The Hoppy World of Easter Ales

The origins of Easter ales date back to medieval times, when monks were ordered to fast during Lent following an edict ordered by Pope Pius V, Simmone Massenza notes “the faithful had to abstain from eating for forty days. It was, therefore, necessary to have a beer that was stronger, thicker, and more nourishing than everyday beer.”[1] Some accounts state Easter Beer was established in Germany, with the likes of Fastenbier, a smoked Rauchbier developed by monks in Bamberg, Upper Franconia in the 12th century, or Bock beer which was produced by the Paulaner monks of Bavaria (c.1600), a strong ale produced the Winter months for consumption during lent. Heather Truckenmiller notes “later, discontent with the strength of Bock style beer, monks developed an even stronger variant known as Doppelbock, meaning double Bock. This beer was so laden with nutrition that some dubbed it “liquid bread.”[2] Meanwhile in early modern England, church congregations frequently developed a Church Ale for Easter Sunday, consisting of warm, thick, dark homemade ales produced to accompany the social activities over the Easter weekend. The earliest modern commercial use of Easter Ales dates to early 20^th century Denmark which came about in response to counter the growing popularity of Doppelbocks. The Danes developed a style known as Påskebryg, a pale lager produced through top fermentation with an alcohol content between 5% - 7% typically. Beers like Tuborg Påskebryg Carl's Påske and Fynsk Forår became established names, and by the 1950’s, Massenza points out that these beers had become increasingly popular with Easter themed motifs (such as rabbits, hares, chicks, eggs, and daffodils) featuring on bottle labels. While Denmark is often considered the capital of Easter beers, in the UK meanwhile, Easter themed beers have struggled to gain traction, due to poor promotion and lack of faith among brewers to tap into this market. The lack of popularity for these beers are in stark contrast to Christmas Beers which have more or less become an established industry in the past few decades.

 

Across the home counties, there have been examples of Easter ales such as Hot XXX Buns (3.9%) – Brentwood, a session bitter infused with lemons and spices to create a taste reminiscent of Hot Cross Buns; Hoppy Bunny (4.5%) – Wantsum, which notably features a distinctly hoppy mix of Idaho 7, Citra & Mosiac hops in the traditional American IPA style; and on the stronger end of the scale Easter IPA (6.8%) –  Pope Yard, released in 2016 it was promoted as a cross between Simnel Cake and hot cross buns with aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger thrown into mix giving way to a lingering spicy aftertaste. In more recent times we have seen the likes of Pure Hoppyness (3.9%) – Mighty Oak, a hoppy golden ale with a floral background, true to its name it features a multitude of hops including Columbus, Keyworth, Early Calypso, Chinook and Mount Hood; accompanied by an equally varied malt bill featuring Munich, Vienna, Pale and Marris Otter; and Easter Ale (4.5%) – Chiltern, an English pale ale (made with Jester & Godiva UK hops) which was released as part of their monthly small batch releases last year along with their Easter Amber Ale (4.5%), it was described as having notes of gooseberry, grapefruit and lychee, making it a perfectly rounded Springtime pint. While most Easter themed ales tend to be pale ales, IPA or bitter, some have bucked the trend like Thumper (3.9%) by Gipsy Hill Brewing, a chocolate stout made in collaboration with CBGB (Craft Beer, Good Banter), the craft beer Meetup group. It was first released in March 2020 as part of their Illustrator Takeover series, showcasing a series of cans featuring artwork by a set of guest illustrators; the artwork for Thumper was designed by David Biskup which features the likeliness of CBHB’s co-founder in a bunny costume. More recently, the likes of The Egg Cracker (5.1%) by Acorn attempted to recreate the flavours of an Easter egg in beer form, described as a white chocolate stout the beer was developed upon the return of brewery founder Dave Hughes who took back the brewery in late 2024 when Sonas relinquished control of the 25-barrel brewery. To celebrate the brewery’s independence, he was inspired to produce a Reboot series of beers featuring six limited edition ales. Hughes noted “while the Reboot Series brings a touch of nostalgia to revisit brews from our early days, we also promise exciting and innovative new rollouts to meet the needs of a keenly competitive market.”[3] The Egg Cracker was a new release, combining smooth vanilla notes of white chocolate with a potent roasted malt bitterness.  

 

The erstwhile Easter Bunny has been a common theme among Easter ales, from the likes of Rabbit Punch (4%) – Coach House, to Hare Brained (4%) – Loddon. Some breweries have even employed clever marketing campaigns, like Bad Rabbit (4.1%) from Church End. When it debuted in 2011, the brewery teamed up with advertising agency Ress Bradley Hepburn, portraying the Easter bunny as a thief, vandal and arsonist. They mentioned in their blurb the easter bunny is not bringing chocolate eggs he's bringing chaos and a damn good ale. An RBH representative stated “if he dishes out eggs, it's only to distract you while he nicks your wallet, makes off with your plasma screen and does something unspeakable on your daffodils.”[4] While the beer is a traditional deep-brown session bitter, it featured burnt malt overtones and a hop heavy flavour profile featuring Mosaic and Amarillo hops sourced from Charles Faram based in Malvern, who supply hops from all over the world. In 2022, Wild Beer Co. released One a Penny (5%), described as a New Zealand IPA without the hops, combining the distinctive flavours from a hot cross bun, by adding raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla during the brewing process. The brewery caused quite a stir in the local press at the time with this release, co-founder Andrew Cooper told reporters “at the Wild Beer Co. we love to get creative with our flavour combinations and produce beers that pair harmoniously with and are inspired by food.” During the development of this beer, he reportedly sampled 15 different hot cross buns, in order to understand the bready sweet flavours and complex spices; as a means of reflecting the flavour of hot cross buns accurately in the beer. The same year, brewing giant Badger (Hall & Woodhouse) cashed in on the Easter market with their Hop Cross Bun (4.2%), a bitter combining spices, rich fruit notes and bready notes with a varied malt bill of Amber, Crystal, Munich and Caramalt, they dubbed it a real taste of Easter with not a bunny in sight. While the beer was sold in cask at selected Hall & Woodhouse pubs during the Easter Weekend, the following year they also produced a bottled version in partnership with Sainsbury’s through their Taste the Difference range. Youtuber and prolific beer reviewer Simon Martin from Real Ale Craft Beer described it at the time as having a creamy mouthfeel, a distinct hot cross bun flavour with citrus, nutmeg and a peppery spiciness on the backend.[5]  

 

While most Easter themed beers tend be stuck in the endless doom loop of limited releases and are eventually forgotten about. Some have bucked the trend and have reappeared on an annual basis, like Bad Rabbit (4.1%) – Church End since 2011, Hoppy Bunny (4.5%) – Wantsum since 2018 and Rabbit Punch (4%) – Coach House since 2022 respectively. For several years since 2014, Great Newsome treaded the boards with their seasonal number Hops in Spring (4.5%), it was markedly their first IPA made with a 100% English hops including Admiral and Northdown for bittering, and Progress for aroma, an underused hop first commercially grown in the 1960’s. While the beer has the conventional notes of citrus fruits commonly associated with this style, it was billed as a celebration of the diverse range of English hops. In more recent years, Easter Ale (5.6%) – Harvey’s has gradually established itself as a major player of the Easter beer front. It was first released in April 2021 to mark the reopening of pubs following lockdown, the beer directly takes its influence from monastic brewing when strong ales marked major feast days, they claimed that after the six-week Lenten Fast, monks brewed a feisty ‘Easter Ale’ to celebrate, though this evidence is spurious at best. In the fine tradition of Easter Ales, it was originally produced to a higher ABV of 6.5% before it was reduced a few years back, and unusually for an Easter Ale, it is also sold in bottle and is available in the latter all year round. This beer has won a slew of awards from Gold at the Beer Bottler’s Institute Competition 2024 and the same year it won Silver in the Pale Ale category at the World Beer Awards and last year it gained a Bronze at the International Beer Challenge; thus, proving the potential for British based Easter Beers to attract global recognition. The success of Harvey's Easter Ale (5.6%) shows their potential for locally UK produced Easter ales to go beyond the cottage industry of limited edition and locally distributed releases, and gain wider recognition. While Easter beers may never gain the lofty status of their Christmas forebears, through good promotion and ingenuity, these beers may have more of a chance of success, rather than being just a flash in the pan after-thought by the marketing department.

List of references 

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[1] ‘Toasting Easter, with a beer!’ by Simmone Massenza, Vinhood

[2] ‘Bock - The Traditional Easter Beer’ by Heather Truckenmiller, 9^th April 2020, Valley Girl Views

[3] ‘Acorn Brewery founder returns to bring new lease of life’, The Brewer’s Journal, 25^th November 2024

[4] ‘Church End Brewery turns to a bad rabbit for Easter ale’, The Drum, 12^th April 2011

[5] ‘Sainsbury's Hop Cross Bun Ale Review | Sainsbury's Craft Beer Review’, Real Ale Craft Beer, 20^th March 2023

The Curious World of Nettle Beer

When it comes to brewing beer, a whole manner of ingredients can be used as adjuncts ranging from liquorice, fennel, ginger, honey and even chilli powder. What is less well known is uses of nettles in beer, indeed unlike its cohorts, only a small clutch of beers has been brewed with this ‘pugnacious weed’ often found around hedgerows and gardens, and since the first commercialised examples appeared in the mid 1990’s, it has been slow to take off. Is this down to lack of appeal or the willingness from brewers to deal with this plant, a number of reviewers over the years have cited nettle beers as lacking in flavour, indeed the Beer Nut once described Stinger Organic Ale (4.5%) by Hall & Woodhouse as “there's a spice to it as well, buried quite deep, but I challenge anyone to drink it and tell me it tastes of nettles.”[1] This is probably due to the quality of the beer, rather than the level of flavour from the nettle leaves. There is also a common misconception that nettle flavoured beers tend to be lower ABV which is absolute tosh as there are good number of stronger examples out there, for instance Sean Clarke described Heavy Nettle (6.66%) by Abbeydale as “a 6.66% Spicy Saison brewed with locally foraged nettles that's been aged in American Oak Barrels for six months. Patience is duly rewarded. The result is a delicious beer that's well worth seeking out from your local beer shop or pub.”[2] Moreover, the vast majority of nettle beers have been golden and pale ales, although there have been occasional examples that have deviated from the norm like Nettle Ale (4%) by Llanddarog based Coles Family Brewers, a copper-coloured bitter which proves that brewers don’t need to restrict themselves to pale and low coloured malts. Yet within the ever-congested market of innovation, brewing with nettles stubbornly remains an anathema. From early efforts from the likes of St Peter’s and Hall & Woodhouse, to the growing trend of examples over the past decade from small independent breweries like Gyle 59, Perivale, The Little Earth Project, Stroud and Wildcraft for instance, which have been met with increasing acclaim for industry experts and punters. Although the majority of nettle flavoured beers have been produced in the UK, examples have been found in countries like the US, Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Canada and New Zealand for example. Even-though this type of beer is comparatively niche compared to more popular and commonly used adjuncts, nonetheless over the years brewers have taken up the challenge of brewing innovative and flavourful beers utilizing the leaves from this most curious of plants.
 
Prior to the introduction of hops as a common brewing ingredient in the 17^th century, Mark Dredge notes “before hops, brewers would add a wide variety of locally available herbs and plants to their beers, the most common ingredients were bog myrtle and yarrow.”[3] Among these ingredients were nettles which were used in the brewing process during this period; interestingly stinging nettles are distantly related to the likes of hops and cannabis, since they all reside within the nettle tribe of plants known as Cannabineoe. The use of nettles in brewing soon declined when hops became commonplace as they were found to be a useful adjunct in terms of flavouring, bitterness and it’s antimicrobial properties which allowed the beer to stay fresh for longer. The first nettle beers appeared in the late 19^th century[4], yet these beverages were non-alcoholic tonics, useful for their health-giving properties, which Kevin Flude details “nettle beer was used for old people against ‘gouty and rheumatic pains’, and flogging with nettles was a cure for rheumatism and the loss of muscle power.”[5] For instance, in a recipe developed by Maude Grieve in the early 1930’s, who was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, and a well-respected herbalist, she bluntly proclaimed in her book ‘Magnum Opus: A Modern Herbal’ “don’t expect anything alcoholic or ‘sweet’, as this Nettle Beer recipe produces a drink that is dry and crisp, yet extremely refreshing. Most of my friends that I tried it on liked it, and found it an unusual drink. Some friends simply didn’t get on with it at all.” For nearly a century this image stuck, yet the earliest recorded use of nettles in the brewing of beer dates back to 1963, when CJJ Berry, one of the fathers of modern home brewing in the UK, devised a Nettle Beer recipe that utilized malt and hops. He mentions using a gallon of young nettles, ¼ oz of ginger root, 4 oz of malt, a tablespoon of yeast, 2 oz of hops, 4 oz of sarsaparilla, 1 ½ of sugar, 2 lemons and 2 gallons of water.  The process for the recipe roughly follows the lines of the brewing process, which likely resulted in an alcoholic beverage, perhaps one of the earliest recorded modern uses of nettles in the brewing of beer.
 
During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the Firkin pub chain became one of the big players on the UK pub circuit, boasting an impressive 60 brewpubs and a further 100 standard pubs across the country. Des de Moor notes “firkin pubs typically brewed a bitter branded exclusively to the specific pub and a handful of other beers and specials.”[6] The pubs tended to experiment with niche beer styles like fruit beer for instance, and in 1996, Martyn Cornell recalls trying one of the first commercially produced nettle beers at the Frigate and Firkin in Earls Court, he stated “it was a hop-free beer with a green, herby taste, very pleasant once you accepted it for what it was.”[7] In 2000, St. Peters became the first notable brewery to release a nettle flavoured beer, known as Millenium Ale (7%), it featured the intriguing combination of nettles and juniper berries, in a bid to recreate the beers of a thousand years before. A few years later in 2005, Hall & Woodhouse made a splash in the press when they released Stinger Organic Ale (4.5%), a collaboration between the brewery and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage fame, made from organic nettles grown on his Dorset estate. At the time of its release Fernley-Whittingstall was one of the few celebrity chefs at the time to directly get involved with the creation of the beer, so this release was seen as a marketing coup for the brewery. Described as a tongue tingling ale, it’s label was written by Fearnley-Whittingstall himself, stating it was delicious, refreshing, slightly spicy, a light bitterness and full of West Country character. Indeed, then head brewer at Hall & Woodhouse, Tim Morris stated at the time “Stinger is made from fresh organic Dorset nettles from the River Cottage estate that are added to the copper. It has a grassy herbal aroma with subtle gooseberry and lemon citrus notes that build up towards the end of the glass. It is finished with a slightly spicy after-taste that lingers beautifully.”[8] Meanwhile Sonya Hook described it as “the recipe reflects an old English tradition of adding nettles to beer as this was often regarded as a remedy for gout and rheumatic pains, as well as being a refreshing drink in spring and summer months.”[8] Yet despite all this marketing fanfare for this, latest innovation in beer, it was met with a mixed reaction from punters, Hywel’s Beer Blog stated in 2008, “Stinger seems to be avoiding the downsides of being very hoppy. While being a little of the bitter, arable side of the flavour spectrum. Not greatly so, mind. And that I think, could be the weakness.”[9] The beer continued to be sold for several years upon its release, yet due to its relative lack of success, the beer was quietly dropped from their range and for a while, nettle beers were once again forgotten.
 
For several years nettle flavoured beers remained dormant but with the growing craft beer craze and increasing diversification of beer styles as customers expanded their tastes, the idea about make a nettle flavoured beer became once again an appealing prospect for brewers. One of the early shoots for this revival, came in the form of Nettle Ale (4.5%) by High House Farm Brewery that first appeared in June 2011 which was based on a 14^th century recipe and brewed only once a year, described as having a grassy aroma with hints of honey, Ale Beer Seeing You defined the taste as “at first I would say it doesn't have a lot of taste but then I'm hit with smooth honey tones and the taste of 'green'. It's so refreshing and slightly sweet that I think that if I had a blind taste test, I would find it hard to decide whether it was a very unsweet cider, a slightly sweet ale or a cider/ale mix of both.”[10] The latter part of the decade saw an increase in the proliferation of nettle flavoured beers on the market, in 2015 the likes of Incredible Nettle Beer (4.6%) by microbrewery The Incredible Brewing Co first appeared on the scene, an unfiltered concoction it uses young nettle leaves to add an earthy spiciness to the brew that helps underly the bitterness from the hops, this beer has frequently appeared on the brewery’s books and is sold on a seasonal basis. In August 2017, the newly launched Wildcraft Brewery released Wild Sting (5%). The influence behind this beer harked back to medieval times when monks experiment with various herbs and spices to develop beer, and one of these ingredients was nettles, in the press release the brewery expressed their desire to recreate these ancient brewing techniques. Within a month of it’s release it had sold out, helping establish the budding brewery, and by the year’s end Wildcraft was voted 1^st place by Norfolk Magazine as the county’s top microbrewery for their innovative range of products. The brewery has been noted for their business ethos “the “wild” in Wildcraft comes from the fact that the Head Brewer (Mike Deal) likes to forage the ingredients for their seasonal specials from the Norfolk Countryside.”[11] Wildcraft is among a number of breweries who uses locally foraged nettles in the development of these beers, for instance Perivale Brewery utilized nettles grown on their adjoining farm towards the likes of Nettle (4.1%) and VeriCrisp (5.2%), whilst The Little Earth project, based in Edwardstone, Suffolk specialises in producing historic, farmhouse and wild beers, utilizing ingredients foraged from the Suffolk countryside, have developed a range of limited release beers that use nettles including Blackberry and Nettle Sour (4.4%), Hedgerow Sour (4.7%) and Nettle Saison (7%). Conversely the foraging for nettles is solely confined to the countryside, indeed Full On Nettle Racket (6.5%) by The Shilling Brewing Co. based in Glasgow, used locally foraged nettles from nearby Queen’s Park. The majority of these releases tended to be seasonal or limited-edition specials, notably Heavy Nettle (6.66%) a barrel aged Saison made with foraged nettles, matured in oak barrels for six months and then secondarily fermented with the brewery’s house Brett blend. It was sold as part of Abbeydale’s ongoing Funk Dungeon series, which was a project launched in 2018 by brewer Jim Rangeley, in a bid to showcase mixed fermentation techniques and created innovative small batch brews. Although occasionally there have been some examples out there that have gone onto become regular core-range releases.
 
There have been a number of nettle beers that have gone onto making regular release such as Nettle IPA (5.3%), which was brewed originally for the International Nettle Eating Competition, which is held annually at the nearby Bottle Inn, Marshwood. The beer utilized a hoppy IPA base, and a nettle-based tea mixture made from young plants which added after fermentation. Brewery founder Jon Hoskin noted “the addition of nettles provides a herbal note to the aroma and taste, which smooths out some of the stronger citrus/ grapefruit hop notes present.”[12] It was quickly met with a popular response from customers, and subsequently the beer became sold as part of their main range. Rather ironically one of the first retailers of the bottle version for this beer was the River Cottage canteen in Axminster, whom only several years before been involved in the development of Stinger Organic Ale (4.5%). The beer has met with a raft of success, such as when it awarded 7^th place in the 10^th best South-West beers by Nick Moyle in 2017, which he described it as “the addition of nettle tips to the brewing process gives it a novel twist – the flavour imparted by the stinging leaves isn't obvious but the finished beer has enough of a distinctive taste to know they've had some effect.”[13] This beer continues to be sold as part of the brewery’s core range and remains one of their flagship releases. Buoyed by the increasing proliferation of nettle beers on the scene, in 2020, Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall took the plunge and ploughed ahead with production of a new nettle flavoured beer. Also named Stinger (4.2%) like its earlier incarnation, this time it was developed in conjunction with Stroud Brewery. A pale ale made with nettles foraged from the River Cottage estate, it was initially released as part of the brewery’s Organic September promotion alongside Rye IPA (4.1%), the following July it was re-released as part of a trio of beers to help promote the #FoodToInspireChange campaign, the Brewers Journal adds “the #FoodToInspireChange beer trilogy celebrates the undisputed flavour champion, the humble hop. A key aromatic flavour ingredient for making flavour full beer yet difficult to grow organically here in the UK with the diseases and pests rife in our temperate climate.”[14] The brewery is currently involved in a three-year initiative through the Innovative Farmers program in order to identify disease free hop varieties to help UK brewing industry become more reliant on organic ingredients and cleaner for the environment. This beer is a good example of this initiative which showcases the qualities of the hop, which Roger Protz described in detail “it has sherbet lemons, creamy oats and floral hops on the aroma with a hint of herbal nettles. Biscuit malt, tart hops and lemon fruit dominate the palate followed by a bittersweet finish that becomes dry with gentle hop bitterness balancing rich malt and herbal nettles.”[15] There have been other examples of collaborations in recent years, such as The Ladder Model (4.5%) a Belgian style witbier by Castle Brewery and Lynher Dairies that utilizes an unusual combination of nettles, East Kent Goldings and Lactobacillus into the fermentation for added tartness, or latterly Petite Saison (3.5%), developed in conjunction between Ampersand Brew Co and The Little Earth Project that first appeared in 2022. A Belgian style farmhouse ale flavoured with locally grown nettles from Diss, journalist Charlotte Smith-Jarvis writing for the East Anglian Times described it as “Ampersand’s Nettle Petite Saison was an unusual but pleasurable drink. Really interesting, almost with hints of young green pepper and fresh lime.”[16] Like the majority of Ampersand’s releases, this thirst-quenching beverage is sold in can and keg. Some of these beers have even gained plaudits such as Nettle & Elderflower Saison (4.5%) by the Humber Doucy brewing Co., it was produced in conjunction with the Food Museum based in Stowmarket. It was initially sold as a limited edition special for a beer festival organised by the museum in 2022. It was described as a funky, crisp and refreshing beer with an earthy aroma and hints of orange flavourings, inspired by the hedgerows of Suffolk. The beer quickly gained a venerale reputation and later that year it won Bronze at the 2022 SIBA Regional Bottle & Can Awards for Speciality and Flavoured Beer. This beer is now part of their core range, and helps prove the growing appeal for nettle flavoured as brewers increasingly turn towards using this adjunct.
 
For many years, the idea of a nettle flavoured beer was merely dismissed as a curiosity, or at worst bland and flavourless. Yet over the past decade brewers have paid great effort into producing premium quality beers that utilize this adjunct, from collaboration brews like Petite Saison (3.5%) developed in partnership between Ampersand and the Little Earth Project, to beers that aim to celebrate the humble hop and inspire change in brewing industry practises like Stinger Organic Ale (4.5%), or specialist examples like the barrel aged Heavy Nettle (6.66%). All these beers help paint a story, creating an illustrious patchwork of innovation that has helped elevate the image of nettle flavoured beers over the past decade. The UK is not alone in this field, over in the US a number of breweries have lent themselves to utilizing foraged hops like Slippery Pig Brewery, who have developed a range of beers that use nettles in the brew, including Stinging Nettle Extra Mild (6.6.%), Stinging Nettle Amber (7.2%), Stinging Nettle Pumpkin Mild (7%), Nettle Mild (7%), Nettle Pale (7%) and Nettle Gueze (7.4%), thus proving that innovation is boundless when it comes to using nettles. There have also been a number of examples found in Europe, notably such as Kopřivové (5%) by Czech brewer Pivovarský dům Benedict which renowned for its lurid green colour, Nettles in the Kettles (6%) by Danish brewer To Øl, and Heavy Nettle (6%) a collaboration between Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal and the New Belgian Beer Company, a unique example of a international partnership between a Belgium and a US brewery. Even as far as New Zealand, there’s the likes of Nettle & Bilberry Lager (6.1%) by the Herbalist, a brewery run by husband-and-wife team Grant McKain & Rebecca Stenbeck, interestingly Stenbeck is a naturopath and medical herbalist, who has extensively studied the history of tonics created from herbs and other produce. From innovative brewers the world over they have strived to make nettle beers more flavourful and in return gain a greater level of appreciation from punters and critics alike. As we have seen from the activity over the past few years, this effort is beginning to pay off as more of these beers achieve popular and critical success. So, even-though nettle flavoured beers are still a relatively niche style and are hard to come by, as we have seen there are a number of examples of regularly produced beers out there that are easy to purchase, so why not purchase a bottle/ can and sample the herbal goodness that expounds from this humble hedgerow plant.

 

List of References 

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[1] ‘From the Weedpatch’ by the Beer Nut, 3^rd November 2010

[2] ‘Beer Central: Notes from a local beer shop’ by Sean Clarke, Now Then, 26^th February 2020

[3] ‘The Beers of Yesteryear’ by Mark Dredge, The Guardian, 27^th October 2010

[4] Note: The earliest recorded ‘modern’ use of Nettle Beer dates back to the 19th century, such as recipe that featured in ‘A Treatise On Beverages or The Complete Practical Bottler’ by Charles Herman Sulz, published in 1888. Where he mentioned as recipe featuring: “one peck green nettles, one handful dandelion, one ounce ginger, one ounce yeast, one handful colts-food, two pounds brown sugar, one ounce cream tartar, three gallons boiling water.” 

[5] ‘Nettles and the Grecian Spring’ by Kevin Flude, And Did Those Feet, 10^th March 2024

[6] ‘The Firkin Brewery (Bruce’s Brewery, Allied)’ by Des de Moor, Beer Culture with Des de Moor, 4^th August 2022

[7] ‘The nettle and the damage done’ by Martyn Cornell, Zythophile 7^th September 2007

[8] ‘Dorset brews up a real Stinger’ by Sonya Hook, The Grocer, 6^th August 2005

[9] ‘Beer Review: Hall & Woodhouse River Cottage Stinger’ by Hywel’s Beer Blog, 3^rd April 2008

[10] ‘High House Farm Nettle Beer’ by Ale Be Seeing You, 27^th March 2016

[11] ‘Wildcraft Brewing’, The Norfolk Hub

[12] ‘A Beer with a Sting’ by Nick Moyle and Richard Hood, The Seasoned Drinker, June 2017

[13] ’10 Best South-West Beers’ by Nick Moyle, The Independent, 10^th September 2017

[14] ‘Stroud Brewery aims to inspire change with new beers’, The Brewer’s Journal, 9^th July 2021

[15] ‘River Cottage and Stroud join forces with beers for organic September’ by Roger Protz, Protz on Beer, 28^th August 2020

[16] ‘Food review: Could this be the perfect Suffolk pub?’ by Charlotte Smith-Jarvis, East Anglian Times, 23^rd August 2022

Beer Review: Badger Wicked Wyvern

Name: Wicked Wyvern

Brewery: Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)

ABV: 5%

Style: IPA

Location: Blandford Forum, Dorset

Aroma: A whisp of tropical fruits imbued with floral notes and hints of citrus coming through in the background. A discernable note of hops is present, without being too overwhelming.

Colour: Amber-bronze with a yellowish tinge, reminicent of a tropical sunset. Features a frothy two finger white head when poured. 

Taste: Quite hoppy, yet not too bitter, some fruitiness present and a touch of sweetness. There is a certain biscuity quality coming through from the strong malt backbone, while the mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, which is helped by it's abundant head.

Verdict: A fairly decent mid-level take on the East Coast IPA, the use of American hops such as Cascade, Amarillo and Mosaic helps give it an authentic taste and distinct flavour profile that borders on tropical fruits with a touch of spice. The hoppiness adds to the distinct qualities from the malt, which makes the beer seem stronger than its ABV would suggest.

Rating: 8/10 

A Cup of Coffee Stout

Over the past few years, there has been an uptick in the number of Coffee Stouts either released on a nationwide or regional basis. Where it was once deemed a niche product with limited appeal, this recent roster of releases have been repurposed as regular fixtures of the brewery’s commercial range, with the likes of Grind (6%) – BrewDog, Expresso Martini (5.6%) – Wiper & True, Barista Stout (4.2%) - Theakston and Master Stoat (5%) – Hall & Woodhouse, enjoying national distribution across pubs, supermarkets and bottle shops around the country; even regional breweries like Ashover, Ben’s, Cotswold Lakes, Ferry Ales, Great Corby, Titanic and Tring are getting in on the act and releasing coffee stouts as part of their regular range. Even supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are getting on the act, with the latter releasing Coffee Stout (5.2%) in collaboration with Hall & Woodhouse last year. This clamour is partly due to growing popularity of stouts in this country, a recent Tesco press release stated “stout has become so popular again that it is now the fastest growing beer variety in the UK. In the last year volume demand for the malty, full-bodied, dark beer with a creamy head has grown by 35 per cent at Tesco.”[1] In recent years, the growth for stouts in the UK increased by a whopping 23% against a growing global increase in the consumption of stout, making the UK one of the fastest growing markets for stout in the world. With this boom in sales for stout, purely by chance coffee stouts are now gaining greater traction in this country than ever before. This particularly beer style has often been derided, seen as a figurehead of the craft beer movement, or been consigned to the banishment of limited-edition releases that are quickly forgotten about. Its recent rise to prominence has been belated, given that coffee stouts (and porters) have been produced in this country for over 20 years, yet it’s current success could be soon be vindicated.

 

The likes of Coffee Stout are part of an extensive roster of substyles of this particular type of beer, ranging from classics like Milk, Oyster, or Oatmeal Stout noted for their full bodied and creamy mouthfeel, ones with darker and more astringent flavours like Dry and Chocolate Stout, fruity varieties that use the likes of Cherries and Plums, to potent examples like Imperial Stout and the downright peculiar like Meat Stout that utilized genuine meat extract. Rather intriguingly Coffee Stout is relatively new to the roster, as the Brewer’s Union note “the very first commercially distributed coffee beer was released in 1994 by Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing.  They called it, simply enough, Coffee Stout.  Two years later, this beer won the silver medal at the B.T.I – World Beer Championships.”[2] This beer was followed by the likes of other early examples like Cappuccino Stout (Languitas) released later in 1994, Chicory Stout (Dogfish Head) and Double Black Stout (Redhook Brewing) both released the following year in 1995. Soon other breweries across the states were producing their own Coffee Stouts, and eventually word of this new style of stout spread around the world and soon countries like Belgium, Australia, Norway, Poland and even Japan were producing their unique takes on the style. Rather belatedly, Coffee Stouts reached the shores of blighty in 2003 when Dark Star released Expresso Stout (4.2%) brewed with arabica beans it quicky became a popular release for the brewery, soon other breweries joined the bandwagon with the likes of Java Jolt Coffee Stout (5.5%) – Darwin, and Gaelic Coffee (4.6%) – Church End first appearing over the next couple of years. In 2008, Ashover released Coffin Lane Stout (5%), named after a former trail that led out of Ashover lined with gravestones, for many years mourners would use it as a route to the local cemetery. Described by CAMRA as a “stout with chocolate and coffee flavours which are balanced by a little sweetness, the finish is long and quite dry.”[3] Its warming chocolate and coffee flavours were enhanced by the slightly bitter finish of Fuggles hops. This beer subsequently became a regular part of their range, becoming one of the first coffee stouts produced in the UK to be sold on a regular basis. Another early example of a regular release was Cappucino Stout (4.5%) – Titanic, first released in 2011, it was based on their classic recipe Stout and utilized a cold coffee brew added during the brewing process. The finished result CAMRA mentions it as “black with a vanilla and strong coffee nose leading to a sweet taste again with strong coffee, aftertaste is sweet.”[4] Whilst All Hail the Ale dubbed it as tiramisù in a glass, stating “there’s coffee straight away, a little bit of chocolate and the malt is there, but it very much playing second fiddle,”[5] this beer has won a number of awards over the years and it continues to be sold to this day. Meanwhile the following year Fat Cat Brewery debuted Coffee Cream Stout (4.6%) at the 35^th Norwich Beer Festival, initially known as Mocha Moggie it was made Ethiopian Mocha coffee beans from Wilkinsons of Pottergate. The beer continued be sold on a regular basis in bottle and cask over the next decade, eventually winning Gold in the stout category for the CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Norfolk in 2020, yet despite these developments, this anticipated clamour for coffee flavoured stouts was slow to come by.

 

During the 2010’s as the craft beer movement thundered ahead, this proved to be febrile ground for budding independent brewers to experiment with their own coffee stouts, these releases tended produced in small batches and were sold on a limited, strictly local release basis, from the likes of Cimmerian Breakfast Stout (6.2%) – Thornbridge, which utilized a mixture of French coffee and bittersweet chocolate, Coffee in the Morning (5.7%) – Tap East, which utilized three coffee blends towards creating it’s characteristic full bodied flavour, Breakfast Stout (9.3%) – Kernel, an imperial stout that brewed with Fazenda Serra do Bone coffee from Brazil, Hot Numbers (5.5%) – Moonshine, that utilized roasted coffee beans from Hot Numbers Coffee of Royston, or Nicaraguan Coffee Stout (5.2%) – Harbour, that came about from a collaboration with Cornish based company Origin Coffee Roasters, utilizing their Los Altos coffee mix into the brew. James Beeson pointed out “the image usually associated with coffee beer is that of a heavy, dark coloured stout, with strong roasted malt aromas and harsh, bitter flavours. A niche product, enjoyable for those who want it, but not a mainstream drinks trend of significance.”[6] Occasionally during this period, the occasional Coffee Stout gained praise on the award circuit; in 2014; Ashover won an award for their Coffin Lane Stout (5%) when it gained SIBA East Midlands Champion Beer of Britain, two years later in 2016, the Backyard Brewhouse won SIBA Midlands Champion Speciality Beer of the Year in 2016 for their Coaltown Coffee Stout (5%) which got its name from the brewery’s collaboration with local coffee roasters Coaltown Coffee of Amanford, utilizing their Gold No.3 coffee mix, whilst the following year Titanic’s Cappuccino Stout (4.5%) was bestowed Beer of the Festival at the JD Wetherspoons Spring Beer Festival, among a clutch of successes at a number of beer festivals. As the decade wore on, the number of Coffee Stouts on the market increased, even established brewers were dabbling with it, like Imperial Stout Dark Coffee (7%) – Chiltern, Barista (4.2%) – Exmoor, and Dubbel Coffee Stout (7%) – Sharps, which Roger Protz described at the time of its release as “the palate is extremely dry and is dominated by roasted grain and coffee, with spicy hops building along with burnt fruits.”[7] In 2018, North Riding released their Cappuccino Stout (6%) made from a potent mixture derived from six types of malt and Brambling Cross hops, unlike its competitors at the time the brewery took the bold decision to put the beer on regular release, and it continues to be sold on cask and bottle. Likewise, the following year Ferry Ales put Faubuccino (4.5%) on sale as part of their extensive bottled range, a milk stout brewed with coffee from Lincoln based Stokes Tea & Coffee using their Blue Mountain blend, the beer subsequently won silver at the SIBA Digital Beer Awards 2020 for the East of England region. Stubbornly despite these developments, Coffee Stout unfortunately remained trapped in the doom loop of curios, as it continued to be relegated and regarded as a niche beer style. It would take the commercial nationwide uptick in the popularity of stouts, for this substyle to finally enter the mainstream.

 

In April 2022, Cold Brew Coffee Beer (4%) by Guinness was belatedly released in the UK, after it debuted the year before in the US and Ireland. It was brewed using cold water brewed coffee, which was then added to vats of Guinness Draft, each bottle contained 2mg of caffeine, about the same as a cup of decaf coffee. Its release was inspired by the growing number of porters and stouts released on the market by a number of craft breweries, and Guinness intended to cash in on this growing trade with something innovative. A press release at the time boldly claimed it “boasts the perfect balance of bitter and sweet roast coffee tasting notes, this rich, smooth, and creamy brew creates an elevated experience for beer and coffee lovers alike.”[8] Incidentally they banked on it being as marketable as they other established releases like Draught (4%) and Extra Stout (7.5%). Unfortunately, it was met with a mixed response, Lizzie Thompson from the Metro stated “it was the fizzy coffee taste that put me off the most. Undeniably, you can taste the notes of chocolate and caramel – but the drink just didn’t make sense to me. Some things simply shouldn’t be married together.”[9] Some commentators argued that drinking it at fridge temperature affected the taste, and was better drunk at room temperature, however this negative press led to it quietly being dropped from their range last November. Although it’s release was seen as a failure, on the whole it could be seen as the beachhead for the rising popularity of coffee-based stouts in the UK. Around this time, a number of regional breweries were releasing coffee stouts as part of their regular ranges; in May 2021, Great Corby debuted Coffee Milk Stout (4.7%) that used ground expresso coffee beans and lactose to create a multifaceted mix with hints of dark fruit and lashings of coffee. Later that July, Tring Brewery released Dagmal (5%), a full bodied stout made with lactose and oatmeal, it was made in collaboration with independent coffee roasters Bionic Bull (based in Hertford) using their house blend of Columbian, Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee beans; at the time local newspaper Hemel Today reported on this development, where Jared Ward (publicity manager at Tring) stated "the natural roasty, fruity flavours of Bionic Bull House Blend played perfectly into the stout, which already boasted notes of rich dark chocolate and molasses!”[10] The following year saw further debuts, in April 2022, Chorley based microbrewer Ben’s Brewery released Mean Old Bastard (5.7%), a coffee milk stout with a roast malt backbone, some sour notes and a dry aftertaste. Later that November, Charnwood debuted Coffee Cream Stout (5.4%), made from the combination of roasted barley and chocolate malt with the addition of cocoa nibs and coffee thrown in to the mix, it subsequently won gold at SIBA Midlands Bottled Beer Awards 2023, although it’s currently only sold in the Autumn. Meanwhile the same month, Cotswold Lakes debuted Cold Coffee Brew (4.3%), another local collaboration in this case using the Aurora coffee blend from Fire & Flow of Cirencester, initially released on a limited basis, its ensuing popularity led the brewery to re-release it the following Spring. Later in October 2023, Beartown released Lakeland Nightfall (4.9%) made in collaboration with coffee roasters Farrer’s Coffee of Kendal, using their classic expresso mix. This beer has met with a favourable response, even acquiring beer of the festival at the Middlewitch Beer Festival that December, only two months after its launch.

 

This growing flurry of releases, encouraged larger brewers to produce their own coffee stouts. Buoyed by the release of Cold Brew Coffee Beer (4%) by Guinness, this time they set their eyes on nationwide distribution.  On 2^nd May 2023, Badger (Hall & Woodhouse) released Master Stoat (5%), their first regularly distributed stout. The press release described it as “our new stout brings together the rich, roasted notes from chocolate and crystal malts, combined with a perfectly pulled espresso.⁠ It ⁠has dark, caramelised biscuity notes that make way for a smooth lasting coffee sensation, with hints of toffee for a balanced, deceptively moreish and satisfying brew.⁠” This beer was sold widely in supermarkets across country including the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons, yet it’s release wasn’t influenced by the growing popularity of coffee stout, in actual fact it was influenced by the increasing number of stouts available in supermarkets, which the brewery was keen to cash in. This beer met with rave reviews, Real Ale Craft Beer stated “it’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s decadent, it’s bitter, that is one bitter stout,”[11] whilst Wraggy’s Beer Reviews proclaimed “the aroma, the taste, delivers on a scale which does what it says on the tin; you know what it’s coffee stout, that what it does, and in some amazing form.”[12] Indeed, this popular beer has become the most widely sold Coffee Stout in the country and has even gained awards within its first year of sales, acquiring gongs at the Great Taste Awards (1 star) and World Beer Awards - Bronze England Winner (Flavoured Beer) respectively. Later that September, Bristol based brewery Wiper & True launched their Expresso Martini Shake (5.6%), described as an indulgent and decadent stout inspired by one of the world’s most famous cocktails, this beer was one of several releases the brewery pushed for national distribution following the competition of their new brewery site and taproom. It was initially sold at Sainsbury’s stores, and subsequently at Waitrose branches, it became one of the brewery’s fastest selling beers of 2023. Co-founder Michael Wiper described the reasoning behind releasing it on a nation scale, “the introduction of Espresso Martini Shake is particularly exciting, as we know there is a growing demand for coffee-infused beers and stouts. Ours is a really fun, luxurious-tasting beer that combines all the best parts of an Espresso Martini cocktail into a smooth and tasty dark beer.”[13] Made with lactose and cocoa nibs, it has been described by many commentators as a proper strong bitter stout, that doesn’t cater to the typical tackiness of pastry/ flavoured stouts. All Hail to the Ale described it as “there is deep coffee, not overly roasted, but is a strong coffee of a medium heavy roast. Fairly sweet chocolate, a nice vanilla sweetness on the back end as well.”[14] The mouthfeel which Real Ale Craft Beer mentions was a particularly notable feature, “it’s delightful, rich, creamy mouthfeel, little bit of sweetness to begin with, lovely bitterness on the back end. You definitely taste some of that Expresso Martini in there.”[15] The taste has been labelled as having an even balance of coffee and chocolate flavours with a dash of caramel that dovetails nicely with the distinctive coffee kick. Sold exclusively in 440ml cans, it has been proved to be one of the brewery’s greatest commercial successes to date. Meanwhile, the following month, Brewdog, a giant of the craft beer scene since 2007, took the plunge and released Grind (6%) for national distribution, sold at supermarkets like Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, this beer was one of a number releases the brewery pushed for nationwide exposure following the incredible success of Punk IPA (5.2%). On the more potent side for a stout, it developed through a collaboration between the brewery and London based coffee roasters Grind, which directly resulted from the brewery helping the coffee-makers to establish their first coffee bar at Brewdog’s taproom complex at Waterloo Station the previous year. Made with Simcoe hops and several different malts (including Brown, Chocolate, Crystal, Pale and Roasted Barley), with the addition of lactose for body, Mark Adair described it “as “something for coffee and beer nerds alike, the eye-catching pink can hosts a rich and full-bodied 6.0 per cent ABV stout infused with caffeine. Simcoe hops and Crystal Malt meet ethically sourced Grind coffee; a rich, full-bodied beer that’s all-upfront coffee giving way to bitter dark chocolate and sweet chocolate sauce.”[16] Even the national papers gave a glowing response, with the Scottish Daily Express noting “GRIND was smooth, creamy and had more than a hint of dark chocolate as I eagerly sunk the first portion of the can.”[17] For coffee lovers and beer drinkers alike, this beer proved to be a popular draw, and helped demonstrate the increasing universal appeal for coffee stouts on the national stage, thus proving there is much potential out there for this substyle of stout.

 

The plight of coffee stouts produced in the UK has been long and protracted since they first appeared in the country over 20 years ago. It was once openly dismissed as a niche and forgettable beer style, often relegated to limited releases or beer festival specials, often sold generally on a strictly localized radius to the breweries that produced it, so it would come to no surprise these beers were hard to come by. Over the past few years, the flurry of releases both regionally and nationally over the past few years, have proved that there is potential appeal behind this substyle. Yet this increasing proliferation of products is not down to a growing appreciation for coffee stouts, it was due to rising prominence of stouts on the national stage in recent years as particularly in supermarkets where breweries like St Austell, Hopgoblin, Brewdog, Black Sheep, Badger, Fuller’s and St Peter’s have marketed their stouts to cater for this booming market. The drive to promote Coffee Beers on regular release on the national and regional markets, was due to a desire to cash in on the growing appreciation of stouts, particularly from the younger generation. This is partly due to the increasing savviness in consumers in what they buy, Dan Paul-Scott (head brewer at Black Sheep) stated “people are savvier now in terms of what they buy. The common drinker wants variety … that is down to the craft beer boom as it created a versatile drinker who craves choice.”[18] Incidentally, the rise of the craft beer movement has driven consumers to embrace more ‘nostalgic’ beer styles like stout for instance, as tastebuds become more refined and seek greater choice. So, it comes as no surprise that breweries are pushing the likes of Coffee Stout even further into the public-eye than ever before. Wherever these particular beers have been released, they have been met with a favourable response, Hukins Hops sums this up “coffee and beer are a perfect pairing. The roasted notes of coffee can complement the malty flavours of beer, while the bitterness of coffee can contrast and balance the sweetness in certain beers.”[19] On this plus side of this, it will mean more breweries producing and releasing coffee stouts in future as part of their regular ranges, distributing it for the regional and national markets. This will result in greater exposure and recognition for this substyle, so it’s only matter of time before breweries win major national awards for their coffee stouts, as they become the next big thing.

List of References 

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[1] ‘Stout popularity soars to make it Britain’s fastest growing beer type’ by Tesco, 2^nd April 2024

[2] ‘All About Coffee Beer: Why It’s a Good Thing You Should Know About and Try For Yourself!’, by Bree, The Brewer’s Union

[3] ‘Tasting Notes Ashover - Coffin Lane Stout’ by CAMRA Experience

[4] ‘Tasting Notes Titanic - Cappuccino Stout’ by CAMRA Experience

[5] ‘Titanic Brewery Cappuccino Stout Review’ by All Hail the Ale, 31^st May 2020

[6] ‘Could Coffee be the next big trend in craft beer?’ by James Beeson, Morning Advertiser, 14^th September 2017

[7] ‘Dubbel Coffee Stout, Sharp's’ by Roger Protz; Protz on Beer, 1^st May 2013

[8] ‘Guinness launches cold brewed coffee beer in Great Britain’, The British Guild of Beer Writers, 20^th April 2022

[9] ‘We tried Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer – this is our verdict’ by Lizzie Thompson, The Metro, 21^st April 2022

[10] ‘Tring Brewery launches beer in collaboration with independent Hertfordshire coffee roaster’ by Hemel Today, 19^th July 2021

[11] ‘Badger Master Stoat Coffee Stout By Badger Beers | Sainsbury's Craft Beer Review’ by Real Ale Craft Beer, 13^th October 2023

[12] ‘NEW At Asda - Badger Beers - Coffee Stout - Beer Review’ by Wraggy’s Beer Reviews, 22^nd May 2023

[13] ‘Wiper and True boosts its Waitrose presence’ by Darren, Beer Today, 17^th May 2024

[14] ‘WIPER AND TRUE - Espresso Martini Shake Coffee Stout Review’ by All Hail to the Ale, 11^th November 2023

[15] ‘Wiper And True Espresso Martini Shake Coffee Stout By Wiper And True | Sainsbury's Craft Beer Review’ by Real Ale Craft Beer, 9^th October 2023

[16] ‘BrewDog teams up with Grind to create a new coffee flavoured stout’ by Mark Adair, B-Daily News, 13^th October 2023

[17] ‘BrewDog's coffee-flavoured beer is smooth and tasty but so rich you really will limit yourself to a few’, Scottish Daily Express, 11^th January 2024

[18] ‘Higher stout consumption driven by female drinkers and low alcohol options’ by Sarah Marsh, The Guardian, 4^th April 2024

[19] Coffee-infused beers: UK’s latest craft brews’, Hukins Hops