The apprentice – he's hired

By Phil Mellows

Wooden casks are part of the iconography of beer, and especially cask ale, but very few brews are drawn “from the wood” these days.  

One of them is Theakston’s Old Peculier, a strong (5.6% abv), dark and fruity ale dating back more than 100 years that can reasonably be called unique. 

It’s widely available in bottle, and as such is featured in Adrian Tierney Jones’ new book United Kingdom of Beer (Camra, £17.99), a tour around the best bottled and canned brews the UK has to offer. But if you see it on cask in its North Yorkshire homeland don’t miss the chance to order a pint, or even a half, of this truly special brew. 

Tasting notes for Old Peculier reference black cherry and banana, and the difference the wood makes to the beer is subtle. Aficionados detect oaky, vanilla notes. Whatever, it’s good to know that Theakston renewed its commitment to a precious tradition at the end of 2021 by ‘trussing in’ a new qualified cooper at its brewery in Masham for the first time in more than 20 years. 

In a ceremony that goes back to the 14th Century, when barrel-making, you might imagine, was a vital part of the economy, Euan Findlay (pictured) celebrated the completion of his five-year apprenticeship by being rolled around the yard by fellow coopers in a specially-made 56-gallon Hogshead. 

Theakston, family-owned since Simon Theakston bought back the firm from Scottish & Newcastle a decade ago, is one of only two breweries with its own cooperage, the other being Sam Smith’s in Tadcaster.  

It’s also one of two middling-sized breweries jostling for attention in the small market town of Masham. Black Sheep is owned by another wing of the Theakston family. Read into its name what you will. 

Visitors booking a private tour of Theakston’s brewery have the option of being treated to a demonstration of the cooper’s craft – after which no one would be surprised that it takes five years to learn how to do it. 

Nothing much has changed about it over the centuries. It’s still a matter of shaping the staves in such way that they’ll fit together without leaking any beer then bending them into a barrel-shape held together with metal hoops. 

The machine that could achieve this is yet to be invented. It’s all done by hand and eye, and quite a bit of brute force. If you get the chance to a see a cooper in action, you’ll be amazed at this ancient skill. 

And now Euan is officially a journeyman cooper (becoming a master cooper takes a little longer), Theakston is offering his services to other UK brewers, many of whom have started maturing beers in oak casks on the back of a growing interest in aged brews.