Yonder Brewing & Blending, the modern farmhouse brewery based in Somerset’s Mendip Hills, is launching a limited-edition premium craft beer and cider hybrid. It has been made in collaboration with Somerset cider-maker Martin Berkeley, from Pilton Cider.
At 6.4% ABV, Serpents is a cider apple wild ale brewed with a high percentage of apple juice from two varieties of local apple and fermented with Yonder’s unique house cultures. It has the dry finish of a natural farmhouse cider balanced by the full body and sweetness from the malt, together with a slight hop bitterness.
Stuart Winstone, founder of Yonder Brewing & Blending, said: “We are really excited to be launching our mixed fermentation beer and cider hybrid, Serpents, which pulls together aspects from both disciplines. It is a beautifully balanced cider apple wild ale, which is perfect for drinking on a warm spring or summer day.”
Martin Berkeley, founder of Pilton Cider, added: “We have known Stuart and his co-founder Jasper for a long time and have talked about creating a beer and cider hybrid together for the last couple of years. 2021 seemed like the perfect year to do it, with Serpents being ideal for outdoor drinking with (socially distanced) friends in the late spring and summer.”
Brew Yonder has also this month launched Mrs Patterson, a pear, blackberry, and ginger pastry sour, which pays tribute to the character of the same name from the popular TV series Harry Enfield & Chums, with this year being its 30th Anniversary. The 6% ABV beer is not only full of character, but characters. Alongside the long-suffering mum Mrs Patterson, there’s Kevin the wayward ginger son, and of course, Kevin’s friend Perry is referenced in the overtly peary flavour.
Mrs Patterson (Kevin’s mum, of course), makes a delicious pear and blackberry crumble, with a hint of ginger and the slightest touch of vanilla. The new beer is a pastry sour combining all of those elements, perfectly balanced in sweetness and acidity.
Like the rest of Yonder’s range, the new products use locally foraged ingredients, which showcase the incredible variety of flavours available on its doorstep while also minimising food miles.
Yonder Beer & Brewing was founded in 2018 by Jasper Tupman and Stuart Winstone, who share a passion for foraging, fermentation and flavour.
Jasper and Stuart invested everything they had to build their unique vision of carefully crafted beers with a strong sense of place. Later joined by Dave Williams, as head brewer, and Lee Calnan, as sales director. 2020 marked the next phase of development for a small team with big ambitions: to bring innovative, modern farmhouse brewing to a wider audience in the UK and beyond.
