Features

Achouffe brewery in the Belgian Ardennes has come a long way from its launch in 1982 with second-hand vessels on a farm. It has become world-famous as a result of its gnome logo: founder Chris Bauweraerts is seen with one his gnomes. The brewery is now part of the Duvel Moortgat group, which exports the beers to more than 20 countries and where it has created great interest with the first-ever Belgian IPA.

Added: Tuesday, October 4th 2016

The legendary barley wine Thomas Hardy's Ale, which disappeared when first Eldridge Pope's brewery closed and then O'Hanlon's brewery dropped the beer, has been restored...in Italy. Sandro and Michele Vecchiato of Interbrau bought the brand and it's now brewed for them by Meantime in London. It was launched in Milan but Interbrau plan to make it available in both the UK and the U.S.

Added: Sunday, September 18th 2016

In just five short years, Logan Plant has moved from his kitchen to a 40,000 barrel-a-year plant in Tottenham, North London -- and he's already planning to expand. Logan comes from the Black Country where his father, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame, introduced him to the delights of Batham's and Holden's ales. Now he's entranced with West Coast pale ales from the U.S. and brews a range of IPAs, including the outstanding Bloody Ell

Added: Sunday, September 4th 2016

An evening of fine vegetarian food at Salon in Brixton was highlighted by beers supplied by the Brewers Association from the United States. The organisation takes beer-and-food matching sufficiently seriously to employ a resident chef, Adam Dulye. Five courses were matched with beers ranging from saison to gose, IPA, Alt and Old Ale

Added: Saturday, August 13th 2016

Joe Stange, an American journalist from Missouri, is based in Berlin and writes with Tim Webb the Good Beer Guide Belgium. It was while he was working as a freelance in Brussels that he came across Belgian beer and started a journey that led to a Brussels beer guide and now co-author of the Belgian book. He calls himself a "beer conservationist" and is a great defender of European styles. He is critical of American "sours" that discredit the true Lambic tradition

Added: Saturday, July 30th 2016

Three young Americans with a love of craft beer have introduced Berliners to the extravaganzas of IPAs bursting with hop character. David Spengler, Tom Crozier and Matthew Walthall (pictured left to right) arrived in the German capital by different routes but were united by their love of craft beers, IPAs in particular. Now drinkers are pounding the pavement to get to their Vagabund brewpub in the Wedding district to sample the joys of IPA and Imperial IPA

Added: Monday, June 27th 2016

Daisy Claeys has run 't Brugs Beertje -- the Little Bruges Bear -- for 30 years and has never sold a drop of Pils in a country dominated by Stella Artois. She sells as many as 300 different beers a year, all from small, independent Belgian breweries. Drinkers from all over the world flock to the small bar that was put on the map in the 1980s by Michael Jackson and Tim Webb

Added: Thursday, May 5th 2016

Bourgogne des Flandres -- Flemish Burgundy -- is a blend of strong brown ale and lambic beer that was brewed in Bruges until the 1950s. Now Anthony Martin, grandson of the founder of the John Martins group that owns Timmermans, Belgium's oldest lambic brewer, has restored the beer to its city of origin with a new brewery that uses open fermenters in the Flemish farmhouse style

Added: Saturday, April 30th 2016

Restaurants will attract more customers if they serve beer with food, according to the Society of Independent Brewers that speaks for Britain's independent producers. SIBA says one in three people would visit restaurants more often if they served good beer. The organisation is seeking meetings with top restaurateurs to discuss the vast range of beer styles now available in Britain.

Added: Wednesday, April 20th 2016

David Bruce, famous for his Firkin brewpubs and now chairman of West Berkshire Brewery, has launched a crowdfunding initiative to raise £1.5 miilion to build a new brewery in the Thames Valley. Bruce, seen standing left with his brewery and sales team, plans a new brewery with 10 times the capacity of the existing plant. He has added Renegade craft beers to the existing cask ales

Added: Thursday, March 31st 2016