Tanked up

By Alex Jordan 25 : 11 : 2015 Howling Hops : Tank Bar : Beer Hall

London – Brewer Howling Hops has opened the UK’s first tank bar that doesn’t use casks, kegs or bottles.

Each tank is dedicated to a different brew, including Pilsner, Pale Ale and Smoked Porter
Food is sold at a separate bar towards the rear of the space, serving a menu of sandwiches and assorted meats

Having outgrown the basement of the North London pub where it all began, brewer Howling Hops has created ‘a classic beer hall’ in Hackney Wick that serves straight from 10 large tanks behind the bar, custom-made by Bavarian Brewing Technologies.

Serving straight from the tank ensures that the beer is as fresh as possible. Everything is brewed on-site at its Queens Yard facility, feeding directly from its fermentation vessels into the 10 serving tanks, each dedicated to a particular recipe. When the serving tank reaches a certain age, normally about two weeks, the brewer will keg the remainder and the process starts again.

‘Until now, the focus [for brewers] has been more on the commercial front, bringing in raw ingredients, spitting out a product and getting feedback from the punters,’ says brewer Tim O’Rourke. ‘But now, there is a big focus on brew pubs, open days and an increased interaction with the public.’

The Big Picture

With fewer materials to throw away and the added value of a fresher product, bars from London’s Dandelyan to New York’s Lois Bar are serving cocktails and wines straight from the tap.