North Eastern Breweries

Hullaballo,

      when I first started drinking in 1990 ish the main North Eastern and Newcastle area beers came from Scottish and Newcastle, Big Lamp, (although that may have been later) and of course Vaux and Castle Eden. Castle Eden Ale was, in fact, the first beer I had bought for me in a pub - in 1989 with a meal WF bought me a half. Am thinking that this was OK, and he bought it and the place we were eating in was full so am certain it was....

In the early nineties I made a couple of trips up to Northumberland, and discovered Longstone Brewery. Memories as always are a bit vague but I always recall it having a blur pump clip and a lighthouse on it - am certain there is still a Longstone Lighthouse. In it's short history one of their beers was called Old Grace Bitter, named after Bamburgh born lighthouse keeper's daughter Grace Darling. I only ever tried one of their beers, somewhere in Northumberland, which was a 3.7% one called Hotspur. And I never saw their beers again.  

Its at this point that I should point out my understanding of the North East as an area - I am in fact referencing everywhere from Middlesborough to Berwick. Am certain that is not everyone's idea of the same description but it is broadly accurate.

Meanwhile, I know that High House Farm and Wylam set up in the noughties, along with later on Anarchy Brew Co and Allendale, and also that Hexamshire was set up in the nineties and is still trading, but in the last couple of years we have seen both Almasty and Errant breweries set up, both producing excellent beers, and supplying output to a number of pubs including the excellent Shakespeares in Sheffield, AKA my second home. And recently, my latest selection of cans from local shops has pointed to a few more.....

First up is Full Circle Brew Co - I had a can of their Lake of stars pale ale at 4.5% and as well as being incredibly pale I also found it very easy to sup - there was bitterness in there, as well as oats, and although hardly a session ale, as well as not a strong ale, I found that it didn't last very long. A look on the tinterweb, where everything is true, suggests that its well regarded and also that they opened both a micro brewery and a tap room in Hoults Yard Newcastle, last year. Probably due to their newness, and also maybe because this appears to have been brewed with Brewgooder whom I thought may have some involvement with BrewDog, this is the first beer of theirs that I have come across. Once again the lack of information generally available about their products suggests I may have to unfurl the horror of Untapped at some stage.....

Next up is another new one on me - that being Play Brew Co in Middlesborugh, a place that I, undoubtedly incorrectly believe was or still is, in North Yorkshire - please don't hate me if this is not true! The beer of theirs that I tried was Lazy Daze, a 6.5% NEIPA featuring Mosaic, Eukanot and Amarillo hops. This once again did not disappoint in terms of flavour, and lacked any of the oftentimes appearance of sweetness which many North East and North West brews sometimes contain. Darker than the Full Circle, but 2% stronger, the calmer colouring did nothing to take away from the excellent mouthfeel within.

The final brewery is one that I have another of their cans paid for and pending in fine sunny Sheffield. Alpha Delta Brewing are based in Newburn in Newcastle upon Tyne and their Selene Galaxy DIPA at 8.2% was sensational. I have to clarify that appearance of cans does not on it's own pressurise my choice of beers, but also, that a good  design can often make me more willing to give one a try. The Alpha Delta can is black with a white A and triangular D letter below it, and it tasted fabulous. Possibly due it being Unfined, Unfiltered and Unpasteurised, this beer ticked all the boxes in terms of its appearance - a soupy cloud of delicious orange gunge which was not only easy to drink for it's strength, but if I hadn't had been taking care of my intake last night I imagine I could have supped down the beer in about ten minutes. Instead I let the flavours on show linger, and enjoyed every single minute of this.

I have discovered that there are also now a large number of other microbreweries in Newcastle and beyond in operation, and these are ones I ill take the opportunity to sample in the next year or so, but these three examples alone demonstrate that the North East area brewing industry is blooming and improving regularly.

Keep up the Good Work!

Wee Beefy