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What do North Wales' breweries have to offer?
Video - the workings of the Purple Moose microbrewery
Breweries in North Wales
North Wales, once regarded as the backwater of beer brewing, has been making something of a name for itself in recent years.
When the Purple Moose Brewery (see below) set up in 2005 there were only two other breweries in North Wales.
Since then there has been a whole bevy of talented beer makers who have endeavoured to put North Wales on the beer map.
And despite overall sales of beer in the UK going down, these microbreweries have been bucking the trend with success stories on the Lleyn Peninsula, in Conwy, Denbigh and Flint.
These microbreweries typically employ a handful of people and supply very distinctive tasting beers to pubs and shops in their locality.
Many of them are willing to give guided tours of their breweries and are keen to share their enthusiasm for brewing - just give them a call if you are interested.
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01766 515571
Purple Moose Brewery, Madoc Street, Porthmadog, LL49 9DB
The Purple Moose brewery is termed a microbrewery because it operates on a much smaller scale to the big beer companies.
It employs five people full-time. Laurence Washington, the owner, was given a grant from the Welsh Assembly to help set up the company.
Laurence, 36, said: "Brewing beer was a hobby of mine and I started to do it on quite a large scale.
"I even made up all my own recipes.
"Everybody I got to try the beer said they really liked it and I realised I could turn my hobby into a business."
Laurence says that Porthmadog seemed an ideal location to set up shop back in June 2005 because at the time there were only two other breweries in North Wales.
"I'd also worked as a volunteer on the Ffestiniog Railway for 20 years and gotten to really like the area," he added.
There is now an impressive range of Purple Moose beers, with some getting widespread recognition for their quality.
For example, the Snowdonia Ale, 3.6%, won the coveted Overall Champion award at the SIBA West Beer Competition in 2006.
Laurence describes it as "a delightfully refreshing pale ale brewed with Pale and Crystal malts combined with a delicate combination of Pioneer, Styrian Goldings and Lubelski hops."
In addition to making great tasting beer, Laurence says that he is quite happy to give guided tours of his brewery on request. He gave the following overview on how the whole process works:
How to make beer
1. Mashing in - Grain is weighed out and added to water in a great big vat.
2. Run off is piped to the "copper", another big vat, where it is boiled for a few hours.
3. Hops are added. Timing is critical to get the correct bitterness and flavour of the beer.
4. Mixture is piped to fermenting vessels, which have been meticulously cleaned. The specific gravity (the sugar content) is checked and yeast is added. The beer is then left for four days.
5. The Purple Moose beer is transported down to a bottling factory in South Wales, before being distributed to pubs and shops across North Wales.
Check out the video on our video pages to see how it is done!
Other breweries
Conwy
01492 585287
Unit 3, Parc Caer Seion, Conwy LL32 8FA
Stand out beer: Honey Fayre is a golden ale with honey aromas rounded off by a dry bitter finish. ABV 4.5%.
The honey is sourced from Newquay Honey Farm.
Gold award for best golden ale at South Devon CAMRA beer festival 2007. Double Silver Medal winner at SIBA West & Mold beer festivals
Great Orme
01492 580 548
The Great Orme Brewery, Nant-y-Cywarch Farm, Glan Conwy, Colwyn Bay, LL28 5PP
Stand out beer: Orme's Best, 4.2%, a chestnut brown best bitter. Its taste is due to the subtle addition of crystal and chocolate malts to the base Maris Otter pale ale malt.
The initial well balanced taste gives way to a delicate smoked finish.
Jolly Brewer
01978 261884
Kingston Villa, 27 Poplar Road, Wrexham, LL13 7DG
Stand out beer: Druids Ale, 4%, which is brewed especially for the Druid Inn in Pontblydden.
It is golden in colour, has a malty flavour and a nut finish.
Facer's Brewery
0771 356 6370
Tan Y Coed, Bryn y Garreg,Mynnydd y Fflint,Sir y Fflint, CH6 5QT
Stand out beer: Clwyd Gold, 3.5%, is a smooth full malt/biscuity bitter and is especially popular in North Wales.
Bragdy'r Bryn
01745 812266
Unit 2 Vale Park, Colomendy Industrial Estate, Denbigh, LL16 5TA.
Stand out beer: Herald, 6.2%(!), is a genuine India Pale Ale brewed in the North American style. Cascade hops are used throughout, and dominate with their distinctive grapefruit flavour.
Other sites
CAMRA, the campaign for real ale, have been instrumental in helping microbreweries across North Wales and the UK set up and get a foothold.
See their website here.
The Association of Welsh Independent Brewers was set up in 2007 to promote the beers and brewers of Wales.
The Society of Independent Brewers was founded in 1980 to represent the interests of independent brewing companies in the UK.
