Adnams has launched a county-wide appeal for donations of wild and garden hops and is urging beer lovers to report sightings of them growing to help create a new Wild Hop beer, due to be launched this autumn.

The recipe for the new beer – which is set to be an amber pale ale – requires hops that are freshly-picked and that have skipped the drying process. The brewery is asking the public to let them know if they have hops growing in their garden which they are willing to donate, or if they know where wild hops are located.

To ensure a truly fresh, green hop beer, the collected hops will be frozen until the brewing date and will be mixed with a few tamed garden and commercially grown hops. There will be just one brew of the Wild Hop beer which will be in pubs in the autumn.

Fergus Fitzgerald, head brewer at Adnams, said: “We are very excited about this new beer as it is the first time that we’ve used wild and green hops. By sourcing hops in this way, there will be an unknown mix of varieties to work with and each is likely to be grown in varying soil types – which means it’s all slightly unpredictable, but that’s what makes it so interesting!

“By concentrating heavily on the hop flavours, we will create a brew full of fresh, grassy, citrus and pine flavours and aromas – a true taste of East Anglia. We have already spotted a few wild hops growing and have the landowners’ permission to pick them, but it would be great to get a few more. We’ve promised to give anyone who donates garden or wild hops, some of the finished beer as a thank you to for their foraging.”

You can find out more about hop spotting at the Adnams website.