The announcement this week that Sean & Alison are to step away from the business after nearly 18 years at the helm will come as a shock to many but knowing it has been bought by Ian Fozzard, the very successful managing director of the Market Town Taverns group, is certainly a relief to me. Ian is set to appoint his twin sons Tom and Oliver as Brewery Manager and Head Brewer and they certainly know their beers. Until recently Tom was a protegé of beer writer Zak Avery at the beer lovers paradise which is BeerRitz in North Leeds and Oliver, like Sean himself, started brewing around 11 years ago at Daleside Brewery before moving to Copper Dragon Brewery in Skipton where he has been for the past 6 and a half years.

This is certainly a new chapter in Rooster’s history but thankfully one I feel that will stick to the same script with the Fozzard’s sharing the same brewing ethos as Sean & Alison – drink quality not quantity.

Rooster’s have re-created a beer initially brewed by award winning home brewer Gareth Lester-Olivier especially for this years festival. Following the traditional recipe of an English cask ale but with Rooster’s trademark American hops (cascade and amarillo in this case) this beer has the archetypal Rooster’s “hoppy” taste with an initial aroma of tropical fruits and a long lasting aromatic finish. At 5% it may be isn’t as approachable as their YPA but is a tasty IPA nonetheless and one that won’t be around for long with the end of the festival looming so get down to your local Wetherspoon’s and try this before it flies the coop!!