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History: Home > Spark House (formerly The Drum)

Spark House (formerly The Drum) (Laine Pub Company (now part of Patron Capital))

We believe this pub is CLOSED

[More Visits]

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Rooster's - ElderflowerExcellent1
Wickwar - Sunny DazeExcellent1
Cronx - Entire PorterExcellent1
Sadler's (see also Windsor Castle entry) - Red HouseExcellent1
Exmoor - GoldExcellent1
Reunion - Incredible Pale AleGood1
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Knees UpGood1
Greene King - New Horizons IPAGood1
Cottage - Christmas CrackerAcceptable1
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Suffolk County Best BitterAcceptable1
Shepherd Neame - Bishops FingerPoor1
Redemption - Fellowship PorterNot Tried0
Caledonian - Rare Red RyeNot Tried0
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Not Tried0
Hook Norton - Fat Head's Yakima SunNot Tried0
Brentwood - Pacific Pale AleNot Tried0
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Winning TryNot Tried0
Weltons - Marathon StoutNot Tried0
Brentwood - LumberjackNot Tried0
Cottage - DB5Not Tried0
Wimbledon - PhoenixNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers AleNot Tried0
By The Horns - One Arm BanditNot Tried0
By The Horns - Diamond GeezerNot Tried0
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain LockwoodNot Tried0
London Fields - Hackney HopsterNot Tried0
Portobello - Stiff LipNot Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)Not Tried0
Clarence & Fredericks - Best BitterNot Tried0
Oakham - JHBNot Tried0
Greene King - AbbotNot Tried0
Sharp's - Doom BarNot Tried0
Banks's - Ringwood FortyninerNot Tried0
Adnams - GunhillNot Tried0
Rudgate - Rudolph's RuinNot Tried0
Flack Manor - Flack CatcherNot Tried0
Weltons - Red Cross MildNot Tried0
Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Bah Humbug!Not Tried0
Adnams - Mosaic Pale AleNot Tried0
Adnams - LighthouseNot Tried0
Adnams - Shingle ShellsNot Tried0
Wimbledon - XXKNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London PrideNot Tried0
Thwaites - Yule Love It!Not Tried0
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - AugustinianNot Tried0
Adnams - Old AleNot Tried0
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)Not Tried0
Yeovil - GloryNot Tried0
Picture 1. Spark House (formerly The Drum), Leyton, Greater London

Visits Details

15 Mar 2019 (ChrisE)
Mid afternoon and fairly busy. There was a lot of interest in the horse racing being shown on the television.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Knees Up4.20Good
Oakham - JHB3.80Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger5.00Not Tried
Banks's - Ringwood Fortyniner4.90Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Flack Manor - Flack Catcher4.40Not Tried
Adnams - Mosaic Pale Ale4.10Not Tried
Wimbledon - XXK4.80Not Tried
05 Feb 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Early evening and plenty of custom. A good line-up of London-brewed beers. I’d have stayed longer were I not meeting somebody at another pub around the corner.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Reunion - Incredible Pale Ale5.00GoodAt the golden end of copper in colour. Nice fruity hops and a dry finish.
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Brentwood - Lumberjack5.20Not Tried
Wimbledon - Phoenix4.80Not Tried
By The Horns - One Arm Bandit4.70Not Tried
Big Penny (formerly Truman's) as of late 2022 contract brewed - Captain Lockwood5.00Not Tried
Portobello - Stiff Lip5.50Not Tried
23 Oct 2015 (Stephen Harris)
Just a brief visit in the early evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Greene King - New Horizons IPA6.00GoodGolden. Has familiar GK taste, but more generously-hopped than most of their beers. Enjoyable.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Adnams - Old Ale4.10Not Tried
Yeovil - Glory3.80Not Tried
Caledonian - Rare Red Rye3.90Not Tried
Hook Norton - Fat Head's Yakima Sun5.00Not Tried
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Winning Try3.80Not Tried
26 Dec 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Late afternoon. All the usual Wetherspoon style.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Suffolk County Best Bitter4.00AcceptableNethergate seems to have lost all of its USP - its historic hoppiness
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Sharp's - Doom Bar4.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Rudgate - Rudolph's Ruin4.60Not Tried
Wychwood (now brewed at Banks's) - Bah Humbug!4.30Not Tried
Adnams - Shingle Shells3.90Not Tried
Thwaites - Yule Love It!4.00Not Tried
13 Feb 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Just a rapid visit for a quick half as I was passing. I only seem to come in here about once every six months these days – but I’m still greeted as a regular; a very un-Wetherspoon-like situation. Good beer line-up tonight and quite busy.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Cronx - Entire Porter5.20ExcellentExcellent black porter.
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's Seafarers Ale3.60Not Tried
By The Horns - Diamond Geezer4.90Not Tried
London Fields - Hackney Hopster4.20Not Tried
Clarence & Fredericks - Best Bitter4.10Not Tried
05 Sep 2012 (Philip Pirrip)
1955 hours visit. Always meant to visit here on the 100s of times I have passed by on a bus. One of the smallest 'Spoon's. A mature crowd in made atmosphere very relaxed.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Wickwar - Sunny Daze4.20ExcellentNowt wrong with this one
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)4.80Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried£1.79 pp
Brentwood - Pacific Pale Ale4.70Not Tried
Weltons - Marathon Stout5.00Not Tried
Cottage - DB55.00Not Tried
30 Dec 2011 (Stephen Harris)
All of Leyton life is present here. Whispered Slavic conspiracy in one corner, shouted Jamaican patois at the bar and pensioners taking an early dinner. Nods of respect from all when local hero Terry Macdonald walks in (Terry scored the winner for Leyton Orient against Manchester United in 1962).
BeerABVScoreNotes
Exmoor - Gold4.50ExcellentThe original golden bitter? Still excellent, although not as hoppy as is today typical of the style.
Cottage - Christmas Cracker4.50AcceptableI usually know better than to chose a Cottage Brewery beer. This was in good condition, but had a musty, sweetish taste.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)4.80Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride4.10Not Tried
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Augustinian4.50Not Tried
Greene King - Ruddles Best (was 3.7%)3.40Not Tried
Adnams - Gunhill4.00Not Tried
Redemption - Fellowship Porter5.10Not Tried
27 May 2011 (Magnus Greel)
Mid evening busy locals pub. More traditional pub atmosphere compared to the usual JDW clones.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Rooster's - Elderflower3.70ExcellentDoes what it says on the clip. Superb.
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)4.80Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Adnams - Gunhill4.00Not Tried
Weltons - Red Cross Mild5.10Not Tried
Adnams - Lighthouse3.40Not Tried
Sadler's (see also Windsor Castle entry) - Red House4.00Not Tried
27 May 2011 (ChrisE)
One of my favourite Wetherspoons, I could have stayed here for longer were it not for the fact that we had a train to catch.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Sadler's (see also Windsor Castle entry) - Red House4.00ExcellentTawny coloured nutty and bitter ale
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Courage Directors (use Banks's entry now please)4.80Not Tried
Greene King - Abbot5.00Not Tried
Adnams - Gunhill4.00Not Tried
Weltons - Red Cross Mild5.10Not Tried
Rooster's - Elderflower3.70Not Tried
Adnams - Lighthouse3.40Not Tried
03 Aug 2010 (Magnus Greel)
Untypical and busy JDW pub with the expected range of ales to choose from.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Shepherd Neame - Bishops Finger5.00PoorIts not often you get perfection with this under rated superb beer and I didn't get it this time. Disappointed.

[More Visits]

About the Spark House (formerly The Drum)

The pub sign. Spark House (formerly The Drum), Leyton, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent7
Good3
Acceptable2
Poor1

The pub is found in Leyton, Greater London, E10 7EQ.

One of the very first Wetherspoon pubs and quite small by their later standards, it retains a pubby atmosphere, and has a display of pump clips around the walls. Located in Lea Bridge Rpad in the Bakers Arms district on Lea Bridge Road. 10 handpumps. Sold by Wetherspoon and closed 3rd January 2022. Expected to reopen under new ownership in spring 2022 and did under Laines's operations. Now modern style pub with bare walls and wooden floorboards. Rooftop terrace. The premises aims to have digital art projections both inside and outside from local artists. Closed October 2023.

We have visited this pub 12 times, seen 53 different beers and tried 13 of them.

Map location

Postcode: E10 7EQ