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(Courtesy Adnams)
Adnams is a regional brewery founded in 1872 in Southwold, Suffolk, England by George and Ernest Adnams. Renowned for its cask ales as well for pasteurized bottled beers Adnams, one of the oldest breweries in the UK, refuses to rest on its considerable laurels.
Like most brewing operations in England Adnams adheres to the traditional pub and brewery distribution system in the United Kingdom, where large pub chains serve as outlets for the company sanctioned beer that is served chain wide.
But in addition to the 70+ Adnams pubs that serve as exclusive outlets for the brewery, its beers are widely distributed throughout the UK and Europe, and even in the US.
Although considerably younger than Adnams, Chico, CA-based Sierra Nevada Brewing is now one of the longest running independent craft breweries in the US, which makes its recent collaboration making the UK brewery’s century and a half run, all the more interesting.
“For our anniversary collab we wanted to work with a brewery that shares many of the same values that I think have helped Adnams navigate the past century and a half, particularly the importance of independence and long-term sustainability,” Fergus Fitzgerald, Adnams production director explained to the Drinks Business…
“Sierra were always at the top of that list. I was fortunate to be introduced to Scott Jennings from Sierra over a brewers zoom get-together in the first lockdown. Scott jumped on board with the idea straight away.”
Unfortunately only available in the UK, Adnams / Sierra Nevada Eastern Edge is a 4.8% ABV Transatlantic Pale Ale which was inspired by two key beers, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Adnams’ cask Southwold Bitter.
Sierra Nevada’s yeast has made the journey to the UK to be used to brew Eastern Edge along with Adnams’ house yeast. Plus, UK and US varieties of Cascade and Chinook hops were selected for their delicate floral and resinous aromas and tropical flavors while the Rye, Pale Ale and Cara malts provide a spicy biscuit balance.
“Being invited by Adnams to collaborate on a brew to help commemorate its 150th anniversary was sincerely a great honor,” said Sierra Nevada’s Steve Grossman “hopefully the good folks of Adnams will celebrate with Sierra Nevada when our brewery marks its 150th anniversary.”
