Beer Today’s regular round-up of news in brief: new releases, venue openings, event announcements.
Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland has been shortlisted for best drink book in the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2026. Dr Christina Wade’s book looks at the history of beer alongside some of the biggest events in the story of Ireland.
• West Walls Brewing Co, in Carlisle, is starting a running club. It gets under way this Sunday at 11am. “Our man Fergus will be leading a relaxed, social-pace run – around 5k – starting and finishing at the brewery,” says the brewer. “You can leave your bags and coats at the taproom while you run, and there’ll be cold pints waiting when you get back.” All abilities are welcome, and no sign-up is needed.
Peach Lager (4.2% ABV) is the latest release from New Bristol Brewery. “A delicious crisp, sessionable lager with notes of juicy, ripe peaches,” says the brewer.
Nearly There, an 8% ABV DIPA, is one of five releases from Track this week. Citra, Motueka, and Krush give mouthwatering fruit flavour. Effervescing lemon-lime soda moves into puckering pomelo and gooseberry, before a hit of sweet peach, ripe guava, and tangy satsuma.
The other four beers are: Abundance, an 8.4% ABV DIPA, Citra, Citra Dynaboost, Citra Cryo, Nectaron, Limonosa, and Riwaka; Partway, an 8% DIPA with Motueka Cryo, Citra, Citra Cryo Fresh, and Strata CGX; and two DDH IPAs in the Dreaming Of… series (7% ABV), one hopped with Nelson, the other with Peacherine.
The Goldilocks zone of the Verdant range — 6.5% ABV — is celebrated in a new IPA, We Sing at Six and a Half. “Expect a devilishly moreish and precise drinking experience, packed with bright citrus and tropical fruits, thanks to a heavy-hitting hop bill of Citra, NZH-101, and Nectaron,” says the brewer.
Poisoned Chalice, a 3.9% ABV best bitter, has been created by Brew York in collaboration with York Minster. Marking the 800th anniversary of the canonisation of William of York, it’s a crisp, balanced, traditional best bitter, combining toasty malt, gentle caramel sweetness and a hoppy character. It’s inspired by the legend of William’s alleged poisoning from a chalice during Mass.
Amity describes Blush (3.4% ABV) as “an absolute summer smasher of a beer”. Bright, tart, and refreshingly light, the raspberry Berliner weisse bursts with juicy berry aroma, sharp citrus acidity, and a soft wheat base. Fresh-picked raspberries dance on the palate, balanced by a gentle tart zing. A subtle sweetness and a clean, thirst-quenching finish keep it vibrant and brightly spritzy.
There are two new brews from Balance, making use of local foraged ingredients, and the humble raspberry. For Samphire 2024 (5% ABV), a super-pale base beer brings white gooseberry and citrus funk that lends itself well to the salinity of samphire. Framboys (5% ABV) is a blend of two barrels with an average age of 18 months, conditioned on 300g/l of Maravilla raspberries, grown on Boarden Farm, in Kent. The fruit character is elevated by subtle marmalade from the amber base, and oaky vanilla.
