DOUBLE-BARRELLED
WHEN TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMBINE A COUPLE THAT HAVE A LOVE FOR TRAVEL, A PASSION FOR BREWING EXCELLENT BEERS AND THE DESIRE TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE BREWERY THAT BOASTS A TAPROOM LOVED BY LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE? READING’S OWN DOUBLE-BARRELLED, OF COURSE! HAVING CELEBRATED ITS THIRD BIRTHDAY LAST NOVEMBER, AND WITH A CAPACITY EXPANSION UNDER ITS BELT ALREADY IN 2022, THE BREWERY IS ONLY LOOKING ONE WAY AND THAT’S FORWARD.
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JANUARY~FEBRUARY 2022
A
delaide? Ok. Wellington?
fermentation capacity giving them the
Why not. Oregon? Of
ability to output up to 5,000hL next year,
course. Buenos Aires? Be
up from 2,500hL in 2021.
rude not to… When starting a new
And breathe….
business, putting in the groundwork and conducting comprehensive research is
“When you take a step back, you
all-important. In beer, this is no different.
sometimes have no idea how you got to
So when Luci and Mike Clayton-Jones
that point,” says Luci. “But like a lot of our
decided they wanted to open a brewery
peers, we have really fought to get here,
of their own, they knew the best way
which makes it all the more humbling
of gaining inspiration was to see what
and rewarding.”
the world had to offer. And nobody can accuse them of being anything other
TWO HEARTED ALE
than thorough. The Double-Barrelled story began in In addition to other revered beer
2014. With Mike a passionate home
destinations as diverse as Bamberg and
brewer, the idea of brewing a beer as a
California to Copenhagen and Singapore,
wedding favour for their big day made
the would-be brewery founders took in
complete sense. And with that their first
some 85,000 miles and with it, a plethora
beer ‘Ginger Bearded’ was born.
of unforgettable breweries, distilleries, wineries, vineyards, maltsters and hop
“It was all a bit of a joke. I’m ginger and
farms to name a few. And some five
Mike has a beard so that was that,” Luci
years on, the duo have not only started a
laughs. “It was very, very homebrew!”
brewery of their own in Double-Barrelled but it’s one that has just celebrated its
But their guests responded with
third birthday, too.
unanimous praise, acting as something of a catalyst that this hobby could maybe
“Looking back on three years of what
be taken to the next level. And even
started as an overindulged hobby, it’s
if they didn’t know it would stick, they
really gratifying to have got to this point
already had a brewery name ready to roll.
because a lot of businesses don’t make it this far, especially in this climate,” says
“My parents decided to create the
Mike. “And we have all the people that
Clayton-Jones moniker,” recalls Mike. “But
have supported us along the way to
when I was young they also decided to
thank.” The team marked turning three
separate leaving me as the only person
in November with a party for 350 guests
with that surname in the family. To be
and also a raft of collaborations with
honest, I felt the connotations of having
outfits such as Elusive Brewing, Duration,
a double-barrelled surname was a little
Siren Craft Brew, Amundsen, Vocation
posh, so growing up I didn’t really like it.
and Boxcar.
But here we are, it stuck.”
They were also nominated for ‘Best New
Luci added: “So when we called
Brewery’ at this very publication’s 2021
ourselves Double-Barrelled Brewery
Brewers Choice Awards. And in addition
for our wedding, we never realistically
to launching its debut cask beers,
planned to be where we are today. It was
the brewery has also just completed
all a bit of fun, but it’s here to stay!”
an ambitious expansion boosting
BREWERS JOURNAL
