Peerless Brewery has been in operation for a while in terms of the current climate, although 2009 doesn’t seem too long ago; though the brewery is pretty much a stalwart of the beer scene in Liverpool and on the Wirral Peninsula. Currently they are most known for producing very solid cask beers such as Full Whack, Viking Gold and their Oatmeal Stout, along with supplying a few choice locations with their bottled wares. Peerless, run by native Cumbrian Steve Briscoe, is located on the premises of the original Birkenhead Brewery (the strapline of which was also from where Peerless drew inspiration for its moniker), has now increased its brewery capacity to effectively double the output from existing kit to a 30 barrel plant. Though it did take three attempts to break the bottle on a brewing tank, the plant is now most likely operation and the expansion open for brewing! Peerless has received numerous awards from SIBA (Society for Independent Brewers) for its beers, including two recent gold medals. Indeed, the brewery performed quite solidly at the last Battle of the Breweries event in late 2014, with very positive feedback coming in about both the Oatmeal Stout and the RIOTS (although at the time, this was a first batch, kindly provided by Steve for getting feedback – the latest iterations are very accomplished and enjoyable complex stouts). For one evening, Steve opened the doors to invite guests along to inspect the new kit, share some food and drink matching (for those who a regulars on this blog, they will appreciate this was a pleasing aspect of the event for me) and listen to beer writer Roger Protz talk them through some of the beers tasted on the evening. Those who are interested in the specifications of the new kit, the brewery website has a blog which covers the new items of kit that have been installed [http://www.peerlessbrewing.co.uk/article/19/peerless-doubles-in-size]. The presentation and presence of Roger Protz was testament to the hard work undertaken by the team at Peerless under Steve’s supervision; fingers crossed they continue with this ethic with the new brews they’ll output in the near future. The bulk of Roger Protz’s talk focused on the make up of each of the Peerless beers drunk, along with a foreword on the growth of the brewing industry in the UK amongst the growth internationally. There was also a reinforcing word on the reputation of beer which whilst steadily improving, is still on the back foot compared to wine (at least in the mainstream media). I won’t wax lyrical any more on this matter here, as I have already covered my rallying cry on the matter in a previous edition of this blog. Peerless beers are becoming ever more visible in Liverpool and the wider area, having been most conspicuous in Wetherspoons pubs on the Wirral, but places like Tithebarn Street’s James Monro for cask and the Londis on Penny Lane, Mossley Hill for bottles are becoming more frequent – and with the expansion perhaps moreso in the future. Steve seems to be very happy with the expansion, with little concern for finding the ever-competitive market for his beers. For a full spectrum of their brews, the best option is to attend either a brewery tour, or to visit the brewery premises for one of their ‘Thirsty Thursday’ events. Details for both of these are present on the website. Until next time! Pedro. ---------------------------------------------------------- Peerless Brewing Company 8 Pool Street Birkenhead CH41 3NL Tel: 0151 647 7688 Email: [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeerlessSteve Roger Protz Roger is a journalist, writer and campaigner. He has edited the Good Beer Guide since 2000 and also edited the same publication during the early 1980s. Web: http://protzonbeer.co.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogerprotzbeer
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