Worksop & Retford - One in the wood

Nottinghamshire has a long history of brewing which reached a nadir just after the turn of the Millenium by which time, after 50 years of mergers and acquisitions, only one brewery remained in the county. Since then dozens of new breweries have been established – ranging from fairly large commercial ventures to micro breweries serving just one tap.

Traditionally, what made Nottinghamshire distinct in terms of brewing was its unique water, hops and yeast. The North Clay hops grown in Nottinghamshire were famously bitter and suited to producing strong beers that kept well. Tastes changed, however, and demand for North Clay hops declined and they were replaced by the milder varieties from Kent. A testament to their widespread cultivation in Nottinghamshire is that hops can still be found growing wild in hedgerows, gardens and woods, even though they are no longer commercially cultivated.

The Nottinghamshire area can be split into two brewing regions:

South and West Nottinghamshire, which corresponds to the areas of Nottingham, Mansfield, Ashfield, Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe.
North and Mid Nottinghamshire, which corresponds to the areas of Bassetlaw, Newark & Sherwood.