Brakspear cask ales, including the flagship Brakspear Original Gravity bitter, are to be brewed at Hogs Back Brewery, the companies have announced.
The move means a significant investment in installing traditional ‘double drop’ brewing vessels at the Tongham, Surrey site. Restoring this brewing method, which is synonymous with Brakspear, puts Original Gravity and other Brakspear beers at the forefront of the cask ale market in terms of quality, flavour, and heritage, say the parties.
Once widely used in British brewing, double dropping involves transferring the beer 12 hours into the fermentation process from one brewing vessel to another, and Hogs Back will be using gravity rather than mechanical means. This helps to remove sediment, and oxygenates the beer to get a clean, vigorous fermentation. While it is more labour-intensive, the method is valued for the intensity of character it brings to the beer.
“Cask ale, served consistently and to the highest quality, is at the heart of all our pubs, from town centre locals to destination food businesses,” said Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies.
“The team at Hogs Back share our passion for cask, and this strategic partnership, along with the return of the iconic double drop brewing method, will give our pub teams and customers confidence that our cask ales are brewed, cellared, and served in premium condition.
“The scale of the investment demonstrates our commitment to restoring the standing of cask ale as Britain’s signature beer style, while building on the strong reputation of Brakspear and giving customers the opportunity to enjoy our flagship beer brewed in a way that is even closer to its historic roots. We’re grateful to Marstons and Carlsberg for being good custodians of our brand and now supporting us in this change.”
Brakspear Original Gravity is a sessionable 3.4% ABV cask bitter. Originally known as Brakspear Bitter and more recently Brakspear Gravity, it has a distinctive malt character with a bittersweet, fruity finish, and a well-hopped aroma.
The new Original Gravity name signals that it is brewed to the classic Brakspear Bitter recipe, as well as being a nod to brewers’ traditional use of original gravities to measure the strength of beers before ABVs became standard.
It is one of the last classic bitters in the UK specifically created to be brewed below 3.5% ABV, unlike beers which have recently reduced their ABV and changed recipes in response to duty changes. It is made with a combination of pale, crystal, and chocolate malts, and special invert sugars, and hopped with Fuggles and Goldings.
Launching alongside Original Gravity is Brakspear Noble Nectar, a 4% ABV modern, hop-forward pale ale which complements the traditional style of the flagship bitter. Noble Nectar is brewed using Farnham White Bine hops, grown on the Hogs Back hop farm, adjacent to the brewery, and the precursor to one of Britain’s traditional ‘noble’ hops, Goldings. The beers are also brewed using the original Brakspear live yeast strain.
Original Gravity and Noble Nectar will be on the bar in Brakspear pubs, as well as available to selected independent pubs and groups through Hogs Back’s sales operation. Other regular and seasonal Brakspear cask ales will follow.
The move to Tongham represents the second time Hogs Back Brewery owner Rupert Thompson has taken on the stewardship of Brakspear’s ales and brewing traditions. In 2004, following the closure of the Brakspear brewery, Thompson’s business Wychwood invested £300,000 in moving six double drop fermenters to the Wychwood Brewery site in Oxfordshire.
Since the closure of the Wychwood Brewery in 2023, Brakspear beers have been brewed in Burton-upon-Trent by Carlsberg Britvic.
Thompson said: “My experience of brewing Brakspear cask ales is obviously very important, but what’s essential here is that Brakspear and Hogs Back share the same values, in terms of respecting the traditions of British beer and pub culture, whilst looking to drive our businesses forward in a fast changing market.
“We’re now brewing for Brakspear using the double drop method for the same reason we revived the near-extinct Farnham White Bine hop a decade ago; because these initiatives deliver high quality, great flavours, and offer a real point of difference for today’s discerning beer drinkers.
“Original Gravity has always been a 3.4% session bitter, unlike beers which have been reduced in strength for marketing or commercial reasons. It’s an accessible beer that fully delivers on flavour.”
