Saint Monday, 4 Warburton Road, E8
Microbrewery and metal bar, hidden under East End railway arches. Go for thrashing guitars, beers brewed freshly on site, skull’s head taps and, frankly, too many piercings. Besides its own-brewed beers, there are guest pours from across the world, plenty of cocktails and a spirits selection up there with the best of them. Decent smoking area, too.
Renegade Urban Winery, Walthamstow and Bethnal Green
Renegade winery, right, bills itself as breaking the rules, one bottle at a time. Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s just making very decent wine with quirky labelling. Founders buy grapes from across the UK and Europe, and turn them into interesting wines without any added yeast, and without filtering. They try to never repeat a wine: go to either site’s bar to sit in and sip your way through whatever they’re working on. A bottle to takeaway? Rude not to.
The East London Liquor Lab, 382 Mentmore Terrace, E8
Big on spirits? Head to the East London Liquor Co’s white-walled lab, where for £75 drinkers can spend two hours playing about — and, crucially, tasting — the brand’s various whiskies, before blending a 300ml bottle of your own creation. Consider it a scientific way to get smashed.
The Tiroler Hut, 27 Westbourne Grove, W2
One for the schnapps fans (do they exist?) Since 1967, the Tiroler Hut has been serving schnitzel and strudel with a side of clarinet and triumphant cow bell performances. It has attracted the rich, famous and debauched — Kate Moss, ticking all three boxes, was once a regular. It is a London must.
Bimber distillery, 56 Sunbeam Road, NW10
Though its name means “moonshine” in Polish, Bimber is London through and through. Co-founder Ewelina Chruszczyk began the brand more than a decade ago, producing in North Acton extremely high-end single malt whisky with traditional techniques, in notably limited quantities. See how they do it yourself with a two-hour, £40 distillery tour, which includes a tasting.