Uses some of our favourite hops, including Northern Brewer, Pioneer, and Motueka.

My all-time favourite hop. Difficult to get hold of in normal times for a small brewery like us. Lockdown has its silver lining - with most places suspending or drastically reducing production, Motueka is obtainable. We're making the most of it!

Pioneer Stout is another early brew which has been retained. It's very dark, thanks to 10% Chocolate malt and a bit of Black. The Pioneer refers to the main hop used. A bit of vanilla is added to round off the bitterness.

COSMIC DANCER 4.5% ABV

Rich amber strong best bitter, with plentiful malt and hops

4 hops and 3 malts for full flavour.

 

SUMMER HEAVEN 4% ABV

Golden summer beer, with plenty of malt balanced with zingy hops.

German, English and New Zealand hops blend with a rich malty base for a perfect summer beer

 

GREEN HOP IPA - 5.9% ABV

Golden IPA with green hops used at the end for a fresh, vinous character

Brewed with fresh green hops from this year's harvest. Ony one brew possible, so very limited supplies.

 

TBA - 3.9% ABV

Our best-selling session bitter. Brewed with multiple hops, added throughout the boil for a well-rounded beer with a good bitter finish

We used a combination of our old favourite hops - English Pilgrim and NZ Green Bullet & Pacific Jade. then chucked in some American Citra at the end to give it an extra kick. Rich for its strength, TBA is a proper modern old-fashioned best bitter.

Best of Both Worlds - 4.1% ABV

A combination of British and NZ hops gives this beer a satisfying body with a refreshing flavour and a gentle bitter finish.

English Admiral, NZ Pacific Jade, and just a dash of chocolate malt.

This is the first of the 10th Anniversary re-brews and the pump badge features artwork by local artist Just Bee.

Smooth, creamy and delicious, with chocolate and caramel notes.

Uses classic old world hops Northern Brewer, Fuggles and Pilgrim

A tweak to the Jun2020 version, using Northern Brewer, Admiral, Fuggles and Motueka. 6 casks will go to create a new malt spirit.

A blast from the past, this beer was first brewed in July 2012 for a wedding. Repeat brews happed throughout 2013 and 2014. Time for a revisit.

Smooth, creamy and delicious, with caramel notes.

A base of Fuggles hops finished off with a generous helping of wild hops.

Uses classic old world hops Northern Brewer, Fuggles and Pilgrim

Treble Diamond 4% ABV

A new, light, best bitter for 2019. A combinatiion of three English hop varieties, producing a flavoursome, refreshing beer.

We used our old favourites, Admiral and Pioneer, in the earlier stages of the boil, then generously hopped with Fuggles from our local(ish) growers at Hampton Estate for a full-flavoured brew.

ADMIRAL SINGLE-HOP - 4.3% ABV

Another single-hop brew using an English hop. Firmly bitter, with notes of herbs and a hint of citrus flavour.

A new version of the Admiral single-hop golden beer for 2017. As with all our single-hops, the only malt used is Maris Otter Pale Ale.

This porter was first brewed in early 2017 and proved very popular, also being short-listed for an award at the Reading Beer Festival.

GREEN HOP IPA - 4.8% ABV

Copper-coloured bitter with green hops used at the end for a fresh, vinous character

Brewed with fresh green hops from this year's harvest. Ony one brew possible, so very limited supplies.

2013 version won joint second at Hampshire Octoberfest.

Hoppy Harrington 4.8% ABV

A tweak to the original recipe, this updated version uses Hops from Europe, America and the UK for a complex brew.

Hops used are Lubelska from Poland, Czech Sladek, Slovenian Celeia, UK Admiral and Cascade from the US. This is a well-balanced brew, with plenty of malt to complement the hops.

Northern Brewer is the name of the hop. No Northern brewers were harmed in the production of this beer.

Available from mid-March 2016

SOLO Green Bullet- 4.3% ABV

Just the one hop, but a lot of it! Added at four stages for complexity of flavour housed in a pale golden brew. Powerfully floral. Dry-hopped version available in limited numbers.

Green Bullet is a favourite hop of ours - plenty of flavour, with a citrus kcik and a floral aroma. As usual for an SVB single-hop beer, only Maris Otter pale ale malt is used, so the hop shines through.

HOPPY HARRINGTON - 4.7%

Five-hop special brewed with US, NZ and UK hops for a complex flavour with a sweetish flavour and a satisfying hoppy finish. Mid-brown in colour.

Colyumbus and Pilgrim for bitterness, plenty of rich Magnum flavour, topped off with Green Bullet, Pacific Jade and Wakatu for floral and citrus aroma notes. All housed in a malty mid-brown brew.

A new brew for 2015, this is a take on the amber style of beer, brewed to a lower ABV than its American cousin, but still full of malt, plus the rich flavours of Northern Brewer hops.

Pacific Jade is another of those wonderful New Zealand hops. Its flavour is subtler than Nelson Sauvin or Motueka, but it's still got plenty of depth. As it's a single-hop brew, once again we use only Maris Otter Pale malt.

New IPA for 2017

A new brew for 2016, we decided to keep things simple with two hops and two malts. The result is a very quaffable dark ruby stout. Casked in July 2016, it will mature and develop over the next four months, or more.

BLACK HOPPY BITTER - 5.4% ABV

English, American and NZ hops combine to produce a flavoursome black beer with a solid bitter aftertaste.

Brewed with Pilgrim, Amarillo, Admiral and Wakatu hops for a complex flavour. This beer is probably what some would term a 'Black IPA' but we don't like the term. We've called it what it is - a black, hoppy bitter. A touch of chocolate at first, with black malt used at the end of the sparge to extract the colour.

Golden beer brewed with NZ Pacific Jade and German Northern Brewer hops for a refreshing strongish summery beer

Brewed for Stefan's Butchers in Wokingham, and has since become a regular beer in cask, this brown ale combines English, New Zealand and American hops in a full-flavoured malty brew. Despite its name, it is vegan-friendly, only ever casked (or bottled) unfined.

CHRISTMAS BEER - 6.8% ABV

Strong, rich dark ruby-coloured winter ale with plenty of fruity flavours, plus coffee, chocolate and a subtle hint of seasonal spices

Magnum, Willamette and Styrian Bobek hops, MOP, Crystal and Chocolate Malts. A few Nutmegs, some cinammon, a handful of cloves and some star anis added to the boil. Not overpoweringly spiced, but full of flavour.

UBIK- 5.0% ABV

Big, bold, copper-coloured multihop bitter

Brewed with American Columbus & Magnum, NZ Riwaka, and UK Pilgrim hops, this is a full-flavured premium bitter

Plenty of chocolate malt, Pilgrim, Galena and Fuggles hops.

Threesome was the third beer brewed by SVB. It's been slightly tweaked since then, now made with a combination of English and New Zealand hops for added complexity of flavour. Made with Maris Otter and Crystal malts

SOLO SOUTHERN GOLD - 4.0% ABV

A golden beer combining two of our favourite New Zealand hops, Green Bullet and Pacific Jade. Plenty of citrus zing and a good floral nose

The first of a series of multi-hop beers featuring New Zealand hops. In common with the single-hop SOLO range, this uses only Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt, so the hops do all the work.

Maris Otter pale ale malt and Pilgrim hops, added at five stages in the boil.

IPA2016 - 5.0% ABV

New IPA for 2016. Brewed with English Pioneer and New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops, this is a full-flavoured, fruity IPA with a gentle bitterness

It's an IPA. It's pale and strong(ish) and full of flavour. Very quaffable.

Brewed with Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt, UK Pilgrim hops for bittering, and NZ Pacific Jade and Green Bullet hops for a complex aroma and flavour.

Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, Amarillo hops, water, yeast. Hopped exponentially - that is, a small amount at the beginning of the boil and loads more by the end, for a full hoppy hit without overpowering bitterness

SOLO Ahtanum- 4.3% ABV

Just the one hop, but a lot of it! Added exponentially to bring out all the flavour without over-bittering the beer

Ahtanum is a fruity full-flavoured hop with very low alpha characteristics, making it a tricky one to use for a single-hop beer. We chose not to worry about the low bitterness, and concentrate on flavour. It works.

Mellivora - 5.6%

Dark ruby beer brewed with five hop varieties and honey, to produce a smooth and delicious, distinctive beer

Plenty of hops and plenty of malt with a good honey base and a rich dark ruby colour. Hops used: Riwaka (NZ), Galena (US). Fuggles, Admiral and Pilgrim (UK). Brewed with Katrina Fletcher from the Alehouse in Reading for their winter beer festival.

Extra-Curricular - 5.4%

Copper-coloured multi-hop, multi-grain beer with a complex hoppy character, plenty of aroma and a good, lingering bitter finish. Available fined and unfined.

Brewed in collaboration with Reading University Real Ale Society.
Malts: Marris Otter pale ale, Caramalt, chocolate, black.
Hops: Admiral, Green Bullet, Amarillo, Pacific Jade, Pilgrim

SSB - 3.4% ABV

Sherfield Session Beer. A lower-alcohol bitter, but still full of flavour thanks to liberal helpings of English and New Zealand hops.

Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, plus a touch of Crystal for a hint of colour. Hops: English Pilgrim and Pioneer, and New Zealand Pacific Jade,

ADMIRAL SINGLE-HOP - 4.3% ABV

Another single-hop brew using an English hop. Firmly bitter, with notes of herbs and a hint of citrus flavour.

We've used Admiral as the backbone of several beers before, but decided to have a play and see if it stands on its own. The answer is yes. As with all single-hops, the only malt used is Maris Otter Pale Ale.

Bralda Him means 'Heady Ale', or at least it does according to JRR Tolkien. A name the hobbits gave to the Brandywine river.

Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, Admiral, Galena, Wakatu, Riwaka and Green Bullet hops.

E.L. Wisty was one of the many creations of my namesake, Peter Cook. Thought it was about time to exploit the connection.

Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, crystal malt, Chocolate malt; Admiral, Galena, Pilgrim, Pioneer and Green Bullet hops.

Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, Cascade hops, water, yeast. That's enough for anyone, surely?

Maris Otter pale ale malt. Yeast. Lots and lots of hops. Five additions of this aroma-rich hop, added throughout the boil to get as much out of it as possible.

Mellivora - 5.4%

Dark ruby beer brewed with five hop varieties and honey, to produce a smooth and delicious, distinctive beer

Plenty of hops and plenty of malt with a good honey base and a rich dark ruby colour. Hops used: Riwaka (NZ), Galena (US). Fuggles, Admiral and Pilgrim (UK). Brewed with Katrina Fletcher from the Alehouse in Reading for their winter beer festival.

Goldings, Northern Brewer, Admiral, Pilgrim and a touch of Riwaka hops, housed in a rich dark combination of Pale Ale Malt, Brown Malt and Black Malt.

SOLO SOUTHERN GOLD - 4.0% ABV

A golden beer combining two of our favourite New Zealand hops, Green Bullet and Pacific Jade. Plenty of citrus zing and a good floral nose

The first of a series of multi-hop beers featuring New Zealand hops. In common with the single-hop SOLO range, this uses only Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt, so the hops do all the work.

Threesome was the third beer brewed by SVB. It's been slightly tweaked since then, but still contains the same English hops: Admiral, Fuggles, Goldings and Pioneer. Made with Maris Otter and Crystal malts

English hops are great, but sometimes you need that extra punch that New Zealand's can offer, and Nelson Sauvin is the punchiest of the lot as far as we're concerned. Even more so if you have one of our dry-hopped casks. All our single-hop brews use Maris Otter Pale malt and nothing else, so there's nothing to distract you from the hops.

As always, this single hop beer is brewed using only Maris Otter Pale Ale malt, so the flavour of the hop stands out. Riwaka is a lower Alpha hop, which means it doesn't produce as heady a hit as Motueka, but it's still very tasty.

HOPPY HARRINGTON - 4.7%

Five-hop special brewed with US, NZ and UK hops for a complex flavour with a sweetish flavour and a satisfying hoppy finish. Mid-brown in colour.

Fuggles and Pilgrim for bitterness, plenty of spicy Galena flavour, topped off with Riwaka and Pacific Jade for floral and citrus aroma notes. All housed in a malty mid-brown brew.

We couldn't resist adding a touch of Nelson Sauvin right at the end of the boil to add a floral dimension to the grassy flavours of Admiral, Fuggles and Goldings. LXR is text-speak for elixir. Oh, all right, it's also 60 in Roman numerals with an R for regina. At least we didn't go for an appalling pun...

A new single hop beer for the SOLO range, Galena is an American hop with plenty of fruity flavours and (we think) a touch of spice. Another golden beer, brewed with only Maris Otter pale ale malt so nothing gets in the way of the hop's characteristics.

IPA2012 - 5.6%

Indian Pale ale brewed with English Pilgrim and Northern Brewer hops, with a few American Galena hops thrown in for good measure. Quaffably sweet with a good bitter finish.

An IPA. The P stands for 'pale'. It's strong and hoppy, like an IPA should be. It shouldn't be brown and under 4%, no matter how much wistful advertising you throw at it. This one's brewed with English Pilgrim hops. Lots of them. Alternative 'It's Promotion Again' pumpclip available, for Reading fans.