A morning spent at Shipstones Brewery offered a hands-on glimpse into the craft behind one of the beers set to feature at next week’s Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival - and the story behind it is just as important as the final pint.
Members of No Half Measures, a Nottingham-based female beer enthusiasts group, came together to brew a traditional English-style pale ale that will be served on the festival’s Learn and Discover Bar. Using Shipstones’ own house yeast strain, the group set out to create a classic beer that can be enjoyed alongside a more modern pale ale, offering visitors a chance to compare styles and deepen their understanding of what’s in their glass.
The brew day itself followed the key stages that underpin all beer-making, but in an accessible, collaborative environment. The process began with mashing, where grains are steeped in hot water to extract sugars and create 'wort' - the liquid base of the beer, which tasted sweet.
A particularly laborious step followed - the 'digging out' phase - involving scraping all the soggy grains from the barrel after the mashing process.
After that, the wort was boiled and hops were added to bring bitterness, flavour and aroma. After cooling, yeast was pitched to begin fermentation.
Beyond the brewing, the initiative ties into No Half Measures’ wider mission to make beer more approachable and inclusive. Formed in the summer of 2022, the group has grown to around 100 members and aims to celebrate the contributions of women in the brewing industry while creating a welcoming space for all.
NHM member Steph, who also holds a PhD in Brewing, highlighted the sense of community at the heart of the group.
“It’s just a really nice community and very inclusive. We set it up as a group of women who appreciate beer - we’ll go to pubs and events together but people can bring their husbands or partners along, it’s not about excluding anyone.
“We do Walking Pub Tours, Brew Days - there’s plenty for people to get involved with, it just depends how involved a member wants to be. There’s no pressure.
“I’ve made a lot of friends through this group, I can go out to most pubs in Nottingham and I’ll see at least one person I know!
“We’ve felt like a group of people who’ve been excluded and we don’t want that to happen. It’s just about pure enjoyment and not feeling you’re asking any silly questions - just being in a forum where it feels safe to talk about anything.”
That ethos will be front and centre at the Learn & Discover Bar during the festival, where No Half Measures will be helping visitors explore different beer styles and flavours on the Friday, whilst other CAMRA members will run it on the remaining festival days.
“When people say they don’t like beer, it’s like them saying they don’t like fruit,” Steph added. “There’s such a broad spectrum of different flavoured beers out there.”
Festival-goers will be able to sample the Shipstones-brewed pale ale and discover first-hand the story behind it - from grain to glass - while gaining a new appreciation for the diversity of beer.
The Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival takes place next week at Trent Bridge, with the festival's Learn and Discover Bar offering a welcoming starting point for anyone curious to learn more.
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