Classic British beer Whitbread Pale Ale (WPA) is returning to London pubs following a five-decade hiatus, thanks to a new partnership between Windsor & Eton Brewery and Pioneer Brewing Company.
Last brewed in 1976, the 4% ABV beer is being brewed under licence by Windsor & Eton Brewery and is available exclusively at the Draft House, Old Street, in London for a month. In a nod towards the pale ale’s heritage, the Draft House is just a few hundred yards away from Whitbread’s last London site at the Chiswell Street Brewery.
Windsor & Eton master brewer and co-founder, Paddy Johnson, said: “Whitbread Pale Ale has a very personal significance for me. When I was a kid, my dad used to have a wooden crate of bottles delivered to our home every month for his personal delectation, so when Hugo approached me to talk about bringing this beer back, it brought a whole load of happy memories flooding back.”
“My goal was to create a classic sessionable beer that brings out the subtle fruitiness of British hops. Using a strain of the original Whitbread yeast gives the beer a beautifully clear golden colour.”
Hugo Anderson, brewer at AB InBev-owned Pioneer Brewing Company, said: “When we were looking for a craft brewer to work with, Paddy and the team at Windsor & Eton Brewery were an obvious choice. While they brew some award-winning keg beers, they have an impeccable reputation for the quality of their cask beers.
“It has been a really good partnership as we have evolved the recipe to create a pale ale that looks to our heritage as well as to the future with a beer that uses both traditional and modern British hops to create a new classic.
“Whitbread Pale Ale hasn’t been brewed on the banks of the Thames since 1976 so it’s a very special moment for Pioneer Brewing Company to be able to write a new chapter in the history of this great beer.”
Whitbread was founded by Samuel Whitbread in London in 1742 and the company grew to become one of the great names of British brewing. It first brewed a pale ale in the 1860s and the recipe developed throughout the years. The new beer is a bright pale amber colour with light biscuit malt notes and a refreshing aroma from a blend of five hops, with a light bitterness on the finish.
After the month-long launch, the beer will be available to order as a cask beer and at 4.4% in 330ml bottles from the Pioneer Brewing Company.
