Winter garden bar blows away the December blues

Situated in an unused factory building of the De Koninck brewery, the Little Brewers Winter Garden is open from Thursday to Sunday for drinks, snacks and meals in a very informal atmosphere. The large space makes maximum use of humble wooden pallets to create walls, chairs and even the ceiling.

As befits an eatery in a brewery, the drinks menu contains specially crafted beers from De Koninck including the mysteriously named TSTBRW (Test Brew) 2. Also available is Tank 7, a traditional farmhouse ale brewed in the US, and home-grown festive beers like Vedett IPA, Duvel’s Triple Hop and Liefmans Glühkriek. For those who prefer something other than beer, there’s homemade lemonade or the Little Brewer’s own winter cocktail.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, you can order from the bar’s simple but warming menu. Winter staples include karakollen (sea snails), pulled pork, pastrami with sauerkraut and homemade pickles, stoemp and a selection of barbecued aged meats. For the sweet tooth there is strudel and pancakes.

On Thursdays, the Little Brewers Winter Garden offers free finger food with your after-work drink while DJ Boat spins the tunes. Fridays in December are Gin Day with democratic prices on the popular favourite tipple.

Saturday sees the pop-up open for lunch, and on Sunday there’s a brewer’s brunch. There are also special events to keep the kids entertained. They can run off some steam in the garden or take part in cooking and craft workshops.

On Saturday evenings there’s live entertainment, including local bands such as The Girl Who Cried Wolf (12 December). On 19 December you can dance the night away with salsa.

Little Brewers Winter Garden will even be open from 12.00 on Christmas Day for its Happy Ho Ho brunch, followed by the Bad Christmas Party. Little Brewers Winter Garden will be open until the end of January.