THERE are some hard acts to follow in rocker-inspired beer brands. Take Trooper, Iron Maiden’s collab with Robinsons Brewery, which smashed through the 10 million pints barrier within two years of its launch. Small beer compared with the 90 million albums the band has sold but big business, dwarfing sales of metal rivals Motorhead’s Swedish-brewed lager Bastards.
The more meldoy-driven Elbow squeezed more than 750,000 pints out of Build A Rocket Boys! also with Robinsons, before calling it a day; it must be habit forming – Marstons are now brewing their curated pale ale Charge.
In a busy rock meets hops market this is just the tip of the Carlsberg (sic) and now a new contender has entered the throng – Manchester’s own indie icons The Courteeners.
Liam Fray and the band are toasting the 10th anniversary of their debut studio album, St Jude (definitely proving you’re not 19 forever) with a limited edition ‘St. Jude Pils’.
It’s a collaboration with Camden Town Brewery and, while we wait for our review samples to arrive, ToM suspects it might not taste a million miles from their ubiquitous Camden Helles. It is described as an unfiltered hoppy lager with citrus and stone fruit aromas
These days the London-based brewers are not quite as indie as The Courteeners. Two tears it was bought by the world’s biggest drinks company, ABInBev, whose beer portfolio includes Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck’s.
Expect to find St Jude in Blackdog Ballroom NQ and then other favourite haunts of the band around town.
