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The special guest barman and Lorraine Beverley, of Empire
Empire Part Two
On Saturday I paid a very enjoyable visit to Empire Brewing Company in Slaithwaite.
The brewery's do had a two-fold function: it launched their new look and was also part of The Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival
The Canal side based business held brewery tours and had a pop up bar, which showed off its new livery.
Gone is the old British soldier and the Union Jack, and in its stead are blue badges with multi-coloured but easy to read type.
I was told the redesign, by Aye Creative, is aimed at making the brewery's ales more appealing to craft-type bars, particularly those in Manchester.
Empire's old clips
A familiar face behind the bar, who hails from Hull, tipped me about their new beer, Smoking Pistol, 4.3%. The clip says it is "a pale ale (with) tropical hop punch thanks to amples of citra & galaxy hops".
It was a very pleasant and easy-drinking beer. One led to another. I later complimented head brewer Russ Beverley on his creation, as he gave me the lowdown on Empire's ten-year history.
That subject has been well covered in the Examiner recently, so I won't rehearse here at length again. It's enough to say that it is very much a family affair, with Russ's wife Lorraine, playing a very active role in the smooth running of the business.
Lorraine was busy at the pop up bar on Saturday, which pulled in plenty of people who were walking along the canal or in Slaithwaite for the Moonraking do.
As I left, I saw the festival organisers getting the lanterns ready for the procession along the canal. But the Bloke from Hull, who witnessed the spectacle, later informed me it was a fabulous sight.
Let's hope it bodes well for Empire's new look and aspirations.
Good luck to Russ and Lorraine, and here's to the next decade.
Part one of our Empire posts can be found by clicking here


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