TAPPING IN - Some of the best craft beer venues in Kent
From brewery tap rooms to nitro porters to behind-the-bar canning machines, Kent has got some amazing craft beer venues
On the look out for a tall, handsome glass of craft beer? Do you like the delicate and subtle notes of flavour? Or is it just the shiny and colourful cans that catch the eye? Well, if you like to head out for a few crafty crafts, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite spots…
WOLFE & CASTLE, ROCHESTER
Opening in March 2022, the Wolfe & Castle has quickly established itself as a top spot to find the best craft breweries alongside awesome cocktails, great wine and a pretty banging G&T. Situated right in the heart of Rochester’s buzzing high street, this tap room and bottle shop has been set up in a beautiful and quirky 16th-century building with a distinctive lean that has earned it the nickname of the wonky shop!
Inside you’ll find a warm and cosy interior with a lovely crowd of regulars who are always happy to chat to new faces - it’s often described as being more like a friend’s front room. Across five taps, the Wolfe pours a rotation of some of the best craft beers, including Cloudwater, Deya, Verdant, Left Handed Giant and Track, to name a few. They always have a reasonably priced pale ale and lager on draught and regularly rotate sours, double IPAs and imperial stouts. Probably the jewel in the crown for a beer-lover, though, are the two large treasure trove fridges that typically offer some 90 different beers and ciders.
On the shelves is everything from barrel-aged imperial stouts to saisons to trappists, along with all the IPAs and pale ales you could ask for. You’d need a fair few visits to get into this lot and new beers come in weekly to keep the regulars happy.
Owner Paul said he picked the name for the pub partly in reference to Greenwich (General James Wolfe), where he first developed his love for all things craft beer and partly for his new adopted home of Rochester. In fact, the tap room sits next to Two Post Alley with a great view of the castle and on warmer summer evenings many drinkers can be found propping up the wonky pub enjoying their beer with the view.
But it’s not all beer at the Wolfe as they have established a strong reputation as one of the best spots on the high street for cocktails, in particular their margaritas.
“We use fresh ingredients, premium spirits and make everything from scratch to order, just how we’d want to drink it ourselves” said Paul. “It’s important to me that everyone that comes in has the best experience, both in terms of the
atmosphere and the drinks, and that’s the same whether they’re a beer fan or not. I wanted to open the kind of neighbourhood taproom that I’d love as a local, and somewhere where you can bring your friend or partner even if they’re not a beer-drinker and they’ll love it as much as you do.”
FUGGLES BEER CAFE, TONBRIDGE & TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Founded in 2013, Fuggles Beer Café has always been at the forefront of the craft beer scene in the UK. Alongside this, the team are diehard fans of Belgian classics, too, and stock a wide range from across Europe in their fridges.
With two bar locations, in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, and the Bottle Shop on Camden Road, Fuggles has got you covered for your crafty cravings.
What’s available? Well, 26 beers and ciders on tap, with four cask beers showcasing the best beer going. Whether it’s a locally-brewed pale ale from favourites like Beak Brewery or showcasing some of the UK’s finest sours from the likes of Vault City, through to outrageous imperial stouts from Estonian brewery Pohjala, as well as selections across the water in Belgium and Germany such as Paulaner and Brugse Zot, there is something for everyone, covering all the styles!
It's not just beer, though - all of this combines with a well-curated wine list, from simple, accessible sustainable wines through to natural wine, Pet Nat and a delicious Danish cherry wine!
A big whisky and gin selection is available, too, and there’s a great range of alcohol-free beer and spirits for those not imbibing. Essentially, it’s a showcase of some of the best liquids going. Every day is like a beer (or gin) festival!
If you’re hungry, the food is designed to work with great drinks - some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches around and a tasty selection of charcuterie and cheese mean there is plenty to snack on while enjoying your drink.
For those wanting to take some of the goodies home, takeouts are available from both the bars and Bottle Shop has a huge range of more than 300 beers spanning all the styles to take home (or have delivered - the choice is yours!).
This year the team are focusing on lots of exciting projects, including collaborating with local artists on refurbishment projects and bringing some exciting new distilleries to the bar in the later part of the year. Alongside this, sustainability is at the core of the decisions made within the business – it aims to achieve net zero by the end of 2025 and has even published its plans on its website.
MOOT BREW CO., UPPER HALLING
Moot Brew Co is an independent micro-brewery based in Court Farm, Upper Halling, nestled in the picturesque Kent Downs.
The team brew top-notch, hop forward beer from British hop country. They’re fiercely proud to be Kentish and they love to showcase the best of English hops with hops from around the world. It’s kinda their thing.
KAPA [Kentish American Pale Ale] is a great example of this. They pair Juicy Citra with Kentish Fuggles and Bramling Cross to create a big punch of citrus and hedgerow fruits. The slightly sweet finish is cut by Kveik Voss Yeast and softened by a full body of oats and wheat. The result? An extremely sessionable and refreshing hazy pale that stands out from the pack.
Their recently-launched taproom is open to the public (Thursday-Sunday), serving fresh draught beer produced on-site, alongside other Kentish ciders, wine and pastries. It is set in a beautiful farm courtyard adjacent to the award-winning Court Farm Country Larder & Butchery, which is also well worth a stop.
Being in the Kent Downs, there are plenty of walks and bicycle rides to be enjoyed pre- or post-beer to build up a thirst. The taproom is child- and dog-friendly and also fully wheelchair-accessible with a large car park.
If you visit, be sure to ask about their regenerative brewing partnership with Court Farm. In short, their aim is to brew beer that’s good for the planet by ensuring they’re ‘regenerative’ every step of the way.
The team at Court Farm are passionate about using regenerative agriculture practices, which improve water and air quality while enhancing ecosystem biodiversity to help mitigate the effects of climate change. They complement those schemes with regenerative brewing practices such as waste-water capture and green-matter compost.
THE GREEDY BANKER, RAINHAM
The Greedy Banker in Rainham has already garnered a reputation for slinging arguably the best burgers in the county - we should know, we’ve eaten them - but its renown for a constantly evolving list of craft beers is just as significant.
With more than 100 different beers and ciders, cocktails and quality wines on offer, the sister site to Rochester’s The Dead Pigeon brings an amazing twist to the modern ‘sports bar’.
While fridges are stocked with international brands, from quality UK and European lagers, a huge range of IPAs and pales and the best fruit and sour beers to a huge range of unique ciders, there are also 12 lines on a huge black-tiled tap wall with digital beer display. There are also some amazing bespoke offerings.
Firstly, working with brewery Anspach & Hobday to stock the Nitro Porter, London Black, with its own special tap - Nitro being made with nitrogen (N) rather than CO2, producing incredibly small bubbles for a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
The Greedy Banker, which was opened in November 2022 by friends Jamie Clark and Tom Mudge, has also introduced a brand-new behind-the-bar canning machine, meaning customers can take their favourite draft beer home with them (it’s amazing to watch)!
There are plenty of cocktails and wines to enjoy while watching your favourite sports and there are also plans for an event-type space upstairs and a potential to use the old bank vaults downstairs for beer-tasting and more.
And we couldn’t finish without mentioning the food… oh, the food! The burgers are from heaven, with outrageously flavoursome sides created by a team who are absolutely passionate for binding new ideas with quality ingredients.
NORTHDOWN BREWERY, MARGATE
Founded in 2018 by couple Jonny and Katie Spanjar, who were drawn to Margate for its coastal vibes, embracing community and bountiful history, Northdown Brewery has become one of the best-known purveyors of beer in the county.
Using local artists to illustrate its memorable labels, their hard work paid off with industry gongs, even winning praise from the cask ale aficionados CAMRA with a medal for its Merry Margate Golden Session Ale. With a focus on hop forward modern ales, it produces a variety of beers spanning cask-perfect best bitters, modern hazy pale ales and flavour forward IPAs from its brewery on Westwood Industrial Estate in Margate.
Sitting behind the Hornby Visitor Centre, the tranquil sun trap allows the brewery’s taproom to spill out into the courtyard with tables and benches, making for some amazing live music events across the summer.
Open Friday 3-7pm and Saturdays 2-6pm, there are eight Northdown keg beers to choose from, while the fridge is packed with canned beer from guest breweries from across the country, as well as Kentish cider, Vinca wine and a selection of soft drinks.
Whether it’s to celebrate a new beer release or green-hop season or simply because it’s summer, you can expect a proper party with DJs or live music and incredible food, with past pop-up vendors including Hay’s Hot Sandwiches, Thao Thao Kitchen and Nice Buns.
The brewery hosts monthly comedy nights and tours, with special packages available for groups visiting the area. Children and dogs are most welcome to the taproom and when the sun is shining it’s the perfect spot to while away an hour or so.
THE DEAD PIGEON, ROCHESTER
Smack bang right in the centre of the up-and-coming Old High Street Intra - linking Chatham and Rochester - The Dead Pigeon has become one of the go-to craft beer purveyors in Medway and beyond.
Setting up in 2018, the modern take on a pub became a hit for its indulgent menu and takeaway beer selection during the Covid lockdown. A beacon of light for the area, with independent businesses springing up around it, The Dead Pigeon is always looking for a new style, flavour and experience when it comes to beer.
While it’s named after a feathery discovery during renovation, there’s no flies on the team, who regularly tour the UK trying new food and drink experiences to be inspired by - and the beer range certainly reflects it. The range of crafts in cans tallies more than 100 at a time, while the draft beer on offer changes regularly to keep things fresh!
Known for their quiz nights and buzzing atmosphere - especially when there’s sport on - the team are always trying new things, like their Mystery Craft Beer 4 Pack, in which customers get a surprise selection of new cans to taste.
Alongside its newer sister site, The Greedy Banker in Rainham, The Dead Pigeon was started by friends Jamie Clark and Tom Mudge, who said: “When we opened in 2018 we wanted to build a bar where we would love to be customers – somewhere to have a decent pint and watch some sport!” And they’ve done exactly that.
BREWING BROTHERS BEACHSIDE, FOLKESTONE
Founded in 2016 in Hastings, Brewing Brothers began as a pizza-serving pub with a microbrewery, crafting the majority of their food and beer in-house. Across the past seven years, Brewing Brothers has rapidly expanded its presence, now encompassing a pasta bar taproom along the Hastings promenade, a large brewery with a beer garden located on the Ridge in Hastings, and the latest addition, a beachside location in Folkestone.
Brewing Brothers Beachside will take pride in its roots and brings a wealth of experience to the culinary landscape. The new beachside restaurant continues the tradition of offering tantalising Italian pizzas and creative dishes, utilising a wood-fired oven to create authentic flavours, by sourcing local and seasonal ingredients.
With a remarkable journey of growth and success, Brewing Brothers has garnered a loyal following and industry recognition. The addition of Beachside in Folkestone marks another milestone for the brand, expanding its presence to a new coastal destination.
The restaurant's expansive outdoor space, just steps away from the beach, provides breathtaking views of the setting sun, setting the stage for unforgettable moments shared with friends and loved ones.
