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 but conventional.

For Caitlín, a love of languages would lead her to a degree in Chinese Studies. Originally from Milton Keynes, a move to university in Durham would not only broaden her linguistic horizons but also broaden her palate, too.

In this episode, we discuss Caitlín’s early days working at the Head of Steam in Durham and how that helped introduce her to the myriad of beer styles that exist across the globe. We discuss how becoming a brewing apprentice would help her secure a dream job in her dream city and also how, at Cloudwater, she has been able to further pursue her love of creating no- and low-alcohol beers.