Are you a lover of fine quality ale? Do you live in Hitchin? Then get set for a real treat as a specialist shop offering high-quality beer with a tasting room is set to open this weekend.

The Comet: Inside the new Beer Shop in Hitchin.Inside the new Beer Shop in Hitchin. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2016)

Independent retailer of craft, traditional and foreign bottled beers Beer Shop will be opening their Hermitage Road site on Saturday,

The funky suppliers of good beer will also sell continually-rotating keg and cask beer to drink in or take home.

The Comet: The Beer Shop joint owners John Gudgin and Ben Hudson.The Beer Shop joint owners John Gudgin and Ben Hudson. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2016)

Co-owner John Gudgin told the Comet: “My friend Ben Hudson and I love discovering new and quality beer.

“We started Beer Shop in 2012 in St Albans to share our passion for the brewing industry with others.

The Comet: Inside the new Beer Shop in Hitchin.Inside the new Beer Shop in Hitchin. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2016)

“There’s so much to enjoy about beer from the science behind brewing, to the enormous spectrum of weird and wonderful beer styles.

“Beer Shop is really just a showcase for the amazing breweries we’ve found from the UK and around the world.”

The Comet: The Beer Shop.The Beer Shop. (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2016)

Spurred on the success of their first shop, the passionate beer businessmen looked around our region for another suitable site – and like so many thriving independents opted for Hitchin.

John explained: “Hitchin was our first choice location to build our newest and biggest venture.

“It has a quirky, friendly and tight community, plenty of thriving independent businesses and a good selection of pubs.

“We found our ideal location at the beginning of the year on Hermitage Road in the former Blockbusters site, and have spent each day since then planning every detail.

“We intend Beer Shop in Hitchin to be a bottle shop and tasting room. We’ve installed six cask taps serving traditional real ale and 10 keg taps for modern craft beers. These are available for people to take home in one, two or three-litre sizes – or to sit and enjoy a glass in our tasting room.

“We’re excited to help Hitchin discover some awesome beers this Christmas.”

The shop will showcase around 500 bottled and canned beers from the UK and beyond. Pop along to their launch event on Saturday from 7pm to 10pm at 30-32 Hermitage Road. Follow them @beershophitchin.