Freeminer Brewery

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Freeminer Brewery Ltd, The Laurels, Sling, Coleford, Gloucestershire.

Brewing commenced in 1992. In 1993, they opened their first tied house, the Miners Arms in Sling.

The Freeminer Brewery at Sling lies within the Forest of Dean and has a tremendous following for its beers and its owner. Don Burgess went to great lengths to resurrect the traditional brewing skills - once so much part of the area. Don makes no compromises over ingredients, nor does he take short cuts in the process of creating pure natural beers. An example of this is in the production of his Speculation Ale for which he uses floor malted English barley, whole hop flowers, bore-hole water and top-fermenting ale yeast. The result is a hoppy, well balanced, rich chestnut ale that is surprisingly bitter and most definitely out of the ordinary.

Brewing ceased at Sling in 2001 when the brewery moved to Cinderford.


Freeminer Brewery Ltd, Whimsey Industrial Estate, Steam Mills, Cinderford, Gloucestershire.

Brewing commenced 2001 following move from Sling. The brewery was taken over in September 2006.

Brewing was suspended in the Summer of 2016.


From the Paul Gunnell Archive