Craft beer, great food and a stellar musical line-up – there's a lot to love about the London Craft Beer Festival, which is back for its fifth year on 4, 5 and 6 August at the Shoreditch Electric Light Station.
Founders Dan Sylvester and Greg Wells absolutely love craft beer, and have hand-picked 45 top-notch breweries from around the world to showcase their best brews at the event, including Mikkeller from Copenhagen, Dugges from Gothenburg and Maniba from Brazil – so it's safe to say they know a thing or two about a good brew.
That's why we've asked them to put together a hit list of top London boozers for a pint of craft beer. They share their favourite spots with us below.
The Axe Pub
This is the latest pub from the guys behind The Kings Arms and the Earl Of Essex. There's always a really well-selected list of beers on tap, and some really exciting 750cl sharing bottles. Or you can have it to yourself, if you dare. This one has a great food menu too, and plenty of outdoor space for sunny days. 18 Northwold Rd, N16 7HR; theaxepub.com
The Harp
It's small, awkward and permanently crammed, but a visit to The Harp is always worth it. This is the perfect central London pavement pint. Whether on cask or keg, these guys keep some favourites but a solid rotation of London's best breweries for their many drinkers to enjoy. 47 Chandos Place WC2N 4HS; harpcoventgarden.com
The new Brew By Numbers tap room
Brew by Numbers Tap Room
The best way to drink craft beer is fresh and straight from the source. Brew By Numbers taproom, conveniently located in Bermondsey, London's unofficial centre of great food and drink, is a great place to hang out and have a beer (or five). The fledgling brewery is one of the finest new breweries in the world, so a pint from there is a real treat – especially when it comes after lunch at one of Maltby Street's traders. What's more, the whole space is about to get a revamp, so you should definitely pop in to check out the slick new digs. 79 Enid St, SE16 3RA; brewbynumbers.com
Stormbird
Stormbird boasts one of the best beer lists in London, with a rotating selection of our favourite beers from across Europe. There are amazing beers from Scandinavia's finest such as Mikkeller, Omnipollo and Dugges.Top tip: Just over the road, Hermit's Cave a quirky old boozer, and that perfect next stop once you've run riot with your palette. 25 Camberwell Church, SE5 8TR; thestormbirdpub.co.uk
The Electricity Showrooms
The Electricity Showrooms
We're often in Shoreditch and have found there's actually not too many spots here for great beer, but this particular venue is great, especially come Friday night as it's got bags of space – not to mention DJs and a dance floor in the basement. 39A Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, N1 6NN; electricityshowrooms.com
London Craft Beer Festival will be taking place at Shoreditch Electric Light Station, Hoxton Square, N1 6HD, 4-6 August 2017. Buy your tickets at londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk
