Microbrewing is alive and well in Chester as the craft beer revolution rumbles on.
There are a range of fantastic breweries producing delicious ales in our area.
Each has their own story to tell about their path into the business.
These facts and many more can be found in ‘Brewing in Cheshire’, a new book from author Paul Hurley.
The Pied Bull, Chester
One of the city’s most historic pubs got its own microbrewery in 2011 and it remains the only one within Chester’s walls.
Reputed to be one of Chester’s oldest licensed houses, it also has a haunted past.
Puns are front and centre for their beer names, but each one of them is superbly drinka-bull.
Deva Craft Beer, Sandycroft
Father and son Adie and Nick Gilbody established their brewery using Chester’s Roman name in 2014.
Nick’s previous job include working as a trained hypnotherapist.
Originally in Chester, the company had to switch to a business unit at Sandycroft to cope with increasing orders.
Their beer will catch the eye as much as their unique pump clips.
Spitting Feathers Brewery, Waverton
Owner Mathew Walley cashed his pension to set up Spitting Feathers in 2005.
It is not a decision he has lived to regret.
The Brewery Tap in Lower Bridge Street opened three years later and they added another pub to their portfolio, the West Kirby tap, in 2014.
The Beer Refinery, Wervin
Overlooking Stanlow Oil Refinery, 10 friends banded together to take their home brewing passion to the next level.
All of the members work part time in the brewery and put their profits back into growing the business.
The Beer Refinery are known to change it up each month, but one of their regular golden ales ‘Mischief’ has found a place in pubs across Chester.
Sandiway Ales, Northwich
Another father-and-son team, Sandiway Ales is the new kid on the block. Mike and Paul Hill set up the brewery in January.
Described as ‘one to watch’, word of their four regular cask ales including ‘Hop Secret’, has spread fast.
Britman Craft Beers, Neston
In the stables at Burton Manor, Britman is brewing beer ‘the time-honoured way’.
Owner Les Ward returned from a trip to Germany with big ideas and a desire to produce high-quality ales without the use of accelerants.
Cheshire Brew Brothers, Chester
Established in 2015, the idea to be brothers in beer can be traced back to a chat between two best mates in Bruges.
Ale names include ‘Earl’s Eye Amber', after the Chester bend in the River Dee, and ‘Roodee Dark', after the racecourse.
Weetwood Ales, Kelsall
Weetwood was first established in a barn in its namesake village in 1992.
However, the growth of the business meant the company had to move down the road to Kelsall to meet demand in 2012.
Look out for their highly successful beer Cheshire Cat.
Brewing in Cheshire, an illustrated history of the brewing industry in the county, by Paul Hurley is available now.
It features the rise and fall of breweries from across Cheshire, which was once an important contributor to the industry.
Paul, from Winsford, has written several books about Cheshire's history since becoming a freelance writer in 2002.
For more information and to purchase a copy of the book visit the Amberley Publishing website.
