Moon Gazer

Moon Gazer began brewing in 2012 at its rural home in Hindringham, North Norfolk. Owned and run by Rachel and David Holliday, the brewery was established around a 10-barrel plant at Moon Gazer Barn, where its countryside setting provides more than simply the brewery's address: even the water used to make the beer has a direct connection to the land beneath it.

Water for the beers is drawn from the brewery's own well and naturally filtered through the area's chalk. It forms part of Moon Gazer's emphasis on provenance and carefully chosen ingredients. The brewery favours local ingredients where practical, while recognising that hops tell a more international story. British varieties are therefore complemented by hops selected from around the world when they provide the flavours a particular beer needs.

At the centre of Moon Gazer's approach is a deceptively simple belief: beer should bring pleasure. Rachel and David place quality, flavour and consistency ahead of rushing beer through production, regarding time itself as one of their important brewing ingredients. Fermentation, maturation and flavour development are allowed the time required rather than being dictated simply by the need to get the next batch out of the brewery.

That philosophy combines the craft and science of brewing. Moon Gazer aims to keep its established beers consistent and regularly available, while leaving plenty of room for experimentation. Drinkers can usually expect a new special beer each month, and collaborations with brewing friends provide another opportunity to explore different recipes and ideas.

The approach has brought Moon Gazer considerable recognition. Its ales and lagers have collected Society of Independent Brewers awards at both regional and national level, alongside CAMRA and beer-festival honours. The range extends beyond draught beer into bottles and cans, allowing the brewery's beers to travel considerably further than their quiet North Norfolk origins.

More than a decade after Rachel and David began brewing at Hindringham, Moon Gazer remains closely defined by that combination of place, patience and ingredients. From water drawn through Norfolk chalk to carefully matured beer and an ever-changing programme of specials, the brewery's identity is built around taking the time needed to make beer it believes is genuinely worth drinking.