A recipe for a stout last brewed in 1913 has been extracted from ancient journals at a Cornish brewery and relaunched to celebrate Ireland’s national holiday.
In a nod to the strong bonds of Cornish Celtic heritage, St Austell Brewery’s 1913 Cornish Stout will first be available this St Patrick’s Day (17th March).
The new brew will be previewed on Saturday 16th at the Beer and Mussel Festival being held at Rick Stein’s Cornish Arms in St Merryn.
A revival in stouts has recently swept the brewing industry and the award-winning Cornish brewer looked both west across the Irish Sea and to their own fascinating journals for inspiration.
A 100-year-old recipe that had been lying dormant in St Austell Brewery’s extensive – and dusty – records was carefully adapted to produce an intense 5.2% brew.
Sophie Atherton, who was the first woman in the UK to be accredited as a Beer Sommelier, describes 1913 Cornish Stout as “a full bodied beer with a balanced sweetness and delicate toffee flavours.”
The new stout is also the perfect accompaniment to Cornwall’s spectacular seafood, in particular well-known Fal Rock oysters. Oysters and stout are a classic pairing with a long association, as both were commonplace in the region’s pubs and taverns until the 20th century.
Roger Ryman, Head Brewer at St Austell Brewery, said: “I’mprivileged to brew beer at a company with such a long and rich brewing history and was delighted to have the opportunity to revive this original recipe for Cornish Stout for today’s beer drinkers. Today, St Austell Brewery combines the best of the old and new, and despite the computer age, we continue to record every brew we make in leather bound journals just as our predecessors did in 1913.”
Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest porter produced by a brewery. The dark beer dates back to the 18th century and was named after street porters in London. When the manufacture of roasted malts was restricted in Britain during the First World War, British brewers moved to pale ales and lighter coloured beers. Stout brewed by Arthur Guinness, continued in Dublin and became synonymous with Ireland.
St Austell Brewery – 1913 Original Cornish Stout will be available from March 17th online at www.staustellbreweryshop.
Notes to editors:
Image: Roger Ryman, Head Brewer at St Austell Brewery with a bottle of 1913 and his brewing journals. For more images click here…
St Austell Brewery (www.staustellbrewery.co.uk)
- · St Austell Brewery is this year celebrating winning the ultimate pub industry accolade after being crowned the UK’s Regional Brewer of the Year. The Brewery beat off competition from some of the biggest names in the business to clinch the top title at The Publican Awards 2009.
- · Founded in 1851, St Austell Brewery is known to be one of the oldest businesses in Cornwall
- · It is one of only 30 Independently Family Owned Brewers in the UK.
- · The company owns 175 pubs.
- · It is the South West’s largest wholesale distributor of beer, ciders, wines, spirits and soft drinks, serving more than 3,000 free trade accounts, from pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and other licensed outlets in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
- · The company employs up to 1,000 people including part-time and seasonal staff.
- · The company brews five main cask ale beer brands: Tribute, Proper Job, Tinners, IPA and HSD.
- · The bottled beer range consists of HSD, Tribute, Proper Job, Admiral’s Ale and Clouded Yellow.
- · The company markets its cask ales nationally.
- · The company also distributes a full range of national brands of beers and minerals and a full range of wines and spirits under the Walter Hicks label.
- · The company is a recognised centre of excellence for training, accredited by the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), offering a wide range of courses to people who work in the licensed trade.
For further information, please contact:
Jeremy Mitchell
Director of Marketing & Communications Deborah Clark Associates
St Austell Brewery
Tel: 01726 627149
e-mail: Jeremy.Mitchell@