jennings brewery shop and tour cockermouth

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HISTORY OF JENNINGS BREWERY

Following the closure of the Jennings Brewery Store in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken the decision to permanently close the Store and will no longer offer brewery tours to members of the public. It has been a joy to invite you through our doors over the years and we are grateful for your continued support of our products. If you have a valid brewery tour voucher(s) which you paid for and have been unable to redeem due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please call the Ringwood Brewery Store on 01425 470303. Dismiss

Jennings Brewery

Jennings brewery tour – cockermouth.

Location :  Cockermouth    

UPDATE: Jennings Brewery no longer offers brewery tours, the shop has closed, the brewery itself is closing and the buildings are for sale on the open market. All information below is ARCHIVE only. This page will be retained for historical interest only, for the time being.

Jennings have been brewing traditional beers for nearly 200 years, and still use the same traditional methods that were used by their founder as long ago as 1828, in the village of Lorton . In 1874 the brewery moved to their current site at the foot of  Cockermouth Castle .

The current site of Jennings Bewery is at the confluence of the River Cocker and the River Derwent, a site which was influenced by the availability of pure and plentiful water from the Castle well. The well has supplied the Castle with pure water since around the time of the Norman Conquest, and helps to give Jennings ales their distinctive flavour.

Jennings is Cumbria’s last remaining major brewery, and has a policy of continuing to use the traditional, time-honoured brewing methods using only the finest, British-produced raw materials for which the Company has long been famous among knowledgeable beer drinkers.

The vast majority of Jennings’ ales are sold in cask-conditioned form – ‘Real Ale’, the main characteristic of which is that the brew is ‘still alive’, and continues a secondary fermentation after it is casked.

The full tour experience lasts for approximately one and a half hours, this includes three free halves of Jennings beer in the Cooperage bar at the end of the tour.

Pure water is drawn from a well within the brewery, giving the beer its distinctive taste. Barley is bought in which has been soaked, germinated (sprouted), then dried and/or kilned/roasted to arrest further growth. It is then screened and crushed rather than ground to flour, in order to keep the husks as whole as possible.

In the ‘mash tun’ the crushed barley is added to heated, purified water and, through a carefully controlled time and temperature process, the malt enzymes break down the starch to sugar and the complex proteins of the malt to simpler nitrogen compounds.

The ‘mash’ is then transferred to the ‘copper’ or ‘brew kettle’ where the hops are added, and the liquid boiled for about two hours. The hop resins contribute flavour, aroma and bitterness to the brew.

After the beer has taken on the flavour of the hops, the wort then proceeds to the ‘hop-back’, where the liquid, now called ‘wort’ is separated from the hops. The wort is then cooled in a simple-looking apparatus called a ‘plate cooler’.

The wort is then moved to the fermenting vessels and yeast, the guarded central mystery of ancient brewer’s art, is added. It is the yeast, which is a living, single-cell fungi, that breaks down the sugar in the wort to carbon dioxide and alcohol. It also adds many beer-flavouring components.

Elaborate precautions are taken to ensure that the yeast remains pure and unchanged. Through the use of pure yeast culture plants, a particular beer flavour can be maintained year after year. During fermentation, which lasts about seven to 10 days, the yeast may multiply six-fold and in fermenters a creamy, frothy head may be seen on top of the brew. When the fermentation is complete, the yeast is removed. Now, for the first time, the liquid is called beer.

The beer is stored cold and then filtered once or twice before it is ready for bottling or “racking” into barrels.

After the tour, there is the chance to sample some of the beers, and there is a shop selling various products from the brewery, and other items of Jennings merchandise.

The Castle Brewery, Cockermouth, CA13 9NE Tel: 01900 820362 Grid Reference: NY 122308   Related Links:

• www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk .
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Jennings Brewery Tour and Shop

COCKERMOUTH, CUMBRIA

A jewel in the crown of the Lake District, Jennings Brewery was originally established as a family business in 1828 and moved to its current location near Cockermouth Castle in 1874. It is a traditional brewer, using Lakeland water drawn from the Brewery's own well. English Pale Ale Malt is used in all beers. Take a tour of the brewery, and learn how these iconic ales are created.

• Parking nearby
• Facilities: Disabled lift to lower shop area
• Accessible toilets
• Opening Times: Open Mar-Oct, Wed-Sat at 1.30; Feb-Dec, Thu-Sat at 1.30. Group tours also available, call 01900 820362

Also in the area

About the area

Discover cumbria.

Cumbria's rugged yet beautiful landscape is best known for the Lake District National Park that sits within its boundaries. It’s famous for Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, and Derwent Water, ‘Queen of the English Lakes'. This beautiful countryside once inspired William Wordsworth and his home, Dove Cottage, in Grasmere is a popular museum. Another place of literary pilgrimage is Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, located near Windermere. Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here.

Much of Cumbria is often overlooked in favour of the Lake Distirct. In the south, the Lune Valley remains as lovely as it was when Turner painted it. The coast is also a secret gem. With its wide cobbled streets, spacious green and views of the Solway Firth, Silloth is a fine Victorian seaside resort. Other towns along this coastline include Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport. Carlisle is well worth a look – once a Roman camp, its red-brick cathedral dates back to the early 12th century and its 11th-century castle was built by William Rufus.

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Jennings Brewery

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

JENNINGS BREWERY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Jennings Brewery

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Jennings Brewery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Jennings Brewery

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Jennings Brewery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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Jennings brewery shop and tour, cockermouth, cumbria.

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Jennings Brewery Shop and Tour

Brewery Lane

Cockermouth

https://www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk/age-gate/?redirect=%2F

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

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Great way to spend an afternoon in the... - Jennings Brewery

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• Jennings Brewery

Myself, my brother, father and brother in law's all visited late last December as a Christmas trip... read more

Really good and informative tour of the brewery topped off with three half pints of beers which... read more

Great way to spend an afternoon in the rain

Very interesting and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in the Lake District.

Jennings Brewery does a very cheap wholesome lunch to have with a pint of locally brewed beer. Great value in a very special location, bit hidden from the tourists but they need to know about it.

really enjoyed our trip to the brewery, Alan our Tour guide was most helpful and a very nice man, after the tour we enjoy a lovely Platter for two and bought some beer of course for the shop .

Visited in April and done the Brewery Tour( sixth time)....... Very interesting and fantastic beer. Their. "Snecklifter Lifter" beer is unbeatable, 5.1 percent, dark and by far the most tasty beer in the UK.

One day on our holiday it was raining so we decided to go to Cockermouth and visit The Jennings Brewery. We found the brewery easily but there is no parking there so you have to park in a nearby public car park...allow 2-3 hours on the ticket. The tour is really interesting and enjoyable and our tour Lady was very knowledgeable. After the tour is over you get to sample the delicious beer (3 half pints per person) Cocker Hoop is the best. We also ate in the restaurant before the tour and had some really yummy homemade soup and sandwiches. There is also the usual gift shop with some good things to buy there. A great way to spend a rainy day in the Lake District.

We took a morning tour followed by lunch. We had less than 10 people on the tour which worked out better than a larger group. It was very interesting and the samples at the end were lovely. I liked the fact you could have soft drinks if you are not a beer drinker. The tour guide was very informative and friendly. The shop also sold lots of nice gifts and most of the beers at a reaonable price. The farmhouse platter that we had for lunch was HUGE but gorgeous and again was very reasonably priced. A good morning out especailly if it is wet!

Jennings Brewery

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

JENNINGS BREWERY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Jennings Brewery

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Jennings Brewery - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)