The team at Driftwood Spars Brewery in St Agnes believe they’ve broken a local record with the release of their new imperial stout
The brewers at Driftwood Spars Brewery have created a 14.4% ABV beer that is believed to be the strongest ever brewed commercially in Cornwall.
A comforting cognac and marshmallow imperial stout, the aptly named Hygge is bold enough to jostle with the port for a place beside your cheeseboard this festive season.
Described as having ‘rich and thick, oozing silky marshmallow flavours, finishing with a spicy, subtle cognac bite’, the beer is the brainchild of Driftwood Spars Brewery head brewer Mike Mason.
‘Hygge was designed to be a luxury version of an imperial stout,’ says Mike. ‘Like all good strong beers, the flavour benefits from the higher ABV.’
Often around 11% ABV, imperial stouts are a challenging beer to master, with sweet malts having to be impeccably balanced with bitter hops to create the characteristically rich and complex flavour.
Hygge is the latest small-batch experiment from Driftwood Spars Brewery, where Mike and brewery assistant Tim use exceptional ingredients to trial innovative beers using a Pilot Brew Kit with a 70-litre set up.
Louise Treseder is the brewery owner and landlady of The Driftwood Spars in Trevaunance Cove.
‘At the pub, we’re recommending sharing a bottle of Hygge and sipping it like a wine or port,’ she says. ‘Our guests are enjoying it with our West Country cheeseboards which include Cornish Smuggler, Yarg and Brie among others.’
Limited-edition Hygge is available in 330ml bottles but, with just 100 produced, you’ll need to get your skates on to enjoy this festive tipple. You can buy a bottle online or enjoy it in its natural element, right on the coast at The Drifty brewpub.
Love Cornish beer? Check out our roundup of must-try Cornish breweries here.
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