Nuneaton & Bedworth

Campaign for Real Ale

Hook Norton Brewery visit & tour

Saturday 26 October 2019

Hook Norton Brewery Visit & Tour


The iconic, Victorian 5-storey tower brewery. Established in 1840 is unique and one of the few, if not the last, family owned breweries of its kind.

Brewery Shire Horses

The brewery owns several shire horses which are in regular use for local deliveries and public events.

The Brewery

Water is extracted from a nearby borehole by a 1899 Buxton & Thornley steam engine and two pumps. These provided all the power for the whole brewery until it became uneconomical to run them on a daily basis. However, they can still be seen in full working glory on the first Saturday of every month.

Brewing Process


The heart of every brewery, Malt, Mash Tuns and Copper.

Modernisation

Historically, cooling was done in the open air, with a huge copper tank on the highest level of the brewery. However, due to natural yeasts in the air and other airborne unwanted ingredients (flies, bugs and the occasional droppings from birds roosting in the roof structure) it was decided that the installation of a modern, stainless steel heat exchanger should be installed.

Tasting Room
The final stage of the tour, and everyones favourite … The tasting room, located in one of the cellars below the brewery.


Hooky, Hooky Gold, Old Hooky, Flagship (seasonal) and Baby Dubbel (brewed with Belgian yeast)

For an illustrated guide to the Hook Norton brewing process visit: http://www.hooky.co.uk/our-beers/brewing-process