Theakston Brewery & Visitor Centre

Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4YD

Tel: 01765 680000

website: www.theakstons.co.uk

For beer drinkers, the first place to visit in the Yorkshire Dales is the home of the legendary 'Old Peculier', the Theakston Brewery. Robert Theakston began brewing 170 years ago at the Black Bull Inn in 1827. Forty eight years later, his son Thomas built the famous brewery on Masham's Paradise Fields, where it stands today. Most of the original equipment is still in use today, and with a trained tour guide, visitors can follow the entire brewing process, from selecting the ingredients to filling the casks.

Meet the people behind the beer, ask questions or simply soak up the atmosphere of the brewer's art. Watch one of only seven brewery coopers in England crafting the wooden casks that Theakston's still use for supplying local pubs.

After the tour, visitors are invited to the Visitor Centre Bar, where they can enjoy real British beer by a roaring log fire. The admission price includes a complimentary half pint of beer, from a comprehensive selection of Theakston ales, including Old Peculier and Theakston Cool Cask - you'll be spoilt for choice.