Neckstamper Brewery

There’s no finer place to enjoy a pint than the place where it was brewed. Sitting in a tap room surround by the brewing kit, ingredients, and often the people who make the beer, is pretty special. Luckily, we have a number of local breweries and taprooms in our corner of London, and on Saturday another one joined their number. Neckstamper Brewery, which was set up in 2016, opened its taproom for the first time. We headed just over the border to their home in E10 to check it out.

Neckstamper may sound like a wrestling move, but it’s actually a term from 17th Century London. Local ale houses would dispatch pot boys to go and collect tankards and bottles that had been delivered to private homes, these boys who tramped and stamped around London were nicknamed Neckstamper’s. This isn’t the brewery’s only link to the past, all of their beer get their names from historical slang terms. The APA is called Moon Curser, named after the people who could be hired to guide people around the darker areas of London. They would curse at the full moon as no one wanted their services when the bright moonlight shone. Other beers include the Elbow Crooker (a name for a drinker), and the Squencher, which is the thirst quenching first beer of the day. I really liked the beer, especially the Elbow Crooker session IPA, which was smooth and very drinkable.

The brewery, which is based on the Cromwell Industrial Estate on Staffa Road, E10, is pretty smart. White walls, gleaming tanks, bar, and probably the swankiest toilets I’ve ever seen in a brewery tap. The outside space at the front of brewery is a proper suntrap, and there are loads of tables and chairs made of pallets for people to rest themselves and their drinks on. As you walk towards the brewery from Staffa Road, a sign proclaims “Slow Down Beer Drinkers”. I wasn’t sure if that was a warning to passing traffic or a note to people in the brewery, either way it made me smile. The taproom is only 8 minutes away from Lea Bridge Station, and 20 minutes walk from St James Street, so it’s dead easy to get to.

It may be a  small operation but Neckstamper do what they do very well. I say they, but  Neckstamper is a actually a one man operation, with owner and founder, Adam, doing pretty much everything. For now, Adam will be opening the taproom once a month, with the next open day being at the end of June. But all being well he’ll start opening more regularly as the year progresses. Keep an eye on their website and social feeds for more info, and drop in for a visit the next time the taproom is open. The beer is good, Adam is chatty and friendly, and if like me you live towards the St James/Markhouse end of E17, this little tap room is just around the corner from home.