Sharp’s launches Orange Haze for Cask Ale Week

The south-west brewer said the cask ale has been developed from a cross-brewery team competition specifically for Cask Ale Week.

Orange Haze is the brainchild of Sharp’s Brewing finance manager Emma Bradley who won an in-house competition.

Sharp’s said the contest reflects the brewer’s commitment to honouring traditional cask production, with a contemporary mindset.

Everyone, from brewers to the brand and finance teams got involved with the project and “feel empowered” in implementing their own creativity and ideas.

Cornish pubs

Orange Haze 5.2% ABV is now available from various outlets in Cornwall including the Mariners in Rock, the Blisland Inn in Bodmin, the Front in Falmouth and the Brendon Arms in Bude.

At 5.2% ABV, it is said to offer a full blood orange experience with a fresh citrus aroma, a sweet but sharp taste and an assertive bitterness.

It has been created using a mixture of blood orange peels and juice concentrates to drive its citrus flavour and some New World hops to complement it. The oats and wheat add an orange haze and a silky mouthfeel.

Last year’s Cask Ale Week celebration saw the development of Sharp’s New Zingland, a 5.4% ABV hazy pale ale, which was made on the Sharp’s Brewery pilot plant.

The varied entries were judged by Sharp’s technical brewer, Jon Wide, on the criteria of beer name, creativity, style, ingredients and accompanying story with the winning product going into development in time for Cask Ale Week 2024.

Unique recipe

Wide said: “Although there were some incredible entries this year, Emma hit us with a unique recipe for a tasty blood orange hazy IPA and it really stood out.

“She even went into the detail of describing how her beer would pair perfectly with her husband's homemade barbecue duck boa buns, duck terrine and dark chocolate tart, which really got my and the other judges’ mouths watering.”

Bradley added: “Orange Haze tastes even better than I imagined it would and I hope beer drinkers enjoy sampling it as much as I enjoyed masterminding it.”

Sharp’s is actively encouraging innovation and creativity, proved by the development of projects and innovations such as the limited releases and single-batch, pilot plant brews.

In 2016, the dedicated small scale (5bbls) pilot plant was built into the brewing facilities in Rock, north Cornwall. Alongside the production capacity of more than 1m pints per week in the main brewhouse, it’s the pilot plant that enables the entire Sharp’s team the opportunity to collectively develop and test new ideas, concepts and flavour combinations.