Hackney Heroes! Fresh Natural Wonders & Mega Manager Picks
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
Though the Bank Holiday Weekend might be in the rearview mirror there's a heatwave on the horizon (we'll see it to believe it) so we've got a flood of delectable delights to slake your thirst and lift your spirits! First up, our pals and one of the best juice slingers in the business, Howling Hops, take the top spot, while fresh natty wine favourites show we can do highbrow too. There's also a few select sharers alongside some everyday crushers landing on the web from Cloudwater, plus some choice cuts across the shops from the likes of Siren, Polly's, Burning Sky, and Pressure Drop. We'll be taking a break from Newsletter duty next week, so make sure you soak those suds in. But, don't fear we'll be sure to keep you up to date with all the comings and goings over on Twitter and Instagram - now onto the main event...
B R E W E R Y
O F T H E
W E E K
Cutting their teeth at cask haven The Southampton Arms before moving to the Cock Tavern, and now their own craft canal-side mecca, the Tank Bar, there’s not much Howling Hops can't do. Known for their array of ludicrously drinkable, hop-forward pales, super NEIPAs and a smattering of impeccably balanced Lagers and decadent Stouts, not only are they one of the hottest brewing properties in London town but also a surefire bet across the board. As such there's a trio of fresh New England numbers leading the way, with some rather epic efforts in support as well as a fresh keg of the holiday in a glass Tropical Deluxe hitting your local soon!
Marrying sluggability with hoppy finesse might just be Howling Hops calling card with Balance Point Spring and Flashpoint proving excellent examples. The first is a peachy, snappy Hazy IPA, with a dank undertone while the latter is a thick, silky, pineapple-packed affair from start to finish. NEIPA Search Light continues this exploration of sheer juicy joy, "with a focused beam of pure, passionfruit power!". Like the sun's rays its allure is pretty unavoidable to say the least...
Dotted around the shops, we also have a handful more undeniable highlights, and for those craving some all-day drinking, look no further than Lonely Town. This resinous, citrusy and ultra suppable Session IPA is a feat of flavour to volume brewing. Blurring the line between roasty Stout and refreshing Pale Function Void matches toasty malt goodness with tropical hoppy wonderment for a sunshine-ready dark smasher if ever we saw one. For those on a sour tip, Super Chuck is a Summer berry Kettle Sour using heavy-duty quantities of blackberry and blackcurrant, with a lick of lemon for good measure. They call this "gloopberry sillyjam fun" and it's hard to argue with this assessment of an absolute smoothie stunner.
As always you can snag double loyalty points across Howling Hop's humongous range in store. Without touching on the likes of Here Comes Trouble (their Polly's DIPA collab) or core range classic House IPA, it's an absolute no-brainer. Of course, internet people can also cash in on 10% off six or more of their beers on our webshop. Now, get surveying and of course, swigging!
F R E S H
F R E N C H
N A T T Y S
We're always on the hunt for something a little off the radar, and so we jumped at the chance to try something from Lori Haon, a young, talented winemaker farming on the Domaine du Petit Oratoire, not too far from Avignon. The first in his family (a rare feat in itself) his father found a 15 hectare estate on Ebay back in 2015 by chance at an exceptionally low price, which was also already organically certified. Too good to turn down, it was purchased as a loan for Lori, enabling him to plant a mix of old and young white and red varietals planted on sandy soils. Now, practicing biodynamic principles he has a frankly dizzying array of sixteen varietals, of which he nimbly blends for some exceptionally vibrant efforts.
His go-to white Jajatoes is an eminently fresh mix of Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette and Grenache Blanc grapes. Coming from a region usually producing warmer, fruitier wines, this instead has citrus flavours dominating with a lovely peachy texture and a clean line of acidity for a supremely drinkable effort. Meanwhile, En Attendant Les Copains Rouge is a crunchy, pure red with a lovely rawness to it. Light, and jammy expect notes of sour cherry and cranberry underpinned by a delicate earthiness. For a final new addition, we also wholeheartedly recommend Landron-Chartier's Esprit Detente, a crisp, gluggable Rosé representing fantastic value, this is brimming with fleshy, juicy fruit accompanied by a bright acidity. Designed squarely at those who want to cling on to Summer (like us), they've hit the nail on the head...
C L O U D S
O N T H E
H O R I Z O N
Cloudwater are no strangers to the bizarre or the flat out bonkers. As evidenced online we currently have an Imperial Pastry Stout based on Mayan hot chocolate, and an obscene array of juice including not one but two mouthwatering TIPAs. Despite this we jumped at the chance to grab two incredibly special sharers. How To Love is a Triple Fruited Grisette aged in red wine barrels for 10 months before being conditioned on 300g/l of passion fruit, honeydew melon and banana. A rule breaking culmination of sheer fruit flavour, this is not to be missed. Offering a little more restraint Maybe This Time is a Foudre Beer blended with fresh Yuzu and Basil. Displaying a classic Witbier character this is a fragrant thirst-quencher with subtle, yet rich complexity. Of course we also have some supreme fridge fillers in Clear Break, a clean, zesty West Coast Pale, plus re-ups on their outstanding core Pale How Wonderful! and essential Pilsner. So dive in!
M A N A G E R
P I C K S
T H I S W E E K
ELLA - WOOD ST DEPOT
🚨 SIREN 🚨
(POMPELMOCELLOBRATION IN ALL SHOPS - LTD QUANTITIES!)
Radler - on tap in N4 & Depot - Zingy, mouthwatering Sour & Lager blend.
DDH - Pithy, radiant Sour IPA bursting w/ grapefruit galore.
Nitro - Stupidly smooth, hop-forward sour for crushable, sorbet refreshment.
Pombango - Bourbon brilliance blended w/ mango puree for tropical vibes!
OPHIE - CLAPTON
🇫🇷 LA CHOUFFE 🇫🇷
Blonde - A classic, citrussy, spicy Belgian Golden Ale w/ a quenching bite.
Soleil - Special Blonde Ale w/ notes of elderflower & chamomile.
Cherry - Supple Fruit Ale w/ undertones of strawberry & sweet Port.
MEL - WALTHAMSTOW
💦 PRESSURE DROP 💦
Am I Being Basic? - Fruity, juicy, hazy fun. NEIPA w/ absolutely no shame.
Outside Over There - Soft caramel slickness in a piney, WC IPA package.
Hidden Meaning - Thick & creamy yuzu sour, think meringue pie but better.
FRANKLIN - KENTISH TOWN
🏖 POLLY'S 🏖
Flora, Fauna, Air & Water - Triple Fruited Sour smoothie succulence!
A Late Summer - Idaho 7 Pale packing prickly pineapple perfection.
Little Nada - Sticky, juice & dank Pale Ale, just the way we like 'em.
HANNAH - FINSBURY PARK
💥 MONDO 💥
Hot Sauce Society - Grassy, clean light Lager brewed for their festival.
Feast Of Reason - Clean Witbier doused in tangy, floral citrus notes.
The Thin Line... - Rock Leopard collab. A hazy highlight of LCBF!
DAVE - BALHAM
🤘 SIGNATURE 🤘
Passions - A sweet & stormy, juicy Passion Fruit NE Pale.
C-Sharp - Zingy Sicilian Lemon Sour w/ hints of meringue & lime.
Rewind - Clean, piney & refreshing Gluten Free India Pale Lager.
LARA - FOREST HILL
🔥 BURNING SKY 🔥
Arise - Peachy, piney & bracingly dry Session Pale. An all-time classic!
Saison Été - Made w/ fresh elderflower & whole gooseberries. Tart & refreshing!
Shake Some Action - Full-bodied & unapologetically punchy IPA.
Don't forget there's even more to discover online & in all seven stores, every day of the week. Thanks for reading & enjoy the weekend folks!