St Austell head brewer, Roger Ryman, with the various incarnations of bottled Tribute

Throughout April, St Austell Brewery will be celebrating 20 years since the first brew of its flagship beer, Tribute Cornish Pale Ale.

To mark the occasion, the brewery will be hosting a special anniversary event at its Visitor Centre, from 5pm on Thursday, April 18.

Host, head brewer Roger Ryman, will be speaking to guests about Tribute’s journey over the past two decades, and taking part in a Q and A session. There will also be a special menu consisting of six food courses perfectly paired with Tribute and a range of other St Austell brews. The evening will conclude with a Tribute-themed prize giveaway in aid of the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust.

Tribute started life as Daylight Robbery, a short-term seasonal beer brewed in April 1999 to celebrate the upcoming total eclipse of the sun. It was Roger’s first original brew since joining as St Austell’s head brewer earlier that month. In a short space of time, Daylight Robbery went on to become the brewery’s best-selling beer.

National beer and flagship brand

Due to its phenomenal success, Daylight Robbery was re-launched as a permanent St Austell Brewery beer in 2001 under its new name, Tribute. The light, zesty pale ale was renamed in honour of all those who had helped the family business grow to its landmark 150th anniversary, and went on to become the brewer’s first truly national beer and flagship brand.

Ryman said: “This April is a milestone month for me, marking 20 years since I started in my role at St Austell Brewery and 20 years since I first brewed Daylight Robbery. At the time, I could never have imagined what the beer would to go on to achieve when it was re-released in 2001.

“I look forward to marking these milestones next month and raising a toast to Tribute.”

If you would like to attend St Austell Brewery’s Tribute event (Thursday, April 18, 5pm), please book your place by emailing Lorella Jacinto. Tickets are free of charge and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.