Greene King has announced the next three releases in its series of limited edition cask ales, including a beer inspired by hop picking.
Pave The Way (4.6% ABV) is a collaboration with Big Hug Brewing which supports the charity Only A Pavement Away. The charity aims to connect employers in the hospitality industry and charities working with people facing homelessness, prison leavers, and veterans, to help place them into long term, stable employment. Big Hug Brewing will be giving 50% profit from the beer to the charity.
Pave The Way has flavours of caramel coming from the malt, which combine with watermelon, peach, and stone fruit.
Hopping Special is a new cask creation from Greene King. The 4.2% ABV amber ale has been brewed with five different malts to create a rich body and biscuity sweetness. It is late-hopped with Galaxy and Citra for extra fruit flavour.
The name fwas inspired by the train service put on for hop-picking families in the 19th and 20th centuries. Before the invention of the farming technology now available, hop picking was hugely labour intensive, and when harvest time came around, farmers needed extra hands. The help usually came in the form of families from London, who would see it as a holiday as they exchanged the city for the countryside.
St Edmunds (4.2% ABV) is a returning golden ale. It features Cascade hops to deliver pink grapefruit notes.
“We certainly have lots of styles and flavours available for May and June,” said Greene King head brewer Jack Palmer. “Collaborating with Big Hug Brewing has been an honour, and great to raise further awareness of such an important cause. Greene King has worked with Only A Pavement Away for a number of years now through our social mobility scheme, Releasing Potential, and it’s great to be able to support the charity in a different way.
“Our Hopping Special and St Edmunds celebrate the brilliant parts of beer history and our heritage. Our cask beers are brimming with stories, from the ingredients that make then, to the flavours they create and the inspiration of their names. I encourage customers to get them on their bars while they are around, as they are sure to draw attention.”
These releases are part of the wider Fresh Cask Releases calendar, a portfolio of 18 limited-edition cask beers available at specific times throughout the year ahead, which have been created by the talented brewing team at Greene King. Greene King supports customers with knowledge packs for each seasonal beer, including tasting notes and access to online training support.
