Brewers Journal Podcast

Across a 12 month period, Laura Rangeley has celebrated 10 years working at Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield. And in October last year, alongside the rest of the team, Laura and her colleagues became part of an Employee Ownership Trust, taking ownership of the business from founders Patrick and Sue. Not only that her colleague and husband Jim was recognised as the Brewer of the Year at our very own...

In the brewing and distilling industries there is a mutual appreciation of the craftsmanship, skill and process involved in creating these fantastic liquids. And today’s guest, having worked and studied in both fields, is well placed to do just that. Earlier this month Glen Scotia, part of Loch Lomond Distillery, unveiled Glen Scotia 50 Year Old. Glen Scotia Elements of Campbeltown Release Number...

This year RedWillow Brewery is raising a glass to 15 years of brewing bold, balanced beers. They’re marking the milestone with a packed calendar of collaborations, reimagined classics, and monthly giveaways — as well as a recent haul of prestigious awards. Starting out in 2010, RedWillow Brewery has long since established itself as a leading light in UK brewing. Founded by Toby and Caroline McKenz...

Securing important early listings is a milestone of any new business. And earlier this spring, Red Fin Cider did just that by sealing a listing for both its Fresh Apple and their Meloncherry styles at Waitrose. 44 Waitrose stores now stock Red Fin Cider, a product launched by three industry veterans and friends, Freddie Rouse, Dave Tugwell and Graeme Baldwin, who saw a need for a new and vibrant b...

Changes to off-sales, Martyn’s Law, amendments to smoking rules and introduction of Digital IDs are all key developments that those owning and running taprooms need to be aware of. So with that in mind, we welcomed Piers Warne of TLT to our Brewers Lectures in Bristol last month. Piers has 20- plus years’ experience licensing premises for the sale of alcohol and other licensable activities....

Earlier this month Lost Cause Brewing, the independent brewery, founded in 2024 by Vik and Colin Stronge, completed a crowdfunding campaign help to bring beer production home to Castleford. So what better time to hear from one of the excellent brewery’s founders. Whie Lost Cause Brewing might be new, its founders are no strangers to making great beer. Head brewer Colin Stronge has spent over...

Opening your own brewery, at any point is time, comes with its own challenges and hurdles to overcome. Just ask the team at Great Beyond Brewing Company, and many of their peers. But John Driebergen, Ollie Parker and Nick Walsh have shown that with hard work, determination and a wealth of brewing skill you can succeed. Their ever-popular taproom in Hoxton, London, is testament to just that. A...

How can you help keep your brewery relevant for the next generation? Tim Weaver, founder of The Brand Weaver, is on hand to tell you how. The Brand Weaver is an agency on a mission to even the playing field in brewery branding and marketing. Right now, he explains, a handful of breweries dominate with slick branding and sharp messaging—while the rest are left behind. Tim is here to change that. Hi...

Next month the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America takes place in Indianapolis. From April 28th to 1st May, America’s largest gathering for the beverage alcohol industry will bring together countless figures from across the drinks sectors. And for Ann Obenchain, she lovingly likens it to a ‘taproom on steroids’. Because as we all know, such events are the perfect opport...

“ What Did You Post That For? “ That’s the question asked by Charlie Harding, founder of Bonne Vivante Marketing. And in Bristol recently she shared her top tips and insights designed to help improve your social media presence. At Bonne Vivante, Charlie works with hospitality venues and businesses in a freelance capacity. She does marketing, PR, copywriting and currently works wi...

Every so often a beer comes along and things just click. A combination of brilliant branding, a brilliant brewery and, of course, a brilliant beverage are essential ingredients for a beer that resonates with the consumer. And with London Black, the 4.4% Nitro Porter from Anspach & Hobday, you’ve got just that. The brewery, founded by Paul Anspach & Jack Hobday back in 2013, has gone from s...

Off the back of his most recent address at this week’s Brewers Lectures in Bristol, we revisit Piers Warne’s talk from February 2024 where we asked him to share his experiences and expertise from the licensing world, the opportunities that can arise and the potential pitfalls to avoid. Piers is a licensing lawyer at TLT and has 20- plus years’ experience licensing premises for the sale...

Meet Bec Blake. In the last 13 years she has worked in almost every corner of the craft beer industry. From working in her local beer bar, she moved her expertise and passion for the industry over to the US where she became the Head Beer Buyer at Whole Foods Market. From there she ventured into B2B sales as the Southern California off-trade representative for Stone Distribution, navigating a fierc...

What beers have you enjoyed brewing lately? For today’s guest it would probably be an alcohol-free Negroni sour, or perhaps an alcohol-free Margarita Gose. Quite the shift from Delirium Nocturnum, the Belgian Strong Dark Ale that helped open her eyes to the wonderful world of beer. But for Caitlín McErlean, part of the team at Manchester-based Cloudwater, her journey in brewing has been anything b...

“ It takes two flints to make a fire ” Where did the inspiration for your brewery name come from? For Alex Kerr, founder of Windsor, Berkshire-based Two Flints, he has his own story to tell. And drawing influence from the famous quote from Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age novel Little Women was just the place to start. Opening at the end of 2022, Two Flints recently has marked its second annivers...

Which brewery, which style, or which beer, got you into the wonderful world of brewing? We will all have our own response and that’s what makes this liquid so great. And for today’s guest, it was a Bitter that lit that fire. But instead of a beer from a classic British brewery, it was one being produced, and enjoyed, by locals and tourists alike, in the heart of Paris. Because in the brewing indus...

In starting Amity Brew Co back in 2020, the team wanted a business that stood for community, friendship and good beer. And more than four years on, they can proudly say they’ve achieved just that. But that doesn’t mean they’re planning on slowing down, though. Far from it. Because in 2025, the West Yorkshire business is set to take its next exciting step. Amity Brew Co is the brainchild of Russ Cl...

There are certain joys, certain constants when it comes to the world of beer. And one of those has to be the pleasure when scanning the bar for a pint and you happen across the pump clip for Jaipur on cask. It’s a seminal beer that has stood the test of time and this year the brewery responsible, Thornbridge, based in the Derbyshire Dales, celebrates the 20th anniversary of both that beer and the...

The London brewing scene has changed a great deal in the last decade. Styles have come into, then gone out of, fashion. People have learnt their trade across it and, in many cases, moved on to different companies, different counties, different countries. We’ve also seen breweries open, breweries consolidate, breweries close. But thankfully, one mainstay in England’s capital since 2009 has been The...

In the world of beer, there are a number of real positives when it comes to working for, or running, a brewery. Creating something that people enjoy, savour and value is a goal in any artistic venture. And in ownership, so is the ability to provide employment, development and satisfaction to your team. Another purpose for many businesses is the ability to affect a change. Breweries are often the b...

When you’ve worked with award-winning brands in the world of beer and whisky delivering digital communication and paid media strategies, you’re likely to know a thing or two about the world of marketing. And today’s guest, has done just that. Looking back at the last 12 months, Scottish brewery Vault City can toast another incredible year. They released 90 beers in total—up from 84 in 2023. This i...

Some things are just meant to be. And today’s guests are an example of just that. When Young’s ceased its London brewing operations in 2006, it looked to signal the end of a historic site where beer has been brewed since at least 1533. The brewery would officially close on 25th September 2006 but, thanks to John Hatch , a nano-brewery was kept on-site throughout construction and develo...

Did you know that in addition to our Brewers Journal Podcast, we also run The Distillers Journal Podcast, too? And there’s where today’s guest episode comes from. If we’re lucky our careers, coupled with an appetite for new experiences, can allow us to visit, work and live in different countries around the world. And in the case of today’s guest, she’s done just that. And as a result the Scottish...

Reaching an important milestone in any business is a real achievement. It’s the culmination of hard work, commitment and the result of providing a quality product or service. Probably both…. And in 2025, today’s guests will toast their 40th year in the world of beer. And as we all know, that simply doesn’t happen by accident. Since starting out in 1985, Herefordshire-based Wye Valley Brewery...

When it comes to the world of beer, Lager is big business. Recent research from Heineken in its 2024 Beer Report shows that Lager’s share of the on-trade market by value stands at 70%. In short, two out of every three pints poured in the UK is a Lager. And when we talk about Lager, there is really something for everyone. In the UK we’ve had a wealth of fantastic lager-focused breweries open in the...