The All Nations Inn, in Madeley, Shropshire, has brewed a very special batch of their seasonal pale ale, Eliza Lewis, as part of the International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day (IWCBD) project.
Laura Hadland and Andrew Brough mashing in at the All Nations Inn
The beer was made by the head brewer of the historic brewpub, Andrew Brough, in collaboration with local beer writer, Laura Hadland.
It celebrates the life of licensee and brewster Mrs Eliza Lewis, who brewed all the ale for the pub from the 1930s through to her death in 1988 — despite famously only drinking tea herself. She was so well liked that the pub was affectionately known as Mrs Lewis’ during her tenure.
Mrs Lewis would ladle the wort from the mash tun into the coal-fired copper by hand. Luckily for Andrew and Laura, a network of pumps and pipes made their lives much easier during this brew, although the small brewhouse in the former wash-house of the Georgian building is still largely manual, meaning that the mash was stirred by hand.
“It’s a real privilege to be the first woman to brew here since the days of Mrs Lewis,” said Laura. “The theme of this year’s IWCBD is ‘belonging’, and getting stuck in with this brew has certainly made me feel closer to my local community and heritage in Telford.”
The All Nations Inn will be making a charitable contribution to West Mercia Women’s Aid to mark International Women’s Day, and the beer will be officially launched at the pub at 3pm on Wednesday, 18th February. All are welcome to join Laura and Andrew in raising a glass to Mrs Eliza Lewis, and all of the other women who have played a part in our nation’s rich brewing traditions.
