A Victory for good taste?

As Britain prepares to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of its greatest naval hero, Mark Nicholls looks at how brewers will salute Lord Nelson in his bicentenary year

There have been many glasses raised in honour of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, without doubt the greatest of all British naval heroes.

But this year, the 200th anniversary of his death at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, many of those toasts will be drunk with specially-brewed ale.

A hearty number of brewers have already produced commemorative ales with more likely to be unveiling beers that pay homage to Lord Nelson shortly.

With names such as Victory’s Home, Admiral’s Reserve, Trafalgar 200, England Expects and 1805 ale, the British beer industry is leading the way when it comes to proposing a toast to the naval hero.

Flavours vary from “liqueur chocolate with the merest hint of tar” to “fruit hop flavours with a bittersweet aroma” or a “complex malt flavour… with traces of pepper, dark fruits and caramelised orange” in the special brews.

Some brewers, with particularly relevant connections to Lord Nelson, have had commemorative ale for a number of years. But what better chance to re-launch and re-market than the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the national celebrations that will come with it.

First off the mark with bicentenary commemorative ales are those close to naval dockyards, others with a strong coastal heritage, or brewers like Woodforde’s in Norfolk, operating a few miles as the crow flies from where Nelson was born in the tiny village of Burnham Thorpe on September 29, 1758.

Fittingly, they have a couple of ales that will cause .....

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By Mark Nicholls

Section : Beer Trends

Page number : 16