A new pale ale is being brewed to commemorate the new bridge in the village of Pooley Bridge, Cumbria – and it’s going down a storm.
‘New Bridge Ale’ marks a refreshing end to the devastation caused Storm Desmond in 2015. It is harnessing local water for the good – creating a beer with a hoppy nose and a hint of grapefruit.
Andrew Kaye, owner of Chestnut House – Pooley Bridge’s grocers and off-licence, wanted to celebrate the launch of the new bridge by creating their own unique blonde ale.
The ‘New Bridge Ale’ was developed with Master Brewer Ben Clementson at the Brack’N’Brew micro-brewery just three miles away.
Work on the New Bridge Ale began in early 2018, with the flavours perfected this Spring. Andrew Kaye said “We wanted to produce a modern ale with a taste that was appealing to a wide audience. It packs a punch and has a hoppy nose, but there are also hints of grapefruit for a very refreshing taste. And what could be better than to have it expertly brewed in the Lake District at the closest brewery to the bridge.”
Andrew continued, “The new, 128-foot bridge will be the only stainless-steel road bridge in the country – it’s a real talking point. At a cost of £5 million it will provide a permanent structure over the River Eamont that should stand the test of time and torrential rainfall. We sought permission to use the illustration of the new slimline bridge on our label and feedback has been very positive – both the label and taste have gone down well.”
New Bridge Ale is exclusively produced and bottled for Chestnut House and has an ABV of 3.8%. Sold in 500ml bottles, it has proved to be a firm favourite with tourists as a taste of the Lake District they can take home. It has also attracted a loyal local following. Unsurprisingly, New Bridge Ale has quickly become the best-selling beer at Chestnut House.
In recent weeks the interim Pooley Bridge was removed to make way for construction of the new permanent design – and for a time, cutting off access around Ullswater. It meant a three-mile journey to deliver the ale became a thirty-three-mile trip.
This week a new footbridge opened which means Ben can now meet Andrew on foot to transfer the ale by barrow – saving 30 miles on the delivery miles.
The iconic 18th century stone bridge crossing the River Eamont in Pooley Bridge, stood for over 300 years, but was ripped away by the power of the water during the December floods of 2015.
This Christmas the power of water can be celebrated at Pooley Bridge in a bottle of New Bridge Ale.
New Bridge Ale can be bought directly from the shop, retailing at £2.95 per bottle. Or on-line in bulk at https://chestnuthouseonline.co.uk
