A Special Collaboration: Introducing Albion
We’ve teamed up with our friends at Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, to brew a brand-new beer. We’ve named it Albion, and today we’re here to tell you all about this very special collaboration and just what makes this beer one of a kind. It’s so special, we’re giving it pride of place at Oktoberwest 2026!
Crafted Through Collaboration
Our head brewer, Robert Wicks, and his counterpart at Thornbridge, Rob Lovatt, have known each other for over fifteen years, during which time they have exchanged all manner of technical know-how and ideas about brewing. The two breweries were founded within one year of each other – Westerham in 2004 and Thornbridge in 2005 – and are proudly part of the second wave of Indie breweries founded in the early part of the millennium.
One thing that Robert and Rob have in common is a penchant for crafting the perfect lager, and so they decided to come together to brew a British Lager with a German twist. The result is Albion: brewed with the noble hop Akoya, which was bred in Germany for use in classic German lagers, and now grown right here in Kent by Anthony Rudgard-Redsell, a sixth generation hop grower.
Akoya: Our Hop of Choice
The brainchild of Hopsteiner in Germany, Akoya was bred in 2016 by crossing the traditional English hop variety Zenith with a German male selection. If you read our post about the Brew Crew’s recent trip to some Kentish hop gardens, you may recall that hop plants are dioecious – with male and female plants growing separately from one another.
Redsells began to cultivate Akoya and a number of other new hop varieties they believed would thrive in Kent’s soils, being hardy against disease and a high yield crop. By bringing Akoya to our shores, Redsells can now offer a hop with a decidedly modern aroma profile. Although it shares many qualities with its German noble hop cousins, with its herbal aroma, Akoya has a number of unique qualities all of its own. In particular, it is notable for having notes of green tea and spice. The discerning among us may note hints of pepper, fresh herbs, green fruit and a subtle nod to citrus and mint. Akoya is bright, bold, and perfect for our unique take on a classically Munich-style lager.
Our hop of choice is also known for delivering a higher oil content and greater alpha acid. Although the precise type of oil has an impact on its effect upon beer, generally speaking, hops with a higher oil content have the potential to make a beer more hoppy in both aroma and flavour. Meanwhile, the higher alpha acid levels from Akoya give our new beer an increased bitterness.
One Helle of a Result
Albion is a 5% British Lager which has been brewed with the perfect combination of English lager malt and light Munich malt to create a classic Munich-style Helles lager. Helles means ‘light one’, and refers to the style’s pale appearance and thick, creamy head. The first Helles lager was brewed at Munich’s Spaten Brewery back in 1894, and now together with Thornbridge, we have brought this beer straight into the 21st century, marrying together the best of British brewing with an iconic German style.
Brewed at Westerham and lagered for several weeks, Albion is available at both Westerham Brewery and Thornbridge Brewery for a limited time only. Meanwhile, it will be taking pride of place as the Festbier of Westerham’s Oktoberwest 2026, on 26 September and 3 October. Hop on over to our What’s On page to book your tickets.
