I think it is safe to say, we are starting off on a journey. The worrying thing is none of us have any idea how long the journey is going to be, nor do we know what the terrain is going to be like......and John hasn't packed any sensible shoes. Nevertheless, as with the great adventurers before us, it is always useful to keep a diary; brewery team Our Story....so far And so it began... Well, here we are, at the start of our training course, keen to learn all about the ancient art of brewing. You can tell that it is the start of our training, because we are all smiling and all look appreciative of each others company. This is probably the right place to thank our trainers for their patience and support during our time together. Thank you to all at Brewlab in Sunderland; you are partly responsible for whatever happens in the future... brewery batch Putting the theory into practice... Not much point in resting upon our laurels. After training, it was time to start brewing. A period of recipe development follows. Getting the right mix of hops and barley is not easy. After much heart-ache and tweaking, the first batch of our wonderful Golden Ale is ready. Its presented to discerning knowledgable folk brave enough to try it and to provide honest review. Here we are with Andrew (on the right) at the Seaview Hotel in John o' Groats; he looks happy with it -doesn't he? brewery From tiny acorns... We still needed a site for the brewery though. Handily enough, the John o' Groats fire brigade moved to a smart new residence, leaving their old quarters empty - time for a new owner to move in. We started out with a small-scale (very small-scale) brewery in the old fire station. Using this kit, we spent many a lonely evening mixing together the perfect combination of barley, hops and (of course), that beautiful, pure Highland water to produce great beer recipes. Time to get it to the pubs!! brewery delivery Time to Grow... Recipes complete, its on with getting a brewery large enough to supply beer to the local area. Our 4BBL brewery brews around 650 litres of ale, per batch. Delivered early in December 2015 in a moment of glorious sunshine (gotta be a good sign); we wasted no time in putting it to good use. No rest for the wicked; within hours of its installation we went to work on our first brew. new brewery And off we go.... So here we are with John firing in the hops to the kettle; working his concoction magic. Enjoy it while it lasts, John. You wont be smiling so much when you have to scrub it clean later. The aromas filling the brewery at this stage of the process are brilliant. hops in kettle casking at brewery Fast forward a bit. Fermentation complete. Got to give the beer time for those flavours to mature. Here's Allan putting the last stopper in the casks. Then its off to the pubs with it.... Onwards.... So here we are, at the start(ish) of what we hope will be a long and enjoyable journey. We hope you all can join us along the way, sampling our ales and watching the brewery develop. Thank you to all who have expressed their support so far; especially those who have helped us out. All the best... from the John o' Groats brewery team