THE youngest brewer in the UK is recreating one of Warrington's oldest beers in tribute to the town's former Walker's brewery.

Jordan Millington, head brewer for 4Ts, looked back through the Dallam Lane brewery's recipes books from 1865 to 1965 to make 'Walker's Resurrection'.

The 22-year-old from Orford teamed up with Prof Jan Nielsen from Swansea University and the process took around two years to get right as authentic ingredients were used including brewing sugars and salts.

Five brewers' barrels – equating to 1,152 pints – have been brewed and it will be available at the May Bank Holiday beer festival at The Tavern in Church Street from today, Friday, until Monday.

Jordan said: "Getting everything spot on like the ingredients and the temperature was tough and we had six attempts at getting the colour right."

John Robinson, a Walker's brewery fanatic, came up with the idea.

He said: "It was my lifetime’s ambition to see it brewed again because it is the beer I remember from my youth.

"It’s a tragedy that Walker's went. There’s a generation of people who still live in Warrington and remember the place with affection."

John Wilkinson, owner of The Tavern, added: "We’re not trying to break into the record books or anything. It’s just bringing something back that was on a friend’s bucket list.

"At 4Ts we’re more into the new world beers but there’s a big following out there who like the old bitters."

The Walker's recipe books survived after first being stored at the National Brewing Museum in Burton on Trent.

They will later be stored at Merseyside Records Office in Liverpool with other Walker's artifacts.

Making Walker's Resurrection has also been one of brewer Jordan's biggest challenges after starting as a glass collector at The Tavern.

He learnt the ropes by shadowing John at 4Ts brewery in Runcorn and proved himself after being left in charge of the brewing operation when John had an accident and had to take some time off work.

Jordan said: "I just researched the process and John taught me how to brew on the kit and gave me a few tips on what goes together. I just learnt as I went along."

John, the owner of The Tavern, also has a connection to Walker's brewery – he was a drayman at the former Dallam Lane site.

He said: "I delivered beer but I always had a knowledge and interest in learning how it was brewed."

So the Rydal Avenue resident started brewing at home in his garage in April 2010.

He added: "I started out on a 100-litre brew kit. I used to brew seven days a week and made 340 different beers."

The opportunity to buy a unit for 4Ts in Runcorn came about in the same year and The Tavern has been the brewery tap since.

4Ts and the Church Street pub now specialise in new world pale ales with head brewer Jordan usually making 12 brews a month.

John said: "It’s like going from bangers and mash to curries. People want different flavours.

"It’s the same thing with beer. We’ve got hops we can access from all over the world now."

There are four permanent beers on tap and around eight guest beers a month.

The Tavern, a former wine lodge, has been owned by John for 18 years and has been in the Good Beer Guide since.

- Walker's Resurrection will first be available at the beer festival at The Tavern in Church Street from Friday until Monday