'Reverse Guinness' a pub phenomenon

Sinistral - which has a white body and black head - sold out in just half an hour at a pub in Norwich.

Sue Hayward, co-founder of Liverpool-based Team Toxic brewery which created the 'reverse Guinness', told The Morning Advertiser​ the white brew had attracted pubgoers from all over the UK.

According to Hayward, it sold out after being stocked in pubs across the country with the brewery only producing around 1,200 litres. 

Playing with preconceptions 

“The gimmick is the black head which ironically is what everyone talks about," she said. "It did a good job of grabbing attention but is in reality a gimmick. 

“People like gimmicks - but it doesn't detract from the fact that we have been brewing quality craft cask and keg beers for 20 years between us. 

“If Omnipollo and the like can have a play with people's preconceptions of beer - I see no reason that we can't too.

“The white beer is the star and the thing that's taken all the time to create.

"Almost everyone that tries it loves it. People are amazed it tastes so good, 'caramac' and 'chocolate' are words often used.”

Hayward brews beer with 'Gazza' Prescott, formerly of Hopcraft Brewing, and said the brewery may consider an imperial version of the drink next year.

The drink’s popularity has made headlines for the brewery, which has since been approached by new pubs.

“We even managed to get featured by UniLad - suddenly I was cool with my kids," Hayward added. "It's also introduced us to bars who we'd never managed to sell beer to before - they came to find us.”

The brewers reversed all the processes which usually make their beers clear. “Everything we know we should do to create a beer with clarity, we didn't - such as using malts and grains we know make for an ultra pale but very hazy beer and obviously no finings,” Hayward explained.

Slice of the action

Mark Ambrose, director and manager, at the Barking Cat Alehouse, Poole, said the drink pulled in crowds with the first keg “going in 61 minutes”. 

“The pure white stout with its creamy black head proved to be a hit with pretty much everyone that tried it," he said. "Tasting like a traditional stout too meant customers coming back for more.”

Phil Ayling, director of East-Midlands group Beerheadz described the stout as a “phenomenon”

“Everybody wants a slice of the action, to try it and see what it is actually like," he added.

“If you close your eyes, and you didn't look at the glass, it tasted like a stout so they achieved what they set out to do.

“There were a lot of people who wouldn't ordinarily drink stout queuing up to try it.”