Bohem Brewery adds second London site

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The Nicholas Nickleby pub has been refurbished by the Bohem Brewery team. Credit: Bohem Brewery

Bohem Brewery has opened its second bar in London after taking on the lease of the Nicholas Nickleby pub.

Based in Finsbury Park, the pub has reopened after being refurbished and will serve a range of beers manufactured at the Bohem Brewery in Tottenham. The brewer also owns and runs its own tap room in Bowes Park.

To enhance the beer dispense at the Nicholas Nickleby, Bohem has installed 10 Lukr side-pour taps, imported from a specialist Czech manufacturer, which pour beer directly from a cold storage room.

All Bohem beers are brewed using imported double decoction brewing kit and traditionally lagered at low temperature for a minimum of six weeks.

Bohem's certified pilsner tapster Marek Prusa has returned from Czechia to train the pub's staff as well as to oversee the installation of the dispense kit and water bath.

"The number one rule for serving lager is that the glasses must be clean, wet and cold,” said Prusa.

“The water-bath system ensures this, and by removing the temperature change between the cold room and the tap, the beer is treated gently and doesn't get a shock."

The beer range at the Nicholas Nickleby will include an exclusive new Bohem beer called Nikolas, a 4.2% Czech black lager. There will also be a rotating choice of guest beers from other craft brewers.

Bohem director and co-founder Petr Scokek added: "Our original Tap Room is a very popular local venue, but it's small. The plan was always to expand, but it's taken far longer than we hoped due to the impact of the lockdown and the ongoing challenges facing the hospitality sector.

"It was also important that we found the right venue, and we're delighted to be up and running at the Nicholas Nickleby. We haven't set out to recreate a Czech style beer hall. We're a London brewer and we're running a proper London pub, but with a Czech twist in terms of our Czech beer dispense system, which is unique to London.

"We think locals will welcome the reopening of the Nicholas Nickleby, while we're also giving the London craft beer community increased opportunity to enjoy our beers, authentically brewed, stored and served in the Czech style."

In other news, Carlsberg has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire soft drinks manufacturer Britvic.