We’re taking a slightly more in depth look at the Berkshire Breweries that we hope will be available at Bracknell Ale & Wine Festival 2016. First up on our wish list is Windsor & Eton Brewery.
You’ll be able to see all of our brewery focus’s here as we publish them. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the beer list as well to find out which beers will be available this year!
Where is it?
Based on the Vansittart Estate in Windsor just off the A332 by Windsor Leisure Pool, the brewery is – like a number of our local breweries – in a converted industrial building.
Don’t let that fool you though, inside is a glorious fully operational brewery and shop.
A little history
Windsor & Eton came to life in 2010 a full 90 years after the last brewery in the town closed its doors.
The history page of the WEBrew website tells it best: “In just seven weeks we managed to create a new brewery from scratch. On the 1st March 2010, St David’s Day, we began installing the brewing vessels and on 23rd April 2010, St George’s Day, Guardsman Best Bitter was on sale in pubs. Seventy-nine years after the closure of Windsor’s last brewery, beer was back!”
Popular beers
A quick browse of untappd and ratebeer shows the following Windsor & Eton beers to be the most popular according to you, the general public – data correct at the time of publication.
Untappd top 3 – according to the ‘most popular’ menu:
- Knight of the Garter (3.8%)
- Conqueror (5%)
- Marks & Spencer Island Hopper Pale Ale (4.5%)
RateBeer top 3
- Conqueror 1075 (7.4%)
- Conqueror (5%)
- Treetops (4.4%)
Personal recommendation: It doesn’t appear on any of the top three but as much as I like the Conqueror Black IPA, I cannot look past Guardsman (4.2%) as one of the first beers with a real flavour that got me enjoying real ale over anything else.
Did you know?
You can watch live rugby at the brewery. Windsor & Eton have strong rugby connections and regularly donate a percentage of profit from the excellent ‘Zinzan’s Drop’ ale to youth rugby.
Talking of Zinzan, their beer isn’t just named after the famous New Zealand rugby star, it was brewed with his help. To prove it here is the former all black recreating his famous 48-metre 1995 World Cup drop goal in the brewery.
There are more images of Zinzan at the brewery here.
Finally – the brewery has just opened up it’s own pub taking over the lease at the George Inn by Eton Bridge. Well worth a visit.
Important links
Here’s the links you’ll need to get involved with Windsor & Eton Brewery. The website is www.webrew.co.uk and they are on facebook here and twitter here.
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Windsor & Eton Brewery beers will be at Bracknell Ale & Wine Festival 2016, keep an eye on the beer list page to find out which one’s are selected. If this has all wetted your appetite, tickets for the event are on sale now right here.
