Monday, 14 May 2012

Hop Back Brewery. Downton, Wiltshire


Hop Back Chronology
1986
Wyndham Arms, Salisbury purchased by John Gilbert
Brewing commenced

1989
CAMRA Champion New Brewery

1991
Waterloo Arms, Southampton purchased
Hop Back Brewery Limited formed
Lease on industrial unit in Downton acquired

1992
Brewing starts on new 20 barrel plant at Downton site
Summer Lightning brewed on the new site wins Best Strong Beer at Great British Beer Festival
Adjacent unit rented to allow for warehousing and office space
Output 350 barrels per month

1993
Over £500,000 raised from individual subscribers under Business Expansion Scheme
The Sultan, Wimbledon purchased

1994
Output 500 barrels per month
Acquired additional industrial unit with space for more fermentation vessels
The Hop Leaf, Reading purchased

1995
Output 1000 barrels per month
Brewing of house beers starts on small brew plant at The Hop Leaf

1996
G.F.B. wins overall Gold at Brewing Industry International Awards
The Jolly Farmer, Weybridge opens
New bottling line acquired

1997
Hop Back 10th Anniversary Celebrations
Summer Lightning wins Best Bottle Conditioned Beer at Great British Beer Festival
Summer Lightning wins Cask Ale Brand of the Year from Morning Advertiser
Crop Circle launched

1998
The Bull Hotel, Downton purchased
Summer Lightning wins the Gold Award at the National Hop Association
Summer Lightning becomes nationally available in Tesco supermarkets
Thunderstorm and Summer Lightning exported to USA
Special ‘one-off’ brews introduced to product range

1999
Additional industrial unit purchased to add storage space for bottle conditioned beer
Winter Lightning launched

2000
Crop Circle bottle conditioned beer appears nationwide in Tesco supermarkets
Summer Lightning nominated in Best Strong Beer category at Great British Beer Festival for 12th consecutive year, wins Bronze

2001
Larger capacity bottling line installed
New copper and fermenter installed
Summer Lightning becomes nationally available in JD Wetherspoon pubs
Summer Lightning wins overall Silver in Champion Beer of Britain at Great British Beer Festival






2005
Output 16,000 barrels per year

2009
21st birthday of flagship beer Summer Lightning

2011
Entire Stout named Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain
Joint marketing campaign launched with Castle Rock brewery, winners of Champion Beer of Britain
Launch of 2.8% low alcohol beer Heracles – ‘strong in flavour’

2012
Hop Back celebrates 25 years
Brewing of 25 year celebration ale and party for shareholders, staff and customers



G.F.B. 3.5%
Golden, with the sort of light clean tasty quality which makes an ideal session ale. Tasted to destruction by our brewers, GFB has a hoppy aroma and is packed full of the very best East Kent Goldings, leading to a good dry finish.
Odyssey Best Bitter 4.0%
A full-bodied balance of maltiness, gentle coffee notes and smooth, slightly sweet flavours builds to a clean bitterness with hints of marmalade.
Crop Circle 4.2%
A very clean, flaxen-coloured beer with wonderful thirst-quenching properties. The subtle blend of aroma and bittering hops give a crispness on the tongue which is delicately fruity, giving way to some dryness. The inclusion of flaked maize in the grist subtlely hints at crisp corn flavours.

Entire Stout 4.5%
A rich dark stout with a strong roasted malt flavour and a long, smooth aftertaste. Suitable for vegans. Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2011.

Taiphoon 4.2%
A fantastic pale gold beer with hints of Lemongrass and coriander.
Summer Lightning 5.0%
A trendsetter in the brewing industry; the original Summer ale brewed all year round. An extremely pleasant bitter, straw coloured beer with a terrific fresh, hoppy aroma. This, coupled with an intense bitterness, leads to an excellent long, dry finish. Probably the beer to receive the most awards in Britain!
Heracles 2.8%
A bold new beer from the brewers at Hop Back. This golden beer is truly strong in flavour while low in alcohol. Maris Otter gives its characteristic silky, biscuity maltiness, quickly followed up by the delicate spicy lemon of East Kent and Styrian Goldings. This is underpinned by the subtle orange flavours of coriander and the dry, clean bitterness of Challenger hops.

Brewing team
John Gilbert
Founder and Chairman

Steve Wright
Managing Director and Head Brewer

James Godman
Brewing brewer and Quality Assurance brewer

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