American beers with colonial history hit British bars and specialist retailers

Beers from a major American independent brewery with a pre-independence twist have arrived in Britain and are available both in bottle and on tap. The Fordham Brewery, based in Dover, Delaware, has some history behind it. The first brewery to bear the name was set up in 1703 at the request of Queen Anne who, being a sensible monarch, knew a colony should have a brewery.

She asked a young settler called Benjamin Fordham to launch a brewery in the new port of Annapolis, which later became the capital of Maryland. The colony flourished, helped in no small part by the ales brewed by Benjamin.

Some 300 years later, Fordham brewing was re-born in the heart of Annapolis in 1995. Demand for the beers encouraged the company to move and set up a new brewing plant in Dover, with custom-built, stainless steel kit. Along the way, Fordham had taken over the Old Dominion Brewery, founded by Jerry Bailey in 1989 in Ashburn, Virginia, a few miles from Washington D.C.

Old Dominion built a strong reputation for its beers and volumes grew to 27,000 barrels a year. But by the 21^st century Jerry was happy to take a back seat and sold the brewery and its brands to Fordham’s Bill Muehlhauser. Bill was helped by an investment from Anheuser-Busch, the biggest brewery in the U.S. A-B plays no part in the company or its policies: the reason for its investment lay in securing distribution rights for both Fordham and Old Dominion brands.

The beers now available in Britain are:

Tavern Ale (6.1%). This is an American pale ale, described as “brewed with 100% malted barley” but the bright copper colour suggests some darker caramel malt is blended with pale. The hops are Cascade and Magnum and the beer is cold conditioned on a bed of Cascade prior to bottling or kegging.  It has a big nutty, toasted malt and peppery hops nose, with “breakfast cereal” malt in the mouth balanced by tart bitter orange fruit and spicy hops. Bitter hops dominate the finish but are balanced by tart fruit and rich toasted malt. Food accompaniment: Thai cuisine, fried seafood, buffalo wings, burgers, Cheddar cheese, pumpkin flan and maple bread pudding.

Copperhead Ale (5.2%) is Fordham’s flagship beer and is an American interpretation of the Dusseldorf Alt style. Caramunich malt is blended with pale to produce a beer with a deep copper colour. The hops are German Magnum and Tettnanger varieties. It has a “cereal bar” grain aroma with big spicy hop resins and rhubarb fruit. Tart fruit builds in the mouth with bitter hops and chewy malt. Tangy fruit also dominates the finish but is balanced by spicy hops and a late hint of butterscotch. Food match: roast pork, smoked sausage, grilled salmon, Gouda cheese or crumbly Cheshire. With desserts, try the beer with almond or maple-walnut cake or pear fritters.

Wisteria Wheat (4%) is a summer beer and is unfiltered in the Bavarian style. It’s brewed with a German weisse yeast culture, pale and wheat malts, Perle and Tradition hops and a tiny amount of camomile. The beer is a hazy pale gold with a thick fluffy head of foam. It has the classic Bavarian characteristics: spicy cloves, Juicy Fruit and banana with biscuit malt. The quenching, bittersweet palate is dominated by Juicy Fruit and spices. The finish becomes dry but there is a good sweet grain balance with cloves, banana and bubblegum. This is a fine interpretation of the style and is wonderfully refreshing. Food match: fresh salads, seafood and grilled chicken, as well as sharp and tangy cheese and citrus desserts.

Doppelbock (8%) is Fordham’s interpretation of a German strong, dark lager and will be available in the winter. This rich and complex beer is brewed with Munich, Pilsner and Carafa malts alongside pale malt and is hopped with Perle and Tettnanger German varieties. It has a glorious deep, burnished russet, autumn leaves colour with a pronounced aroma of espresso coffee, roasted grain and bitter chocolate, with peppery hops. Caramelised fruits, coffee and bitter hops dominate the palate but with a continuing powerful roasted grain note. The finish has a malted loaf note from the grain with continuing contributions from bitter coffee and spicy hops. Food match: roasted meats such as duck, pork, shanks and curry. Recommended cheeses include Limburger, Camembert and Fontina. Desserts: Black Forest gateau, dark chocolate, dried fruit & rum cake.

These are impressive beers. Bottled versions are available from online suppliers www.alesbymail.com and www.beersofeurope.com. They are also available from Wholefoods of High Street Kensington in London and the Hogs Back Brewery Shop in Tongham, Kent (www.hogsback.co.uk). Prices range from £1.99 to £2.25 a bottle.

Draught versions are on tap in the Draft House, Tower Bridge Road, Exmouth Arms, Duchess of Cambridge and White Horse, Parsons Green in London; the Half & Half in Croydon; and the Chicago Rib Stack restaurant chain.

The beers are imported by Heathwick Ltd: info@heathwick.com. The company is also importing Fordham Helles: not yet tasted.