City of Ale produces 480 collectible glasses

This year’s City of Ale glasses will be all the more collectible as they feature the Lacons name on them. 

They will be the first glasses produced with the famous Lacons name on since the Great Yarmouth brewer closed in 1968. 

A total of 480 glasses with the Lacons name on one side and the City of Ale 2013 on the other will be made available to festival goers to purchase for £2. 

Lacons director Trevor Hourican said the brewery was honoured to sponsor the glassware:  

“It’s great to see the Lacons name etched on a pint glass. All at Lacons are very excited about introducing the new branding and ales to the festival goers and receiving feedback.“

Lacons shut in 1968 after being bought by brewing giant Whitbread after 270 years brewing in Great Yarmouth. At one point the brewery delivered 50,000 barrels of its ale a week to the City of London so its return is filled with anticipation within the beer community.

Festivalgoers will be able to first taste the three permanent ales at the launch party that Lacons is also sponsoring on May 23 at St Gregory’s Church.  The new beers are Encore (3.8% ABV), Legacy (4.4%) and Affinity (4.8%).

Dawn Leeder, co-chair of City of Ale, said:   “We’re delighted that Lacons have chosen to sponsor this year’s glassware as well as the official launch party. Timing their relaunch to coincide with City of Ale is a masterstroke and we wish them every success. We’re sure the festival glasses will be highly collectible. “

The glasses will be available at the Launch and Closing parties, the Brewers’ Market and from selected outlets.

Tickets for the parties are available online (see cityofale.org.uk/2013/events for details) and will be available from The Murderers, The Rose Inn and Ketts Tavern. They are £5 each including two free pints and are expected to sell out quickly.

ENDS

LACONS FACTS:

·      The new Falcon Brewery in Great Yarmouth will produce over 28,000 pints (400 casks) of beer weekly at the current site using a 20-barrel brewing plant within the next 12 months. However, production will commence at 100 casks per week at launch in May.

·      The Falcon Brewery will officially open on May 21 with a ceremony including an original Lacons dray.

·      Lacons ales will be available at the City of Ale Festival that runs from May 23 to June 2 in Norwich.

·      Lacons is sponsoring the launch party of the City of Ale Festival on May 23 at St Gregory’s Church

·      Lacons Brewery and its renowned Ales were an integral part of life in Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Cambridge and beyond until 1965, when the national brewer Whitbread purchased it. Just 3 years later in 1968 Whitbread closed the brewery ending a rich chapter in the regions brewing history.

·      The Lacons name was first associated with brewing beer in Great Yarmouth in 1760 and represents a time when the town was known for its ales.

·      In the mid 1800s Lacons Brewery decided to sell to the London market and by 1866 it was despatching upwards of 50,000 barrels yearly to London, 20,000 to other locations, as well as the local market

For further information please contact Louisa Griffith-Jones on 07908 870537 or at Louisa@lgjpr.co.uk