The Faversham business said the kegged beer is a fusion of four UK and US hops with First Drop’s journey beginning deep in the ancient well that the historic Faversham Brewery is built on.
Water from the well is combined with English Pale malt in the company’s brewhouse and is then infused with UK Challenger and Jester hops, as well as US hops, Mosaic and Amarillo, which it said creates “a crisp, zesty brew”.
First Drop was originally created as a limited-edition craft keg beer in Shepherd Neame’s Small Batch Brewery, a 15-barrel kit installed in 2023.
Lively citrus aromas and flavours
However, due to its popularity, it is now being produced in the main brewhouse on a larger scale and joining its permanent range.
A new keg lens has been designed to stand out on the bar, featuring “contemporary, stylised representations of the Faversham Brewery and brewing process using a bright palette of yellows and greens to reflect the beer’s lively citrus aromas and flavours”.
Director of brewing Mike Unsworth said: “It takes something special to be good enough to join our permanent range of beers, ales and lagers – the last time we added one was in 2021, when we introduced Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA.
Incredibly proud
“We have really enjoyed using the Small Batch Brewery to experiment with new styles and flavours and are incredibly proud of First Drop.
“Our brewers worked hard to create a refreshing yet well-balanced Session IPA, and we are sure it will prove a popular addition to our range.”
First Drop is available at selected sites across the independent family brewer’s estate of more than 290 pubs and hotels across Kent, London and the south-east.
Shepherd Neame recently announced it had ploughed £300k into the renovation and reopening of the Britannia pub in Guildford, Surrey.
