Curious Brewery launches new limited edition series of beers in collaboration with leading British brewers


Curious Brewery, the brewery owned by England’s leading winemaker, Chapel Down, has launched the first in a unique series of small batch beers, each produced with a winemaker’s twist. The series, named Curiouser & Curiouser, sees Curious Brewery collaborate with leading brewers from around the UK to produce unique limited edition beers that each lean on winemaking influences.


‘Curiouser & Curiouser Chapter 1’, the first beer in the collection, is a Wild Fermented Chardonnay & Bacchus Sour Ale created in partnership with Somerset’s The Wild Beer Company. The limited edition brew, in which just 1,500 bottles have been produced, is barrel-aged with Chardonnay & Bacchus wine yeast creating a uniquely complex beer. The fresh acidity from the sour ale is balanced by the smooth and textural flavours characteristic of English wine to give intense aromas of citrus and toasted nuts with a hint of vanilla. In homage to its winemaking influence, Chapter 1 is bottled in a 75cl wine bottle, sealed with a crown cork and The Wild Beer Company’s signature wax seal. The name ‘Curiouser & Curiouser’ links to Alice in Wonderland and each beer in the collection will be a different chapter number. The first release, Chapter 1, has subtle connotations to the book in the packaging – such as a neck tag around the bottle which reads ‘Drink Me: Every adventure requires a first sip!’


Chapel Down HeadWinemaker, Josh Donaghay-Spire, led the collaboration with Somerset’s masters of flavours and fermentation, TheWild Beer Company, to create this truly unique and authentic tasting barrel-aged sour beer. Donaghay-Spire says: “Our collaboration with The Wild Beer Company was formed from a shared belief in exceptional brewing and a mutual passion for imaginative new products. “The brewing process involved topping barrels of our Chardonnay and Bacchus lees with sour beer from the Wild Beer Company, where it then settled for six months. The beer was then blended with the best four of their summer blend and two of their sourdough barrels, resulting in a beer that confounds expectations and will push most beer drinkers out of their comfort zone, which is a good thing once in a while!”


Curious Brewery Managing Director, Gareth Bath, adds, ”Curiouser & Curiouser is going to offer beer-drinkers something completely new; beer made by leading winemakers and some of the UK’smost forward-thinking brewers. “The next beers in the series will be launched throughout 2018, each in partnership with a different brewer and each with a curious winemaking twist.”


Curiouser & Curiouser Chapter 1:Wild Fermented Chardonnay & Bacchus Sour Ale (ABV 4.9%, 75cl) retails for £20.00 and is available to purchase exclusively from the newly launched www.curiousbrewery.com website.


Visit of


Lancashire & Yorkshire A-Class Locomotive No. 52322


The Spa Valley Railway in Royal Tunbridge Wells has announce the visit of Andy Booths historic A-Class locomotive to the railway from May to August 2018.


Built in 1896 and outshopped from Horwich Works as Lancashire & Yorkshire No. 1300 the locomotive arrives at the railway in time for the busy Summer period and will first haul trains on Saturday 5th May to the standard Green timetable between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.


photo credit: Joe Connell


General Manager Jonnie Wesson said: “Now numbered with its British Railways number of 52322, the locomotive is the only remaining member of a once 484 strong class. This will be the first time since its construction that 52322 has operated this far in the South of the country, the locomotive is planned to operate the majority of our Green timetabled services between May and August and will also feature heavily at the Summer Festival on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July 2018.”


Further details about the Spa Valley Railway can be found on www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk Spa Valley Railway, West Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5QY Tel: 01892 537715


PAGE 22 MAIDSTONE & MID KENT ADVERTISER


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