In the craft beer world, there is a phrase known as “gypsy brewing”. And whilst the word gypsy might be somewhat derogatory to our travelling brethren it has become specific in the world of craft brewing. Most of us know one thing about a gypsy, they’re on the move travelling from place to place, not calling any particular place their home. It’s a nomadic lifestyle and really that’s the only reason the term “gypsy” is applied here. A gypsy brewer has no facility of their own. Instead, the brew team travels to a functioning brewing facility and pays for use of the space to produce their own beer. 

And it was this space that the Hoppers team found themselves in last weekend. To coin a phrase many of us have seen on t-shirts around the world it was – “Same, Same, but Different”. You see we came upon a brewery that for one reason or another needed a brewing team and we were happy to get our miles up on a system larger than what we typically brew on. It was a symbiotic relationship where two brewing teams were helping each other out. Just as clownfish are able to live within the anemone’s tentacles, gaining protection from predators, clownfish help feed the anemone by luring fish over, so that the anemone can catch them with their poisonous tentacles, and eat them for dinner (or breakfast). One helps the other and hence the newly created Hoppers term “Nemo Brewing”. Not quite Gypsy Brewing but close to the same concept. 

Breweries are like airplanes or old cars in that they like to be kept ticking over. If kept dormant too long there is a greater capacity for faults to come out sooner or later. So, when the opportunity to help a fellow brewery surfaced we grabbed it with both hands. We kept the beer flowing into their fermenters and it gave us some valuable time on the type of equipment that we will be making purchase decisions on in the months to come.

And this is what is so great in the spectrum of brewing. In a world where so many industries are competitive to the point where seeing your competition’s demise brings joy, the brewing world welcomes new arrivals and often shares knowledge. I see it all the time. People want diversity in beer, one size doesn’t fit all. There is space for many beer styles and if brewery teams can help each other achieve excellence why not? And to end on a great beer t-shirt I once saw “Life and beer are very similar. Chill for best results”