Eebria Taproom, Bermondsey, SE16

This is a nicely put-together addition to the Bermondsey Beer Mile from the Eebria online beer delivery company, who have created a small, yet relatively comfortable beer showcase bar in this single railway arch. The usual concrete floor and corrugated iron clad walls applied here, and the vaulted ceiling was sadly obstructed by a first-floor area of undetermined usage. The servery is to the left on entering, with a counter made from old pallets and some fridges and taps along the simple bar back. A beer board at the end of the bar lists the keg range and this information is also available in handy beer menus on each table. Opposite the bar was the highly unusual sight of a sjoelen table – the Dutch version of a shuffleboard – which I really wanted to play, as I’ve never seen one in the UK before. This was surrounded by three tables further to the right plus one more further along, also made from pallets. A pretty cool ‘hip-hops’ mural on the rear wall added some colour and visual distraction, as did the pallets that were nailed to the side wall and used to display various beer bottles – these guys must get through a lot of pallets in their part of the beer trade! Motown tunes played through the bar’s sound system and there was a TV discreetly showing a muted rugby match in one corner. A couple of high tables were plonked outside the arch and there is a beer garden to the rear, although I didn’t make it out there. The staff here were really friendly and welcoming to everyone who came by, taking time to talk through their range, offer samples and generally impart their knowledge and make sure everyone got a beer they were happy with. I picked out the Tiny rebel Clwb Tropicana (£6.00) from the eight draught keg lines which were showcasing the likes of Northern Monk and Siren alongside some lesser known names like Wild Weather and Wishbone. I thought these guys had done a good job of making their arch as comfortable and cosy as they could, and I can easily see me popping back to sample more of their interesting rotating range of small-batch beer. The friendly service topped things off nicely, and although this place is anything but cheap, I’d rather pay a little more to drink in a pleasant spot like this than in one of the plain, scruffy arches you can find along the length of the mile.

Official site of Eebria Taproom - www.eebria.com

Official site of Eebria Taproom - www.eebria.com