Keeping it Local.

I'm not all that sociable - never have been - I find the rigours of sociability to be really hard work and so I have a tendancy to avoid.  A lot.  The household engineer is quite similar in this respect.

Sometimes, though, the right person suggests the right sort of social activity and we agree to it.  We both frequently regret it in the moments leading up to the start of the event but almost always enjoy it.

Anyhow, this is all leading up to a beer story, naturally.

A couple of weeks ago our friend and colleague said a brewery visit to the very local (ie about 5 miles from my desk as I sit and type this) Longman Brewery was in the offing - arranged by some "extended" colleagues at the local co-working space and would we like to join in?

At this point I should declare that Longman beers, whilst perfectly nice, are not my favourite local beers.  You know, you're happy enough that they're on the bar but they might not be my very first choice.

So we got in a minibus with a dozen other folk and popped to the farm-based brewery.  On arrival we were greeted by the head brewer and the sales and marketing chap.  They were cheery and welcoming and had a pin of beer on an outside table ready to serve.  What's not to like?

Then came the first revelation of the evening - their new "Wild Man" beer is definitely the best beer of theirs I've ever tasted.  Now, it was pretty strong (over 5%) and packed a good hoppy punch but it was really well balanced and drinkable and it would be something I could drink all evening (at that ABV it might be a short evening for me, but who's counting, eh?).  The engineer and I agreed that if we'd got that in our Bristol local we'd have been very happy indeed.

We were given an introductory chat by Tom about the history of the brewery and then we left the chill of the evening air and were led inside the brewery where it was toasty warm.  What followed was a  fascinating chat from the brewer, Jamie, not just about the brewing process but how the brewery uses local ingredients (ie, from the farm the brewery is based on) and water, local staff and how the waste products - spent hops and barley and the water that isn't turned into beer - is reused on the farm.

They seem to combine senstivity and pragmatism perfectly as an organization.  So, unashamedly using their distribution contacts (one of the directors is also associated with a local wholesaler) but trying to have as little negative impact on the village as possible whilst offering 15 jobs in a place that probably has few other direct employers.

Both guys seemed to relish chatting with us and happily answering questions and debating things like fining.  Remember, these chaps had been at work all day - and were doing this for the love.  You can't help but like and respect that.

Far from the usual "the malt goes in here and the beer comes out there" brewery tour this was a two-way discussion of the product, the industry and what being a local employer means.

Though we could probably have stayed all evening and talked (and probably drunk) beer - we needed to let them get off home so we walked the 200 metres or so down the road to their nearest pub - The Plough and Harrow -  which is usually a "Walk over the Downs" destination for us.  Here we drank a great pint of Longman APA which, until last night, was my favoured Longman beer and were enthusiastically greeted by the pub landlord, Glenn, who keeps a really good pint.

We all had a couple of pints and a snack and our bus driver was suddenly in the pub to pick us up.  It had all gone too quickly.

Best evening out I've had for a good while - it had all the elements you need:  good people, stuff to make you think and good stuff to make you drunk.

I think I'll be drinking (even) more Longman in future.

Thanks everyone!