What the craft brewer wishes you knew

Time please: brewery owner Lou Treseder of Driftwood Spars in St Agnes calls an end to the myths surrounding the national drink

DON’T GO HOPPING MAD

Hops are fantastic but having loads of them in a beer dries out the mouth. The secret to making a great beer is to balance the sweetness of the malt with the dryness and bitterness of the hops.

YOU DON’T NEED A BEARD TO OWN A BREWERY

Both our head brewer Pete Martin and myself are whisker free.

IT’S NOT ONLY A MAN’S WORLD

Beer was originally brewed by women to subsidise their household incomes. In Cornwall, it was often widows, with no other way of earning money, who would make beer and sell it from their homes. These unlicensed houses became known as tiddlywinks.

DRINKING BEER MAKES YOU ALE AND HEARTY

Some research claims that moderate consumption of beer – due to its flavonoids, flavanols and phenolic acids – can actually benefit health. Studies suggest it could lower the risk of heart disease and strengthen bones.

A BRITISH IPA SHOULD BE STRONG AND FLAVOURSOME

It will ideally be over 4.8 per cent ABV. Traditionally, high levels of alcohol helped preserve IPAs (India Pale Ales) during their long transportation to India during colonial times.

NOT ALL BEER IS EQUAL

Just because you don’t like one type of beer doesn’t mean that you won’t like any beer. Each beer is individual and has its own flavour profile, which means you can always find at least one you like. Be adventurous.

TRADITIONALLY, BEER DRINKING WAS A WHOLESOME PASTIME

William Hogarth’s famous 1751 print of Gin Lane was an early piece of marketing paid for by brewers. It depicts the evils of consuming gin (we’re talking infanticide, starvation, madness and suicide). In contrast, Hogarth’s second print, Beer Street, depicts happy healthy folk enjoying frothing tankards of the national brew.