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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
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Submitted on Thursday, 26th September 2024
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Detail Pages
Against the Grain Taproom, SW17
SW17
SW17 0BQ
Served areas
Reviews of Against the Grain Taproom (Average Rating: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about By the Horns
Having enjoyed beer from By The Horns in London Wetherspoon's pubs, I thought a trip to the brewery tap would be in order. The brewery is on an industrial estate north-west of Tooting, 15-20 minutes from Earlsfield station, so it's accessible, but your're unlikely to be just passing by.
The tap itself is simply an industrial unit with a bar to one side; a few high tables and stools, a table football game and a couple of TV screens (one of them taking up the back wall) complete the comforts.
The bar supports 3 handpumps, with half-a-dozen taps protruding from the wall behind. Pricing is simplicity itself, at £3 for cask & £4 for keg.
So: did I enjoy the beer a few yards from where its made? Er, no, not really; well, not as much as I'd expected. As an early arrival, maybe the beer had been sitting around all day, but it certainly didn't have the 'zing' I'd have expected from brewery-fresh beer (and I tried both cask & keg). Atmosphere was not exactly enhanced by the presence of a brewer or two who had clearly been, how shall I put this? I know: "hard at work all day". Fortunately, the front door was open so some aroma could escape. With poorer weather and a larger crowd, I'd have felt obliged to scarper quicker than I did. To some extent, it did feel like the work bar, which I'd managed to gatecrash.
Overall, something of a disappointment and I can't see myself returning any time soon, which seems a pity.
On 15th April 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 554 recommendations about 516 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about By the Horns
This is the brewery tap for the By the Horns micro-brewery. It’s situated alongside the brewing operation in a tin shack near the old Wimbledon dog track, and comprises a single room with a small bar counter on the right. There are some tall tables and stools for seating, although there are a couple of benches outside which I guess are for the benefit of smokers. There’s no decor worth mentioning, although you can take a walk out to the back to see some of the brewing operation.
You wouldn’t come here for the pub ambience, but probably for the beers. When I was in the other evening they had three of their beers on – Stiff Upper Lip (3.8% ABV) which is a hoppy ale, another hoppy Citra ale, and Lambeth Walk, a stonking 5.5% ABV strong porter. Unfortunately there was no Diamond Geezer on, although I gather that it often is. All beers (including their bottled beers) are £3 a pint, which is good by London standards. As far as I could see they only sell beer – you might be able to get a lager but I wouldn’t put money on it. A cold dry Chardonnay is a non-starter. There’s no food – you couldn’t find anywhere less like a gastropub – but you might be able to buy a pack of peanuts.
Opening hours are very limited: Thursday and Friday 5.00 – 10.00 PM; Saturday 12 noon – 6.00 PM. This is a very unpretentious bar, and certainly not a destination pub. But I like By the Horns beers, so am likely to visit again if I can fit in with the restricted hours.
On 7th September 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
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- Official site of Against the Grain Taproom - againstthegraincidery.co.uk
- Facebook page of Against the Grain Taproom - www.facebook.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Against the Grain Taproom - whatpub.com
Earlsfield, 0.72 miles, 13 min walk (show)
Wimbledon, 1.59 miles, 30 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Beer Garden : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Car Park : Yes last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Darts : Yes last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Function Room : No last updated 11 May 2024 by Tris C
- Hot Food : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Jukebox : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Karaoke : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Live Music : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Pinball : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Pool Table : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Quiz Night : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Real Cider : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - 6" kerb to negotiate. - last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
- WiFi : No last updated 07 September 2013 by Rex Rattus
