Fabal Lager, Hiver

Fabal Lager, 4%, Hiver Brewery

A new lager developed by Hannah Rhodes, flounder of the Hiver Brewery that specialises in honey beers and beers with a low carbon footprint, using only English ingredients.

She is committed to both provenance and sustainability.

Hannah, who previously worked at Meantime Brewery, says  when she decided to produce a lager, she wanted a crisp and dry character. “I looked at rice, which gives a dry flavour but I wanted to showcase the best British ingredients. The challenge was to create a delicate lager with only English ingredients.”

As well as conventional malted barley, she uses pressed barley that gives the crisp and dry flavour she wanted. The single hop is Archer and no honey is used in the beer.

The name Fabal comes from the Latin, meaning a craftsman or artisan.

Hannah is a committed supporter of the global Slow Food movement with a criterion for food and drink being “good, clean and fair”. Fabal has found favour in high places and is the house lager in the Dorchester Hotel’s main restaurant, The Grill.

The pale gold beer is vegan-friendly and has a fine aroma of spicy hops, lemon fruit and honeyed malt, followed by a delicate palate of tart fruit, spices and dry biscuit malt. The finish is bittersweet, with honey malt balanced by tangy lemon fruit and gently bitter hops.

£3.50 for a 330ml bottle from www.hiverbeers.co.uk.