Cheers to the new ale from city’s brewery
RAISE A PINT OF 1040 TO CELEBRATE COMPANY’S LANDMARK MOMENTS
A new ale has been unveiled to celebrate two landmark anniversaries within beer circles.
Sunderland’s Maxim Brewery has created 1040 to mark a decade since it started brewing within the city’s boundaries and as a toast to the Sunderland and South Shields branch of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra) 40th birthday.
1040 is also the original gravity required during the brewing process to produce the 4% ruby ale.
Beer lovers can taste the resulting creation for the first time today when it debuts at the Camra branch’s annual beer festival.
Described as containing “refreshing and mildly-spiced blackcurrant flavours” and leaving “a smooth creamy finish on the palette”, it will be joined by about 40 beers and 12 ciders.
Mark Anderson, the managing director of Maxim Brewery, said: “We thought it was a good idea to do something to mark both anniversaries as we are the only full-commercial brewery in Sunderland and South Tyneside and the Camra branch are supporters of ours.”
Mr Anderson was finance director at Sunderland’s Vaux Breweries and part of an attempted management buy-out of the business before it was closed in 2000 on the advice of city financiers.
He was then one of three people to found Maxim Brewery and buy the famous Double Maxim and Samson Vaux brands.
Production was sub-contracted outside of Sunderland before the firm opened its brewery at Rainton Bridge, Houghton, in September 2007.
Touted as Sunderland’s own Octoberfest, the festival has moved to The Point, in Holmeside, Sunderland city centre, and takes place from noon-11pm both today and tomorrow and from noon7pm “or when the beer has gone” on Saturday.
Entry is £10, including a souvenir tankard and three beer tokens.
Further details available from www.sundfest.camra. org.uk
The event will also raise cash for nominated charity the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).