The People Behind: Modest Beer

Like many good ventures, Modest Beer was born in a parent’s garage in Holywood (with one L) when Chris Morris, a tax accountant by day, brewed a small experimental batch of Kölsch for a friend’s restaurant. The beer was a quick success, pleasing man and spreadsheet alike, inspiring both parties to collaborate long term and for Chris to build a proper brewery.

Whilst the brewery started out at the end of 2019 as a side project for Chris while he continued to work full-time, it quickly outgrew the original premises and is now a full-time operation in a commercial unit located 30 miles up the road in Randalstown, County Antrim.

Whilst the name of the brewery does a lot of the heavy lifting, one of the core values behind Modest Beer is ‘appreciating life’s smaller joys’. This is exemplified through the simplicity of the design and language that we like to use, and also by our approach to brewing. Simplicity not to be mistaken for basic or budget, because there is an emphasis on high quality, considered details, and refined finishes. We love to take time to 'stop and smell the roses’ here and we want the taste of a Modest Beer to be something that reminds you to pause and appreciate it for what it is.

One of our recent releases – a Fresh Hopped Harvest Beer brewed exclusively with Northern Irish grown Fuggles hops – is a shining example of this approach. With deep notes of caramel, toffee and digestive biscuit from the Crisp heritage and speciality malt base, and a herbaceous and spicy finish from the fresh hops, it’s the perfect Autumnal sup (now available in the Modest Beer showcase boxes for December and January).

Do you know what Fresh/Green hops are and why you should care? To help answer that question, we’ve linked a thought-provoking article written my Matthew Curtis (award winner writer, photographer and broadcaster) written for the for the Get ‘Er Brewed Blog, entitled “Lose the Lederhosen — On Green Hopped Beers and The UK’s Appropriation of Oktoberfest” for your morning coffee break.

Don’t misunderstand us, we like donning lederhosen as much as the next person, but while we have a glut of fresh hops down the road and the stunning beauty of Autumn closing in, you’ll forgive us for not giving two hoots of a tuba.