London | Postcards From Here and There

Enid Street Bermondsey

Back in October 2018 I wrote a post about the craft beer tap rooms on Druid Street in Bermondsey.

Druid Street can be either the start or end of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. What was once perfectly achievable in a single visit, the opening of more taprooms and the numbers of beers available at each means that it is simply not possible to cover the whole area in one go. So in this, the second post in the series, I will look at the taprooms on Enid Street which is just a short walk round the corner from Druid Street. The closest tube station is Bermondsey on the Jubilee line.

From The Bottle Shop on Druid Street turn right onto Abbey Street, go under the bridge and then turn first left into Enid Street. The tap rooms here are all very close together starting with Moor Beer Company (71 Enid Street).

This Bristol based brewing company opened their barrel store and tap room on Enid Street in 2018 and it has become a popular calling point for craft beer aficionados. Very busy on my visit with a good range of beers, plenty of standing room and adequate seating. The Tucka Burger van was parked right outside for when the munchies get to you. There was a good atmosphere here and certainly the most lively of the four taps visited.

Moor Beer Company Stout 5%. Just time for one beer here and stout was what I fancied. Dark and opaque with a thin tan head. Aromas of coffee, caramel and toffee. Nicely balanced with medium bitterness and gentle/soft carbonation.

Next door is London Calling Sweden (72 Enid Street). Serving beers from Swedish brewery Poppels and opened so that ex pat Swedes could have a taste of home it is an altogether quirky and not unpleasant place for a beer or two.

They have created a space which is adorned with what might best be described as a collection of unconventional objects including a three seat sofa in. pride of place on the stage, suitcases and an opticians eye test chart. As different as you can get from nearby Cloudwater. There is limited seating but plenty of standing room. Snacks are available but payment here is by card only. Tasting flights are available and that’s what I thought I’d try.

Poppels Passion Pale. 5.2%. Pale amber and clear with a thin white head. Aromas are tropical with malt and a touch of caramel. Palate has gentle carbonation, low bitterness and a slight creamy texture. Flavour is tropical with a hint of lemon citrus. Very drinkable.

Poppels American Pale 5.4%. Amber,clear with a good white head and some lacing. Aromas of malt, caramel and a init of citrus. Palate has good carbonation, low bitterness and flavours of malt, caramel, biscuit and a touch of resiney pine. The finish has a bitter tang.

Poppels IPA 6.5%. Light amber with the feintist of haze and a good white head. Aromas of pineapple, malt and a slightly floral character. Palate is low bitterness with gentle carbonation. Nice mouthfeel with some tropical flavours. A slightly bitter, lemon/pine finish.

Poppels Greeliner Weiss 5%. Pours vivid green, murky no head. Fresh zingy acidity with lime, cucumber and mint. Very gentle carbonation. A beer which is far more interesting on the palate. Don’t be put off by the appearance.

Next up is the recently opened Cloudwater Tap Room (73 Enid Street). No signage here, just a printed note on the door saying ‘we are open’. Inside the decor is shipping container chic, they have done their very best to make a railway arch not look like a railway arch and it works well. There is a bar at the far end , made to look like its been constructed from quarried stone. There are something like 20 beers on tap and the staff are very knowledgeable and happy to help you negotiate the menu despite it being busy. It is definitely the most interesting selection of beers because of the sheer diversity off styles on offer. There is plenty of seating though not all has access to a table and there are good toilet facilities. As you might expect from Cloudwater the whole experience is well done. Wished I had more time to investigate the range, sadly only time for two.

Cloudwater Pale. 4%. Yellow, cloudy in appearance with a thin white head. Aromas of mango and grassy pine. Palate is low carbonation and low bitterness with gentle lemon citrus. The finish is quite bitter.

Cloudwater Bourbon BA Kentucky Common. 8.2%. Collaboration with Against The Grain. Dark, opaque with a thin tan head. Nose is very aromatic with caramel, treacle toffee, cola and muscovado sugar. Palate has nice fresh acidity and complexity, there is caramel, vanilla, toffee and cola. Mouthfeel is excellent with a slight sweetness and there is a long lingering finish. Excellent.

Finally it’s Brew By Numbers (75 Enid Street). Part of the Bermondsey craft beer scene for some time Brew By Numbers has a tasting room which has ten beers on tap and a selection of bottles and cans. There is seating away from the bar area with space for around 30. There is plenty of standing. Small snacks are available as well as a range of merchandise including t-shirts and glassware.

I sampled a couple of beers here but unfortunately didn’t accurately record what they were! As a result there are no tasting notes for this visit.

Before visiting any of the tap rooms it is well worth checking opening times online before heading off as they can be sometimes subject to change.

Druid Street Bermondsey

With a couple of hours to spare on Sunday lunchtime on a recent visit to London I decided to pay a quick visit to Druid Street in Bermondsey. Perhaps not one of the best known tourist destinations it is however well known to craft beer enthusiasts as it forms part of what has become known as The Bermondsey Beer Mile.

The northern end of Druid Street is a short, pleasant walk across Tower Bridge from Tower Hill underground station, while the southern end can be reached from Bermondsey, on the Jubilee line. It is also very close to Maltby Street market which is on at the weekend only.

The various taprooms are located in converted railway arches. Opening times are well worth checking before you visit. All are open at some part of weekends but not all are open during the week.

Southwark Brewing Company, 46 Druid Street.

Website Southwark Brewing

With three beers on cask and four from keg it offers a reasonable choice to drinkers. Seating is limited but at the time of my visit this was not an issue.

All Day Breakfast. Session Pale Ale. 3.4%

What better way to start than with breakfast! Serves yellow, hazy and with a thin white head. Aroma is lemon citrus with a hint of orange. Palate is light, low bitterness and with a finish that has a tang of bitter lemon. Light, easy drinking style.

Shine on You Hazy Diamond. IPA. 7.2%

Orange appearance, cloudy/murky with a small white head and some nice lacing. The aroma is tropical; pineapple and mango, with orange, lemon and caramel. The palate is juicy, soft, slightly creamy, gentle carbonation and low bitterness. Flavour profile is dominated by tropical fruit with some nice gentle citrus.

The Barrel Project, 80 Druid Street

WebsiteThe Barrel Project

Only opened in August 2018, three weeks before my visit in early September. The London Beer Factory experimenting with barrel aged beers is what this taproom is all about. A large bar with plenty of choice of beers and lots of seating. Only had time for a very quick drink here but it looks like a promising idea, one to watch and return to once its been open a while and established itself.

London Bohemia Lager. 5%

Light yellow, hazy, thin head and nice lacing. Aroma is fragrant, floral, lemon, malty, hoppy. Palate is clean and crisp, low bitterness, good carbonation. Very clean taste. A nice easy drinking style.

Hawkes Cider, 96 Druid Street

WebsiteHawkes Cider

The growth in the availability of craft cider parallels in some ways the growth of craft beer and many craft taprooms feature at least one on their listing. Well here is a taproom devoted to cider with the odd beer on the list. Seeing themselves as the “saviours of cider”, this taproom makes a welcome alternative.

Anspach & Hobday, 118 Druid Street

WebsiteAnspach & Hobday

Lots of brewing g tanks in evidence here but unfortunately it was closed at the time of my visit for a private function later in the afternoon. One to return to in a future visit.

The Bottle Shop, 128 Druid Street.

WebsiteThe Bottle Shop

This is the model for all good bottle shops in my view. To the right as you enter is a small bar serving ten beers on tap. The remainder of this side is taken up with fridges holding a vast array of bottle and cans available for drinking in or taking away. The rest of the space has been devoted to seating with space for 50 or so around the available tables. They have also cleverly created an upstairs seating area. This is good as it was by far the busiest establishment.

Cloudwater. Helles Tettnanger. 4.8%

Golden. hazy with a thin white head and nice lacing. Aroma is malty, lemon citrus, some floral character and slight breadiness. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation, grassy, malty. A finish of biscuity pine. A lager for those that don’t like lager.

Gipsy Hill. Beatnik Pale. 3.8%

Golde, clear, thin white head. Aromas of malt, pine/resin and lemon. Palate is medium minus bitterness with quite aggressive carbonation. Flavours of malt, pine, orange with a hint of caramel. A lingering finish with a nice touch of bitterness.

Brick Lane Street Art

Brick Lane can be thought of as the epicentre of Street Art in London. The streets and alleys that run off from Brick Lane are covered in bright, vibrant art works both large and small. The canvas may well be a wall, window ledge, door or shop front shutters. There really is no limit to the possibilities for expression here. By its very nature the art is constantly changing, take a similar walk around the streets in six months time and there will have been significant, noticeable changes. This ephemeral nature of the work is what makes the Street Art scene so interesting.

Brick lane is just a short walk from Liverpool Street station which is served by the Central, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City underground lines. Leave the station via the Bishopsgate exit, turning left onto Bishopsgate. Cross over at the crossing and then turn right onto Brushfield Street. At the end turn right onto Commercial Street. Cross over at the lights and then turn left into Fashion Street. This is where some significant pieces of art can be found. From here you can walk down the street and turn left at the end onto Brick Lane.

Just before Fashion Street meets Brick Lane there is this piece by Jimmy C.

Once on Brick Lane take the first right onto Heneage Street.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil by Lewis Campbell Lost Monkey 2017 – Heneage Street

Heading back onto Brick Lane and into Seven Stars Yard. There is so much Street Art here it is difficult to know where to begin. Some is better than others but that of course is a personal view.

Exiting back onto Brick Lane again now take the next left onto Fournier Street. There is not much Street Art here but it is a most interesting street with beautifully restored town houses built for merchants in the eighteenth century. At the far end of Fournier Street is the Ten Bells pub which has associations with the Jack the Ripper story.The main piece on Fournier Street is at the Brick Lane end and is by Shok-1, known for his aerosol X-ray art.

Next up is Princelet Street and the Jack the Ripper story is here in an undated context by Otto Schade.

Stix uses his stick figures to illustrate community cohesion in the area.

Hanbury Street has a long association with Street Art. The piece by Belgian artist RoA, known for his huge paintings of wildlife has been on the side of the building for a long time.

At the bottom of Hanbury Street is a huge work by Majid Adin that was completed only recently.

Continue along Brick Lane. The courtyard of the old Truman Brewery is an interesting area but was unfortunately closed off at the time of my visit. At the corner of Pedley Street and Brick Lane is the Kinkao Thai restaurant, the side of which is a huge canvas for street art. The current work occupying the space is by Dan Kitchener.

My walk ended at Grimsby Street but there is much more to explore in the area if time permits.

The London Calling blog is a good website for Street Art in the capital. More about what else Brick Lane has to offer to visitors can be found here