New beer launches and collaborations, in store, on bars, and online, from brewers around the UK.
There are four new releases from Burning Sky today. In 440ml cans are Petite Framboise-Cerise (3.5% ABV), a special edition of barrel-aged Petite which has rested on fresh raspberries and cherries, and Woben (5% ABV), a pale ale which has spent three months in stainless steel with three strains of Brettonomyces.
In 750ml bottles are Anniversaire 2026 (6.5% ABV), a special edition fermented and aged in French Chardonnay barriques with wild yeast strains, and Anniversaire Raspberry (6.3% ABV), barrel aged for 11 months, then for a further two months on whole blackberries.
There’s a 3.0 version of Squashy (5% ABV) from Brew Toon. Bursting with juicy, sweet cherries, and crisp, tangy apples, the thick, fruity sour is packed with bold flavour and has a refreshing tart finish. “Inspired by a classic chewy sweet-shop favourite, it’s bursting with fruity fun from the very first sip,” says the brewer.
Pressing Matter 2024, a 6% ABV wild ale aged on Pinot Noir pomace, is the first vintage of Balance’s ongoing collaboration with Ampersand. “Back in 2024, Andy and Amy brought Pinot Noir pomace from Flint Vineyard to the blendery the day after it had been pressed. Together we moved all 300kg of the pomace into a 1,000-litre IBC, and once we’d had a bit of a rest we came up with a blend of barrels to age on that grape pomace.
“We chose barrels that we knew would accent and lift the flavour from the grapes, as well as add some contrast to this light, spicy little grape. Aromatically, you’ll find raspberry, sage, and white pepper, with a mushroomy funk. Black cherry and strawberry lead on the palate, with vanilla and woody tannins bringing a full structure to the beer before a dry finish accented by cinnamon and subtle allspice notes.”
Blush (4% ABV), a new peach sour, has “big bellini vibes”, says Track. “We’ve used Philly Sour yeast to drop the pH during fermentation, before adding 600 kilos of peach puree (and some lactose, lemon zest, and vanilla for good measure).
There are three hoppy new releases from Pomona Island. Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things is a 5.3% ABV West Coast pale, fresh and zippy, with bright citrus notes and a piney, resinous finish; I Do Deeply Dig is a 5.2% ABV pale, thick and sticky, with notes of tinned pineapples and fresh berries; and Cactus is Our Friend is a 6% ABV DDH IPA, intensely dry-hopped and bursting with notes of tangerine, mango, and pomegranate.
Golden Boy is a new IPA from Bluntrock, coming in at 6.7% ABV. “Columbus hops on the hot side lays down a background of resinous pine, and in the dry hop we layered Strata and El Dorado for big hits of passionfruit, melon, grapefruit, strawberry, and finally a smidge of a new hop called Anchovy, for some extra raspberry character,” says brewer George. “Soft mouthfeel, low bitterness, and a light straw colour. Yummy yummy!”
Verdant have collaborated with Thornbridge on High Fives, a 5.9% ABV IPA. “We used Krush, Motueka, and Riwaka to create a slightly hazy, dry beer with noticeably pleasant bitterness and heaps of tropical fruits, citrus, and pine aromas,” say the brewers. It’s the first time the pair have worked together.
