In the lead-up to Halloween, Greene King Brewery is unveiling a selection of spooky seasonal beers to mark the occasion, including the special release of a brand-new cask ale in collaboration with Nethergate Brewery.
This new launch will mark the third collaboration between Greene King and Nethergate and is the darkest and most daring brew to date, Blood Hound. The 4.4% ABV chocolate blood-orange stout is a rich and indulgent creation that blends deep chocolate undertones with the zesty brightness of blood orange, offering a bold and balanced flavour perfect for the season.
Founded in 1986 by a dedicated group of beer lovers, Nethergate Brewery continues to uphold its commitment to crafting both traditional and exciting brews. Today, their award-winning beers are enjoyed across pubs and outlets across East Anglia, with strong support from a loyal local community of over 900 members. Visitors can experience the brewery’s vibrant taproom in Long Melford or explore their Grade II listed shop and taproom in the historic town of Bury St Edmunds.
Greene King has been brewing cask beer in Bury St Edmunds for over 200 years and incorporates the years of passion and knowledge into crafting each of its brews. Working with other local breweries in the area is a celebration or all that is great about Suffolk and cask beer.
Blood Hound will be available throughout October. With its rich yet surprisingly smooth character, this limited-edition stout promises a hauntingly delicious experience you won’t want to forget.
Ian Carson, Head Brewery at Nethergate Brewery said: “Blood Hound is a devilishly good brew. We love collaborating with the team at Greene King – their shared passion for cask ale matches ours, making the process both exciting and seamless. We’ve put our hearts into this one – Blood Hound is a truly exceptional beer that we’re proud to put our name to.”
But Blood Hound isn’t the only spooky beer on the bar this October, with Old Spooky Hen also making a return. The seasonal rebadge of Old Speckled Hen will be available to customers to add further theatre to the occasion. Pubs that stock Old Speckled Hen in cask will receive a new pump clip to rebadge the ale for the month.
Customers will also receive Old Spooky Hen POS to share in pub for their customers to win “fangtastic” prizes via an exclusive on trade promotional campaign, giving customers even more reasons to visit their local pub and buy a pint of cask ale during the spooky season.
With over 150 prizes up for grabs, including haunted sleepovers and escape room vouchers, all customers will need to do is purchase a pint of Old Spooky Hen and upload a picture of it and some details using the QR code provided on point of sale in participating pubs across the UK.
Also joining the flock, Old Ghostly Hen will be here for October and is the rebadged Halloween version of Old Golden Hen which will also be sent to customers that stock the original cask as a spooky lighter ale option for drinkers.
Alun Fulcher, Technical Brewer at Greene King, said: “It had been a pleasure to work with Nethergate on Blood Hound and it really is something different that many people will enjoy. As we know stout continues to grow in the market, so Blood Hound is a great addition to the bar this October. It’s always great to work with other brewers as you can be creative and find new things as different teams bring different skills and knowledge to a brew. Nethergate are a brilliant team and are as keen as us to really show off what cask can offer.
“As we are the #1 cask brewer in the UK it is also great to give our core cask ales a seasonal twist, meaning customers have something new and exciting to show on the bar without changing the product and it encourages sale with what appears to be a seasonal beer.”
Blood Hound forms part of the wider Fresh Cask Releases calendar, a portfolio of 13 limited-edition cask beers available at specific times throughout the year.
To order from the Fresh Cask Releases Calendar, or to hear more about Old Spooky Hen and Old Ghostly Hen, contact your Greene King sales representative or call 0345 600 1799.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.
- Greene King pubs is our mainstream pub brand located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country with clear ambition to be “The Nation’s Most Loved Pub Brand”.
- Destination Brands is a portfolio of distinct brands which includes Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill that bring friends and family together, delivering great service, quality and value for money for a range of eating out and drinking occasions.
- Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs.
- Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.
Media Contact: Holly Smith, HollySmith@greeneking.co.uk
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