Czech style brought to London pub

The company has reopened the Nicholas Nickleby pub following an extensive refurbishment and will run it as a sister venue to the original Bohem Brewery Tap Room in Bowes Park.

The new pub will be serving a range of beers from the Tottenham-based brewery, all brewed in an authentic Czech style, and served from 10 Lukr side-pour taps imported from a Czech manufacturer.

The pub also now has London’s first “chladici vana”, or cooler bath, for glassware. Bohem’s original tapster, certified Pilsner Tapster Marek Prusa, has returned from the Czech Republic to train the pub’s staff, led by general manager Jakub Mikusinec, as well as oversee the installation of the Czech dispense kit and water bath.

Prusa said: “The number one rule for serving lager is that the glasses must be clean, wet and cold. 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 includes an exclusive new Bohem beer. Nikolas, named after the Czech variant of Nicholas, is a 4.2% Czech black lager. Also on the bar alongside the Bohem range is a tap spotlighting beers from its microbrewery neighbour Gravity Well. There will also be a rotating choice of guest beers from other craft brewers.

The drinks range also includes imported Czech wine and spirits, including a rum from the Two Drifters distillery and there will be a range of bar food on offer.

Bohem director and co-founder Petr Scokek said: “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.”