Due to its success at London Beer Week last year, Sharp’s Brewery is re-releasing what was initially a one-off brew, Juniper Rising, a collaboration with founder and head distiller of Cornwall-based Southwestern Distillery, Tarquin Leadbetter.
Juniper Rising will be launched in March as a limited edition beer. It follows the creation of The Hopster in 2016, a hop-infused gin, created via the same collaborative process between Sharp’s Brewery and Southwestern Distillery.
Tarquin’s Southwestern Distillery is based just a few miles away from Sharp’s, in North Cornwall, and was the county’s first distillery in more than a century. It is home to the world-class, multiple-award-winning, hand-crafted Cornish gins.
In Juniper Rising, the Sharp’s yeast and mellow bitterness from the hops allows the flavours of juniper, citrus and coriander to shine through in a 4.5% ABV brew, providing a really smooth, light mouthfeel, with juicy fruit and a quenching zest. To a classic wheat beer base, Sharp’s has added the juniper berries, along with fruit and citrus botanicals selected by Tarquin which work in harmony with the wheat characteristics.
Sharp’s head brewer, Andrew Madden, said: “Developing our limited release range for the year is always an exciting and creative experience. At Sharp’s, we’re continually looking to innovate with new flavours and styles, and the fact that Juniper Rising has been such a hit already and we are now bringing it back for wider distribution is a great example of this experimentation.
“Because of the popularity from London Beer Week, we couldn’t wait to brew another batch of this extremely special beer. The collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to bring together two North Cornwall-based drinks producers, and highlight our pride in our Cornish roots and home.”
Intriguing experience
Tarquin Leadbetter added: “It’s a great pleasure to work with Sharp’s Brewery for the second time now. We had much success with the Hopster gin creation back in 2016, and that continues to sell really well.
“It’s really exciting to create something a bit different this time round, and it’s such an intriguing experience for me to work with Andrew to understand the beer brewing experience. Juniper Rising is a brilliant, tasty and refreshing beer, proudly created at Sharp’s in Rock, and something that I think all gin and beer fans will find especially interesting.”
Juniper Rising is naturally cloudy, zesty wheat beer with an aroma of spicy coriander and clove. Sharp’s beer sommelier, Ed Hughes, recommends pairing the beer with light poultry dishes or crème brulee / citrus desserts.
