no. 002 | Beak
Beak Brewery began life without a home. Originally a nomadic brewery, they’ve now found permanent residence in Lewes, Sussex.
Enthusiastic about experimenting with and creating delicious beers, Beak’s self-taught founder Danny Tapper started home brewing in 2012, inspired in part by the artisan producers he was interviewing in the UK, Europe and US in his day job as a food and drink writer.
As he found himself selling the results to friends and family, he continuted to scale up until his home simply wasn’t big enough. He therefore turned to friends in already-established breweries – familiar names like Beavertown, Burning Sky and Northern Monk – and was able to commandeer small sections of their equipment to brew Beak’s seasonally-inspired beer.
Travelling up and down the country to both create and then to distribute his beers to a growing number of customers, it’s plain to see how this nomadic approach to making beer gets its name. Also known as gypsy or cuckoo brewing, nomadic breweries tend not to have much, if any, of their own equipment or their own premises. Instead, they utilise the equipment of other breweries to brew their beers. Not only does this help keep their costs down during the early stages of setting up (brewing apparatus is, after all, incredibly expensive); it also means that their beers tend to be short-run, limited affairs.
This limited run approach is something that remains fundamental to Beak's approach.
"It keeps us on our toes", Danny explains. "Doing it like this allows us to explore new styles and techniques. We like change and progression here at Beak!".
In 2020, Daniel and Beak Brewery made a permanent home for themselves in Lewes, East Sussex. Here they have a 15-barrel brewery and taproom that focuses on combining traditional brewing methods with exceptional flavour. Using quality hops, Danny and Head Brewer Robin are focused on showcasing the inherent flavour profiles of the hops they use. Uninterested in “wacky styles”, their ambition is to “explore new styles and techniques”, and create layered and elegant beers that pair perfectly with food.
"It's the perfect blend of science, art and logistics – plus nothing beats the feeling of watching somebody enjoying a glass of your own creation".