Black Sheep Brewery is continuing its support for Yorkshire pubs with a new look for its first ever lager, which is designed to help showcase the best of the region.
54, a 4.5% ABV premium Helles-style lager named after the line of latitude that passes through Yorkshire and the market town of Masham where it is brewed, has been given a makeover to help promote the region.
The new look lager will provide pubs with an authentic and high-quality brand, which showcases the best of Yorkshire, backed by an online campaign to promote the region and encourage people to visit and experience a true taste of the county.
As lockdown restrictions are eased following the coronavirus pandemic, Black Sheep Brewery believes that staycations will attract more people to Yorkshire and a visit to a local pub.
Through its dedicated @54Lager social media channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, 54 will help highlight the broad range of visitor experiences with bespoke content for adventurous travellers to Yorkshire.
When they arrive in Yorkshire pubs, they’ll be greeted at the bar by new keg lenses and specialist glassware in the form of 54-branded pint tankards, designed to create a sense of theatre and make the experience even more enjoyable.
54 is a lager that blends both Yorkshire and German ingredients and methods to create a truly transnational lager of high quality and tradition.
Brewed with water from the Yorkshire Dales and German Pilsner Malt, together with Magnum and Polaris hops and the German noble hop, Tettnang, 54 is top fermented using Black Sheep’s famous Yorkshire Square fermenters, then lagered for a month to intensify the crisp, clean finish.
54 was originally launched in 2017 under the name ‘54° North’ and has performed well in its Yorkshire and North of England heartlands, quickly establishing itself in both the pub and retail markets with its bottled and canned versions securing several off-trade listings nationwide.
Rob Theakston, Managing Director at Black Sheep Brewery, said: “54 is an authentic Yorkshire lager and continues to be a popular choice for pub goers across the county. We are committed to supporting our loyal pubs and despite the challenges of the past few months, we are moving forward to help encourage people to visit a local Yorkshire pub.
“There aren’t many Yorkshire lagers out there, and so updating 54’s brand further emphasises its role as a standout Yorkshire product that the region can rightly be proud of while helping to attract people to explore our truly amazing part of the world.
“We’re looking forward to working with pubs across Yorkshire, helping them showcase the region and its outstanding hospitality to those who love to travel and enjoy authentic experiences.”
ENDS
NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF BLACK SHEEP BREWERY
For further information contact Jamie Collis 01325 363436
Editors’ Notes:
The Black Sheep Brewery is one of British brewing’s most famous stories and has grown from humble beginnings to become a multi-award-winning company, with its beers enjoyed around the world.
Black Sheep has grown to become one of Yorkshire’s most recognised brands, which was unveiled as the official beer of the Tour de Yorkshire and is the official brewery of Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC).
In the past 12 months, Black Sheep has won a number of prestigious awards, including:
- The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) National Independent Beer Awards 2018 – Glug M’Glug – Small Pack Gold Champion in the Porters, Stouts, Old Ales, Strong Milds & Strong Brown Ales category
- The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) Beer Champion 2017
- World Beer Awards – Milk Stout – UK Winner
- World Beer Awards – Pathmaker – Gold Award
- World Beer Awards – Black Sheep Ale – Silver Award
- World Beer Awards – Guzzler– Bronze Award
- World Beer Awards – Pineapple Milkshake IPA – Bronze Award
Based in Masham, in the heart of North Yorkshire, Black Sheep brewed its first beer in 1992 after being built up by Paul Theakston, whose family had brewed in the area for six generations.
In a world of ever-increasing bland, mass-produced beer, Paul saw an opportunity to return to what his family had done best since 1827, making real beer in the time-honoured fashion.
An old maltings building, once part of Lightfoot’s Brewery, became the Brewery’s home. This landmark building, which stands high over the banks of the Ure, had fallen into disrepair as years of neglect as a semi-redundant grainstore had taken its toll. Paul assembled a small team around him to fight the rats and build a traditional country brewery.
The Visitor Centre, at the site of the iconic brewery, has grown to become an award-winning attraction for visitors to Yorkshire, with tens of thousands of people flocking to Masham each year.
In 2018, Black Sheep announced the purchase of York Brewery, which included the acquisition of four pubs in the business and key cask brands, including Guzzler and Yorkshire Terrier.
The outlets bought by Black Sheep, as part of the deal, are as follows:
- Last Drop Inn, York
- Mr Foley’s Tap House, Leeds
- The Tap Room, York
- The Three Legged Mare, York
The addition of York Brewery complements the strong, iconic Black Sheep brand and its existing award-winning beers and brands.
The Black Sheep name derived from Masham’s association with sheep, but ‘Sheep Brewery’ didn’t quite sound right, so with a little creativity from Paul’s wife, the Black Sheep Brewery was born – a name that sat well with the area, spoke volumes about the business’ maverick attitude to the multi-nationals seeking to dominate the brewing industry and captured the essence of the family struggle that led to its birth.
Black Sheep’s beers are full of character derived from the best possible brewing materials, plenty of time and patience in the brewing and its very special Yorkshire Square fermenters.
Black Sheep Best Bitter is now one of the best-selling cask session beers in the UK and many of its creative brews, over the course of its 25-year history, have collected numerous awards – ranging from Black Sheep’s traditional ales to its up and coming craft beers.
2017 marked the launch of Black Sheep Brewery’s first lager, 54 Degrees North, created in homage to its hometown of Masham, which sits on 54’ 13’ 24” N; 1’ 39’ 20” W longitude and latitude lines, as the company embarks on an adventurous new chapter in its distinguished history.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackSheepBrewery
Instagram: @blacksheepbrewery
Twitter: @BlackSheepBeer