CROSSOVER BLENDERY
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
George and Charlie run a small blendery operation located at The Grainworks in Hertfordshire, UK. They focus on producing spontaneously fermented beers aged in traditional vessels such as oak barrels. The aim is to source ingredients as close to the Blendery as possible. Their work is seasonal, brewing in the cold months and fruit in the warm.
Each beer made belongs to a specific year, it is of that season and it cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
The way these beers are made blur the lines between beer and other fermented beverages. Many of the techniques, methods and concepts behind wine-, cider-, perry-making are also found in George and Charlie’s process. Hence the idea to emphasise the ‘crossing over’ of beer into these other drinks which are often considered a distant and superior or inferior cousin.
Mount Ida
Style Golden Ale
Fruit Driscoll Maravilla raspberries
ABV 6.4%
Production Golden ale brewed with malted barley, rye, oats and raw wheat from the 2019/2020 season. Spontaneously fermented and aged in a neutral french oak barrel for 17 months. The beer was moved onto organic Driscoll Maravilla raspberries (from the 2021 fruit season). It remained in tank on the fruit for 2 months and then blended back with two golden ale barrels from the 2019/2020 season before bottling.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. There are no added yeasts at this point, or at any point in the process for that matter. Bottles are laid to rest on a side and conditioned until release.
Conditioning
Size 75cl
Bramble, Thorn and Briar
Style Golden Ale
Fruit Driscoll Victoria blackberries, Driscoll Maravilla Raspberries
Production The golden ale base beer is spontaneously fermented and aged for 8 months in neutral french oak barrels. The beer was moved out of barrel and onto organic Driscoll Victoria blackberries (from Herefordshire) and organic Driscoll Maravilla raspberries (also Herefordshire) in separate tanks.
Daily punch downs of the fruit caps to begin with, until re-fermentation had commenced. The beer was on fruit for a total of 5 months before blending together.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. No yeast was added at this point or at any point in the process. Bottles laid to rest on side and conditioned until release
ABV 5.5%
Size 75cl
Walled Gardens
Style Golden Ale
Fruit Sunny Cot apricots
Production Golden ale brewed with malted barley, rye, oats and raw wheat from the 2019/2020 season. Spontaneously fermented and aged in neutral french oak barrels for 16 months. The beer was moved to tank onto Sunny Cot apricots from the Isle of Wight. As re-fermentation commenced the fruit cap was punched down daily. The beer remained on fruit for 3 months before being finally blended with two further components brewed in February and March 2020.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. No yeast was added at this point or at any point in the process. Bottles laid to rest on side and conditioned until release
ABV 6.6%
Size 75cl
Little Moor
Style Pale Wheat
Fruit Morello cherries
Production Pale wheat beer brewed with malted barley, malted wheat and raw wheat from the 2019/2020 season. Spontaneously fermented and aged in a single, neutral french oak barrel for 8 months. Morello cherries were Uk sourced (Kent) and then added to the barrel. The beer remained on fruit for a further 12 months.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. No yeast was added at this point or at any point in the process. Bottles laid to rest on side and conditioned until release
ABV 6.4%
Size 75cl
The Arc
Style Golden Ale
Fruit Triomphe d’Alsace Grape Pomace, Norfolk Ben Alder Blackcurrants
Production A blend of 1 & 2 year old golden ales brewed with malted barley and raw wheat. Spontaneously fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels. The beer was moved onto Triomphe d’Alsace grape pomace in tank. It remained there for 2 months with punch-downs performed for the initial stages of re-fermentation. We then blended in a portion of beer which had re-fermented on Ben Alder blackcurrants from Norfolk. The beer was left to homogenise before further blending and bottling.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. No yeast was added at this point, or at any point in the process. Bottles laid to rest on side and conditioned until release.
ABV 7.2%
Size 37.5 and 75cl
The Miller
Style Pale Wheat
Fruit Pinot Meunier Grape Pomace, Guinevere Plums
Production A blend of 1 & 2 year old pale wheat beers brewed with malted barley, malted wheat and raw wheat. Spontaneously fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels . The beer was moved onto Pinot Meunier grape pomace in tank. It remained there for 2 months with punch-downs performed for the initial stages of re-fermentation. We then blended in a portion of beer which had re-fermented on Guinevere plums from East Sussex. This plum beer had been in barrel for a year prior. Similarly to the arc, the beer was left to homogenise before further blending and bottling.
Packaged with a small amount of priming sugar for natural carbonation in the bottle. No yeast was added at this point or at any point in the process. Bottles laid to rest on side and conditioned until release
ABV 7%
Size 37.5 and 75cl