Green Jack Brew Canary Premier

Story from the East Anglian Daily Press
The Canaries this week celebrated their second successive promotion, by securing a place in the Premier League.

To mark the team’s return to the big stage, Green Jack Brewery is brewing 100 firkins of Canary Premier.

Real ale fans will be able sample the 5pc pale ale at pubs across the region from the middle of the month.

And while gloating Canary fans toast their success, supporters of their arch rivals will be able to drown their sorrows after another disapponting season – when it goes on sale across Suffolk and at the Ipswich Beer Festival in August.

The new ale is a stronger version of Green Jack’s 3.8pc Canary Pale and the brewers, who are passionate Canaries fans, plan to use more hops in their latest beer than any other they have made. It will feature East Anglian pale malted winter barley and summit hops, and possibly American hops.

The new beer is the latest in a line of football-related ales brewed by Green Jack.

When Ipswich Town were relegated in 2002, it made an special ale called Oh So Blue – with a pump-clip image which featured a tractor (referring to their nickname the Tractor Boys) going downhill.

In September 2004, Green Jack launched a version of Canary Premier to mark Norwich City’s achievement in gaining promotion to the country’s top division. The brewery decided to repeat the stunt as a tribute to Canaries’ manager Paul Lambert and his team after they clinched promotion by beating Portsmouth 1-0 on Monday.

Tim Dunford, who owns the brewery, said: “Three of us here are huge Norwich fans and we thought brewing Canary Premier would help celebrate promotion and give us an excuse to experiment with hops.

“I think some Ipswich Town fans won’t even consider giving it a go.

“It’s all a bit tongue in cheek, though, and I am sure some will try it out and think it is fantastic.”

Brewer Daron Fowle said he was glad to be given the chance to brew Canary Premier and give City fans a chance to celebrate as their arch rivals languish in the Championship.

He was listening on the radio on Monday as the Canaries clinched promotion: “I was jumping all around the kitchen when we won. It was an incredible result. It was a better feeling than 2005 as it was so close this time around,” he said.

John Palmer, 62, is an adviser at the brewery and has supported Norwich for 50 years.

He said: “I have never seen such determined team spirit like this before. The manager was brilliant and so was our captain, Grant Holt. I hope Norwich City fans will enjoy Canary Premier.”

Green Jack Brewery was founded in 1993 in Oulton Broad and in 2003 it began brewing behind the Triangle Tavern in Lowestoft. It now has its main brewery at Argyll Place, off Love Road.

Please Pre-Order this Ales as there are only 100 firkins available