Of course, as you might expect from people dedicated to bars, cocktails are our thing. Beer has been a bit of a mystery to us… especially those real ales beloved of your original beardy CAMRA types who proudly sported the hirsute look long before hipsters stole their whole vibe.

But when you’re taking out Uncle Rory – whose love of beards and chunky sweaters is only matched by his capacity for sinking ‘proper’ beer – you have to find a bar that gives you the best of all worlds. Which is why we found ourselves at the Draft House on Northcote Road in Clapham’s ‘Nappy Valley’.

The Draft House is one of a small chain of pubs dedicated to, as the name suggests, real beers. Some of these are so good they are more like “witchcraft” rather than craft. They certainly had the power to alter reality. The staff were helpful and knowledgeable about their wares which range from beers, stouts and lager on draught to a wide variety of bottled beers from Britain and around the world. I mean where else would you find a powerful bottle of beer that delights under the name of Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter?

I tried a delicious stout called Camden Ink which made a welcome change from the ubiquitous Guinness. Uncle Rory supped on local Wandle Ale. Also on offer was a very interesting little gin shot called an Up and Under – made by the Draft House Crew in honour of the 6 nations and infused with botanicals representing each of the competitor nations. It had the faint aroma of bubble bath – no doubt due to the herbal essences in it, but tasted delicious.

Beer is filling, but real food sometimes needs to be taken on board too. So it is fortunate that the Draft House has a fully functioning restaurant serving up a variety of hearty food. We dined on chilli hot dogs, ably accompanied with chips and delicious ‘foot-long pork scratchings’. All in all, a warmly welcoming and thoroughly enjoyable destination that even us fancy bar lovers love.

The Draft House, Clapham
94 Northcote Road,
London
SW11 6QW

www.drafthouse.co.uk

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