Guinness unveils MicroDraught, charity brews for India’s Covid effort and police officers

Cotswolds Distillery auctions unique bottle for The Drinks Trust

In celebration of World Whisky Day Cotswolds Distillery auctioned a bottle of whisky drawn from the first cask they ever filled at the distillery.

The bottle is the first and only bottle filled from Cask #1 which was filled on the 22 September 2014, 17 days after the distillery was commissioned with its first-ever mash.

The auction closed with a winning bid of £3,333 to be donated to The Drinks Trust, which has provided care and support to the people who form the drinks industry workforce both past and present since 1886.

Ellie Goulding acquires stake in Served Hard Seltzer

Singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding has acquired a significant stake in the premium British hard seltzer brand Served.

Served is crafted in Herefordshire, where Goulding grew up, by infusing sparkling spring water with wonky fruit and pairing this with their own Served Pure spirit. The result is a refreshing 4% ABV plant-based, gluten-free hard seltzer with a crisp, fresh flavour, and a touch of natural sweetness. 

“I’ve always enjoyed a social drink with friends, but I also lead a busy lifestyle and I am passionate about my health, fitness, and the environment,” Goulding said. “Served is a brand that allows me to have it all – a delicious and refreshing alcoholic drink without all the calories, sugar and bad stuff.”

Co-founder Dean Ginsberg added: “We are thrilled to welcome Ellie as a co-owner of Served and excited to build a global brand alongside her. Ellie embodies everything that we stand for at Served, and she will be an integral part of the brand as we continue to grow” 

Irish Whiskey and black stout spirit, Black Irish, rolled out internationally

Following a successful limited release of Black Irish in 2020, the Irish Whiskey and black stout spirit is being rolled out internationally.

The liquid contains triple distilled blended Irish Whiskey matured in deep-charred American ex-bourbon casks. The whiskey is then made dark with the blend of a strong stout and barrel-aged stout, which is also used in part to cut the cask strength whiskey to the bottling strength of 40%. 

The end result is an Irish Whiskey that is made dark with stout, chocolate malt, and roasted barley. 

Black Irish is developed by Dublin-based Darker Still Spirits Company, who wanted to put a unique twist on Ireland’s most famous exports, with the intention of creating a whiskey subcategory. 

DropZone launches limited edition beer to support police officers

DropZone Brewery, a newly founded brand run for and by military veterans, has launched limited edition beer, Thin Blue Line, to raise money for the Police Firearms Officers’ Association.

DropZone launched in April of this year to enrich the community of current and former service people and plans to donate 20% of all profits to veteran causes through its charity partners.

Sean Crawford, founder of DropZone, said: “There are a lot of parallels between careers in the armed forces and the police service. Unfortunately, particularly in the case of firearms officers, there are also negative aspects to this, too.

“While it’s not uncommon to encounter hardships in these careers, the sense of camaraderie these situations can instil is unrivalled. There’s often no better way to cement these bonds after overcoming hardships than enjoying a cold beer.

“We’ve always believed that it’s not the beer that’s important - it’s the work that’s been put in to earn it and there aren’t many lines of work out there doing more to earn it than this country’s police officers.”

16 breweries join forces to create IPA for India

Sixteen UK breweries, under the banner of IPA for India, will each brew their own interpretation of a classic IPA on 17 June with all profits donated to Birmingham based SEWA UK – a 100% volunteer-run charity sourcing oxygen and PPE and establishing connections areas of rural India hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

With more than 300,000 recorded deaths, and the real toll likely to be much higher, India urgently needs aid to get oxygen and medical supplies to communities that desperately need it.

The band of brewers thought long and hard about whether IPA was appropriate, given its colonial roots, but felt that it was more likely to grab drinkers attention, as IPA holds the top spot as the best-selling craft beer style in the UK, and would raise the most funds.  

Commenting on the initiative, Goffs Brewery manager Libby Elswood – who devised the initiative, said: “There wasn’t really an idea on how to do this originally, it was just a human reaction to a human crisis.

“As we are looking at easing restrictions in this country India is still being ravaged & it’s heartbreaking to see and I felt there was a real opportunity to make a difference as a brewing community.

“IPA is a natural fit in people’s minds, and this isn’t an attempt to right any wrongs of a past but simply a visceral response to a country in crisis.”

“We have not only had an astonishing response from brewers wanting to get involved, but also from suppliers – Charles Faram, Crisp Maltings, Lallemand, Morrow Packaging and Colorscan – as well.”

Guinness launches ‘world-first’ single nitrogen dispense solution, Guinness Microdraught 

Guinness has announced the launch of Guinness MicroDraught – a new piece of technology which serves fresh Guinness Draught on tap to outlets around the world, no matter their size or setup.

Guinness MicroDraught is the result of a two-year development process that uses a keg so small, it comes in a can. While the Guinness used is brewed in exactly the same way, instead of kegging it in traditional, larger kegs for use in a standard bar set-up, Guinness Draught beer is delivered in unique cans, which are simply slotted into the Guinness MicroDraught unit and poured for a beautiful serve of Guinness in a pint glass, every time.

The pioneering dispense technology, the biggest for the brand since the development of the “widget” in 1988, is a solution to pour Guinness in new places and new spaces, such as restaurants, where previously it would be impossible to serve on tap due to the lack of keg system, beer lines and cooling system complexities.

Grainne Wafer, global brand director at Guinness, said “Guinness is enjoyed the world over and globally renowned for pushing boundaries in technology.  Guinness MicroDraught is the next step in this journey and today’s launch means that Guinness will be available in over 12,000 more outlets for millions more consumers to enjoy.”

Glenfiddich announces limited-edition artist collaboration for Grande Couronne 26 Year Old

Collaborating with contemporary artist David Aiu Servan-Schreiber, Glenfiddich has unveiled a limited-edition sleeve for its latest expression Glenfiddich Grande Couronne 26 Year Old. 

Speaking on the collaboration, Aiu Servan-Schreiber commented: “My art is inspired by the natural world and the opposing forces that impact how we interact with it. 

“We see juxtapositions such as this in all areas of life – when we reimagine the old with the new; or find imperfections in seemingly perfect things. This interpretation of the brilliant filigree is raw, unpredictable and emotive. It transforms it into a living thing, one that echoes its origins but harnesses its true power to explore new territories.” 

The Grande Couronne bottle is adorned with gold filigree, while artwork evocative of renaissance paintings are revealed inside the box. Finally, Aiu Servan-Schreiber’s sleeve aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment and social consciousness.

Maria Ropero-Ortiz, senior brand manager for Glenfiddich, added: “We’re thrilled to announce Glenfiddich’s collaboration with David, such an extraordinary artist who has reimagined the celebration of our latest release. 

“David’s work truly represents the opulence of Grande Couronne through the lens of nature in a majestic and elegant way, and it’s so rewarding to see Glenfiddich building on its art legacy through an issue which is close of all of our hearts, protecting and celebrating our staggering planet.”