News: May 2011

An intrepid band of brewers and beer enthusiasts sets sail this month for St Petersburg.

Leaving Greenwich on 14 May, the 60-ft clipper Thermopylae heads out into the North Sea and will then venture into the Baltic. The aim is to re-create the historic journey made by imperial stouts and porters in the 18th and 19th centuries as they were shipped from Britain to the imperial court of Russia.

Among the brewers taking part are Peter Amor of Wye Valley, Marc Bartram of Bartrams and Roger Ryman of St Austell. Each is taking supplies of their own imperial Russian stouts that will only be opened once the destination has been reached.

The five-week voyage was conceived by Beer Academy lecturer Tim O’Rourke and will see the ship making regular ports of call along the way – at Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki – taking in beer festivals and other beery activities. The ship is due to arrive in St Petersburg in mid-June.