Food & Drink
Neptune Brewery: 1000th brew chosen by the public revealed.
1 year ago
The brewery is also holding a competition to get your hands on the new brew.
As North Liverpool’s Neptune Brewery approached their 1000th brew they put it to a public vote to see which of their historic brews should be revived to mark the occasion.
It turns out that what their customers wanted was the return of Fugu, a 4% Sorachi Ace Pale which is due for release in cask, keg and can on 5th September 2023.
With votes taking place across their social media profiles and via trade and public newsletters, the polling for #Neptune1000 was an extremely close-run thing, with each of the four historic brews taking roughly 25% of the vote. In the end, Run Aground Coffee IPA, TathaElderflower Blonde and Jammie DodgerRaspberry & Vanilla Amber were pipped to the top spot by the single-hopped Sorachi Ace Pale, a much-loved classic among Neptune drinkers.
Voters had lots of positive things to say about Fugu, including “No nonsense, great beer” and “Got to be Fugu for me, one of my favourites!” and “Go Fugu!”
To celebrate the #Neptune1000 release the brewery will be running a competition on its Facebook and Instagram pages in a giveaway of fresh Fugu cans and a Neptune t-shirt. From Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd September, online users will be asked to follow the brewery account, like the competition post, and tag a friend for additional entries.
Fugu is described as epitomising the distinct lemon and herbal characteristics of this iconic hop, blending perfectly with a biscuity malt base. It’s a vibrant, refreshing and easy-drinking beer.
Head Brewer and Director Les O’Grady, said:
“The reason I first brewed Fugu back then is that Sorachi Ace was a relatively new hop on the scene, and as it’s such a distinct and complex flavour, using it in a single-hop pale made a lot of sense. You don’t seem to see single-hop pales around so much these days that showcase Sorachi Ace so I was made up to see Fugu won the #Neptune1000 vote.
“I’ve adjusted the malt base slightly to offer a nice biscuity balance to the vibrant citrus hop character, which we think really works. Along with the bright and eye-catching design refresh, I hope we’ve made something that people are going to be excited to see back on the bar.”
The competition will run from 10am on Friday 1st September until midnight on Sunday 3rd September and the winner will then be selected at random for their prize. You can enter on their social media pages below:
Fugu will be available to buy in cans on Neptune’s webshop and to trade customers from Tuesday 5th September.