Our story began in 2022 when co-founders Phil and Alan met (over a beer of course) to discuss a bonkers idea of starting a small brewing business out of a garden shed. Just enough to keep a couple of local beer shops happy.
In late 2024 we opened our flagship taproom in Keswick, a family and pet-friendly bar where customers can enjoy our beers and learn about the brewing process directly from the team behind the beers. (Yes, the actual brewers are pulling pints!)
Then, in early 2025, after years of dedication to great beer and community-building, Graeme and Rachel Mitchell of Tractor Shed Brewing announced their retirement, passing ownership of the brewery and brand to us; a natural evolution after a 3-year partnership unlocking opportunity to expand our offerings and community engagement!
In September 2025, exactly three years after pouring our first ever pint at Taste Cumbria in Cockermouth, we came full circle — opening our very own beer shop on the same street, at the same festival and proud to say that the beers we serve are now recognised as award winning beer regionally and nationally!
2026 has been a huge year for Crooked River. We kicked things off by being named finalists for both Drinks Producer of the Year and Pub, Bar or Taproom of the Year at the Cumbria Food Awards, before our Gluten Free Helles went on to win Gold at the National Indie Beer Awards, officially putting a Crooked River beer amongst the best in the country. Alongside the awards, we’ve continued to grow the brewery and get our beer into more venues across Cumbria and beyond, expanded our range of keg, cask and special-release beers, and turned the brewery itself into another place for people to experience Crooked River through events and live music.
Our Keswick taproom has continued to grow into a thriving community venue, while our Cockermouth site has evolved from a beer shop into a fully fledged independent drinks bar, giving us three very different homes connected by the River Derwent. We’ve hosted some of our biggest events yet, worked with brilliant local musicians, food traders and independent producers, grown our team, refreshed our brand and, above all, continued building the little brewery we started in 2022 into something far bigger than we ever imagined — while staying proudly independent, rooted in West Cumbria and focused on making great beer and bringing people together.
We hope you enjoy our beers, cheers!
