East End Craft Brewery Tour

The best thing about this East End brewery tour is its focus on working taprooms rather than grand attractions. You move from The Five Points to Forest Road, Hackney Church Brew, and Deviant & Dandy, tasting beer where it is made and hearing how London’s modern brewing scene took shape.

I like the small-group limit of 20 and the relaxed teaching style led by Paul, whose explanations cover brewing, beer tasting, and even the science behind the foam on top of your pint. I also like that the tour welcomes curious beginners as well as regular beer drinkers looking to try new styles.

The main drawback is the fixed 6pm start and the evening timing. You need to reach Mare Street on time, and anyone hoping for a full meal, a long brewery production tour, or a quiet tasting should know this is a social pub-and-taproom outing.

Key points to know before booking

• Four East London beer stops: Visit The Five Points, Forest Road Brewing Co., Hackney Church Brew, and Deviant & Dandy.
• Three drinks included: The first three venues include a half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or a soft drink.
• Paul brings the teaching: Expect practical advice on tasting, brewing methods, beer styles, and London’s beer culture.
• A compact evening: The tour runs about three to four hours, beginning at 6pm and ending near Hackney Central.
• Good for mixed groups: You do not need to be a serious beer drinker, and soft drinks are available.
• Small-group setting: The maximum group size is 20, which should keep the evening more personal than a large pub crawl.

Four breweries, one East London evening

This is a tour about comparison. One beer can taste crisp and light, another sharp and sour, another pale and hop-led. By visiting four different taprooms in one evening, you get a clearer sense of how much variety sits inside the label craft beer.

The route begins at The Five Points Taproom and Courtyard at 61 Mare Street, London E8 4RG. You then continue to Forest Road Brewing Co., Hackney Church Brew, and Deviant & Dandy Brewery at 185 Nursery Road, London E9 6PB.

Each stop is scheduled for about 45 minutes. That gives you enough time to receive a drink, hear an explanation, ask questions, and get a feel for the place without turning the evening into a long lecture. It also means the pace is steady. If you prefer to stay in one bar for hours, this may feel a little brisk.

The venues are the main attraction. These are places connected with London’s current small-brewery scene, not a museum display of old equipment. You get to see how a modern taproom works as a social space, a tasting room, and a shop window for the brewery’s own beers.

Starting at The Five Points Taproom at 6pm

Arrive at The Five Points Taproom before the 6pm start. This is the point where the group meets and where the first drink is included. You can choose a half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or take a soft drink if beer is not your thing.

That choice matters. You are not forced to drink alcohol simply because the tour is built around breweries. You can still listen to the explanations, compare the venues, and take part in the social side of the evening.

The Five Points stop lasts around 45 minutes. Paul’s style, based on the information available about his tours, is less formal classroom and more friendly guide who knows how to keep a group talking. He explains how to taste beer properly, how to notice flavor notes, and why the foam on top of a beer matters.

That last detail may sound small, but it captures the appeal of the tour. You are not just handed a drink and told its name. You get useful information you can apply in any pub afterward. The guide has also explained brewing technique, beer variety, and the development of London’s beer scene, so the first stop sets up the rest of the evening.

Forest Road Brewing Co. and the art of comparison

The second stop is Forest Road Brewing Co. Taproom and Bar. Another half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or a soft drink, is included here.

The value of a multi-stop tour becomes clearer at this point. If you visit one brewery alone, you may enjoy its beer without understanding how its choices differ from other producers. At Forest Road, you can compare what you are drinking with the first stop while the tasting advice is still fresh.

Paul’s role is useful here. Rather than simply naming the beer style, he can guide you toward the details in the glass: aroma, bitterness, sweetness, acidity, body, and finish. You do not need a trained palate. The point is to slow down and pay attention.

The 45-minute limit keeps the stop focused. It also means you should not expect to sample every tap or order a full flight of your own. The included serving is a tasting-sized portion, not an unlimited drinking session. That is a good safeguard on a route with four venues, especially since the tour starts in the early evening and continues for several hours.

Hackney Church Brew brings another local perspective

The third stop is Hackney Church Brew, where another half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or a soft drink, is included. This is the third planned tasting, so you have now had a useful range of beers without needing to buy a separate drink at each venue.

This stop is also where the broader East London setting becomes part of the experience. The tour connects several breweries and taprooms rather than treating beer as an isolated product. You hear about the methods behind the drink, the changing beer scene, and the practical decisions that shape what comes out of the brewery.

Past tours led by Paul have included stops around railway arches and the London Fields and Hackney area. The current route is built around Mare Street, Hackney, and nearby brewery spaces. You should think of it as a guided evening through a cluster of local beer venues, not as a formal behind-the-scenes factory visit.

For a regular beer drinker, the useful part is the chance to expand beyond familiar pub options. For a beginner, the guide’s explanations make the drinks less intimidating. You can ask basic questions without needing to know the difference between a pale ale, lager, and sour before you arrive.

Deviant & Dandy finishes with fresh beer styles

The final stop is Deviant & Dandy Brewery at 185 Nursery Road. Its taproom sits in an old courtyard and offers fresh lagers, pales, and sours. The setting gives the evening a clear finish: after moving through three earlier taprooms, you end at a brewery with several very different beer styles on offer.

Unlike the first three stops, the supplied details do not promise a specific included drink here. Keep that in mind when judging the value and planning your spending. You may find that the final venue is where you want to buy another drink, but the tour does not state that one is included.

The range at Deviant & Dandy is helpful for comparison. A lager, pale ale, and sour can show three very different directions for a brewery. If you have always assumed craft beer means dark, heavy beer, this is a good chance to see how broad the category can be.

The tour ends at the brewery, and the group is guided to the nearest train station, Hackney Central. That removes some of the usual uncertainty at the end of a pub crawl. You are not simply left to work out your route home from an unfamiliar venue.

What Paul adds to the evening

The guide is a major part of this experience. Paul is presented as an expert beer guide and sommelier who explains both the pleasure and the mechanics of beer. His teaching covers the history of London brewing, brewing processes, beer styles, and tasting technique.

His strongest quality seems to be his ability to make the subject feel social rather than technical. He has been described as warm, easy to talk to, and willing to answer detailed questions. That matters because beer tours can go wrong when the guide talks at the group instead of with it.

Paul has also led tours with Noel, another guide who has been praised for being friendly and well informed about the venues. The current information names Paul as the guide associated with the experience, but you should not assume Noel will be present on every date.

The best approach is to arrive with questions. Ask why one beer tastes more bitter than another, how sour beers are made, or what creates a stable head of foam. You do not have to be a beer expert to get value from the explanations. The format is designed to give a newcomer a way into the subject while still offering useful detail to someone who already drinks craft beer.

How much beer is included, and what should you budget?

The first three stops include one serving each. At each of those venues, you receive either a half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or a soft drink. The exact beer choice may depend on what is available at the taproom, and the supplied information does not promise a fixed list of beers.

That gives you three included drinks across the evening. It is enough for a proper comparison, but not enough to treat the tour as an all-you-can-drink event. If you want additional beers, food, or a drink at Deviant & Dandy, plan to pay separately.

The experience price is not provided in the information available here, so I cannot give you a reliable cost comparison. To judge value, look at the total price alongside the three included servings, the four brewery visits, and the guide’s instruction. The tour is likely to make more sense for you if you value access, explanation, and a planned route, rather than simply buying the cheapest pints in East London.

Soft drinks are included as an alternative at the first three stops. That makes the tour more flexible for a mixed group, but the exact non-alcoholic options are not specified.

Timing, walking, and group size

Plan on three to four hours from the 6pm start. The four 45-minute stops account for most of that time, with the remaining period used to move between venues and get settled.

The start point is The Five Points Taproom and Courtyard on Mare Street. The finish is Deviant & Dandy Brewery on Nursery Road, with guidance to Hackney Central station afterward. Check your route before leaving, and allow extra time to reach the first venue. A late arrival can mean missing the opening explanation and first tasting.

The maximum group size is 20. That is not a private tour, but it is small enough for questions and conversation if the group is engaged. A smaller group can feel especially personal, as Paul has previously adapted the evening when only a few people attended.

Because the evening involves several venues, wear something comfortable and expect a social pace. The supplied information does not state the exact walking distance or step-free arrangements between every stop, so contact the provider if mobility details matter to you. Service animals are allowed, and the activity is near public transportation.

Who will enjoy this East End brewery tour?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• People who want a guided introduction to London craft beer
• Regular beer drinkers who want to try more styles and learn tasting basics
• Friends, couples, and family groups looking for a sociable evening
• Visitors who prefer local taprooms to standard pub stops
• Mixed groups where some people want soft drinks
• Anyone curious about how beer is made and why different styles taste so different

You do not need prior beer knowledge. The guide’s teaching gives beginners a clear starting point, while the range of venues and beer styles gives experienced drinkers something new to compare.

I would hesitate if you want a full meal, a long technical tour inside the brewing areas, or a relaxed afternoon with no fixed schedule. The start time is 6pm, the route has a set order, and each stop lasts about 45 minutes.

Booking and cancellation details

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. The experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancelling within 24 hours, or making changes during that period, does not qualify for a refund.

FAQ

Where does the East End Craft Brewery Tour start?

It starts at The Five Points Taproom and Courtyard, 61 Mare Street, London E8 4RG.

What time does the tour begin?

The tour begins at 6pm.

Where does the tour finish?

It finishes at Deviant & Dandy Brewery, 185 Nursery Road, London E9 6PB. The group is guided to the nearest train station, Hackney Central, afterward.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately three to four hours.

Which breweries are included?

The stops are The Five Points Taproom and Courtyard, Forest Road Brewing Co. Taproom and Bar, Hackney Church Brew, and Deviant & Dandy Brewery.

Are drinks included?

A half pint or two-thirds of a pint, or a soft drink, is included at The Five Points, Forest Road Brewing Co., and Hackney Church Brew. The supplied details do not specify an included drink at Deviant & Dandy.

How many people can join?

The maximum group size is 20 people.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want more than a list of pubs. The four-stop format, included tastings, and Paul’s practical beer lessons give the evening a clear purpose. You will leave with a better sense of how beer styles differ, how to taste more carefully, and where East London’s small breweries fit into the city’s modern beer scene.

Skip it if you want a quiet meal, unlimited drinking, or a detailed production-floor tour. For everyone else, this is a well-paced way to meet London beer through its taprooms, with enough guidance to make each pint more interesting.