In the spirit of collaboration 6 local breweries have come together to brew a very special beer
to celebrate all that is good about beer in Bristol. For the first time since 1889 when Bristol United Breweries was formed, the major breweries in Bristol are once again uniting to brew beer for Bristolians. Arbor Ales, Bath Ales, Bristol Beer Factory, Great Western Brewing, RCH and Zero Degrees are combining their skills, knowledge and passion for great beer to produce a brew that gives a modern twist to a style of beer that has been famously brewed and exported from Bristol for centuries.
The Collaboration 2012 is to be released in mid-March in time for the Bristol Beer Festival at a time when beer has its highest profile in the city. The Bristol Beer Festival is bigger than ever this year, with an extra session to accommodate all the people who want to drink great beers. The group of local breweries would like to take the opportunity to unite and promote the thriving beer scene in the city. The best way to do that is to combine talents to produce a stunning beer that can be enjoyed at the festival and around the city afterwards.
The Bristol Craft Breweries have joined forces to brew a Porter, a traditional dark beer made famous during the 18th century; there are records of the Porter Brewery in Bristol dating back to 1730. Arbor Ales Jon Comer said “we decided to brew a traditional, historical style that was important in the history of brewing in Bristol”. Roger Jones from Bath Ales commented that “the brewing industry is truly unique. I can’t imagine any other industry where 6 competitor businesses from the same city would get together over a beer and decide to collaborate their efforts.”
BBF Managing Director Simon Bartlett said “The CAMRA Bristol Beer Festival is the most important event in Bristol for breweries and we wanted to unite to brew a beer that celebrated the fabulous talents of local brewers.”
The six breweries will be launching “Collaboration 2012” at the Bristol Beer Festival on Thursday 15th March. The beer will be sold in pubs owned by the all of the breweries involved as well as a number of freehouses in the city. The Collaboration 2012 will be available in bottles, casks and kegs, to be enjoyed from all forms of dispense.
To celebrate the most important week for beer in Bristol, the Bristol Beer Factory will be holding a number of events including a Brewery Tour & Tasting at the BBF on Tuesday 13th March with a sneak preview of the Collaboration brew.
~ENDS~
Notes to editors:
Bristol Beer Factory operates in one of the remaining buildings of the former Ashton Gate Brewery in South Bristol, which Thomas Baynton opened in the 1830s. This 10 barrel microbrewery uses locally grown malt and hops and is an independent brewery which mixes traditional British brewing methods and modern technology to produce quality local beers.
Awards in 2009 include a Gold at the SIBA South West event in the strong bitters category for Bristol Beer Factory ‘Exhibition’, with its Bristol Beer Factory ‘Milk Stout’ also being awarded Gold in the Stout & Porter category at the 2009 CAMRA National Winter Ales Festival in January. The Milk Stout has twice won the accolade of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) ‘beer of the festival’ at the annual Bristol Beer Festival, and is an historic ale that has been winning awards since it was first brewed at the Ashton Gate brewery (home to Bristol Beer Factory since 2004) back in the 1860’s. History really is repeating itself!
Bristol Beer Factory is keen to reinforce the CAMRA ‘LocAle’ initiative aimed at encouraging people to consider their ‘beer miles’ and support pubs stocking locally brewed real ale. The scheme builds on a growing consumer demand for quality local produce and an increased awareness of ‘green’ issues.
For press & media enquiries please contact:
Carolyn Jones on 07817 312348
For further information on Bristol Beer Factory please contact:
Andrew Cooper on 0117 902 6317 or 07968 721841
andrew@bristolbeerfactory.co.uk
Photos will be available after the brew day on 7th February.