SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR
Purity Brewing CoPurity Brewing Co
22
Aug, 2017
Velo 100

By Alex Cosgrove

Purity Jumping in the Saddle for the Velo 100 Cycle!

At Purity we are committed to make a difference to our local community and environment. We have undertaken numerous charity initiatives from growing various amounts of facial hair for Movember and Decembeard to wearing something funny for money but this is going to be our toughest yet; as we take on the Birmingham Velo 100 cycle ride!

Four members of the Purity team have signed up to this year’s ride in aid of Cure Leukemia a cause that is very close to a number of the team at Purity. Cure Leukemia has been our designated charity partner for the last few years and we have done numerous initiatives to raise funds for this very worthwhile cause. After providing some well-earned cans of Saddle Black to riders of the London to Paris ride the last few years our friend Geoff Thomas the patron of the charity lay down the gauntlet that we earn our beer as well at this year’s Velo 100. The challenge was on the table and four of the Purity team put their bikes in the ring and the phrase ‘how hard can it be?’ was muttered and they all agreed to sign up. Flo Vialan our Director of Brewing who cycles to and from the brewery every day, Andy Cross our Sales and Marketing Director, Peter Kopp, Steven Pitt and Bjorn Richards make up the rest of the team who will be taking on this mammoth challenge later next month.

We were lucky enough to host the Business Club training ride at the brewery earlier in the year which was the first time the team got together and ride out as a team. We also had an honorary member of Team Purity. The ambassador of the Business Club Martin Johnson. The former Leicester Tigers and World Cup winning England Rugby captain along with Team Purity led the 50 mile route around the picturesque Warwickshire countryside. It was a bit of a shock to some of the Purity team with the pace but they all managed to come back safely although there were claims of a sabotage crash. With all the riders back at Purity HQ Martin was on hand for photos, autographs and also some beer sampling.

Over the coming weeks leading up to the ride we will be profiling each member of Team Purity and bringing you some of the behind the scenes action from training as well as getting to know each rider a bit more and what this challenge means to them.

First up is Andy Cross our Sales & Marketing Director.

When you first get into cycling? From before I can remember, my first bike was a Raleigh Burner BMX bike and then progressed into mountain biking and road cycling

Favourite cycle route? Living in Cheltenham there are loads of great routes through the Cotswolds but most involve steep hills so my favourite route is any that avoids those!

Mountain or Roady? Both, road in the Summer and Mountain biking in the winter – after my last one got stolen I need to buy a new mountain bike when my road bike goes into hibernation after Velo!

Favourite post cycle refuel? I always crave a refreshing cider after cycling and Pure Hopped hits the spot perfectly!

We’re raising money for Cure Leukemia do you have any personal reasons why this is important? I lost my cousin to Leukemia when I was 8 so it’s something I have been aware of from a very young age and so finding a cure has always been something that is close to my heart

Finally – who’s going to win out of team Purity and any time targets? – The plan is to stick together as a team for the whole ride, however after Flo took me out in the training ride I might have to out sprint him at the finish!

Can four members of the Purity team ditch the pints and jump in the saddle and ride for 100 miles? Well follow their journey across all our social media channels and if you see them on the 24th September in their Purity cycle jerseys then make sure to cheer them on!

We would be incredibly grateful if anyone could donate what they can in aid of this incredible charity you can support the team via our Just Giving page here – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/puritybrewingco

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14
Jul, 2017
Purity's Head Brewer Flo

By Alex Cosgrove

Flo Vialan named Brewer of the Year

Our director of brewing Flo Vialan has been named Brewer of the Year at the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group Beer Awards. The highly-prized and prestigious award is one of only a small number handed out annually by the government-related All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

The fantastic Frenchman, who hails from Lyon and has been our Head Brewer at Purity for nearly 11 years, has been recognised for his wide-ranging skills in and out of the brewhouse and for his complete embodiment of our core values: brewing great beer without prejudice, with a conscience and with a consistency and attention to detail, which is second to none.

As well as a dedicated eco-friendly brewer with a degree in Environmental Science and Agriculture, Flo has been crucial in Purity’s development of all our beers and their continued success as one of the leading craft brewers in the UK.

Having been unaware of the nomination, let alone the win, Flo was summoned to the stage in front of over 200 attendees and 80 MPs at Westminster One Great George Street this week to receive his award.

In their own words, the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group Beer Awards aims to:

  • promote the wholesomeness and enjoyment of beer and the unique role of the pub in UK society
  • increase understanding of the social, cultural and historic role of brewing and pubs in the UK and their value to tourism
  • broaden recognition of the contribution of brewing and pubs to employment and to the UK’s economy
  • promote understanding of the social responsibility exercised by the brewing and pub industries
  • support the UK’s brewing industry worldwide

The awards night sees beers served under the watchful guidance of the Beer Academy, Cask Marque and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

Speaking about Flo’s award, our founder Paul Halsey, comments: “He is one of the most dedicated, meticulous and driven brewers I have ever met, as well as being a central part of the Purity family , so this award is very well deserved. I take particular pride in Flo’s journey with us here at the brewery, but even more so in the fact he didn’t know about the nomination and had to get up on stage in front of so many people. Nice one Flo!”

And the man himself, lapping up his newfound fame, had this to say: “I am incredibly proud and thankful to receive this award. It’s not often you get to combine your work with one of your hobbies and I feel privileged that I get to do this every day. It’s not just for me though, this award I would like to share with my excellent brewing team at Purity that continue to push boundaries, strive to improve each day and ensure the beer we brew is the best possible. I’d like to thank the APPBG for this award and also the whole team at Purity as I couldn’t do my job if it wasn’t for the rest of the guys doing theirs, it truly is a team effort!”

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23
Jun, 2017

By Alex Cosgrove

A View From the Stumps – Purity Match Special 2017!

This week saw our 9th annual cricket bash, the Purity Match Special held at the home of Exhall & Wixford Cricket Club. A great evening was had by all and as ever we would like to thank everyone who came and who have supported Purity over the last 11 years and in particular JC and all the team at Exhall & Wixford CC for hosting us and preparing a cracker of a pitch!

This year teams were made up of a range of Purity team members, customers, suppliers and friends. The captains were Purity’s own Andy Cross and Gordie Houstan of Brewin Dolphin – a small bit of sledging mainly from the umpire was going on at the coin toss but it was all in jest so with batting line ups decided and field positions set the Googlys led by Andy Cross took to the field as they stuck the Yorkers into bat. So as the first two batsmen walked out to bat the game was on. It appeared from the crowd that the skipper had put his best batsman out first to try and build a lead with the rest of the team made up of let’s say differing ability. After the opening pair finished their innings with a good amount of runs it was up to the tail to carry it on with the last pair of our very own Director of Brewing Flo and Commercial Director Jim and despite Flo not having the best success with the bat the Yorkers finished their innings on 154. With each player having 2 overs batting and bowling with a wicket counting as minus 10 runs.

After refuelling with an excellently prepared BBQ by Claire, Julia and Mandy and some liquid refuelling it was time for the Googlys to try and chase down the target. The opening batsmen looked confident as they walked out to the middle but some excellent bowling and some even better fielding on the boundary kept the run rate quite low, so it was down to the guys from the Dark Horse in Moseley to try and get the winning runs in the final over and with a boundary of the penultimate ball it was neck and neck but a cracking Yorker that Freddie Flintoff would’ve been proud of from Purity’s Packaging Manager Bjorn, completely stumped the batsman and the middle stump was knocked out of the pitch which saw jubilant celebrations led by Bjorn. Meaning Gordie had led the Yorkers to a nail biting victory.

It was then time for the presentations which this year included, batsman of the match, and bowler of the match, the not-so-man of the match, Pure Gold moment of the match and the highly coveted man of the match. This year it was a tough pick and took much deliberation between the marketing departments due to the surprising exceedingly high standard of cricket from some players this year, but there were a few stand out candidates.

The winners from the night were:

Batsman of the Match – Jonny Winters

Bowler of the Match – Paul Evans

Not-so-man of the Match – Was a tie between Flo Vialan for losing 3 wickets in a row and Bjorn Richards for a calamitous mix up with a run out.

Pure Gold Moment of the Match – Myles Pinfold for an incredible catch on the boundary that saved a 6 and the match for the Yorkers.

Man of the Match – Alex Willis, for a great all round performance with bat and ball.

Overall it was a cracking evening of cricket, fun, laughs and was great to see so many people come and enjoy themselves in the sun with plenty of our award winning brews and as our founder Paul Halsey said on the night, “Our annual cricket match is one of my personal highlights of the year and it is always a pleasure to host these events with our friends, customers, suppliers and the whole team at Purity who have supported us since day one to today. Here’s to a lot more beer, fun and great memories!”

For more images from this years Purity Match Special head to our Facebook gallery here!

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16
May, 2017
Purity Brewing Co. & Wasps Rugby

By Alex Cosgrove

Purity Brewing & Ricoh Arena – Cask Marque

Last week was an exhilarating day at the Ricoh Arena as Wasps Rugby secured a bonus point win to get a home semi final in the Aviva Premiership play offs. However, off the field was where something rather ground breaking was taking place; a Cask Marque inspection on the service of our ales in the arena. It meant Saturday was a double celebration as the Ricoh Arena achieved Cask Marque accreditation for the quality of our cask ales served at the stadium. Which in doing so the Ricoh Arena is the only stadium in the UK to gain this status!

Two of our cask ales are stocked in the arena Pure UBU and Pure Gold, across five of the Ricoh Arena’s concourse bars and a further bar in the arena’s Ericsson Exhibition Hall. Our beers are also available in seven hospitality suites, as well as The Mill Bar and Brasserie part of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the arena.

The multi-purpose venue in Coventry, an international destination for sport, business, and entertainment, has become the first stadium in the UK to be awarded Cask Marque status. Cask Marque is the independent award usually reserved for pubs serving great quality cask ale.

Cask Marque recognises excellence in the service of cask ale, taking into account the quality of all cask beer on every bar, including temperature, appearance, aroma and taste.

Paul Halsey, our founder, comments: “At Purity we pour our heart and soul into every last drop of beer we produce, with dedicated training support for venues to stock and serve our beer for that perfect pint. We are all extremely proud of this accreditation and it’s a testament to the Purity team and everyone at the Ricoh Arena who looks after our beer there. We’re also very proud of our relationship with the Ricoh Arena and Wasps Rugby. Long may it continue and here’s to hoping we can celebrate again at the end of the month!”

Andy Gibb, MD of the Ricoh Arena adds: “Our partnership with Purity goes from strength to strength, with Pure Gold and Pure UBU proving incredibly popular with event guests, concert goers and rugby, netball & football fans alike. We’re incredibly proud to be serving Purity at the Ricoh Arena and the Cask Marque accreditation is just reward for the quality of the product and the outstanding teamwork displayed between our two organisations.”

There are limited tickets available for this weekend’s semi final against Leicester Tigers at the Ricoh available here – why not pop by and try a guaranteed great pint of our cask conditioned beers.

For more information on Cask Marque and it’s work in the beer industry head to their website http://cask-marque.co.uk/ 

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24
Mar, 2017

By Alex Cosgrove

The Awards Keep Coming

We were delighted last week as we picked up our first awards of 2017 at the SIBA National Independent Beer Awards and SIBA Business Awards as well as picking up two medals at this years Brewing Awards held in Burton Upon Trent.

At the SIBA Beer Awards, our Longhorn IPA won Gold in the Small Pack Strong Bitters and Pale Ales category. The award winning brew is named after the herd of cattle that graze on our spent grain in fields surrounding the brewery. If you want to find out why it won why not grab some brewery fresh cans from here!

SIBA’s BeerX event also saw the association hold its growing Business Awards. We were shortlisted for the Marketing Implementation, Green Business, Commercial Achievement and Business Innovation. With tough competition we were thrilled to be named the winner in the Marketing Implementation category with our partnership with Wasps Rugby and Ricoh Arena.

Our social media engagement and the popular Twitter Hashtags #PureGold and #TweetYourSeat were highlighted by judges, with fan participation more than doubling since last season. To celebrate our win at the SIBA Business Awards we are giving away two cases of Pure Gold with this week’s #TweetYourSeat at the Wasps Rugby Vs Worcester Warriors game 26/03/17.

Paul Halsey, our cofounder: “We absolutely love our partnership with Wasps Rugby and Ricoh Arena, and engaging with fans via our social media has been a great way to share in the good times; a great game of rugby with your friends and a lovely beer or two. The award means a lot to the team, as does the latest honour for Longhorn IPA, a beer we are extremely proud of.”

We would also like to say a massive congratulations to our friends FourPure and Tiny Rebel on their awards at the SIBA Business Awards winning Brewery of the Year and Commercial Achievement respectively.

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23
Feb, 2017

By Alex Cosgrove

Bunny Hops Into Keg!

Well the rabbit is finally out of the hat; we’re excited to share that our latest beer is hopping its way into keg ahead of spring and the warmer weather.

Bunny Hop, which was our first permanent cask beer in seven years, has gone down so well with our Puritans and customers that we are now rolling out kegs as well as casks.

The move means more UK landlords can serve Bunny Hop to punters, including a chilled version of the extra hoppy pale ale provided by keg cooling.

We will be unveiling kegged Bunny Hop at this year’s Craft Beer Rising, taking place between 23rd and 25th February at the Old Truman Brewery on London’s Brick Lane. Bunny Hop will be joined by our keg favourites Longhorn IPA, Lawless Lager and Saddle Black.

Brewed with Maris Otter, Lager Malt, Wheat Malts and Cara Pils, and generously hopped with Pilgrim, Eureka, El Dorado and Chinook, Bunny Hop has aromas of fresh grass, pine and grapefruit, with apricot and peach notes, perfectly balancing pale malts, powerful hops and a low abv (3.5%) an IBU of 55.

And with Easter and spring just around the corner, discerning beer drinkers will benefit from a lower strength beer to enjoy with other activities as many of us begin to stumble out of hibernation back into the great British outdoors.

Speaking of outdoor activities, we’re also pleased to reveal that we will also be peddling pints for riders at this year’s Mad March Hare Sportive on Sunday 5th March. The 72 mile bike ride through Worcestershire, Warwickshire and beyond will culminate with few well-earned Purity beers being served on us.

Our founder, Paul Halsey, comments: “Bunny Hop was born out of a passion to brew a lower ABV pale ale that still packed plenty of punch in terms of body, aroma and flavour. The cask version has had a tremendous response from customers, so we’re delighted to be offering a keg version enabling even more venues to benefit from this fantastic extra hopped pale ale. The evenings are getting lighter and many of us are starting to dust down our bikes and get back out and enjoy the great outdoors, and Bunny Hop is the perfect refreshing reward to savour at the end.”

We hope to see a load of our Puritans at CBR17 to come and enjoy the first pints of Bunny Hop on keg – Cheers!

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20
Feb, 2017

By Alex Cosgrove

We’re Back For Craft Beer Rising 2017

We are excited to announce that we will be making the trip down to the capital again for this year’s Craft Beer Rising!

CBR16 was one of our highlights of last year and when the chance came to return this year we didn’t hesitate in signing up.

Held at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane CBR is a beer lovers dream with over 100 brewers all bringing with them great beers then paired with a great music and street food line up. This year we will be bringing a taste of Warwickshire to the Capital in the form of Longhorn IPA our unfiltered American style rye pale ale, Lawless our Unfiltered lagered beer, Saddle Black our unfiltered hoppy black beer and something brand new that we are exclusively launching at this years CBR!

Want to be among the first to sample our new beer? Make sure you grab your tickets there are still some left – https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/festival/craft-beer-rising-london?t=579f5593b3c58800549e5584

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01
Dec, 2016

By Alex Cosgrove

News From The Brewhouse No.11 – Perro Tonto 2016 Limited Edition Brew

Welcome to this rather festive edition of News From the Brewhouse we are introducing our 2016 limited edition brew – Perro Tonto. This is the third year of our barrel aging project with this year sherry casks taking centre stage.

Perro Tonto is a sherry cask aged premium amber ale, a celebration of success and the finer things in life this ale is dedicated to everyone who has supported Purity since 2005.

This limited edition brew comes in corked champagne style 750 ml bottles has been crafted using premium Maris Otter, Crystal, Black & Wheat malts, hopped with Pilgrim & Cascade then aged in authentic Spanish sherry casks for 6 months. Perro Tonto has aromas of sweet dry fruits of raisins and rich Christmas cake, with a luxurious and perfectly balanced beer that leaves you wanting more.

The name Perro Tonto (Spanish for ‘Silly Dog’) is our tribute to the catalogue of perils which befuddled our much loved Useless Bloody Urchin (UBU) who left for the great sunset in the sky… a tip of the sombrero to the maverick dog whose spirit still guides Purity to this very day.

Speaking about Perro Tonto, our co-founder Paul Halsey explains “2016 has been incredible for Purity and to be able to produce a beer that celebrates this is amazing. We are immensely proud of Perro Tonto and it is a real testament to the skill and dedication of our brew team. We love presenting our limited edition brews in 750ml bottles as it gives a real sense of occasion when you twist the cork on a fine barrel aged beer. We were delighted by how well our previous limited edition beers X & Gnarly sold and the feedback we received. Also it is great to pay homage to our former canine friend.”

Our Director of Brewing Flo Vialan on the brew said, “I am incredibly proud of our latest limited release beer and to be able to pay homage to our former canine friend is amazing! That was the first beer I brewed when I came to Purity and in a previous life focussing on wine it is great to be able to use sherry casks. Brewing these limited edition beers is great as it allows the team to experiment and truly showcase the talent and skill we have and the dedication in crafting a quality beer. I cannot wait to pop mine open over Christmas!”

Paul added: “A major part of our development over the last 11 years has been on how to achieve absolute consistency and pure quality throughout the business, and our limited edition beers are a great way of showcasing the skills of our brew team. It’s a stunning beer for our loyal Puritans and a true testament to the quality from the brew house. It shows just how far we have come as a brewery and how far we want to keep on pushing, not only our own beers but the beer market too.”

Perro Tonto is limited to just 900 bottles which will each be individually numbered and available both from our brewery shop and online at www.bottleshack.uk

So if you are planning a festive celebration this Christmas or are just looking for something a little bit different to the norm and rather special make sure you grab a bottle of Perro Tonto and enjoy – Salud amigo!

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24
Nov, 2016

By Alex Cosgrove

News From The Brewhouse No.10 – Bunny Hop Lands!

We are delighted to announce that we are launching our first new permanent beer in seven years – an extra hopped pale ale called Bunny Hop.

Bunny Hop is brewed with Maris Otter, Lager Malt, Cara Pils and Wheat Malts. Then generously hopped with Pilgrim, Eureka, El Dorado and Chinook, Bunny Hop is a bold beer, which perfectly balances its low abv of 3.5%, pale malts and powerful hops.

It has a pronounced bitterness at 55 IBU’s but an extraordinarily pale colour, similar to that of a pilsner, with aromas of fresh grass, pine and grapefruit thanks to the generous use of Chinook, and a dash of El Dorado offering apricot and peach notes. Bunny Hop has been expertly brewed to deliver a clean, dry mouthfeel with no compromise on hop aroma and a full, hoppy flavour profile.

The launch of Bunny Hop shows our commitment to cask beer and the upholding of tradition whilst pushing the boundaries of what is possible when using the finest hops and malts to create an extraordinary, yet perfectly balanced beer.

Our Director of Brewing, Flo Vialan, explains: “Creating a very pale, low abv beer, which packs a punch in the flavour stakes, was a big challenge. With this beer we have had to innovate to the extreme, even to the point of designing and manufacturing new equipment which allows us to dry hop the beer in a way which delivers a perfect balance between not only the hop and the malt, but also the hop and the yeast, an aspect which is often overlooked in brewing.”

Paul Halsey, our founder, adds: “Bunny Hop has been a work of great passion and innovation, and marks the culmination of more than ten years at the head of this fantastic business. The brewery started with a leap of faith when I sold up all I owned to get it going. This beer is a nod to that and has great meaning for me personally. I stumbled upon Upper Spernall Farm where our Brewery is now based during a cycle ride through the Warwickshire countryside.”

“As I rode my mountain bike along the winding lane, I remember having to dodge these rabbits that shot out in front of me and one in particular nearly made me crash into Granville the farm owner. As I dusted myself down we got talking about my plans for a brewery and Granville suggested his farm as the perfect location. The rest is history. I have a lot to thank those rabbits for, hence the name! Bunny Hop is a remarkable beer and a true reflection what an incredible brew team we have at Purity.”

Bunny Hop is available now for trade customers if you would like to stock Bunny Hop either call the brewery or your account manager. Bunny hop will be available soon in either 9 pint mini cask or 36 pint polypin from www.bottleshack.uk

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08
Nov, 2016

By Alex Cosgrove

Pure Hopped Cider Launch Bristol & London

We would be delighted if you could join us either Tuesday 15/11/16 from 18.00 or Thursday 17/11/16 from 5.30 as we launch Pure Hopped Cider on draught at the Queens Head Acton Street and the  Famous Royal Navy Volunteer and celebrate the last 12 months success for Purity as we showcase this unique new product. We know that this time of year is when things get a little hectic so we would be chuffed if you could join us – we hope you can make it along!

Pure Hopped Cider is a new craft cider made with a 100% fresh apple juice from Herefordshire and a dash of the finest Target hops from Worcestershire which is gently matured in  oak vats to produce a beautifully balanced and smooth   drinking cider with a natural haze and sweet undertone which compliments the hoppy citrus flavours and lingering dry finish.

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Velo 100
Purity Jumping in the Saddle for the Velo 100 Cycle!
Purity's Head Brewer Flo
Flo Vialan named Brewer of the Year
Purity Brewing Co. & Wasps Rugby
Purity Brewing & Ricoh Arena – Cask Marque
The Awards Keep Coming
Bunny Hops Into Keg!
We’re Back For Craft Beer Rising 2017
News From The Brewhouse No.11 – Perro Tonto 2016 Limited Edition Brew
News From The Brewhouse No.10 – Bunny Hop Lands!
Pure Hopped Cider Launch Bristol & London