Isn’t it funny how we all go through life encountering moments and people with near enough all of them seemingly insignificant?
Paul and Terry were both civil servants and met when Terry joined the team at the office where Paul was working. Neither of them knew at the time this would end up being one of the most significant introductions of their whole lives. A courtesy handshake followed by a ‘fancy a hot drink?’ would some years later be the start of the something quite special in Liverpool as they went from best friends to best men to business partners over the course of a decade. Beer has slowly evolved over the years, mass produced beer doesn’t quench the thirst quite like these new micro-breweries do and this is a sentiment shared by many. One of those micro-breweries at the forefront of craft beer in Liverpool is called Liverpool Craft Beer, which provides a way for Paul and Terry to keep busy brewing good beer.
All alcohol appreciators evolve over time. You start off with a bottle of white lightning in the park with your friends and before you know it you’re discussing what percentage of yeast to hops is needed in order to craft the finest beer. The last few years have seen an explosion of craft beers onto the market. The fanciest beer you could get a few years ago was a Peroni but one quick glance at a fridge in most of Liverpool’s best eateries and bars now and your peripheral will be full of pale ales and ports. Within that glance you’ve probably had a Liverpool Craft Beer catch your eye with its strikingly beautiful design and vivid colours that taste just as good as they look. Paul and Terry both dabbled in a bit of home brewing, some ended up being passed around at get togethers and some got poured down the drain but that trial and error period has led them to be experts in the beer making field. They both fell into jobs that they didn’t like. Paul moved on to the exciting world of accountancy and Terry became a consultant in supported living. It happens to all of us, we all end up falling for the myth of security and in effect work to fund our own misery but just before it became too late, they left their jobs and never looked back. They started brewing in Terry’s house until his wife finally had enough of her kitchen covered in hops and the tipsy twosome arguing that they had to taste everything they sell. For quality control, of course. Once they had finally mastered the art, they decided to invest into space and turn it into a brewery. Looking back, they both agreed they wish they’d just flat out bought a brewery but there is something quite romantic about the brewery developing at the same rate as themselves. They are currently located on Love Lane after all.
In just a couple years, Paul and Terry have achieved more than they could have ever imagined. They have described it as sheer chaos from the start and although it hasn’t got easier, they themselves have got more efficient at what they do. They’ve always believed they are more than suits and have always believed in their product. This has led to them finding it impossible to keep up with demand as the best independents out there keep stocking them and you people keep drinking them. Every time we meet someone doing something pretty spectacular in Liverpool, we always like to ask them what does their project mean to them. If they could somehow summon their years of dedication in some form of synopsis, what would it be? Without a moment’s hesitation Paul interjected with: “we do nice things with nice people”. A mission statement worthy of mentioning. It completely echoed the vibe that the guys put across, they’re having so much fun with the journey and that is what makes it so special. Making great beer is all well and good but the process of getting up every morning at the crack of dawn and working until you sleep can quite easily feel like a job very soon but these guys love every day. They admit themselves that if they’d buried themselves under hops and yeast then maybe they’d be able to keep up with demand, perhaps have a bigger premises but it wouldn’t have been fun and they wouldn’t have been able to have dedicate as much time to projects such as the Craft Beer Expo.
Liverpool Craft Beer produce a whole host of beers, some of our favourites include: White Fox, Rye Ale and their extremely popular Love Lane Pale Ale. They trialled a new beer at the Craft Beer Expo which they will be releasing soon called “Zombie Apocalypse Emergency Plan”. The intrigue overwhelmed us and we had to find out the story behind it. Apparently they came across a manifesto from the US government which was a genuine plan for if the zombie apocalypse was to happen. They joked about what their plan would be and they both settled on getting royally drunk, so this 12% beast will sure do the trick. If you’ve built up a thirst reading this, you can grab yourself a frosty one at such locations as Kazimier, MelloMello, 23 Club, The Caledonia, Camp and Furnace and Constellations just to name a few. They’re moving to a larger premises soon and have plans to work alongside Mad Hatter Brewery as well as The Wapping Brewery to create some fantastic and unique beers. One coalition we approve of. Paul and Terry hope this is the start of a special movement in Liverpool and as long as they continue to do nice things with nice people, they’ll be here for the long run.
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