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Following the launch of Perfect Promise, the first of a double-act of Arkell’s Brewery’s All Malt beers created to celebrate barley, head brewer Alex Arkell has revealed the second: Mighty Maris.
Barley is one of the four key ingredients of beer (the others being water, hops and yeast) and at 3.6% ABV, Mighty Maris is brewed using solely Maris Otter Barley malt in the grist.
This famous variety is considered a truly representative ingredient for authentic British beer. First grown in 1965, this year is its 50th anniversary and as part of this, Arkell’s has been asked to brew the beer especially for the national Maris Otter festival being held in Norfolk on September 18.
Maris Otter has an almost legendary status among brewers, with an incredible nine of the most recent 14 champion beers of Britain being brewed using malted Maris Otter barley, though less than 6% of British beer is brewed using the variety.
Arkell’s head brewer, Alex Arkell, was delighted to be invited to brew a beer for what he thinks is the first ever party dedicated to a variety of grain. “There are 50 new beers being created for the Maris Otter 50th Anniversary,” he said. “From 44 counties across Britain and six countries across the world. It’s going to be an amazing weekend.”
Brewers often select Maris Otter barley because of its brewing consistency and depth of flavour. Maris Otter is a low-nitrogen winter barley (sown in the autumn, harvested a few weeks before the Spring varieties), cross-bred in 1965 from two other varieties: Proctor and Pioneer, by the Plant Breeding institute in Cambridge.
Alex Arkell added: “Maris Otter is a quality barley which is often overlooked for other barley varieties grown for their increased yield and ease of production for the grower. I love brewing using it, and it will be great to compare Arkell’s Mighty Maris with the 49 other varieties at the Maris Otter Festival.”
