Eden Project and Sharp’s collaborate to make a berry good beer

January 21, 2010

A new seasonal beer created by Sharp’s Brewery and the Eden Project has been flavoured with some very special ingredients - berries picked from bushes at the project’s site in Bodelva.

Sloes, rosehips and hawthorn berries were picked by Eden staff in October and then used by Sharp’s head brewer Stuart Howe to create Winter Berry Ale, the latest in the brewery’s Seasonals range.

Winter Berry is a cask conditioned beer with a dark ruby colour, full of vibrant berry flavours, with the sharp fruitiness of the berries balanced and enhanced by the use of top quality malts and hops.

This winter beer is now available in pubs across the country and in the Eden Project’s own restaurants and bars.

For the Seasonals range, the Eden team has unearthed the unusual, sometimes forgotten plant products used to flavour beer. The other beers in the range are 6 Hop IPA (spring), Honey Spice (summer) and Red Ale (autumn).

Complementing the new brew is a special pint glass which has a unique ingredients panel on the back.

Tracey Smith, Eden's Commercial Relationship Manager, said: “It's great to have worked with Sharp's on this range, combining our plant expertise with their brewing know-how. Together, we have produced a selection of beers showcasing the best local ingredients that are proving to be a hit with drinkers.

"The glass adds that extra Eden touch too. We're all about illustrating the relationship between plants and people and if people sipping on their pints get to the bottom of the glass knowing a little more about what goes into their beer, then all the better."

James Nicholls, Sales and Marketing Manager at Sharp’s, said: “We're really excited about this collaboration. We believe we’ve got the right mix of character, flavour and depth in the beers that will appeal not only to traditional cask beer drinkers but to all consumers looking to satisfy an inquisitive palate.

“We are committed to producing the finest quality beer using sustainable methods and with our friends at the Eden Project have scoured Cornwall for interesting ingredients and flavours."

The relationship between Eden and Sharp's is long established and has previously produced Eden Pure Ale, which continues to be a popular part of the brewery’s bottle range.