St Austell Brewery is marking its 175th anniversary with the release of 1851, a commemorative ale named after the year the business was founded.
Created using historic brewing records from the brewery’s archive, 1851 draws inspiration from a recipe first produced to celebrate St Austell Brewery’s 150th anniversary.
The original recipe was recorded by former brewer Merv Westaway in handwritten brewing journals that continue to inform and inspire the business and its beers today.
“We wanted to create something that genuinely reflected our history,” said brewing director Georgina Young. “Not just a beer to mark a milestone, but one that connects us directly to the brewers and practices that shaped the business.”
Faithful to those historic notes, 1851uses pale Cornish malt alongside amber malt, wheat malt, and a small addition of Caramalt. The brewing journals also record that the barley was originally malted at Tucker’s Maltings in Newton Abbot, a respected regional maltings that played an important role in the brewery’s past prior to its closure.
Traditional Fuggles hops provide the beer’s characteristic earthy, piney bitterness, with the original records even noting the hop grower by name — Cooper’s Farm, in Kent. Later hop additions include Styrian Goldings, now known as Celeia, sourced from Slovenia, adding soft floral notes that balance the malt profile.
St Austell brewing director Georgina Young studies brewing records at company founder Walter Hicks’ desk
While deeply rooted in brewing heritage, 1851 has been produced using modern brewing techniques to ensure consistency and quality. The brewing team carefully translated the historic recipe into a contemporary process, preserving its character while meeting today’s standards.
Pouring a deep mahogany colour, it is a 5.1% ABV ale, offering gentle biscuit notes from the wheat, subtle dryness from the amber malt, and a rounded, balanced bitterness.
“It’s a very honest beer,” Georgina added. “It reflects the way we’ve always brewed — with care, attention to detail, and respect for the process.”
1851 forms part of St Austell Brewery’s wider 175th anniversary cask beer collection, which has revived and re-imagined brews from the brewery’s archive. Drawing on recipes dating back to the 1800s, the collection celebrates some of the most well-loved beers in the brewery’s history, alongside reworked versions of its current core range.
