Beers, ciders mead

Brewing excellence

From honeyed delights to Italian brews, there is plenty on o er in our round-up of the newest kids on the block in beers, cider and mead

By Lauren Phillips Sheppy’s new Redstreak cider is a 4% ABV medium-sweet single variety named after the Somerset Redstreak

sheppyscider.com

Thoughtful Forager is a new beer and cider brand from Cottage Delight. The brand partnered with British awardwinning independent brewers to create an 11-strong beer range, including a Malty Golden Ale, Raspberry Wheat Beer and Sparkling Mango Sour (RRP £3.29- 3.59, 330ml). There is also a range of ciders, made by Herefordshire company Celtic Marches (RRP £3.29-3.59).

such as Seahorse and Lifesaver, Salcombe Brewery has unveiled a new vegan and gluten-free pale ale, Sun Drop (4.6% ABV). Using American hops, the ale is said HOW WE SELL… BEERS & CIDERS between its stock and the supermarkets’.

Afon Mêl won a Great Taste Golden Fork for Best Product in Wales in 2019 with its distinctive Heather Mead (12 x 75cl, trade £148.80). Now, it’s developed a sparkling 5% ABV Session Mead in 330ml bottles (cases of 12 cost £23.40).

apples it is made from. Owner David Sheppy said, “Lower ABV innovations are more important than ever to maintain volume growth and keep drinkers interested in cider.” It is available in 500ml bottles with an RRP of £17.41 for twelve.

Malarkey is the new gluten-free beer from Powys-based Monty’s Brewery. The brewery originally launched the 3.8% hop-forward golden ale in casks just before the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, before relaunching it in 500ml bottles in June. The company says that the new variety has a “powerful punch of Simcoe and Cascade hops”.

montysbrewery.co.uk

Known for its ales to have a “fruity and citrusy aroma of melon, orange and pink grapefruit”. It is available in 330ml bottles with an RRP of £24 for a case of 12 x 330ml bottles.

salcombebrewery.com

London-based meadery, Gosnells introduced a new 0.5% ABV, gluten-free sparkling mead at the beginning of 2020 to join its canned mead range. Made from European honeys, it follows the brand’s previous range of 4% ABV 33cl canned meads in four flavours: Sour, Hopped, Hibiscus and Citra Sea. The new can is a part of owner Tom Gosnell’s ambition to revolutionise the mead category.

gosnells.co.uk

afonmel.com

thoughtfulforager.com

Mead District Rose is a 5.5% sparkling dry mead from Derbyshire Meadery. The “delicate, salmon pink” sparkling mead is said to have “a flavour profile of Provence Rose with raspberry, vanilla, pink peppercorn and papaya coming through”. RRP £20-25, 75cl.

derbyshiremeadery.co.uk

Apple Country Cider

Co’s Single Variety Perry (5.5% ABV) is a lightly sparkling medium perry made from freshly pressed Blakeney red pears and described as fruity and wellrounded. RRP £2.99 per bottle (£18.95 per case of 12 x 330ml).

applecountycider.co.uk

Ma.Ma is an Italian craft beer brand imported exclusively by Tenuta Marmorelle. There are five beers in the range – Bianca, Chiara, Rossa, IPA and GlutenFree – which are made by the Flea Brewery, based near Perugia.

tenutamarmorelle.com

Silly Moo Unfiltered is the latest cider to come from Sussex-based Trenchmore Farm. It is a cloudy fulljuice cider made from tannic and dessert fruit (ABV 4.2%). RRP £2.50 for 300ml and RRP £3.50 for 500ml.

Grumpy Goat, co-owner Anne-Marie Beatty

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the huge selection of styles and brands, when looking to improve your beer and cider offering in store.

But according to Anne-Marie Beatty of specialist beer (and cheese) retailer The Grumpy Goat, building strong supplier relationships, researching the latest brews and following current trends via social media are three ways retailers can do this.

“As a specialist, we need to know our product,” she says. “We go on courses, attend festivals and follow micro-breweries on social media.”

This approach has allowed the shop to build a loyal customer base while limiting any crossover

trenchmore.co.uk

The shop arranges its 500-strong range in order of styles rather than brands or breweries, mainly because there are so many styles in the market now. An IPA alone can be a New England IPA, a West Coast IPA or a Session IPA, says Beatty. Ranging like this also helps cater for a wide customer base (from 18- to 90-year-olds) and levels of interest in beer.

“We sometimes get new customers who tell us ‘Oh I just drink lager’,” says Beatty, “so we can start there and then introduce them to a pale ale and so on, and take them on a journey.”

thegrumpygoat.co.uk