Manchester-based Joseph Holt has joined forces with fellow family brewers Everards and Hook Norton – which are also celebrating 175 years in business – to brew 175 Pale Ale at its Cheetham Hill premises.
Pooling 525 years of shared heritage, Joseph Holt head brewer Phil Parkinson (above) led the collaboration, and the result is a blend of ale, lager, crystal and wheat malts as well as English-grown Harlequin hops.
Parkinson said: “Our Joseph Holt-led 175 Pale Ale is a light, clean, crisp refreshing drink, brewed with summer in mind.
“It’s golden, fruity and so the perfect refreshing cask ale for a summer’s day. The use of Harlequin hops gives it a particularly distinctive character, infusing the brew with subtle hints of stone fruits, ripe damson and juicy plum. The bitterness is there but in a balanced way – a true collaboration of these distinctive flavours.”
The 4.1 per cent golden ale is one of a trio of limited-edition collaborative brews produced by the three award-winning beer makers at their respective premises.
The first, an amber ale, was brewed at Hook Norton last month – with each anniversary beer representing a different season. All the beers will feature hops from Charles Faram, which has donated them both from its range and its development programme.
The brewers stayed over at Joseph Holt pubs then spent a hands-on day at the brewery to produce the 175 Pale Ale.
“It was really lovely to work with my colleagues from Hook Norton and Everards,” adds Parkinson, “Trading ideas, sharing our passion for beer making and supporting each other in our quest to produce memorable ales as we have done over our long history.”
Chief executive Richard Kershaw, who is the fifth generation of the family to work for Joseph Holt, added: “We are delighted to work with Everards and Hook Norton to celebrate our respective anniversaries.
“Each of us represent a key part of Britain’s brewing heritage, through the beers we produce and the fact many of our pubs are part of the history of the local landscape. And so, when planning our 175th anniversary all three breweries had the idea to do something together and shout about our unique achievements and how special this industry is.
“The commemorative selection of brews will, thanks to their taste, quality and care, reflect the ethos we all embrace – strong community values and the highest standards in producing memorable beers.”
The new beer is now available at Joseph Holt pubs. It will also be available in outlets owned by Oxfordshire-based Hook Norton and Leicestershire’s Everards as well as some local free trade outlets.
