I walked into the Queen Inn on Saturday evening for the first night of the pub’s three-day beer and cider festival and ordered a pint of Afgan Hop from Aberdare’s Grey Trees Brewery.
The landlady handed it over with the beer menu and told me: “The two Mad Dog beers were brewed in Cwmbran” and then pointed out the man who made them who was stood five yards away surrounded by locals.
Video interview with Alexis from Mad Dog Brewing Co
We had met once before and had ’talked’ that week on Twitter but this friendly gesture made it easier to grab Alexis Jones for this video interview sat on a bench outside the pub. He was deep in conversation as I walked away from the bar with my pint so I found a nearby bar stool and waited my turn to chat to him.
It is not every day you buy a pint in a pub and then get to chat about it with the person who sourced the ingredients, wrote the recipe and cared for it day-by-day through the brewing process.
http://youtu.be/_zVaqVV1eS8
It was a pleasure to chat to someone who is so passionate about brewing and starting up a new business in Cwmbran. He makes natural products that are packed full of flavours and have got a real story behind them.
The pint we drink in the video was called Corgi- A 4.6%ABV that he brewed for the festival in Cwmbran and named after the Queen’s dogs.
Alexis’ new company Mad Dog Brewing Co is run from the kitchen at his home in Croesyceiliog but he soon plans to move to a unit on Springvale Industrial Estate. Torfaen Council environmental health officers have given his business a top-rated 5 stars in the ‘scores on the doors’ scheme.
His beers have also been on sale in the Sebastopol Social Club and will soon be drunk at a craft ale festival in London and Birmingham. He has been talking to bars in Cardiff about stocking his drinks.
Mad Dog Brewing on Social Media
For the latest news on availability and his plans keep an eye on the Mad Dog Brewing social media sites:
Follow Mad Dog Brewing on Twitter at @MadDogBrewCo
Like Mad Dog Brewing on Facebook at Facebook.com/maddog.brewco
Visit the Mad Dog Brewing website at www.maddogbrewco.co.uk
