Taproom focus with Charlie Docherty

SIBA’s Business Development Officer highlights some of the best taprooms from across the UK…

Name: Werewolf Beer

Founded: 2019

Location: Camden, London

Taproom Hours: Fridays 16:00 to 21:00 / Saturdays 12:00 to 21:00 / Sundays 14:00 to 21:00

Check out their social media for upcoming events.

Werewolf Beer was founded in April 2019 by Rich White, an American brewer in London, with the intention of being 'An American Brewery in London'. They were on track to open in mid-2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic intervened. They successfully raised over £30,000, and after some pilot batches at nearby pub The Rose & Crown, finally threw open their doors in April 2022.

The beers are brewed on site, and the majority of the brewery’s output goes through the taproom. My recommendations? Start with a pint of Moonstomp. It’s a rice lager, which they describe as sitting somewhere between an American and Japanese style of lager. It requires a lot of skill to brew this kind of beer, and having tried a couple of batches of it, I can confirm it’s always great - the sort of beer that doesn’t obstruct conversation.

There’s also Psychobilly - a Pale Ale packed with classic American hops - it’s clear, it’s piney and it's citrusy - it’s great. For food, they often have hotdogs fresh from the steamer, and pizza from local slice-slingers True Romance.

For those marking their Taproom bingo cards, the usual features are here: it’s in a railway arch, there are communal tables and seating with no back support, and you’re within touching distance of the brew kit. Less usual are the decorations - a skeleton in a coffin, a mummy and haunted house cars that double up as extra seating. Every new taproom has to find its own way to embed itself in the local community, and Werewolf has used its space to host book launches, pre-parties for gigs in Camden’s many live venues, and exhibitions for American artists in London. In the future, look out for events around the 4th July, and Halloween - they’re sure to be great parties!

Big recent news - they’ve just got a glass washer, so you can enjoy your beers in proper pint glasses.

If you’re wanting to turn your trip to Werewolf into a North London brewery tour, you can head one stop east on the overground and visit Hammerton brewery, and then a few more stops and you’re in Hackney Wick, and Howling Hops’ tank bar.