08/01/2026
š 31 Days of Fox & Owl ā Day 28 šŗ Gyle 59
Why does our brewery have a different name to Fox & Owl?
The answer starts around 13 or so years ago with Jon and Amanda.
They founded Gyle 59 with a passion for brewing naturally hazy beer using spring water, heating the mash water with a log burner and, later, powering it with solar panels. They blended all of that into a little bit of brewing wizardry.
After countless recommendations for beer to get for our pub, we decided to stock their beerā¦ then COVID happened.
Not long afterwards, Cellar 59, Lyme Regisā much-loved craft beer bar, came onto the market. We approached Jon and Amanda about buying the company and, after taking it on, moved it to another location in Lyme Regis where we had more freedom to create the venue we imagined.
That relationship became so much more than buying a business. It led to us running Beer Festival Saturdays at the brewery, years of friendship, learning the brewery inside and out, bringing Nick in to learn the brewing wizardry and, finally, in 2025, completely taking over Gyle 59 ourselves.
The adventure doesnāt stop there either. Now that weāve started brewing in the States, our plan is to share Gyle 59 not only across the South West, but throughout our Fox & Owl venues on both sides of the Atlantic.
Cellar 59 has now returned to its original home next to our little cinema and pizza place. After carrying that sign around for years, it finally gets to hang where it belongs.
šŗ Todayās Brewery Tidbitā¦
A gyle is the name given to a single batch of beer. Every brew is recorded as Gyle 1, Gyle 2, Gyle 3ā¦ allowing brewers to track recipes, techniques and any changes in flavour over time.
So why Gyle 59? Because itās the batch of those born in 1959. A mighty fine batch indeedā¦ and one that gave us the opportunity to become part of such a wonderful brewery and continue its story.
One of our favourite beer ranges is the Capitalist Hippie series. A perfect reflection of Jon and Amanda.
Business savvy, incredibly knowledgeableā¦ but always wonderfully hippie.
To celebrate that, the Hippie Squared bottle features them in business suits with one little giveawayā¦ Tie-dyed socks. šŗāļø
