Adnams Brewery
Encyclopedia
Adnams PLC is a British
regional brewery company founded in 1890 in Southwold
, Suffolk
, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. The earliest recorded brewing on the Adnams site was in 1396 by Johanna de Corby. The company produces cask ale
and pasteurised bottled beers. Annual production is around 85,000 barrels. In 2010, the company established the Copper House Distillery for the production of gin
, vodka
and whisky
.
in Southwold was purchased in 1872 by George and Ernest Adnams. The company was incorporated in 1890, and has remained independent since then, producing a range of beers for distribution mainly in East Anglia
. The Adnams family was joined in 1902 by Pierse Loftus
and his brother Jack, and Adnams still has members of each family on the board, with Jonathan Adnams as chairman and Simon Loftus as a non-executive director.
In 1993, Adnams Extra won the Champion Beer of Britain
(CBOB) - an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA) at the annual Great British Beer Festival
. Adnams remains committed to brewing cask ale and operating non-themed pubs. Cask ale is available in all its 70 pubs, and it supplies more than 1000 other outlets direct. New fermenting vessels were installed in 2001-3 to cope with demand, and the brewhouse was completely re-equipped in 2006-7, making it one of the most energy efficient in Europe. At the beginning of 2004, Adnams purchased land in neighbouring village
of Reydon
to expand its business with a new distribution centre, designed by architect Jeremy Blake, which was nominated for the 2007 RICS East of England Award for Sustainability. Adnams was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise
in the sustainable development category in 2005.
Casks of Adnams ale used to be delivered to the pubs
of Southwold by horse and dray
until September 2006, when the distribution centre
was moved to a new location two miles outside the town. Adnams' most recent advertising campaign has the slogan: "Beer from the Coast". Adnams is also a major regional wine merchant and pub company.
The company founded a charity, The Adnams Charity, in 1990 to celebrate its centenary as a public company. A percentage of the company's annual profits is used to support worthwhile causes within a 25-mile radius of Southwold.
In June 2009, Adnams signed a 5-year agreement to supply Ipswich Town FC with beers at their Portman Road
stadium replacing the 14 year old association with Greene King, which in turn replaced the long links between the Club and Tolly Cobbold
.
The bitter served in the pub featured in Channel 4's Shameless
, The Jockey, is Adnams Old.
Adnams produce regular cask ales, seasonal ales, pasteurised bottled beers and "international" beers:
The range of products currently available are:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
regional brewery company founded in 1890 in Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. The earliest recorded brewing on the Adnams site was in 1396 by Johanna de Corby. The company produces cask ale
Cask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised beer which is conditioned and served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure...
and pasteurised bottled beers. Annual production is around 85,000 barrels. In 2010, the company established the Copper House Distillery for the production of gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
and whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
.
History
The Sole Bay BreweryBrewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Southwold was purchased in 1872 by George and Ernest Adnams. The company was incorporated in 1890, and has remained independent since then, producing a range of beers for distribution mainly in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. The Adnams family was joined in 1902 by Pierse Loftus
Pierse Loftus
Pierse Creagh Loftus was an Irish-born British businessman and Conservative Party politician. A notable figure in the public life of Lowestoft and East Suffolk for several decades, he sat in the House of Commons from 1934 to 1945 as the Member of Parliament for the Lowestoft division of Suffolk.-...
and his brother Jack, and Adnams still has members of each family on the board, with Jonathan Adnams as chairman and Simon Loftus as a non-executive director.
In 1993, Adnams Extra won the Champion Beer of Britain
Champion Beer of Britain
The Champion Beer of Britain is an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale , at their annual Great British Beer Festival in early August. Beers can qualify in three ways:...
(CBOB) - an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA) at the annual Great British Beer Festival
Great British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
. Adnams remains committed to brewing cask ale and operating non-themed pubs. Cask ale is available in all its 70 pubs, and it supplies more than 1000 other outlets direct. New fermenting vessels were installed in 2001-3 to cope with demand, and the brewhouse was completely re-equipped in 2006-7, making it one of the most energy efficient in Europe. At the beginning of 2004, Adnams purchased land in neighbouring village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Reydon
Reydon
Reydon is a village and civil parish, north-west from Southwold and south east of Wangford in Waveney District and the ceremonial county of Suffolk in England. It has a population of 2,567....
to expand its business with a new distribution centre, designed by architect Jeremy Blake, which was nominated for the 2007 RICS East of England Award for Sustainability. Adnams was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise
Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses...
in the sustainable development category in 2005.
Other details
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
of Southwold by horse and dray
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
until September 2006, when the distribution centre
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
was moved to a new location two miles outside the town. Adnams' most recent advertising campaign has the slogan: "Beer from the Coast". Adnams is also a major regional wine merchant and pub company.
The company founded a charity, The Adnams Charity, in 1990 to celebrate its centenary as a public company. A percentage of the company's annual profits is used to support worthwhile causes within a 25-mile radius of Southwold.
In June 2009, Adnams signed a 5-year agreement to supply Ipswich Town FC with beers at their Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
stadium replacing the 14 year old association with Greene King, which in turn replaced the long links between the Club and Tolly Cobbold
Tolly Cobbold
Tolly Cobbold is a former brewing company, with strong roots in Suffolk, England.The original Cobbold brewery was founded in Harwich, Essex in 1723. The name Tolly Cobbold is an amalgamation of the two family run brewers the Tollemache Brewery owned by the Tollemache family and Cobbold Brewery...
.
The bitter served in the pub featured in Channel 4's Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
, The Jockey, is Adnams Old.
Beers
Regular beers
- Southwold Bitter, a 3.7% abv session bitter. This was renamed from plain "Bitter" and the packaging redesigned in May 2011.
- Broadside, a 4.7% abv premium bitter
- Explorer, a 4.3% golden bitter that was introduced in 2004 as a summer seasonal; it became a regular beer in February 2006
Seasonal
- Ghost Ship, a 4.5% abv pale ale is available May through to October
- May Day, a 5.0% abv golden ale, available April and May, is made with East Anglian Pale Ale malt, and hopped with First Gold
- Old Ale, a 4.1% "cold weather beer", introduced October 2006
- Oyster Stout, a 4.3% abv winter stout, available February and March, is made from East Anglian Pale Ale Malt, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, roasted Barley and English Golding hops
- Regatta, a 4.3% abv golden ale for summer, is available April through to August
- Tally Ho, a 7.0% barley wine, limited availability
- Yuletide, a 4.5% abv Christmas beer, available from mid-November, is brewed with Maris Otter, Chocolate and Amber Malts and Boadicea & Chinook Hops
Bottles
- Broadside, a 6.3% bottled strong ale
- East Green, a 4.3%, a carbon neutralCarbon neutralCarbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference...
beer with a lighter bottle made with 15% recycled glass - Explorer, a 5.5% bottled ale which, like the cask Explorer, is a blend of English and American styles
- Gun Hill, a 4.0% bottled dark mild
- Lighthouse, a 3.4% bottled traditional pale ale; recipe based on an award winning beer that used to be brewed called 'Champion Pale Ale'
- Tally Ho, a bottled version of the barley wine which, at 7.2%, is slightly stronger than its cask equivalent
- The Bitter (formerly Suffolk Strong Ale) 4.5% bottled version of the retired cask Extra
- Spindrift, a 5.0% abv golden bitter, in bottles from 2010.
International Beers
From time to time, Adnams produce limited brews of speciality beers, either in the styles of non-UK beers, or using special international ingredients. These beers are usually available only from selected outlets. Past and current international beers have included:-- New Zealand Pale Ale, a 4.0% abv cask beer brewed using Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand
- American Style IPA, a 4.8% abv cask beer using Californian yeast and American hop varieties
- Belgian Style Abbey Ale, a 5.0% abv cask beer
- Spiced Winter Beer, a 4.0% abv cask beer incorporating cinnamon, juniper and other spices
- Dutch Style Bokbier, a 5.3% abv cask beer
Spirits
In 2010, the company set up The Copper House Distillery for the purpose of distilling high-quality “hand-crafted” spirits.The range of products currently available are:
Gins
- First Rate, 48% abv distilled from barley, wheat and oats
- Adnams Distilled Gin, an aromatic 40% abv gin distilled from malted barley
Vodkas
- Longshore Premium, 48% abv distilled from wheat, barley and oats
- Barley Vodka, 40% abv distilled from malted barley
- North Cove Oak Aged, 50% abv matured in oak casks
Liqueurs
- Limoncello, a "limited-edition" liqueur made from a base of the Longshore Premium vodka, infused with lemon zest