London's hottest new micro-breweries

In the 19th century London was the brewing capital of the world. But from the Sixties until the turn of the ­millennium, the capital's breweries went into a near terminal decline as foreign lagers became fashionable.

However, the gap left by the exit of major breweries has recently inspired smaller brewers to set up across the capital — from miniature brew-pubs to medium-sized breweries producing 10,000 pints a week. And this week ale-loving Londoners are in for a treat at the Great British Beer Festival (until Saturday, gbbf.camra.org.uk/home) at Earls Court.

Real ale was once associated with bearded types in musty pubs, but new research shows a third of 18- to 24-year-olds are partial to a pint of bitter, while the number of women ale-drinkers has doubled in the past year.

One major factor in this resurgence is the sheer number of bespoke ales brewed in the UK — over 2,500 — as younger drinkers come to appreciate the array of tastes available. Here we've rounded up the best of London's local brews...

SAMBROOK'S BREWERY
accountanT Duncan Sambrook thought up his brewery while at the Great British Beer Festival in 2007. Frustrated by the lack of London beers, he booked himself on brewing courses, did work placements and recruited retired brewer David Welsh to help fulfil his plans. His initial five-barrel brewery is now a 20-barrel operation, and last year he set up Sambrook's in Battersea ­(sambrooksbrewery.co.uk). The result is Wandle beer, a refreshing ale launched in April, and now a fixture at 30 London pubs, with 40 more hosting it as a guest ale.
Signature beer: Wandle, 3.8% ABV (£3.20 per pint). Available at: Havelock Tavern, Hammersmith, W14; Bricklayer's Arms, Putney, SW15; The Lighthouse, Battersea, SW11

MEANTIME
Founded in 2000 by master brewer Alistair Hook, the Meantime Brewing Company is now London's second largest brewer. The Greenwich brewery has dozens of bespoke beers, from London Porter (winner at last week's World Beer Awards) to a chocolate beer, a silky-smooth beer with just a hint of dark chocolate (£2.50 for a 330ml bottle).
Signature beers: London Pale Ale, 4.3% ABV (£3.20 per pint); Indian Pale Ale, 7.5% (£4.39 a 750ml bottle, Sainsbury's); London Porter, 6.5%. The Greenwich Brewery, 2 Penhall Road, SE7 (020 8293 1111, meantimebrewing.com). Available at: The Narrow, Wapping, E14; The White Horse, Fulham, SW6; Nellie Dean, Soho, W1

ZERODEGREES
Named for the temperature at which beer ferments, at Zerodegrees you can drink in a genuine brewery. Set between chrome pipes, shuddering gauges and beer-making apparatus, the bar here is the place to get really connected to a beer's provenance. Serving four regular homemade ales and lagers, and a range of speciality beers — from apple wheat through to a stout (all £2.90) — the venue has a wood-fired oven serving great pizzas like Peking duck (£9.25) and peri peri chicken (£8) to a young crowd. With a good wine list too, it's not just for beer drinkers.
Signature beers (all £2.80): Zerodegrees Pilsner, 4.8% ABV; Zerodegrees Pale Ale 4.6%. 29/31 Montpelier Vale, Blackheath, SE3 (020 8852 5619, zerodegrees.co.uk)

BREW WHARF
Brainchild of restaurateurs Trevor Gulliver and Claudio Pulze (of St John and Osteria Dell'Angolo fame respectively), Brew Wharf opened within London Bridge's Vinopolis complex in 2004. The restaurant and brewery's vast array of beers includes two brewed on-site. Mainstay Brew Wharf Best is joined by a seasonal guest beer changed weekly. The buzzy crowd enjoy a beer-
influenced menu, utilising home-brew in dishes like battered haddock (£13.50). Book to meet the brewer and learn about beer-making, an event that occurs fortnightly.
Signature beer: Brew Wharf Best, 3.6% ABV (£3.40 per pint). Brew Wharf Yard, Stoney Street, SE1 (020 7378 6601, brewwharf.com)

TWICKENHAM FINE ALES
Twickenham Fine Ales makes 7,000 pints a week. Since launching in 2004 the repertoire of ales has risen from two to 16, with 25 pubs around London taking beers regularly and 40 more on a guest basis. Such is the demand the company is still looking to expand.
Signature beers (about £3): Sundancer, 3.7% ABV; Twickenham Original, 4.2% ABV; Naked Ladies, 4.4% ABV. Available at: Anglesea Arms, SW7 (above); The Speaker, SW1; The Charles Dickens, SE1;
twickenham-fine-ales.co.uk