On Saturday 5 September, the Muswell Hillbilly Brewers celebrated their tenth anniversary with a day-long celebration under the guise of Mewsfest. Over a mammoth eleven-hour session, lasting from 1pm to midnight, the staff threw open the taproom and outdoor beer garden to throngs of customers. In addition to their regular beers, there were specials on tap. These included Cherry Bomb (5.5% ABV), a cherry sour produced through a collaboration between the brewery and Tart Beer Co. Only one batch was produced, specifically for the event, so servings were limited to half a pint per person. Also available was a rare cask version of Broader than Broadway (3.4% ABV) which is normally produced specifically for the Little Green Dragon micropub in Winchmore Hill. Moreover, to cater for visitors’ food needs, there was a selection of street food, including tacos and hot dogs.
The day started quietly with only a trickle of customers while a DJ was playing an eclectic range of classic hits. It seemed like an average quiet Saturday afternoon. Soon things livened up! The floodgates opened and by 4pm the beer garden was full to capacity, while dozens of people were lining Avenue Mews and a continual flow of customers was gushing into the taproom. It was all hands on deck for the brewery staff who worked tirelessly over the course of the long day. In order to release pressure on the taproom, the brewing facilities were opened up, acting as a second impromptu bar. This helped ease the queues somewhat. As day flowed into night, the upstairs area above the brewery’s neighbour’s, Cha Cha Cha Vintage, was transformed into a small stage and a number of live bands played to the assembled throng below, now in the hundreds. This culminated with a barnstorming set by headliners Jabo. By the end of the evening, the brewers had run out of beer.
It was an enjoyable day as both visitors and long-term regulars celebrated a decade of brewing. For ten years the brewery has been a communal hub for the locality and over time the taproom has established a reputation for its varied roster of Hillbilly Social events. As much as being a celebration, it was also a service of thanksgiving towards a brewery that has become a figurehead in the area, inspired by the words (almost) of famous local band the Kinks, ‘god save the Muswell Hillbilly Brewers’.
Check their website for details https://www.muswellhillbillybrewers.co.uk/.
Mike Goldwater