Draught bill: Hackney ale makes guest appearance in Parliament

Pulling power: Meg Hillier joined Peter Hills (centre) at Strangers’ Bar. Photograph: Hackney Labour

Hackney Brewery’s Golden Ale took pride of place at Parliament’s famous Strangers’ Bar after it was chosen as last week’s guest beer.

The bar is a favourite among MPs as they can bring along visitors – known as ‘strangers’ in parliamentary lingo – to sip on some of the best ales in town.

Peter Hills, the brewery’s co-founder, said: “We’re very proud to represent the borough and get our beer out there, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve had from our local MPs.

“It’s quite a high-profile thing to do, so there’s always a worry that the beer might not come out right, but we were really pleased with it.”

Hackney MP Meg Hillier, who helped organise the guest appearance, said it was an “honour” to see the local ale being sold in Westminster: “Hackney’s craft beer industry has really taken off in recent years and we’ve seen a surge of enthusiasm and excitement about beer.”

The recognition has also given the brewery a boost ahead of its new charity enterprise – called the Artist Series.

Hills is inviting local artists to create labels for a range of limited-edition beers that will be sold to raise money for a charity of each artist’s choosing.

Arts and craft: the new charity beer launching on 1 December. Photograph: Hackney Brewery

The first beer – Hackney Red – launches on 1 December in partnership with renowned illustrator Sir Quentin Blake, best known for his iconic work on Roald Dahl’s books.

Hills, who plans to release a new charity brew every six months, added: “We thought we’d aim high for our first project and we’re honoured that Quentin said that he’d like to do it. Like a lot of people, we’ve grown up with his work and are massive fans.”

Hackney Red will be available to buy online from 1 December at HonestBrew.co.uk

For more information, please visit Hackney Brewery’s website here.