Hawkstone and Butcombe put British brewing back at the heart of the pint

The two brewers have joined forces on Hops & Glory, a limited edition pale ale made entirely from British ingredients and intended to celebrate the farming and pub industries behind cask beer.

There is something appropriately traditional about Hawkstone’s latest collaboration. The beer brand founded by Jeremy Clarkson has joined Butcombe Brewing Co. to produce a new English pale ale using only British ingredients, at a moment when provenance has become an increasingly important part of what people choose to eat and drink.

Hops & Glory is a 4.2 per cent pale ale brewed at Butcombe’s brewery in Bristol. Released ahead of Cask Ale Week, which runs from September 17 to 27, it brings together a relatively young beer brand with a brewer that has been making cask ale for almost half a century.

The result is deliberately straightforward. Citrus and tropical fruit sit alongside a crisp finish, with the beer designed principally as an accessible cask pint rather than an exercise in brewing novelty.

For Hawkstone, established by Clarkson in 2021, the collaboration continues its emphasis on British agriculture. The company has made the provenance of its ingredients a central part of its identity, while Butcombe brings the experience of a brewing operation with roots in the South West and a substantial estate of pubs and inns.

“Great beer starts with great ingredients,” said Andy Cross, sales director at Hawkstone. “Working with Butcombe has brought together two brands that share a passion for quality, provenance and creating beers people genuinely love to drink.”

Jayson Perfect, chief operating officer at Butcombe Group, said the collaboration was also intended to encourage more drinkers towards cask ale.

“At Butcombe, we’ve been brewing cask ale for almost five decades, so collaborating on a beer that celebrates the best of British brewing and farming was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” he said.

The timing is significant. Cask ale occupies a peculiar position in British drinking culture. It remains closely associated with the traditional pub, yet competes for attention with lager, craft beer and an expanding selection of alcohol free alternatives. Hops & Glory makes the case for cask not through reinvention, but through the things that have long distinguished it: ingredients, place and the skill of the brewer.

There is a charitable element too. A contribution from every cask sold will go towards the Licensed Trade Charity and Shout. The former provides practical, financial and wellbeing support to people working in hospitality, while Shout provides a free mental health text service, including dedicated support for farmers.

That connection between the people growing the ingredients and those eventually pulling the pint gives the collaboration rather more substance than the usual limited edition beer.

Hops & Glory will be available for three months across Butcombe’s managed pubs and selected pubs elsewhere in Britain.

For two businesses approaching brewing from different generations, the proposition is refreshingly uncomplicated: British grain, British brewing and a proper pint of cask ale.