Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Howling Hops

  • London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Hackney Wick – Howling Hops (II)

    London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Hackney Wick – Howling Hops (II)

    I won’t drone on for too long about Howling Hops, since I’ve visited before and wrote a little more that time. However, today is a big day for pubs as they can open inside once again, so I feel the need to record that for my own record, even if for no-one else’s interest.

    Service was friendly and helpful, although no real surprises there. Customers can drink beers straight from the tanks (well, not literally, they are served in a glass) which adds theatre to the proceedings. It wasn’t particularly busy, I think that most of the people who were there worked for Howling Hops, but it felt laidback and welcoming. It’s a nice place, convenient for when I’m passing by on the London Overground (which is nearly never if I’m being honest, but I’ll make special trips).

    I opted for the Morning Ride, a New England IPA with Enigma, Simcoe and Mosaic hops (I didn’t know that obviously, I’ve just copied it) and I liked that the brewery mention the “sweet shop pick-n-mix finish”. I wouldn’t disagree with that, it was a sweet and citrusy beer which worked well for me as a refreshing lunchtime drink. I was also a little tempted by the Gentle Storm beer which Howling Hops brew, which seems to be so new that absolutely no-one has reviewed it on Untappd. But everything in moderation.

    And it’s nice for me to be back inside pubs, something which I hope is now a permanent state of affairs for the hospitality industry (I mean being allowed to have customers inside in general, not necessarily having me inside).

  • London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Hackney Wick – Howling Hops

    London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Hackney Wick – Howling Hops

    As an aside, I’ve been trying to ensure that my London posts get put in the right borough, rather than just putting London. It looks like by just a metre or two that this bar is in Tower Hamlets and not Hackney, not that it makes a great deal of difference to anything….

    This was one of Nathan’s bar suggestions, the brewery of Howling Hops and their own tap room. There was a prompt and friendly welcome from one of the staff members when I arrived, with the menu available by scanning a QR code. Table service was then offered and the surroundings were all comfortable and on-trend. The place is just outside of Hackney Wick overground station and it’s well reviewed on-line.

    The beer is poured from the tanks and they also have a wider selection of beer available in cans as well. I opted for the Soft Top, which is the brewery’s stout, and this was rather lovely, all the appropriate temperature and with a richness of taste. The brewery use the word decadent in their description of the beer, so that’s another selling point to me.

    It wasn’t particularly busy, although it was the early afternoon and so I can’t imagine that it’s ever noticeable busy at that time on weekdays. The prices weren’t the cheapest, but my half pint of stout wasn’t unreasonable, and the surroundings are all suitably industrial for a brewery. Definitely one of Nathan’s better recommendations (although he always seems to be in the pub, so he should be good with suggestions).