Thornbridge Brewery IWCBW 2026

On 16 February 2026, I woke before sunrise to drive through the majestic Peak District to Thornbridge Brewery. It was my first time visiting the brewery, and I was beyond excited. I was going to participate in a Women in Beer panel, reconnect with friends, contribute to a collaboration brew with Women in Beer, and, although I didn’t know it at the time, witness an incredible relic of Burton brewing history in action.

I love taprooms that make you feel entrenched in the heart of the brewery. Many breweries install their brewkit in warehouse spaces, creating open-plan taprooms where it’s hard to tell where the brewery ends and the bar begins. Thornbridge’s main brewery is located across the road, but the taproom shares a space with their pilot and collaborative brewhouse. They have a bar pouring all of their beers on draught, a merch counter, and a little pizza shack churning out rustic, delicious pies — what more could you want?

This event was part of International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, where breweries around the world organise brew days that bring women together, celebrate their contributions to the industry, and create opportunities for people to step into brewing spaces they may never have imagined themselves in. Thornbridge teamed up with Women in Beer for the collaboration, and the recipe was created by one of the brewery’s brewers. We brewed a red IPA using crystal malt and rye to create its deep ruby hue. Titled Ripple Effect, the beer was absolutely delicious. Serving it on cask was the right decision, as the softer carbonation allowed the malt character to really shine.

If you'll join me on this tangent, the most memorable part of the experience was encountering the Burton Union. What looked like a medieval contraption was once a revolutionary brewing technology synonymous with Burton. Before the invention of stainless steel tanks, beer was often fermented inside wooden barrels. It was difficult to siphon off yeast during fermentation while also preventing contamination, which is the problem the Burton Union was designed to solve. Wooden barrels were connected through an intricate pipe system that allowed brewers to fill and empty the casks while simultaneously harvesting healthy yeast. This was done through a swan-neck pipe at the top of each barrel, where active fermentation would push yeast and foam up into a trough above. The overflowing beer was then channelled back into the barrels. Over the course of fermentation, healthy yeast collected in the top trough while the beer gradually became bright in the barrels. Once fermentation was complete, the barrels could be emptied through outlets at the bottom and transferred for packaging. It was absolutely mesmerising to see such a significant piece of brewing history still alive, especially knowing Thornbridge continues to use the system for collaborations and limited-edition brews.

I could talk for hours about everything that makes Thornbridge special — especially their relationship with White Peak Distillery — but I’ll save that for another day.