Real ale fans in Ilkley will be among the first to sample two of Ilkley Brewery’s latest brews as the town’s Booths store becomes the first supermarket in the UK to take Mary Christmas and Dinner Ale in bottles.
The supermarket, which has been an avid supporter of the spa town brewery since its launch almost four years ago, will be selling the new beers until the end of the year alongside the brewery’s permanent firm favourites, Mary Jane, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Black and Ilkley Pale.
Booths customers will now be able to stock up on Ilkley’s seasonal beer, Mary Christmas, a 4.7% golden ale with hints of festive fruits and spices infused in Caribbean rum. There will also be bottles of Dinner Ale, a 3.3% light, crisp ale based on a recipe from 1894 found in the Ilkley Brewery archives which is designed as the perfect accompaniment to food. Currently, both beers are available on Booths new tasting table for shoppers to sample.
Richard Shelton, Ilkley Brewery’s sales director, said: “Booths has been incredibly supportive of the brewery over the years so it’s great that the store’s customers will be among the first in the country to enjoy Dinner Ale and Mary Christmas at home over the festive period.”
Shawn Dixon, assistant manager at Booths in Ilkley, added: “Ilkley’s beers are popular with our customers throughout the year so we were keen to take on Mary Christmas and Dinner Ale as a way of showcasing some of the brewery’s other ranges and its innovative brewing techniques.
“So far, sales of Mary Christmas and Dinner Ale have been very encouraging and we’ve had lots of interest in the beers from customers keen to stock up their Christmas bars at home.”
*Both beers, along with Ilkley Brewery’s other core range of ales, are available to buy from Booths for £1.99 per bottle.*
For all the latest from the spa town brewery, visit the brewery’s “website”:www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or read its “blog”:www.ilkleybreweryblog.blogspot.com