, Smoked Porter and IPA. The beer is perhaps a little pretentiously, served in two thirds glasses, each costing £2.90 (or £3.90 if the beer is over 6%). I tried the Smoked Porter which was packed full of flavour and in fine condition. The bar itself is an L-shaped warehouse conversion with a concrete floor throughout, bare brick walls painted in red and white, glass brick windows and long canteen tables and benches which run from the front door all the way to the bar at the rear. A few more benches have been set into recesses along the right hand wall, supplemented by low stools made from kegs. The servery has a tatty brick tile counter and to the left there are numerous sacks of malt, with the brewery plant visible in the large area behind the bar. To the right there is another entrance, next to which you will find a second bar which serves drinks other than those from the tanks. There is also a food hatch here where you can order directly from the kitchen. Breaking the serving points up like this is a pain if you need to order something from each, but at least reduces queuing time at peak hours. Music played quietly throughout my visit and there was ample seating outside both entrances, should sitting in a warehouse car park take your fancy. I really felt the ‘wow’ factor when I first walked in here, but I suspect that it is a novelty that will soon wear off. I like the concept of the bar and was pleased to find that the beer was very drinkable, but I would much rather be drinking the same beers in the Cock than in an old warehouse. There are a few other decent warehouse conversions in this part of town, including the Crate Brewery next door, so a mini crawl would make a trip out here even more worthwhile.