Yorkshire-based brewery, T&R Theakston has teamed up with Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery and hop growers, Brook House Hops to create Henry’s Pick, in their first-ever collaboration beer since the family brewery was founded almost 200 years ago.
A 4.5% 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 with a beautiful peach-like aroma, fresh citrus and bitter hop flavour, and a luscious, refreshing mouthfeel.
The beer takes its name from Henry Smith, Farm Manager at Brook House Hops, and alludes to the fact that 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 which 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 perfectly complementing Theakston’s almost 200 years of craftsmanship.
A shared passion for beer and brewing
Commenting on the collaboration, Simon Theakston, joint managing director of T&R 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.
“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, said: “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. We’re extremely proud of the brewing partnership that we have forged together, creating a beer that trademarks the essential components of both breweries’ style and finesse.”
Henry’s Pick
Will Kirby, founder of Brook House Hops, added: “The team at Brook House Hops was extremely proud to be asked to work alongside two of the most respected names in British brewing for this extra special collaboration. 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.
“As two breweries with craftsmanship at the forefront of all they do, it was almost a given that Theakston and Wylam would require the very best ingredients to create Henry’s Pick, so we were absolutely delighted that they came back to Brook House Hops to ask us to provide them, and that our own Henry Smith provided inspiration for the name.”
The beer will be available for trade in cask and keg for the on-trade, with consumers able to purchase it in 5-litre mini-kegs from Theakston’s online store.
