Where the Windswept magic happens. Credit: John Paul.

Meet the Brewer: Windswept

July 10th 2018 is the chosen date for the centenary celebrations of the RAF, so DeskBeers sat down with former pilot Nigel Tiddy, co-founder and Managing Director of Windswept Brewing Co in Lossiemouth, north-east Scotland, to talk about craft beer, RAF 100, and everything in between.

**DESKBEERS: **Yourself and Al Read founded Windswept after careers as pilots in the RAF. Did your love of beer and brewing develop during your time with the RAF, and if so, how did this come about?

NIGEL: Al and I have always enjoyed a beer, and the RAF gave us the opportunity to try beers around the world. I grew up in Sheffield and studied in York before joining the RAF, and developed my taste for quality cask ales at that time. However, all the great Belgian beers and the growth of craft brewing in the USA — and having the chance to sample these when on detachment there with the RAF — have probably influenced us the most.

**DB: **Did you get the opportunity to try beers from many different countries during your time with the Air Force? Can you pinpoint a particular beer or style of beer which prompted your urge to begin brewing yourselves?

N: The driver for starting to brew ourselves came when we left the RAF and struggled to find decent beers locally. The beer scene was dominated by Tenants and Belhaven in and around Moray, and we saw an opportunity to create some quality beers for the local market with our experience of sampling a huge variety of great craft ales while in the RAF.

Windswept’s Hurricane Session IPA (4.5%).

DB: You’ve brewed a fantastic session IPA, Hurricane, which benefits the RAF Benevolent Fund, with 5p per pint sold being donated to the charity. Please could you describe the beer, and if possible say something about its aptness to the RAF? Where would you start, brewing-wise, with a beer that pays tribute to the Air Force?

N: We have produced a beer that echoes the strong affiliation that exists between the RAF and the US Airforce and has resulted in the success that has been seen with air power over the last 100 years. Hurricane blends a traditional British malt base with New World hops to create a tropical fruit salad of a beer. With pineapple, mango and tangerine on the nose, and ripe stone fruits on taste, Hurricane is a big, smooth, fruity IPA.

To help with the naming of the beer we turned to Baz Dale (Wing Commander Retired and Director of RAF Benevolent Fund Scotland) for inspiration. After a few beery conversations and some historical research it was clear that the Hurricane was an aircraft that had been hidden in the shadow of the Spitfire for too long! Contrary to popular belief, it was the Hurricane’s stability, turnaround time and numbers, not the Spitfire’s speed, agility and grace, that gave the RAF the edge in the Battle of Britain.

**DB: **More generally, Windswept’s beer has a strong ‘outdoors’ theme to it, which I really get a sense of when tasting your beers — but I find it hard to describe. There just seems to be a real purity and wholesome character to the flavours. Is your secret that Speyside water that goes into your brews, the robust Lossiemouth climate, or something else entirely?

N: One of the catalysts for starting Windswept was Al’s and my desire to stay in Lossiemouth. Access to the outdoors here is superb, whether you sail, surf, cycle, climb, run or ski. At the end of a hard day out on the hill you deserve a quality beer to mark the occasion, and that’s what we aim to provide. We keep our ingredients simple without adding finings, so our beers are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Careful planning, time and patience are what count in the brewery.

**DB: **Finally, what’s next for the people at Windswept? Are there any new beers forthcoming you’d like to tell us about?

N: We have our Raspberry Saison — RUBUS — out this week. In cask only I’m afraid, but at 3.5% this is summer in a glass. A light, crisp, refreshing beer that delivers a hint of rose and berries on the nose and then a burst of raspberry flavour on the palate with a tart finish from the saison yeast. Perfect for those warm summer days hanging out with friends. We’re also about to brew up our Earl Grey Tea Beer — Indian Summer (4.7%) — with added lemon, giving zesty citrus notes. That one’s due to launch in September.

Windswept are big favourites on the DeskBeers rotation — sign up today, and their awesome beers could be in your next box. You can also head over to Windswept’s website for more information on Hurricane. And lastly, thanks once again to Nigel, and to Heather Christie at Windswept, for taking the time out for this interview!