What inspired you to make beer?
I was always interested in trying different beers, and when a lot of the styles I was reading about were not readily available locally at the time this got me on to homebrewing so that I could make and sample these beer styles. That snowballed into where I am today.
Describe your brews?
I'm a very traditional person at heart, and that is probably reflected in the beers I brew - stouts, red ales, bitters etc. I also like to add a little twist into these styles, whether it's a stout with coffee in it or a Rye Ale with 'new world' hops. Keeping the traditional ethos, all my beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised, bottle conditioned; something that was almost non-existent in Irish beers when we first launched.
What new brews have you planned?
I always brew a few one-off beers for festivals, and some of these find their way into our regular seasonal rotation. We have a great team here so there are always plenty of ideas bouncing around, and we are able to test these out on our pilot system. At the moment we are brewing a mild and a wheat beer for Easterfest in Cork, and working on a couple of ideas to fill our Autumnal seasonal slot.
Who has influenced you most in your life?
In my life - a lot of people, not least of which my parents. In my life, and in going down the path of starting a brewery it has to be my wife, Jen. Without her support (and gentle push) I would have never started on this adventure.
What did you do before you brewed?
Before I brewed commercially I brewed as a hobby. I had been working in a local electronics factory as a production manager, then took a year out to become a stay-at-home Dad to our three children (now four), while also planning the business in the evenings.
