Celebrate International Beer Day in the South Downs
August 2, 2016
The first Friday in August is International Beer Day! Here in the South Downs we have tipples that rival the best in the world so why not embrace the celebration by combining a walk on the Downs with a local brew or two.
One of the things that makes the South Downs unique as a National Park is that it’s a living landscape. It has provided for and supported its inhabitants for millennia with the fruits of field and forest. That’s as true now as it ever was, so use our South Downs Food Finder to discover some of the very best this land has to offer.
Hammerpot Brewey based in the hamlet of Hammerpot, near Arundel, uses water from the South Downs and carefully selected hops, malted barley and wheat to brew their beers. Production is sustainable too, as they use the traditional method hand bottling and ensure the spent grains are used to feed animals on the local farm.
Ballards Brewery in the historic market town of Petersfield produces on average 1,500 gallons of beer each week. They use malted barley which is milled on the premises, English hops, yeast and water to make their craft ale.
Try your hand at making craft beer at Langham Brewery in Lodsworth and take a tour of their 10 barrel steam powered brewery. See our walks around Midhurst and use the Discovery Map to your journey.
If you like a little heritage with your beer then Longman Brewery is ideal. The malt house existed on the farm during the mid-19th century and an inventory suggests it dates as far back as 1538. Longman Brewery use locally sourced ingredients and the spring barley used in the beers is grown on the farm, even their workforce is from within the Cuckmere Valley.
These local drinks and more can be found in the many English country pubs nestled in the South Downs. William Blake was said to be inspired by the view of the South Downs from the window of the Earl of March pub in Lavant, which is easy to reach from Centurion Way. Or take a bracing walk by the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters before ducking into the Tiger Inn at East Dean, purveyors of some very fine ales from the Beachy Head Brewery.