Express & Star

Micro brewery unveils extra special Christmas brews

A micro brewery has unveiled its range of festive ales as it aims to build on the success of a beer marking the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

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Bosses at the Backyard Brewhouse in Brownhills have put together two special Christmas brews - Kris Kringle and Bad Santa.

The brewery is continuing to grow and had increased production 60 per cent year on year since being launched in 2008.

And brewer Austen Morgan says 2015 is shaping up to be their busiest yet.

The Christmas beers are on sale at the brewery's pub The Fountain in Lower Forster Street, Walsall, and at scores of Wetherspoons across the Midlands.

Owners (left-right) Austen Morgan, of Walsall Wood, and Mike Bates, of Short Heath.

Bad Santa is a 6.8 per cent dark beer, while Kris Kringle is 4.3 per cent with orange and cinnamon flavours.

Mr Morgan said: "Christmas is always quite a full-on period for us. The pubs are all getting their ranges of Christmas beers in and the shops are busy.

"Christmas beers are a relatively recent thing, and people like to try something different when they go for a Christmas drink."

Staff at the brewery were forced to produce casks of the SRD beer to mark the anniversary of the war after more than 2,000 bottles were snapped up within weeks.

The success of the SRD beer means it will now be brewed throughout the First World War 100-year commemorations until 2018.

The name SRD came from the letters stamped on bottles of rum sent to rations depots on the frontline.

Owners (left-right) Mike Bates, of Short Heath, and Austen Morgan, of Walsall Wood, at Backyard Brewhouse, Brownhills.

It is not known exactly what the letters stand for, though suggestions have included Services Rum Diluted, Service Reserve Depot or Seldom Reaches Destination – as the rum was always drunk before soldiers got it.

The brewery recently quadrupled its beer production after completing a £250,000 expansion.

And it has won a string of SIBA national and regional awards for its beers.

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