Established in 2013, Northern Monk operates between two sites in Leeds. Focussing on creating the best beer experiences in the world, the independent brewery moved into Holbeck’s Old Flax Store site (a Grade II-listed mill) at the end of 2014: home to the brewery, The Refectory tap room and Chapter Hall event space.
To meet demand, Northern Monk expanded into a Sydenham Road site in 2017, housing a much larger brewery, warehouse and storage facility. Here, a 12-fill head, 6,000 can per-hour Monoblock rotary canning machine was installed in 2018 following a remarkably successful equity crowdfunding campaign where the brewery surpassed its £500,000 target in just three hours. The funding closed with a total of £1.5 million raised through 2,161 investors. Alongside allowing Northern Monk to triple capacity, the brewery also opened their second tap room in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Now exported to 23 countries, Northern Monk is one of the North’s fastest growing drinks companies.
Moreover, community and collaboration are at the core of Northern Monk’s business, with a prominent focus on working with people that share their passion and values. They regularly collaborate with national and international breweries, businesses and charities, striving to help strengthen the North for positive change.
Bucking the trend of big, boozy IPAs, Northern Monk’s ‘Striding Edge’ is a light IPA, with an ABV of just 2.8 per cent. Inspired by one of the North’s highest peaks, the beer has a pale hazy aroma, capped with a foaming white head. Aromas of lemon sherbet, pineapple, resinous pine and dank hops are instantly present on the nose, followed by a whisper of juicy mango. Tropical notes of mango and pineapple continue on the palate alongside prominent citrus notes of pithy orange. Although relatively light-bodied, as expected, Striding Edge has unexpected complexity, also harbouring floral hop notes, a slight nuttiness and pine which lends a slight oiliness in contrast to the otherwise clean mouth feel. Finally, a light bitterness prevails but doesn’t dominate, allowing the clean, fruity notes to linger on the palate. One of the market’s few genuinely ground-breaking low-ABV IPAs.
Further information on Northern Monk can be found here.
Header photograph: Tom Joy
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