Arctic Ale is Back.

Living as I do in the antediluvian world of Allsopp’s, there are certain moments in the year when I achieve pure happiness.

Without question, today is one of those days. For the 1st December marks the annual launch of Arctic Ale which is available at the Blue Stoops and, of course, elsewhere, for the month of December only.

In a story shot through with Royal and Naval history, Allsopp’s was commissioned by Queen Victoria to brew a beer for her ships to take on exploratory expeditions to the Arctic regions. The result, Arctic Ale, was and is brewed to 11% to prevent it from freezing. Even now it is the definitive drink for keeping out the cold.

I can think of no better accompaniment for a seasonal celebration than this drink. Should you happen to be passing the pub, you might well find me at the bar, steadying my hand with a consoling half (owing to its strength, we do not sell it by the pint).

Should you wish to learn more about the fascinating history of the beer and the expeditions it was taken on, here is an extract from a history of Allsopp's that we are working on.

There is also a marvellous BBC series, The Terror, now available on Amazon, which dramatises the terrifying attempts by the British Navy to find the North-West Passage in the mid-19th Century. Arctic Ale features in the opening scene of episode 1

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