A plan for all seasons
Norfolk boasts some of the best barley and the best golden ale in Britain. But the county’s Iceni Brewery is offering much
more. Nigel Huddleston reports
If the alchemist’s art was to turn base metals into gold, then the modern brewing equivalent seems to be the desire of brewmasters to turn hops and barley into golden ales.
But if you’re tiring of barrel-detectable shades of amber in your pint glass then the Iceni Brewery in the English country of Norfolk could have something for you.
Sure enough, Iceni has three beers with ‘gold’ in the title on its list, but it also has 12 other ales, three fruit beers, a pair each of milds, porters and stouts, plus a clutch of other uncategorised dark beers. Oh yes, and don’t forget the brewery’s Norfolk lager.
In all, if you visit the brewery’s own shop – or friendly retailers such as The Real Ale Shop at Branthill Farm in Norfolk or Real Ale in Twickenham – there are anything between 30 or 40 bottleconditioned Iceni brews on the go at any one time.
The proliferation of brews seems to be some sort of reaction to founder Brendan Moore’s early life near Lurgan in Northern Ireland, where the choice as between Guinness and Guinness.
Moore says: “When I first came to England I wondered what all the fuss was about.
“Everybody’s tastes are different, and you need to cater to as many of those as you can. Also, selling at farmer’s markets in Norfolk, a lot of the people who shop there are women, so things like the fruit beers appeal to them as well.” Moore describes the style of Red, White & Blueberry, Raspberry Wheat and Cranberry Wheat SPOTLIGHT | Iceni Brewery Issue 6 • Beers of the World.....
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By Nigel Huddleston
Section : Spotlight
Page number : 43
