Crawling Underground: A pub crawl for the Londoner who wants good beer but doesn’t want to walk very far to get it.
The rules:
- All bars/pubs/breweries must be within a 10-minute walk from one of the tube stations on the line.
- No more than 1 pub from a single chain.
- A minimum of 5 independent bars/pubs/breweries per crawl.
- The crawl must include somewhere to drink at each end of the line
- A minimum of two end of line pubs with no maximum for lines that have more than two branches.
The crawl
The Victoria line, “my local”, if a tube line could ever be regarded as one. We will be starting at the southern end of the line and working up to Walthamstow Central in the north.
Brixton offers enough good beer venues for a pub crawl of its own. Nevertheless, this crawl must start somewhere special and in Brixton I couldn’t imagine starting it anywhere better than Ghost Whale on Atlantic Road. Incredibly well stocked with walls of bottles and cans as well as what seems to be an ever-growing number of taps (6 at the last count) and the ability to take the beers here home in both growlers and crowlers! With staff constantly searching out the best beers in person across the world, a number of great collabs with breweries and food vendors, as well as being paired with the record label Holy Roar.
Beer to try: Something on the ever-changing tap list.
We’re skipping Stockwell on this crawl and moving straight onto Vauxhall and to the massive SE1 branch of Mother Kelly’s Taproom and Bottleshop. If you’ve never been before, brace yourself for the gargantuan choice of beers on offer. With 33 taps (including a number of wines and ciders) you will always find something you want to drink. What’s that? You can’t find something to drink on the seemingly endless taps? Well its a good job there’s a bottleshop as well isn’t it? Mother Kelly’s doesn’t just offer you a drink though, if you’re already feeling peckish why not grab a cheese board with your drink? It’s almost tempting to not go north of the river, isn’t it? It would have to be pretty impressive to tempt you away from these venues.
Beer to try: Põhjala x Mother Kelly’s collab – Karneval.
It’s a good job CASK Pub and Kitchen was a key player in the birth of the craft beer scene in the UK then isn’t it? What a place, opened in 2009 in Pimlico, CASK has blown the cobwebs off the stereotypical British pub and brought it screaming into the 21st century with a barrel-aged barley wine in hand. Cask ale has been returning to popularity and if the 10 cask ales don’t quench your thirst then the 15 keg lines should see to it that you do. It will come as no surprise that CASK also stocks over 300 bottles and cans, it’s almost not worth saying any more. If you’re still feeling peckish after your cheese board then take a seat and grab yourself something a little more filling here. I can recommend the parmesan chips if you’re wanting something to see you through, leaving room for more beer.
Beer to try: Anything on cask (no surprise), if you see it, Siren Craft Brew – Broken Dream.
Back to the tube and as any good Londoner would, we should be ignoring most of the city centre in case we actually have to interact with other people. There is one stop I would like to make, if you’ll let me. Hidden within the chaos of Oxford Circus is the Phoenix. This great pub has always had a surprisingly varied selection of craft on tap, as well as playing host to comedy nights, podcast recordings and a massive music-round-only pub quiz.
Beer to try: Vocation – Cooler Shaker.
You’re past the half-way point. Fortunately for you, we’ve not got far to travel, hope back onto the tube and before you know it you’re at Euston station. You lucky sod, you’ve experienced such a great choice of beers that you probably want somewhere that only has a single tap labelled beer. You don’t? Fine, have a choice of 47 different beers (and ciders) at the Euston Tap. Yes, you read that right, 47 lines. I must warn you though, the queue here can be deadly, not only because of its popularity but because there is a road in the middle of it. Housed in the remnants of two of the old Euston train station buildings the beers are split across the two bars. Again, there are fridges if 47 wasn’t enough for you.
Beer to try: Kernel – Table beer.
The House of Hammerton sits only a short walk from Highbury and Islington station and is the tap room of, you guessed it, Hammerton Brewery. 20 keg and 4 cask lines of Hammerton and guest beers to choose from (yes there is a fridge of cans and bottles). Formerly known as the Black House, this bar was opened due to the huge demand on the brewery’s open days and now hosts the Hammerton core range, some exclusive brews and guest beers.
Beer to try: Hammerton – Mango Masher // Vermont Chapters 5.0.
ONLY OPEN ON SATURDAYS BETWEEN 2-8.
We are spoilt for choice in Tottenham Hale but I can only choose one. Having only recently visited “The Experiment”, their central London bar (shared with Falmouth’s Verdant), I think Pressure Drop has got to be the place to visit. Our penultimate stop started in a garden shed in 2012 and is now one of London’s staples, a great tap room with a very well known neighbour (if you’re up for it).
Beer to try: Pressure Drop x DEYA – Two Weeks in Florida
The final stop of our beer-filled commute is Wild Card Brewery’s The Barrel Store in Walthamstow. Since moving to their new home, the Barrel Store has housed their barrel-aged beer program as well as a bar, bottle shop and cultural hub. Time to take a seat, order a pizza, grab your final drink and (hopefully) soak up some evening sun.
Paddy Fowler 