Back at the start of summer 2019 Pellicle was invited up to the home of Fyne Ales in Cairndow, Scotland to host its “Meet the Brewer” series of panel talks at its annual festival, FyneFest. The magazine was a month old back then, and we had no idea how much time it would take us to actually run it, hence why these episodes are so long overdue to see the light of day.

We hope your patience has been worthwhile, however, because we held some fantastic discussions on topics ranging from independence, to the importance of cask ale, to how important banding is when it comes to building a legacy and more besides. There are five new episodes in total, which we’re publishing weekly from Monday June 15th. If you enjoyed these episodes or have any feedback then please head on over to our contact page to get in touch.

It was a terrible shame that—as with all mass gatherings—FyneFest had to be cancelled in 2020. We were due to head up once again to hold another series of panel discussions and were absolutely gutted when the event was finally called off. It goes without saying that FyneFest is one of the highlights of our year, and we can’t wait to be back in the Glen to host more talks in 2021, pint of Jarl in hand.

Until then, we hope you enjoy these episodes. Please stream or download direct on this site below or find us on streaming services such as Apple, Spotify and many others by searching for “The Pellicle Podcast.”

Ep9 — FyneFest 2019: The Joy of Cask

In this episode we debate about one of our favourite subjects—cask ale—and why it means so much to both British brewing traditions, and to modern beer culture. With guests Stuart Ross from Magic Rock, Laura Rangeley from Abbeydale, and Doreen Joy Barber from Cloudwater.

Ep10 — FyneFest 2019: Independence Matters

Independence is hugely important to us at Pellicle, but getting to the bottom of why it’s so important is challenging. On this panel we’re joined by Eddie Lofthouse, founder of Harbour Brewing in Cornwall, Matt Clarke, who at the time of this recording was the head brewer at Hawkshead Brewery in Cumbria, and Kevin Brooks, who at the time was working for US importer Shelton Brothers, but has recently left to set up his own company, Oasthouse Creative.

Ep11 — FyneFest 2019: Hybrid Theory

In this panel discussion we dig into the world of hybrid fermentations, discussing their potential, who their prospective audience is, and why they are oh so delicious. Featuring Jonny Mills of Mills Brewing, Derek Bates of Duration and our very own Jonny Hamilton, formerly head of Beavertown’s Tempus Project and now brewing at Newbarns Brewing in Leith.

Ep12 — FyneFest 2019: Crafting a Legacy

They say it takes at least 10 years to build a brand, and with many modern breweries focusing instead on limited releases and one-off beers, what are they building in terms of brand and identity? In this discussion we try to get to the bottom of this. I’m joined on this panel by three people who are highly invested in their brands: Tina Breslin, the illustrator behind the compelling cans from Manchester’s Wander Beyond, Andrew Mathews of Vibrant Forest Brewery, known for its equally vibrant artwork, and the lovely Iain Smith, marketing manager at Fyne Ales, who was the person kind enough to let us folks at Pellicle host these talks.

Ep13 — FyneFest 2019: Dropping Acid

It’s over to my partner in crime Jonathan Hamilton to host this, our final panel talk from FyneFest 2019. This discussion is all about spontaneous, mixed fermentation and wild ales—perhaps collectively better known, for better or worse, as “sours”. He’s joined on the panel by Andy Gibson, who at the time was working for BrewDog Overworks, Steven Smith-Hay from Vault City, Jim Rangeley of Abbeydale’s Funk Dungeon project, and Andrea Ladas, who helped establish the Origins project at Fyne Ales.