6 of the best new beers for Spring
1) A Brazilian and Ginger IPA
Arkell’s has released details of a raft of summer seasonal ales.
Ginger IPA, a 3.8% ABV brew made with East Kent Golding hops and ginger, is May’s offering; Brazilian, a 3.6% ABV beer, made with Golden Oats and Maris otter malt, will be launched in June, followed by the 4.2% ABV Wheat, a classic German-style wheat beer for July.
This year is the brewery’s 170 year anniversary and plans are afoot for a celebration this September, said the company.
2) Whakatu makes a return
Whakatu, the golden ale from Everards, is being revived for this month.
The brewery said it was bringing the ale, pronounced “fak-a-too,” back “by popular demand.”
It is brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, which deliver gooseberry and kiwi notes to the beer.
The name is derived from the Maori name for ‘Nelson’ from where the hops originate.
3) Time for tea?
Yorkshire’s Ilkley Brewery has brewed its 1,000th beer – a Darjeeling and blackberry infused brown ale.
Some 6,000 pints of the beer, called Mash Tonne, have been brewed to mark the brewery’s fifth birthday this month.
The 5.5% ale is made with British and US hops, an infusion of Darjeeling tea and fresh blackberries.
“This is an exciting and quite unusual brown ale and I think it captures where we are as a brewery perfectly,” said MD Chris Ives.
4) Original brews
London brewery Signature Brew has launched its own range of beers called Signature Brew: Originals.
Previously the brewery has only brewed one-off collaboration beers with artists such as Professor Green and The Rifles.
The new range will come in cask and keg and include Signature Pale, a 4.1% ABV American pale ale and the 5.6% ABV Backstage IPA.
5) No hop beer
Peerless has brewed a beer entirely without hops.
Dark Matter is a 3.6% ABV black, mild ale made with eight different sorts of malts, including oat, wheat, Abbey and Pale.
It is said to have a, “rich variety of flavours: citrus, honey, toffee, tropical fruits, chocolate, caramel and raisin,” and go well with roasted meats, game, smoked barbeque meats and sausages.
It will be available in 250 Mitchell’s & Butlers venues across the UK.
6) Sport beer
Sports minister Helen Grant has helped brew the first batch of a new football-themed beer at Shepherd Neame.
The 4% ABV beer, called 4-4-2, is being brewed in support of England’s attempt for glory in the World Cup this summer and is made with 10 hops.
“Major sporting events have a unique ability of bringing communities together to cheer on the national team,” Grant said.
