Brewday is tomorrow, it’s family day today, but I was thinking about why I was kicking off this whole project earlier and one of my early inspirations came to mind.

Way back in 2001, when I was a trainee journo on my local paper, I was lucky enough to be given the task of covering the last day of production at the local brewhouse, Mansfield Brewery.

Financial struggles and the decline of the brewing industry in the UK had led the the demise of this iconic local landmark, which had been a part of the landscape and very fabric of the former pit community for almost 150 years.

It was a sad day, but despite the emotion, it was also a fascinating experience, as I was walked through the entire process by the head brewer, before repairing to the brewery tap to sample one of the last pints of Mansfield on offer.

Mansfield has never been the same since that day. That distinctive smell of mashed hops, malt  and yeast no longer hangs in the air and a once-thriving business which provided employment for generations, is no more.

I’ve got a pdf of the article I wrote, as it appeared in print, and you can read it here.

It seems weird to read it again after so long, as I remember it like it was yesterday.

I can still remember the taste of the beautiful, bittersweet brew that day. If my own brew gets anywhere close to it, I’ll be a happy man!