no. 042 | Drop Project

batch no. 042’s Drop Project was founded by a trio with a serious love of boardsports. Their appreciation for the outdoors informs their ongoing commitment to minimising their impact.

Head South from London’s Charing Cross, in roughly the same direction you’d move to get to Brighton, and you’ll pass through Mitcham. Once a village in the leafy county of Surrey, today it falls inside London and is home to batch no. 042’s Drop Project Brewing. 

Founded by John Taylor, Joe Simo and Will Slipsey, the trio started the brewery in 2019, initially handling all brewing, production and cellaring from friends at Missing Link, West Sussex. Setting out on their business journey just four months before the pandemic, the first couple of years were challenging. Coming out the other side in late 2020 they had managed to secure a new space but, with little money left, were left with little choice but to carry out an enormous part of the new brewery install themselves. Thankfully, John’s background in engineering and experience in taking both Four Pure and Gypsy Hill breweries from start-ups to facilities producing over 30,000 hectolitres of beer per year. 

Keen surfers and snowboarders, Drop Project’s 3 founders are outdoor enthusiasts and place an enormous importance on the natural world. “We love the outdoors and, since our formation, our green mandate has been central to everything we do”, says John. Indeed, from the moment they began brewing, Drop have planted a tree for every batch they’ve brewed, and this has since stretched to also include spent grain being recycled into local agriculture as animal feed, as well as continually reducing CO2 usage in the brewery and outside of it (as demonstrated by their fleet of electric delivery vans). Most recently, they’ve purchased a Nitrogen generator, which harvests the gas from the air to be used in the brewing process. “We’re by no means perfect”, says Joe, “but we’re trying”.

And they’re not just saying that. Last year they completed a £700,000 equity raise, which they plan on using to implement CO2 recapture and rainwater harvesting, as well to open their first pub. They're also making waves closer to home, if you'll excuse the board-based pun, striking up meaningful and exciting projects and partnerships. "We work closely with Tate Modern to produce their house pale, Tate Haze. Being a brand partner with one of the most iconic venues in the UK is definitely one of our proudest achievements". 

There are no doubt more to come, and Drop Project are worth watching in the next few years. In the meantime I hope you enjoy our selections for February.