Exciting developments are brewing around Huddersfield breweries

THE new year is looking bright for Huddersfield beer connoisseurs.

Breweries in and around Huddersfield are busy making plans for 2017, from showcasing their ales at new events to expansions and bottle shops.

We caught up with four big names to see what the new year had in store for them. ■■Rat Brewery

Situated in Chapel Hill on the edge of the town centre, the Rat and Ratchet pub boasts five years of producing rodentthemed beers.

Head brewer Paul Spencer hopes for a busy year and spoke about some of the exciting prospects that lie ahead.

He said: “We’re attending a four-day beer festival in London called Craft Beer Rising to exhibit some of our products in February. We’re hoping the journey will gain us some exposure.”

Supplying pubs and bars since 2008, Mallinsons has played a key role in Huddersfield’s real ale consumption for some time, and now has a town centre taproom, The Corner.

Owner Tara Mallinson said: “We’re hoping to get some events organised this year as well as feature at the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival.”

She added: “The brewery has just bought a new fermenting vessel that will enable us to brew four tanks a week instead

Magic Rock’s first brew, Cannonball IPA, marked their sudden arrival onto the craft ale scene in May 2011. Since then, the award-winning brewery has gone on to prove itself as one of Yorkshire’s most revered craft ale companies.

Big Dipper, Hypnotist and Ringmaster are just a few of the curious names that illustrate the taps within the Magic Rock Taproom.

Owner Richard Burhouse spoke enthustastically about plans to expand the taproom’s selection.

He said: “We’re going to expand from three casks and nine kegs to five casks and 10 kegs and from February, we’re going to start opening on Tuesdays.

“Apart from that, all our other efforts are going into continuing to invest in production improvements across the board.”

Situated amongst the rolling hills of Slaithwaite, Empire has been producing top-of-therange ales for over a decade.

Head brewer Russell Beverley said: “Empire has recently bought a new bottling plant which will allow us to bottle beers for six other breweries as well as ourselves.

“We’ll also be opening a shop within the brewery where we’ll sell our own products and beers and ales of other breweries who we are bottling for.”

Empire will feature at this year’s Saltaire Beer Festival and the Manchester Winter Beer Festival.