Beers of the Air

With the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain now upon us when the RAF battled the might of the Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England during the Summer of 1940. It is pertinent to think that among the slew of tributes to our brave airmen, a number of breweries around the country have over the years developed beers, created to honour the efforts of our air-force during the course of WWII. While there are dozens of one-off products and seasonal specials out there, there’s a clutch of examples that have gone onto become regular core-range items, these beers are also available in bottle/can and have found their way into beer shops and supermarkets across the country. Here’s a potted guide into these well-known examples:

 

Spitfire (4.2%) – Shepherd Neame

First produced in 1990 as one-off special to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britian, it was named after fighter plane the Spitfire MK1 which played a pivotal role in the battle. The ensuing popularity of the beer ensured it’s continuation, it was soon regularly brewed and has become one of Shepherd Neame’s most successful and well-known products, winning a diverse range of awards ranging from International Beer Challenge – World’s 50 Best Beers (2008) to British Bottlers Institute Silver – Packaging (Silver). A traditional best bitter, it only uses Kentish grown hops (including Target, Challenger, East Kent Goldings, First Gold) to give its distinct bitter orange-marmalade peppery flavour, while malts help give its notable deep amber colour. Such was its local significance, in 1998 the Prince of Wales granted a Royal Warrant, giving it protected status as a Kentish ale. Though usually available in draught in pubs across Kent and in Shepherd Neame tied-houses, it is sold in bottle in supermarkets nationwide. This beer has endured a flood of marketing, in the late 1990’s a poster campaign was launched under the moniker ‘Bottle of Britian’. The poster featured tongue-in-cheek quotes such as “downed all over Kent, just like the Luftwaffe”, or “no Nazi aftertaste.” The posters even made their way onto the Underground where in early 2001 they attracted controversy when five posters were removed following complaints from German tourists. During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the brewery collaborated with Viz cartoonist Graham Mellie, where he developed a series of comic strips under the title of “The Road to Berlin” which followed the exploits of a English footballer known as Tommy as he faced off competition from some surrendering Italians and a terrifying German super-sub called Fritz, the cartoons were featured in the Evening Standard. In 2013, comedy duo Armstrong and Miller featured in adverts promoting the beer, in the guise of their WW2 era RAF airmen characters that featured prominently in their sketch show series. The adverts proved to be immensely successful, gaining the brewery two British Marketing Awards consecutively between 2015-6. The beer continues to have a large following, its branding has featured on T-Shirts, Mugs and Glassware; more recently it has been joined by variants included Spitfire Gold (4.3%) and more recently Spitfire Lager (4%). And since 2010 it has supported the Movember campaign, organising a number of charitable competitions like their Mo-Beer (create your own beer) contest. 

Hurricane (4%) – Buntingford 

Named after the Battle of Britain veteran Hurricane Hawker P3717, which used to fly past the brewery’s former brewhouse. It was first brewed in 2001; it was only their second ever brew. It was originally called Hurricane Force at the time before it was later renamed. It became part of their regular range in 2012. Described on its pump clips as a strikingly good bitter, it’s a copper-coloured brew with First Gold hops, and a mixture of locally sourced Maris Otter and Chocolate malt from suppliers based in East Anglia, which in turn helps give the beer its malty toffee character offset by a fruity bitterness. Hurricane (4%) isn’t the only beer they produce with connections to WW2 fighter planes, another beer they produce 92 Squadron (4.5%) is named after a British fighter class that flew during the course of the war. Unlike it’s contemporary it is only produced on a seasonal basis. 

Battle of Britain (5%) – Chiltern

It was originally launched in 2001 at event held at RAF Halton, based in Halton Camp, Aylesbury. A traditional style old ale, dark and light malts are combined with a balancing hop input, in this case pale and crystal malts are utilised along with Goldings and Fuggles for balance that provides a complex flavour profile reminiscent of roasted chestnuts; in this case it could be argued that the beer is a homage to the Burton Ales that were prevalent before the postwar period. The beer has since joined their regular core range, although predominately it remains a bottle only release. From every sale, 5p of each bottle goes towards the RAF Halton charities, helping towards the efficiency and support of personnel and their families at RAF Halton; in 2021 alone, they raised £3,528,80 pounds for charity. Uniquely for a beer, veterans wearing their WW2 medals are entitled to a free bottle when visiting the brewery shop. Although generally sold only in bottle, for a limited basis during the Battle of Britain Day celebrations held annually on 15th September, the brewery sells it in draught form directly from its site, where visitors can also collect two- and four-pint containers.  In 2020, an amber ale using the same name was released by the brewery, made in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.  While more recently the brewery has also produced Supermarine (4%), a traditional Bitter inspired by the Spitfire, one of the fighter planes that flew during the Battle of Britian. 

Spirit of Kent (4%) – Westerham 

One of their flagship core-range products, this beer is labelled as an a 9 Hop XXX ale, in tribute to the original beer that racked on the Spitfires. Following the D-Day landings, the RAF arranged with the Black Eagle Brewery (formerly based in Westerham) to rack their 18 gallon casks onto specially adapted bomb racks on their Spitfire’s, though in later flights, the beer was filled into auxiliary non-returnable petrol tanks, once refuelling facilities were established in France. The beers were labelled “XXX Joy Juice” and flown on specially chartered flights to airfields in northern France, in what could only be described as the RAF equivalent of a brewer’s dray. Similarly, this beer, is a golden ale produced with nine different types of Kentish hops, which include Target, Goldings, Pilgrim, Sovereign, Progress, First Gold, WGV, Bramling Cross and Challenger. Most of these are sourced locally from hop grower Ian Strang who runs a National Trust hop garden in Lamberhurst. The brewery uses original yeast strains from the Black Eagle Brewery which were donated to the National Collection of Yeast Cultures in 1959, Westerham re-cultured the yeast and acquired the licencing rights from Carlsberg, the brewers even use the same aquifer in a concerted push to emulate Black Eagle’s distinctive flavoured ales. First released in 2012, it progressively became their best-selling golden ale and became available in bottles and cans from 2018 onwards. Not only is this beer a frequent site among pubs around north Kent, recently Algar Lodge Butchery made a special Ale Sausage using Spirit of Kent in the mix.

Moonlight (4.3%) – Arkell’s 

It was first released in 2003, it was commissioned by (present chairman) James Arkell to mark the 80th birthday of his father (and predecessor in the chairman role) Peter Arkell OBE, to commemorate his involvement in a series of nighttime missions for the SOE during the war, where he flew low level sorties over occupied France in 1943, picking up agents and returning them to blighty. These assignments were undertaken during the full moon period, hence the name. A traditional session-bitter, it uses a combination of Fuggles and Susan hops along with a special hop mix to give its distinct golden colour, and lingering toasty flavour. Originally a one-off special, it is now a regular brewed beer and over the years it has acquired a number of awards including Taste of the West (2011), World Beer Awards 2015 - United Kingdom - Bitter 4% - 5% - Silver Medal, The International Beer Challenge 2018 – Silver and more recently it won Bronze at British Bottlers’ Institute Competition 2025. Last year, to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings 62 cases containing bottles of Moonlight beer, were flown on a Lysander aircraft from Draycott Airfield to Normandy for a commemorative dinner honouring the Allied and French Resistance heroes who helped liberate France. In recent times, the brewery has produced more beers with a connection to the fighter planes of WW2, with their keg-only releases Hurricane (4%), an amber ale; and Mustang Black (4%) a nitro stout named after the American fighter bombers P-51 Mustang. 

Lancaster Bomber (4%) – Marstons

Originally a flagship product from Thwaites brewery, it was developed by brew-master Steven Fielding. It was named after the Avro Lancaster, a heavy bomber produced by Avro who were based in Manchester between 1910-63, this aircraft manufacturer was of local significance for the Blackburn based brewery. A traditional bitter, it was described as a classic English ale, chestnut in colour, with full bodied flavour, enriched with a late hop character. Since it became part of the brewery’s core range of beers, it has gained a large following and has been widely sold in supermarkets across the country. The beer has won a number of awards including Europe Gold at the World Beer Awards 2007, 2011 and 2014. International Beer Challenge (Silver) in 2012, in the Pale Ales and Bitter category. Like its southern counterpart Spitfire (4.2%) it has been involved in mass advertising campaigns, in 2005 England cricketer Freddie Flintoff was signed up to front the ad campaign for the beer, as part of six figure investment following a 32% rise in sales. The product has also been used for charitable causes, in 2013 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dambuster raids the brewery launched their Give A Dam campaign, in which 5p from every pint of this beer sold has been donated to Leonard Cheshire Disability – a charity founded by former Bomber Command veteran, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire. The following year, the beer was used as the official sponsor for a month-long tour of Canada’s only airworthy Lancaster bomber, as it flew from Ontario to RAF Conninsbury in Lincolnshire, stopping on the way at Goose Bay, Canada, Narsarsuaq, Greenland, and Keflavik, Iceland. It later featured at airshows across the UK including Eastbourne, Bournemouth and Shoreham etc. The same year the brewery closed their Blackburn site, and subsequently they sold off part of their company to Marstons, along with the rights to produce Lancaster Bomber (4%) and Wainwright (4.1%) in 2015 with a short-term agreement to continue featuring Thwaites branding on the bottles and pump clips. This arrangement has since been withdrawn and no trace of Thwaites appears on its promotions. In 2020, Marstons merged with Carlsberg, and a few months back they discontinued eight iconic cask ales, so Lancaster Bomber’s future remains in the balance.  

Hurricane (4%) – Wantsum

Although there are a number of beers out there that go with this name, only a few have a connection to the fighter plane, a few still are regularly sold. This example like its namesake at Buntingford, is another core range product. The brewery is based as St. Nicholas on the Wade, only five miles from RAF Manston where Hurricane’s once were a common site in the skies above the village where the brewhouse is now based. Despite these British connections, the beer is closer to an New Zealand IPA in character as it is brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops, which are well known for imparting a citrussy character, while use of oats in the mix helps give it a smoother mouthfeel and more body giving it a more refreshing aftertaste. This beer is among several produced by the brewery that follow a World War Two theme, others include their SS Richard Montgomery (4%), an APA brewed only with American Hops named after a US made liberty ship that sank in the River Medway, Dynamo (4.3%) a blonde ale named to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Dunkirk evacuation and Thunderbolt (6%) a stronger APA named after the Thunderbolts that flew for the USAF from RAF Headcorn. All these releases tend to be produced seasonally, and only Hurricane (4%) is regularly sold and also available in bottles. Since it appeared on the scene, it has also gained some awards including finalist at the 2021 Taste of Kent awards and more recently SIBA Independent South East Gold Award Winner (2023). 

Battle of Britain (3.9%) – Wolf 

Described a British best bitter, true to form it is a copper-coloured ale with plenty of bite, accompanied with a combination Goldings and Challenger hops that complement its malty undertones. It was first released in 2010 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britian at an event attended by veterans. Since then, it has joined their core range and like their forebears at Chiltern, a donation of 10p is made from each sale to (R.A.F.A.) the RAF Association’s Wings appeal. The beer has also made its mark locally when in 2015 it was awarded Champion Beer of East Anglia (2015) – Gold (Bitters). Since it’s release, the brewery has also produced a string of one-off releases celebrating heroic personnel during the war, in 2011 they developed Lone Wolf (4.4%), a lager after Czech fighter ace Sgt Josef Frantisek who flew solo missions against the Luftwaffe in 1940, where he managed to shoot down 17 aircraft in one month. While later in 2014, they also released Monty’s Gamble (3.8%) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, where proceeds went towards the Norwich Normandy Veterans Association. 

Liberator (4.1%) – Tring

A more recent addition, it made it’s debut on draught in December 2023 before being sold in bottle the following April. It is named after the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, an American built heavy bomber known for its long range, high cruise speed and the ability to carry a large bomb catchment. Aside from its use in the USAAC, both the RAF and the French Air Force ordered a number of these bombers. The British adapted these planes, and called them Liberators due to their use in maritime patrols. In tribute to its American links, the beer uses Citra and Mosaic hops, while Citra brings citrussy flavours of grapefruit and pine, Mosaic brings a tropical infused mix of lychee, mango and passionfruit to the table. Through the more assertive flavours coming through from the hops, it can be seen as a homage to the classic American Pale Ale offset with home-grown British malt which inadvertedly reflects on the transatlantic links of its namesake the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Due to the relatively new status of the beer, it hasn’t been used for charitable purposes as of late, though in 2016 the brewery supported the De Havilland aircraft museum in Hatfield as the charity of their choice that year. This beer joins an earlier release, their annual Autumnal special Squadron Scramble (4%) which commemorates the Battle of Britain.

 

Croxley Guild of Sports Beer Festival 2025

One of the advantages of living on the London/ Hertfordshire borders is the slew of beer festivals that take place in the Watford and St Albans area over the course of the year. Having attended quite a number in my time, I was keen to explore new ones whenever they appear; and thanks to a tip-off from Watford CAMRA, I was alerted to a new beer festival that was being held at the Croxley Guild of Sports, between the 23-25 May. Situated off the Green in Croxley, it is a private members club that also offers sport facilities and regular entertainment. 

Though the festival was only a small-scale event, up to 17 cask beers, 2 keg and 3 ciders were available on tap, with all proceeds going towards the upkeep of the site. As I attended on the final day, some beers were sold out, though I came early for enough to be available. Most of the offerings came from breweries based in Herts and Bucks, so understandably I initially went for Brill Gold (3.4%) - Vale, a light ale, golden amber in colour with a clean hoppiness and malty bitter background. Although the bar mostly had pales and IPAs on offer, there were some dark beers available, so I next sampled some Chiltern Black (3.9%) - Chiltern, a traditional porter, it had malty caramel aromas, while the palate was rich with a medley of vanilla, golden-syrup, berry fruits and some mild roasted malt grain underscored by bitterness. My tour through Buckinghamshire’s breweries concluded with XT4 (3.8%) – XT, an amber ale, it had a fruity and mildly hoppy nose with hints of berry fruits and caramel. Distinct flavour notes from British and American hops with the unusual combination of British and Belgian malts, giving off a unique yet quaffable taste that is common with most modern style bitters. 

For my next offering I went eastwards to Essex with Dengie Red (4%) by Wibblers of Southminster; a red ale with distinct hoppy tropical fruit aromas, with a kaleidoscope of flavours including caramel, malt, citrus, jelly babies and spiciness from the hops, balanced by a bed of bitterness that belied its relatively low strength. I next sampled a keg offering Lunardi’s (4.2%) – Tring, a hazy pale ale brewed with oatmeal that helps give it a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, which compliments it’s refreshing hoppiness that features gentle notes of mango, citrus and lychee, this beer was well suited in keg form. With some room left to spare, for my final libation of the day, I sampled some Crafty Stoat (5.3%), another offering from Wibblers; it was a stout based on 1885 Ushers recipe, potent roasted malt notes dominated with hints of coffee and chocolate with a boozy fruitiness on the back end, the full-bodied mouthfeel helped give off a rousing end to my beer odyssey. Although the beer festival was diminutive in stature, there were a brilliant array of beers and ciders on offer, which made it worthwhile.

Have a Cuppa Tea?

After water, tea is the most popular drink on the planet. In the UK alone we get through 60 billion cups per year, and we still go through three cups of tea for one cup of coffee. Once a preserve for the upper classes, since the 19^th century it has become a universal drink, crossing different classes. Yet it in the brewing world, tea infused beers curiously remain an elusive phenomenon in a world dominated by coffee infused products which have increasingly flooded the market over the past decade. Since the early 2010’s, tea infused beers have been a source of inspiration and innovation for brewers, Richard Taylor noted in 2014, “Tea-infused beers are on the rise. This could be because brewers have reached the end of the line with coffee, and rummaged around in the brewery cupboard for inspiration (next up; Rich Tea Ale) – but more likely it’s down to the increasing availability of high-level, specialist teas from dedicated sources.”[1] This was somewhat a naïve assumption, as tea-flavoured beers have steadfast remained a rarity since they were first introduced and less than a hundred beers have been recorded in the UK, as using tea as a flavour adjunct. Yet the range of tea blends out there do offer brewers the chance to experiment with various flavours, producing beers that celebrate the humble brew.

 

Most brewers tend to use black tea, which is fully oxidised, dark in appearance with a stronger flavour. These flavours tend to vary across different blends, but they are usually floral and citrussy. Due its robust nature, Black tea can be used across a wide variety of beer styles, such as Pale Ales, Bitter, IPA and Porter for instance. There are a vast number of black tea blends out there, one of the most prevalent is Earl Grey, a flavoured blend first developed in the early 19^th century, it contained an extract of Bergamot (a citrus fruit) in order to disguise the cheapness of the tea leaves. The quality has improved since then, and due to its notable citrussy flavour properties it has become a common source of inspiration for brewers. Marble was one of the earliest breweries to embrace the use of tea, with their Earl Grey IPA (6.8%). First created in 2012, it was developed as a collaboration with Brouwerij Emelisse; described a citrussy smooth IPA, it is produced with Goldings and Columbus hops, during the fermentation process the brewers use timed additions of cold brew Earl Grey tea which is added to the fermenter, which is followed by more Citra pellet hops which help give an added orange and bergamot character. The beer has been described as having a citrussy aroma, a full-bodied creamy mouthfeel with bold flavours of bergamot, balanced by sweetness and a pronounced bitterness, indeed Roger Protz once memorably described it as “the 6.8% beer presses all the right buttons for today’s beers drinkers. For a start, with that strength, it’s close to a genuine 19th-century India Pale Ale. But with Citra and Columbus American hops added to English Goldings, it has a massive charge of citrus on nose and palate.”[2] Originally intended as a one-off release it was sold in 750ml bottles at the time, but it ensuing popularity encouraged the brewery to continue production on the product and add it to their core range. Following its release, it has inspired a raft of other breweries to develop beers brewed with Earl Grey tea, like Vermont Tea Party (3.6%) by Siren Craft Brew, which was brewed using a unique strain of Vermont yeast, along with Earl Grey tea and lemon zest, or the likes of Brewsters’ Begamot Beaut (4.8%) an IPA made with a blend of New Zealand hops and Earl Grey tea, noted for its aroma of Bergamot orange, hence its name. Even major breweries like Adnams have got in on the act when they produced Earl Grey Pale Ale (5%) for supermarket retailer M&S, which was developed using various M&S products including leftover bread and Earl Grey tea. Sarah Chambers notes it was “Inspired by the brilliant work by Toast Ale, Marks and Spencer and the Adnams teamed up to create the first beer using surplus bread for a UK supermarket.”[3] It was released in cans in May 2018, under their ‘Used our Loaf’ brand. While most of these beers tend to Pales or IPA’s, Hammerton brewery bucked the trend with their Baron H (5.8%), a black IPA developed with six different varieties of hops, along with the addition of Earl Grey; it was produced to mark the first anniversary since brewing commenced at their site in Islington. It was named after Baron Howick, who was better known as Earl Grey, which is where the tea blend gets it name from. One of the more successful tea flavoured beers is Earl Grey IPA (3.9%) by Chiltern, which first appeared in March 2016 initially as a cask special, before its ensuing popularity encouraged the brewery to re-release it on a seasonal basis. It is made with Challenger and Goldings Hops and infused with Virunga Earl Grey tea from Birchall Tea; an award-winning tea manufacturer based in Upper Sydenham.  Head brewer Tom Jenkinson was inspired to produce the beer, since he sold Birchall’s teas at his pub, The King’s Head in Aylesbury. He contacted Daniel Graham, MD at Birchall’s and they joined forces to produce this beer. This beer has become one of the brewery’s most successful products, winning a slew of awards including Bronze Award (Slaphead Shield) – Alton 2017 Winter Beer Festival, Gold Medal 2023 – SIBA Midland Independent Beer Awards – Cask Speciality Light Bitter and Bronze Medal 2024 – SIBA National Independent Beer Awards – Cask Speciality Light Bitter. Until recently it was only available in cask, yet last October, they tweaked the recipe and sold it in cans under the name of Earl Grey Pale Ale (3.6%) as part of the small batch brews series.

 

Out of all the tea blends out there, Earl Grey remains the most popular, Des de Moor sums up the popularity of Earl Grey as a common ingredient in tea infused beers, “an Earl Grey IPA works really well because the citrus of the bergamot plays really nicely with the citrus of popular IPA hop varieties. Earl Grey, for me personally, adds a really refreshing finish to a beer and so is a good choice for a crisp, dry IPA.”[4] While the likes of Earl Grey a common preference among brewers, other blends have also been used. Another style of Black Tea commonly used in brewing is Lapsang Souchong, which hails from the Fujian province in China. During processing the leaves are smoked over a pinewood fire, which helps give the tea its characteristic smoky woodfire taste. Given its potent flavours, this type of tea is usually suited to darker ales such as stouts and porters, as the pronounced roasted elements from the malts dovetail appropriately with the smoky notes from the tea. Tea Total (5%) by Elixir, was an early example of this practise, launched in November 2012, it was the brewery’s first keg beer, it was produced at the request of prolific reviewer Craig Garvie, to mark his 10,000^th beer recorded on Rate Beer. An oatmeal stout brewed with toasted Scottish oats in the brew, with smoked malt complemented by the addition of Lapsang Souchong. Later in 2014, Pope’s Yard Brewery pushed it up a notch with LSP (10.2%), described as an imperial porter, this potent mixture was made with five different malts and Lapsang Souchong tea. Mostly About Beer described it as “on the palate it’s tangy with a fruity spiritous edge – stewed dark fruits – plums, blackberries, damsons, and black cherries. It reminds me also of the brandy you get in Kirsch chocolate liqueur sticks.”[5] It first appeared as a limited release, before subsequently joining their main range at the time, for several years it was one of their most notable products. Moreover, the use of Lapsang Souchong isn’t just limited to darker ales, All My Pockets Have Holes In (5.5%) by Toorside, bucks this trend. First produced in November 2019, to help mark the brewery’s 6^th birthday celebrations, it was Belgian style blonde ale influenced by Taras Boulba (4.5%) by Brasserie de la Senne, with the addition of Lapsang Souchong tea adding a smoky counterpoint to the flavours, it debuted in cask at the brewery’s Smokefest event, following this it was subsequently sold in keg and bottles. Rooibos, is another tea blend commonly used in brewing; better known as Redbush tea in the UK, it developed using green tea leaves that are grown in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa. During processing, the leaves turn reddish brown from the oxidisation, which ultimately enhances the flavours and gives off a sweet and fruity aroma. Rooibos has been utilized in a number of beers, such as SameWorking (5.1%) an American style red ale developed by Fyne Ales in conjunction with BrewDog Glasgow as part of the latter’s Collabfest 2014 event. Not all Rooibos infused beers are typecast as red ales; indeed, the likes of Red Bush IPA (5.5%) avoid this convention. Developed by Yorkshire based brewers Doncaster and Elland in 2021, it was a hazy unfiltered IPA made from a mixture of Maris Otter and Munic Malt. Flavouring came in the form of Pilot hops, then 15 minutes prior to the end of the boil it was dry hopped with Aurora hops and 15kg of Rooibos tea. Another load of Aurora hops was then added during the fermentation process for additional flavour. Moreover, The Merchant (5%) by Fyne Ales, is an old ale first brewed in early 2015 then left to mature in the barrel for nine months before Rooibos tea was added to the mixture, adding to the beer’s palette of Autumnal flavours. It was the thirds beer released as part of their Farmhouse Project, featuring unusual ingredients and drawing from local legends of Argyll.  

 

Black and other oxidised tea blends may be popular in brewing, but other styles have also been used. Green tea is delicate and floral, adding subtle flavours due to lack of oxidisation. It is more difficult to brew with, and is less common among beers, although the delicate essences tend to work with lighter ales like Pilsner and golden ales. Birdhouse Tea Beer (4.2%) by Abbeydale was produced using green tea leaves sourced by tea blenders Birdhouse based in Sheffield locally to the brewery. It was slightly hazy in appearance with a pink tinge, brewed with a tea blend that also included hibiscus, jasmine, rose petals and summer fruits.  The beer was initially launched as a cask only special at an event held at the Devonshire Cat, Sheffield on 13^th January 2015; it became a surprise hit and was subsequently re-released on a semi-annual basis. Later the same year, Moor Beer Co. produced Rider’s Revival (3.8%) a hazy pale ale made with Jasmine pearls green tea sourced from Canton Tea Co. It was developed in conjunction with bar Look Mum No Hands, and created to celebrate cyclist Chris Froome’s victory at the Tour de France that year. Meanwhile, Roosters Brewing Co. released High Tea (6.2%), a limited-edition IPA made using a Jasmine tea blend sourced local tea blenders Taylor’s of Harrogate. It was developed with four different hops including Admiral for its citrussy base, and New World hops such as Cascade, Crystal and Galaxy for fruity overtones. It gained a popular following upon its release, and the brewery subsequently reissued it on an annual basis in cans and kegs; appearing as recently as 2023 after a three-year absence. Over on the other side of the ABV scale, in January 2019, Portobello Brewing Co. produced New Who? (2.8%) a table beer infused with green tea, released as part of their Far West Project range of beers; this was later joined by its bigger brother JPA (4.2%) otherwise known as Japanese Pale Ale. Meanwhile over the past decade there has also been a growing a number of beers inspired by ice tea; the refreshing fruitier flavours have been an increasing source of inspiration for brewers. An early example was Ice Tea Ale (5%) by Pilot Brewing, an amber coloured beer developed with Amarillo and Citra hops, along with the addition of bergamot, a blend of Earl Grey and Scottish Breakfast tea and 40kg of lemongrass added to each boil. Richard Taylor described the taste as “lots of citrus peel on the flavour, as you’d expect, the tea imparts an almost caramel sweetness, which balances really well with the zappy citric flavours.”[1] Later at BrewDog’s Collabfest 2016, Abbeydale produced Ice Tea Dead People (4.6%), brewed with El Dorado hops, Sencha tea blend sourced from Birdhouse Tea Co. of Sheffield, and fresh peaches. Initially a one-off product, the brewery re-released it in September 2018; it is currently available on an annual basis to tie with the Halloween season, given the beer’s spooky theme. The production of ice tea inspired beers has continued unabated with the likes of Long Barry Island Ice Tea (7.8%) and Peach Tea IPA (6%) by Newport based brewers Tiny Rebel, or the pair of table beers produced by Vault City, that included Peach Ice Tea Table Sour (3.4%), their first table beer brewed with peaches and infused with black tea. Sold exclusively in cans in May 2023, after its successful launch, it was later joined by Lemon Ice Tea Table Sour (3.4%) that September, which used the same recipe but swapped peaches for lemons.

 

It has become increasingly apparent that various breweries are producing beers with eclectic tea blends, such as Blue Sky Tea (4.2%) by Wigan Brewhouse. It first appeared in 2015 as a one-off, and unusually for a tea infused beer it became a regular part of their range. It was described as a loose-leaf pale ale, brewed with Summit & Mount Hood hops and infused with award-winning Blue Sky Blend Tea blend from J.Atkinson & Co of Lancaster. The blend notably contained cornflour petals, and was added in a muslin bag towards the end of the boil. Moreover, semi-oxidised teas like Oolong have featured in beers, it delicate and unique flavours that vary from fruity, roasted or woody have proved to be a useful adjunct. The likes of Tiny Rebel’s wryly named Can’t We Just Get Oolong (5%) is a notable example, a pale ale flavoured with an Oolong tea blend by local Bristolian company Canton Tea Co.  Oolong tea has also featured more recently in Chaipur (5.9%) by Thornbridge, sold exclusively in cans in October 2022, it was a variant of their flagship product Jaipur (5.9%), made with the addition of Oolong tea, along with a selection of spices including cinnamon, ginger, clove, black pepper and cardamon, that are usually associated with Chai Tea. Flavoured tea blends which tend to include spices, flowers, herbs and fruits have become increasingly prevalent among beers, such as Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (4.2%), by Everards that was brewed with rosehip and apple tea blend which helped give off a rounded fruitiness to the Goldings hops. On 7^th May 2014, Fyne Ales launched two releases at the Holywood 9A, Edinburgh that were made in conjunction with tea blenders Eteaket based in Edinburgh. These included Chai PA (4%) brewed using their Bollywood Dreams chai blend, featuring black tea, niseed, spicy and sweet cinnamon, fiery ginger, black pepper, warming cloves and woody chicory roots. And Blooming Brew (4%) is another tea infused ale by Fyne Ales, made in conjunction with, this beer was brewed with their Sencha tea blend, that included bright mallow and sunflower petals, exquisite rosebuds, sweet vanilla and fresh tangy fruit, which helped give the beer a sweet and floral taste. Richard Taylor described it as “Sweet, cream soda and vanilla, yet switching into a long bitter finish – the whole thing comes over as a liquidised Pez (for those that remember Pez); it’s fascinating.”[1] Likewise, Brew York has collaborated with Hebden Tea on a number of releases, in late 2021 they produced Born Under Peaches (4.7%), a Philly style sour that uses an Emperor’s Seven tea blend, which combines black tea with Sencha leaves, rose blossom, sunflower blossom and sweet peach. This was later joined by Tea (6%) the following year to mark the brewery’s 6^th birthday; produced together with Full Circle Brew Co. as part of their Breakfast Club series of beers, it was memorably described at the time as a Strawberries and Cream IPA brewed with strawberry cream tea fruit tea-blend, and additional lactose for added body and elevation of its berry fruit flavours. Gipsy Hill Brewing Co. have developed a number of tea infused beers using various flavourings and innovative blends, such as Watson (5.4%) a pale ale made in conjunction with Good & Proper Tea Co., that utilized their Lemon Verbana blend. Another release, Rooibos (4.8%) was produced as a collaborative effort between the brewery with Devil’s Peak Brewing Co. from South Africa. Developed as a red ale, brewed with Enigma, Centennial & Summer hops, then infused with 40kg of Rooibos and Honeybush tea. Likewise, the recently departed By the Horns brewery have dabbled with various tea blends with Old Smoke (4%), it was first brewed in 2015, a collaboration with Joe’s Tea Co. using two blends including Earl Grey (Earl of Grey) and Ceylon (Ever So Breakfast Tea). It was brewed with smoked malts along with Goldings and Challenger hops for that traditional English bitter flavour. The inspiration behind this product, was to produce something that would be everything about London and English drinking culture in a beer. The brewery described it in their promotions as underlying sweet smoke malt with floral & aromatic English hop & tea notes brewed on a solid English bitter. The beer was released on 18^th May 2015, sold at Nicholson’s pubs around the county, later that year it won Gold (Speciality Beers) at SIBA SE England competition. Building on its success, the beer later joined the brewery’s core range.

 

Although the range of tea-infused beers out there remain stubbornly small in comparison to other flavour combinations. Many of the examples represent a cornucopia of innovation and creative excellence from the brewers, as they innovate with various tea blends and beer styles. Although the likes of Earl Grey tend to dominate the market, other blends have shone through too like Rooibos, Oolong, Jasmine and Lapsang Souchong to name a few. Many of these products are a result of collaborations between breweries and local tea blenders, such as Fyne’s Ales partnership with Edinburgh company Eketea, or Rooster’s memorable collaboration with local tea company Taylor’s of Harrogate. While some companies have dabbled with limited-edition singular releases like Do It Together (5.2%) by Moor Beer Co., JGC Sups (4.3%) by Lincoln Green, Lady Jane (5.2%) by Kirkstall or More Tea Father? (6%) by Ilkley respectively. There are others like that have produced a number of tea infused beers, like Fyne Ales, Gipsy Hill, Toorside, Vault City, Everards and Brew York; various tea blends have been dabbled with like Tring brewery’s Lapsang Souchong Porter (5.5%) and Earl Grey IPA (5%) respectively, or Doncaster with their flotilla of releases that have included Red Bush IPA (5.5%), Russian Caravan (4%) and Dreaming of Doncaster (5%), the latter being an American style Brown Ale flavoured with a Bourbon Vanilla tea blend.  And while many of beers have either restricted to limited edition or annual seasonal releases, some have crossed the Rubicon and have become core-range products, thus proving potential appeal of tea-infused beers. Although the appeal of tea infused beers remains stubbornly limited, there is no reason why one day a brewery can smash through the glass ceiling and produce a smash hit, as Chiltern and By the Horns this is possible, and in time hopefully, tea-infused beers will be just as popular as their coffee-soaked cousins. So, let’s crack open a bottle, it’s time for a brew.

List of References 

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[1] ‘Tea Beers: Chai-na in your hand?’ by Richard Taylor, The Beer Cast, 8^th May 2014

[2] ‘It's time for tea at Manchester's Marble’ by Roger Protz, Protz on Beer, 26^th January 2015

[3] ‘Brewer Adnams makes beer range from M&S surplus bread’ by Sarah Chambers, Eastern Daily Press, 1^st May 2018

[4] ‘Marble/Emelisse Earl Grey IPA’ by Des de Moor, Beer Culture with Des de Moor, 4^th August 2012

[5] ‘Pope’s Yard Brewery – LSP – bottle conditioned 10.2%’ by Mostly About Beer

Beer in Christmas Puddings

The origins of Christmas pudding stretch back to the 16^th century when it was known as plum pottage which consisted of meats, grains, spices and fruits (particularly raisins and currants, rather than plums) which was boiled in a bag. As sugar became more widespread and cheaper, the use of meat in the dish dwindled. Although it was banned by the Puritan Government, it was revived by King George I in 1714 as part of his first Christmas feast. Its traditional moniker was adopted by the beginning of the 19^th century, as far back as 1830 recipes resembling what we consider a quintessential Christmas pudding began to appear.  Beer has been used in various recipes for Christmas pudding dating back to the mid 19^th century; Stout has usually been the beer of choice, although strong ales and barley wines have also been suggested as a good alternative. It’s status as an ingredient was cemented in 1926 when Andre Cedard, then royal chef to King George V and Queen Mary, developed a Christmas pudding that consisted of ingredients sourced from different parts of the empire. It included ingredients such as currants from Australia, cut candied peel from South Africa, rum from Jamaica, cinnamon from India/ Ceylon, and even British beer. The following year, the Empire Marketing Board made the recipe available to the public, in order to encourage purchase of goods from the colonies. As far back as the 1930’s, breweries have been encouraging consumers to use their beers in recipes for Christmas pudding. In November 1936, Barclay Perkins published a piece in an issue their in-house publication Anchor Magazine, advising users to add a dash of their strong ale Southwarke Ale (6.1%) to the recipe. The tradition of breweries issuing recipes for Christmas pudding using their beers continues to this day, Hook Norton published a recipe under the name of Granny Di’s Christmas Pudding that includes 5oz of their festive themed porter Twelve Days (5.5%) in the extensive list of ingredients, which they proclaim as the magic ingredient. Likewise in 2016, St Austell featured a recipe that advises users to soak fruit overnight in their stout Menu Dhu (4.5%), to help make the finished article a proper plump, deliciously rich and dark pudding. And, Cheddar Ales issued a recipe that advises to use a generous glug of their port-tinged festive porter Festive Totty (4.5%) into the mix. Moreover, the idea of a brewery releasing their own Christmas pudding on a commercial basis once seemed a remote impossibility, however in 2012, Fullers found its way into the news when it sold Christmas Puddings laced with their Black Cab Stout (4.5%) at over a 150 of their pubs across London and the south east. They also teamed up with Hailo, a Black Cab app to offer free limited edition Christmas puddings to passengers. These special Christmas puddings have continued to be sold at their pubs on an annual basis. For over a decade now, breweries have been commercially releasing pre-prepared Christmas puddings that utilize their iconic beers, where it sold either online or through their brewery shop, at a farmers’ market and quite often through a third-party business such a local bakery firm.

 

Adnams is one of the UK’s oldest family brewers with a lineage stretching back to 1872 when George and Ernest Adnams purchased the Sole Bay brewery in Southwold, and soon established a flourishing business that in time would see their beers sold around the country. To coincide with their centenary in 1972, they launched a new beer Broadside (6.5%), a strong ale to mark the tercentenary of the Battle of Sole Bay. Bold in flavour, with a fruit sweetness, aromas of fruitcake, balanced bitterness and the warming strength characteristic of a strong ale, this would seem the ideal fit for a Christmas pudding. Steve Herbert, proprietor of the Old Spot Inn in Dursley remarked back in 2007, “I strongly believe in beers that are like Christmas pudding – something slightly sweet, above 5% in alcohol, that warms you up on your journey home.”[1] This message, somewhat belatedly hit home to brewers like Adnams, whom in 2013 released a Christmas pudding laced with Broadside (6.5%), and unlike other breweries this one was commercially sold for the retail market, it’s release proved to be a game changer, which subsequently encouraged other breweries across the land to follow their lead. Like Adnams, Harvey’s of Lewes is another family brewery which has been plying the brewing trade since 1790, the brewery remains in the family with the seventh and eight generation working there today. Harvey’s festive themed Christmas Ale (7.2%) coincidentally was first released the same year as Broadside (6.5%), and it has become one of the longest continuously brewed Christmas beers in the country. The brewery describes it as “a traditional barley wine exudes biscuity malts and rich vinous fruits, all balanced by a strong hop bitterness.”[2] A multi-award-winning beer that helps embody the Christmas spirit, it has won many awards since 1992 including the BBI Awards, International Beer Challenge, The British Bottlers Beer Competition, The Great British Beer Festival and the CAMRA Beer Awards on a number of occasions. It was inevitable that this beer would find its way onto a Christmas pudding at some point, and in 2013 they challenged Adnams on the market with their own Christmas Pudding which utilized their legendary Christmas Ale (7.2%) into the mix; and much like the production of the beer, the puddings are given a long maturation period, they are produced in January using the previous year’s batch of beer then matured for 10 months before it is put on release, as far as puds go this is surely a record? It has been sold on annual basis for over a decade now, and has often been described as a staple of Sussex Christmas dinner activities, such was its demand that their batch in January 2020 alone used 540 pints of Christmas Ale (7.2%) in the mix. In 2016, Chiltern Brewery joined in the rush and released their own Christmas pudding that utilized their popular Lord Lieutentant’s Porter (6%). The brewery has been treading the boards since 1980 when it was founded by Richard and Lesley Jenkinson, to this day they remain one of the longest-running family brewers in Buckinghamshire. In 2000, they marked their 20^th anniversary with the release of a new beer, Lord Lieutenant’s Porter (6%). A smooth, rich and smoky porter, the beer was named after Sir Nigel Mobbs, then Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. In honour of this bestowing, he launched the beer at their 20^th anniversary event. It has gone onto become one of the brewery’s most successful beers, winning a string of awards including 7 Great Taste awards, 2 BBI National awards and a bronze medal at the SIBA Midlands awards 2005 (bottled beer category). So, it is understandable that this beer would eventually find it’s way into a Christmas pudding recipe and fast forward sixteen years later, the brewery took plunge and produced their own puddings within their kitchens at the King’s Head, Aylesbury, notable one of two pubs that the brewery owns. The puddings are made in July then matured for several months for release, it is wrapped up in a traditional muslin cloth, and sold in four sizes ranging from ½lb to 3lb. Unlike its competitors it can only be heated up by steaming. Although it is only sold on a limited release basis (both online and at their brewery store), its continued success with punters has subsequently seen it re-released on annual basis to this day.

 

Buoyed by the commercial success of these Christmas puddings, belatedly another established brewer, Theakston’s, belatedly joined in on the act. Founded in 1827 by Robert Theakston and John Wood in Masham, North Yorkshire, the brewery has since become one of the county’s largest brewers, and is currently the 2^nd biggest brewer still under family ownership. Landlord (4.1%) is the brewery’s best known and most widely sold beers, it has won a number of awards including several at the Great British Beer Festival, notably four-times Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. It was developed in 1952, as a means of producing a strong pale ale that would help meet the demands of the growing popularity for bottled beers at the time. Despite growing competition from keg beer, from the brewery persevered and from the 1970’s onwards the beer started to gain accolades across the brewing industry. In 2019, the brewery collaborated with Yorkshire based baker Lottie Shaw’s, to produce a Christmas pudding that utilized their flagship Landlord (4.1%), where the fruit was soaked in beer prior to mixing. The puddings were released, wrapped in a festive themed tea towel. Since they first appeared on the scene, Lottie Shaw’s have become one of the most prominent bakery wholesalers in the country with treats like Gingerbread, Flapjacks and Parkin being sold all over the country. Coming from a long line of bakers, Shaw was inspired to go into business after she encouraged to revive her family’s Yorkshire Parkin recipe, she subsequently set up her own business with her husband Ian. The company has since won 7 Great Taste awards and in 2018 was awarded Official Taste of Yorkshire. However, this wasn’t the first time the bakery had collaborated with a brewery, the previous year they developed a Christmas pudding in conjunction with Saltaire Brewery, using their pale ale. Yet the cooperation between one of Yorkshire’s oldest breweries with one of the region’s most successful commercial bakers proved to be a winner, and such was its success that it was re-released the following year. Saltaire Brewery evidently have collaborated with a number of independent bakeries towards the production of Christmas puddings, for example in 2013, Saltaire Brewery collaborated with Jeff Baker (aka Thomas Baker) produced a Christmas pudding that utilized Saltaire’s Triple Choc Stout (4.5%). Baker remarked at the time of its release that this was no ordinary Christmas pudding, noting “it has a generous splash of Saltaire Brewery Triple Chocoholic Stout and Belgian chocolate chips added to the recipe. It might sound a little different to what you’re used to, but trust me, it’s good. And I’m not even a big fan of Christmas pudding!”[3] The beer in question, is one of Saltaire Brewery’s most successful products since they launched operations in the historically teetotal town of its namesake back in 2006. Triple Choc Stout (4.5%) features a unique recipe where chocolate malt is complemented by cocoa and chocolate essence to create a strong chocolate flavour, that is balanced by the bitterness from the use of Fuggles hops.  It has won a slew of international awards, including Overall Country Winner (Flavoured Beer) at the World Beer Awards 2019, Gold and Overall Country Winner in the Flavoured Chocolate and Coffee category at the World Beer Awards 2021, and Gold winner in Speciality Beer category at Great British Beer Festival 2017. So quite understandably the combination of the beer with this Christmas pudding recipe would create an explosion in chocolatey flavour, alas despite such promise the pudding however was only a one-off release, however in 2018, Otley based baker Bondgate Bakery took up the reigns and collaborated with Saltaire to produce a new Christmas pudding utilizing the beer. Described as a marriage made in heaven, it continued success has prompted the bakery to re-release on an annual basis.

 

For some breweries, the idea of a wide county or nationwide release seems like an impossible dream, and for some Christmas pudding collaborations this remains a strictly localised affair. The likes of Tring Brewery have collaborated with a number of independent food producers over years, producing products that utilize their beers. As Hertfordshire’s 2^nd largest brewer, operating in the town of Tring since 1992, the stakes of often quite high when it comes to the commercial retail of their products, their mostly heavily used example is Death or Glory (7.2%), strong rich barley wine with a potent alcoholic nose, it was first brewed in 1994, by appointment of the Queens Royal Lancers. This beer is one of the brewery’s iconic releases despite only being released in bottle generally, and it has been used in a wide variety of foodstuffs including Chutneys, Pies, Biltong and even Charcuterie Sticks. In 2019, they took the plunge and developed a Christmas pudding in conjunction with Berkhamsted based baker Natasha Collins of Nevie-Pie Cakes based in Berkhamstead, to produce a Christmas pudding that utilized their iconic barley wine Death or Glory (7.2%), generous amounts of beer were thrown into the mix, along with a glug of dark rum and a flurry of vine fruits and spices. At the time of it’s release, it created a flurry of attention in the local press, the pudding was even reviewed on Nick Coffer’s radio show at BBC Three Counties radio, when Anna and Nat from Kitchen Conversations were interviewed about the pudding. Sadly, the pudding is no longer released, and it remains an intriguing ‘episode’ in the brewery’s illustrious history of food-based collaborations. Another regional brewer has looked even closer to home when it came to producing a Christmas pudding, for instance, in 2015, Wellbeck Brewery worked with their neighbours at the Wellbeck Bakehouse to develop a Christmas pudding, which was produced by one of the bakers, Richard Smith. The pudding hails from an old family recipe, it utilizes brandy-soaked fruit and Portland Black (4.5%) in the mix. The puddings are cooked and steamed the traditional way, in natural cheesecloth. The pudding has since won a Great Taste award in 2016, and has become a figurehead in their extensive Christmas range of baked goods and continues to be sold on an annual basis. Situated in the heart of the Sherwood Forest, the brewery has become one of Nottinghamshire’s most successful brewers since Claire Monk established the microbrewery on the Wellbeck Estate back in 2011. Portland Black (4.5%) has become one of the brewery’s most well-known seasonal releases. A velvety black Porter with notes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate, CAMRA describes it as a “black ale with a roast malt aroma and taste throughout, and a well balanced bitterness.”[4] It has previously won Silver (Porter category) at SIBA Midlands 2018. It is also available in bottle, cask and mini-cask. The unexpected success of this pudding, subsequently prompted the brewery to develop future collaborations with bakers, for instance in 2017, Portland Black (4.5%) was utilized towards the production of ale flavoured breads created by apprentice bakers at The School of Artisan Food, also based in Welbeck. Moreover, another award winner on the Christmas pudding front is LillyPuds, established in 2015 by Alison Lily of Chelmsford, in the first year of production she produced two Christmas puddings that utilized beer in the recipe, sourced from breweries based in the east of England. A traditional version made with Chockwork Orange (6.5%) from nearby Brentwood Brewery, and a gluten free version made with St Peter’s (of Bungay, Suffolk) gluten free Cream Stout (6.5%). Her puddings use 50% fruit (but no mixed peel), vegetable suet, 5% sugar and beer. The finished concoction has often been described as light and fruity. Although neither puddings are officially released through the breweries in question, they quickly established her status as a commercial baker in the region. Clare Youell writing in Essex Live back in 2017 reported, “in the first year she sold 600 of her beautifully gift-boxed Christmas puddings to shops, as well as 500 mini puddings to restaurants and pubs. In the first year, she trebled her turnover, selling 2,000 of the desserts to shops and private customers and 3,000 to eateries.”[5] Both the traditional pudding and the gluten free version take up 20% of the company’s total orders. The puddings were sold to businesses based all over Essex, including retail stores, pubs, restaurants and garden centres; in 2017 alone, a total of 20,000 puddings were created in order to meet demand. Building on this success, these puddings have received a number of Great Taste awards including most recently in 2021 when it was finalist in the hot puddings category and managed to get the Highly Commended award. To this day, the puddings continue to be sold online and are widely available in retail outlets across Essex.

 

Although the instances of breweries producing and releasing Christmas puddings is vanishingly small on the scale of things, it remains an intriguing cottage industry. The idea of breweries risking commercial disaster in order to release a Christmas pudding utilizing one of their beers understandably puts most breweries off the idea, however for the ones who have taken the plunger like Adnams, Chiltern and Harvey’s for instance, the results have paid off and have proved successful, even to the point of serving as a useful marketing tool for their beers. Sometimes the relationship goes the other way round, rather than being produced in-house or on a commission related basis, there have been examples of a number of independent and commercial bakers who have taken it upon themselves to produce a Christmas pudding using a locally produced beer. The likes of LillyPuds are perhaps the most successful and enduring example of this practise, where through perseverance it has sowed a lot of good fortune for the company. Although there are number of beers out there that go well with a Christmas pudding, such as Saint Petersburg (7.4%) – Thornbridge, Plum Porter (4.9%) – Titanic, 1845 (6.3%) – Fullers, or Plum Pudding (4.8%) – J.W Lees, some of which are mentioned in this fascinating article from the Morning Advertiser. The idea of combining iconic beers directly in the production of Christmas puddings remains an intriguing one, and when the opportunity of finding a commercially release Christmas pudding out there that features a beer in its recipe, the opportunity is difficult to resist.

List of References 

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[1] 'Ale is the new Christmas pud,' The Morning Advertiser, 4^th October 2007

[2] ‘Harvey’s Christmas Ale’ by Harvey’s.

[3] ‘Saltaire Triple Choc Stout Christmas Pudding’, Thomas the Baker, 11^th November 2013

[4] ‘Welbeck Abbey - Portland Black’ by CAMRA

[5] ‘Chelmsford woman makes 10,000 Christmas puddings ready for the big day’ by Clare Youell, Essex Live, 7^th December 2017 

Autumn Almanac

As the leaves change colour and the nights draw in, the changes in our preferences of beer comes in with the change of season. Gone are the light bodied, refreshing pale ales of the those long hot Summer days gone by and instead our preference shifts to darker, fuller bodied and stronger ales. Autumn traditionally is a time to bring in the harvest, and to prepare for the long Winter ahead, this is also reflected in our choice of beverages, in particular beer. Mark Dredge once summed this up “Autumn beers are all about evoking the richness of the harvest, spices, orchards and smoke to a backdrop of hearty reds and browns.” Up and down the country brewers have experimented with autumnal ales with varying degrees of success, whilst the majority play it safe with bitters and red ales, occasionally there have been examples that have strayed from the norm and in turn challenged the very notion of what we deem an Autumn beer.

 

Around this time of year, when we come across an autumnal themed beer in a pub, we usually associate it with amber coloured bitters or red ales that are reasonably sessionable, yet profoundly malty in flavour with strong hints of berry fruits and a noticeable bitterness on a back end. A classic example of this is Autumn Red (4.4% - Twickenham Fine Ales), a spicy red ale with fruity undertones, notes of caramel, roasted malt and a floral aroma from the use of Willamette hops. The elements that go into this beer from the colour to the flavour is typical of what we associate with Autumn beers, even its namesake (Autumn Red) is commonly used by other brewers, with the likes of Portobello and Caledonian utilizing such a name in the past. The use of malts such as a caramel and rye malt play a large part in this, from the likes of Cooper Beech (4.4% - Chiltern) with sweetish and malty flavour profile with hints of burnt orange to Old Goose (4.5% - Evan Evans) that uses rye malt and late boil WGV and Goldings hops to help give its distinct fruit and chocolaty flavours. The likes of Canberra (4% - Windsor & Eton) takes this even further, it is produced with a complex grain bill of five different malts along with New World hops (including Sauvin and Galaxy) and along with a dash of maple syrup, to add to its elaborate cast of flavours. Likewise Autumn Bank (4% - Small World Beers) similarly has a complex charge sheet, a copper red Autumal brew developed with a trio of hops, including Chinook, Cascade and Columbus, that help gives the beer its hoppy edge along with hints of pine and fruitiness, whilst the malts impart notes of caramel and biscuit. Whilst the likes of Charter (4% - Bishop Nick) a ruby ale notable for its bold flavours of blackcurrant, chocolate and warming spices, that stem from the trip of British hops used in the mix including Bramling Cross, Cascade and Olicana. Even more recently released examples like Autumn Ways (4.2% - Hook Norton) and Selby in Autumn (4% - Jolly Sailor)  have cottoned onto this classic formula, producing ruby ales with a multifarious blend of hops that help impart distinctive flavours including orange zest and spices, imparted with a distinct roasted bitterness that help echo the spirit of the season, as people traditionally look for  stronger and more robust flavours as the weather turns colder, while they compensate for lack of sun.

 

In this mad rush to produce seasonal autumn-themed ales, it has come to no surprise that the bigger brewing giants of the scene have muscled in to get a slice of that commercial pie. Sold on an annual basis since 2008, Bonkers Conkers (4.1% - Greene King) has become an established favourite in the brewery’s varied repertoire; a deep amber-brown coloured beer highly reminiscent of a Conker, it is developed using an elaborate array of ingredients that include five different hops (Admiral, Pilgrim, Goldings, First Gold, Fuggles and  Bramling Cross, along a trio of malts including Pale Malt, Crystal Malt and Amber Malt. Despite its sessionable later, the array of ingredients have created a flavourful beer that the British Guild of Beer Writers once proclaimed “Bonkers Conkers is a complex beer, ideal for the start of the autumn months, with fruit aromas set against biscuity malt that adds body and warmth to the beer. There is also fragrant notes of blackcurrant, lemon and orange, in this brilliantly crafted cask ale.” The brewery says it an ideal food pairing with hearty stews and pumpkin pie, for a while it was even sold bottle to cater for this market. Meanwhile, the likes of Late Red (4.5% - Shepherd Neame) have become an established seasonal favourite at the brewery’s fleet of public houses across the south-east. Sold between September – October, it is a definitive example of what we deem an autumnal themed beer, pale and gently kilned crystal malt help give its distinctive crimson-red hue, whilst time-honoured British hops (including Cascade and Goldings) are thrown into the brew, which are then triple hopped to help give its distinctive edge. This elaborate development process has gained plaudits from the industry, Beer Today notably described it as “complex and full-flavoured, this seasonal ale forges a balance between rich, dark malt flavours, and a citrussy hop finish.” Like their contemporaries at Greene King, this elusive seasonal number is exclusively sold at their tied pubs, although it has appeared at the odd beer festival and even infrequently appeared in bottle form, for a chance to savour it the year round. The same can be said for Red Fox (4.3% - Fullers) which has been ticking by as back as 1999, tawny red in colour with a tuft of a tan-coloured head much like the distinctive markings of its foxy namesake. The beer has been invariably described as sweet and profoundly malty, with a fruit aroma that wafts through its creamy-rich mouthfeel. This is made possible through it elaborate array of ingredients, that include four different malts including Crystal 400, Pale Ale, Chocolate, Pinhead oats and Golden naked oats, along with a dash of Challenger hops thrown in for good measure.

 

Occasionally though, brewers have strayed away from the classic formula that is deemed a typical Autumn beer. For example the likes of Dark Nights Porter (5% - Jolly Sailor) is a notable outsider, it uses a mixture of chocolate and brown malts for flavour, with hints of coffee, and a dash of Fuggles hops, and rather unusually for an autumnal beer it is even sold in bottle. Speckled Wood (4.5% - Great Newsome) is another example of an un-characteristic dark Autumnal beer, combining bitter notes of dark chocolate with soothing aromas of honey, whilst north of the border, Cairndow based brewery Fyne Ales have recently released Wulver (4.5%) an oatmeal stout inspired from the legendary creature of Scottish folk-law, a kindly wolf-headed creature known for its strength and generosity, which is reflected in its distinctive flavour-profile which combine a mellow creamy mouthfeel imbued with a distinctive roasted malt background comprised from five different malts. Although we tend to associate autumnal beers as sessionable, there is the odd example that bucks that trend like Bonfire Boy (5.8% - Harvey’s); produced traditionally for the Bonfire Night celebrations, its genesis was inspired by the incident in 1996 when the local fire service helped rescue the brewery from a major fire.  In tribute to there endeavours, later that year they released Firecracker which was subsequently renamed under its present guise. The beer is the perfect embodiment of Bonfire Night, with its deep dark-amber colours, a fully malty palate and its distinctive smokey aftertaste that comes through the small quantity of black malt used in the mix. Daniel Etherington described it as “It’s a smooth, full-bodied beer, confident in its 5.8% strength. It’s one of those beers that feels really substantial when you roll it around in your mouth, almost like eating an autumnal stew followed by a hot fruit pudding.” The beer has won a slew of awards over the years including Beer of the Festival – Worthing Beer Festival 2015, and Gold – Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival 2018 and most notably South East Sussex CAMRA: Beer of the Year 2019, and although it only seasonally sold in cask during November, it is available in bottle all year round. Meanwhile over on the end of IBU chart, there have been instances of pale and golden ales produced and marketed in this style, like Mythicale (4.3% - Rudgate) pale gold in colour, it combines tropical summer fruits with subtle autumnal spices,  whilst across the Pennines the likes of J.W. Lees and Cloudwater have recently teamed up to produce Berry Falls (5%), a dark-gold ale made with a combination of Brewer’s Gold and Jester Hops, with a blend of berries that help impart a balanced bitterness to the concoction along with delicate floral notes and a refreshing twist. Moreover, established examples like Equinox (4.3% - Everards) which has been sold seasonally since the early Noughties, is a classic golden ale with a subtle hop character and distinctive hints of mature fruits coming through on the backend, it gets its name since it is traditionally released around the Autumn Equinox when day and night is at equal lengths. Meanwhile, recently the likes of Toffee Apple Ale (5% - Hog’s Back) have sent drinkers into a whirl of confusion by bending the boundaries between beer and cider, through producing an ale that is brewed with fresh apples from the orchards at Thatcher’s Cidery; deep amber in colour, it has been described by a brewery as a well-rounded bitter with rich caramel overtones, which seemingly echo the experience of eating a toffee apple by a roaring bonfire.

 

Autumnal themed beers come in all manner of guises, colours and styles. Although they are traditionally seen as sessionable amber-red coloured ales with a rich malty and hop-forward palate, there are a number of darker coloured, pale and stronger examples out there to sample. Yet they all share one common theme, taking advantage of well-rounded flavours of warming spices and fruits that help echo the spirit of the season. Indeed, Autumnal themed beers are a direct descendent of the legacy of the stronger, darker and more fuller bodied beers that breweries traditionally produced such as Burton Ales, that would appeal to punters as the weather got cold colder. Yet despite all these, Autumn Beers are a woefully small bunch, only a cluster of breweries around the country produced these beers, and even then they are usually limited to be sold locally or being sold through brewery tied pubs, owned by the likes of Fullers, Shepherd Neame and Greene King for instance. Furthermore, since these beers are seasonal, they are normally available for only a short period, which makes finding them as difficult as locating a rare sighting of the lesser spotted Woodpecker. Yet, fortunately some breweries have taken advantage of their popularity with drinkers and have gone to the lengths of releasing bottled versions on limited release, given drinkers the opportunity to sample these beers long after the leaves have fallen. Overall, whatever your tipple is this Autumn, should you manage to sample one of these beers out there, hopefully you’ll be able to experience Autumn in a glass.

Bushey Beer Festival 2024

On the last week of July each year, the Three Crowns in Bushey holds a three day Beer & Cider Festival, a charity event, where for the last few years it has been organised by the Bushey & Oxhey Round Table No 691 and the Ladies Circle. The festival takes place in the pub’s extensive garden, and the beer and cider selection is comparatively small in comparison compared to other beer festivals around, so ever the curious I trekked up to Bushey along with my loyal drinking buddy Ed to see what the fuss was all about. It was a sun-kissed late July day, the weather was increasingly heating up since we were on the precipice of another heatwave, the pub garden was close to full capacity and the barbecue was steaming away, cooking up delectable dishes like hot dogs and Cajun chicken burgers. At the rear of the garden in outdoor bar area resided the drinks selection, only eight beers were on tap with an additional selection of six ciders and perries, yet rather unusually for a beer festival in my experience, all the casks were available, not one was missing or had gone ‘dry’, this brought a smile to my face after my tumultuous experience at the Ealing Beer Festival a few weeks before.

 

All the drinks here are reasonably priced, £2.50 for a half and £5 for a pint, most of the beers came from the Herts/ Bucks region with Tring Brewery taking up most of the selection, which fooled me into believing it was an event sponsored by the brewery. Rather intriguingly though for a Herts based beer festival, there were three beers from further afield, Betty Stoggs (4%) from Skinners based in Truro, Blue Sky Thinking (4.7%) by Pentrich Brewing Co. based in Pentrich and Jarl (3.8%) by Fyne Ales based in Cairndow, thus proving that distance doesn’t matter in this instance. Eager to step up to the plate, I ordered my first tipple. I went for Beechwood Bitter (4.3%) by Chiltern, I’ve had this beer in bottle before but never in cask so I was willing to try it, a classic bitter that is one of the brewery’s oldest beers, dating back to 1982 no less. It is made with a combination of Maris Otter and Crystal malts to give its notable beechwood amber colour, alongside Challenger, Fuggles and Goldings for its distinctive taste. I found the beer to be laced with bitterness, a touch nutty with hints of smokiness rolling around in the background which really suited the beer’s woodland theme, the flavours were well balanced and it was easy to see why this beer has such legendary status. I subsequently decided to go for something lighter for my next round of libation so I settled for Fanny Ebbs (3.9%), a blonde ale, it was named after a philanthropist who owned a sweet-shop in the village of Lilley, Hertfordshire, since it first appeared in 2017, it has been an annual Summer release for the brewery. Flavoured with Saaz and Cascade hops, it had a rather low level of bitterness and mild hints of malt and citrus rolling away, it was far from impressive yet thankfully it was refreshing and a good thirst quencher, perfect for a hot Summers day.

Following lunch, I decided to take a pit-stop from beer drinking and sampled a cider for my half time drink. The selection was dominated by ciders and perries from Lilley’s, based in Frome, located well within the heart of cider country; this company boasts an eclectic range of ciders and perries that encompass all sorts of flavours and styles, from traditional scrumpy to innovative cider and perry mashups that would give the likes of Koppenburg a run for their money. I have sampled their ciders and perries a number of times in the past so I knew what to expect, so I went for their Rum Cider (4%), made from bittersweet and medium apples, its claimed that this cider0 has a mellow and smooth finish with a hint of rum. Although it was rather dark in colour for a cider, I had trouble trying to find traces of rum in the flavouring, and its low ABV did it no justice when it came to forming a distinctive flavour profile. After this experience, I was ready to go back to beer, so I went for the festival special, Isabelle’s Red (5.5%) by Tring. This was a strictly limited-edition one-off drink, only four barrels were made available for the festival out of the 200 litres that were produced by placement student Isabelle. A classic Red IPA, it was made with Rye and Crystal malt to give its distinctive ruby colour, and a combination of Citra, Chinook and Cascade hops for flavour. This beer had plenty of character, it was rich, with lacings of vanilla, toffee, citrus and hints of roasted malt swirling in the background, the mouthfeel was heavy and cloying which helped amplify the flavour profile. By far it was the strongest beer of the festival and the most impressive, a sterling effort from the brewery and let’s hope they re-release it at some point in the future. For my final libation, I followed Ed’s advice and sampled Betty Stoggs (4%), a legendary Cornish beer which he has sampled on a number of occasions during his visits to the region over the years. One of the brewery’s inaugural releases following its launch in 1997, its name is inspired by Cornish folklore, where a woman going by the name would go around the Cornish moors, entertaining the country folk. Yet in the process she left her baby at home, uncared for and one day the Cornish Piskies kidnapped the poor babe. Betty later found her baby in a bed of moss, cared for by the Piskies and vowed to take more care of her child. The beer is inspired by her full bodied and fruity character, it is swathed in malted barley and wheat with a trio of Nortdown, Aurora and whole flower Celia hops to help give its distinctive flavour. It’s a traditional amber coloured bitter, with a light malty back-taste, there were hints of caramel and citrus fruit in the background, perhaps even suggesting an element of marmalade in the mix. Lacings of vanilla and oak helped compliment the balanced bitterness that segued well with the rest of the flavours, the aroma was notably malty and lingering which helped round of the beer to a tee, it was the ideal drink to finish off the proceedings and something I would definitely try on my next visit to Cornwall.

Overall, I found the festival to be a pleasant and enjoyable experience, although the sun was beating down on us and the temperature was climbing, the staff made good effort to keep the beers cool and in good condition, away from direct sunlight. Yet it was slightly marred by the small number of beers on tap and the lack of selection, since it was dominated by sessionable Bitters, Golden Ales and IPA with no dark or strong ale in sight. I enquired to the barman about this oversight, and he rightly informed me that due to the warm summer conditions, a lighter and more sessionable beer selection would be more appealing towards the punters, and this was rightly justified as scores of customers queued up for beers. Moreover, for a pub beer festival its none to surprising why they can only manage a relatively small selection of beers given the limited resources, space and money which they can allocate towards this, and in these trying financial times we should be grateful for what we get. Although this beer festival may not attract the die-hard real ale specialist or a snooty craft beer guzzler, this festival had a genial and community feel to the proceedings, the atmosphere was enjoyable and the beer selection was decent and the ideal backdrop to spending a pleasant Summer Sunday afternoon, if only more pubs could follow this example, we’d all be better off as a result.