We were a little surprised when asked to design a beer inspired by a winning horse, but inspiration can come from anywhere, right? The beer, coming from a beautifully dark brown horse obviously needed some colour, and we wanted it to be bold and powerful, but not so heavy so as to be weighed down - just like a top racehorse!
We wanted it to be a celebratory drink, light enough for the summer weather, but flavourful and something that stands out from the others. We settled on the underappreciated style of a nut-brown ale, and when we say “nut brown”, the nutty flavours come from the malt and yeast alone.

A rather complex malt bill consisting of pilsner, and small portions of caramel, melanoidin, amber and chocolate malts. The goal with the malt was to layer different caramel, sweet, nutty, toasty, and bread-like characteristics onto this beer, without leaving it too sweet and heavy. We balance this malt sweetness with a classic bittering profile, using some Willamette hops. This beer was fermented with a dry English strain to keep it both characterful but also not cloying. Don’t let the colour fool you - this beer goes down almost too easily, while still loaded with as much personality as a popular retired racehorse.