Roger Ryman (left) and Stuart Howe, collaborating on Ardennes Pale Ale
A mutual love of Belgian ales has brought together two of Cornwall’s finest exponents of the art of brewing to create a special collaborative ale on the St Austell Brewery Small Batch plant.
Ardennes Pale Ale, crafted using the eponymous Belgian yeast and taking advantage of the Brewery’s beautifully soft water source, is the handiwork of St Austell’s director of brewing, Roger Ryman, and Stuart Howe, his counterpart over at north Cornwall’s Harbour Brewing Company.
Having left Sharp’s Brewery, in Rock, in 2015, promoted to head of innovation and craft brewing by parent company Molson Coors, Stuart subsequently became director of brewing at Butcombe Brewery, in Wrington, then head brewer at Lost and Grounded Brewers, in Bristol, before returning to Cornwall to take the brewing helm at Harbour.
Arriving back last November and tasked with keeping up with the ever-growing demand for Harbour’s award-winning range of craft beers, while maintaining the renowned quality of the brews, Stuart was delighted to be joining Roger in the small batch to celebrate their mutual affection for Low Country beer.
Stuart said: “Roger and I have been brewing in the same county for over 15 years on either side of the county. While there was some fierce competition there for a while, there was also a lot of mutual respect and the chance to brew with one of the best, like Roger, is just great.”
Mutual respect
Having recently brewed two Small Batch Belgian specials — Cardinal Syn and Bad Habit, both of which were UK winners at the 2016 World Beer Awards — Roger Ryman is equally happy to be joining forces with Stuart on what looks set to be a truly golden product, in more ways than one.
Speaking of the bond of mutual respect between the pair, both of whom have been Parliamentary Beer Group brewer of the year, Roger said: “We’re both known for having a passion for Belgian beer and I’m sure that’s just one thing amongst many that we have in common. We’ve known each other for 15 years, but never brewed together, so this is a great opportunity to put that right.”
Fermented using Ardennes yeast, one of the great and versatile strains for the production of classic Belgian-style ales, and including classic British Maris Otter malt alongside mainland European Noble hops, Ardennes Pale Ale promises a beautiful balance of delicate fruit esters and subtle spicy notes, at a robust 5.3% ABV.
It will be available in cask from June 12 at the brewery’s Small Batch Beer Club pubs across the South West, and from the company’s Visitor Centre in St Austell.
