How Dry was my January? Brewhouse & Kitchen postscript

I thought January was done, but an opportunity to take in one more venue arose earlier this week, and I headed for Brewhouse & Kitchen in Highbury.  And guess what - they end up getting a blog of their very own.

I first came across them when they sponsored a bar at the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards in November 2024.  I was drowning my sorrows at the fact that one of my masterpiece blogs (this one, thank you for asking  https://www.londonbiermeister.co.uk/blog/ora-et-labora-gezellig-st-benedict-belgian-trappist-brewing-and-the-joys-of-west-flanders) had been shortlisted for an Award but ultimately come up empty handed.  As part of this, I met their representatives including head brewer Alessandro and enjoyed a couple of pints which made me think that I should seek them out again at some point.

I took a quick look at their history.  In essence they are a chain of brewpubs, founded by Kris Gumbrell and Simon Gunn in 2011.  Both Kris and Simon have a wealth of experience working for “big beer” that led them to the conclusion that there was mileage in the idea of a pub where beer was brewed on-site.  Venture capital (facilitated by the Enterprise Investment Scheme) agreed, and they got going.  Starting off in Bournemouth, they now have 21 sites.  Their Highbury brewpub was one of the 2026 additions to the Beer Passport.

Having strolled the required couple of minutes from Highbury & Islington Station, I entered the venue.  First impressions were great.  It comes over as a large but cozy pub, but with the telltale signs of brewing in the form of large vats and information displayed about the brewing process.  My Passport was greeted enthusiastically (“ooh, we’re getting one of these about every day now”).  It was Happy Hour (before 7 pm) so cask ale was £3.50 a pint.  And when you have a BOGOF deal that means £3.50 for two pints!

So I started with cask.  First the “Goalscorer” session IPA which had all of the subtlety of a good cask ale but with a nice hoppy bite.  Then, gloriously, the “Cask Project” Whisky Stout, which was a beautifully rich concoction.

What separates great beer from decent beer?  Some experts claim that they can describe it.  I know that I can’t.  All I know is that, at this moment, with these beers, it was great.  I then thought that I would try their cask / keg stuff in the form of the “Illustrator” west coast IPA, and it was equally triumphant - rich colour and a wonderful balance of the different hops.  After a long flirtation with New England, I am possibly shifting my loyalty to the West Coast.

Chatting to the guy behind the bar, I shared the Awards dinner picture and was told - “ah yes, Alessandro - he was actually in about ten minutes before you arrived…” - bugger.

Being in Highbury, it appears that they may have a certain football affiliation.  I spotted this subtle hint.

So basically if you have a Passport - and even if you don’t - I would urge you to try this place.  Worth a journey.

And could everyone please stop their cynical jibes about the dryness of my January.  I am doing better, honest.  Helped, not least, by my mixed pack purchase from Small Beer in South Bermondsey, whose 2.5% offerings are really growing on me for those evenings where you really shouldn’t be drinking but just fancy something beer-ish.