Tucked under arches in Bermondsey is London's first- and only- open brewery, UBrew. On the route of…read morethe legendary drinking pilgrimage known as the Bermondsey Beer Mile, many wayfarers stumble upon the taproom fortuitously; this is because UBrew is located within a stone's throw from extolled London craft breweries Brew by Numbers, The Kernel, Partizan and FourPure.
Brainchild of friends and homebrewers, Matthew Denham and Wilf Horsfall, the concept for UBrew began as a crowdfunded venture in September 2014. After easily surpassing their initial financial target of £3,750, Denham and Horsfall harnessed the unpredicted interest in the project and launched a second capital appeal to raise a further £75,000 in 2015. Once again, unprecedented numbers of beer enthusiasts invested, giving UBrew a £110,000 shot in the arm to set up in their current premises.
Encompassing the space beneath two railway arches, UBrew is a multifunctional canvas- one arch is purely dedicated to the brewery, where novices and experienced homebrewers can enrol on courses or become a member with free-range on the commercial brewing kit. Just this month, a new 1000 litre kit was installed, increasing the brewing capacity for members and UBrew's ability to teach enthusiastic learners. The brewery is open and accessible for anyone to venerate the intricate brewing process. Visitors to the taproom naturally gravitate towards it because it's a permanent hive of activity and the air is relaxed and communal.
The taproom is another recent addition to the UBrew space, growing from the modest makeshift bar that I recall from the summer of 2015 to a fully functional taproom in 2016. Now a fantastic rotation of beers are hosted on draught across ten taps, ranging from local to the further afield- the overhead chalkboard menu is frequently being rewritten as kegs run dry and are alternated. You get the sense that the range of beers tendered is approved by the erudite palates of UBrew members (the selection has been outstanding on each of my recent visits). On my last stopover, I was torn between the Yeastie Boys' Pot Kettle Black, a Pacific porte; the Wild Goose Chase from Wild Beer Co, a gooseberry sour; and Mad Hatter's tzatziki sour.
The décor is reclaimed plywood, picnic-table chic- the taproom is a minimal and unpretentious open space that is evolving as the business grows. The staff behind the bar are passionate and understandably well-versed in their beer styles; yet they are also approachable and offer honest recommendations. Happy to have a real natter about the breweries, the beer styles or the characteristics of a specific beer, their yarns often begin along the lines of 'the head brewer was just in here yesterday and was drinking...'
Having a pint at the UBrew taproom doesn't have to be purely educational- there are tables, seats and couches to accommodate sociable groups. There's even a foosball table, fostering a welcoming environment for anyone who is appreciative of a good pint. UBrew also host a fridge for takeaway beers, which includes examples of their in-house pilot projects, brewed by members. Some of these are highly experimental- I'm certain that I sampled a sour stout during one of their tasting sessions- but others are highly drinkable. With a little more tinkering, the pilot series will be comfortable amid the standard draught offerings at the bar.
Grabbing a beer at UBrew feels like drinking amongst friends inside a ramped up garage brewery. It's a truly unique space and their taproom is worth eking out. Although difficult to find at first, you'll be glad you entrusted your GPS and made the journey. A word of warning, however: once ensnared by the gleam of the brewery kit, you might find yourself compelled to sign up for their beginner's all-grain brewery course. These run between 12:30-17:30 on Saturday afternoons and for £95, you get full tuition from an expert, three craft beers from the taproom and your own 20 litre batch of beer brewed from scratch.
I've already signed up for a mid-April session and can't wait to unleash my inner brew master- but I might need to find some extremely obliging friends to help me drink the somewhat unrefined fruits of my labour.
