Newton Aycliffe’s own craft brewery – The Steam Machine – is continuing to grow at an exciting rate. Despite the high demand, they are still finding time to innovate and experiment with a diverse range of ingredients. This month they are delighted to finally release two new beers: New Age Brown Ale 6.5% and Red IPA 6.5%.
Nick Smith, the brewery’s co-founder said, “Those who drink our beers will know we take inspiration from anywhere, but with the New Age Brown it’s a bit more personal. Excluding the obvious example from Newcastle, the North East has a rich tradition of strong brown ales – many of them were even stronger than ours! These beers are mostly lost to history now, and those that have survived have become far weaker as a result of rationing restrictions in both World Wars.”
The new beers are the first that Steam Machine has added to its core range since they began trading in the summer of this year. “We are known for using a lot of New World hops, and the Brown will be no exception. The dark chocolate notes of British specialty malts contrast really well with the sharp tang of passion fruit from some of the best American hops. The Red IPA is also a mix of old and new – Indian Pale Ales have a legendary status in the beer world, and a history going back centuries. We’ve taken influence from the sweeter malt-rich IPAs of the American East Coast, but have used a traditional British yeast. Craft beer drinkers and retailers who have tried the prototypes have been just as excited as we are about the releases.”
When asked what’s next on the cards for Steam Machine, Nick said: “For December we’ll have our winter special – a rich stout brewed with black molasses. It’s our strongest beer yet at 10%… it’s definitely one for sipping.”
Those wishing to sample Steam Machine’s New Age Brown Ale and Red IPA can purchase bottles from Woodham News from this week, with other venues and stockists of Aycliffe’s craft beers following suit shortly after. Any other retailers wanting to sell the local product should contact Nick on 07415 75 99 45 or info@steammachinebrew.com
