Tartarus

Jordan Childs and Jack Herrington established the brewery in Sheepscar, Leeds, taking the name from the abyss of Greek mythology where the Titans were imprisoned. Every beer in the range carries that naming tradition forward: all are named after mythical creatures and legends.

Tartarus built its reputation on the extreme end of the strength spectrum. Specialist retailers have positioned the brewery within the big and bold category of British craft production, with imperial stouts and barleywines regularly reaching into double-digit ABV figures. The AF and low-alcohol range emerged from a stated intention to bring the same flavour ambition to the sub-1% space: the brewery has described the goal as making beers that do not compromise on flavour, regardless of strength.

The AF lineup is small and deliberately contrasted. It spans rich, flavoured dark stouts and lighter-bodied table beers, applying two very different registers to the low-ABV space. The contrast with the brewery's high-strength core output is striking and appears intentional: Tartarus's stated aim is flavour parity, not a simplified alternative.

The brewery operates an on-site taproom at its Sheepscar unit in Leeds. Distribution runs through specialist alcohol-free retailers and the brand's own webshop, with no mainstream supermarket presence. For sober-curious drinkers interested in what a flavour-first approach to low-ABV brewing looks like from a brewery that has earned its credentials at the other end of the strength scale, Tartarus offers an unusual vantage point.