Key Takeaways

• The Mission: How East London’s Signature Brew stepped up to save grassroots music venues from closure by bridging the gap between great beer and live music.

• The Ethos: A look at their music-inspired core range, including the famous “Roadie All-Night IPA” and “Studio Pilsner”.

• The Collaboration: Remembering “Nice Time”, the super-juicy tropical pale ale brewed with local reggae outfit The Skints.

• The Legacy: How offering independent venues better beer encouraged gig-goers to arrive earlier and support the artists.

It is February 2026, and the dust has just settled on another incredible Independent Venue Week. Seeing venues packed out across the country always gets me feeling nostalgic, and it got me thinking about one of the most important partnerships the UK beer and music scene has ever seen.

Let us rewind to 2017. Just as with independent pubs in the beer industry, many of the UK’s grassroots music venues were facing the very real threat of closure. This is when East London-based brewery Signature Brew announced their massive partnership with Independent Venue Week (IVW).

IVW was designed to support these live music destinations, which are an essential part of the UK’s historic music culture and the absolute lifeblood of the professional musicians who perform at them. Signature Brew stepping in to sponsor the event was a match made in heaven.

Live Music is in the DNA

Live music is the key part of the ethos that Signature Brew was founded upon. Operating out of their brewery in Leyton, East London, they have always created modern, flavour-forward beers tailored to gig-goers.

If you have ever listened to my October Playlist while enjoying a pint, you will know exactly how well music and beer go together. Signature Brew’s core range takes massive inspiration from the live music scene, featuring absolute staples like the Roadie All-Night IPA and the crisp Studio Pilsner.

Beyond just brewing great beer, Signature was totally committed to improving the notoriously poor quality of beer served at music venues all over the country. Before they came along, finding a decent craft beer at a gig was almost impossible!

The 2017 Campaign: Pints for Venues

Signature Brew supported the 148 venues taking part in Independent Venue Week by offering them a free 30-litre keg or a case of 24 cans.

By stocking independent music venues with proper craft beer, Signature Brew discovered a brilliant trend. Venues saw their customers arriving at gigs much earlier because they actually wanted to drink the beer on offer! This had the fantastic knock-on effect of both increasing revenue for the struggling venues and offering a greater level of crowd support to the opening bands.

At the time, Signature Brew founder Sam McGregor summed up the mood perfectly:

“Here at Signature Brew we have always had a grassroots independent spirit at our heart. This spirit is shared by our friends at IVW and epitomised by their week-long celebration. Now more than ever, gig-goers and drinkers alike are seeking out brands with a conscience, a soul, and a devotion to offering only the highest quality gig or beer.

The best independent venues recognise the importance of completing the experience for music fans, going above and beyond to ensure that a night’s enjoyment isn’t restricted to when the band is on stage. Every good evening starts and ends with a quality beer in hand.”

The Beer: “Nice Time” with The Skints

To mark the event, Signature Brew collaborated on a special beer with local reggae outfit The Skints.

The resulting beer was called Nice Time. It was a super-juicy, tropical pale ale featuring additions of pink guava, passion fruit, and blood orange alongside Citra and Mosaic hops. It had a similar aggressive hop profile to the legendary imports we saw from Pirate Life Brewing around the same era, but with a distinctly London edge.

Nice Time was poured at Signature Brew hosted events throughout that legendary week in 2017, soundtracking sold-out shows at iconic venues like The Hope & Ruin in Brighton and The Fighting Cocks in Kingston. Looking back from 2026, it stands out as a pioneering moment that proved independent beer and independent music will always belong together.

FAQ: Signature Brew & Independent Venue Week

What is Independent Venue Week? Independent Venue Week (IVW) is a seven-day celebration of small music venues around the UK and the people that own, run, and work in them. It is designed to spotlight grassroots venues that give emerging artists their first step on the ladder.

What is Signature Brew? Signature Brew is an award-winning craft brewery based in East London. They are famous for collaborating with musicians and bands to create unique beers, and for their mission to revolutionise the quality of beer served at live music events.

Can you still get the “Nice Time” beer? Nice Time was a limited-edition collaboration brew for the 2017 Independent Venue Week. However, Signature Brew continues to release incredible seasonal specials and band collaborations every single year.