Peckham Beer Rebellion - Four Quarters

Thursday 14th July - Those clever chaps at Late Knights Brewery have done it again.  Beer Rebellion Peckham is now their third pub / beer bar / brewery tap in South London after Beer Rebellion Gypsy Hill and London Beer Dispensary in Brockley - two of my favourites.  They've even got one in Brighton.

Each outpost has its own little quirks, and in Peckham you pick your own glassware off a shelf before you order.  You have 18 taps to choose from (10 keg, 4 cask, 4 cider), and all the beers are from London-based breweries.  Some of the prices seem a little steep compared to their other bars, but there are several pints around the 4% mark at £3.40.

There's no space for a kitchen, but their crafty burgers will be popping up outside from time to time.  It's lacking space in general, leading to bottlenecks at the bar and plenty of spilling out on to the street, but it's a good fit for Peckham.  The beer is great and there's not much else in the way of competition nearby (though Brick Brewery taproom is a 10 minute walk), so I expect it will be very busy for the foreseeable future.

Beer Rebellion, 129 Queen's Road, SE15 2ND

Fourpure IPA at Peckham Beer Rebellion

Whilst in town, we wandered over towards Peckham Rye to find Four Quarters, London's first arcade bar, much like Emporium and Beercade in Chicago, and Barcade in New York (guess where I've just been?). 

London is lacking in the fun department as far as bars go, as most leave the speakeasy quirks at the hidden door and take themselves very seriously, but hopefully, inspired by our friends across the pond, this is starting to change.  Bounce, Ping and Pop-Up Ping Pong have been leading the table-tennis charge, a game of cornhole was spotted outside Beavertown's new tap room, and Draughts board game bar is soon opening in Haggerston.  Now all we need are a few shuffleboard tables and some skeeball and I'll be happy.

Anyway, I digress.  As the name hints, you swap £1 for 4 American quarters (not a good exchange rate!) to use in a variety of lovingly restored classic arcade games and pinball machines.  Try your hand at Pacman, Tron, Point Blank, Star Wars Trilogy, Pong, Street Fighter II and more whilst consuming beer, wine and grilled cheese.  Games from your childhood and adult drinks - the perfect combo.

Since I visited, they have also opened an upstairs room to celebrate some old console classics such as Mario Kart, Micro Machines and Bomberman.  A perfect excuse for a return visit.

The draft beer options aren't terribly exciting but there's plenty of good stuff in the fridge including Odell 5 Barrel Pale Ale and the Fourpure range of cans.  If they upped their game on the taps too, I'd be there every week.  

With opening hours as late as 2am on weekends and a few night bus options nearby, it's the perfect relaxed place to end a Peckham bar crawl, and hopefully the first in a wave of similar fun-focused watering holes.

The Four Quarters, 187 Rye Lane, SE15