A team of former brewers at a Tottenham nightclub are to found a new brewery, taproom and also fund an environmental approach by offering crowdfunders double their money in the form of a bar tab.

Exale Brewing has partnered with Victory London Distillery to found a brewery, taproom and distillery in the heart of Walthamstow—and is offering the public the chance to double their money.

Founders Mark Hislop and Daniel Vane were brewing in a shipping container outside a nightclub until recently, but have outgrown the space and want a permanent, more sustainable space to expand.

The duo have found a site and secured funding for the brewery itself. They are now raising money for the taproom with a non-equity campaign on Crowdfunder.

Everyone who donates will receive double their investment back in the form of a bar tab to spend at the brewery, and Exale hope to raise at least £40,000 before opening in December.

Hislop and Vane are putting a strong emphasis on sustainability with their new operation.

The taproom walls will “come alive” with plants grown on an aquaponics system, fed with waste water from brewing and growing produce for local food banks, brewery snacks and botanicals for brewing and distilling.

Spent grain will be tuned into biofuel, while waste beer will be made into soap and shampoo bars to help the business and locals cut down on plastic.

“There are so many great places to go out and drink amazing beer in Walthamstow now, so we want to make sure we add something new,” said Hislop. “As well as offering a really comfortable space, we wanted to make sure we were minimising our effect on the environment, and a sustainable taproom is a great way to do that.”

Head brewer Daniel Vane will continue in a similar style, brewing beers including their house pale, infamous Iron Brew Sour and a whole host of experimental but very approachable beers.

He hopes to start including more local and foraged ingredients in his recipes too, using the amazing green spaces around Walthamstow.

“We love to experiment with new styles, recipes and ingredients, added Vane. “But we want everything we make to be accessible to all kinds of drinkers. The new space doesn’t just offer us more volume, it gives us lots more flexibility and more control over our beers so we can dial them in.”

Spirits lovers will also be well catered for, as Exale have teamed up with the award-winning Victory distillery, who will be producing their gins, vodkas and bitters on site using botanicals grown in the taproom. There will, of course, be exciting collaborations between them and Exale too.

“We can’t wait to move into the Exale space,” said Max Chater, Victory cofounder. “The opportunity to use ingredients grown specially for us to work with another amazing local, sustainable business is really exciting.”

The brewery will start production in late October, with the taproom opening in November. The crowdfunding campaign is a non-equity raise, meaning no share of the company is being sold.