Rich White has been involved with beer for a long while. Originally from the USA, where he worked in bars, he came to London and got a job as second brewer for the London Brewing Company when it was still brewing at the Bull in Highgate. Rich remained with London Brewing Co for a number of years, including overseeing the setting up of the brewery’s new kit at the Bohemia in North Finchley in 2016.
The dream of setting up his own brewery and brewing his own take on American style beer was however too strong and so, in 2019, Rich took the plunge and set up Werewolf. It’s a play on the film An American Werewolf in London, said Rich when asked where the name came from.
He brewed temporarily on a kit at the Rose & Crown in Kentish Town and spent time refining his recipes before finding his current premises in Camden. As always, things never go to plan (not aided by Covid) but he eventually opened the doors at Halloween in 2021. Even then, the tap room was eclectic, with the fairground cars and décor, inside and out, reflecting a ghoulish approach.
Over the years, the eight-hectolitre brewery has expanded, doubling the capacity and adding two more fermenters. There has also been investment in the outside seating area, which is now covered and has some new scary additions. These include a six foot tall grim reaper, a horned devil and two new tarantula ghost train side cars.
Werewolf run a number of events, from Pies & Pints to live music; they sponsor the Psycho Billy Music Festival and supply beer to a number of ‘metal’ music bars. However, the majority of the brewery’s sales are through their tap room, where their five core beers are on sale: Stray Cat, Moonstomp, Creepster, Psycho Billy and Horrorshow. These are complemented by seasonals, including, an autumn Pumpkin Ale.
Rich continues to plan for the future. He said, “We are looking to do a bit of a refresh in the New Year, inside and out, but still in keeping with what Werewolf is about. We are enhancing our website, including an online shop, plus we have been improving our social media. We are also looking to increase the amount of canning we do; we use the mobile canner, Bevcraft. We don’t have the space to have our own canning line.”
Once hidden away, this small brewery, close to Camden Road station, can’t be missed these days. The gate that leads into the yard sports a large eye-catching mural, the work of Joni Bellasruque. The message truly reflects Rich’s ethos: ‘Keeping Camden Creepy’.
The full address of the tap room is Arch 87, Randolph Street, Camden Town, NW1 0SR. For opening times, see www.werewolfbeer.com. Maybe take a silver bullet with you though!
Christine Cryne