Win free beer courtesy of Hartlepool's Crafty Monkey brewery

The Crafty Monkey Brewing Co was founded on the outskirts of Hartlepool in April 2018 by pals Gary Olvanhill and Pat Garrett after they took redundancy from the oil industry.

Based in a converted outbuilding in Elwick, the pair’s cask beers are currently enjoyed by drinkers in pubs as far apart as Edinburgh and Northampton.

The names of 10 of the brews have musical links.

Examples include golden light ale New Gold Dream, which was the title track of a Simple Minds album, and ruby red ale Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, inspired by Kaiser Chiefs hit Ruby.

Now their 12th beer is about to follow suit.

Gary, 56, who is from Stockton, said: “We are just finalising plans now for another beer which will also be named after a song and is linked to an upcoming celebration.”

In the meantime, the brewery’s online keg and bottle shop is proving popular both in the Hartlepool area and with ex-pats exiled elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Pat, 54, who is from Hartlepool, said: “We have orders from all over the country and some have been from people who were maybe back home at Christmas and enjoyed one of our drinks.

"We also had a request for 12 bottles from someone in Canada.

"We looked into it and it proved impractical to send because of the customs clearance you would need.

"But it is still nice to know we have fans as far away as Canada.”

*To mark the brewery’s birthday, our friends at Crafty Monkey have kindly donated five three-bottle sets of their beer as competition prizes for our readers.

To be in a chance of winning one of their gift sets, which are currently available online from £12.50p, all you have to do is answer the following question: In what year was Crafty Monkey founded?

Using the subject header Crafty Monkey competition, email your answers with your full name, address and mobile phone number to [email protected] by 5pm on Monday, March 21.

Usual Mail competition rules apply. Please also note that entrants must be over 18 and live in the Hartlepool area.

If this article has given you a thirst for the brewery’s beers, why not visit its website at www.shop.craftymonkey.beer/?

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.