Guide to fresh beer this Christmas 2024
To guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve order by Monday 16th December
Read our helpful guide to our beers and containers including how to order, how to have them delivered and picked up, and how to keep and enjoy them during the this Christmas season.
WHAT FRESH BEER IS AVAILABLE:
CASK ALE:
- TEA, 4.2% - Traditional English Ale
- Surrey Nirvana, 4% - session IPA
LIMITED EDITION CASK ALE. - WHEN IT'S GONE ITS GONE
- Advent Ale, 4.4% - seasonal dark beer (Available from 6th December)
- Mistletoe & Swine, 4.2% - seasonal mulled ale (available from 13th December)
- Fairy Tale of New Pork, 4% - seasonal smoky ale (available from 20th December)
KEGGED BEER:
WHAT BEER CONTAINERS DO WE HAVE:
The type of beer you choose will determine which container types you can pick from.
We offer beer in a variety of sizes from 1.75 pints up to 72 pints! Choose from a reusable glass Snifter and Snorter, plastic PET bottle, Mini Keg, 20 pint, 40 pint beer boxes or cask.
Generally speaking, kegged beers tend to lose their carbonation faster than cask ales. Beer is kept fresher in glass containers than in plastic ones.
In the bigger size containers, cask ales are available as either bright or sedimented. Like in a pub, bright beer is ready to drink. Tiny yeast particles in sedimented beer keep the beer "alive" and, if left undisturbed, fall innocuously to the bottom, extending its shelf life.
We always advise drinking your beer as fresh as possible to get the most out of it. Always drink your beer before the label's Best Before date, regardless of the type or container you select.
Our Handy Guide to Containers:
Size: 1.75 or 3.5 pints.
Unopened, lasts for up to a week.
Once opened, best consumed within 24 hours.
Size: 5 litres (around 9 pints).
Unopened, lasts for up to a week.
Once opened, consumed within 3 days.
*Not suitable Hazy Hog
*One Planet Hazy IPA will not be sold in this vessel
Plastic bottle
Size: 3.5, 5.5, 9 pints.
Unopened, lasts for up to 3 days.
Once opened, best consumed within 24 hours.
Piggin and Pin - Bright Cask Ale
Quantity - Piggin 20 pints or Pin 40 pints.
Unopened, lasts for up to 3 days.
Once opened, best consumed within 24 hours.
Pin and Piggin - Sedimented Cask Ale
Size: Piggin (~18 pints of drinkable beer) or Pin (~36 pints of drinkable beer)
Unopened, lasts for up to 3 weeks (please check best before date).
Once opened, best consumed within 2-3 days.
Firkin - Bright Cask Ale
Size: Around 72 drinkable pints of cask ale only.
Unopened, lasts for up to 3 days.
Once opened, best consumed within 24 hours.
Firkin - Sedimented Cask Ale
Size: Around 67 drinkable pints of cask ale only.
Unopened, lasts for up to 3 weeks (please check Best Before date on the label).
Once opened, best consumed within 3 days.
Check Out Our Quick Guide To Fresh Beer This Christmas
How to Store and Serve Your Beer
Here’s a quick guide to keeping your beer fresh and tasty:
Storing Beer
Cask Ale:
We recommend you store our cask ale in a cool, dry place at 11–13°C.
Prefer it colder? You can refrigerate it, but it may develop a harmless "chill haze."
Kegged Beer:
We recommend you store and serve all our kegged beers and cider at below 5°C.
General Tips:
Keep beer out of direct sunlight.
Check Best Before dates as the beer should be consumed before this
Serving Beer
Once opened:
Drink within 24 hours for best freshness.
For sedimented beer: Best drunk within 3 days.
Piggins and Pins may swell slightly but don't worry, just follow the instructions on the box to release the pressure.
Handling Sedimented Cask Ale:
Sedimented cask ale contains yeast, so it needs 48 hours to settle and turn 'Bright' after moving.
Once settled, avoid moving it again to keep the beer clear.
Set up the beer in the same spot you’ll serve from, ensuring the room is at a suitable temperature.Protect surfaces and floors in case of drips and spillage.
Tapping a Cask:
If you buy one of our firkins from the Brewery Shop, we'll provide you with all the necessary equipment and the shop team will show you exactly how to set up the firkin and pour it. You just need to provide the rubber mallet! Sometimes beer can be a little lively so it's best to set your firkin up somewhere suitable and protect surfaces!
If you place a fresh beer order now for Local Delivery, we will assume you want it delivered now. If you want it delivered w/c 16th December, please put a comment in the Notes box.
How can I order my beer?
Order online for Home Delivery:
We offer a Local Delivery service (up to roughly 30 miles from the Brewery but please check our Local Delivery FAQs to check if your postcode is included) and a courier service to most of mainland UK. If you're looking for nationwide draught beer, we can only send, Mini Kegs and Sedimented Piggins and Pins.
Our drivers will be very busy w/c 16th December trying to accommodate your fresh beer Local Delivery. As a general guide for w/c 16th December, we will be delivering to our Local Delivery postcodes on these days:
Monday 16th December - our GU and RH postcodes
Tuesday 17th December - our GU, TW, KT, SM and RH postcodes
Wednesday 18th December - our GU postcodes
Thursday 19th December - our GU, RG and SO postcodes
Friday 20th December - our GU, RG and SL postcodes
Please bear this in mind when placing your order as you may wish to choose a container which keeps the beer fresher for longer, or alternatively to use our Click & Collect service.
Click & Collect from the Brewery
Just place your order online and choose the date you want to collect from the Brewery Shop. Make sure you check our beer recommendations above so your beer will still be fresh for the day you'll be drinking it. Check out our shop Christmas and New Year opening hours. The last day to place your Click & Collect order is Friday 20th December. You can collect up to and including Tuesday 24th December.
What is the last date for online ordering of Fresh Beer for Home Delivery?
The last date for ordering using our Local Delivery or national courier is by Monday 16th December so we've got time to process your order and arrange delivery.
We strongly recommend emailing the Brewery Shop in advance of placing any large draught orders.
Can I buy fresh beer from the Brewery shop if I haven't ordered it?
Yes! Pop by and our team will be happy to help and can pour your beer while you wait. Check out our shop Christmas and New Year opening hours.
What to choose? You can usually try a small sample of draught beer before deciding. During busy times, this might not be possible, so we appreciate your patience. For event planning, contact us in advance to arrange a tasting.
We hope you have found this useful. The team in the shop are here to help, you can chat to them in store, drop them a message at shop@hogsback.co.uk, use our live chat on our website or call 01252784495.
Look out for the launch of our new Christmas beers!
Information correct at time of publishing 6th December 2024.
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