Brewery: Everard's
How did you get into brewing as a career?
I started out to be a dentist but it wasn't for me, so I moved to food science. During my hols I worked in a brewery and decided to do a brewing degree, so went to Heriot Watt and did a BSc in Brewing and Micro biology. I have always been more interested in the science side of things and of course I like beer, so brewing seemed a natural choice
What is the most important characteristic of a brewer?
Passion, you have to love what you do. Although you are a scientist who applies their knowledge you also have to be an artist to create something new and unique.
Before being a professional brewer, did you homebrew? If so, how many of your homebrew recipes have you converted to full scale production?
No, I never homebrewed. I did have a go at making wine and I also like cooking, so food and drink production in one form or another seems to inspire me
What is your favourite beer that you brew?
Sunchaser. Its unusual being brewed with lager malt and hops but fermented with ale yeast. You get a very light beer with lots of fruity characters from the ale yeast. Refreshing and flavoursome
If you have worked in other breweries, which other beer did you enjoy brewing, and why?
Marstons Pedigree. I loved the opportunity to work with traditional union sets to produce a true burton ale from the heartlands of the British brewing industry
Of the beers you brew, which is your favourite to drink?
Sunchaser when I want a fresh clean flavoursome beer. Original when I want a beer to savour by a warm fire reading a good book
How important is authenticity when making a new beer, in terms of flavour, ingredients and method?
Authenticity isn't important, its about being innovative and creating something that people want to drink. After all I would suspect that a lot of the older beers when first brewed were cloudy and sour hence the use of herbs and spices to mask the off flavours. The brewing industry has a lot of history but we shouldn't keep looking back we need to look forward. If we spend too much time trying to make it what it used to be like we lose todays drinker, who as a rule doesn't care about the past, they want something that represents now.
If you were to do a collaborative beer, which brewery would you most like to work with and why?
I would love to work with some of the American micro's as they seem to be prepared to experiment and push the boundaries. I love what they are doing with extreme beers, it suddenly makes beer exciting, not a drink that old men in flat caps drink. They are not hamstrung by history !
Which beer, other than your own, do you wish you had invented?
It's not been invented yet but beer that appeals to women and they can claim its virtues for themselves. As brewers we are not targeting half the population, we are still too chauvinistic. We're missing a trick.
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