As many of you may know by now, there are a couple of craft beer enthusiasts on the Pins team - so it's always a pleasure to get to know our brewery clients a little more and get the inside scoop on what they're cooking up next.
We recently had a quick chat with Peckham-based Brick Brewery, who have been brewing up a storm since 2013.
From home-brewing to nearing the launch of their second taproom, we're stoked to see how they've grown and learn more about their plans to come.
So, grab a cold one and have a read...
Can you tell us a little about Brick Brewery and its history?
"Soon to celebrate its 10th birthday, Brick Brewery was born in a garden shed in Peckham a decade ago. Things have moved on a bit since then and Brick Brewery is now an industry leader in fruited kettle sours, with a long-standing selection of core range pales, lagers, and IPAs too. "
What sparked the idea to begin home brewing, and did Ian have any prior background or experience in brewing?
"Ian had been a home brewer in his youth and Sally bought him a ready-made kit for Christmas one year, and before you know it that grew to bigger vessels, own recipes and a hand pump in the garden shed!"
How do you stay creative when it comes to coming up with new flavour profiles, and where do you find inspiration?
"As we release a new sour beer every couple of weeks, it’s important to develop new beers and continue to brew with innovative flavour combinations. Whether it’s Yuzu + Lychee, Tamarind + Lime Leaf, Raspberry + Thyme, or Ginger + Blackberry, the flavours are constantly evolving and come from across the whole team.
Anyone in the company can come forward with beer ideas and the majority of our output starts with a suggestion from a team member. It’s then up to our talented brew team to develop the recipe and ensure it works in the final beer.
We also strive to remain at the forefront of new technologies and ingredients in the brewing industry. We recently installed a brand new, state of the art brewkit and have worked with brand new types of yeast to produce our beers, as well as championing the use of UK grown hops."
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about the beer brewing process?
"The percentage of time you spend cleaning!"
Got any exciting projects or collaborations coming up that you can speak on?
"We have various collaboration brews lined up over the year with some of the best in the industry. Collabs are an area we’ve always explored, but we’re making a conscious effort to pursue more this year.
We also have a second taproom coming! Our original taproom and brewery site remains in Peckham, but we are soon to launch a second one in Deptford. Just down the road from our current brewery site."
For anyone looking to try one of your beers for the first time, which one would you recommend and why?
"Peckham Pale – it’s one of our longest standing beers and has been tweaked and perfected over nearly a decade. It’s a beer for everyone and we pride ourselves on the fact that it’s a beer anyone can enjoy, whether that’s a discerning craft beer fan, or a casual drinker having a beer with their Sunday lunch.
That or one of our fruited sours – they’re oh so tart and zingy!"
Visit Brick Brewery's website here.
Follow them on Instagram here.