Brewery Of The Month #10 –Running Of The Bulls with Bullhouse Brew Co

Number ten already! For this double-digit edition of our Brewery of The Month, we’re going running with the bulls (no, not Pamplona) but instead up to Belfast to grab Bullhouse Brew Co by the horns and see what they’re all about. Slainte! 

So, Who Are Bullhouse Brew Co? 

It might be safe to say that if it wasn’t for a little road trip around the West Coast of the US, Bullhouse Brew Co might never have come to exist. Back in 2011, founder Willy Mayne and his brother took a whistle-stop tour of the US and fell in love with the craft beer scene across the pond. So much so, that they decided they wanted to be at the forefront of growing a scene like that over here. 

Not long after the big US trip, Willy started homebrewing and perfecting his craft for the next four years on the farm he grew up on just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland. It took quite some time, but slowly Willy converted the old bull’s house (hence the name’s origin) on the farm into a 500sq ft brewery. After homebrewing for four years, he set to work converting the old bull’s house on the farm into a tiny 500sq ft brewery. This marked the early days for this budding brewery. Second-hand equipment from dairy farms and other breweries across Ireland filled the small brewery, including a mash tun made from a converted catering fridge. As Willy stated, “Starting a commercial brewery for £600 doesn’t result in anything too pretty, but it was something, and it made some tasty beer.”

The Following Of A Dream

Northern Ireland is one of the most restrictive beer markets in Europe and this certainly created a number of problems for the up-and-coming brewery. But the desire to put new styles of beer on the market and the love of craft beer was enough to make it work and fight through all the red tape.

Bullhouse Brew Co officially hit the craft beer scene in March 2016, with El Capitan being the very first commercial batch. For 18 months, there were plenty of late evenings and weekend shifts ahead for Willy, with shifts finishing around 2am, before heading to work for a plastic manufacturing company at 7am.

In September 2017, Willy took the risk and left the day job and dedicated his full attention to Bullhouse Brew Co. Fast forward to September 2020 and the team (now grown to 3) finally moved out of the cramped Bullhouse to a 6000sq ft industrial estate in south Belfast. Quick fun fact: The skull with the hops in the logo reflects is a call back to their heritage, as the original Bullhouse is on Greengraves Road, a short distance from the Kempe Stone, a Mesolithic burial chamber, while the hops simply refer to the fact the brewers are hop loving hopheads!

Beers We Recommend:

1. Bullhouse Brew Co Road Trippin’

Take a trip with Citra as your driver! This extra pale ale is all about journeying through the flavour palate Citra hops offer. This one takes your taste buds for a ride with its stone fruit and citrus notes in the front seat. The extra pale base and house yeast work as backseat drivers to enhance the huge Citra dry hop whilst retaining a clean finish.

ABV: 4% | €3.50

2. Bullhouse Brew Rolling Papers

Now this is one hazy, immensely crushable Hazy IPA to check out! Brewed with multiple dry-hop additions combined with the fruity esters of Bullhouse Brew's house blend to give you something unforgettable. Be sure to add this one to your beer repertoire! 

ABV: 5.2% | €3.85 

3. Bullhouse Brew Frank The Tank

Have you met Frank? He's one of the hardest workers with the great crew at Bullhouse Brew Co and he's here to show off some of his proud work. Incase you were unaware, Frank is not a person, but rather Tank #1 at Bullhouse HQ. This brew is made in honour of him. A New England pale fermented on the house strain and packed with Mosaic hops for lots of berry and stone fruit flavours.

ABV: 5% | €3.65

4. Bullhouse Brew Suds 

Embrace the suds with this hazy, pillowy-soft juicy pale by Bullhouse Brew Co! Brewed with oats and fermented with their house blend to make a quality brew you simply won't want to put down!

ABV: 4.5% | €3.50

5. Bullhouse Brew Merc Bro

The can, the myth, the merc...bro. This legendary triple dry hopped New England IPA is hopped with a triple whopper combo of Cashmere, Sabro, and Citra. It's hazy, with candied tropical fruit, and pineapple, smooth and creamy, with a chewy malty body. 

ABV: 6.5% | €3.95

We hope you enjoyed our blog post and learning all about Bullhouse Brew Co! Be sure to check out their full range on Craft Beers Delivered and give your tastebuds a real treat. If you still can’t find that perfect beer, then be sure to browse our full range of New In, Sales, and between here on Craft Beers Delivered! Lastly, make sure to follow us on our Instagram, Facebook & Twitter to see our latest updates such as new in’s, sales, recommended brews, and competitions!

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