Guild Members Invite: LionHeart launch to kickstart cask ale market

Launch event at the Hercules Pillars pub, 18 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5DG

Tuesday May 12th 2026, 3pm to 7pm   

On behalf of brand owner Brookfield Drinks. we're pleased to invite you to the launch of LionHeart cask ale. Details are on the invitation below and attached. I've also attached the launch press release, issued last month, for information.

There will be opportunities for one-to-one interviews with the Brookfield team on the day, please let me know if you'd like to book a slot. 

Please RSVP to john@shielporter.com if you can attend, and we hope to see you at the event.

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In the most high-profile national cask ale launch this century, artisan premium cask ale LionHeart is setting out to restore the pride in England's signature beer style.

LionHeart arrives on the bar with a roar, in time for St George's Day on April 23. The beer is a collaboration, bringing together the expertise and experience of brand owner Brookfield Drinks and award-winning Norfolk brewer Woodforde's.

A well-balanced, 4% ABV Artisan Premium ale made with traditional English ingredients, LionHeart is backed by a £2 million investment that sets out to revitalise the cask category.

Cask ale sales have been falling for a decade, with the decline accelerated by the closure of hospitality during COVID-19, and the post-lockdown decision by many pubs to either reduce the number of cask ales on the bar, or to stop selling cask altogether.

Rising demand for premium cask, driven in part by interest in the style from Gen Z beer drinkers, combined with forecasts that premium will surpass sales of standard cask by both volume and value, puts LionHeart in a strong position to lead the transition.

Nigel McNally, Brookfield Drinks managing director, said: "Cask ale can only be enjoyed in pub, clubs and bars, and the trade needs well-supported, strong national and regional cask brands to give both operators and beer drinkers confidence in the category.

"Our aim with LionHeart is to restore the pride in England's signature beer style and give pubs the support they need to stock cask ale with confidence. With the World Cup taking place this summer, the LionHeart brand is an opportunity to see football fans roaring with pride as they follow the England team's progress in their local."

LionHeart, positioned as England's beer, has a striking font in the red and white colours of King Richard the Lionheart himself, as well as POS support including drip mats, bar runners, and posters. The brand will be supported with broadsheet advertising to communicate its unique brewing credentials with drinkers.

LionHeart is brewed to a 12^th-century-style recipe, using open fermenters and made with English ingredients including Sweet Gale, also known as Bog Myrtle, which was traditionally used as a bittering plant by English brewers for hundreds of years before hops were grown commercially.

McNally added: "Many beer aficionados have heard of Sweet Gale, but very few have actually tried a cask beer brewed using it. It adds an interesting flavour note to this classic English cask ale, which will appeal to established ale drinkers as well as the increasing number of younger beer drinkers looking for the confidence to try cask or order it more often."

Nigel McNally's extensive industry experience includes overseeing the growth of Bombardier cask ale from a regional to a national brand, alongside a high-profile campaign to make St George's Day a public holiday.

Brookfield is targeting not simply independent pubs and bars, but also larger pub groups and national chains. McNally says: "Every pub operator, large and small, benefits when cask ale sales are strong. A little disruption to the status quo can be a breath of fresh air, and we're confident that LionHeart is a brand that will revitalise the English beer sector as a whole."

Issued on behalf of: Brookfield Drinks

By: ShielPorter Communications

For more information:

Stocking enquiries: sales@brookfielddrinks.co.uk — 01234 783034

Ros Shiel (ShielPorter Communications): ros@shielporter.com — 07841 694137

John Porter (ShielPorter Communications): john@shielporter.com — 07734 054389

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.