The brewery: Sunbeam Ales.
Where is it?: In the garage of a house in Rodley, north-west Leeds.
The story: Nigel Poustie set up Sunbeam Ales as a registered brewery in 2012, after a few years of very successful home brewing. He had won three rosettes at the 2011 National Homebrewing Competition, which led demand from much further afield and persuaded him to take the leap. The brewery is named after Sunbeam Terrace in Leeds, where he previously lived, and is one of Yorkshire’s smallest, shoehorned into Nigel’s garage. Many of the beer names follow a loose weather-related theme and the pump-clips and labels are designed by Nigel’s wife Faye, an artist and illustrator.
The beers: Nigel brews once a week. There are no permanent core beers, but there’s a range of about 14 that he tends to rotate through. They include Sun-Kissed (a pale ale), After The Rain (English bitter), Thunder Road (plum porter), Foggy Morning (wheat beer), Chocolate Mild, and Eclipse (a stout infused with orange peel and coffee). Regular outlets include Jacob’s in Bradford. Beers fairly often make it to Nigel’s native York as well, at The Maltings or Shambles Tavern.
Can I visit?: No – it’s much too small for that unfortunately.
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