Brewer turns clock back for celebration beer

St Austell is celebrating its 175th anniversary with the release of 1851, a special-edition commemorative beer brewed to mark the year the brewery was founded.

Created using brewing records from the brewery’s archive, 1851 draws inspiration from a recipe first produced to celebrate St Austell’s 150th anniversary.

The original recipe was recorded by former brewer Merv Westaway in handwritten journals.

St Austell brewing director Georgina Young (pictured) said: “We wanted to create something that genuinely reflected our history – not just a beer to mark a milestone, but one that connects us directly to the brewers and practices that shaped the business.”

Faithful to those historic notes, 1851 uses pale Cornish malt alongside amber malt, wheat malt and a small addition of Caramalt. The brewing journals also record that the barley was originally malted at Tucker’s Maltings in Newton Abbot, a site that played an important role in the brewery’s past prior to its closure.

Traditional Fuggles hops provide the beer’s characteristic earthy, piney bitterness, with the original records even noting the hop grower by name – Cooper’s Farm in Kent. Later hop additions include Styrian Goldings, now known as Celeia, sourced from Slovenia, adding soft floral notes that balance the malt profile.

While deeply rooted in brewing heritage, 1851 has been produced using modern brewing techniques to ensure consistency and quality. The brewing team carefully translated the historic recipe into a contemporary process, preserving its character while meeting today’s standards. Pouring a deep mahogany colour, it is 5.1 per cent ABV, offering gentle biscuit notes from the wheat, subtle dryness from the amber malt and a rounded, balanced bitterness.

“It’s a very honest beer,” Georgina added. “It reflects the way we’ve always brewed – with care, attention to detail and respect for the process.”

The beer forms part of St Austell’s wider 175th anniversary cask beer collection, which has revived and reimagined brews from the brewery’s archive. Drawing on recipes dating back to the 1800s, the collection celebrates some of the most well-loved beers in the brewery’s history alongside reworked versions of its current core range.