A NEW Worcestershire pale ale will be launched this weekend at the Webbs garden centres in Wychbold and Hagley.
Beer-lovers and ale connoisseurs can try Top of the Hops at both sites’ Food Halls from 11am to 3pm this Saturday, October 12.
Samples will also be available at the same times on Sunday, October 13, at the Wychbold Food Hall.
The ale is a unique collaboration between three independent Worcestershire companies – Food at Webbs, The Hop Shed and Stocks Farm.
The trio are located only 18 miles apart meaning the new ale has very few food miles on the clock.
The Hop Shed was the first UK brewery to be set up on a hop farm when owners Sarah and Hani turned their shared love of real ale into a business in 2016.
The location Stocks Farm, run by Richard and Ali Capper, is at the base of the Malvern Hills.
The Hop Shed uses locally grown hops to create its award-winning beers and Stocks Farm grows over 100 acres of British hops, having been farming hops for over 200 years.
Their focus is to champion UK hop breeding programmes ensuring that UK beer-makers can rely on quality home grown hops to meet the ever-evolving flavour trends sought by today’s beer lover.
Louise Webb from Food at Webbs said: “The Hop Shed and Stocks Farm are pioneers in their sectors and we were thrilled to partner with them to create a locally grown and produced pale ale.
“We are always seeking to bring new and original food and drink to our customers which this sort of collaborative partnership enables us to do.
Sarah Saleh from the Hop Shed said: “All our new beer recipes are tested as unnamed ‘test brews’ in our Tap Room, open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. “Top of the Hops was trialled in the summer and I was thrilled with the response.
“The barrel was empty after an hour and customers were asking for more so I am sure that it will be well received by the customers at Webbs.”
Top of the Hops is brewed using three new hop varieties, Olicana, GP75 and Jester, creating a delicious easy drinking pale ale with punchy citrus flavours and a gentle bitter finish.
