“It was a big challenge, very stressful and took a whole month to get everything in, with multiple deliveries in that time,” explains O’Rourke, pointing to a tear-inducing dent on one of the tanks caused by a wayward fork. Though the task could have been even more challenging, if it weren’t for the installation team.   

“We had two Polish guys, and I tell you, the sheer amount of stuff they were able to move with a 2×4 was insane, nothing was a problem. One bit of 2×4, I still can’t believe it. Incredible.”

O’Rourke exudes a clear sense of pride at the enviable setup at Howling Hops HQ.

“We have good equipment here and that’s obviously a massive help as a brewer. One part of this equation is how dry hopping is often carried out using its hop gun, which will pass the beer through the hops, infuse it, then a filtration element in the middle with the now infused beer runs back into the FV,” he says. “Sometimes it works amazingly, and sometimes not a all, however.”

Innovative Concept

Everything Howling Hops produce takes place at its Queens Yard, E8, facility. Its bottle range has, to date, been handled on an ad hoc basis and is proving popular in the wild. Though with around 10,000 litres sent out in bottle form, it’s clear where the brewery’s priorities lie, for now at least.

And the spotlight bestowed on Howling Hops since the opening of its brewery and tank bar earlier in the summer has come from all corners. So it remains a surprise that the concept hadn’t been rolled out by more companies until now.

“I’m not sure why it hasn’t be done before, I’ll be honest,” says O’Rourke. “I think up until now, people haven’t had to worry, from the brewery side of the things, about the public. The focus has been more on the commercial front, bringing in raw ingredients, spitting out a product and you get feedback from the punters.

“But now, there is a big focus on brewpubs, open days, and an increased interaction with the public. For me, I think that this scenario we have here is perfect for that.”