To celebrate its 230th year of brewing beer, Courage is returning to its roots and will once again brew beer in London SE1, thanks to a new collaboration with Southwark Brewing Co.

The Courage SE1 project will see a new limited edition range of cask ales released every two months until February 2018 in celebration of Courage’s London heritage. The beers will be brewed by the team at Southwark Brewing Co. with the guidance of the brew team at Charles Wells, custodians of the Courage brand and heritage.

The collaboration has been formed to blend heritage and experience with innovation and authenticity. Both Courage and Southwark Brewing Co. produce high quality cask ale but sit in very different worlds. The SE1 project combines the best of those worlds to see what can happen when passionate brewers come together. Two beers, a Session IPA and a Smoked Porter, will be released first during London Beer Week (13-19 March) with a series of tours highlighting Courage’s influence on the SE1 area, and a beer tasting of the first two Courage beers to be brewed in SE1 for a generation. These tours can be booked via: https://drinkup.london/beerweek/events/12567/courage-se1-project/

Jason Wills, Marketing Director at Charles Wells said the project perfectly connects the past and future of brewing in SE1: “While the brewery itself may no longer be there, the Courage Cockerel continues to stand proudly upon thousands of London pub signs, mirrors, windows, bars and lighting. Under its gaze, Courage’s homeland has once again become a centre of brewing, boasting a string of new microbreweries, each with their own personality and product. Breweries such as Southwark Brewing Co. continue the fine traditions of London’s ales and stouts, while each adding their own new personality and influences from other brewing cultures

“The Courage SE1 Project will merge the expertise and creativity of brewers from Courage and Southwark Brewing Co. and bring a modern twist to the Courage range that is close to our original London SE1 roots in both location and passion.”

Meanwhile, Peter Jackson, Managing Director, Southwark Brewing Company said the area’s rich brewing history is exactly why he decided to brew beer in SE1: “The brewing heritage of SE1 was important in choosing a location for our brewery, combining a rich history of fine ales with the vibrancy of the regeneration of Southwark and Bermondsey. We researched the history extensively for inspiration for our new beers, and when we were approached by Charles Wells to develop this project, we jumped at the chance.”

After the initial release, Southwark Brewery will produce further five beers, one every two months until February 2018. Full details of the boutique beers being created will be a closely guarded secret until their individual releases, but may include:

• Raspberry Wheat Beer
• Super Citra Pale Ale
• Green Hop Ale
• Hazelnut Brown Ale
• Black IPA

Each beer will only be brewed in small quantities and will be limited editions, so get them while they last.

As part of the Courage SE1 project, the Courage Cockerel has also been given a modern twist, as Jason Wills explains: “The new design, only for use with the project, will be as important to the Courage SE1 project as the original Cockerel is with the heritage Courage brands. The Courage Cockerel is a significant and recognisable symbol but we wanted to give it an update to show the modern ideas behind the Courage SE1 project while also paying respect to the part the Cockerel has played in the history of London brewing. What better way to do so than to have this new version of the Cockerel proudly standing over London, watching as people drink and enjoy its new Courage SE1 beers.”

Pubs interested in stocking Courage beers from the SE1 Project can find more information by contacting [email protected]