Old Peculier is possibly one of the country’s most well-known and loved
ales. This unique, beautiful brew is often imitated but never matched
and is sold literally all over the world. With countless awards to its
credit, it is something of which every Briton can be very proud and is
the epitome of the greatest of British brewing tradition. In the early
years of the modern brewing era, about two hundred years ago, many
brewers produced a dark, strong ‘stock’ beer in the winter months, to
provide a base amount of fermented beer to add to beers brewed in the
rather more volatile months of the summer. Old Peculier probably owes
its origins to this. The name pays tribute to the unique ecclesiastical
status of Masham as a ‘Court of the Peculier’ and is also reference to
the strong characteristic of the beer! For many years it was
affectionately referred to as Yorkshire’s ‘Lunatic’s Broth’.