Certain parts of London are now enjoying a number of new shops selling bottled beer with both off and on-licence, which means that customers can have a drink on the premises. South East London has a good number of what are called ‘bottle shops’ and the members of CAMRA’s South East London branch have been active in visiting such premises in recent years. Consequently, the branch decided to give an award to recognise them. The important criteria were they had to sell one or more beer that qualified as ‘real ale in a bottle’ and that customers could drink on the premise if they desired. The worthy winners of the inaugural (2019) award were Waterintobeer, who are based in Brockley. A certificate was presented to them on 10 June.
Waterintobeer have a wide range of beers, along with homebrew supplies, a homebrew club, plus acoustic music evenings, with vinyl records played to add to the ambience. It can be found in a small parade of shops close to Brockley Station (Overground or Southern services). The full address is Unit 2 Mantle Court, 209-211 Mantle Road, SE4 2EW and you can find more information here.
Ian White