News: January 2012

A beer brewed to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VIII in 1936 has been revealed by Greene King.

Bottles of Coronation Ale were unearthed by the brewery in 2004 but the company has now brought the discovery to light to coincide with the release of the film WE, co-written and directed by Madonna. The film recounts the story of the King’s relationship with American divorcée Wallis Simpson and his subsequent abdication.

The beer, which was never released, as the King’s coronation did not take place, was found in a bricked-up cellar by a workman replacing a floor at the Bury St Edmunds brewery. Thanks partly to its 12% ABV, the beer has survived remarkably well, claims Greene King head brewer John Bexon.