Vocation Brewery have announced a line-up of seven seasonal specials this Christmas, from sessions brews to IPAs and indulgent festive stouts.
The Christmas line-up has been developed to help operators cater for wide-ranging tastes and festive drinking occasions, while creating opportunities for discovery and trade-up.
Vocation Brewery’s Beer Census found that almost 70% of drinkers had discovered a new favourite beer or beer style within the previous 12 months. And forty-four per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds said they would visit pubs more often if they could try new and distinctive beers.
“Christmas is one of the biggest commercial opportunities of the year for pubs and bars, and the best festive beer offering balances trusted favourites with something new and seasonal,” said Chris Mitchell, head of marketing at Vocation Brewery.
“It’s a time when customers are often more open to treating themselves and trying something different, giving operators an opportunity to create a sense of occasion while encouraging trade-up.”
Vocation’s new festive draught range includes four keg releases:
- White Gold Panettone White Stout (6% ABV) A smooth, pale stout, brewed with honey, orange peel, raisin, vanilla, cardamom, and cinnamon to recreate the flavours of the classic festive bake.
- Office Party Hazy IPA (5% ABV) A juicy, hazy IPA packed with tropical fruit, citrus, and soft apricot notes, delivering bold modern hop character with a smooth finish.
- Winter Sun Limoncello IPA (6.5% ABV) A light, slightly hazy IPA with vibrant lemon, lime, and citrus notes, inspired by limoncello and balanced by a smooth malt base.
- First Pick Chocolate & Creamy Hazelnut Praline Stout (4.6% ABV) A rich, full-bodied stout with roasted malt, chocolate, creamy hazelnut praline, caramel and vanilla notes.
The cask line-up comprises:
- Huddle Up Galaxy Blonde (4.2% ABV) A golden blonde ale with bright mandarin, citrus, and passionfruit notes, balanced by a soft malt base and clean finish.
- Panic Buy Session Pale (3.4% ABV) A light, easy-drinking session pale with pine, resin, tropical fruit, and citrus hop character, delivering plenty of flavour at a highly sessionable strength.
- Dark Delights Dark Cocoa Stout (4.5% ABV) A smooth stout with layers of caramel, dark chocolate, and gentle roast, brewed with cocoa husks and cocoa powder for a soft hot chocolate character.
Head brewer Rob Heck said: “Different occasions call for different beers, so rather than focusing on one style of festive beer, we’ve created a range that moves from bright, hop-forward and sessionable beers through to richer stouts inspired by flavours such as panettone, dark cocoa and hazelnut praline.”