Features

Thomas Hardy's Ale has had a turbulent history like one of the author's Wessex novels. First brewed by Eldridge Pope in Dorchester, it moved to O'Hanlon's and then Meantime breweries, The classic English barley wine is now owned by an Italian drinks business and a new edition has been brewed by Hepworth in Sussex.

Added: Sunday, November 24th 2024

The launch of Fuller's Vintage Ale 2024 is a cause for celebration, greeted by beer lovers in common with wine buffs' welcome for the latest Bordeaux vintage. It's bottle conditioned, meaning it will age and improve due to live yeast. Vintage has been joined by a new bottle-conditioned beer, The Union, from the Thornbridge Brewery using their restored and revived Burton Union system

Added: Monday, September 30th 2024

Emma Cole and Al Wall have restarted brewing at Burton Bridge in Burton-on-Trent and they continue to make the beers launched by the late Geoff Mumford. They also brew the beers from the Heritage Brewery that was forced to move when Molson Coors closed the National Brewery Centre

Added: Wednesday, September 11th 2024

Jacob Collier has been the MP for Burton-on-Trent for only a few weeks but he's busy on the beer and brewery front. He's held a meeting wit Carlsberg to discuss the future for Marston's Brewery in the town and he's also joined the campaign to find a new home for the brewery museum, and its valuable artefacts following the closure of the National Brewery Centre

Added: Tuesday, August 13th 2024

Geoff Mumford (on the right) founded Burton Bridge Brewery in 1982, one of the first small independent breweries. He has died aged 82.He worked with his business partner Bruce Wilkinson and they had both worked for Ind Coope before starting their own brewery. Their beers included Bridge Bitter and the bottled Empire Pale Ale

Added: Thursday, August 1st 2024

India Pale Ale has moved on from its Victorian origins. It's now brewed in many parts of the world and recipes vary, but too many versions today are unbalanced. Hops are an important flavouring in beer but the role of malt must not be ignored.

Added: Sunday, April 14th 2024

The festive season is upon us and brewers have produced a fine array of rich and warming brews that will go well with Christmas meals or enjoyed by themselves in front of a roaring fire

Added: Thursday, December 7th 2023

Jamie Allsopp, seven times grandson of Samuel Allsopp, has restored the name and the beers of the historic brewer who was the first to make IPA in Burton-on-Trent. Jamie has used original recipes and yeast to make Pale Ale, IPA and Pilsner. The beers are currently brewed by the Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds but Jamie is looking for a site in Burton

Added: Monday, December 4th 2023

Gale's Prize Old Ale, a stock ale that's a blend of aged and fresh beer, was revived in 2022 and sold out within 48 hours. It's now owned by Fulller's/Asahi and a new vintage has just been launched, brewed at Meantime in Greenwich.

Added: Thursday, November 23rd 2023

The Crossover Blendery on a farm in Hertfordshire is producing a range of beers inspired by the "wild beers" of Belgium, known as lambic and gueuze. Charlie Wood and George Stagg visited the Cantillon lambic brewery in Brussels and were so impressed with the beers they decided to make their own spontaneously fermented beers back home in collaboration with Elgood's Brewery in Wisbech

Added: Monday, October 30th 2023