A Sharp’s Brewery team has given a new twist to an old brand to celebrate Cask Ale Week. Coaster Alphonso re-imagines Sharp’s Coaster but with a mango twist.
Members of the brewing team enjoy a pint of Coaster Alphonso
Sharp’s constantly encourages development and creativity, and a fun in-house competition between the brewing teams helped to drive a new take on the classic Coaster recipe. It resulted in a 4.1% ABV pale ale that combines the latest brewing trends with a more traditional recipe.
Coaster Alphonso represents the collaboration of six minds from one of the Sharp’s Brewery teams: Stuart Blow, Mark Young, Warren Jackson, Imogen Tointon, Martin Shiers and Paddy Carter. They collectively make up Team Coaster. Sharp’s has four brewing teams, each named after historic or existing Sharp’s beers.
The competition for Cask Ale Week reflects Sharp’s commitment to honouring traditional cask ale production, with a contemporary mindset.
The resulting brew is an aromatic, low-bitterness pale ale with a mango twist that aims to have a widespread appeal. Sharp’s Coaster has been updated with new flavours from tweaks such as dry hopping with Azacca hops. The Alphonso moniker comes from the alphonso mango, a highly sweet and distinctly zesty tasting fruit which gives this brew its unique twist.
Imogen Tointon, brewing team member from Team Coaster, said: “Being so involved in the process of creating a brew from start to finish has been amazing. Coaster Alphonso was a really challenging undertaking for all of us on the team, but we are all so happy with how it’s turned out.
“We have had a lot of creative freedom to do whatever kind of brew really interests us, and we are excited to share it with drinkers for Cask Ale Week. I designed the pumpclip myself and I’m really proud to be involved in something so unique.”
Sharp’s head brewer, Aaron McClure, said: “It is really impressive to see the amount of work that Team Coaster put into designing, planning for, and eventually making this brew. The beer is a much-welcomed innovation, building on the fundamental Sharp’s brewing process with new flavours and techniques. This brew is a celebration of cask ale, and the creativity of the people behind it.”
