Brewing in New Mills, Derbyshire, UK since 2015, the brewery was established by three long standing homebrewers Chris, Nick and Peter.

Excited by the sheer range of beer on the market, the result of a massive growth in UK brewing in the previous decade and an increasing availability of range and styles imported from the USA and Europe, the three decided to turn their beer obsession into commercial brewing.

Taking its name from the 70-foot-deep gorge which dominates the topography of New Mills, The Torrs, the brewery can be found at the marina opposite New Mills’ second landmark: the Swizzels factory.

The three brewers continue to stick to their original philosophy: to brew beer which is of interest to them and believe that drinkers will appreciate what they do and produce. It’s a philosophy that has seen the production of their experimental beer series, Monster’s Laboratory, in addition to their love of smoked, imperial and hopped beers.

This has given rise to favourites such as I’m Spartacus, a highly rated American IPA, Fire Damage, a Rauchbier inspired by the classics of Bamburg, seasonal interpretations such as Grubby Bastard, a chocolatey smoky winter beer, and a growing range of special barrel aged beers as part of their Dogs of War and Cats of Chaos series.

Without a doubt, the current pandemic has changed a few things for Torrside. Fewer casks and kegs and more bottle output, surviving by delivering direct to individual customers rather than servicing the hospitality industry; but show me a brewery which hasn’t had to change in this way.

What has really affected Torrside Brewing is the social side – the meeting of like-minded beer connoisseurs engaging with the three brewers at brewery open weekends and at the annual Smokefest.

They believe that Smokefest, normally held in November, is the world’s only 100% smoked beer festival. It brings together Torrside’s own collection of rauchbiers, beech smoked, oak smoked and peat smoked, along with a selection of guest smoked beers – including, usually, one from Schlenkerla! We’re looking forward to the next Smokefest.

Torrside Brewing is one of our great local heroes. Innovative, inspirational, built on great values and capable of taking classic beer styles and reinterpreting them with hopped and smoked vigour.

Launched just weeks before the first lockdown in March 2020 and borne out demand for his bottle-conditioned home brewed beer, Adrian Porteous has created something of a stir in the village of Chinley, Derbyshire.

Taking water, and the brewery’s name, from the spring which rises just below the Big Stone in the heart of the Peak District, Big Stone Beer has produced a variety of easy-drinking styles including core beers such as Downfall, a vibrant and hoppy Chinley Pale Ale, Rough Rock, a best bitter, and Kinder Stout, a SIBA award-winning full-bodied bitter stout.

As well as the name of the brewery, all of the beers are named after local landmarks and features. Downfall is a waterfall on the edge of the Kinder plateau and Kinder Stout needs no explanation to locals and visitors to Chinley and New Mills – at 2,087 feet Kinder Scout is the highest point in the Peak District and broods majestically over the local towns and villages.

More recently, Adrian has added to his range of craft beers to include: a West Pennine (read West Coast) IPA, Mount Famine; a ginger snap pale ale, The Naze; seasonal blackberry, gooseberry and rhubarb variants using foraged and home grown ingredients; and a quaffable blond ale, White Rakes.

So have successive lockdowns and the coronavirus adversely affected Big Stone Brewing? The definitive answer is NO. Big Stone is thriving. Not only is it enjoying commercial success – both in bottle and cask sales – but it is also finding recognition from the Society of Independent Brewers, a Silver medal was awarded to Kinder Stout in the 2020 Midlands regional awards.

Adrian is one of our beer heroes: a brewer who can craft great beers which not only reflect their local surroundings but also contain ingredients of superb provenance. These vegan friendly beers brilliantly provide a taste of the Peak District.

Readers of CAMRA’s Spring 2021 edition of BEER magazine will have spotted Matthew Curtis’ article Joy Division on Macclesfield as a beer destination.

Heavily featured in it, and deservedly so, is the RedWillow Brewery. Founded in 2010 by Toby and Caroline McKenzie, the brewery has gone from strength to strength. Like many people, we first discovered RedWillow thanks to their Tilting Ale, a 4.1% APA which was first produced for Virgin Trains in 2013 who then ran the West Coast InterCity franchise.

By 2015 RedWillow needed to move into a brand new purpose-built brewery and were producing around 80 barrels per week. A new canning line the following year doubled their canning capacity.

Commercial success, they also operate bars in Macclesfield and Buxton, has crucially been matched by critical achievement: RedWillow has achieved recognition in both the national and regional Society of Independent Brewers awards: a national Silver for Wreckless in 2020; national Silvers for Weightless and Wreckless in 2019 and a national Gold for Shameless in the same year.

With an exceptional range of beers, superb reviews and scores on sites such as Rate Beer, particularly for individual beer styles, it is no surprise that RedWillow Brewery has become one of our local beer heroes.

Yes, Macclesfield is on the Cheshire side of the Peak District but you will always find an ever expanding selection of RedWillow beers on sale at The Cheese Wheel (in Derbyshire!). Why? Reliable beer and innovative styles underpinned by high standards of production values.