South Shropshire brewery raises a glass to its brand of beer after five-years
A south Shropshire brewery is celebrating five-years of its unique brand of craft beer.
Ludlow Brewery launched its pilot-brewery brand, Derailed, in the mid-2020,
The brewery says Derailed has been pushing flavour boundaries with its small‑batch, experimental IPAs, pale ales, lagers and stouts — brewed to inspire creativity and delight beer enthusiasts.
Since its inception, Derailed has operated on a 2.5‑barrel brew kit, producing around 700 pints per batch. This hands‑on setup, tucked beside Ludlow’s main 20‑barrel facility, empowers Head Brewer Cody Palin and the team to experiment with bold hops, haze-forward styles, and limited-edition recipes.
“We wanted a creative playground to break from convention,” says Cody Palin. “Over the past five years, Derailed has allowed us to trial new hop combos, test hazy IPAs and even revamp styles on the fly. Watching the reaction in the taproom has been incredibly rewarding.”
Throughout its evolution, Derailed has introduced a rotating lineup of crowd‑pleasing brews, including tropical pale ales, crisp modern lagers and rich stouts, all available on tap, in cans, and occasionally in cask. When fan demand rises, standout releases have even been scaled up for broader production via Ludlow’s main plant.
Vanilla espresso milk stout Silent Knight (4.5% ABV) was brewed as a seasonal special for Christmas, but proved so popular it has become a semi-permanent addition to the core range. The cask beer has also received critical acclaim in the UK beer industry "Oscars", bringing home a gold medal from the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2025 (Cask Speciality Amber to Dark Beer category).
Gary Walters, Managing Director of Ludlow Brewery, adds: “Derailed embodies the adventurous spirit that keeps Ludlow evolving. For five years it’s pushed us creatively and kept our loyal fans excited. Cheers to many more years of brewing off the beaten track!”
