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30th April 2024

Wimbledon Beer Fest 17th – 18th May 2024

Not long left until the first ever Spring Beer Fest at Wimbledon Brewery!

This time, to celebrate renewed interest in heritage brewing techniques, we will be showcasing a range of Barrel-Aged and Blended brews in cask, keg and bottle format.

From a whacky Tequila-barrel-aged sour to a deep Export Stout matured on sour cherries; from a tart French Solera to gorgeous Belgian Gueuze; from an 1800s-style Old Ale to a Saison matured on apples – we are celebrating the fantastic flavours one can create by giving a beer the chance to mature and develop over time.

We will also be launching two brand new Wimbledon Brewery beers, one in cask and one in keg, to mark the incoming summer weather! On keg, a crispy-clean session-strength Pilsner; in cask, a light, ethereal Golden Ale, perfect for supping on languid summer evenings.

We will have cider, still and fizzy, from Against the Grain Cidery, vegan & gluten-free beers in both cask and keg formats, as well as a range of classic, session-strength brews to keep everyone vaguely compos mentis!

For food, we’ve got banging BBQ from Flavour Culture alongside the deluxe cheese selections of Local Cheese Cave.

Doors from midday Friday & Saturday: join us in raising a glass to celebrate the greatest drink on earth – BEER!

ENDS –

Notes to editors

Trade tickets for free registration are available for all members of the British Guild of Beer Writers plus a guest. Please email enquiries@wimbledonbrewery.com to request your free tickets confirming your name, email and date.

Consumers can purchase tickets for each of the days of the festival at the Wimbledon Brewery website here:  https://wimbledonbrewery.com/products/wimbledon-beer-festival-tickets

For more information or further commentary, please contact: Maximilian Eisenhardt max@wimbledonbrewery.com or call on 07885 428283

About Wimbledon Brewery

Wimbledon has a long and illustrious brewing history. The new brewery is based on the site of Merton Priory which was brewing throughout the Middle Ages.

William Watney ran the Wheatsheaf Brewery in the Crooked Billet area of Wimbledon in the 18th century. His direct descendants went on to establish the famous Watney brewing empire.

The Wimbledon Brewery was started by William Cook in 1832. It stood in Wimbledon High Street where the old fire station is today. Next door was the Brewery Tap beer house, also run by William Cook. At that time there were 115 breweries in the London excise district.

Following a number of changes of ownership, the brewery was taken over by William Quartermaine in 1880. It was Quartermaine who built the five-storey tower brewery, the highest building in Wimbledon at the time. The brewery was described as: “Having a modern plant on the Tower Principle, with brewer’s office, malt and hops lofts, boiler house and tun rooms, counting house etc, together with a well-established tap and shop.”

A fire started at the brewery on January 2nd1889 and although the interior of the building was badly damaged and all the brewing equipment and machinery destroyed, the main structure of the building was left intact.

Today’s Wimbledon Brewery can be characterised in very similar terms to the one described above. Our logo incorporates the image of the tower, the phoenix and barley and hops, representing our heritage and our focus on using only the best ingredients. We are custodians of the heritage and traditions of beer brewing, whilst also inspiring the new generation of beer drinkers and brewers.

Our consulting Master Brewer, Derek Prentice, has enjoyed a long career in brewing and has brewed great beers with a number of famous London breweries including Truman’s, Young’s and Fuller’s. Derek received the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) lifetime achievement award and was awarded the British Guild of Beer Writers ‘Brewer of the Year’ for 2013. Derek is a Diploma Master Brewer and a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. Derek’s favourite Wimbledon beer is the Common Pale Ale and his favourite World beer is Rochefort 8.

Website:   https://wimbledonbrewery.com/


For more information or further commentary, please contact:  max@wimbledonbrewery.com

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