A truly Local taste of Honey

The Liberation Group’s summer seasonal cask beer has been given a truly local flavour with honey from hives located just half a mile from their brewery in Longueville.

When the award-winning brewery was looking for a unique finish for the new ale, Blonde, they contacted beekeepers Jill and Bob Tompkins who keep hives on the slopes in Swiss Valley. The Summer beer is launched this week in time for Islanders to raise a seasonal pint on Midsummer’s Day which falls on 24 June.

The Chief Executive of the Liberation Group, Mark Crowther, said following a chance meeting with Mr and Mrs Tompkins and discovering that they had hives so close to the brewery, he invited them to supply the finishing touch for Blonde. The casks of Blonde produced for consumption in Guernsey and Alderney have been given their own particular Bailiwick flavour with honey from Guernsey beekeeper Michael Deane.

Mr Crowther said: "As the Liberation Group is such a major contributor to the economies of the Channel Islands, and a supporter and user of local produce, we are delighted to use an ingredient produced almost on the back door of the brewery in Jersey. You can’t get more local provenance than that and, moreover, Blonde is a fresh-tasting beer which is the perfect recipe for relaxing on a summer’s day," he said.

Blonde is a 3.8% ABV cask ale described as a very light and refreshing drink made with lager, ale malt and Tettang and Saaz continental hops, which has been infused with a note of honey from Swiss Valley. Seasonal beers are becoming increasingly popular in the British Isles as sales of cask beer continue to rise, bucking the decline in the pub trade in the UK. They are so-called as they are brewed to be best enjoyed at the appropriate time of year as an ideal accompaniment to seasonal produce.

Mr Tompkins said: "The public can rest assured that despite the recent disease outbreak in the Island’s bees - which only affects the young bee’s health - it in no way affects the wonderful quality and taste of the honey which comes from the rich and diverse forage to be found in and around the Swiss Valley and Longueville area. From sweet chestnut to buttercup and apple blossom to blackberry, local honey is packed with delicate flavour to give a unique finish to Blonde."

Following on from the success of Liberation Ale, the Liberation Brewery decided to produce four new seasonal cask beers inspired by Jersey’s Norman French heritage. Blonde is the second to be introduced to the Liberation Group’s pubs across the Channel Islands that stock cask ale. The other seasonal ales are: Ambrée, which was launched in March and is nearing the end of its run; Rouge for the autumn and Noire as winter draws on. The seasonal ales all carry the mark of the Genuine Jersey products Association as the brewery is a member and uses Island-produced ingredients wherever possible.

Blonde is available from several Liberation Group real ale stockists including St Mary’s Country Inn and the Post Horn.