Cheers to Daleside's brand new beer for summer

It was one of the first new-style independent breweries established in North Yorkshire but this week saw Daleside make quite a departure with the launch of a new beer.
Daleside's head brewer, Craig Witty.Daleside's head brewer, Craig Witty.
Daleside's head brewer, Craig Witty.

Unlike the new breed of microbreweries in this hop-obsessed world of craft beer, Daleside isn’t in the habit of producing small batches of new varieties of ale with colourful names every couple of months.

The build-up to the momentous vote on Europe did, however, see this Harrogate-based brewer offer beer lovers its own version of the EU referendum with a choice of two limited editon brews - EU In and EU Out.

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And now it has launched a new seasonal beerwhich will only be available throughout July and August.

G & P is a 4.0% gin-infused pale ale which Daleside describes as delivering interesting flavour characteristics from the mix of a traditional ale with juniper berries usually associated with gin.

Head brewer Craig Witty: said: “The industry is ever-changing and we believe that it is important that we look at new beer styles that differ from our core range and we are confident that G & P will prove to be popular with beer drinkers seeking out new taste sensations.”

Under the stewardship of Witty and managing director Eric Lucas, Daleside has proven a regular favourite over the years with judges from both CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers Association).

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Daleside was first launched in the mid-1980s, an era when only the Campaign for Real Ale and a few visionary small family businesses stood between beer lovers and the total domination in Britain of the big breweries.

It moved to its premsies in Camwal Road in Starbeck in 1992 in the days when craft beer was barely a twinkle in anyone’s eye.

Since then its commintment to high quality real ales and beers using traditional methods to heritage recipes and its own recipes has paid off handsomely. whetherthat’s casked real ales or premium bottled beers.

With an international market and a legend of ‘Beers of distinction’, Daleside’s most popular beers such as Daleside Blonde (A Golden Ale/Blond Ale beer), Old Leg Over (a low abv Old Ale), Monkey Wrench (a stronger Old Ale) and Ripon Jewel (a strong Pale Ale) have become regular award winners since it moved to its present premises at Starbeck in 1992.

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Craig Witty said: “Our new beer G & P offers drinkers a delicate hop flavour with a hint of orange and citrus, a perfect combination as we head into the summer months.”

Thirty years later Daleside is as local now as it was then.

It still uses the best quality malts, whole-leaf hops,its own yeast and, perhaps most crucially of all, Harrogate water.