Sharp’s beer sommelier, Ed Hughes (right) checks a batch of The Hopster with Tarquin Leadbetter, of Southwestern Distilleries
Sharp’s Brewery has announced that The Hopster gin will be made permanently available in the on- and off-trade, following a successful limited release last year.
The product of a collaboration between Sharp’s and Southwestern Distillery, The Hopster gin is crafted in North Cornwall on the Atlantic coast where both producers are based.
The gin (42.0% ABV) is available in 70cl bottles for new and existing Sharp’s customers and is available to the public from the Sharp’s Brewery online shop and select off-trade outlets.
The Hopster is a contemporary take on the classic London dry style that combines a complex blend of gin and a unique fusion of three distinctive types of hops — Crystal, Cascade and Pilot.
It has been distilled by hand in Tamara, Senara and Ferrara, Southwestern Distillery’s flame-fired copper pot stills. This meticulous process ensures that each batch is taste-approved before hand-filling, sealing, labelling and signing every bottle.
Ed Hughes, beer sommellier at Sharp’s Brewery, said: “Since launching this exciting collaboration, we’ve received fantastic feedback from customers, so we were eager to make The Hopster a fixed member of the Sharp’s portfolio.
“A huge part of what we do here at the brewery is experimenting with styles, flavours and products to push boundaries within the drinks industry, and The Hopster gin is a brilliant example of this. Thanks to our friends at Southwestern Distillery for working with us to produce this awesome gin.”
This news follows the announcement that Sharp’s Brewery and North Cornish vineyard Camel Valley have collaborated to produce a second vintage of the Camel Valley Pilsner following the initial limited release.
