Some of Britain’s best breweries have joined The Wandering Brewer Project — launched yesterday — in a bid to show beer fans what can happen when passionate and talented brewers come together.
The project, led by Charles Wells’ head brewer, Ian Jones, will see 22 beers brewed over the next two years. The first two beers have been created with Buckinghamshire’s XT Brewing and are Wet Pale Ale and Wild Special Ale.
Ian said: “The Wandering Brewer Project is a dream come true for me. I get to collaborate with some of the country’s most respected brewers and create some exciting beers.
“We’re looking at brewing many different styles over the next two years. Some will be traditional, some will be a little left of mainstream, but all will be created with the passion and creativity that makes Britain’s brewers admired the world over.
“Myself and Russ and Vinny at XT have had great fun creating our launch beers, Wet Pale Ale and Wild Special Ale, and we know beer drinkers will love them.”
Wet Pale Ale (3.7% ABV) is described as crisp and refreshing, with a light body and citrus hop notes, while Wild Special Ale (4.3%) is a full-bodied ale with an aroma kick of American hops, followed by bitter hop taste balanced with sweet malt.
Each beer’s name will start with a letter from the ‘Wandering Brewer Project’ meaning each pump clip will spell out the project name once it’s complete.
One beer will be launched each month for the next 22 months. After XT Brewery, in November, the brew will be with Bristol Beer Factory and then Castle Rock in December. Others already signed up or keen to collaborate with the Wandering Brewer include Hop Stuff, Titanic, Black Sheep, Charnwood, Woodforde’s and Mourne Mountains Brewery.
Ian said: “When all is said and done, brewers love to get together and brew beer. It’s what we do. So, when a chance to create something new with other brewers comes along, most will jump at the chance. I’m very excited to be working with these breweries and we know those drinking our beer will be happy with the results, too.
“The beauty of this project is that beer drinkers and licensees are very much a part of it too. We’ll be asking for feedback on each beer and what we learn from this feedback will help influence the first beers to be brewed at our new brewery due to open in 2019.”
Wandering Brewer beers are currently available at Charles Wells pubs. To find out more, visit the Wandering Brewer website
