no. 023 | Azvex
Azvex’s Adam Henderson’s beer journey started with home brewing, and has seen him setting up and founding not one, but two breweries in eight years.
Adam started homebrewing as a hobby in 2018, after being inspired by some of the amazing beers he tasted on his travels around the world. He soon realised that he wanted to turn his hobby into a career and with a background in mechanical engineering, he had set out with one goal: to deliver the best quality beer he is capable of. So with the help of his wife, Dominique, he set out to create Azvex from the ground up.
Having built his original brewery concept, Neon Raptor Brewing Company, in 2015, the pandemic allowed Adam an opportunity to take a step back and really think about what he wanted from his passion, and that was freedom. He needed a change and so, after some soul searching, research and two years of planning, he set out on his own Azvex came to be in 2020.
Once the business was set-up and Adam had selected his hardware, he and Dominique were able to plan better, with expansion and growth baked in from the outset. One of the last things to choose was the brewery’s location, which needed to check a few boxes to meet Henderson’s vision: access for the public to visit the taproom; HGV accessibility for trade; robust electrical requirements that could handle the chosen machinery — the list was long. A large warehouse space on the northern edge of Liverpool perfectly for the bill. “The hardest part was convincing my family to move there”, he jokes.
One of the many benefits of having a second crack at a brewery is the opportunity for increased clarity. Adam knew exactly what he wanted to do, from the beers and the brewery space, through to the ethos underpinning it all. A big part of that ethos has been on fostering a sense of openness and transparency, and giving back to the home brewing community that helped him to where he is. This includes a blog that provides a wealth of knowledge on the costs, permissions, leadtimes, mandatories and nice-to-haves associated with setting up a brewery from scratch. It’s become a real treasure trove for any aspiring commercial brewer.
His large 4 vessel kit allows Adam to bring bags of flavour into each of his Pale Ales and IPA’s, but also provides him with the versatility to produce a truly braid range of beers, from big dark imperial stouts to fruited goses. We hope you enjoy our selections and the fruits of Adam’s labour.