Miami Weisse at The Tapped Brew Co

 What do you get when you cross American hops with a wheat beer? Miami Weisse of course, a 5.5 per cent American hopped wheat beer. Eighteen months in the making but really fifteen years coming The Sheffield Tap brew house is finally here and producing not only wheat beer but India pale ale, stout and quality session ale to boot.

All from the minds of The Tapped Brew Co the beer-volutionary next steps from The Sheffield Tap co-founders Jon Holdsworth and Jamie Hawksworth. Sheffield’s own newest copper shining brewpub in what was once the Edwardian dining room at Sheffield train station. The only working brewery in a railway station in the country.

Jon and Jamie were born just down the road from each other, one Dronfield, one Chesterfield, both studied structural engineering in Leeds only years apart; it wasn’t until 1998 their paths finally crossed while working at the same design consultancy. Some would say coincidence finally came a knocking, bringing together two like-minded individuals with a passion for a glass of the good stuff.

Jamie began exploring home brewing in his teenage years but after a visit to A&E through a ‘boiling wort’ incident his parents steered him onto a ‘proper job’ path. Fast forward fifteen years and it goes to prove brewing passion never wanes. Outside of their structural engineering careers Jamie and Jon have managed to fit in importing great Czech beer (Bernard), opened five pubs (York, London and Sheffield) and now their beer de resistance a brew house. Having a penchant for grade-listed buildings hasn’t made the journey easy but definitely an interesting one for the co-founders.

Pivni, a world beer freehouse in York, was their first foray into Tudor restoration and required sign off from senior government officials due to its Grade II star listing status. The Edwardian dining rooms in Sheffield seem a drop in the grade-listing ocean in comparison. On the other hand as you walk into the splendour of the sky lit room with neck achingly high ceilings, grand ceiling to floor mirrors, Edwardian drop chandeliers and a hefty shinning copper-clad mash tun and brew kettle, the accomplishment seems unbelievable. Installing the kit was a mean feat unto itself. You can only imagine standing on platform 2 witnessing an arched 10 feet high glass windowed door being carefully removed whilst a large circular mash tun was carried up the platform 1B entering the new hole in the wall.

Inspired by Czech brewpubs and a love of British ales The Tapped Brew Co began brewing beer in late February of this year. With four house brews currently rotating in availability these include Bramling golden ale (using Bramling Cross hops), Bullet IPA, Miami Weisse wheat beer and Liberty treacle stout. Jamie, on head brewing duty, has a clear ethos of using quality ingredients and with a number of cuckoo brews under his belt with like-minded breweries such as Ilkley, Brewdog, Thornbridge and Sunny Republic you know you’ll be in for a treat.

Selling 3,000 pints alone on a usual Saturday means brewing twice a week will only quench the thirsts of the fortunate few punters that pass through, so a regular trip to the Tap is a must. The ‘brew room’ will be offering table service on Friday and Saturdays so you can fully marvel at the working equipment on show without interruption. Already having their first wedding party booked in you may even have to jostle the bride out of the way to ensure your taste buds sample Tapped Brew Co beer!

Follow @TappedBrewCo to keep up to date on all beery happenings.

 

Published in Exposed Magzine March 2013