Turning Stories Into Beer: The Folk Tale Inspired World of Brid's Cross

In this episode, we chat with Sean O’Reilly, founder of Brid’s Cross Brewery, a Rochdale based brewery where folklore and fermentation go hand in hand. Sean shares the journey of how Brid’s Cross was born from a blend of personal passion, family encouragement, and a love for storytelling.

We also dive into:

• How Sean turned homebrewing into a full-time brewery
• Why storytelling is at the heart of Brid’s Cross
• The challenges of starting an independent brewery today
• Cask vs keg, British hops, and experimenting with yeast
• Getting indie beer into pubs and beyond

Whether you’re a fan of traditional cask ales, modern hop-forward styles, or just love a good origin story, then this episode has something for you.

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Follow Brid’s Cross on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridscrossbrew

Chapters

• 0:00 The Beginning of Brid's Cross
• 2:52 Inspiration Behind the Name and Beer Stories
• 4:51 Homebrewing Journey and Influences
• 11:54 Balancing Modern and Traditional Beer Styles
• 15:39 Favourite and Most Challenging Part of Brewing
• 17:18 Community Engagement and Access to Market
• 21:02 Navigating the Competitive Market
• 23:16 What's Needed to Help Indie Breweries
• 27:01 Future Plans and Releases
• 30:17 Inspirational Beers and Underrated Styles
• 32:36 Final Words and Outro