The owners of Windsor and Maidenhead’s multi-award winning craft beer business A Hoppy Place have announced they are to launch a brewery.
An illustration of the proposed Indie Rabble Brewing Co
Working with Alex Rowlands as head brewer and Alison Steele on operations and scheduling, co-owner Naomi Hayward will be the creative lead and husband Dave will be sales, marketing, and technical lead.
Alex brings ten years of brewing experience at Windsor & Eton, Thornbridge Brewery, and Phantom Brewing Co to the project, Indie Rabble Brewing Co, in what is quickly becoming the ‘West Windsor Beer Mile’.
A short walk from Windsor & Eton Brewery, the new venture neighbours recent start-up Two Flints Brewery and is just five minutes on foot from Windsor’s 2022 gold and silver winning pubs, according to Slough, Windsor, and Maidenhead CAMRA: A Hoppy Place and The Windsor Trooper, respectively.
The brewery will use a new Elite Stainless Fabrications electric-powered 20-hectolitre brewhouse, paired with Gravity Systems fermenting vessels, to produce a range of beer, with special attention paid to German-influenced lager, hazy and bright pale ales, kettle sours, and stouts. While a faultless execution is critical to beer sommelier and lead SIBA judge Dave, expect plenty of experimentation, too.
The name Indie Rabble stems from the love of music, community, beer, and good times generated in Windsor’s A Hoppy Place. Dave said: “When we opened Windsor Hoppy, we didn’t really know anyone in the borough, even though Naomi and I had lived in Berkshire for, by then, six years. We didn’t have many friends. Plenty of people we knew down the pub, but not really friends.
“Hoppy changed everything for us, and gave us many of our now closest friends over a shared love of punk, rock, and metal music, plus beer and food.”
Naomi, who sings in local band Amp Cats, and who has a long history of performance, added: “I have also found new audiences for my music.”
Indie Rabble, which will launch in June, will have a dedicated music stage featuring regular live music. The brewery will launch with eight collaboration brews, four showcasing the astounding Berkshire Beer community and four from further afield.
• Find out more on the Indie Rabble website.
