STYLE | Food
Take a voyage of craft beer discovery
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In 2018, Leo Hall left his career in the probation service to launch the Island’s only dedicated craft beer and real ale shop, with wife Sam Guerrini. Having always enjoyed sampling the creative complexities of craft ale himself, he vowed to bring the full range of brewing techniques and taste profiles offered by independent microbreweries to Cowes’ bustling High Street.
t Lifecraft, you’ll find between 150 and 200 unique beers for all tastes and budgets: lagers, stouts, pale ales, IPAs, sours, fruit beers, bottleconditioned ales, porters, wheat beers, saisons, Belgian ales, and everything in between. And, Leo tells us, because these smaller-scale artisan brewers are continually innovating and collaborating to create new limited edition and small batch brews, the stock changes on an almost weekly basis. There’s even a large ‘free from’ range to cater for all beer lovers, with alcohol-free, glutenfree, vegan and organic choices. Personally, Leo is rather partial to any of the fruity and smooth New England Pale Ales, favouring “something not too strong, but just strong enough to know that you’ve had a beer.”
From the heart of the Cowes community, Leo has developed a thriving customer base of passing visitor trade and loyal locals – many of whom come back each week to sample the latest turnover of hops from their favourite brewery. For first-timers and craftdevotees alike, Leo’s motto is the same: “Life’s too short to drink dull beer.” Lifecraftisleofwight.com | Instagram: @lifecraft.iow
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Designer Lauren Fry has captured Lifecraft’s voyage of discovery in these perfectly sized (for taking away a small haul of decent beer) tote bags. Or, as Leo puts it, “rep your local beer shop, own a piece of local art, save me a fortune on paper bags, and indirectly – and in the smallest increments – save the planet.”
Lifecraft is also proud to support local Island producers, stocking some of the Island’s best-loved beverages, from Island Ale’s full bodied ‘Wight Knight’ to Grazed Knee’s cave-crafted ciders.
