SMALL BREWER OF THE MONTH
Number Seven: Hobsons Brewery
With CAMRA’s Mild May campaign only days away, Club Mirror thought it would be good to focus on a small brewer doing big things with mild ale. In 2007, Hobson’s Mild won CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain and, according to director Nick Davis, things are looking up for mild ales generally as people turn towards lower strength beers – but still want something with a bit of flavour.
Judging by the brewer’s website (http://www.hobsons-brewery.co.uk) there are two main cask ales and a range of bottled products. We know that Hobsons bottles its Hobsons Mild and rebrands it Postman’s Knock (it has a higher abv too). Hobsons Mild on cask is a healthy 3.2 per cent abv but increases to 4.8 per cent when bottled. Hobsons Best Bitter is a sessionable 3.8 per cent abv. Both ales have attracted considerable SIBA and CAMRA accolades.
Where bottled beers are concerned, Hobsons offers Twisted Spire (3.6 per cent); Town Crier (4.5 per cent); Manor Ale (4.2 per cent); Postman’s Knock (4.8 per cent); and Old Henry (5.2 per cent).
The great thing about Hobsons (established in 1993) is its strong local and green credentials. The brewer sources all its ingredients locally but is also keen to promote local pubs and businesses as well as its local community. It also collects rainwater and uses it to wash its vehicles and flush its toilets.
Hobsons’ cask ales are only delivered within a 50-mile radius of the brewery, which is based in Worcestershire, but its bottle sales have been increasing thanks to interest in Hobsons products from outside of the region. In fact, since the brewer relaunched its bottle labels last spring, sales of bottled Hobsons products have risen by a staggering 46 per cent.
• For further information about Hobsons, log on to the website listed above, call 01299 270837 or email beer@hobsons-brewery.co.uk
