Islington will be home to the first London Brewhouse and Kitchen this October, following successful launches in Portsmouth and Dorchester. Another is set to open in 2015, up the road in Highbury.
The brewpubs give beer lovers the chance to drink in stylish comfort and learn about beer making and food matching in an enjoyable way. Good food is very much at the top of the menu too.
Simon Bunn and Kris Gumbrell have been behind a number of successful brewpubs and popular bars. For the past two years, the adventurously conceived signature beers for London’s mighty Craft Beer Rising festivals have been specially conceived and brewed in their brewpubs.
As the name suggests, Brewhouse and Kitchen, which opens in Islington on October 6, has its own microbrewery, with brewing experience days or beer tasting sessions available.
Bar and dining spaces for up to 120 create a warm ambiance. Bright and airy during the day, they transform with a mellow, low-lit mood for the evening. Drink close-up at the bar, at your own table, or reserve an area for larger groups of up to 20 — more comfort than a typical taproom, say the owners.
Third-pint glasses encourage beer and food matching, and a pairing chart is at hand. Regular music, piano sessions, quiz nights and a calendar of meet the brewer nights will give plenty of reasons to return. Lunchtime food specials will please the regulars, and Saturday brunch will ease you gently into the weekend.
The venue will be open from 11am-11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am-midnight Friday, 9am-midnight Saturday, and 9am-11pm Sunday. It is located at Torrens Street, Angel, London EC1V 1NQ — phone 020 7837 9421.
The beers
Brewhouse & Kitchen Islington head brewer, Pete Hughes, has created an impressive sounding list of launch beers. All will be on draught, and will later be complemented by some keg and bottled styles. The launch beers are:
Arc Angel: ordinary bitter, 3.6% ABV, traditional, caramel, bitter
Spandau B: session IPA, 4%, light, bitter, hoppy
Myddleton, blonde ale, 4.5%, simple, balanced, refreshing
Britton: American brown ale, 5%, dark, complex, hoppy
Watchmaker, strong bitter, 5.5%, traditional, balanced, bitter
Chaplin, IPA, 6%, intense, bitter, hoppy
Autumn and winter specials will include:
Suffragette Ninja, milk stout, 4%, rich, sweet, roast
Triple A, rye ale, 5%, dry, spicy, floral
Vlad, winter warmer, 5.5%, fruity, spicy, malty
Raleigh, smoked porter, 5.5%, smoked, roast, chocolate
