Fullers Launch American Bar On Putney High Street

A new stylish Craft Beer Bar called The Swift

Local brewer Fuller’s have dramatically refurbished their High Street outlet, formerly The Whistle & Flute and renamed it The Swift, a new stylish Craft Beer Bar described as responding to consumer trends and clearly influenced by the outstanding Draft House mini chain of beer bar innovation fame. See also the Dean Swift and the Rake in Southwark.

The Swift feels authentically American and revels in its upcycled vibe: old wood, old tiles, old tin, vintage lighting with a shippy feel. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they had raided my shed. The Swift even boasts a cellar bar and loft area for more intimate eating (focused on burgers, hot dogs and pizzas) and drinking.

Cocktails are a major feature of the offer, including the novel (at least to me) Breakfast Martini, which disappointingly does not contain bacon, eggs and tomato, but instead comprises Patron tequila, lemon curd, fresh lime, triple sec and salt. The Swift Mojito was fab.

As the Whistle the site never really felt as if it knew what it was: a pub, a bar, a style bar or a modern version of a boozer. Now that’s more or less gone and been replaced with 12 keg beer taps and no cask beer. The 12 taps mimic the wall mounted style of another classic modern bar, the Euston Tap, leaving the bar free for elbow room. The beer range includes London Pride, London Porter and other less well known Fuller’s beers such as their hoppy Frontier lager, two Meantime beers including Yakima Red, and US gems such as Sierra Nevada, Anchor and the malty Brooklyn beer I tried, packing a bit of punch at 5.2%

Given the paucity of pub and bar choice in the High Street, the appearance of the new Swift bar is more than welcome.



Peter Jackson

December 12, 2013