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The London Borough of Hackney encompasses much of East London, from the closer-in neighborhood of Shoreditch to Hackney Wick at its most eastern edge. The sprawling borough includes some of the best craft beer in London outside of the Bermondsey Beer Mile & Brixton. There are several areas that can easily take up an entire afternoon or evening of drinking, particularly Hackney Central & Hackney Wick. Here are the best places for craft beer in Hackney, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Dalston, Clapton, Stoke Newington, & Hackney Wick, including craft beer bars, bottle shops, breweries, and taprooms. For more nearby craft beer, see my post about Tower Hamlets & Bethnal Green
The Best Craft Beer bars & Breweries in Hackney Central
Hackney Central has a large concentration of craft breweries, especially on Bohemia Place.
The Experiment: Pressure Drop x Verdant
What do you get when two of the best breweries in England join forces? The Experiment: a joint venture from London’s Pressure Drop & Cornwall’s Verdant Brewing Co. The Experiment is one of several great breweries & beer bars near Hackney Central along Bohemia Place, underneath a railway line.
This collab spot & event space has 5 taps from each brewery, plus tons of cans.
Address: Unit 19, Bohemia Pl, London E8 1DU, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Central
Hackney Church Brew Co.
Hackney Church Brew Co. is the next stop along Bohemia Place. The brewery is named after the nearby Hackney Church, which they actually partner with. It’s as nice of a spot as you’ll find under a railway arch. While most archway breweries have a pop-up, DIY aesthetic, Hackney Church Brew Co’s spot is filled with nice wood, stone, and metal.
The community-focused brewery has 12 taps of craft beer made from as many nearby ingredients as possible. There are also plenty of tables out front, as well as a back garden. They also host pub quizzes and Sunday roasts.
Address: 17 Bohemia Pl, London E8 1DU, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Central
Deviant & Dandy Brewery
Right around the corner from Bohemia Place is Deviant & Dandy Brewery. Behind their archway, they have a nice beer garden space with 10 or so taps.
Deviant & Dandy’s beers are music-themed, including collabs with Run the Jewels.
Address: Arch 184 Nursery Rd, London E9 6PB, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Central
Hackney Tap
Hackney Tap has 22 taps of craft beer & cask ales, plus gyoza.
The pub, which is located in the former Hackney Town Hall & also has a nice outside patio, is owned by the same people who run the excellent Euston Tap.
Address: 354 Mare St, London E8 1HR, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Central
The Five Points Brewery & Taproom
Founded in 2013, The Five Points Brewery & Taproom is one of the largest places for craft beer in Hackney. They opened a new spot with huge indoor space and an outdoor beer garden in 2021, both of which can get crowded on weekends (especially during DJ sets). During those times it can skew towards people who care less about the beer.
The taproom has 18 lines, including six tanks for the freshest Five Points beer. There is also wood-fired pizza from ACE Pizza.
The Five Points Brewing Company also owns The Pembury Tavern, which has 22 taps & is located at the junction from which the brewery gets its name.
Address: 61 Mare St, London E8 4RG, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: London Fields or Cambridge Heath
Forest Road Brewing Company
Forest Road Brewing Company’s brewery is located near the Bermondsey Beer Mile, but they also have a taproom in Hackney underneath a railway arch.
The taproom is bigger & more lively than the brewery (which has limited hours), serving as a community space.
There are several nearby food spots that have popped up, including the stellar Bread & Truffle.
Address: 8 Netil Ln, London E8 3RL, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: London Fields
The Best Craft Beer Bars & Breweries in Hackney Wick
Hackney Wick is another area that makes for a nice pub crawl, with several great breweries & beer bars located within a few minutes of the station.
Beer Merchants Tap
Hackney Wick’s Beer Merchants Tap just might have the best craft beer selection in all of London. They’ve got 20 taps plus 2 casks, but the fridges are where their offering becomes mindblowing, with over 500 different cans & bottles on offer, available both for drinking in and for takeaway from the bottle shop.
If you can name it, you’ll find it at Beer Merchants Tap. While the selection may spotlight British & Belgian beers, there are also plenty of German, American, and other imports as well. Every beer has a helpful sign displaying the name and price, so you don’t have to open the fridges to read labels. It’s a nice little touch.
There’s also plenty of room to drink, with a large indoor space inside Hackney Wick Warehouse, plus a huge outdoor beer garden.
With this much excellent beer, you need hearty food. Beer Merchants Tap has that covered as well, with a food menu featuring scotch eggs, pies, and meat & cheese boards.
Address: 99 Wallis Rd, London E9 5LN, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Wick
Old Street Brewery & Taproom
Hackney Wick’s Queen’s Yard is lined with bars & restaurants, including several breweries. They’re accessed down a graffiti & street art-covered alleyway.
The self-described “band of drunken misfits” at Old Street Brewery & Taproom continue this vibe, with more street art outside, a comic book theme, plus an inside space with wood panels & fake fireplaces. Great indie music plays throughout.
The bar has a 10-tap beer selection, including a couple of guests. There is also a food stand out front selling BBQ & Mexican food, including tacos & quesadillas.
Address: Unit 1 Queen’s Yard, London E9 5EN, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Wick
Howling Hops Brewery & Tank Bar
Howling Hops Brewery & Tank Bar is also located on Queen’s Yard. The industrial space includes 10 tanks, with all of the often-hoppy beers served straight out of them.
In addition to the inside shared tables, there’s an outside patio, DJs on weekends, plus Sri Lankan food from Kottu House.
Address: Unit 9A Queen’s Yard, White Post Ln, London E9 5EN, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Wick
CRATE Brewery & Pizzeria
The third craft brewery at Queen’s Yard is CRATE Brewery & Pizzeria. The atmosphere here at CRATE is completely different from the other two breweries, with much more of a polished interior and with it, a bustling crowd that skews more upscale hipster.
CRATE is especially popular thanks to its expansive canalside beer garden, which is understandably crowded on nice days.
The brewery is highlighted by several guest taps (plus about 20 or so guest cans), in addition their own offerings. For food, there are thin, crispy pizzas available. If cocktails are more your thing, step onto their canal boat, the Alfred Le Roy.
Address: Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, London E9 5EN, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Wick
The Best Craft Beer Bars, Breweries, & Bottle Shops in Shoreditch & Hoxton
Howl at the Moon
Hoxton’s Howl at the Moon is a classic Victorian pub that happens to have lots of craft beer.
The pub has been updated to the modern era while retaining its historic charm. Inside, you’ll find about 20 taps of craft beer, plus live music & live sports on the big screen.
Address: 178 Hoxton St, London N1 5LH, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hoxton
Seven Seasons
Seven Seasons is a craft beer bar and bottle shop located right near Howl at the Moon in Hoxton.
In addition to 2 taps, Seven Seasons has hundreds of cans and bottles. The selection leans towards pale ales, IPAs, sours, and some lagers and Belgian beers rather than darker beers. There’s no corkage fee, so the price is the same whether you drink in the bar or take it home.
The bar has lots of big tables for groups or for making new friends.
Address: 195 Hoxton St, London N1 6RA, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hoxton
Signature Brew Haggerston
Signature Brew‘s main brewery is located in the big cluster of breweries in Walthamstow, but they also have a taproom underneath a railway arch in Hackney/Hoxton.
The brewery is closely affiliated with the music industry, which shows in everything they do. 12 taps of music-themed beers barely scratch the surface. Amongst these taps, you’ll even find beers made by well-known artists. There is also a stage for live music & comedy inside, as well as music photography exhibitions. Outside, there’s a canal-side patio.
Address: Railway Arches, 340 Acton Mews, London E8 4EA, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Haggerston
Brewhouse & Kitchen – Hoxton
Brewhouse & Kitchen – Hoxton is part of a chain of brewpubs with locations all around the country. In addition to their own beers, there are guest taps, cans, and bottles. The brewpub also hosts tasting sessions & has a full food menu.
Address: 397-400 Geffrye St, London E2 8HZ, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hoxton
Fountain Tap
Fountain Tap is a cozy new craft beer bar in Shoreditch.
It has 14 taps from some of the best British breweries, plus more in the fridge (including ciders). The Shoreditch taproom is also affiliated with the Old Fountain on Old Street.
Address: 14 Rivington St, London EC2A 3DU, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Old Street & Shoreditch High Street
The Best Craft Beer Bars, Breweries, & Bottle Shops in Dalston & Stoke Newington
40FT Brewery & Taproom
40FT Brewery & Taproom is located down an alleyway in Dalston, but once you’re there the space opens up into a huge beer garden. The brewery started out in two 20-foot shipping containers. Get it? There are up to 10 taps of beer available. The beer garden is one of the nicest places to drink outside in London.
The garden space is shared with The Dusty Knuckle Bakery & Acme Fire Cult, a live-fire restaurant with 40FT Brewery beer that also serves dishes in the beer garden.
Address: 2-3 Abbott St, London E8 3DP, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland
Red Hand
Dalston’s Red Hand has over 20 taps of craft beer, plus over 100 spirits, including a cocktail list, as well as wine. Oh, and cheese toasties. Perfect.
There’s tons of room inside, with spacious high ceilings & brick walls, plus lots of old wood, from the dark wood floors to the benches and seats.
Address: 36-38 Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 7XJ, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland
Kraft Dalston
Kraft Dalston is a new taproom from German Kraft, which has a brewery & beer garden in Elephant & Castle. The taproom serves beer straight from the tank, brewed in accordance with German purity laws using only malt, water, hops & yeast.
In addition to the brewery, there is also a gin distillery onsite, as well as a kitchen specializing in changing small plate cuisine such as Koren, Latin American, and Japanese.
Address: Kraft Dalston Bar & Restaurant inside Kingsland Locke, 130a Kingsland High St, London E8 2LQ, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Dalston Kingsland
The Best Craft Beer Bars & Bottle Shops in Clapton
Clapton Craft
Clapton Craft is a bottle shop & online store with eight locations around London. Their original Clapton bottle shop has hundreds of cans & bottles available, plus growler fills. While some of their locations offer on-premises drinking, this one does not. But there are plenty of parks nearby.
Address: 97 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0NP, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Hackney Central & Hackney Downs
All Good Beer
All Good Beer in Hackney Downs is a bottle shop & taproom offering hundreds of craft beers from top breweries from Britain and beyond, as well as wines. The bar, which is part of Hackney Downs Studios, has a large all-season patio available.
Address: Hackney Downs Studios, 17 Amhurst Terrace, Lower Clapton, London E8 2BT, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Rectory Road & Hackney Downs
If you have any other favorite places for craft beer in Hackney, let me know in the comments!
For more great London beer, see my related posts:
- The Bermondsey Beer Mile in London
- The best craft beer in Central London – Westminster – SoHo – Covent Garden – Pimlico – Mayfair
- The best craft beer in the City of London, England
- The best craft beer in North London – Camden – Bloomsbury – Kentish Town – Hampstead
- The best craft beer in the East End of London – Bethnal Green – Tower Hamlets
- The best craft beer in East London – Hackney – Shoreditch – Dalston – Hoxton – Clapton – Stoke Newington – Hackney Wick
- The best craft beer in Walthamstow – Blackhorse Beer Mile – Waltham Forest – Leyton – Leytonstone – Chingford – Northeast London
- The best craft beer in Stratford – Newham – Canning Town – West Ham – East Ham – East London
- The best craft beer in South London – Brixton – Lambeth – Clapham – Vauxhall
- The best craft beer in Richmond, London, England
- The best craft beer in Greenwich, England
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