Howling Hops Tank Bar

Howling Hops Tank Bar sits in Unit 9A Queens Yard, off White Post Lane in Hackney Wick, three minutes from Hackney Wick Overground. The brewery opened the first dedicated tank bar in Britain here in June 2015, pouring ten beers straight from serving tanks above the bar.

Founder Pete Holt built the operation out of the Cock Tavern basement on Mare Street in 2011, with the Southampton Arms in Kentish Town part of the same family. Time Out's review put it plainly: the beer is the star here.

No kegs, no casks, no bottles on the main list. The beer never meets a package, which is the whole point.

Long tables, sharing benches, and a row of gleaming steel vats behind the ten meter bar. Time Out called the comforts minimal and meant it as praise; DesignMyNight files it as a huge beer hall with tables spilling into the yard.

The outdoor benches in Queens Yard carry the sunny weekends, with the canal towpath a minute away.

The ten taps rotate weekly across pales, lagers, and stouts, served in third, half, two thirds, and pint measures, plus four pint pitchers. Pints run near 5.90 pounds, with happy hour pours around 4.30 per DesignMyNight.

Start with Tropical Deluxe, the 3.8 percent Citra and Mosaic pale that anchors the list. A takeaway glass flagon holds about three and a half pints for five pounds.

Craft beer crowds and big groups fill the benches, busiest on sunny weekend afternoons. Live music lands Fridays from 8.30pm and vinyl DJs play Saturdays from 8pm, which carries the room toward the 1.30am close.

What regulars say:

• Time Out's Euan Ferguson: the beer is the star, with pedigree from the Cock Tavern and Southampton Arms family.
• DesignMyNight rates the huge airy taproom, the beer garden, and the weekly events program.
• Tripadvisor reviewers praise the relaxed group friendly room and flag loud acoustics on packed nights.

Who it is for:

• Beer drinkers who care about dispense and freshness
• Big groups that need benches and four pint pitchers
• Avoid if you want quiet conversation on a Saturday night

The freshest pint in east London, served the shortest possible distance from the tank. Go on a sunny Saturday and stay past the start of the vinyl set.

Getting there: Unit 9A Queens Yard, White Post Lane, E9 5EN, three minutes from Hackney Wick Overground.

Timing: Sunday to Thursday noon to 11.30pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 1.30am. Kitchen runs noon to 10pm.

Cost: Pints near 5.90 pounds, happy hour around 4.30. No bookings needed for the taproom.

Make a night of it: Walk the canal towpath into the yard, take the outdoor benches early, and let the Saturday vinyl set close it out.