Wigan pub manageress launches online beer video channel

The videos expand on the Beer of the Day streams Jo has been posting during lockdown when pubs and other hospitality venues have been forced to shut due to Covid-19.

The Beer Huntress’ quest for the perfect ale in whichever style is selected for each video has already proved popular, with Jo exceeding her initial target for subscribers within the first two installments.

Wigan Central has previously reached the final of Camra’s prestigious Pub of the Year competition and Jo’s encyclopaedic knowledge of beer can be seen in its regularly-revolving assortment of draught and keg ales and its beer library which is stocked with bottles and cans.

Now Jo, from Woodhouse Lane, is sharing that enthusiasm and expertise with an online audience.

She said: “Beer of the Day slightly got out of hand. I didn’t expect pubs to be shut as long as they have been.

“I thought I would do a post of what beer I was drinking and give people some more knowledge about styles and I’ve been doing it now for three and a half months.

“A few people commented that I should take it on to YouTube. We started putting something together in late November and posted the first one in the middle of January.

“I’m very passionate about beer and if I can point people in the direction of a style they weren’t aware of or give them tasting notes so they understand what they are enjoying and why then so much the better.

“We’re going to have lots of different styles, some traditional, some old-school and some pretty extreme.”

Jo is hoping to get a new video added to the Beer Huntress channel each Monday.

Each episode starts with Jo spinning the gameshow-inspired Wheel of Styles, created by John Slevin from Prospect brewery, which stops on whatever type of beer she will be drinking.

The first films have included discussions of sour beers, Belgian ales and a barley wine.

Drinkers are then guided through the history of the beer style and brewery and given some tasting notes and explanation of the individual ale.

The Beer Huntress is already being tracked by subscribers from as far afield as Munich in Germany and Jo is now targeting 500 people signing up as well as considering ideas like a beer school for those who follow the channel.

The videos are being created with the technical know-how of Oliver Read, who also helps with Wigan Central’s quizzes.

To find out more, visit www.facebook/com/BeerHuntress

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