The oldest recipe we brew today, a light amber harvest ale brought back to life from Phipps’ 19th century, leather bound brewer’s books. A cunning combination of Kent hops rule the taste buds over Maris Otter, Pale Ale and Crystal malts. At 1036 OG this brew comes from the top end of a range of beers designed for thirst quenching following a hard days work in field or factory.

Diamond Ales were Pickering Phipps’ original bright and sparkling beers which were developed in the early 1860’s as the craze for Burton style bitters swept away dark, heavy porters, a link with the company’s roots in rural Towcester.

A fresh interpretation of the classic Phipps style of sweet, amber-gold ales but using modern aromatic Amarillo hops. This fruity session ale is inspired by the famous water meadows that lie between our home town of Northampton and the meandering River Nene. The perfect companion for lazy summer days by the river or in the pub garden.

Available from Spring to Autumn

Phipps IPA, brewed to an authentic 1930s recipe, is a golden beer relying solely on the pale ale malt in its grist for its colour. The classic blend of Goldings and Fuggles hops gives the characteristic English ale flavours to this full-bodied beer. The balance of bitterness and sweetness, allied to a smooth hoppy after-taste, creates a most drinkable pint and our flagship brew.

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THE iconic Northamptonshire pint, brewed to suit the tastes and water of the county, it was originally a stronger India Pale Ale strength at 4.8%. Its reduction to 4.3% during the First World War opened up the beer to a wider audience. The ale was taken to the hearts of the county’s shoe workers as its hoppy flavour and bitterness cut through the tannin rich leather aroma that cordwainers spent their working days inhaling.

A cosmic fusion of crisp lager malts with a contemporary selection of ale hops produces a golden beer with a modern attitude to flavour

To mark the 40th anniversary of the closure of Phipps’ original Bridge street brewery, we have brought back to life the final new brew from the old company. Following the merger of Phipps and NBC in 1957, all dark beer production moved up to NBC’s North brewery and all pale beers went to Phipps’ South Brewery. This meant that NBC’s Export Pale Ale should have been brewed in a Phipps building by Phipps brewers. That was never going to go down well with proud and loyal men so without informing the management, they dusted off the old pre WW1 Phipps IPA recipe and strength and brewed it in place of NBC’s ale. When Watneys took over a few years later this was the first casualty of their rationalisation of the brewing range, Gold Star was too strong, too expensive and too good to survive. This titan of a beer has the colour and drinking quality of the IPA but with a subtle punch of an export strength ale.