-Brew York Tap Room & Beer Hall-
Review:
Hidden away in a very unassuming pair of warehouses just off Walmgate is craft ale Brewery Brew York. Opened in 2016 with a generous Tap Room it now also features an extensive Beer Hall next door. The first door you come to is the Beer Hall entrance, but we’ll come to that shortly and start our journey through the original Tap Room which is just to the left.
It is a sight to behold within, what was once just an empty building has been lovingly turned into a very trendy and urban industrial space. With the long Tap Room stretching all the way down the right hand side of the building there is plenty of seating within and the high warehouse roof filters down warm light over the upcycled scaffolding tables and a low wall separating the bar area from the brewing equipment. Everything is on show here affording a truly unique view of the vessels that make the beer and their contents as it makes its extremely short journey to the 7 hand pull casks and 10 kegs behind the bar. There is also the usual selection of bottled and canned beers, cider and wine available too. Prices are average for craft, you really are paying for quality here; all of the beers are great with enough variety to keep every type of drinker happy.
The bar top is an impressive work of polished concrete and with fairy light twinkling here and there; it really ties the décor together making the Tap Room feel quite homely and peacefully relaxing considering it’s in a warehouse. There’s lots of bare red brick, stainless steel and colourful reclaimed wood cladding, to the back is a large mural displaying Brew York’s eye-catching branding designs. The toilets are especially of note as well with their cut open beer keg urinals. Access throughout is very good, just one step in and one out to the beer garden. Which with heating and partially covered is a wonderful yard space looking out onto the river Foss and the impressive Victorian architecture of Rowntree’s Wharf. It’s a secluded and peaceful space that gives the feeling more of central Leeds or Manchester, pretty unique to York and certainly worth checking out.
But this is not all Brew York has to offer, as in 2018 after a successful crowdfunding campaign they expanded into the building next door and opened up the Brew York Beer Hall. Accessed through a linking door from the Tap Room or by the main entrance outside, both entrances require you to climb stairs to the first floor, as of yet there’s no lift but they do plan to put one in at some point. If you peep at the top of the stairs that come up from the Tap Room then you should also be able to see something a little familiar to Within the Walls regulars, a special version of our Map which I created for Brew York to celebrate their expansion.
There’s more history to this side of Brew York with it being in an old Victorian Maltings building, the brick walls are painted white and all adorned with unique artwork, within the cavernous Hall you are greeted with rows of oak benches in the German style of which the Beer Hall was inspired by, set on an exposed wood floor and with large industrial lamp shades casting a warm glow over the space. Down the far end is entirely filled with the enormous burnt timber clad bar, with a wall of crisp white metro tiles behind fitted with a staggering 40 keg lines. All are numbered and two large screens display all the Brew York and guest beers that are on each line. Over to the left hand side is the shiny stainless steel of an open Kitchen serving artisan street food burgers by the Born to Loose Burger Kitchen. The toilets on this level are a bit more straightforward but perfectly serviceable.
Brew York is more than just a brewery it is an essential social hangout for all those that love proper craft beer, with the charismatic Lee, Wayne and their ever expanding team running the place you’ll never be short on someone enthusiastic to talk about beer with and with regular tours you can also learn while you drink. It’s very family and dog friendly too, truly a place where everyone is welcome not just the beer geek. With such expansive choice and two distinct spaces with totally different ambience Brew York certainly ticks all the right boxes with us. The Tap Room is more subdued and relaxing, the Beer Hall bustling and lively. Even having a regular homebrew club, live music, a quiz night and not to mention the massive events they put on a several times a year with guest breweries and more live entertainment. Brew York has quickly become an essential destination venue in York, you could easily stay all night and you probably should. Brew York Tap Room & Beer Hall was also awarded the Within the Walls Pub of the Year Award 2018 as voted for by the public, a worthy recipient indeed.
Hidden away in a very unassuming pair of warehouses just off Walmgate is craft ale Brewery Brew York. Opened in 2016 with a generous Tap Room it now also features an extensive Beer Hall next door. The first door you come to is the Beer Hall entrance, but we’ll come to that shortly and start our journey through the original Tap Room which is just to the left.
It is a sight to behold within, what was once just an empty building has been lovingly turned into a very trendy and urban industrial space. With the long Tap Room stretching all the way down the right hand side of the building there is plenty of seating within and the high warehouse roof filters down warm light over the upcycled scaffolding tables and a low wall separating the bar area from the brewing equipment. Everything is on show here affording a truly unique view of the vessels that make the beer and their contents as it makes its extremely short journey to the 7 hand pull casks and 10 kegs behind the bar. There is also the usual selection of bottled and canned beers, cider and wine available too. Prices are average for craft, you really are paying for quality here; all of the beers are great with enough variety to keep every type of drinker happy.
The bar top is an impressive work of polished concrete and with fairy light twinkling here and there; it really ties the décor together making the Tap Room feel quite homely and peacefully relaxing considering it’s in a warehouse. There’s lots of bare red brick, stainless steel and colourful reclaimed wood cladding, to the back is a large mural displaying Brew York’s eye-catching branding designs. The toilets are especially of note as well with their cut open beer keg urinals. Access throughout is very good, just one step in and one out to the beer garden. Which with heating and partially covered is a wonderful yard space looking out onto the river Foss and the impressive Victorian architecture of Rowntree’s Wharf. It’s a secluded and peaceful space that gives the feeling more of central Leeds or Manchester, pretty unique to York and certainly worth checking out.
But this is not all Brew York has to offer, as in 2018 after a successful crowdfunding campaign they expanded into the building next door and opened up the Brew York Beer Hall. Accessed through a linking door from the Tap Room or by the main entrance outside, both entrances require you to climb stairs to the first floor, as of yet there’s no lift but they do plan to put one in at some point. If you peep at the top of the stairs that come up from the Tap Room then you should also be able to see something a little familiar to Within the Walls regulars, a special version of our Map which I created for Brew York to celebrate their expansion.
There’s more history to this side of Brew York with it being in an old Victorian Maltings building, the brick walls are painted white and all adorned with unique artwork, within the cavernous Hall you are greeted with rows of oak benches in the German style of which the Beer Hall was inspired by, set on an exposed wood floor and with large industrial lamp shades casting a warm glow over the space. Down the far end is entirely filled with the enormous burnt timber clad bar, with a wall of crisp white metro tiles behind fitted with a staggering 40 keg lines. All are numbered and two large screens display all the Brew York and guest beers that are on each line. Over to the left hand side is the shiny stainless steel of an open Kitchen serving artisan street food burgers by the Born to Loose Burger Kitchen. The toilets on this level are a bit more straightforward but perfectly serviceable.
Brew York is more than just a brewery it is an essential social hangout for all those that love proper craft beer, with the charismatic Lee, Wayne and their ever expanding team running the place you’ll never be short on someone enthusiastic to talk about beer with and with regular tours you can also learn while you drink. It’s very family and dog friendly too, truly a place where everyone is welcome not just the beer geek. With such expansive choice and two distinct spaces with totally different ambience Brew York certainly ticks all the right boxes with us. The Tap Room is more subdued and relaxing, the Beer Hall bustling and lively. Even having a regular homebrew club, live music, a quiz night and not to mention the massive events they put on a several times a year with guest breweries and more live entertainment. Brew York has quickly become an essential destination venue in York, you could easily stay all night and you probably should. Brew York Tap Room & Beer Hall was also awarded the Within the Walls Pub of the Year Award 2018 as voted for by the public, a worthy recipient indeed.