Cask and keg brewers join for Theakston’s first collab

A 4.5% ABV pale ale, Henry’s Pick is brewed with a Theakston grist of pale, lager and Munich malts and Wylam Brewery’s choice of freshly harvested Challenger, Admiral and Pilgrim hops from Brook House Hops in Herefordshire. This alchemy has produced a beer said to have a peach-like aroma, fresh citrus and bitter hop flavour, and a refreshing mouthfeel.

The beer will be available in cask and keg for the on-trade, with consumers able to purchase it in 5-litre mini-kegs from Theakston’s online store.

Highest quality hops

The beer takes its name from Henry Smith, farm manager at Brook House Hops, and alludes to the fact it is brewed with the highest quality, in-season hops, which have been picked fresh off the bine this year to produce a celebratory beer that highlights the artistry and expertise within British brewing.

Created in Theakston’s traditional Victorian tower brewery in Masham, the beer allowed the two breweries to combine their expertise, with Wylam’s more modern brewing methods complementing Theakston’s almost 200 years of craftsmanship.

T&R Theakston joint managing director Simon Theakston said: “Despite being almost two centuries old, we are never afraid to try new things. It was fantastic to welcome Wylam Brewery to Masham to use our brewing vessels and open fermenters, and to come together to create something amazing through a shared passion for beer and brewing.”

Open to further collabs

Theakston continued: “The result of our first collaboration, Henry’s Pick, has been a real success, so much so that we hope to welcome other brewers to Theakston to share ideas and our experience as well as allow them the opportunity to brew in one of the last remaining tower breweries in the country.”

Ben Wilkinson, head brewer at Wylam Brewery, which is famed for its beers Jakehead and Heedhunter, added: “We’re huge fans of Theakston, particularly its legendary Old Peculier ale, so jumped at the chance to go behind the scenes of the brewery and experience open vessel brewing for the first time. Theakston shares our passion for brewing with the highest quality ingredients, as seen by the yeast that it has cultivated in-house for generations.

“The process was truly collaborative, Theakston’s chosen malts perfectly complemented the hops we selected from Brook House Farm, with the result being a delicious, easy-drinking session ale, which perfectly encapsulates the quality and expertise that both breweries are renowned for.”

Brook House Hops founder Will Kirby said: “The hop varieties used in this brew have been identified as some of the finest we’ve ever produced, and we’re confident that their intense freshness and fruity aromas will shine through in this exciting new beer.”