From Garage Brews to Local Shelves: The Ticking Clock Brew Co. Story
Every great brewery has its beginnings, and ours started with a ticking clock, a lot of passion, and a humble garage. On countless evenings, as the world wound down, we were just getting started. There, in the dimly lit space of Ben's garage, the idea for Ticking Clock Brew Co. was born. Armed with a 400L brew kit handcrafted by Ben himself and a second-hand 200L fermenter, we set out to create something special—beer that’s worth every second of the wait.
Brewing by the Moonlight: Crafting Our First Beers
Brewing in a garage has its quirks, to say the least. With the minutes and hours slipping away, we’d often find ourselves deep into the night, perfecting our brews. The air was filled with the hum of the boil, the hiss of the whirlpool, and, of course, the occasional splash of beer. It seemed like fate had decided that Ben would take the brunt of the brewing mishaps—ending up soaked more times than we could count. Jamie, on the other hand, seemed to possess some magical power to dodge the beer showers. It became a running joke: "Ticking Clock Brew Co.—where the beer covers Ben, but Jamie stays dry!"
Late-night packaging sessions turned into early-morning canning marathons, with cans rolling off the line and into the small hours. Through the laughter (and a few frustrated sighs), we learned the craft of perfecting not just our brews but also the art of patience—knowing that every great beer takes its time. And it was all worth it as we prepared for the release of our very first creations: Night Moves and Swamp Thing.
Perfecting Night Moves and Swamp Thing: A Race Against Time
Night Moves became our tribute to those late hours spent refining our brews, a smooth, dark ale that captures the essence of our nocturnal craft sessions. Meanwhile, Swamp Thing—a hop-forward pale ale—was born from our desire to create a beer that’s vibrant, fresh, and slightly wild, much like those early days. We tweaked the recipes time after time, adding a bit more of this and a bit less of that, until the flavors were just right.
It wasn’t long before our hard work started to pay off. The first cans of Night Moves and Swamp Thing were a labour of love—and caffeine-fueled perseverance—but seeing them on the shelves at The Draughtsmans Alehouse, The Badgers Pantry, and The Tasting Note made every moment worthwhile. Suddenly, all those hours in the garage, all the spills, and all the late nights had led to this—a chance for people to taste what we’d been tirelessly working on.
The Courage to Keep Brewing: The Early Days of Swamp Thing
The early reviews for Swamp Thing began to trickle in, and to our relief, they were overwhelmingly positive. People loved the fresh, bold flavors and the impact we’d managed to achieve. It was the kind of encouragement we needed to keep going. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hearing someone say, “You know what, this is really good,” to make all the spilled beer and sleepless nights seem like a small price to pay.
Fueled by this early success, we knew it was time to take the next step. We placed an order for two shiny new fermenters from Cassmann, a huge leap forward for our little brewery. The clock kept ticking, but now we were counting down to something bigger—more brews, more laughs, and hopefully, fewer beer showers for Ben.