Breconshire Brewery
Encyclopedia
Breconshire Brewery is a brewery
in Brecon
in Powys
, Wales. The head brewer was Justin "Buster" Grant, formerly of Brakspear Brewery
.
Named after the original 1841 Breconshire Brewery established by Mordecai Jones
, the new brewery since its establishment in 2002, has received numerous awards at Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA) festivals and others. The brewery owns three pubs in Powys: two in Brecon and one in Llangynidr
.
, lauter tun and fermenters came thirdhand from Pembrokeshire Brewery.
and bottle conditioned ales. The company produces six regular ales, as well as occasional and seasonal beers. The beers are made with Optic barley and use varieties of hops
from Wales and England. Two of the occasional beers have been: Ysbryd y Ddraig ("Spirit of the Dragon"), which is a beer aged for several months in whiskey casks; and Fan Dance, which takes its name from the exercise
conducted by the British army
on Pen y Fan
, and contains a blend of Progress and "dwarf" hops.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales. The head brewer was Justin "Buster" Grant, formerly of Brakspear Brewery
Brakspear
WH Brakspear & Sons Ltd is the name of a brand of English beers and pubs, based in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire. While the beer brewing and pub management sides of the business were originally unified, the brewing has since been sold to Wychwood Brewery owners Refresh UK.-History:The Brakspear...
.
Named after the original 1841 Breconshire Brewery established by Mordecai Jones
Mordecai Jones
Mordecai Jones was a Welsh businessman and pioneer in the development of the South Wales coalfield. He was a notable promoter of the British Schools model of free education, and of Welsh and English Calvinistic Methodist churches...
, the new brewery since its establishment in 2002, has received numerous awards at Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA) festivals and others. The brewery owns three pubs in Powys: two in Brecon and one in Llangynidr
Llangynidr
Llangynidr is a village in Powys, Wales, about west of Crickhowell and south-east of Brecon. The River Usk flows through the village as does the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal on which there are four locks....
.
Brewery
Breconshire Brewery was established when beer distributing company C.H. Marlow decided to expand into beer production. Marlow established the brewery in a part of their warehouse in Brecon. The brewery's copper, mash tunMashing
In brewing and distilling, mashing is the process of combining a mix of milled grain , known as the "grain bill", and water, known as "liquor", and heating this mixture...
, lauter tun and fermenters came thirdhand from Pembrokeshire Brewery.
Brands
Breconshire produces a range of caskCask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
and bottle conditioned ales. The company produces six regular ales, as well as occasional and seasonal beers. The beers are made with Optic barley and use varieties of hops
Hop (plant)
Humulus, Hop, is a small genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers of H. lupulus are known as hops, and are used as a culinary flavoring and stabilizer, especially in the brewing of beer...
from Wales and England. Two of the occasional beers have been: Ysbryd y Ddraig ("Spirit of the Dragon"), which is a beer aged for several months in whiskey casks; and Fan Dance, which takes its name from the exercise
Fan dance (exercise)
The Fan Dance is part of the Fitness and Navigation phase of the selection process of the UK's Special Forces personnel. It has also been used on courses run by the Pathfinder Group and the Infantry Battle School, Brecon, Wales. It is a 24 kilometre long distance march in the Brecon Beacons of...
conducted by the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
on Pen y Fan
Pen y Fan
Pen y Fan is the highest peak in South Wales and southern Britain, situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. At above sea-level, it is also the highest peak in Britain south of the Snowdonia mountain range...
, and contains a blend of Progress and "dwarf" hops.
Awards
- Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, 2003: Gold medalChampion Beer of WalesThe Champion Beer of Wales is a beer award presented annually by the Campaign for Real Ale at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival in Cardiff, Wales....
, Brecon County Ale; silver medal, Golden Valley Ale; silver medal, Ramblers Ruin Ale - CarmarthenCarmarthenCarmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
Beer Festival, 2003: Beer of the festival, Golden Valley Ale - Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, 2004: Best bitter, Brecon County Ale; Champion Beer of Wales 2004-2005, Golden Valley Ale
- NarberthNarberth, PembrokeshireNarberth is a town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. . It was founded around a Welsh court, but later became a Norman stronghold on the Landsker Line. It became the headquarters of the hundred of Narberth. It was once a marcher borough...
Food Festival, 2004: Beer of the Festival, Green Dragon Ale - Great British Beer FestivalGreat British Beer FestivalThe Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
, 2005: Finalist, Champion Beer of BritainChampion Beer of BritainThe Champion Beer of Britain is an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale , at their annual Great British Beer Festival in early August. Beers can qualify in three ways:...
, Golden Valley Ale - Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, 2005: Gold medal (bitter), Brecon County Ale; joint winner, best bitters, Golden Valley Ale; finalist, Champion Beer of WalesChampion Beer of WalesThe Champion Beer of Wales is a beer award presented annually by the Campaign for Real Ale at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival in Cardiff, Wales....
, Ramblers Ruin