Another local brewery founded in 1994. Congleton in Cheshire has links to brewing going back to 1272. Two of the local senior officers of the town at the time were known as the AleTaster and Bear Warden, hence the name of the brewery.The Ale Taster was employed to ensure that all the ales produced in the local "ale shoppes" was of a drinkable quality, and the Bear Warden had the task of producing a fighting bear for the various fairs and celebrations that took place within the town. Kodiak Gold is well balanced, straw coloured and very drinkable with a citrus fruit and hops aroma. It has a sharp, bitter, clean aftertaste, and is a favourite of unkempt strangers clutching well thumbed copies of the Good Beer Guide and nodding knowingly to themselves.

Twelve beer enthusiasts from around the company worked with Tony Allen of Phoenix Brewery developing our own cask ale over a period of seven months. This version - brew No. 8 - was the one we were finally happy to put our name to. It was an arduous process, but we were prepared to make the personal sacrifice for the good of the cause.

Brewed using East Kent Golding hops with a touch of American Mount Hood hops for aroma, this has been fermented using a Timothy Taylor derived yeast. Tony used predominantly Maris Otter malts with a small amount of Crystal to give colour and body, and the water is sourced from Ullswater as it is particularly pure and soft.

This beer has a gentle and pleasant aroma with a fine dark gold/amber colour and a good creamy head that clings down the glass. Taste wise, this has a malty, fruity sweetness and a long, rounded but refreshingly dry finish.

Wincle was founded in 2008 and is named after the picturesque east Cheshire village famous for the Ship Inn and, it would appear, Sir Philip Brocklehurst. Their ‘eccentric English ales’ are named after characters around the parish – both dead and alive. So this ale is in memory of local toff Sir Phil of Swythanley Hall. It is, obviously, a well bred premium amber coloured bitter. Light sweet biscuity malt notes marry with traditional English Fuggles and Challenger hops to produce very smooth drinking ale with fruit on the nose and a full, creamy, mouth feel ending, a touch of fruit and a crispy bitterness. Sir Philip was an 'adventurer' who travelled to the Antarctic on one of Shackleton’s expeditions. Had this been around then, it would have been well worth surviving for. When this arrives at the Hand and Trumpet the adventurous fans are just happy to survive the night.