Spindrift returns on the crest of a wave

As we entered our 150th year, we we’re feeling quite nostalgic. It brought up lots of happy memories, so we thought we’d do the same for fans of one of our forgotten favourites.

Our brewing team selected six back-catalogue beers that were often lamented, and we put their return to a public vote. There was strong support for our moreish mild, Gunhill, and ex-summer seasonal, Regatta, but the tide was with Spindrift, as supporters rallied around to secure its place as a limited release for 2022.

Spindrift’ takes its name from the spray blown from cresting waves - we see along the east coast after storms, making it evocative of our location. Its style, recipe, and dispense on keg, was originally designed to have broad appeal, which is clearly demonstrated in the clamour for its return. It was an ‘everybody beer,’ and appealed to lager and ale fans alike, making it a big hit at our events and cementing its association with good times and summers spent outside.

 

With Spindrift’s win verified, thoughts turned to its production, and all eyes were on the brewing team, who faced the difficult challenge of bringing it back. While tracking down the recipe was relatively easy, a few things have changed since 2006, as Head Brewer, Dan Gooderham, explains

 

“For something like Spindrift, where in the context of the history of the brewery, it is a recent beer, we can look back at recipes with a bit more ease. Some of the very early recipes need a bit more scrutiny to firstly understand the handwriting, and then some of the terminology!

“I thoroughly enjoyed the process of looking back at the evolution of Spindrift. When I started in January 2011 it had already been around for 5 years or more. I went about looking at the very early recipes which would have been brewed on our old brewhouse. We used to have a lovely piece of software called Lotus Notes, which provided me with a different type of record to decipher compared to old brewing books of the past - a digital one.

“Brewing equipment makes a big difference on final flavour. You can brew two identical recipes in two different breweries and end up with two completely different beers; and then there are seasonal variations with brewing ingredients. In addition, in our case, we have a house yeast that is a mixed strain, so we are technically throwing in some microorganisms that are not genetically identical.

“When brewing a beer regularly, all these factors lead to constant management and tweaking of processes to achieve consistency. Beers tend to evolve, only we don’t notice it that much, because we are experiencing them all the time. So, when it comes to bringing back and past favourite like Spindrift, we’ve gathered all the elements we could together, and we hope it will be like everyone remembers. I certainly liked the challenge. I hope everyone embraces Spindrift's return and gets together over a pint, to create new memories.”

Brewed to its original recipe, with Boadicea and First Gold hops from the UK and a touch of New Zealand’s Nelson Sauvin, Spindrift has wonderful orange peel and biscuit aromas and a bright, crisp citrus taste. Like its name suggests, it is crowned with a continental-style full white head thanks to the addition of wheat in the brew. You’ll find a touch of malty sweetness before its dry, refreshing finish.

Congratulations Spindrift fans, and thanks to everyone who voted. Commiserations to those who didn’t quite swing it. If you can’t bear to see the results, look away now…

Spindrift: 34.23%

Gunhill: 20.76%

Regatta: 16.24%

Extra: 12.28%

Flat White Porter: 9.27%

Nut Brown: 7.21%

Spindrift will be available on draft from 1st March and in 330ml can from 11th March 2022 for a limited time only.

Shop Spindrift here.