Northern Irish brewer sets up Ireland's first Homebrew Academy

Craft brewer Walled City Brewing is to set up the first-ever Homebrew Academy in Northern Ireland.

The new academy is the brainchild of James Huey, the founder of Walled City Brewing in Derry, where it will also be located. The Homebrew Academy is aimed to promote and support the growth of craft brewing in Northern Ireland. He aims to have the doors of the academy open in January.

The academy Academy will offer intensive one-day boot-camps run by Mr Huey, a Masterbrewer. The course will cover all aspects of brewing including the selection of hope. Each participant will receive a 'Graduation Certificate' with a gallon of their very own brew!

Commenting on the initiative, Mr Huey says: "In the past five years there has been an unprecedented shift in the national beer market away from large, multinational, macro beers to a vast array of locally crafted beers, offering the consumer a wider choice of flavours with quality and provenance.

"With that, the ancient craft of home-brewing is fizzing with popularity. Kitchens and garages all over the country have bubbling fermentations, with even President Obama brewing his very own White House Honey Ale!

"We're incredibly excited about the launch of the Homebrew Academy at the Walled City Brewery and we're amazed at the phenomenal rise in interest from people eager to brew their own beer! On graduating from the Homebrew Academy, each student will have the knowledge to brew amazing craft beers in their own homes and share it with friends and family. Or just keep it to themselves!"

Northern Ireland now has around 40 craft breweries operating in most parts of the region, a number of which are already selling beers, ales and stouts in Britain, the Republic of Ireland and further afield. One of the microbreweries, Knockout Brewing in Belfast recently launched Northern Ireland's first craft beer in cans.

He previously worked as a technical manager in the brewing industry in Dublin and Dundalk over 12 years. In May 2015, he established Walled City Brewing, the first craft brewery in the Derry city centre for over 100 years.