Introducing ProjectX: 2024

At Brewser, we believe that the best things in life come from collaboration, creativity, and a good dose of fun. That’s why we’re beyond excited to announce the return of ProjectX for 2024!

For those who missed out last year, ProjectX is more than just a box of beer. It’s a celebration of the UK’s vibrant craft beer scene and a testament to what happens when passionate brewers come together to create something truly special. This year, we’ve once again partnered with twelve of the best independent breweries in the UK to bring you six outrageously good beers. But that’s not all—we’re taking it to the next level with the incredible artistic talents of Tom Moore (the man behind New Bristol’s can art), who’s designed a whole new set of can labels to match the imaginative brews inside.

What’s New for 2024?

This year’s theme celebrates “The Fun Side of Space Exploration”. Picture it: the boldness of the space race, but with a cheeky twist. Each beer in the box comes with its own lighthearted, out-of-this-world story—whether it’s an ode to a mischief-making astronaut or a quirky spin on an iconic space mission. Expect the unexpected! Our branding has always been linked to the act of beer exploration, and so this theme to accompany our biggest project of the year seemed just perfect!

Tom has outdone himself with stunning artwork that brings these space stories to life. Each label is a masterpiece in its own right, perfectly capturing the playful essence of both the beer inside and the theme as a whole.

Why ProjectX?

At its core, ProjectX is about celebrating collaboration. The craft beer industry thrives when brewers work together, exchanging ideas and experimenting with new techniques. This box of six brews represents the very best of that collaboration, crafted by and for the people who live and breathe craft beer. We toyed with the idea of a beer advent calendar, but instead we wanted to focus on the beers and breweries without the gimmicks, and give our community something truly unique and special.

And that’s the other thing that ProjectX celebrates – community. The UK craft beer scene is one of the most exciting in the world, and ProjectX highlights the innovation, passion, and creativity that define it. Whether you’re a seasoned craft beer expert, or just getting started on your beer journey, this box is for you.

Mark Your Calendars!

The wait is almost over — ProjectX goes on sale next week, and trust us, you’re going to want to get your hands on one of these boxes before they’re gone. Last year, ProjectX completely sold out, and with the buzz already building around this year’s theme, we expect these boxes to fly off the (virtual) shelves even faster.

Get ready for an epic journey into the world of craft beer and space exploration.

There’s something truly special about brewing in the heart of The New Forest. The combination of ancient woodlands, fresh air, and a love for craft beer makes it a unique spot for creating bold, flavoursome brews. Recently, we had the chance to team up with Vibrant Forest, one of the region’s most exciting breweries, for a collaboration brew that celebrates both nature and hops. The result? A one-of-a-kind IPA featuring the distinct and punchy character of New Zealand hops.

The Collaboration Begins

When the idea of collaborating on an IPA arose, we knew it was an opportunity to do something special. After a few rounds of discussion, we landed on using New Zealand hops, prized for their bright, tropical flavours and the unique twist they bring to hoppy beers.

Brewing at Vibrant Forest’s premises in the heart of the New Forest added an extra layer of inspiration. The brewery, nestled in this stunning environment, feels like a sanctuary for creativity, and it seemed only fitting to brew something vibrant and full of life in such a place.

The Magic of New Zealand Hops

Why New Zealand hops? These hops are known for their striking flavour profiles—expect notes of passionfruit, citrus, gooseberry, and sometimes even a hint of white wine. They’re unlike any other hops, offering a fresh and aromatic quality that can’t be replicated. In this IPA, we used a carefully curated blend of varieties like Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, and Rakau, each bringing its own layer of complexity.

• Nelson Sauvin: Known for its intense aroma, with flavors of white wine and crushed gooseberries, this hop gives the beer a crisp, aromatic quality.
• Motueka: A hop with a balanced blend of tropical fruit and lime zest, it adds a refreshing citrusy punch.
• Pacific Sunrise: Lemon and orange citrus drive this hop-forward variety, with tropical hits of melon and mango riding shotgun. 
• Riwaka: Riwaka hops are one of the most prized varities to come out of New Zealand. Powerful citrus flavours, especially grapefruit. An almost 1:1 ratio of alpha to beta acids give this hop a strong sweet citrus note.

The Brewing Process

Brewing day was all about balancing creativity with precision. At Vibrant Forest, their brew kit provided everything needed to craft this IPA, from the malt bill to the fermentation process. The focus was on enhancing the tropical flavours of the hops without overpowering the beer’s drinkability.

We started with a light malt base to allow the hops to shine through. As the boil progressed, the aroma in the brewhouse became intense, with waves of citrus, passionfruit, and tropical fruit filling the air. Dry hopping post-fermentation helped amplify these bold flavours even further, giving the IPA a bright, refreshing finish.

The Result: A Celebration of Bold Flavors

The end result is a vibrant, refreshing IPA that showcases the best of New Zealand’s hop varieties. Expect a burst of tropical fruit on the nose, with a juicy, citrus-forward flavour that finishes crisp and clean. It’s a beer that feels both familiar and new, balancing bold hop intensity with smooth drinkability—perfect for those late summer evenings in the New Forest.

Stay Tuned for the Release

This IPA will be available for October Discovery Boxes and on draught at Vibrant Forest’s taproom and select venues. We can’t wait for you to try it and experience the flavours of New Zealand hops with a dash of New Forest magic!

Cheers!
Olly

We currently have an incredible box live from Burning Sky. It features 10 of their finest brews, and a sensational branded glass! Although you may have heard of Burning Sky, you might not know too much about the small team behind it, so we wanted to introduce you!

Burning Sky was founded by Mark Tranter in 2013. His brewing career started in 1996 when whilst working as a chef and having a beer with friends, he was unexpectedly offered a job with Dark Star based on the quality of his home brewed beers. Mark was awarded Brewer of the Year by the Guild of British Beer Writers in 2014 and is currently the Brewers Congress Brewer of the Year. Joining Mark, is a small, highly talented team of miscreants all dedicated to creating the best beer possible, from cool cask beers to mixed fermentation farmhouse beers, via IPA’s & Porters, then all the way back again.

The brewery is located in refurbished farm buildings in a beautiful village called Firle in the foothills of the South Downs. Burning Sky is a true farmhouse brewery. Their beers are inspired by the history of British and Belgian brewing traditions, along with the American Craft Brewers. They produce a wide range of beer styles from fresh cask and keg ales (with a distinct devotion to well balanced hop forward beers), to barrel aged mixed fermentation beers. The team strive in a quest to make world class beers across all styles and formats – embracing brewing traditions in harmony with modern methods and tastes.

Burning Sky was the first modern British brewery to invest in large oak vats for ageing beers and also the first to install a coolship for making spontaneously fermented beers in the tradition of the lambic breweries of Belgium. They have won many awards over the years, including the BBC Food and Farming Awards, the World Beer Cup, many SIBA industry awards – the most recent one being the best UK beer overall in small pack. 

And here are three stand-out beers that you can expect in the 10-pack, with tasting notes from the team!

Arise
‘Cos it’s our mainstay and we make (and drink) a fair amount of it! A sessionable pale ale brewed with Pilsner and wheat malts. Backed up with a charge of Citra, Centennial and Amarillo hops to give peach, pine and resinous aromas – full of flavour but so easy to drink.

Robust Porter
Shows our command of the dark side. Maris Otter barley and a complex range of roast and crystal malts, it’s complex but totally balanced Hopped with UK varieties, this rich and satisfying beer will fortify you.

Petite Farmhouse
Because no one else in the UK really does this. It’s a mixed fermentation small beer, light and easy drinking. Aged in white wine barrels and then dry hopped for a refreshing finish before canning. It made the top 50 UK beers earlier this year, voted for and by brewers.

I beat my 4:15am alarm by fifteen minutes and can hardly contain the excitement of my first trip to Northern Ireland, let alone getting back behind the paddle to brew our next collab. Making my way through the sleepy old world of Shrewsbury, I reflect on how the next collab idea came about.

Chris Morris, of Modest Beer, had dropped me an email at the end of January to see what plans we had for St. Patrick’s Day (at that point, we didn’t have many…). I was stoked to hear from Chris, as Ash had kindly shared the Modest box he had for photography and, well, If you haven’t tried Modest Beer before, you’re in for a treat.

Chris is a one-man-band operation, brewing some of the finest hazy beers around. What I like about their box (which features 9 cans and tasting notes), is that ABV tends to stay around 4-6%. You do get some that will sneak over or below, but that sessionable range is my sweet-spot at the moment, and the flavours Chris is able to pack in to his beer is outstanding.

We jumped on a call together and what started as being a box featuring a couple of NI breweries soon turned into a bigger collaboration, featuring 6 breweries from the Island of Ireland, 11 cans, including an exclusive collab DIPA chucked in for good measure. We reached out to all the breweries who were happy to be involved and a date was set for the collab brew.

Having now made it safely across the water, I’m stood outside Belfast airport waiting for my ride from the Bullhouse team. It was my first-time meeting both Mark and Gary and I was particularly excited to meet Mark as I know he’s been a subscriber of ours for some time.

We drove about an hour Northwest and got to where Modest Beer is located, high above Randalstown in Country Antrim, with beautiful views overlooking Lough Neagh. Sam from Lacada, and Michael from Our Brewery were awaiting our arrival with Chris. It was bloody cold, but we were fortunate for a clear day to be able to see the views.

One of the best views of the day though was of Chris’s brew kit. It is a small set up, but unlike any other kit I’ve seen before. It’s manufactured by Brewiks and all tanks are sat on casters so he can move them around as he pleases. It’s pretty-state-of-the-art but also has fair amount of getting your hands dirty (I left the digging of the mash out to Gary and Sam).

The Beer
This one-off Brewser exclusive collab beer is a creamy and soft DIPA packed full of Motueka and Citra, bringing punchy tropical fruit flavours, sweet lime and orange.
ABV: 7.6%
Hot Side Hops: Idaho 7, Mosaic
Dry Hop: Citra, Citra Cryo, Motueka

With the hard work done (by everyone else), we made a beeline for Belfast to visit the Bullhouse East taproom. We were honoured to also be joined by the one and only Neil Delargy (REFTSC5EFKMWY – IYKYK). If you’re heading to Belfast, this taproom is a must-visit. Everything from your craft bar heaven: the three-piece foldable beer tables, 20 taps of draught to choose from, a beer fridge stocked with all sorts of delicious beery goodness and of course, pizza! We were well looked after by our hosts and would like to thank all the staff for a great night.

You’ll hear it a lot from everyone in the industry, ‘one of the best things about craft beer is the community and the people that work in this industry.’ Northern Ireland is no exception, in fact it’s hard to find a stronger community of craft beer lovers anywhere.

The restrictions and licensing laws of NI make it extremely difficult for these independent breweries to get their beers out and therefore promote craft beer to a wider audience. Outside of the 2-3 taprooms in Belfast, I understand that a mere 20 keg lines are free for local breweries, out of 1,100 pubs. Big beer and drinks companies own all of the lines and therefore only their products are allowed to pour, that’s what keeps this craft beer community so tight and passionate about their beer, you have to work hard to make it, and drink it.

We’ve brought together the best breweries from the Island of Ireland for this special box. This is your chance to sample some of their most-loved beers, try something new and support these fantastic teams – all in celebration of St Patricks Day.

So put down that pint of Guinness and pick up Lacada’s Shamrock Pinnacle whilst you thank the brew gods for independent brewing and the joy of discovering something new.

Sláinte! 

Like many good ventures, Modest Beer was born in a parent’s garage in Holywood (with one L) when Chris Morris, a tax accountant by day, brewed a small experimental batch of Kölsch for a friend’s restaurant. The beer was a quick success, pleasing man and spreadsheet alike, inspiring both parties to collaborate long term and for Chris to build a proper brewery.

Whilst the brewery started out at the end of 2019 as a side project for Chris while he continued to work full-time, it quickly outgrew the original premises and is now a full-time operation in a commercial unit located 30 miles up the road in Randalstown, County Antrim. 

Whilst the name of the brewery does a lot of the heavy lifting, one of the core values behind Modest Beer is ‘appreciating life’s smaller joys’. This is exemplified through the simplicity of the design and language that we like to use, and also by our approach to brewing. Simplicity not to be mistaken for basic or budget, because there is an emphasis on high quality, considered details, and refined finishes. We love to take time to ‘stop and smell the roses’ here and we want the taste of a Modest Beer to be something that reminds you to pause and appreciate it for what it is. 

One of our recent releases – a Fresh Hopped Harvest Beer brewed exclusively with Northern Irish grown Fuggles hops – is a shining example of this approach. With deep notes of caramel, toffee and digestive biscuit from the Crisp heritage and speciality malt base, and a herbaceous and spicy finish from the fresh hops, it’s the perfect Autumnal sup (now available in the Modest Beer showcase boxes for December and January).

Do you know what Fresh/Green hops are and why you should care? To help answer that question, we’ve linked a thought-provoking article written my Matthew Curtis (award winner writer, photographer and broadcaster) written for the for the Get ‘Er Brewed Blog, entitled “Lose the Lederhosen — On Green Hopped Beers and The UK’s Appropriation of Oktoberfest” for your morning coffee break.

Oktoberfest UK – Get Er Brewed Blog

Don’t misunderstand us, we like donning lederhosen as much as the next person, but while we have a glut of fresh hops down the road and the stunning beauty of Autumn closing in, you’ll forgive us for not giving two hoots of a tuba.

www.brewser.beer/brewery/modest-beer

Six collaboration brew days across the UK in the space of a couple of weeks was a daunting prospect at the start of 2023’s Xmas ProjectX. Thankfully, craft breweries are known for their hospitality, and we relished the opportunity to catch-up with many of our partners in person. There are fewer hospitable breweries than the father-and-son run Pastore Brewing in Waterbeach near Cambridge. I headed there on a crisp October morning to help brew Cosmic Snowball – the Pastore x Vault City collaboration imperial sour based on a Snowball Cocktail.

After a short walk through the beautiful Waterbeach village, I was greeted by the ever-smiling Chris and Ben Shepherd – the father and son behind Pastore. By the way, if you’re wondering how it should be pronounced, it’s “Pas-tor-ray” – Italian for ‘Shepherd’. Both being big Wolves fans, it was only right that we discussed the start of the season over a coffee before meeting the rest of the team and the wonderful brew kit that they work on. With the brew underway, Chris and I went to pick up lunch, and I got to learn more about two of the friendliest people in the business. As well as developing his brewing skills on a 50L kit focussing on Belgian Dubbel, Chris has worked most of his career as a software engineer. He taught Ben how to brew at home, and Ben went on to study brewing at Heriot Watt, travel the US, and come up with the idea for a mixed-ferm brewery. This combined love of old and new-world mixed-ferm beers gives Pastore’s beers their characteristic style to this day.

I asked the team about their process for coming up with new recipes, and here’s what they said:

“When devising beer ideas at Pastore, we usually start by identifying a theme (e.g. cocktails! fruit crumbles!), and then bombarding each other with ideas that fit, however loosely, said theme. We seek to design beers that fit not just the theme but that also take other factors into account – so the choice of cocktail we’re seeking to mimic, or the fruit selection, will be influenced by many factors including seasonality. From that point, we work backwards from the idea to a recipe and brew process. We are super flexible on fruits and other adjuncts, including natural flavourings and / or extracts where these will add value to the flavour profile we are seeking. We never add lactose, though, and all our sours contain living yeast and lactobacillus cultures (not kettle-soured, not pasteurised). Over the years we’ve gotten better at understanding what will make a great-tasting beer and have grown more confident with our use of ingredients and the ways in which we combine them. And when collaborating with skilled beer designers from other breweries, the fusion of experience and ideas can lift things to a whole new level!”

Pastore’s mission is to help make the UK a centre of modern, innovative sour and mixed-fermentation brewing. With their attention to detail, charismatic style and wonderful taproom, Pastore are doing all they can to raise the profile of sour and mixed-ferm beers in Waterbeach and beyond. I loved spending the day with the team and learning about their past and present, almost as much as I loved trying Cosmic Snowball at our Birthday party – it’s a triumph!

Turning Point Brew Co. is run by a small team of beer lovers with a clear mission: brew their favourite beers and have a good time. Their site recently located to Knaresborough, after two (and a bit) years at the original site in Kirkbymoorside.

The brewery launched into orbit in 2017, with Aron & Cameron calling time on the day jobs and never looking back. Since then, Turning Point have been busy brewing as many unique beers as possible. Whilst modestly honing their craft, they are learning everything they can about the mysterious liquid, and trying their damnedest to cram as much fun into every minute of it as possible.

Alongside the brewery is the incredible taproom Turning Point Taproom in Knaresborough, but you can also get the full Turning Point experience at The Outpost (Spark) and The Falcon, both in York. They invite you into their little world filled with hops, good music, and space travel.

Turning Point’s showcase delivers everything you’d expect from this amazing team. Keep those eyes peeled for a super special Dark Box being released for Winter 2023…

www.brewser.beer/brewery/turning-point-brew-co

Rivington Brew Co is home to one of the greatest craft beer locations in the country. A spot that showcases the beauty of the local area, and the beer that comes from it. We were lucky enough to visit Rivington Brew Co not too long ago for High Hills Fest and to brew our latest collab (At Least You Landed It), where we met 17-yr old brewer – Hattie.

Having worked in Rivington’s taproom, Hattie wanted to learn more about brewing, but wasn’t sure how to get the ball rolling… The stars aligned when she found out she could enrol in Nottingham’s Brewing Apprenticeship program and gain hands-on experience in Rivington’s brewery. Hattie says the apprenticeship attracted her because she could leverage practical learning whilst developing her technical skills in science and maths.

But she had to forge her own path, with very little information available at school about how to get into brewing. After a conversation with Rivington’s Ben, a day spent in the brewery and confirming she was eligible for Nottingham’s program, she didn’t look back. Unfortunately, young women in brewing are a rarity, and Hattie recognises more can be done to make brewing a more accessible career path for young people. She suggests that more talks in schools from brewers, more women in brewing events, and more conversation with female brewers would help make the industry less intimidating.

Hattie’s open to any young prospective brewers reaching out to her to ask questions about her journey so far – so if you, or anyone you know, is looking to start a career as a brewer, don’t pass up that opportunity! @hattielily8166 on Instagram. And a huge thanks to Hattie and the Rivington team for hosting us and letting us share this story!

To celebrate the release of Duration’s limited edition Lager and Mixed Ferm box, we’re diving a little deeper into the story of this special, rural brewery. In 2019 founders Bates and Miranda opened Duration Brewing in a converted 10th century stone barn in West Norfolk to make beautifully balanced beers that reflect Norfolk’s agricultural heritage.

They produce a fresh range of session strength IPAs, Pales and Lagers made to drink fresh alongside some mixed fermentation and barrel-aged wild ales that evolve slowly over time.Duration has scooped 18 awards since opening 3.5 years ago including Best New Beer of 2021 for Turtles their flagship IPA and ranked in the Top Ten New Breweries Worldwide on Ratebeer in 2020 while quietly trebling their team and production capacity.

Nestled in ancient woodland on a working farm by an idyllic chalk river the brewery is on the Rebellion Way bike route and close to the Peddars Way walking trail. This means you enjoy a farm-to-glass pint at Duration’s taproom as part of your own Norfolk adventure. Founder-led tours let you learn more about their farmhouse ethos of making ‘Beers That Belong’. Head Brewer Bates who hails from South Carolina says “Norfolk reminds me of his beloved south. Big skies and a whole lot of nothing going on. People living in the seasons and connected to the land. I try to convey that sense of belonging to a place in my beers”.

Co-founder Miranda says “We’ve added local honey, apples, flowers and even oysters into our beers. Our location also plays a big part in naming our beers: Bet The Farm from watching the barley harvest come in and Sweeping Coast from sunny family days out on beaches”.When you crack your next can of Duration take a beat, slow it down remember life can be fleeting. It’s sometimes good to think of your place in it all with a good beer in hand. Cheers!

www.brewser.beer/brewery/duration

Julie is the co-founder of Neptune and Head of Sales & Events. As well as managing the day-to-day brewery ops and team, Julie is hands-on with brewing on occasions too. As Neptune opens its first Beer House in Maghull, Julie will also be overseeing that project when it is due to open in April 2023.

“Neptune has always been about brewing well-made, consistent and highly drinkable beers. We love offering a wide variety for all drinkers but the key thing is that people enjoy the Neptune beer they’re having and want to have another one.”

Just before joining Neptune full-time, she founded the Liverpool-based women’s social group Ladies That Beer in response to not seeing enough other women at beer events and festivals, and wanting to create a safe space for that.

Established in 2015, the group meets monthly in pubs and bars across Liverpool and beyond, and has the aim to encourage women to drink and appreciate beer – learning about the different styles and how they’re made. They enjoy days out and have brewed with several well-known breweries.

Chess joined the Neptune team in 2021 as Sales & Beer Experience Manager. She’s a Beer Sommelier, Certified Cicerone® and judges in national and international beer competitions. She likes to bring her expertise and enthusiasm to deliver activities that engage with both beer-lovers and newbies alike.

A Stockport resident, Chess has also founded a Manchester Chapter of Crafty Beer Girls, a social group for beer-loving and beer-curious women. They meet monthly in indie venues across Greater Manchester, with new faces joining each time. It’s a real mix of those in the industry and those who simply enjoy their beer and its aims are simple.

“We just want to encourage other women to enjoy beer and offer a welcoming space for those who are curious but don’t have any pals who share this interest. Manchester has so many fantastic venues that champion great beer and we want to support that as much as we can.”