Lake District Good Brewery Guide

By Lancashire Life on September 2nd 2011

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Soft water and hard work have been the all important mixture that has made the Lake District and its surrounding region one of the UK’s brewing hotspots.

The UK now has 700 breweries – more than at any time since the Second World War - and more than 30 are in operation in the Lakes. Each beer is distinctive as the men and women who make them and they have awards by the barrel-load.

While the French talk about terroir – the almost spiritual nature of the land that gives their wine its distinctive character - our microbrewers would be equally justified in pointing to the landscape that forms our ales. And probably with fewer pretentions.

One of the leaders is the Hawkshead Brewery, confusingly based in Staveley, set up by ex-BBC Middle East correspondent Alex Brodie as a dramatic career change. It has since won a hatful of national awards and he is now taking on the big boys by brewing lager that tastes of something.

If you are looking for a different type of tour in Lakeland, here’s a dozen microbreweries that could form an itinery for the drinking man and

Barngates Brewery.
Based at the famous Drunken Duck inn near Ambleside, this very local brewery names most of its ales after pub dogs and their associates – including a moggy called Mothbag

Beckstones Brewery.
This is one of the more remote breweries, based near Millom, and only available locally. Worth the detour.

Bitter End Brewing Co.
Based on the wonderfully name Bitter pub in Cockermouth, they won a hat-trick of international awards last year

Coniston Brewing Co.
Hidden behind the Black Bull in Coniston, its Bluebird Bitter is one of our outstanding real ales.

Foxfield Brewery.
Located in the Prince of Wales pub at Broughton-in-Furness, where they play shove h’penny and they’ve banned the juke box.

Great Gable Brewing Co.
A wide range of beers from head brewer Giles Holiday, including Yewbarrow, a blow your socks off mild with chocolate and coffee aromas.

Hawkshead Brewery.
This is one of the real success stories with a £250,000 beer hall just opened and producing gold standard ales.

Hesket Newmarket Brewery.
Based in the north Lakes and now run as a co-operative. The 70 shareholders mainly choose to take their dividends in liquid form.

Keswick Brewing Co.
Set up by Phil Harrison and Sue Harrison with a keen interest in environmental issues and based in a brewery which shut in the 1890s.

Strands Hotel.
Inn in a glorious Wasdale location run by a Lancastrian family. The beers brewed there have been getting some rave reviews

Ulverston Brewing company.
Launched in response to the closure of the Hartley’s Brewery, it trades on the town’s Hollywood connections with Laughing Gravy among others.

Winster.
The Brown Horse started making its own beer last year and head brewer Gerard Lyn has been so successful it has been taken by other hostelries

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