Seasonal Beers

I recently unearthed some old seasonal beer pump clips and it reminded me as to why these beers from yesteryear came into being and are so important for pubs. The clips I found date back to my time working for Morland Brewery, the original brewers of Old Speckled Hen. The beers included a fabulous beer called Hope and Glory that was brewed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of VE Day, so twenty-five years ago.

What really got me thinking was the role seasonal beers play for pubs and brewers and why they are brewed in the first place. For the brewer seasonal beers are a place to test possible future permanent brands, but their short lifespan means limited marketing spend and relatively small profitability. In my view they are not the ideal medium to challenge boundaries of abv, taste, ingredients etc. That should be the domain of the small batch brew. However for the pub, they perform a very different role and perhaps a more important one.

In a pub, a seasonal beer should have a reason to interest customers, get them talking and enhance the enjoyment of their visit. This is particularly relevant for brewers with tied estates where the choice of beers can be restricted. They are also a great way to create interest in the cask ale category. Someone may be inclined to try a seasonal beer because of its name or theme which could lead to them drinking more cask beer in the future. Again, a reason not to make seasonal beers overly challenging in terms of flavour thus putting off potential new drinkers.

In my view seasonal beers should adhere to these rules:

1. The style and taste should fit the season they are brewed for i.e. golden beers for the summer etc.
2. They should have a back story for their existence, perhaps themed to an event, an anniversary etc. They should create a PR opportunity.
3. Have an appropriate name that reflects the above and is either quirky, relevant or fun.
4. Be of a quaffing or drinkable abv and taste, certainly not overly bitter or sweet.
5. Have a limited life span and brew lengths - plan to run out. The product life cycle of a seasonal beer is short and can quickly overstay its welcome.

The pump clips I found for the Morland seasonal beers do adhere to these rules.

Hope and Glory was brewed for the anniversary of VE Day and its style reflected quaffing beers of that time. Ultimately, it led to the introduction of a range of seasonal beers for Morland who at the time were focusing on building Old Speckled Hen as a brand with only limited support for other portfolio beers. The new range was instantly appreciated and supported by Morland's large pub estate, many of whom enjoyed having something fresh on their bar that was of interest to their customers.

Of the new range, the most PR friendly was Bills Spring Brew, the most odd name for a beer but combined with an innovative press campaign it really caught on with the locals and became a regular beer with the onset of spring for a number of years. It was named after one of the brew house workers called Bill, who had completed his entire career at the brewery and was one of their longest serving employees. Bill enjoyed the local publicity that he got from the beer and played his part, always happy to pose for a photo etc.

Summer Ale was themed around the traditional Oxfordshire pub game of Aunt Sally which is played during the summer months. It was an easy drinking golden beer, ideal for long summer evenings and at the time the game of Aunt Sally was very popular in many of the smaller village pubs. It created a lot of local PR as Morland were sponsors of the local Aunt Sally leagues and they used this relationship to help promote the beer. The name was not that exciting but was relevant especially when combined with a back story that was appropriate to many pub goers.

Finally Beechnut Ale. The name seems to ooze autumnal overtones which the pump clip design reflects. It was dark amber in colour and a delicious fruity, nutty and robust ale that offered some warming comfort as the nights drew in.

Hopefully once things return to some normality seasonal beers will become available once more. Cask ale will need all the help it can get in re-establishing itself in customers repertoire of drink choices. Quirky but drinkable beers with a reason for being could just be one possible way of igniting some interest - lets hope so.