A MICROBREWERY that wants to bring innovative new ideas to Oxford has become the latest addition to the craft beer revolution.
The LAM brewery in Sandford-on-Thames currently operates out of a kitchen in the South Oxfordshire village but is planning a big expansion in the next year.
Founder Kurt Moxley wants his new business to introduce a new style of brewing that has not been seen here before and give drinkers a new range of full-flavoured beers to choose from.
Since starting brewing in October, he has been producing batches of 100 litres three times a week. But production will rise to about 1,600 litres when the company moves into a fully-operational brewery.
The 53-year-old, who runs LAM with his partner Nicky Brodie, said: “We want to do something a bit different.
“There are some breweries like us but we want to do something like The Five Points Brewing Company in London.
“They are doing really cutting-edge experimental beers that people can taste, which is completely different to beers like Foster’s.
“It is about breaking that British mentality of having 10 pints of weak lager and a curry.”
LAM, which stands for Laugh A Minute, currently brews three beers. Happily Nyk is a hoppy American IPA, Happily Amba is a modern take on a traditional English bitter and Happily Indian Summer is a light pale ale with a hint of coriander.
Mr Moxley said: “We were tasting the beers one night and some smart alec suggested we should add coriander to Indian Summer.
“So I went out and picked some from the garden and squeezed the leaf in and thought ‘that’s interesting’. Then we tried brewing it with coriander leaves and coriander seeds.
“We started off with seven beers and got people to sit around the dining room table and try them. We listened to their suggestions and narrowed it down to three.”
Mr Moxley and Ms Brodie are now on the hunt for somewhere to permanently base their brewery. At the moment their kitchen in Sandford has to be sterilised before all the equipment is brought in and brewing takes place. The equipment then needs to be dismantled and moved back to storage in the garden.
Mr Moxley is still working full time for the NHS commissioning mental health services but is set to take part in a crash course in microbrewing in Sunderland before embarking on a full-time job with LAM Brewing.
He first tried home brewing as a student and said he could barely believe he has made it to this stage.
He said: “It is a massive adventure and sometimes you sort of pinch yourself to make sure it is all really happening.”
* To find out more visit lambrewing.com
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