Meet The Team! Joe McCarrick

Freedom was launched with the belief that we needed to nail three things to make the brewery a success: great product, great processes, and above all, great people. People who have a true passion for craft lager, giving consumers a quality, flavourful alternative to mainstream lagers, and working together to build our fantastic brand.

Fast forward 27 years, and our team are still the most important part of our business, and the reason we continue to thrive!

This year, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our lovely Freedom team, and where better to start than our very own Head Brewer, Joe McCarrick!

Originally from Whiston in Liverpool, Joe achieved his Brewing Diploma at Brewlab Sunderland, and later joined the Freedom brewing team before taking the lead as Head Brewer in 2022, bringing with him a strong passion for great quality craft beers, made the proper way!

We asked Joe a few questions to get to know him better…

When you were little, what did you want to be? Sonic the Hedgehog!

What do you like doing when you’re not at the brewery? I love sport! Football, cricket and sumo are my go-to favourites. I also watch a lot of opera and hike in the peak district most weekends.

What made you want to go into brewing? I used to dread Mondays because I hated my old job, and wanted to do something I believe in. I like physical labour, feeling tired at the end of the day is rewarding, but I wanted to combine that with something creative. I quit my job and started working in wineries and vineyards aboard, and felt like I was heading in the right direction to what I wanted to do. I prefer beer to wine so creating new recipes combined with the hard yakka of the brewing process seemed like the perfect fit for me. And of course, daily quality control (beer tasting) is quite a perk!

Which is your favourite Freedom beer? Helles. It’s completely organic, slightly sweet, slightly floral, light, crisp – a full bodied continental style lager. It wouldn’t be out of place alongside any lagers from the great German Breweries.

What is the best thing about your job? It doesn’t feel like a “job” because it’s something that’s important to me. The UK craft beer market offers varied and quality options to drinkers right now, and we contribute to that with great beers, made the proper way. Me and my team are proud of what we do.

Stay tuned for our next meet the team blog…