Female brewer 'wild' about craft beers


Alex Tennant is Northern Ireland's first female craft brewer. She's the owner of the new Belfast Brewing Company, the first craft business to develop a range of 'wild' beers using natural ingredients such as elderflowers, blackberries, gorse and heather.



She hopes the innovative beers will appeal particularly to women concerned about the provenance of their food and drink.



Her focus on 'wild' beers has been sharpened by trends in the US and Europe and her own market research into what's currently available here. Her brewery is the first in Belfast for over a century. In addition to beers using 'wild' ingredients, she is developing a German-style wheat beer (Witbier) and a unique smoked porter.



The city once had a thriving brewing industry…and did many other towns across Northern Ireland until being swept aside by a tide of mass-produced beers. Craft beers are now among the fastest growing beverage.



The ABV will vary by style from around 4.5% for the Witbier to around 8% for the smoked porter. She plans eventually to brew stronger beers too - higher ABV can lend itself well to pairing with food, which she will be promoting. The beers will be available in 330ml bottles.



Mrs Tennant, a mother of one from east Belfast with a background in senior management, believes there's scope for seasonal brews particularly to compliment meals. She has her sights set on capturing the imagination of the city's dynamic and innovative restaurateurs and has plans to expand outside Northern nreland.



"I believe the emphasis on food pairing, the range of styles brewed, and an exciting and unique brand will appeal to the sector which has recently been recognised as the greatest untapped market for beer: women drinkers," she says.



"I have conducted market research with two groups: local male young professionals with an interest in new, quality beers, and women who would rarely drink beer. This has confirmed the quality of, and demand for, the recipes I have developed," she adds.



She's among a developing cluster of artisan brewers reinventing beer especially in rural communities across Northern Ireland, offering a refreshing alternative to mass-produced drinks.



They are refreshing a tradition that stretches back centuries to when most towns and many villages in the north of Ireland had at least one decent brewery. The brewers are another manifestation of enterprise and innovation in the region's vibrant agri-food industry.