Hook Norton - Old School
In Oxfordshire there is a brewery that has been operating for a small fraction of the time that Franziskaner has operated. On the scale of breweries in Europe this brewery is new, founded in 1849 in the Cotswolds region. While many of the older breweries have been heavily modernized, however, Hook Norton continues to brew in the same brew house with the same steam-powered equipment that has been used for over a century. This brewery is one of only a few dozen family owned and operated regional breweries in the UK.
The company brews a range of traditional cask aged English beers, what is now known as “real ale.” They also produce bottled beers of similar quality. If you’re interested in the history of this living piece of English brewing history, you ought to check out their website, which has a trove of historical information and a virtual brewery tour.
