London Beer Week (LBW) gets underway this Monday and, much like London Cocktail Week, there are a number of trade-specific events and seminars on the schedule.
You’ll need to get your free trade wristband first, which will get you into these events and also entitle you to the drinks offers running at various venues throughout LBW. You can apply for your wristband here, on the London Beer Week Website.
LBW trade events
Pop-Ups
Sharp’s Brewery Secret Bar is LBW’s East London hub and home to exclusive tasting experience with Michelin-starred food paired to Sharp’s beers, happening within Sharp’s Crate. There are sessions running throughout the week during the afternoons and evening, all completely free with your wristband.
Craft Beer Rising have taken over the central hub and will be serving a range or beers while Ben Mcfarland and Tom Sandham’s Bohemian Czech craft larger, Hobo, is taking over 33 Marshall St in Soho for the duration of LBW with an innovative and fun bar concept – the Hobo Saloon. During the day you can bring your lunch, relax, eat and enjoy a cheeky cold can of Hobo. Open until 9pm, the bar promises to kick off in the evening, serving Boilermakers with Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Hobo lager accompanied by live blues music.
Visit the industry trade show PUB15 & Craft Beer Rising
PUB15 is the UK’s only trade-specific pub show and is launching on the Wednesday of LBW, 18th February, for two days of inspiration, insight and innovation. Head to London’s Olympia to see exhibitors, seminar discussions and demonstrations all targeted for the pub trade, be it design and interiors, premium spirits and wine, craft breweries and beer, technology, food and drink and much more. It’s totally free.
LBW have also teamed up with Craft Beer Rising, whose festival rounds off London Beer Week on a high note, running from Thursday till Sunday. Under one roof you can explore 70 small breweries showcasing over 450 different beers. There’ll be music, with legendary DJ, film director and writer Don Letts headlining the Sunday session, and street food. Grab a ticket for any of the four days and discover craft beer from around the world (Thursday afternoon is Trade Day for which pre-registration is essential, the rest of the week runs in ticketed sessions).
Fuller’s trade brewery tour
On Tuesday afternoon, kicking off at 2pm, Fuller’s Brewery is opening its doors to the trade with a guided tour lead by Head Brewer John Keeling. The afternoon is completely free and thanks to Fuller’s you’ll enjoy a lunch of fish and chips with a pint of London Pride before walking through the production process and ending with a beer sommelier-guided tasting, ending at 4.30pm.
Seminars
Several seminars will take place during the week, including a session about the perils, practicalities and positives of brewing on your own premises.
Dan Fox, founder of the London Brewing Company, and beer sommelier Rod Jones, who set up Meantime’s craft brewery/restaurant, The Old Brewery will be joined by Susanna Forbes, Imbibe’s beer correspondent and founder of DrinkBritain.com, to give advice on how to find the right space, what kit to start with, how to manage demand, and how best to market your home-grown brews. Wednesday 18th at 3pm at the Hobo Saloon.
SKA & Camden Town Brewery party
Thursday night of LBW will see SKA Brewing join forces with Camden Town Brewery for a DJ party. Held at 5CC, in the basement of Well and Bucket, there’s plenty of reasons to be celebrating on Thursday night, not least because SKA is welcoming Arlo from their home in Colorado. The boys from SKA will be cracking cans and getting down with Modua Hoperandi and Rudie Session IPA on tap. Head to 5CC on Bethnal Green Road for 6:30pm