The Queen of Beers

As beers commemorating the King’s coronation hit the pubs and off licences, Simon Stabler raises a glass to a beer brewed to mark the last such event

- Simon Stabler

You may recall that, back in June 2017, I marked the sapphire jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II by tasting a selection of beers brewed to commemorate her silver jubilee. It’s certainly an occasion that I am unlikely to forget, having developed a throat infection from one of the beers that had become contaminated during its 40 years in storage.

Thankfully, it is still just about possible to sample a beer brewed to mark Her late Majesty’s coronation without having to resort to a course of antibiotics and cries of “I told you so” from loved ones. Originally a dark barley wine, Elizabethan Ale was first produced by Harvey & Son of Lewes, East Sussex in 1953 and was so popular that it continued to be produced for every year of the late queen’s reign.

Although the label, which was designed by a local artist and features the Tudor crown and Drake’s ship the Golden Hind, remained unchanged over the years, the Elizabethan Ale recipe was tweaked a little in the 1960s to become a lighter-coloured ale.

However, Elizabethan Ale would revert to its original recipe whenever a significant royal milestone or anniversary occurred. With an ABV of between 7.5 and 8.5%, Elizabethan Ale won numerous awards at events such as the International Exhibition of Brewing (Brewex), World Beer Awards and the International Beer Challenge.