WREXHAM has a long and proud connection with the brewing industry.
Yet when the last of the breweries, that of the famous lager that bore the town’s name, closed a decade ago it seemed the tradition may have left the area for ever.
Not so. There are now a number of breweries going strong in the county – these include the well-known Plassey brewery, the Sandstone brewery and the Jolly Brewer, both run by real ale aficionado Penny Coles; and the newest micro-brewery McGivern Ales.
Matt McGivern is the latest to turn his hand to the traditional art of brewing during this real ale renaissance.
The Leader caught up with him and his father Peter in front of a roaring log fire at their family-run pub, The Bridge End in Ruabon, itself a shrine to the area’s brewing past with local “breweryana” adorning the walls.
“There has been a resurgence in brewing in Wrexham recently,” Matt agreed.
“The beer from ’round here has been going far and wide and there are a few really good places which are promoting real ale in Wrexham.”
Peter added that some of the bigger breweries are seeing the potential of real ale as well. “I’ve heard that Hydes are very supportive of their landlords when it comes to bringing in good ales.”
Real ale has certainly shaken off its “stuffy” image in recent years and these days your typical ale appreciaters are being joined by more and more youngsters who are opting for the flavour and variety of traditional beers over lager.
Matt is still only 29, but has been involved in brewing beer for several years.
“I’ve always been interested in real ale,” he explained. “I started drinking it at uni when I was 18 or 19.
“Then during the summer holidays I started working for Penny (Coles) at the Jolly Brewer.
“She taught me how to brew and after I finished uni I came back and worked for Penny for a year and a half, then I decided, with her encouragement, to start doing it on my own.
“My first brew was March 1, 2008, St David’s Day.”
These days Matt brews almost exclusively for the family pub save for the occasional barrel which goes to a beer festival somewhere.
There is a great demand for his wares which are sold alongside other good ales made locally and from around the country, and people come from all over the country to drink at the pub.
“To begin with there were a handful of pubs locally that really helped me,” he recalled.
“The Mill, Trevor Isaf; The Brunning and Price pubs like the Pant Yr Ochain near Wrexham; the Cross Lanes in Marchwiel; and The Rose and Crown in Graianrhyd. I also brewed a beer especially for The Swan in Pontfadog.
“But since March of this year I’ve only been brewing beer for here and the odd beer festival around the country.”
Matt explained the demand for McGivern Ales in their own pub is such that he simply doesn’t have the capacity to sell elsewhere.
With one of Matt’s own ales and a selection of five others and a stout or porter on at any one time they have been selling as many kegs of their main sellers as a “lager pub” would expect to sell of their main product on a busy week.
Matt and Peter, like some 100,000 other real ale fans around the country, are members of CAMRA, (Campaign for Real Ale) and like-minded people will often travel a great distance to sample a few pints in The Bridge End and other real ale pubs in the area.
Peter said:“People from all over the place – Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire – regularly make the trip up here just for the beer.”
Real ale fans should look out for Matt’s ales alongside other products from the region’s new generation of breweries at the next Wrexham Beer Festival which will be held at Gresford Colliery Club on February 26 and 27, 2010.