“A bold flavoured, hugely aromatic crisp beer which reaches out to both ale and lager fans”
Annabel Smith, a leading beer sommelier and member of the British Guild of Beer Writers, has produced an independent sommelier report on UB5, the new beer in Upham Brewery’s portfolio, praising it as “a well thought out, appetising beer” that combines the best characteristics of ale and lager.
Upham Brewery set out in 2017 to come up with a beer recipe that challenged the status quo and brought something new to an already crowded craft beer market. Over the course of six months, Head Brewer Rob Dupre experimented with various ingredients and techniques to bring to life his vision of a beer that merged the flavour and depth of body of cask ale with the low carbonation and chilled temperature of lager.
The result is UB5:
- 5 MALTS FOR A BALANCED FLAVOUR
-
- 5 HOPS FOR A TOUCH OF BITTERNESS
- BREWED TO 5% ABV
- MATURED FOR 5 WEEKS
- BEST SERVED AT 5ºC
As Annabel addresses in her report, lager vs ale is “the paradox of the beer world”, and she encourages beer drinkers to move away from labels and definitions. Commenting on UB5, she says:
“UB5 takes the invigorating tongue tingling freshness of lager, united with the seams of flavour supplied by an ale. It keeps the cherished cold temperature which lager-heads demand but allows the ebullient ale yeast and hops to rise through the chill.
“In the increasingly complicated world of beer we don’t need another style description confusing and alienating drinkers. We just need a good beer…who cares if UB5 is a lager or an ale?”
Chris Phillips, CEO of the Upham Group, says:
“We have been thrilled by UB5’s reception. Many of our pubs have commented on how they have seen a number of real ale, lager and cider drinkers switch to UB5, which is fantastic to hear. It is rare that a beer appeals to such a cross section of people and this is exactly what we were aiming for. My thanks go to our Head Brewer Rob for his tireless efforts to produce something truly unique – as Annabel says, it really is a combination of art and science.”
UB5 is now stocked on draught in 21 pubs across Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire. It is stocked in around 20 of Co-op’s southern stores, and will be on the shelves in selected Tesco stores from April onwards. Despite being in its infancy, UB5 is also one of only 10 craft beers selected by Enterprise Inns for a national listing trial.
ENDS
Enquiries:
| Upham Group plc |
| Chris Phillips, CEO
Robb Harris, Finance Director |
| TB Cardew (PR adviser) | upham@tbcardew.com |
| Alycia MacAskill | 07876 222 703 |
About Upham Group Plc:
Upham Group plc is a collection of premium pubs with its own craft brewery in the south of England. At present, it operates 16 pubs across the South of England with plans to increase the portfolio. The Group seeks to buy freehold pubs with growth potential in prime trading locations in order to invest in the customer experience, increase the revenue generating space of the buildings, provide comfortable and stylish accommodation, and improve the pubs’ underlying operations. The first pub to open was The Winning Post at Winkfield near Ascot in April 2012.
The new Upham Brewery was opened in May 2013, and it now supplies over 250 stockists, including leading pubs, hotels and local Tesco, Majestic and Co-op stores, with its staple ales, Punter and Tipster, as well as ten seasonal special ales.
The Group has a highly experienced management team led by CEO Chris Phillips, and Deputy CEO and Estates Director David Butcher, who were recruited in 2011 to develop and roll out a pub acquisition strategy. They were joined by Finance Director Robb Harris in October 2014, who also brings with him strong experience of the hospitality sector.