It’s been a busy couple of months since our last issue. Opening MASHED Brewhouse and taking part in the Aberystwyth Beer Festival has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

 Life tends to keep you on your toes - or maybe I just like to challenge myself. Learning and doing something new is time-consuming, a little scary, and sometimes overwhelming. But once you’ve understood, learned and accepted those new obstacles, they quickly become the norm. That shift brings a real sense of achievement - and most importantly, fun. And that’s what it’s all about.

 Opening the Brewhouse at the end of June definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. There was a lot to learn and so much to do! And the beer festival was only a few weeks away. With just a 3-tap kegerator, a handful of our faithful 10L mini kegs, a 5L, and a couple of 2Ls, we managed to open with 5 beers and 2 wines - all squeezed into a little kegerator no bigger than a standard under-counter fridge - plus a few SodaStream bottles. And it worked!

 A few weeks later, a local pub was selling an old 10-line beer cooler. Ideal, right? I grabbed it - bargain! Getting it to Aber was thanks to the heroic efforts of my amazing mother-in-law and her partner. They not only lifted it out of the seller’s cellar but also managed to squeeze it into the back of a small hatchback and then deliver it to MASHED. This thing was massive and weighed a tonne. I quickly realised the effort they’d made, and I can’t thank them enough. Beers were definitely on me.

 The original plan was to install the cooler under the bar, but that idea was quickly scrapped - too big, too noisy and not enough clearance under the floor for the lines and insulation. Time for Plan B.

 I like to question traditions and do things a little differently, but sometimes the old ways are the best. So, with a 50mm hole cutter, I drilled down into the cellar. Who would’ve thought it’d be the perfect place to store beer? I got excited wiring up the cooler, only to realise... you need a cooler for the cooler. Hadn’t expected that! A bit of research revealed I needed a heat dump and additional wiring to connect the hot and cold hoses to it outside. Big job.

 After venting my frustration to friends, David, a fellow homebrewer and, lucky for me, an ex-refinery engineer (sorry, David, if that’s not quite right!), stepped in. He and his lovely wife Susan bring daring concoctions to our Homebrew & Curiosities nights. David tried explaining the laws of thermodynamics. ‘What?’, I said. After a few minutes, he simply said, ‘Just attach two household radiators.’ Two days later, David turns up with two radiators. I connect the hoses and, bingo, it works! Bonus: it’s drying out the cellar too. Legend, David!

BOOM! We now have 9 beers on tap, all nice and cool. Six of those taps are on my custom-built bar, made from a Welsh dresser acquired by another legend, Nigel. Nigel is the man. If you need anything, no matter how obscure, he’ll turn up at your door with it next week, grinning and saying, ‘I’ve found it, mate’, before unloading the item you’ve been dreaming about from the back of his van.

With the bar 95% operational, our focus shifted back to brewing. With only 4 weeks to go, we had 9 beers to brew for the festival. Like last year, we invited people into MASHED Brewhouse to brew a beer for the event. And they did not disappoint!

Forêt Noir – A cherry stout at a comfortable 6.4%, brewed by Jason and Steve. A smooth oatmeal base with a bottle of cherry brandy added. Nice, right?

Thunderstruck II – Last year’s festival winner, inspired by Röad Crew beer and brewed by the one and only Nigel.

1884 Aberystwyth Town Football Club – A collab with our local team. The boys popped in for a fun evening’s brew.

Tylwyth Teg – Brewed by Andrew (he’s from up north and loves his brown beer). A bitter made with inverted sugar, packed with tradition and a hint of something new. Many said it tasted like toffee apples.

Budgie – An APA brewed by another rock lover, Phil. Named after the Welsh band and styled on BrewDog’s Wingman.

The Blue Lagoon – I’ll shamelessly admit I brewed this one. It was a banger and got talked about at the festival, partly for its colour, but mostly for its surprising flavour: a mint, lime and salt sour.

As per tradition, we let the punters vote for their favourites. With over 100 votes and a whopping average of 4.25 out of 5, the winner was Tylwyth Teg, the brown beer from the north! Well done, Andrew, you can proudly wear the crown for the next year... if you can wrestle it off Nigel!

 The beer fest was epic! For 3 days, we were serving beers left, right and centre. I had 3 volunteers helping me throughout the weekend. Without their support and time behind the bar, the festival wouldn’t have been nearly as fun. Huge thanks to two more legends: Andrew and Cai.

 And, of course, the greatest legend of them all: my amazing wife, Yohanna. Without you, this adventure would never have happened. Thank you for your support and for putting up with all the challenges I throw your way. Sharing them makes it all the more special - and even more fun. Stay awesome.

Final note: The idea of creating a ‘community bar’ once felt like a label, maybe even a marketing term to describe MASHED. But in just two months, it’s been the community that has made this small space unforgettable. They’ve helped build it and shape it. Together we’ve created something truly unique - a place to have fun, and of course, drink lots of beer. All I can say is: thank you. You are all Legends!

Visit us: MASHED Brewhouse, 

17 Bridge Street, Aberystwyth

SY23 1PZ