ONE of Yorkshire's best young breweries has just got bigger.
The tremendous Bad Co, in Dishforth, took delivery on Wednesday of their new equipment, shipped over from expert manufacturers in Canada.
Brewer Paul Holden-Ridgway is understandably delighted.
New equipment was installed on Wednesday
In the 20 months since he began brewing at Dishforth, he has won plaudits and fans by the barrel-load, through a succession of innovative and top-quality beers.
Now, he is eyeing greater success.
The new equipment will enable him and his team to greatly increase their output. It currently stands at around 60 brewers' barrels a week, but will rise quickly to 80 and then eventually to 180.
They are also acquiring new bottling machines, which will enable them to fill 2,800 bottles an hour, and they now have extra fermenters as well, which will enable brewing twice a day.
The simple consequence of all of that is that there should be more Bad Co beer reaching the bars, and it should be going further than ever before. Already, the company's reps have been in talks with some big pub chains, and with some exporters.
Writing on his website, Paul added: "This expansion comes at a time when new-wave brewing is becoming even more relevant in British society and with the new brew plant, we now have the opportunity to reach more drinkers across the UK and hopefully the world, which is pretty damn awesome!"
Paul says he hopes to brew the first beer on the new kit within three or four weeks, and expects to debut with a speciality brew rather than one of his mainstays. Later in the year, highlights to look out for will include an expanded range of oak-aged ales, including in Islay and Speyside whisky casks, and Madeira, bourbon and brandy casks.
If you want to know more, and are a social media enthusiast, then you may want to join the digital "meet the brewery" event Paul is hosting next Thursday.
From 9pm, he'll be fielding questions from drinkers and fans on twitter, using the hashtag #craftbeerhour
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SOME of you may recall that last week, I reported on a 63-year-old beer, which some friends and I had opened and drunk in aid of the York Flood Appeal. It's a tough job, etc....
Well you'll be glad to know you can now do your bit for victims without taking such risks.
Theakston's from Masham this week launched its Noah's Ark Ale, and will donate 10p for every pint sold to flood victims' appeals in Yorkshire, Cumbria and Scotland.
The first pints were pulled here in York on Thursday, at Plonkers in Cumberland Street, which itself was flooded last month.
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THE organisers of the York Bar Billiards league have launched a city-wide billiards and beer trail.
If you play a game and buy a pint in six of the league pubs, you can claim a free pint in the seventh.
Collect a booklet from any of the participating pubs and collect stamps as you go.
The pubs are:
- The Phoenix in George Street
- The Woolpack in Fawcett Street
- The Waggon and Horses in Lawrence Street
- The Fulford Arms in Fulford Road
- The Golden Ball in Cromwell Road
- The Knavesmire in Albemarle Road
- The York Brewery Tap in Toft Green
The booklet includes a map to help you find the pubs. It also includes a guide to the bar billiards rules, which many of us may well need more than the map.
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