Hogs Back Brewery and Enterprise Inns are joining forces to encourage beer drinkers into pubs during January with a world-exclusive opportunity to enjoy a beer brewed with the Farnham White Bine hop.
Hogs Back Brewery Farnham White bitter marks the return of the classic English hop after a long absence. The 4% ABV golden bitter is brewed with the first commercial crop of Farnham White Bine hops in more than 100 years, harvested in September from the Hogs Back hop garden adjacent to the brewery in Tongham, Surrey.
Farnham White is the Enterprise Inns recommended Ale of the Month for January 2016, available to licensees across the 5000 pubs in the estate. Brewed with fine English malts and 100% White Bine hops, the beer has a fresh flavour with rich, peppery notes.
Rupert Thompson, managing director of Hogs Back Brewery, said, “Unique can be an over-used word, but Enterprise Inns licensees will be able to offer their customers a genuinely unique beer in January thanks to our exclusive partnership.
“The world premiere of the first beer made with Farnham White Bine hops in over a century will have a huge appeal as part of the January campaign to encourage consumers into pubs in the often-quiet weeks after Christmas and New Year.
“Our revival of the White Bine has attracted interest from brewers and beer lovers around the world, so it’s wonderful that the first place to enjoy a pint of Farnham White will be in a traditional British pub, served fresh from the cask. We have a long-established partnership with Enterprise Inns, and this January exclusive is our way to say ‘thank you’ to Enterprise licensees for their year-round support.”
The Farnham White Bine hop was first grown 250 years ago and was a major contributor to the economy of the area for many decades. Hogs Back Brewery harvested its first White Bine crop in in September 2015, with the initiative helping the brewery secure the BBPA’s 2015 Grain To Glass Award.
Enterprise licensees ordering Farnham White will also receive a POS pack which will help their customers understand the history, heritage and unique character of Farnham White Bine, which was a forerunner to the popular Goldings hop variety.
Thompson added, “With many younger beer drinkers in particular taking an interest in the role hop character plays, we’re helping licensees engage with these consumers. But of course, for customers simply looking for the opportunity to mark the start of 2016 with a great pint of English ale, then Farnham White also fits the bill beautifully!”
Farnham White is available for delivery to Enterprise Inns pubs from December 28.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- Hogs Back Brewery was founded in 1992 in Tongham, Surrey, in the heart of the traditional Surrey hop growing area.
- Its flagship brand TEA, or Traditional English Ale, is the leading independent ale in Surrey and increasing in popularity throughout London and the South East, as well as being sold in leading supermarkets. TEA was awarded the 2015 Gold medal in the Best Bitter Category for the London and South East Area by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.
- The Hogs Back Brewery range includes a number of award-winning draught and bottled beers. Recent launches include Hogstar English Lager and Montezuma’s Chocolate lager, both demonstrating Hogs Back Brewery’s ability to combine brewing expertise and tradition with product innovation to create distinctive, memorable beers. Hogstar won a Gold award at the Society of Independent Brewers’ National Keg Beer Competition 2015. In 2013, Hogs Back also launched a traditional cloudy cider, Hazy Hog.
- In September 2015 Hogs Back Brewery harvested the first hops from its own hop garden on a 3.5 acre plot adjacent to the brewery, bringing the traditional but near-extinct Farnham White Bine hop variety back to its Surrey home. Once fully mature, the hop garden will provide 25% of the brewery’s hop requirements.
- Hogs Back Brewery is growing its presence in both the on and off trade. Customers include Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Lidl, Majestic Wine, JD Wetherspoon, Mitchells & Butlers, Greene King and Spirit Pub Company.
Issued on behalf of: Hogs Back Brewery
Further information: Ros Shiel: ros@shielporter.com / 07841 694137
John Porter: john@shielporter.com / 07734 054389