objections yesterday, and said it would be up-and-running in June.

Bermuda Triangle Brewery spokesman and company lawyer, Mr. Mark Pettingill, said work would now begin in earnest to produce the pioneering bottles of Bermuda Triangle Ale from a microbrewery in Southampton.

Now other potential brewers are watching to see if Triangle Brewing will be a success before making similar moves.

Mr. Pettingill said other licences needed to be approved and health and environmental officers were close to being satisfied with the microbrewery plans, but the approval the brewers were waiting for was that of the licensing panel.

He had given the panel a short statement on the brewery before they agreed to it. "It was very comfortable. There were no objections,'' said Mr.

Pettingill.

"There are a couple of things we now need to secure but we will start work immediately on the premises.'' The microbrewery will be sited in a warehouse at SAL in Southampton where, says the company, it will not affect residential areas. A previous attempt at starting a brewery was halted by environmental concerns. Triangle Brewing's founders believe advances over the past two decades have erased any such fears.

"All of Triangle Brewing's packaging will be reusable or recyclable,'' said Mr. Pettingill. "Our packaging will not include any cans.

"The spent grains will be made available to Bermuda's farmers as feed for livestock or as composting material.

"The plant has been designed to incorporate the latest in water conservation and energy recovery technologies.'' Mr. Pettingill has stressed that the brewery will not produce its ales on a huge scale with the output expected to be around 15,000 kegs a year.

Triangle Brewing hopes to produce six ales in the future, but Mr. Pettingill said only one would be produced initially in time for June.

The microbrewery revolution has swept North America, following in the footsteps of Europe's small brewers.

It has increased customer choice and taken brewing out of the sole domain of the huge Budweiser, Coors and Miller corporations.

There are now more than 400 microbreweries or "brewpubs'' in North America.

Ninety percent of them were started in the last 20 years.

Triangle Brewing formed by Mr. Pettingill, and brothers Mr. Paul Mason and Mr.

Philip Mason have stressed the importance of having a beer "Made in Bermuda.'' Mr. Pettingill said: "With the rapid acceptance of literally hundreds of brewpubs and microbreweries in North America over the last decade Triangle Brewing firmly believes that beer drinkers are making the statement that they want a fuller, richer taste and more diversity in their options.''