Hop aboard the Alfred Leroy on the canalside at Hackney Wick this spring for drinks with a difference. The Alfred Leroy is a classic British canal boat, renovated and converted into a floating bar by Hackney Wick’s CRATE Brewery. You can also go for a spin around the River Lea on a canal cruise…

With comfy booths, wooden tables, panoramic windows that wrap around the outside – plus a retractable roof for the summer, the Alfred Leroy will be the ideal spot for alfresco canal-side drinks when it launches on the weekend of 16-17 April 2016. Docked by CRATE Brewery every evening, the Alfred Leroy will also take guests on leisurely cruises along the River Lea at weekends, offering a unique view of east London from its historic waterways.

Co-founded by Ben Perkins with the CRATE team, Tom and Jess Seaton and Neil Hinchley, the Alfred Leroy had a previous life as a pleasure cruiser in Guildford where it was discovered by Ben in an unloved state. The CRATE craftsmen got to work restoring and renovating the boat, which is named for a famous 70s pub landlord and boat operator.

Hop aboard the Alfred Leroy this spring for drinks with ambience

‘With CRATE’s location next to the River Lea we would always watch canal boats passing by and imagine how fantastic it would be to have our own, but with a bar on board of course!’ says Neil Hinchley, Co-Founder of Alfred Leroy and CRATE Brewery. ‘The canals and rivers in east London are beautiful and offer an incredible way to experience this part of the city. With the Alfred Leroy we now have the perfect boat and we can’t wait to start him up.’

We would always watch canal boats passing by CRATE Brewery and imagine how fantastic it would be to have our own, but with a bar on board of course!

On board will be Jarr Kombucha, a fermented tea drink flavoured with ginger, fresh raspberry or passion fruit., served either straight or ‘spiked’ with booze. There will also be great wines, prosecco and classic cocktails, plus a selection of CRATE brews including Lager, Golden Pale, IPA, Best, Best Stout and Cider. Food is simple and focused on great produce – British cheeses from Neal’s Yard, charcuterie and artisan bread from E5 Bakehouse.

Enjoy a canalside cocktail aboard the Alfred Leroy

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A natural extension to CRATE’s riverside White Building when moored weekdays and in the evenings, the Alfred Leroy will come in to its own for weekend river cruises. Starting from The White Building, the cruises will last around two hours, travelling past the Olympic Village and up the River Lea to Tottenham Lock, passing Springfield Park and Warwick Reservoir before returning to CRATE for the evening.

Alfred Leroy is open Monday to Thursday from 3pm-11.30pm, Friday from 3pm-midnight, Saturday from 10am–midnight and Sunday from 10am–10.30pm.

Cruises take place weekends and Bank Holidays (throughout the summer). A two-hour cruises is £40pp, including a charcuterie and cheeseboard for two and two cocktails each. The boat is also available for private hire at £200 per hour from Friday to Sunday (four-hour minimum) and £150 per hour during the week.

Alfred Leroy, Canalside Mooring, Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick E9 5EN; alfredleroy.co.uk. Follow @alfred_le_roy on Twitter