Peak District's Thornbridge Brewery begins 'year of beer' cask campaign

Thornbridge Brewery, in Ashford-in-the-Water, is bringing back its ‘year of beer’ initiative for the first time since the pandemic began, releasing a new draught beer each month.

Chief executive Simon Webster said: “Cask beer has always been in our DNA, from our very earliest days brewing at the hall to today. The last couple of years have unfortunately required us to make less of it than we’d have liked, but that’s why we’re all the more excited to get it into people’s hands this year.

“We’re so lucky to have such a talented team of brewers working for us and such an enthusiastic audience ready to sample their creations, and hopefully this year of beer will do them all proud.”

First launched in 2017, the year of beer project was originally envisioned as a way to give trade customers and consumers the means to plan ahead months in advance, but quickly evolved into a more ambitious showcase of the range of Thornbridge’s output, and an opportunity for their brewing team to experiment.

Covid-19 seriously affected Thornbridge’s plans for their 15th Anniversary in 2020, where they had planned a year of highly innovative keg beer and cask collaborations with the best and brightest of British brewing, and the stress continued in 2021 – so 2022 is a triumphant return to form.

Pub regulars may already have spotted Hacksaw in January, an East Coast IPA with all the haziness and tropical fruit flavours that entails, and by now may also have tried the returning Twin Peaks, an Anglo American pale ale developed in partnership with California brewery Sierra Nevada.

The rest of the year promises to go from strength to strength, with Thornbridge putting out everything from a Golden Mild to a Pina Colada pale, by way of returning cult favourite ice cream porter Salted Caramel Lucaria.

Perhaps most exciting is a collaboration with a rising star of Mexican brewing, Cervecera Macaria, to create Carlotta, a Mole inspired Chili Chocolate Mexican Stout, in time for Cinco de Mayo.

For more details the online shop and beer club subscription service, go to thornbridgebrewery.co.uk.

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