Time to raise a glass to Phil’s Keel Over Ale

Let’s raise a toast to Phil Hughes who really has the recipe for success.

The search for the name of a new Tall Ships-themed beer spanned weeks and attracted hundreds of excellent suggestions.

But it was Keel Over Ale which emerged as the winner.

And it’s Phil who wins the prize of having the 4.6% ale produced. He also got to enjoy a visit to Maxim Brewery to view the logo for the winning ale.

In a great coincidence, Phil, originally from Seaham and now from Cleadon, revealed his own connections to the beer industry.

“I am an event organiser. I run beer and live music festivals,” said Phil who also has his own pub - The Railway in Gateshead.

And he revealed his plans to stock Keel Over Ale once it is produced. Phil added: “I have four hand pulled ales on the bar and this will definitely be one of them.”

He described the news, that The Tall Ships races were coming to Sunderland next July, as “brilliant, and to get to be a part of something like this is really cool.”

The Sunderland Echo was joined in the beer-naming competition by Maxim Brewery (which is producing the new brew), the Sunderland City Council tall ships media team as well as Tall Ships media partners Sun FM, which also encouraged its own followers to nominate names.

Brewery managing director Mark Anderson said the beer being produced was a type called a Porter. “It relates to the porters that used to load ships,” he said.

“Our expert Glen Whale came up with the recipe for the porter, with the addition of a small amount of rum.

“We decided to come up with one which was relatively easy to drink and not too strong.”

Keel Over Ale takes a day to brew and five days to ferment before it is ready to put in to casks, and then sent out to be served as a real ale.

The first batch was expected to be ready about now and Mark added: “It is an initial small batch that we are doing and we will look to repeat it next year.”

Coun John Kelly, Sunderland City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture, said the winning beer name was “so appropriate. It fits with the new Keel Square opening.

“It fits with the tall ships and it captures the maritime history of Sunderland and the region as a whole.”