22nd October 2007
Message on a bottle for people who fought the floods
Hook Norton’s new beer, Inspired is now available in a stylish 500ml bottle. The beer was first brewed in August and was dedicated to those who fought the great floods of 2007.
At first it was available on draught for sale in pubs for a limited period, but it proved so popular that it is now available in bottles for a wider audience. Inspired’s label carries a special inscription on its label to enable drinkers to toast the efforts of friends, family and colleagues who helped tackle the July deluge. It says: "During the course of producing this beer, Oxfordshire suffered devastating floods. We therefore dedicate this beer to all those who have assisted in dealing with the flooding, and demonstrating what fine people there are in this county."
The Brewery itself suffered a flooded cellar and lost about 200 casks of beer while the Hooky pub, the Queens Head, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, Worcestershire has been forced to close until Christmas. Managing Director James Clarke said: "The original intention behind Inspired was to mark Oxfordshire's millennium celebrations. As a result, the beer is not only brewed locally but also uses entirely local ingredients.
"This is the first time in living memory the Brewery has created a totally local brew with Maris Otter barley malt from Swalcliffe, Fuggles hops from Kingston Bagpuize and water from our own wells underneath the Brewery. “We were designing the labels for the new beer and the county was suffering from the floods at the time.
There are two retained firefighters on our staff and they were so busy that it brought it home how much hard work was being done."
Inspired, at 4.5 per cent ABV, was originally brewed as part of the celebrations marking Oxfordshire’s millennium celebrations. Bottles of Inspired can by bought from the Hook Norton Visitor Centre or from the Hook Norton online shop –
