Turning Point Brew Co. have entered their seventh year with characteristic gusto. They’re well embedded into both the brewery and the community in Knaresborough where they remain committed to two basic principles, the premise of which runs through everything they do – be it another huge and silly imperial stout or their flagship US Pale Disco King.
A brewery started in 2017 by two people quitting their day jobs to follow their passion for beer has never forgotten these simple goals set out from the beginning: Brewing their favourite beers and having a good time. In a climate riddled with challenges, Turning Point are well placed to continue to do both of those things in the coming months.
Fresh off the back of a huge IWCBD event, a collaboration with American pop punk band Bowling For Soup, and most recently “Imperial March” last weekend where Turning Point spread 7 Cask Imperial Stouts across 7 fantastic pubs in York for the day – there is plenty going on aboard Planet Turning Point.
First and foremost on this good (space) ship is the return of their annual Custard Sessions. This year, Friday 25th of April sees 54 venues across the UK join them in custard chaos – pouring three custard beers simultaneously and inviting patrons to “Conquer The Custard”.
Never ones to shy from shooting for the moon, they’ve gone all out again this year. Alongside the original and completely sensible 6% Custard Pale Ale “Yellow Matter Custard” they have concocted its rhubarb counterpart named, would you believe, “Rhubarb Matter Custard”. This extremely pink beer sees the usual lashings of vanilla custard paired with sweet and tangy rhubarb. It seemed only right, given Turning Point share West Yorkshire with the Rhubarb Triangle.
To complete the custard cohort, the question of how to match their previous Custard stout was one that had been on their minds since the Custard Sessions 2023 collaboration with Northern Monk. “Death Matter Custard” (A custard-ised iteration of “Death”) along with a Barrel Aged version the following year was by far one of the most popular beers Turning Point have ever released.
This year Siren have joined them in the custard-sphere and with them they’ve married custard and cake. “Caribbean Matter Custard” sees Dark Matter fuse with Caribbean Chocolate Cake. The beer is 11% of opulence featuring, of course, custard and vanilla along with Cacao, Chocolate, and those signature cyprus spirals. Launch locations are to be about to be released across their various online platforms.
Turning Point haven’t gone entirely custard-crazy and have exciting things rumbling from the other end of the beer gamut. Co-founder Aron has been sitting on a recipe he’s wanted to brew for a good few years and has decided that the time has come for an 1895 Mild from the now defunct Malton Brewery Rose’s to take the fore.
Teaming up with Five Points – who have brewed a partner beer from a recipe circa 1995 – between them brewed two 100-year-apart impressions of a landmark style. With ingredients never before seen at Turning Point such as chevalier malt and Fuggles hops, both breweries have been very careful to create beers that are not just true to their inspirations – but a celebration of them too.
Speaking of celebrations, these beers will launch and pour side by side on Thursday April 24th at their pub The Falcon (York), and at Five Points’ pubs The Pembury Tavern (London) and Whitelock’s Ale House (Leeds).
In addition, April will see Turning Point open their Taproom again for the year on the 25th & 26th – followed by the last weekend of every month until September. Turning Point will be pouring at Brew LDN, collaborating with Howling Hops, pairing their beer with crisps at Sheffield’s Boston Arms, taking over the taps at Angel’s Micropub in Belper, and looking forward to events in May at Sheffield’s Hallamshire House, Newcastle’s Elder Bar, Attic Barrel Store alongside an Attic Collaboration, and pouring at Chester Beer Festival too.
