Brewers Journal Podcast

Our 2025 Brewers Choice Awards take place on the 30th September and Anspach & Hobday are nominated for both ‘Brewery of The Year’ and ‘Beer of The Year’ for the fantastic London Black. With that in mind, let’s revisit the talk that Paul Anspach, co-founder of London business, gave in Bristol earlier this year. Every so often a beer comes along and things just click. A combination of brilliant branding, a brilliant brewery and, of course, a brilliant beverage are essential ingredients for a beer that resonates with the consumer. And with London Black, the 4.4% Nitro Porter from Anspach & Hobday, you’ve got just that. The brewery, founded by Paul Anspach & Jack Hobday back in 2013, has gone from strength to strength in recent years and much of that growth can be attributed to their flagship beer. London Black has fundamentally changed and redefined the brewery and business with approximately 70+% of their output the popular Nitro Porter. With that in mind, we invited brewery co-founder Paul to speak at our Brewers Lectures in Bristol last week. In his lecture, Paul outlined the importance of the brand and how crucial factors such as an authentic, believable story coupled with clear messaging have helped elevate the beer. He also explained how the team are striving to establish London Black as The beer of London and to forge the association between London and London Black such that for a beer drinker, any visit to the city would not be complete without a pint of London Black.  Image Credit: Anspach & Hobday

There are little more than three weeks to go until The 2025 Brewers Congress and Brewers Choice Awards. One company nominated in this year’s awards is the fantastic Thornbridge. So what better time for us to revisit our interview with co-founder Simon Webster from earlier this year. There are certain joys, certain constants when it comes to the world of beer. And one of those has to be the pleasure when scanning the bar for a pint and you happen across the pump clip for Jaipur on cask. It’s a seminal beer that has stood the test of time and this year the brewery responsible, Thornbridge, based in the Derbyshire Dales, celebrates the 20th anniversary of both that beer and the business, too. The Thornbridge story began back in 2005 when founders Jim Harrison and Simon Webster recruited two young brewers to brew on a second hand 10-barrel kit in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall. A journey that began in the small Stonemasons Workshop at Thornbridge Hall is one that has gone on to grow into the Riverside Brewery in Bakewell where the team produce some nine million pints of beer each year. Like any good business, the brewery has moved with the times. While Jaipur remains the flagship, its gluten-free Helles Lukas and Green Mountain, a 4.3% Hazy Session IPA, also account for a significant amount of the brewery’s production. Thanks to a brewing team led by Ben Wood, Dominic Driscoll and Rob Lovatt, they create beers that cater for a wide and diverse audience. So as the celebrated brewery comes toward the end on a year that toasts two decades in business, we caught up with co-founder Simon Webster to discuss the Thornbridge journey. We look at the recent fantastic new addition of a Burton Union set, why collaborations continue to play a key part in the brewery’s proposition and, with new pub openings on the horizon, why Simon believes that such environments remain the best choice when it comes to enjoying a beer.

Brian Dickson is the co-founder and technical director at Leeds-based Northern Monk. One of the UK’s finest brewers, he’s been an integral member of the Yorkshire business since it started out in 2014. And an important part of the brewery’s current path is its journey to carbon neutral operations. In his recent talk, he shared some of Northern Monk’s achievements to-date in the fields of water, wastage, electricity and nitrogen. He also outlined the team’s future plans and goals that include biofuel energy generation, process water recycling, AI temperature control and solar installations.

The 2025 release of Pliny The Younger, the ever-popular annual iteration of Russian River Brewing Company’s Triple IPA, was unsurprisingly a hit. So what better time to revisit our conversation with Vinnie Cirluzo, co-founder of the seminal US brewery? We hope you enjoy… In the world of beer, there are a number of real positives when it comes to working for, or running, a brewery. Creating something that people enjoy, savour and value is a goal in any artistic venture. And in ownership, so is the ability to provide employment, development and satisfaction to your team. Another purpose for many businesses is the ability to affect a change. Breweries are often the beating heart of local communities. They can offer a place to frequent, to socialise and where possible, also have a positive impact on the local economy they form part of. In the case of Russian River Brewing Company, they do just that. And with the release of the modern phenomenon that is Pliny The Younger, their annual sought-after Triple IPA, on the horizon, what better time to catch up with co-founder Vinnie Cilurzo who, along with his business partner and wife Natalie, is the co-founder of the California business. In this episode he shares his observations on the changing brewing landscape, the importance of community and his love of working with different ingredients.  We also talked about the importance of maintaining a strong identity, integrity and, in an age of countless beer styles, why Russian River will continue doing what it does best – and that’s “staying in its lane” making the beers people love. Photo Credit: Russian River Brewing Company Production: Ross Macpherson

If you’ve not had a beer from Hall and Woodhouse, you’re sure to know someone that has. Blandford Fly, Fursty Ferret Amber Ale and Tangle Foot Golden Ale are long-established household names while the newer Outland brand, with beers such as its Tropical Pale Ale, West Coast IPA and Helles are making a mark on their own terms. And heading up the production of these beers is Toby Heasman. A celebrated and revered brewer that joined the business back in 2006.  Much has changed in the time Toby has been part of the business. And much has changed in the industry, and across the globe, since Hall and Woodhouse started out. Because Hall and Woodhouse, the British regional brewery, was founded by Charles Hall in Blandford Forum way back in 1777. Today, their family of pubs are regarded as some of finest in the country.  With more than 150 iconic public houses and inns at the heart of their communities across the South of England. And ensuring those pubs, as well as countless other customers, have access to great beer is Toby Heasman. In this episode we discuss how Toby found a passion of beer, one that led him into a career that he continues to grow and thrive in. We discuss the balance of brewing different styles for both Badger Ales and the Outland brand, as well as the underlying qualities that make a great beer across the board. He also outlines the responsibilities that come with working for such a prestigious business and why that’s a catalyst, rather a burden, when it comes to his commitment to beer and brewing.

A business and a relationship forged in Liverpool, Neptune Brewery has just celebrated its 10th birthday. But what is the secret to their success? Julie O’ Grady founded the business with her husband and business partner Les back in 2015. In the years since they’ve helped build a community and grow a team that thrive in making modern beers inspired by tradition. In this episode Julie outlines the brewery’s commitment to brewing beers they and their consumers enjoy, the importance of their beerhouse in establishing Neptune’s role in the community and why when it comes to social media, apps such as ratings sites shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all when it comes to business. To read our profile on Neptune Brewery from 2022, just click here. Production: Ross Macpherson

We are all aware of diacetlyl in beer but how does it originate and importantly, how do we reduce it? Then allow us to introduce Todd Isbell, a senior brewing technician at the University of Nottingham and International Centre for Brewing Science. Todd has a BS in civil and environmental engineering from Clarkson University and is a graduate of the United States Army Chemical School. A professional brewer for more than twenty years in the United States, he has taught fermentation sciences at Rockingham Community College for five years, and was the founding technical chair for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas Carolinas district. In his recent talk, Todd discusses the origins of diacetyl and how it’s reduced. He also highlights dry hop creep and how this phenomenon can be dealt with to create beers with higher drinkability as well as shelf stability.

How do you help get the beers you brew into the hands of more people? For Kate Hyde and the team at Brighton’s Hand Brew Co, art is a valuable vehicle to help you do just that. Kate is the head brewer and product director for Hand Brew Co, based in Brighton. She has been brewing for over a decade.  And while Kate’s journey has taken her from the UK to Australia then onto France, she has since gone onto establish herself as a revered member of the brewing community in the South of England. Both through her production prowess, but also as a mentor for Women in Beer, too. During her recent talk at Cloudwater in Manchester, Kate explained why art can, and should, be invested in and protected. She demonstrated how Hand Brew Co has harnessed art collaborations to distill the essence and experience of their brew pub into their beer and helped it travel beyond the walls of its birthplace. She also said that when it comes to producing merchandise for your brewery, repeatability is key and not all merch is good merch – especially when it comes to tea towels….

Since being founded by Adam Henderson in 2020, Azvex Brewing Company has gone on to become of the UK’s most respected producers of hop-forward pale ales and IPAs, fruited sours, and imperial stouts. And head brewer Jack Walker has played a huge part in that journey. Known and respected across the land, Jack has helped create a wealth of fantastic beers at the Liverpool-based business. And for that reason, we invited him to speak at our Brewers Lectures in Manchester last month. While he gave us an insight into the brewing process at Azvex during his talk in 2024, this time it was a little different. In 2025 Jack has found himself in the final stages of a coeliac diagnosis and in his lecture he outlines the challenges that has presented for a brewing professional while also outlining some of the misinformation and misunderstanding that surrounds the condition. 

Quality assurance helps ensure all aspects of the brewing process are in place to create a product that both meets and exceeds consumer expectation. And at Round Corner Brewing in Melton Mowbray, head brewer Lara Lopes knows just how important quality control and quality assurance is when it comes to producing great beer.  Lara began her career with AB InBev in Brazil before moving to the UK to join Round Corner Brewing. During her tenure, the brewery has earned prestigious accolades, including two trophies at the International Brewing Awards and two “World’s Best” titles at the World Beer Awards, alongside numerous other international medals and awards. Lara was also named Young Brewer of the Year at our Brewers Choice Awards in 2022 and beyond her brewing achievements, she serves as a judge at international beer competitions. In her recent talk, Lara discussed why QA matters. She highlighted some common challenges for small breweries, suggested simple QA that works and argued why its imperative to make QA a team habit.