There’s plenty of autumnal beery joy to be had in London this month, from Halloween-themed drinking to Bavarian-inspired festivals and (we hope) a smattering of pumpkin ales. We’ve selected the month’s best beer festivals below.
6-9 October: Craft 100 Beer Festival
The Clapham branch of Craft Beer Co love their semi-regular Craft 100 beer festivals. The premise is straightforward: the pub will be attempting to serve 100 beers at any one time from 12pm on Thursday until 11pm on Sunday. The beer list looks promising, with lots of beer from good independent UK brewers featuring alongside some decent US and European brews. Entry is free.
14-16 October: Wild Card Brewery OktoBeerFest
There is no shortage of London beer festivals that are (very) loosely inspired by Munich’s annual Oktoberfest. Most of these spurious ‘Mocktoberfests’ are, by most accounts, utter dross. However Wild Card Brewery’s groansomely-named OktoBeerFest looks like it might be worth a visit, with more than 30 beers (including ‘specials’ from Wild Card) being served from 5pm on Friday 14 October until 10pm on Sunday. Expect hipster fun and DJs on the Friday and Saturday nights; don’t expect an especially authentic reproduction of the festival’s Bavarian namesake.
20-22 October: Twickenham Beer & Cider Festival
The annual Twickenham Beer & Cider Festival, organised by the Richmond and Hounslow branch of CAMRA, returns to York House (a five minute walk from Twickenham station) to celebrate its 16th year. The festival follows a familiar CAMRA formula, with about 70 real ales (plus the obligatory ciders and perries) forming the main attraction. The festival runs from 12pm to 10.30pm from Thursday 20 until Saturday 22 October, and entry for each day will cost £3 (with discounts for CAMRA members or those turning up on the Thursday or Friday lunchtimes).
26-29 October: Wandsworth Common Which Craft Festival
October wouldn’t be the same without the annual Halloween-themed Wandsworth Common beer festival at the Grade II listed Le Gothique building — once again going by the peculiar name ‘Which Craft Festival’. The festival’s publicity promises 100 real ales, 25 craft beers (on the dubious assumption that real ales cannot be ‘craft’?), and 25 ciders, as well as food and live music. Entrance costs £4 (or £3 for CAMRA members) on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday, with online pre-registration recommended. Alternatively, you can pay £25 online (or £35 on the door) for the preview night from 6pm on the Wednesday, with all draught beer included in the ticket price.
27-29 October: South Norwood Beer Festival
Stanley Halls, a grand Edwardian venue a five minute walk from Norwood Junction station, plays host to this beer festival from CAMRA’s Croydon and Sutton branch. Details are still a bit sketchy at the time of writing, but it looks like 25-30 ales from south-east England will feature alongside a selection of ciders and perries. Five sessions are planned over the festival’s three days, each with different entry charges — check the festival’s website for more details.
If you’re a lover of beer or pubs, check out our ever-expanding database of the best pubs in London.
