At our December meeting a talk was given by Martin Warren on the history, and his experiences, of micro-brewing. In the early 1960s home brewing became legal providing the person doing it was over 18 years of age.
Resulting from cut-backs by the NCC his position as a Museum Curator was made redundant, and from his interest and enthusiasm for brewing, he decided to find out all he could. He found people involved in brewing were very helpful with their advice and also with the equipment that some were prepared to loan or give.
He developed a friendship with Brendon of the Iceni Brewery who gave much help and advice- e.g. do not make too much (less beer, better brewing) and the best beer making barley was grown in Norfolk. Martin attended meeting on the continent (Brussels, Holland, Italy and in 2010 he attended a beer making course in Sunderland.
Martin had problems finding premises in which to brew. One idea was to find a place in the country with out-buildings. He did not really want to leave his home to which he had become very attached. One reason was that Winston Churchill had stayed there as a boy, a good story to base around beer! He was in despair of finding anywhere suitable and then, almost opposite his home in Cromer, he noticed that Allens Garages had been sold for redevelopment. He contacted the owner, obtained the keys and looked inside. It seemed as if he was in a time warp. The smell of years of oil grease, fuel, rust and grime, it felt, was just what he had been searching for. His company name, 'Ales Gas and Lager' formed itself when he saw the opportunity to rearrange the letters of Allens Garages on the fascia of the building!
Unfortunately just as things were getting under way his wife was incapacitated, so little work was done in the brewery during the summer of 2011. Renovation work was completed early in 2013.
Martin is constantly searching for new recipes. Being a small business he brews small batches of different beer all the time, creating many flavours, often using wild hops from Norfolk hedgerows identified from Google Earth Streetview images. After the talk members were able to sample varied special local brews and make purchases to take home.
John Clarke