THE official beer of Manchester Beer Week, a limited edition, cross-Pennine collaboration between Manchester’s JW Lees and Northern Monk from Leeds, is now available (June 22) in more than 60 Co-op stores across the region.
Summer Pale Ale not only brings two cities together, it also combines old and new worlds. Founded in 1828, JW Lees is Manchester’s oldest brewery, while Northern Monk is one of the most exciting young breweries in the modern craft beer scene.
Both perspectives shine through in the beer, which uses a large amount of New World hops – Citra and Mosaic from the USA – but is fermented using JW Lees’ distinctive 4,904th-generation yeast. It is pale in colour with a robust bitterness and comes in at 5.1% ABV.
Bottles are available exclusively in the Co-op until the end of Manchester Beer Week, which runs from Friday June 29 to Sunday July 8. The beer will also appear on cask and keg at a number of venues across Greater Manchester during the festival, as well as JW Lees pubs.
“We’re really pleased with how the beer has turned out and the way it has captured the different approaches of the two breweries,” said MBW organiser Connor Murphy. “The beer scene in the North is strong right now and that’s why we extended the hand of friendship beyond Manchester for this year’s official beer. We hope to emphasise the potential for independent beer to continue growing through a collaborative approach.”
The Co-op is main sponsor of Manchester Beer Week for the second year running, the move forms part of the community retailer's commitment to supporting local producers. The full list of Co-op stores stocking Summer Pale Ale can be found here.
Check out ToM’s preview of the MBW Cities Clash, where, to kick off the festival two Manchester brewer teams battle it out with teams from London, Liverpool, Bristol and Leeds (including Northern Monk, who have plans for a Manchester bar – ‘if you can’t beat them etc…')